June, 2008

Berlin, Mitte: handpainted sign from the 1930s

I spotted this sign on the side of a recently renovated building in Berlin’s hipster-cum-yuppie neighborhood “Mitte“. Every year more and more money pours into this area, and more of the gorgeous multi-story turn-of-the-century buildings here — fallen into terrible disrepair during the 60-odd years of Communist rule — are brought back to life.
Because […]

Fluent Self: “the Dissolve-O-Matic”

Fluent Self Dissolve-O-Matic

The “Dissolve-O-Matic” is the latest in the series of illustrations created for Havi Brooks’ self-work products, in the quirky style semi-officially dubbed “Steampunk meets Yellow Submarine”… »

Charlottenburg Doorways

Leaving for Berlin in a couple of days!
Even though I’ll be hanging out on the eastern side of the city (P-berg, X-berg, Friedrichshain, Mitte), after arduous days of cafe-sitting and strolling along the Spree I’ll be laying my head in the slightly more fancypants western neighborhood of Charlottenburg.
How fancypants? I dug up a couple of […]

Santa Cruz Harley-Davidson: God of Oil

CSanta Cruz Harley Oil God

My client calls me from the road, suddenly struck by a marketing vision. “Richard, I know what our next ad’s gotta be!” As he describes this revelation, I see that he’s on to something … »

Rhinoceros leather

No, no, no, not rhino leather — it’s a rhino on leather.
See, a CD package I created for Albino! features a badass rhino on the cover. A friend of the band was so taken by the illustration that he carved it into a leather guitar strap.
He’s pretty new in the world of leatherwork, […]

The Calyx Design blog – an online journal of creative inspiration, design experience, and a magpie-esque pouncing upon of bright and shiny things.