Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

— Calvin Coolidge

You don’t hear a lot in regards to our 30th President… but I sure like what he has to say about talent vs. persistance. Many regard Coolidge as the country’s first middle-class president. A small-town lawyer from humble begninnings who, through persistance and determination, became President of the United States.

Recently I’ve been commissioned by Mountain Town Music to create a few posters for their Spring concert series. This one is for the Brothers of the Baladi, an Oregon band that plays Middle Eastern inspired music. I’ve always been an advocate of sketching out your thoughts before touching a keyboard or mouse. While my sketches are by no means complete, having a direction in mind drastically cuts out the number of wrong turns a piece tends to take throughout the process. Above is the sketch that I submitted to the client illustrating the concept next to the final product. They loved it and I was able to move forward with the poster right away.

One of life’s most thrilling experiences is to build your own leaky rocket ship, then to ride it and see if it flies.

— Frank Chimero on risk and exploration.

Frank Chimero is one of my favorite designers. He manages to intertwine his own narrative and editorial into every piece he creates… just reference his new homepage as evidence. Frank’s above quote really struck a chord with me. As humans, we’re always building and creating. However, the true reward comes not in the build, but during that maiden voyage where we either succeed or fail gloriously.

Looking back at my last update… it’s hard to believe that 5 months have passed since my last post. The end of 2011 turned out to be an action packed couple of months. I proposed to Kassie, my little sister got married, and we’re proud new Park City homeowners. Since moving, we’ve been in a continual state of renovation and disorder, but now it seems as though we’re finally starting to close in on the gap.

Obama for America is seeking poster submissions from artists across the country illustrating why we support President Obama’s plan to create jobs now, and why we’ll re-elect him to continue fighting for jobs for the next four years.

— Taken from the Obama For America Artworks Website.

Really Obama… do you not see the irony in this? I have an idea for creating some jobs… it’s called hiring a professional. Take a note from FDR… the Farm Security Administration actually PAID their photographers and designers, thus creating jobs. What a concept.

And one last thing – Obama For America designers and developers… you should be ashamed of yourselves whoever you are.

I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.

— Quoted from Steve Jobs’ Stanford Commencement address.

What is most remarkable about Jobs’ death is the timing; having had the Apple announcement take place just the day before. Steve Jobs loved that company, and when he could no longer be a part of it, it was the final nail in the coffin so-to-speak. I guess lovers do die from broken hearts after all. Thanks for all you’ve given us Steve… you’ll be missed.

Since all the cool kids seem to be on the Tumblr these days, combined with the fact that my Flickr account has become a catch-all, I’ve created a Tumblr page for my photos and what-not. I’m going to do my best to upload a new photo everyday, so be sure to get over there and follow me.

Check it out at Let’s Go Native!

As a kid I used to get lost in the woods armed with only a bike and my dog… 16 years later not much has changed.

The way you learn to eat shit…
is a little at a time.

— James Victore

I’ve always been a big fan of James Victore’s work, and recently picked up his book Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss?. The book serves as a greatest hits collection from his illustrious career, and as with all things containing the Victore stamp, is a thoroughly entertaining and colorful read. If only all designers would use their powers for such good, myself included.