Getting Ready to Move

The week has finally come. Lauren and I are getting ready to move to South Carolina in search of adventure and a change of scenery from the small-town vibe of Dahlonega. While we continue to move back and forth from hot to cold feet about the issue, we remind ourselves the difference between our old home, and our new home.

Old Home:
- An outdated Walmart
- A McDs, Wendys, Zaxbys
- A Dollar Store
- Our "High School for College Kids" University

New Home
- Publix, Target, Walmart (all within 2 minutes driving time)
- Chilis, O'Charley's, Longhorn, etc
- A better (larger, more diverse) community for freelance work
- BarkPark convenience

Above all else, our new home is just that, our home. We are so happy to start fresh in a place that is completely our responsibility. While we are thankful for the house we have had so far, it just didn't feel like "our house," so to speak. And while a new apartment may mean smaller spaces, neighbors, and regulations, it ultimately means our first real home. And that's the best part.

Dahlonega, I don't have much to say to you, but I do thank you for letting me kind of fit in here the last 4+ years. I suppose this area was a safe place to grow into adulthood, but I am ready and excited for what I hope is the "real world." I want the idea of impending debt, fighting for a meal, and building up my own collection of memories, treasures, and rituals, all while just trying to survive. For some reason, I am craving a difficult start, and I want to carve out my own place in the world, based on the things that we believe are the most important. Dahlonega, thank you for your motherly care, but it is time to move on.

I thought I would share a few pictures of our house while we are packing. Dang, this stuff is hard work, and there really isn't any instruction manual that comes with it. I figure that overall, boxes hold stuff that is related to each other, in some facet, and boxes are easier to carry than the individual items themselves. No rules, just varying levels of convenience.



So yea, that's our living room halfway filled with all of the "small/random" items. We still havent cleared out underneath the sinks yet (SCARY), but so far its going pretty well. Most of our stuff is large and furniture related, and some of uit won't be moved at all.

We also just bought a new kitchen table/chair combo from Target for a really good Black Friday deal. No, we didnt attempt to harm ourselves by going to the store, but we did do a little online shopping. We are trying as hard as we can to keep costs to a minimum. Here's a pic.



It's a pretty simple set, but should fit nicely in our new kitchen table area. I'm hoping to do a "desert eclectic" theme in the new apartment if Lauren will let me guide it in that direction. Basically blacks with light tonal colors and pops of high saturation natural colors. Yea, I made up the name, but who cares lol.

Finally, I began packing up my office, and this is all that remains put together... my desk, and my little lapatoppa (pronounced lap-ah-top-ah). It's nice being this simplified, but I know in a few days im going to be craving my desktop setup again.



Yea, but it should be okay for the rest of the week.

That's about all for now. Ill post pics of the new apartment when we get more moved in. Also, I can't wait for 4.1 to get unlocked. Sometime this week I hope. Yay.

Alan

Meredith Elise Photography

Is it November already? Is my birthday actually in only 4 days? Holy crap, the new underoath album comes out in 48 hours. This week is already starting off well :D

But what makes this week even better is that I have just finished a project that I started back in June. A project that has changed over and over again, but that has finally reached a wonderful place, and I couldn't be more excited.

This project was a website for a good friend of mine, Meredith, who is a fantastic photographer. She came to me and said, "Hey, I need a website." And I said, "Okee-day."

But this project has been different than others. First of all, no hard deadline. Which is great, because life has been insane. Secondly, almost complete creative control on my end. Meredith had some input on color and overall big picture style, but the rest was for me to decide. Finally, my new job at AppStudios has taught me so much in the past few months with artistic direction and CSS styling, that this website was a breeze to code and put together. What really made this website come together was a very intentional understanding of the needs of the client, and an overall unification of styling, and finally, a layout that would showcase the photographs in a clean and easy to use format.

As I am writing this, I am awaiting the go-ahead from Meredith to go live with the website, but here is the link for when it is up.

http://www.meredithelise.com

I just want everyone to know that Meredith not only has great post-production on her photos, but has a nice balance between journalistic shooting, and traditional photography which gives her a well rounded portfolio.

She has been wonderful to work with, and I would recommend her anytime to anyone for her business. Make sure to check out her new site, and if you are in need of a photographer, email her right away!

Until next time,

Alan

I Do, I Will

You heard it right; Lauren and I "took the plunge" so to speak this past weekend on Saturday, September 25th. And you know what? I haven't even had to use my emergency box of chocolates that my best man assured me I would need, and would by his deductions, be almost empty by the end of the first week. Take that stereotypical masculine sex driven mindset! Bahaha.

To be completely honest... I wouldn't of changed a thing. I believe whole-heartedly that the wedding went off without a hitch, despite the few little things that did happen. All in all, it was a perfect day that flew by faster than I could of ever thought possible.

