Inner Beauty

A single rose on top of my grave is the most beautiful thing my life every gave. wdsiemer ii

Facebook Posts I've Seen (a lot)

Click "Like" if you STILL think she's beautiful. I know people have good intentions, but this only seems to bring attention to the fact something is wrong or flawed about a person. I would hope nobody would react negatively, but I know this isn't the case because people are bullied every day. In a perfect world, appearance would not be a topic of conversation.

I believe the old adage of "inner beauty" remains true. In the end, we are all stripped of our flesh, and leave behind the memory of the type of person we were. "Like" this is if you agree. :)

Other posts:
"Just saying"
"Dear guy who did this to me. Please bla bla. Sincerely, Me"
Those quotes...

I Saw A Deer Today

They are overpopulated, hunted, and roadkill. However, we are still fascinated with our encounters with deer. Or at least I seem to be.

If I saw a few deer in my backyard I would probably try to get a photo like it is some once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If I quietly sneak up on a group of deer grazing in a field, I would probably share this exciting news with people.

When I die, I am getting mounted to a deer to put out in the backyard. My loved ones will be able to point out the window, and say "There's old Will grazing in the yard." As long as a hunter doesn't catch sight of me...

On that note... hunting doesn't impress me, unless you're using the meat as a source of food or you hand-crafted the weapons out of nature in order to complete the hunt. Otherwise, it all reminds me of an episode of King of the Hill, where Hank takes Bobby to a hunting range. The deer are overpopulated in a fenced area, and come within a couple of feet of Bobby's gun because there are feeders all around them. Too simplified, but I guess it helps keep the deer population under control.

When I worked at a pony keg, we were a check-in station, and would tag deer for hunters. My goodness, they couldn't have been any more proud of their "accomplishment." They would ramble on-and-on, but all I thought of was the awful smell in the back of their truck, cutting a slit through the deer's leg or ear to tag it, and hosing the blood off the parking lot.

Hand Model Failure

Hand Model Failure

Some time back, I was at a photography studio for product packaging. The studio usually has hand models on call, but on that day they didn't anticipate the need for one.

For the last few shots they needed someone to hold/present the product. Since I was there they asked if I could do the favor. I was hesistant and told them my hands are not attractive. They look down. "Ughhhh." "Yeah, very ugly hands." "We'll just pass on these shots for now."

And so my dreams of becoming a hand model were crushed... All those nights of practicing hand gestures through shadows on the walls, pointless... My steady hands, wasted talent.... All the lotion, let's not go there...

My Roots - Progression: Pringles/Torengos

My Roots
Progression: Pringles/Torengos 04/21/11

I should really just keep talking about birds and owls...

The article I presented last week about the sale of Pringles (Diamond Foods buying Pringles) reminded me of the time I spent interning at Deskey Branding. I remember spending some days preparing my first transitional pieces for the new Pringle's logo and witnessing some of my first brand style guides. It's interesting thinking back on how ignorant and immature of a young designer I was then and still can be. We truly never stop learning as artists.

During my time at Deskey, my coworkers really helped me get my act together through constructive criticism and field experience. I became a much better and smarter designer quicker.

At the time, Torengos Tortilla Chips were supposed to be the next big thing. They were like Pringles in the sense the tortialla chip came individually stacked in a pop-top can. I saw the argument for presenting such a product to the public (keeping the product fresh and intact), but I was also hesitant of its success in a highly saturated chip market (not trying to burn any bridges).

Back then, I wish I had a chance to see more of the case studies to give me more insight into the birth of the idea/implementation. Even though Torengos didn't pan out, they gave me an opportunity to see some of the behind-the-scenes work that went into a new product launch. I was given a chance to create some product and point-of-purchase renderings and ad slicks during my internship with the company. Now the images just give me nostalgia to my work roots.

Does anybody remember Torengos?