Wicked Artist | Dan Dos Santos...

My good friend, local designer/illustrator James Gillespie (KALAMAFRAZ), sent me this YouTube link to Dan Dos Santos' Warbreaker Cover Illustration - Oil Painting Demonstration. All I can say is WOW. Check it out on YouTube, here. You can see more of Dan's work on his website at http://www.dandossantos.com/ - enjoy!

Thanks for sending me the link James, cheers!

COOL! Inspirational Posters for Designers...

I came across this link today via Computer Arts Daily. Frank Chimero has created a set of inspirational posters aimed specifically at designers. You can view them here; if the pop-up images are a too small for you, there are bigger versions available on Frank's Flickr account, here - enjoy!

Worldwide Identity – Inspired Design from Forty Countries reviewed by Maggie Macnab on DT&G...

The book, Worldwide Identity – Inspired Design from Forty Countries authored by Robert L. Peters and designed at Circle has received another positive review, this time from Maggie Macnab on DT&G. Here's an excerpt from the review:

There is more to being a designer than using tools to re-form and regurgitate our thoughts. There is more to design than balancing concept with execution. Design is intent: the process of understanding relationships and making choices based on that knowledge.

We make our thoughts real when we put them into the world, and they give us back the world we live in. Worldwide Identity – Inspired Design from Forty Countries is thoughtfully written and concisely edited by Robert L. Peters, beautifully designed by his team at Circle (Winnipeg, Canada), and published by Rockport in partnership with Icograda (the International Council of Graphic Design Associations).

Read the review in its entirety on DT&G, here - cheers! :D

Recommended Viewing | Design Related Humor Videos...

I've been meaning to blog about these two videos I came across on YouTube for a while now... I found them to be rather amusing. Perhaps you will too? They're definitely targeted towards a designer audience IMO. The first one describes the process... 'what if there were no stop signs... and a major corporation was charged with inventing one?' I'm sure that the video is something that any designer could relate to, hopefully it will generate a smile! You can watch the process video, here (I originally had this linking to YouTube, but for some reason it's no longer available there)...


This font conference video is definitely targeted towards a design audience or for fans of typography... I'd have to assume that it likely wouldn't make much sense to the general public but, perhaps I'm mistaken... anyhow you can watch the font conference video on YouTube, here - enjoy!

Thursday Thoughts...

My colleagues and I, at Circle all enjoy a good quote, I came across a pair of interesting thoughts/quotes in a circa 1980 design textbook (pre-digital design age)... I'd say that these quotes are still valid (if not even more valid) today, as they were decades ago... wouldn't you agree?


Of course, these two generic sayings could also be applicable to any other facet of your daily life... think about it.

WWR Photoshoot...

Spurred by both, the comment from James left on my blog, and some of the cool/fun fan photos on the WWR Flickr Group pool, I went out and shot some pix with Nom and Dirty. These two shots have been tweaked in Photoshop (I've got plans to tweak some more of them down the road, so stay tuned!)...


If you're interested, you can see the rest of the shots I took during my WWR photoshoot on my WWR Bertie Flickr set, here - enjoy!

A Trip to the Assiniboine Zoo...

It's been at least a year since I last visited the Assiniboine Park Zoo. This weekend, my brother and I decided to take advantage of the mild weather and pay the ol' Zoo a visit... ;) We entered the Zoo from the Assiniboine Park entrance (I think that is the most commonly used one), and proceeded to walk around, first we saw the bears, it was the Grizzly's snack/feeding time... it was being fed bagels(?) from what we could tell.


From there we continued to walk around, we saw owls and birds, some raccoons,


...and of course we stopped for a while to check out the always popular monkeys, who were quite active, making it difficult to take any decent photos... ;(


We also stopped for a while to check out the Prairie Dogs (which seem to be everywhere you look on the Zoo grounds)...


I'd swear, this little dude must have been wired on caffeine or, sugar or something (it just kept spinning, or running around the inside of this log like a hamster wheel).


Anyone who has been to the Assiniboine Zoo before will know that we have quite a healthy Peacock population, which for the most part are free to roam about the grounds...


which makes for many nice photo ops! ;) This was one occasion, where I actually got to see a Peacock with their feathers on full display,


although this guy kept facing the wall for some reason (perhaps to take advantage of the acoustics, and to bounce his call off the walls?)...


eventually he turned himself around. What beautiful feathers these birds have!


Inside of the Tropical House was a pond filled with Koi fish, which made for some really neat photos...


Of course, we made sure to check out the sacred(?) White Bison... after all, we are living in the Province of Manitoba (the Bison is part of this Province's identity). Anyhow, in case you're interested I've started a new Flickr set called Zoos, Museums, Aquariums, more... where I will be compiling my photos of the described, as well as whatever I feel fits, check it out here - enjoy!

Recommended | 2008 Guardian Challenge Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament – Saturday, November 15th...

The 2008 Guardian Challenge – Kyokushin Karate Knockdown Tournament is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 15th at the St. Vital EMC (same venue as last year). You can see footage from last year's tournament on YouTube, here... and photos from the event on my Flickr, here (the photos were taken by my friend and local designer, Doug Fedrau).

More information will follow... check the Guardian Dojo website often for more info and updates (as they become available), go to http://www.guardiandojo.com/ - cheers!

Ashley Wood's Nom de Plume...

Ashley Wood's Nom de Plum has arrived... albeit a little worn from the overseas travel. It's really unfortunate that the shipping label was stickered onto the other side of the box (it hid/destroyed the duplicate Nom box art).


