Response to a Washington CEO Question...

Washington CEO magazine posted the following on their site...

How do you think Washington State should promote itself?

The state has had a few false starts in promoting itself to both in-state and out-of-state tourists. The current advertising campaign may help, but it's only a start. What can we do? How would you sell Washington? More ads? Multimedia road shows? A new slogan? (Just kidding.)

So This Was My Response....


"How should Washington market itself? Let's start with concept, then execution.

I moved out here over a year ago now, and thus my wife and I have a pile of relatives from Chi-town that float into SeaTac to visit about every five days or so. What I hear from all of them... "I never knew how beautiful this state was." There's an awareness issue here, most outsiders see Seattle as damp and dreary. Visitors quickly notice the thriving music scene, rolling San Francisco-esque hills, dash of wild west, winter sports, the cuisine scene... wine country... you name it. We have all of the benefits of California with a little less sunshine but a lot less attitude.

Part of the problem is that most mass media that has brought national awareness to Seattle is not really Seattle-centric. Does Grey's Anatomy and Sleepless in Seattle really the heart of Washington? Sort of. Movies like Singles or programs like Twin Peaks and Northern Exposure have faded into memory, which were much more honest in their version of quirky northwest lifestyle.

Many campaigns have be structured around the whole "all you can do is right here" package. California is recently doing just that in their television advertising. The state of Virgina also did a diversity push, which was geared towards budding filmmakers, their claim... our individual counties looks like a lot of other states. You'll have California, Nevada, Maine and Florida all in one region. So yeah, it's been done before. But in the tradition of Mircosoft we can take something that has been done and do it differently.

The message is simple, Washington is an exciting place has a lot of stuff happening, and you should be a part of it. Like San Francisco in the 60s, New York in the 70s, Los Angeles in the 80s.... this is the big thing now. We need to be larger than life. We're progressive, fun, exciting, with a lot of brainpower. See major plays tested before they hit Broadway, see bands before the make it big, snowboard down Mt. Rainer, know the latest and greatest before it hits the rest of the country. Many companies test their products here because we're so d*** picky. Use it to an advantage. Forget rest and relaxation... this place is like an espresso shot to the soul. In fact... that's a good starting point.

Execution, this is Microsoft country. Let's look at the internet. It's already a buzz generator, let's channel it to make Seattle the place where it's all coming from. After all, you can download music and plays... but you cannot experience them live online. Use the internet as a teaser for an up and coming happening destination. Gear the message to "look what you're missing by not being here." In a climate where Obama can rise to power by soliciting "change" and "hope," it says people want something new. The trick is to find inventive ways to present the information in a way where it says "seeing in online just isn't enough." Look at how "Improv Everywhere" promotes New York every time they pull a wacky stunt.

In short, we're exciting. Since so many connect Seattle with grunge it's a good fit, and it's true. We have the capacity to pull this off, we just need someone to tie it together."

Color My World- Designer Tips

How does an artist, a designer come up with color selection for a project? There are a variety of methods, many times I try to find a color scheme that's thematic with the subject I'm developing. I research a lot of color theory, and you'll be surprised just how much information there is involving colors, and how the meaning changes from culture to culture.

But what if you just want to see which colors play well together? Well, there's a site that can help you arrive at color combinations to design your next poster or paint your house. Adobe Kuler is a web-hosted application from Adobe Labs for generating color themes that can inspire any project. It's a simple site that is rather effective, and fun to play around with.

Visit the Kuler Color Site

Inside the Illustration: part 1

I think we all have an impact on the world, sometimes in ways we never get to witness. Take for example this ghost. Obviously the snowman reminds him (or her) of something, the past, forgotten youth... there's hidden meaning, which I won't reveal and ruin the mystery. In many ways, it doesn't matter the exact reasoning why the ghost is touched by the presence of the snowman. It's a private moment, one that none of us ever get to see... yet it is important to the ghost. Is the ghost reaching out to the snowman? Does the ghost relate to the snowman? Does the ghost know who made the snowman? Could be all of those... or maybe just the small fact that by seeing something that was created by someone else, a connection is made. In this case, a spirit quietly connects with the living world.

Free the arts... no it's actually for free now.

One of the topics I really want to explore is the impact of digital media and how an artist can compete (let alone put food on the table) in a world where so much information is now given away. The first step, this article by WIRED magazine's Chris Anderson entitled "What Are You Worth in a Free Economy?" by Nat Ives for Ad Age Magazine.

View the article here.

Book Club part 1

The Fabric of the Cosmos: Space, Time, and the Texture of Reality
by Brian Greene

Yeah, I know what you're thinking. What's a physics book doing on an art & design blog. Well, truth be told... there are a lot of lessons to be learned through the exploration of string theory. Not to mention the ability to picture 11 dimensions can do wonders for ones painting (and or advertising) career.

Some of what you will learn is the following...
1) Sometimes there is more than one accurate and valid explanation for the same thing.
2) Every moment of your life in theory hasn't disappeared, it's still happening.
3) You need negative forces to have positive ones. (and vice versa)
4) It takes about 20 very solid and fixed measurements (size of electrons, temperature which water freezes, etc.) to make a universe as random as ours.

It's a good mind expander, and under $12.00. Check it out!

Buy the book at Amazon here.

What's it all about?

Many of you have been asking about the meaning behind my work. So I've provided a little mini-list of the secrets behind some of my recent paintings. The main story: Information is everywhere, in forms of music, radio signals, television, our own memories and opinions, conversations with others, internet, cell phones, advertisements, the urban buzz... it completely surrounds us. In my paintings, the information is shown as blips, scribbles and bursts.

"You're Not the Only One I Know" - Each character in my paintings deals with "the information" in her own terms. Here, the subject recognizes the viewer as someone from her past. How she remembers you is the mystery.

"There's Never Anything Good on T.V." - I'm sure if we had the ability to travel to other planets and visit other intelligent life-forms, they would have the same problems we do.

"Within Your Reach" - Named after a Replacements tune. Here, the focus of this work is about making connections. The mood of this character is unknown, but it is autumn and it appears she is spinning. The question remains, is she within your reach, or are you within hers?

"I'm Really Not That Anxious" - Although in a busy urban setting, this person has found a way to deal with "the information." How she accomplishes this is a mystery. Maybe she's far above in a skyscraper, or perhaps she's found a moment of peace in a coffee shop. What do you think?

"And Then She Was Gone" - Here, the character is dealing with the memory of someone who has long since disappeared. The camera and television set suggest that memory is subjected to our own unique perspective. The memories are shown as yellow bubbles, more solid in structure than most information, yet much more fragile while slowly drifting away.

"Rest and Relaxation" - Many of us find peace and understanding when we spend time with our pets. The double meaning of R&R suggests that even in the most serene of settings, we are never completely out of harm's way.

"The Spaces In-Between" - We live in a modern world of constant communication. Even in the most desolate of places "the information" still swirls around waiting for a connection. Since there is no character in this painting, it forces the viewer to determine how they feel about the interaction in its most basic form.

"Just To Fall In Love" - Sometimes "the information" becomes overwhelming and we must force ourselves to deal with it on our own terms. The particular mood of this character has been highly debated. How do you think she feels?