Some Little Bites of Pink for Friday

For those of us who struggle with proportion, some decadence for the weekend just the right size. Little cuties from hey cupcake, sprinkles, karascupcakes, and hellocupcakeonline.

I'm Pregnant

Sorry, couldn't resist. Pregnant with an idea. Right now. Inside my brain or in that pink aura of creativity around me floats the magnificent answer to the logo I'm struggling with this week. I'm twitchy about a deadline right now. The date is looming for a presentation meeting, I have 8 more days, 5 more days, two, 6 more hours to take the rough scribbles, assorted illustrator parts, bits and bobs and turn them into the most timeless, on strategy, breathtaking logo I've ever designed. That the client will fall head over heels in love with. That's all. Somehow the logo, the best solution always arrives. It's the creative process I know and find true every time. 1.) Collect the information. Gather the ingredients. Pump my head and eyes full till they burst. 2.)Then put a bunch of bad, tired ideas up on the wall. 3.)Think I'm brilliant. 4.) Know I am not. 5.) Say aloud. I am a hack. It will never come again. It's over. My career. My reputation. 6.)Think about looking at other people's solutions for a similar problem. Decide not to. 7.) Go grocery shopping, load dishwasher, feed my chickens, walk, flickr around, paint 8.) Ping! It comes. Be shocked. Act surprised. Show it to the client. They smile. I smile. Simple as having a baby.
Photo from a series of watercolor eggs I did in San Francisco, June 2008. To see some of the logos I've designed go to alyncarlson.com

I Love What Morgan Calderini Makes and Bakes

The definition of what art is, is one we all struggle with and work on to make our own. I decided ten years ago to settle with one that Milton Glaser suggests "Art is what moves the soul" And when I chose this weeks color the pale pink, Pantone 182, I immediately thought of Morgan Calderini's art form, hot air ballooning and specifically her balloon, Atlas. It moves a lot of people. The color of Atlas, her tenacity with building a balloon, learning to fly, causing children of all ages to chase her through acre long fields, is quite a story. Morgan Calderini (American, b.1985) surrounds herself with rather odd yet satisfying specialties: hot air balloon building,  printmaking, and pie baking are all things she takes very seriously. After having received her BFA in Printmaking from RISD in 2007,  Calderini chose to redefine the hierarchical printshop archetype by establishing and managing Rhode Islands only community printshop with a grant from AmeriCorps VISTA. Combining an interest in preserving a dying craft and sustaining its place in society with a pure desire to provide affordable and accessible printmaking resources, Calderini has found a home at the AS220 Community Printshop. When she's not baking killer blueberry pies or hunting for long lost litho stones that people have been using as door stops, she's learning to fly Atlas, her 70 foot, 54,000 cu. ft. hot air balloon that she built by herself when she was 22.

Can you tell me about your latest body of work? I am working on two large projects right now.  During my senior year at the RISD I built a hot air balloon as my thesis project.  From the beginning this has been an exercise in fundraising, communications, fabrication, design, and self discipline.  I am currently working on earning my pilot's licence from the FAA (federal aviation administration). 

The second project is a community Printshop that I've started with a group of other printmakers in downtown Providence at AS220, The AS220 Community Printshop.  I've been working there full time over the past two and half years with over 200 members to build a place for everyone to access equipment and knowledge.  We are moving in the fall to a space that is four times larger than our current home.    These are both part of what I  making and consider my work. 

What inspires you the most lately? The sunshine!  We are back to flying season here in Rhode Island.  I've been cooking dinner for one my balloonist friends and we get together each week to review regulations and study weather. 

What was your first memory? A hot air balloon landed down the street from our house in Colorado Springs, I was only 4 years old.

Can you describe the best thing you saw on your last walk? An amazing bakery and cheese shop on Main Street in Rosendale NY this past weekend. 

What are five things that would happen in the perfect day of work for you? The weather is perfect for a 4 am balloon ride, grab breakfast on the way to work.  The printshop is full of folks making their own art and I print along side them.  My ladyfriend and I meet for a picnic lunch outside.  Head home while the sun is still out. 

Can you describe the best pair of shoes you've ever owned? Red Justin Roper Cowboy boots. 

What are you doing this weekend? (March20-21) Rebuilding my inflator fan with my balloonist friend, Zach.  Going for a bike ride and baking a pie.

Josef Frank's Use of Pink

Josf Frank, Austrian/Swedish architect and uber designer, created over 200 fabric patterns between 1909 and 1950. He moved easily in many directions of design- furniture, lighting, textiles. His designs offered a contrast to the linear, grid-like restrictions of his contemporaries. "Every human needs a certain degree of sentimentality to feel free," Frank said... "Away with the universal styles, away with the equalization of industry and art....The home does not have to be planned out in detail, just put together by pieces its inhabitants love." Tuesday, March 16, 2010, I love how he knows how to use just enough pink.

3.16.10 Color Swatch

P A N T O N E   N O . 1 8 2

Last petal pink. 

Quiver of red. 

Baby dimple pink.

Rosey posey pink. 

Blushing bride pink. 

Little girl kiss. 

Hankie in the pocket pink. 

Twinkle of pink in the sky. 

Pinkle pinkle little star. 

Under belly of the toadstool pink. 

Squirrel laugh pink. 

Tip of her nose pink. 

Giggle squiggle under covers pink. 

Pink thought bubble. 

Sex in the City. 

In the pink, pink, pink.
oooooooooh pink.

Poem for Monday

Pink Moon

-Nick Drake

I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get you all
It's a pink moon
Hey, it's a pink moon
It's a pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.
It's a pink, pink, pink, pink, pink moon.
I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get you all
It's a pink moon
Yeah, it's a pink moon


Paintings are from my Garden Stains series seen here.

Here's a great article

about Nick Drake written by

my brother-in-law,

TJ McGrath