Design Inspiration: 2019 Wedding Trends
05/15/2019
photo by dfrolovXIII/Shutterstock.com
It’s officially spring, aka “wedding season”. All the brides out there, including myself, are digging through wedding binders and Pinterest boards to plan their perfect dream wedding.
Since every year brings new trends, it’s easy to panic and feel overwhelmed… I know I did. The panic was short-lived. I quickly found out just how fun and exciting wedding planning can be. 2019 is the year to make a statement with a special nod to tradition.
Continue reading …WCTC Career Outreach Experience
05/02/2019
When Mark Rzeznik, the Associate Dean of Graphics, Engineering, and Diesel Tech at the Waukesha County Technical College reached out to industry professionals about the opportunity to speak at area middle schools about their specific career path, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Kids are hilarious in their own innocent ways. Being given the opportunity to be the “face” of Graphic Design for a day, to be able to teach and showcase what the industry is about and the kind of work you can do, was an extremely worthwhile and special experience for me.
Continue reading …
One very important aspect of being a graphic designer is to evolve, infuse new design trends and make sure to keep our designs fresh without falling into the pitfalls of running with the crowd on whatever is new and shiny.
2018 brought many great styles into the playing field; some of my favorites were “ruined” or grungy effects, double exposure, and gradients! But will these styles stand the test of time or will they fade back into obscurity? I’m very excited to see what 2019 holds as tried and true, as opposed to what emerges as new and fresh to steal the limelight for a while.
Continue reading …Zumba: Fitness for Health and Happiness
04/25/2019
What is Zumba?
Let’s start from the source, Zumba.com. This definition comes word-for-word from the website:
- Perfect For: Everybody and every body! Each Zumba class is designed to bring people together to sweat it on.
- How it Works: We take the “work” out of workout, by mixing low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. Once the Latin and World rhythms take over, you’ll see why Zumba Fitness classes are often called exercise in disguise. Super effective? Check. Super fun? Check and check.
- Benefits: A total workout, combining all elements of fitness—cardio, muscle conditioning, balance and flexibility, boosted energy and a serious dose of awesome each time you leave a class.
Inspiration Destination: MAM Art In Bloom
04/18/2019
Art In Bloom has become somewhat of a Composure tradition. Every spring floral arrangements are created to reflect a particular piece of art displayed at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Over the years, we’ve seen multiple floral interpretations of some of the same art.
Getting to Know the Locals: Andy Rash
03/19/2019
I had the wonderful opportunity to interview Andy Rash. He is an incredible illustrator who has done everything from books to animation. I have followed Andy’s work for a number of years and have always enjoyed his vibrant colors, use of shapes, and his jocular character design. Here is what he had to say about his work…
Jack London once wrote, “Don’t loaf and invite inspiration; light out after it with a club, and if you don’t get it you will nonetheless get something that looks remarkably like it.”
Inspiration can come to writers in the strangest of ways; we see this throughout the history of many celebrated authors. Sometimes it just takes recognizing that a “maybe” or a “what if” can turn into a character, a plot, or even a whole world.
Take J.R.R. Tolkien, for example. This college professor found his inspiration in the middle of grading papers. When he was gifted with a blank sheet of paper in the midst of exams, he paused and wrote, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” Of course, most people now know what a hobbit is, but Tolkien’s idea was only an inkling at this point; he still had to unpack all of its meaning. If it weren’t for this small moment, we would not be able to enjoy The Lord of the Rings and its fantastical world.
Getting to Know the Locals: Renée Graef
03/01/2019
I have known of and looked up to Renée Graef since I was a child as I grew up a fan of the American Girl and Little House on the Prairie books. Her work is wonderfully soft and full of stories. In Renée’s work there is an incredible attention to detail and small elements that make the characters and scenes feel like they are real.