Right now, Lauren and I are enjoying our fourth night together, and I swear that I am still looking at her differently. For such a long time, even all the way up to our wedding, I always saw Lauren as a new person each day. My mind didn't register her like, "Oh look, its Lauren.. I know her, yea, okay..." but instead it went something like, "Oh it's Lauren. She is my fiance, but I wonder how she is today, what she feels like, what she wants to do... etc." However, now when I look at her, I see my wife... I see Lauren Vitek, not Lauren Wiley... and I see someone I respect, someone I admire, someone I protect, and someone I would give up everything for. In the end, I see someone I love... and not just that love that we feel, but that kind of love that we know is a choice that we wake up to everyday and decide to march on faithfully because we would die for that person. That kind of love.

Okay, so enough of my cheesy-ness. On to the art!

(**Just a random tidbit: i got a huge bloody nose as I was writing this, and a tampon is currently stuck up my nose. joy.**)

For those of you who don't yet know, my senior exhibition is coming up in October. October 11th to be specific. The show will conintue to stay up through October 22nd, and I will be holding a reception on October 15th. So, just to review, and make it look pretty, here are the deets in a standard, type-friendly layout.



ESTRANGED
A Senior Show By Alan Vitek

10/11 - 10/22

Reception:
10/15 6:59 PM
West Main Hall Gallery



And that's about it. Please go to my Estranged microsite for a poster preview thing with the same deets on it, as well as a weird, sort of experimental video of myself to Brand New's song, "Be Gone," a sort of catchy, hooky, altered dark country thing that I believe completely fits the feel of my senior show.

Also, please be on the lookout for a special promotion I'm going to be doing soon which involves (hand printed/pulled) TSHIRTS and just a tiny bit of money. Want one? Send me some info and I'll be sure to hook you up with my waiting list.

As you can see, I've got a TON of things going on, but nothing too crazy since the wedding is over.

Finally, I'll end this update with an image of the very first thing I made in advanced ceramics. Even though it blew up in the kiln, I am apparently pretty good at sgraffito techniques on top of terra sigillata glaze. Who knew?




Until next time,
Laterrrr


Alan

clients!

To start things off, I have decided to make sure that each of my blog posts will have some sort of REAL information in them, along with some personal updates. My last post, "How To Use A Sketchbook..." was my first attempt at writing an educational blog post, and I kinda liked doing it. I have a lot of information in my head that I know most people don't tend to talk about, and I would like to try to use this journal to explore some of those ideas. So, today's post is about something many of us freelancers have in common:

Dealing With Clients!

Where to begin? Well, first off, I LOVE my clients. All of them. Even the ones who drive me to the brink of insanity!

I know, you're sitting there thinking, "Why Alan? WHYYYY???!!! And Howwwwww??" And then you're probably thinking, "Oh great, he's gonna have some cheesy/amateur writer thing to say about clients that we all know already." Well, you're write! (AHA! BAD HUMOR TOO!) (and btw, clients and designers have such a CLICHE history together. we think they're ignorant and outdated, and they think were arrogant and weird. oh, and expensive. haha. can't forget that one. i hope one day we can change this stereotyped relationship, but it'll probably be another couple of generations before we begin to see things differently.)

Anyway, I love all of my clients because they all teach me something unique. A new situation, a new tactic, a new bit of advice.

Typically, clients are seen as a very scary thing in the design world. There are thousands of websites and books dedicated to telling horror stories that designers have had with their clients. Everything from decisions being made from a pet's tail wag, to their infant's reactions (i'm not kidding!). But overall, one thing is clear, design is a familiar thing to many people, and while everyone may not be capable to creating good design, everyone feels like they are able to say what they like and they don't like, which is totally OK.

However, don't let them tell you how to do your job. Chances are, if they hired you, it means they either didn't have the knowledge, or the time, to do what you are doing.

It is sad though, that in many cases, we aren't seen as the graduates from a prestigious private art academy where we spent 4+ years learning every aspect of art and design. Instead, we are known as the "Guy with CS5." In that case, we should just rent out our computer to all the people that could do this job for less.

Overall, the number one rule is that THEY ARE PAYING US. If they have to have comic sans, give it to them. If they want a lens flare, make it gigantic and gaudy. If they think web2.0 means reflections and rounded edges everywhere, then they're right! Guide them as best as you can, give them SOME options (don't go overboard) to look at. Ask for examples too. Visuals are always great. I can't tell you how many times someone has said, "I want it to look modern." Well, modern means lots of things to lots of people. I think of the 50s, with the "modern style." Other people think that MODERN=CONTEMPORARY, but alas, it doesn't.

Dont let your pride get in the way of your paycheck.

Go in, get dirty, and come out as best as you can.

I have recently gotten done with a project for one of my very good friends, Carlee Adams. Honestly, she was one of those clients that everything just went super smooth. She was open to my ideas, and very enthusiastic about the whole process.

