News & ramblings from Leslie Newman, graphic designer & illustrator

Smitten by Instagram

By On March 7, 2012 In inspiration, technology With No Comments Permanent Link to Smitten by InstagramPermalink

I kept seeing links on Twitter to charming retro styled photos, “Instagrams”. Hmm, I see the link “get the free iPhone app“. So I did, now I’m hooked.

I’m not one to play games on my iPhone. I know folks how have scores of apps on their iphones, while I just have a couple of screens worth. I make good use of the phone’s practical functions, checking email while I’m away from my desktop machine, searching locations and mapping routes (my favorite iPhone function), I check Twitter for news headlines and tidbits from people I follow, oh, and I occasionally make a phone call or text my spouse what ferry I’ll be coming home on.

But now I find myself activating my phone, snap and share photos and browse the photos of complete strangers on Instagram. I’m a sucker for the dreamy quality of these blurry little square photos.

What’s Instagram? They say: “It’s a fast, beautiful and fun way to share your life with friends through a series of pictures. Snap a photo with your iPhone, choose a filter to transform the look and feel, send to Facebook, Twitter or Flickr – it’s all as easy as pie. It’s photo sharing, reinvented.” In short, a photo snapped with your iPhone becomes a lovely image (assuming you start with a decent composition and subject).

You can also send the photo to Tumblr and/or email it. On your iPhone, besides processing and posting your photos, you can browse popular images, “Like” and comment on images, and follower other users. There’s a screen where you can see a list of recent activity. You see images that were “liked” by the people you follow, and if anyone liked or commented on your images. I haven’t figured out all the ins and outs. I hesitate to jump into another social medium, another time suck, but I’m enjoying this. I’m making eye candy for myself, and hopefully others will “like” what I post.

Where’s the Instagram website? How can I browse Instagrams on my desktop web browser? Oddly Instagram doesn’t have a website to display the content. There are 3rd parties filling the void. Ink361 is working nicely for me. Now when I see an instagram link I’m likely to take a look.

Although there are lots of folks posting photos of their lunch or the shoes they’re wearing, I’m focusing on Pacific Northwest nature and landscape images under my alias Fernwoodsy. Please follow me If you’re using instagram. Apologies in advance for the occasional cat or dog image.

Berry abundance! Winter Holiday Greetings

By On December 21, 2011 In illustration, inspiration, matissimo With No Comments Permanent Link to Berry abundance! Winter Holiday GreetingsPermalink

Blue Jay Holiday card by Leslie NewmanBirds and berries. Snowberries, huckleberries and holly berries, the birds appreciate the abundance of the forest. It’s my inspiration for this year’s holiday card.

This Modern Blue Jay design is available on cards and gift items at Matissimo, my Zazzle shop.

JR: the world is his gallery

By On October 21, 2011 In inspiration With No Comments Permanent Link to JR: the world is his galleryPermalink

Photographer JR’s work is deeply moving. Watch this video and be awestruck by the scale and impact of his work. He’s embarked on a global art project that is powerful, so much so he won the  2011 TED Prize. His winning wish: ”I wish for you to stand up for what you care about by participating in a global art project, and together we’ll turn the world…INSIDE OUT.”

This is an inspiring example of how powerful art can be. Whether it’s in your neighborhood or across the globe. Learn about this TED prize winner. You can even participate in the INSIDE OUT global art project.

Happy Spring

By On May 3, 2011 In illustration, matissimo With No Comments Permanent Link to Happy SpringPermalink

Spring Illustration with birds and bunnyHere in Western Washington we’ve been shivering. It’s official April was the coldest on record here. We got almost twice the average rain for April, not to mention hail and snow. Brrr. But May 1st was beautiful, a chance to get outside and take notice that Spring IS here. Nature keeps plugging away, singing birds, new emerging leaves and buzzing bees. Happy Spring finally.

The Birds & Bunny design is available on cards and gift items at Matissimo, my Zazzle shop.

ICON 6 Experience

By On July 20, 2010 In illustration With No Comments Permanent Link to ICON 6 ExperiencePermalink


Wowwee! ICON 6 was a blast. ICON (the Illustration Conference) is held every two years or so, this time in Pasadena. It was joyous, energetic mix of inspiration and education. I met lots of nice folks and am inspired to push my illustration self harder. The emcees, the amazing Brian Rea and Paul Rogers were charming, so relaxed and funny. See their ICON translator above. Yes, there were references to the horrific economy and the world going to hell, but a positive thread held everything together. All in all, the tone was hopeful for the future of illustration and for illustrators to thrive in a world with new possibilities.

See some of the illustration superstars pictured (with red eyes) on the perky Fernanda Cohen’s Drawger blog post. Including the mysterious Jason Holley who created hilarious videos that were shown between sections of the program. Hopefully they’ll be posted somewhere soon —they are surely to be YouTube blockbusters (amongst illustrators, A.D.s and designers anyway). I’m so glad I went and am very thankful to all the volunteers and staff that produced the conference. It was a jolt of positive energy for many isolated illustrators, or should I say designer/illustrators and illustrator/educators and students. (Maybe 2% were solely illustrators.)