First impression of the Nom box art is rather meh... a crude description could be a sticker wrapped over a plain white cardboard gift box (which truly pales in comparison to the awesome packages that my Berties arrived in).



...42/50. Lucky! Included with Nom was a size XXL ThreeA t-shirt (guess I'll just have to shrink it... twice [or maybe three times], if I ever plan to wear it).



Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Nom de Plume...


Nom de Plume with my Bertie 'assault platoon'...


Nom de Plume and Dirty Deeds... ready to deploy! You can view the rest of my Nom de Plume un-boxing pics on my WWR Bertie Flickr set here - cheers! ;)

COOL! A Gift from GOOD Magazine...

I received another cool surprise in the mail the other night... this time from the folks at GOOD Magazine. I've blogged about them before here and here... anyhow, I received a package with a short letter (as follows):

Dear Friend,
Though it's not much, here are a few items for your efforts to support us. Since I have your address on file, please let me know via email if you want your free subscription for yourself, or if you wish to gift it to someone. If it's the latter case, please be sure to include their mailing address. Hope all is well in your part of the world and thanks again!...

:) that, along with a "Certificate of Subscribership" which congratulated me for being a hero(?... not sure how that worked),


along with some GOOD buttons and stickers. Either way, I was rather chuffed to receive it... thanks to the folks at GOOD! I'm planning to gift the subscription to Circle so that we can all enjoy the great features, graphics (and more) in the fine magazine together. Cheers!

Learn more about GOOD Magazine by visiting their website at http://www.goodmagazine.com/ - enjoy!

COOL! Handwritten Typographers...

I came across this post via Computer Arts Daily (a UK blog), an excerpt from the posting:

Cameron Adams found himself wondering what typographers' handwriting looked like. Then, instead of promptly forgetting about it, he asked a number of leading typographers, including Erik Spiekermann and Marian Bantjes, to send him a scan of their handwriting. And they did, with fascinating results. I wish we'd thought of this.

I couldn't agree more... wish I had thought of this... ;) Very cool stuff indeed! Check it out via http://www.themaninblue.com/

Image: Marian Bantjes, taken from the original blog post...

Photoshop - Extreme Weight Loss Make Over

From friend and local Winnipeg designer, Kyungmi Jin - a Friday Fun link to a YouTube video of a Photoshop Master demonstrating why you shouldn't always believe what you see... ;) Check it out on YouTube here (there's a ton of similar videos on YouTube).

Thanks for the link Kyungmi - cheers!

Osu! Congratulations Sempai...

As some of you are aware, I'm an active Karate-ka training out of the Guardian Dojo in Winnipeg. Yesterday evening (after class) at the Dojo, Sensei Diego Beltrán of the Guardian Dojo presented Sempai Sean Devlin with his Shodan.

Sempai Devlin is the first to achieve a black belt with the Guardian Dojo in Canada, under the tutelage of Sensei Beltrán.

It takes a great deal of commitment and effort to become a black belt in Kyokushin Karate. All of the Guardian Dojo students are very proud of Sempai Devlin's achievement, and we all look forward to training with him as we all continue to train our hearts and bodies for a firm, unshaken spirit, to pursue the true meaning of the martial way, so that in time our senses may become alert! Osu! Congratulations Sempai! Osu!

Ashley Wood's Dirty Deeds Bertie... DEPLOYED!

Guess who arrived last night [cue evil laughter]? After what seemed like an eternity of waiting (considering how long I've had Desert Rat), Ashley Wood's Dirty Deeds Bertie has arrived! Dirty Deeds arrived in the same shipping box as Desert Rat (which featured the same wicked Ashley Wood artwork).



As I continue to open the packaging, I come across this envelope (with a cool threezero sticker)...



containing the limited edition (73 of 80) giclee print (in case you're wondering, I got them for being one of the first to purchase the Berties)... it's the same as the one I received with Desert Rat.





...first impression from the Dirty Deeds box art is COOL!


This is not a toy. ;)




Dirty Deeds and his tools of the trade...



The paint, build and attention to detail is second to none... as can only be expected based off of my previous experience with Desert Rat.



Ashley Wood's Dirty Deeds Bertie deployed! You can check out the rest of my Dirty Deeds un-boxing pics on my WWR Bertie Flickr set here.

Congratulations! Mr. & Mrs. Gillespie...

This past weekend, my good friends (and fellow designers), James Gillespie and Beth Romphf tied the knot! It was a beautiful, intimate, summer afternoon ceremony to say the least, held just outside of Steinbach, Manitoba (in the great outdoors).



I just have to show you the fantastic custom wine label designs created by James, specifically for the wedding...


...first off we have the Flora(?) Sauvignon Blanc.


Followed by the Faun(?) Merlot.


Both of the wines were (as the labels described):

...created and aged by the infamous international Jewel thief Roberto Gillespinni. Where are my favourite jewels you ask? "Did I misplace them?... Are the kids playing with them?"

No! Chances are at some point Roberto has let himself into your home and made off with your precious trinkets and stones.

Fret not dear wine drinker, your valuables have been put to good use. Once melted down to make golden beaver key chains, your precious jewellery is sold and used to import the rare grapes from the Ancient Forest, the location which only Roberto knows. It is in the Ancient Forest where the Nymphs and Fauns nurture these unique grapes to fruition with music and dance...

Hah! Check out more of James' work on his blog KALAMAFRAZ at http://kalamafraz.blogspot.com/ - enjoy! Once again, congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Gillespie! Cheers!