visualchemist

Happy New Year! Today is 01022010! A new year. A new decade. A new moon.

Hello 2010. Somehow, New Year’s Eve this year felt more special than usual. New Year’s Eve treated those that cared to look, to an awesome Blue Moon, a rare occurence that happens once every 19 years. Typical Blue Moons actually occur more frequently. It’s the “New Year’s Eve Blue Moon” that only comes around every 19 years or so.

2010 is going to be a great year. I can feel it in my bones. Perhaps my stars and planets are aligning because change is definitely in the air! Here’s to a new year and a new decade full of exciting adventures in design and letterpress. Cheers!

(11:06pm NYE, as seen from my parent’s house in San Diego, CA. Other than a simple crop, this photo is 100% unaltered. Digitally shot, raw, on a Nikon D70, using a 300mm lens, tripod, shutter remote, no flash, and a shutter speed of 1/1000. No retouching magic, filters, hue saturation voodoo, camera tricks or special effects here. Because there’s supposedly no such thing as a “blue” moon, the blue cast is most likely a result of the fast shutter speed… or is it?)

We didn’t want to show up at yesterday’s birthday party empty handed so we decided to bring a dozen donuts from Frost, the hand-crafted gourmet doughnut shop/boutique in Mill Creek, WA. We are temporarily living just two blocks away from this fancy place. My top 5 flavors are Red Velvet, Pink Lady, Wedding Cake, White Chocolate Truffle, and Banana Split fritter. Yum. Oh, and the birthday girl loved them so much, she kept them all to herself.

So is it donut or doughnut? However it’s spelled, these perfect little sugar-coated calorie bombs are the bomb.

I happened to be in town when the Emerald City ComiCon came around. Having attended and worked the San Diego ComiCon for years, I was curious to see what this Con was like. Even though it wasn’t as grand scale an event as the San Diego Con, a few things caught my eye, especially the retro artwork of Kevin Dart.

Dart created a series of movie posters based on his female 007 characters that left me drooling. His illustration style is unique in that he brings back the old vintage look. Think 007 plot meets the comic stylization of the 60s tv show “Batman.” Kevin will be releasing a book containing a collection of posters, cd covers, and other illustrated memorabilia. In case you’re in Alhambra, CA, he will be having a “Seductive Espionage: The World of Yuki 7″ book release show July 3-14, 2009. The opening reception is on Jul 3, 7:00PM – 11:00PM. More info at gallerynucleus.com and on vimeo.com. The following is the theatrical trailer “A Kiss From Tokyo” from co-director Stephane Coedel. LOVE it. Can’t wait!

I am also a big fan of Alex Ross and love his interpretation of the Justice League. His Superman painting is my favorite of all his works. Below are a few other pieces that stood out from the sea of illustrated madness I saw that day.

Of course, this Con had the usual enthusiasts dressed in Star Wars battle gear, only this time, I got the special treat of getting a thumbs up from actor Ray Park, Mr. Darth Maul himself. The photo came out blurry but it still made my day.

When we arrived here in the beginning of March, Seattle welcomed us with freezing 40-50 degree temperatures, rain, and even several days of snowfall. Trees were bare and not a flower was in sight. Almost overnight, I’ve watched the trees outside our hotel window flourish from twigs and branches to lush shades of chartreuse and bright greens. Sakura trees were everywhere… my FAVORITE!