For myself, highlights were talks by fashion “lifestyle” illustrators Bil Donovan and John Jay Cabuay. It was a treat to hear the amazing, illustrator and NY Times blogger Christoph Niemann share his inspirations (including maps) and his design driven process. Almost every attendee I spoke to said Wayne White’s talk was their favorite (or their new imaginary boyfriend @designjunket). I can’t describe it only to say this man is a genius. Authentic, charming and well, you just had to be there (sorry). Or, buy the book, Maybe Now I’ll Get the Respect I So Richly Deserve a monograph of his 30-year career, edited by multi-talented Todd Oldham (also a fascinating ICON presenter). Yes, I think Mr. White deserves lots of respect (and many laughs too). See UK illustrator and ICON presenter Rod Hunt’s photos of ICON 6, including Wayne White shown with some of his word paintings.

Ahh, there was so much more to ICON 6, but I’ll never eat dinner if I keep going on and on. Hmmm, I wonder where ICON 7 will be.

(Addendum: First of Jason Holley’s ICON funny (yet a bit sad) videos posted on vimeo. The voices and timing are “fabulous”. Also, for more ICON 6 links and conversation ICON info search Twitter for #ICON6)

Color Gesture Drawing!

By On February 19, 2010 In drawing + painting With 2 Comments Permanent Link to Color Gesture Drawing!Permalink

Today I got my hands dirty looking through the pile of 150 or so drawings I made at an inspiring two-day Barbara Fugate art workshop in January. Most drawings were 30 seconds, I don’t recall if the longest was two minutes or five, maybe one was five minutes. There’s no hesitation, just start making marks. Not random marks, intuitively consider space, thrust, discovering how the model exists in space. And what wonderful models we had the honor to draw. This time there was color work with, lots of it. Raw, direct, bold marks. Ink wash, pastel, and charcoal. What a blast!

See a slideshow of drawings and photos from the workshop.

Writing for Visual Thinkers

By On November 16, 2009 In design, illustration With 1 Comment Permanent Link to Writing for Visual ThinkersPermalink

Visual Thinking
Writing for visual thinkers? That was the illustration assignment for the current SPGA Chapter of the Graphic Artists Guild meeting promotion. The meeting is Wednesday, I’ll be there and look forward to Amy Posner’s presentation on how to write for social media and personal promotion. I was happy with the illustration, but the printed postcard is much more vivid and more red than it should have been. Ahh, the joys of digital printing without a press check.

My Oh My big changes happening at CafePress

By On April 24, 2009 In matissimo With 5 Comments Permanent Link to My Oh My big changes happening at CafePressPermalink

On Earth Day CafePress sent an email out to shopkeepers explaining drastic changes to their business model. They didn’t call it that, but that’s what it is. I won’t go into all the details but the nut of it is this, they will be dictating prices as of June 1. All products sold through their Marketplace will net the creators 10% of the retail price. Up to now they’ve always allowed creators to set the markup, set their own price. Many creators have built successful businesses making a decent profit from every sale, inspiring them to grow and promote their own ecommerce “shop” and brand. Generally by default all products created are for sale in their Marketplace. CP says their new pricing won’t affect products in shopkeepers “shops” only in the CP Marketplace. Well, when same product selling in the CP Marketplace for sells for $12.99 and the designer has it in their shop for $18.99, who will make the sale? The creator makes $1.30 vs $6, My spouse calls it the “WallMartization of CafePress”.

CP is abandoning their model of empowering creators to build their own brand and control their content to one where they control the market. They say it’s to improve the customer experience.

Most of my sales come through the Marketplace, so I will be affected. CP is mostly a fun sideline for me, but this action by CP sours my enthusiasm. I really feel for those with highly successful shops, like one of my favorites “Obey the Purebreed”. Maybe CP will be cutting side deals for select creators to stay, who really knows. If not many will be cutting out the Marketplace entirely and/or moving to the big competitor Zazzle.

It’s a cold, cruel world. CP has made a pure business decision to change their fundamental model. They may regret it.

Zazzle here we come. Now if only I had snagged “matissimo” as my user name way back in 2004 when I first signed up. Someone else has it, but they’ve posted no products. Zazzle “matissimo” who are you?

P.S. CP also announced it changed the Marketplace search platform to bring the best designs to the front and reduce redundant designs. I welcome this change because in the past you had to wade through a lot of junk to find quality. Just too bad this change comes along with the price fixing. Maybe CP will back track.

This lucky illustrator creates HP “Work In 3G” campaign images

By On February 2, 2009 In design, illustration With No Comments Permanent Link to This lucky illustrator creates HP “Work In 3G” campaign imagesPermalink

HP ads appear in Time Magazine

Last summer I was fortunate to have the opportunity to create some fun and unique illustrations for the current HP “Work In 3G” campaign. I collaborated with the talented creatives at McCann San Francisco, art director David Swope and art producer Evelyn Chan. They produced great Flash animation of the key illustration, a pop-up style world of transportation. The big thrill came when one of the ads appeared in the end of the year Time and Newsweek magazines. Imagine my work in the Time magazine person of the year issue with Shepard Fairey’s graphic illustration of Barack Obama on the cover, very cool!
Here’s the set of four ads, these appeared in commuter train cars. Click to see it larger.

Work in 3G HP ads

Give Bees a Chance design featured on CP Ungiftables

By On November 25, 2008 In design, matissimo With No Comments Permanent Link to Give Bees a Chance design featured on CP UngiftablesPermalink

CafePress has a cool Flash site called the Ungiftables. It’s a fun way to browse for gifts for the ungiftable characters in your life. I was happy to learn they chose my Give Bees a Chance t-shirt as a potential gift for the “nosy neighbor”. They also have products for “conspiracy uncle” “emo nephew” and “vege-liberal activist”. Very clever, certainly there’s something for everyone at cafepress. Visit my shop, Matissimo Online Boutique, it’s a fun sideline for me.

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