Animal Sketches

Oh blog, how I've neglected you so. I've been incredibly busy since I posted last including getting a new job, traveling abroad and a summer full of back to back weddings.  (It's kind of amazing how I can sum up the past 9 months of my life in just one sentence...)

I plan to update more frequently now that some of the projects I've been working on are now completed and are up for sharing with the world. And now that wedding season is officially over and before long I'll no longer want to be outside.

But until then, I have a few sketches that I've done recently. I realized that I have little to no animal drawings in my book (how did that happen?) So I think it's high time I've added some!

Until next time, here are some pictures.

Beer Flights

I've been working loads lately (which helps explain why my posts have been so few and far between...) But I do have something I can share. Last month I had the fun task of coming up with a flight card and poster for the Pub.

 This is the poster:

Front and back of the flight card: 

And here are a few photos of the finished product..

I'm really happy with how they turned out. And it goes without saying, the flight is delicious..

Until next time,
-KO

Style Me Pretty's Favorites of 2013 List

I'm very pleased to announce that the wedding invites I designed for my dear friend's Mike and McKenzie we featured on Style Me Pretty's Favorites of 2013 list. 

It was such an honor to work on the project and I couldn't be happier to have been apart of their big day!

If you're interested in having custom invites done for your wedding, don't hesitate to send me a message! I'd be more than happy to work with you.

See my original post about McKenzie's invites : HERE

Bluzy's Roadside: Logo and Menu Design

There are a lot of pro's to being a freelancer, one of which is having the opportunity to work on a variety of projects. The downside is keeping quiet until the project is over...

So it gives me great pleasure to finally be able to share one of the amazing projects I spent months working on! I was contacted to come up with the identity for a new restaurant that just opened in Blaine, MN: Bluzy's Roadside.

The owner of Bluzy's owns several other restaurants, and wanted this one to be different. A pared down menu (only 26 items) that are all served in baskets on trays, like an old school diner.  The restaurant itself was going to be in a converted gas station, so he wanted to have a very rustic / retro feel to not only the interior, but to the logo and menu as well.

There were many rounds of revisions on the logo design (as I'm sure you can imagine.) We came up with 2 final versions - one of which is an homage to the 40ft sign outside on the road.

 

The menu was fun to design, and actually didn't take too long to come up with something he loved. The revisions that we needed really came from changing prices / names of the items, etc., not on the design itself. 

 

We also had the idea of including a pin-up character to be a kind of 'mascot' for Bluzy's. The character was never finished, but here are some of the sketches that I came up with for the idea. 

 

Now that the project is done and the restaurant is open, I got to enjoy the best part of my job; eating the food for the menu I designed! :D I had the Ahi tuna ceviche tacos, and Ryan had the tuna melt. Both were TO DIE FOR. (Drool!) Just thinking about it makes my mouth water for more. 

I'll leave you with more photos of Bluzy's. If you ever find yourself in Blaine, I highly recommend you make your way over - you wont be disappointed! 

I Am Dumb For You card

Man it's been awhile! There are a lot of perks to being a freelancer, but one of the downsides is not being able to share all of the REALLY AWESOME SHIT that I've been working on. Like srsly.

But I do have a new card for sale on my etsy page and at I Like You in NE, Mpls. Check it!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!

xoxo, KO

Friday Funday: New Finds

Today I had a bit of a 'Friday Funday' adventure. I stopped by the ol' MCAD and discovered that their senior shows are up. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay long, so I only saw a few of the exhibits that are displayed on the main floor.

I did find 3 illustrator's works that I really enjoyed and wanted to share.

Kelsey King
had a wonderful 12 month calendar of Women and Wolves. I love the juxtaposition between the  whimscal nature of women and motion and the fierce looks in their eyes. Very beautifully done.

 

Here are a few more lovely illustrations from Miss King.  (all images from the artist's website)

Kim Bogeman
had a lovely display on of feminane portraits painted both traditionally and digitally. Sadly, I didn't document her display, and I see that the final product not quite up yet on her blog - but just trust me. It is lovely.
Here are some of the pieces from her senior show (from the artist's website)

More illustrations from Miss Bogeman:

Maximilian Queripel: 
Had a book with some gruesome, yet colorful and playful illustrations. I love the organic shape his illustrations posses. There's a lot going on without being overly complicated or filling every inch of the page. Sometimes less is more, and I think Mr. Queripel has nailed it. 

More from Max: (all images from the artist's website)

The Broadside Project

I recently was asked to participate in Red Bird Chapbook's Broadside Project, which connects artists and writers in a blind collaboration to produce a monthly broadside/poster that is displayed at local Twin Cities gathering spots.

"This is for you"

Cool girl in stovepipe jeans
lighting a smoke at the bus stop,
your back to me,
me remembering
a morning, hot like this,
rising in the dark,
leaving early for work, going
to a job I tried not to hate
after dreaming for the first time ever
in sad-sack black
and white, up so early
I caught the grass unawares,
in the act, the lascivious
blades beneath the evergreen boughs
saying to hell with it, keeping on, spawning
weeds regardless of my presence.
It wasn’t a storybook dawn.
It was rawer than that. More like
a caterpillar turning monarch,
cesarean-cutting
the body of a chrysalis,
birthing perfect orange, perfect green.
I bore witness to it all. I was not
the me I had hoped to be.
“Before ripe turns to rot,” I said, I say,
“open your mouth. Swallow yourself.”
-Matt Mauch

Play Time

Lately I've been trying to work on developing backgrounds and environments in my illustrations. Here's a personal piece I've just finished - "Play Time"

Enjoy!





















copyright Karen O'Bryan, 2013

Wedding Invites

I am very honored to have been asked to design wedding invites (and all that goes with them) for my dear friends, Mike and McKenzie. She wanted something whimsical ad illustrated including their adorable dog, the location of the wedding, a map, flowers, wreathes and ribbons. 

It was a fun project to work on and I can't wait for their wedding this spring!

 

copyright Karen O'Bryan 2013