domingo, 23 de marzo de 2014

Hombres de Maíz :: Men of Corn



 

The Mayan creation story, Popul Vuh, describes that men were created from corn after two failed attempts of creating people from mud and sticks by the gods. Corn is an essential staple in the diet; tortillas, tamales, chuchitos, tayuyos all use corn.


viernes, 21 de marzo de 2014

Luna Ixchel

Fashion photo shoot with the lovely Italian designer, Federika based in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. She dyes her fabrics naturally with local plants. Check out her items on Etsy or find Luna Ixchel on Facebook.

 












lunes, 17 de marzo de 2014

Captivating Bold & Brilliant :: Senior Photos



Portraits done right capture the essence of the person photographed - their beauty, personality, quirks, etc. Corinne is an easy-going and lighthearted being with style, definitely not afraid to try things new... perhaps rather bold & brilliant. Her photos represent the traditional portrait requirements that might meet other standards, while also capturing photos that reflect this spirit described.








domingo, 16 de marzo de 2014

Mural Painting :: Bringing Life to a Space

Architecture intrigues me. Forms influence the play of light. Openings inform the movement between spaces. Materials contribute to acoustics. Decor modifies the ambiance.

Over the past few months, I've had the honor to continue the sense of play of various rooms in a private house embracing the relationship between indoor and outdoor space.








(Bringing life to the painting - celebrating the owner's birthday)




Lessons learned:
1. Trust the process. You may have a plan, but it will always change. If you accepted the challenge and are confident in your abilities, know that moments of frustration will lead to bursts of clarity.

2. The space is much bigger than anticipated. Surprisingly, my mind expected a much quicker process. Sometimes, I can imagine exactly what I want it to do and be. And often, you just forget how much time, effort, and massive body movements it takes to cover such space like you want it.

3. Try to paint when you aren't feeling it, BUT if you are really not feeling it, don't waste your time. Sometimes the answer is quite simple, with good music and a paintbrush, you are easily back in it. Other times it can be even simpler, no joy, no motivation and no inspiration from painting means stop, change something to energize and get back in it.

4. Remember that if you aren't enjoying painting, something else might need to change in your life. Many of times when painting was challenging, I was doing it for the wrong reasons - pressure, being overly-tired from long hours teaching, as a backburner project when I want it to be IT.

5. Talking to people gives you more connections. Forget humility, you'll never get noticed. Well, maybe noticed, but not much more work. Word of mouth is huge, being proud and having a face and voice for your painting means so much more. Still working on this "lesson learned."

6. People pay for this so stop acting like they are always doing you a favor. Realize how much a space can change and influence people positively and know you are responsible. That does not have to be cocky, rather it is knowing where your skills lie.



sábado, 15 de marzo de 2014

viernes, 14 de marzo de 2014

Videoteca Sololá

This project allowed me to elaborate on my design skills from the logo to web design. I even tested out filming for short videos and am still in the process of putting together my first short video. Check out the site at www.videotecasolola.com.



This is definitely the logo that has led to several other logo projects over the past few months. The Sololá region of Guatemala is a region of Indigenous Kaqchikel and Tzutujil Mayans, where culture is heavily intertwined with nature. Upon designing this logo, I reflected on astrology and a constant awareness of the moon cycle. That, along with the idea of this being a library (but instead of books on shelves, it would be DVDs) influenced the design process. Ultimately, playing with these two images, the moon and a DVD created the final logo.

Here are a few images of the website: