Hi Friends! Happy April! The sun is shining here in Des Moines as I’m writing this, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the extra vitamins. I’ve been trying to soak it up while it’s here, but I think Dandy has been the most excited about the extra time outside.
I’ve been staying busy in the studio this month as usual, including wrapping up loose ends on some finished work and starting new pieces. Want to take a look?!?!?
Happy Home Coffee Rebrand
So so excited to finally share this work I did with the lovely folks over at Happy Home Coffee last year! They reached out looking for help reimagining their brand identity and packaging, which I was thrilled to dive into. We started with creating a new set of design asset, including their very charming brand mascot Happy, a new logo, and some other various elements:
We then used these new assets, along with a bunch of fun illustrations, to put together a fresh bag design and flavor label system:
I had such a great time working with their team on this project. Packaging design has always been a favorite of mine, and their brand felt like a perfect fit for my illustration style! It’s been so exciting to watch them roll out the new designs this year. They even stock in some local grocery stores, so I’ve been seeing the new bags on the shelf (a first for me!!!)
Finished ZOOM! Rugs
These bad boys are finally done and hung up !
If you want a little behind-the-scenes look at the making of these pieces check out this process video I put together!
WALK! Rug Series
I also started my next series of rugs in March and progress is coming along well! As I shared briefly in my February newsletter, this is a set of animation frames that will make up a walk cycle, similarly to how I approached my Animated Apples piece. So far I’ve just been filling in the background of each frame, but I’m excited to dive into work on the figures next >:-)
5 Things I Loved This Month
1. Watching: The White Lotus Season 3
I actually can’t get enough of this show… It’s been heaven on earth having a new episode to look forward to every Sunday!
2. Shopping: Parra Sticker Pack
Beautiful little set of stickers from Parra!
3. Listening: Big Smile by Greer
Loving Greer’s new album! Great music but also incredible visuals??? They’re so cool
4. Reading: commitment is the only secret knowledge by Isabel Hazan
Such a great essay! I love the concept that committing to something—anything!—can bring a surprising amount of fulfillment and novelty, and it’s less important what that specific thing is. I especially liked this quote she used from musician Steve Reich:
If you pursue any one thing in this world and you really get into it, you're going to find the universe there. You find that in religious thinking, and you'll find that in philosophical thinking and it's true. Whatever you pursue, if you really begin to pursue it thoroughly, and you really get into many, many aspects of it, instead of dealing with "one" simple thing, it flowers out and blooms and begins to get into areas you never would have imagined were possible to get into.
5. Eating: A Perfect BLT (or actually TbSAATBom)
Made this transcendent sandwich the other day… Ciabatta, turkey bacon (I understand this is a controversial choice), spinach, arugula, avocado, tomato, black olive mayo (Molly Baz’s recipe!!!), and a side of sweet p fries.
Monthly Inspiration Dump
^ I’ve been obsessed with watching the process Lorien Stern is sharing as they build their new workspace/home!
That’s all for April! Thank u for reading! Back to work I suppose!