She is what I would consider to be a hair and makeup artist. The things she does are awesome, and she even makes her own garments sometimes... one was a dress made out of newspapers! Anyways, she needed a portfolio/ad sight that she could use to showcase her own unique style, and brand her abilities under the name Viva La Bella. The address is http://vivalabella.com go check it out! :D

The Importance of a Sketch Book & How I Changed My Attitude Towards Freestyle Drawing

Okay, so pretty much every artist has been guilty of this at some time or another...

First - we go to our favorite art supply store and look for a nice, mid-sized, mid-priced sketchbook.. because we had recently been struck by a little hit of inspiration sprinkled with a tad of motivation.

Second - we rush to get home, we put our pencil to the page, and out comes.... poop. The images inside our head won't come out on the paper, so we lay aside the sketchbook and hope we return to it.

Third - months later, we find our sketchbook, with its one half-assed drawing in it and it motivates us to start fresh, and the process begins all over again hahaha.

So, how do we break this cycle?

Well, I know my answer won't be right for everyone, but if you feel like you're stuck in the cycle, read on!

First of all, SIZE MATTERS! For me, a giant page became overwhelming as soon as I would start drawing. My recommendation? Go smalllllllll. Really small. I recently picked up a small, linen covered sketch book. Durable, but fits in my pocket and feels sturdy when I hold it. The size? 4"x6" Yup, its small, but they make even smaller ones.

Second, don't draw from memory at first. And skip the first few pages. Find an object, and do a loose sketch. Then just fill in around it. Draw on top of it. Make it messy. Then, throw some paint on it. Glob it around. And leave some negative space. Just have fun!

Finally, just carry it around with you everywhere! Draw in it whenever you can. Make it a point to keep it in your pocket (or purse) ((or MANpurse lol) and any time you have 5 or so minutes, make a quick sketch.

Hope this helps :)

life anew :: updates

so...

much has changed since my last update. here's a recap for those of you who missed it, or for those of you who have forgotten (which wouldn't surprise me! haha) the story last ended with my final day of work at pet goods. i updated with a few final designs i had been working on, and was just kind of reminiscing about the whole ordeal. now its summah time, and things are just lovely.

first of all, i am thoroughly enjoying my new job (except for today when i forgot to bring the appropriate clothes to work and I had to go casual and I looked like a damn fool.) but other than that little issue in the parenthesis, I really enjoy working at applied studios and I easily see it as my (hopefully) full time job after graduation.

on the other hand of life, lauren and i are doing exceedingly well. we have recently just repainted/redecorated the hall bath and guest room in which her friend lindsey will be staying in until the wedding. we were also invited to go on vacation with our friends for free! so that's pretty cool too.

on the school side of things, today was the second time that i forgot to do my presentation and i got all flustered when i was asked to present and i had nothing. i don't know why im soooo terrible at doing them, but for some reason i just can't seem to remember the dates and all. i really thought i was presenting like next week. blegh. oh well. hopefully pam can forgive me.

so yea, that's about it. my macbook is about to die, since i havent charged it in about 3 days, so im wrapping up. hmm, do i have any pictures i can post? let me look though and see...

oh yes! me with teh animu hair. lol.

The End of an Era - Life Continues (The Quick & The Dead)

Hello all!

Just thought I'd take a moment to update everyone on the status of my life, since everyone cares soooo much. Haha :)

First and foremost, THERE ARE ONLY 169 DAYS LEFT UNTIL I GET MARRIED!! Considering I've been engaged for nearly a year and a half so far, it really doesn't feel like very long at all! I'm soooo excited

Next up, I am leaving my job at Pet Goods Manufacturing to continue my career as a graphic designer for a local creative firm called Applied Studios. I hope to be able to give a "fine arts" direction to the company, and help with some of the more "artsy" and, more often than not, "girly" clients that we will be serving. I guess it works out that my body is fairly balanced between its estrogen and testosterone.

Finally, it is coming down to the end of the semester, and it's crunch time. The good news? I graduate this fall... I only have 16 credit hours left to take! Hurray!

I'll leave today with a few of my last designs that I've done for Pet Goods. They are informative slicksheets. I like em, they are simple and tight.

(Also, The Quick & The Dead was a gallery that I learned about kind of randomly in Latin American art. They have a pretty awesome name and logo)

barber shop ad!

so,

heres the skinny.



im REALLY obsessed with urban outfitter's marketing and design. they are trendy without trying too hard, and I really must admit that I didnt enjoy a lot of their stuff at first. but now I really have gotten to like it.

so, I was asked to make a quick barber advert for a guy who does haircuts mobile-ly. pretty sweet. so is the ad :D

Success in Failure

Yup, I failed something. I completely destroyed my midterm painting for my Senior Show on accident. I had what I thought was a stroke of "genius," but it turned out to simply be stupid, and it merely snowballed from there.

Below is a picture I took before it went to Hell.

I dont think I'll be posting the aftermath.

Its awful.

ESTRANGED #1

"... and there's a lake - at the bottom you'll find all my friends. They don't swim, cause they're all dead. We never are what we intend, or what we invent."

-Jesse Lacey