February 10, 2011 In animation, art, communication, creativity, drawing, illustration, inspiration, presentation By Patricia Saxton

Daniel Pink's Ideas on Motivation, (literally) Illustrated

A Whole New Mind author Dan Pink has another fascinating book out called Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. If it’s as compelling a read as A Whole New Mind, we’re in for a treat.

Based on Pink’s research on science and motivation, originally presented in a TED talk (always worth watching), the illustrated video below is a pretty inspiring treat itself.

I’ll reserve judgment on the content (it sounds good, and some of it makes huge sense…), except to say that it’s thought-provoking and fantastically presented.

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February 8, 2011 In art, books & stuff, creativity, design By Patricia Saxton

Googling Jules Verne

Every once in a while Google has some fun with its logo treatment. Today’s marine scene caught my eye (were there Mermaids swimming inside the double “o”‘s?), so I did a little deeper-sea exploration.

The design ~ which is interactive, by the way (the “joystick” lets you move the sea and its creatures around … such power!) ~ honors the birthday of prolific French author Jules Verne (February 8, 1828 – March 24, 1905). Verne is best known for “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870), A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873).

A click on their logo takes you to a Google search page all about Jules Verne. A very clever way to say Happy Birthday to one of the literary greats.

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February 7, 2011 In appreciation, art, creativity, design By Patricia Saxton

A Plethora of P's / #7: "Patience"

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” ~ Winnie the Pooh

Time. The great illusionist. Ticks slowly when we want something to happen; the fast-forward button gets pressed when we’ve got someplace to be.

Time seems to move faster and faster; like it’s in a race. (The great rat-race?) The world’s in such a hurry.

I grew up hearing that “Patience is a virtue”, and I think that’s true. But it’s more than a display of fine character. Exercising patience allows things to unfold more gracefully, in their own right time. And it’s a challenge!

Patience is about what we can tolerate before blowing a personal fuse. It tests us in many forms ~ patience towards self, patience towards others, towards listening, towards learning, towards a menial task, towards traffic jams, towards time …  Wouldn’t it feel good if we could toss the accompanying irritation out the window? Have it vanish in thin air and just “go with the flow”? Easier said than done ~ but possible, if we re-calibrate our thoughts.

We come into this world packaged with personality intact, “strengths and weaknesses” already flowing through our veins, inborn traits determining whether we have more or less of this or that characteristic.

That doesn’t mean, though, that someone born with an impatient nature can’t develop greater degrees of patience ~ not necessarily reaching levels of saintliness, but we are ever-growing, learning, changing beings who can and do evolve and enhance our existence by stretching, expanding and nurturing the various aspects of our inherent nature. Patience is one well worth the effort. Think about it …

Feeling impatient can be such a maddening, aggravating, blood-pressure-rising experience, the solution might seem to be to hurry through it, be done with it. But we all know that doesn’t work …  it doesn’t make the traffic light turn green, it doesn’t make the baby stop crying, it doesn’t make the pot boil, it doesn’t make the flower grow, it doesn’t erase a mistake you might have made; it only lets you experience impatience.

So maybe we can’t make grapes ripen faster on the vine… and if we harvest them too soon, we end up with sour grapes. (And I’m pretty sure that creating sour grapes isn’t on anyone’s bucket list.)

But we can, instead, think patient anticipation. We can shift our focus to eagerness. Patience then is not a passive burden but steps that light up the path.

A wonderful thing happens when you take a few deep breaths and mindfully infuse patience: resistance backs off.  You can be present. You can even begin to enjoy and participate in the unfolding.

Maybe we should heed the line from the old Simon & Garfunkel song, “slow down, you move too fast,  you got to make the morning last …”. Because when we don’t, we don’t feel so “groovy”.

The river doesn’t ask “are we there yet?”. Like the river, we’ll all get where we’re going.

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February 6, 2011 In art, children's books, drawing, illustration By Patricia Saxton

A Tail is Born

Rough sketch. Just a tease, that’s all.

Stage One of another illustration for the next book ….  with other postings, you’ll see it come to life. Maybe even breathe fire.

 

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February 2, 2011 In appreciation, art, painting By Patricia Saxton

Deliciously Cool: Google's Art Project

Imagine each stroke of Van Gogh’s brush. Or Matisse or Manet’s.

Well, now you can see them. And from the short time I’ve had to wander through Google’s Art Project, the images are as brilliant and breathtaking as any virtual images could be. Possibly a masterpiece itself.

It boggles the mind – what a massive undertaking! – and it’s superbly done. Online, you can “Explore museums from around the world, discover and view hundreds of artworks at incredible zoom levels, and even create and share your own collection of masterpieces.”

If you haven’t already (I’m sure the buzz has swelled by now!), it’s a site completely worth visiting. It’s an experience!

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February 1, 2011 In art, communication, design By Patricia Saxton

Blame it on Cupid

Yesterday I talked about  “presence”… today, “presents”!

But this isn’t one of my “Plethora of P’s” posts (even though presents can be positive too!). This one’s all because of Cupid and his quivering arrow. Or maybe it’s St. Valentine’s doing. Or St. Hallmark’s.

Ah, well, whoever’s responsible, love is always worth celebrating. And since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, I put together some gifts over at my CafePress shop for gift-givers interested in something a little different.

Of course you can’t go wrong with flowers. But here’s an idea … you could fill the “52 Weeks of Peace” heart mug with chocolate truffles or yummy bath oils…  write a clever, poetic line or two in the love journal … or maybe sweeten up someone’s iPhone. They’ve all got heart … and love … and peace!

And, right ~ flowers would go well with all three. ♥

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January 28, 2011 In art, creativity, design, fine art, graphic design, inspiration, photography By Patricia Saxton

In Praise of Black and White: Part II

Ansel Adams / Aspens / Northern New Mexico 1958

I wrote this post a year ago. The text (with some edits) remains meaningful to me, but the images are new. (If you want to skip to the pictures, the short version is that I love black and white art and feel it’s under-appreciated…!)

Each year, a new Ansel Adams wall calendar hangs on the door leading to my studio. His superbly articulated, stunning black and white photography reminds me daily of my love for the natural world and the innumerable shades, shapes, shadows and tones that create, change, and emerge from, our world.

Yet the classic beauty and the powerful visual possibilities of black and white are often neglected. Straight black and white design is often passed by in favor of any use of color. As if black and white implied something dull or less important.

But when used well, black and white is intensely dramatic, vigorous, elegant and rich. It can get a powerful point across without the distraction of colors. It can be bright or moody, edgy or slick in ways that color cannot. It can sparkle with cleanliness. Black and white carries undisguised strength, character and integrity … when used well.

Of course, not all photographers have the eye nor skill of an Ansel Adams. Not all designers *see* in black and white. Clients rarely consider it. But it would be nice to see a greater appreciation of the noble duo of black and white.

When people want straight talk, when they want the truth, they’ll say “tell me in black and white”. But people often speak in shades of gray, or dress their language in garish colors for dramatic effect. And so it can be with design – a multitude of colors becomes too competitive, potentially drowning in an undifferentiated sea of tones or gussied up so much the point is lost for the color, like shouting for attention in a crowd.

Color, in and of itself, is naturally beautiful. Bold, rich fusions of color. Subtle, earthy color. Pale, cool, warm or dense. It’s vibrant and alive and emotional. But color alone will not make a bad design good. And it’s not so much that color is overrated, but that black and white is underrated. You don’t see it a lot, which is too bad, because the effects of black and white can be pretty spectacular.

Stripped of color, a million shades become a lansdcape of lights and darks that blend and weave and bounce against one another to create a very rich whole. A striking black and white image often touches us unexpectedly …  refreshing, engaging, and wonderfully inspiring. It’s raw and fundamental – and like a good story, it’s satisfying. Like a good story, it allows your mind to add its own color by filling in the parts left unsaid.

Enough said. Enjoy.

Ansel Adams / Tetons Snake River

 

“In Praise of Black & White: Part 1” images can be seen here.

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January 23, 2011 In art, communication, inspiration By Patricia Saxton

"52 Weeks of Peace" Notebooks

More ways to inspire peace . . .  by popular request, “52 Weeks of Peace” journals are available for the writers, artists and doodlers in your life.


Journals are 5X8″ with 160 pages for composing, scribbling and sketching to your heart’s content. You even get a choice of papers (blank, lines, dot grid or task/organizing)………….. Grab a pen and let the muse flow!  (Or toss it in your “52 Weeks of Peace” Totebag if you’re on the go… good idea, right?)

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January 18, 2011 In art, design By Patricia Saxton

Work of Art : Restoration of a Rare NYC Map

Maybe it’s my cartographic DNA (ancestor and renowned map-maker Christopher Saxton was commissioned by the 16th century Elizabethan court to survey the whole of England and Wales) that makes this feel so thrilling.

Original "Plan of the City of New York"

Alright, “thrilling” may be over the top. But it’s a juicy find, and stirs my designer/illustrator blood.

The story goes that a frail, crisp, tattered map was discovered last May, tucked in with some other old prints at the Brooklyn Historical Society ~ but this particular map happened to be crafted by master surveyor and draftsman Bernard Ratzer (known, according to the NY Times article, as the “DaVinci of New York cartography”). And there are only 3 existing copies of this map.

The map, “Plan of the City of New York”, dates back to 1770. The restoration process itself was a magnificent feat of skill and patience ~ and no doubt involved a good pinch of love and respect as well. (Click on either picture to see full images that can be magnified onscreen.) It’s quite the gem!

Restored "Plan of the City of New York"

………………………….

Of course, I can’t let this writing end without showing one of Christopher Saxton’s pieces. (… maybe I’ll write a little more on him in another post.)

Christopher Saxton / "Map of Cornwall" / 1579

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