Speaking of color....

 My beautiful Autumn feather tree I bought from Benita at Willow Springs Family Farm is standing naked since I took Halloween down and put it all away so I decided to put my red paint down and create some pumpkins to hang on it. These are a bit rough but I experimented with different ways to layer or wrap the clay around the foil balls and now they are drying. I can see that I want to use some great brown twig like wire for the stems the next go around and perhaps foam balls instead, but these were fun, and once painted will be great! Just like regular pumpkins, no two look alike which is what I like.

On the topic of color, have you ever walked into a room full of people and noticed that many of them have the same color of clothing on? I noticed that yesterday when I arrived at the twin's home. Mom and older sister were wearing the same turquoise blue although different tops. I asked Mom if they color coordinated and she laughed stating she hadn't even noticed. I pick up on this a lot. For instance the people on the Bank of America commercial playing on the Food Network right now all have a shade of gray on, whether it's a dress, shirt or slacks, each person has gray on. I wonder if it has to do with keeping the clothing tones subtle so you will hear the message and not be distracted by what they are wearing? It's the first time I've watched a commercial and noticed something like that. Often when I go to church several of my friends will have the same color on. It too is as if we all color coordinated. What is most interesting is that it's not always a seasonal color. I probably notice it even more now that I lead the music during Sacrament meeting. I can see everyone from where I sit or stand so I get to watch who's sleeping, (including hubby), who's wrestling with their children, who looks bored stiff and who is paying attention and enjoying what they are hearing.
Thank goodness for color I say! What a drab world we would live in if we didn't have the variety of color all around us. It's back to playing with more white stuff before I pull out my paint drawer and decide what color to paint my next creation. Taa Taa!

Billboards and marketing design.....

My husband and I make several road trips a year. We often see billboards that give you no clue as to what they are selling because they are so busy with an overloaded message. When I saw this photo above I about fell off the chair laughing as it leaves no doubt about the message though simply stated. A perfect example of good marketing no matter how you feel about George W. Bush. Simple, to the point, and not cluttered with too many graphics or text for people to try and read as they drive by. It gets your attention and makes you laugh or get angry depending on whether you are still waiting for the whole "hopey changey" thing to happen.
When I worked for an endodontist in Alaska we spent many hours peering into patients mouths so we would pass the time in one of two ways. We had a code system set up with fake names for office personnel that we were discussing. Little Napoleon was the son in law, Goldilocks was the receptionist in the Anchorage office, there was momma bear and poppa bear, Tinkerbell and so on. The other way we passed the time was to listen to the radio. Our favorite part of that was the commercials. We would talk about the voice over talent or no talent depending on the ad, the copy and so on. We would try to see if we could come up with better ideas as well. I love commercials TV or radio as they can be so creative. Marketing and advertising have a lot of ins and outs that business owners don't think about and are usually not told when being sold an ad campaign. Tips like never give a laundry list of what you sell. Pick out the "hook" item or service that will bring people to your business. Never start an ad with a question. For instance, " Are you tired.... of being sick and tired, being ripped off, being overweight and so the list goes. Most ads that start with a question are quickly silenced as the listener moves to the next station or mutes the radio until the 4-5 minute commercial break is over. Unfortunately most folks haven't figured out that most stations are all on the same schedule. A clever ad is fun or enjoyable to listen to, and will remind you that you haven't tried this or that yet, or wow that sounds great! The purpose of radio ads are to remind folks of what they either need or want and where to find it. It's called controlled word of mouth. One of the most satisfying work experiences I had was in creating an ad campaign for a flooring store that not only helped them grow, but gave them confidence that advertising does work when done correctly, and helps them grow some more. I really miss working in radio, the reporting, voice over work, copy writing and sales, all of it!
I got to thinking about this as I worked with a fellow artist to re-do her blog. She wanted a fresh look, new banner and set up. We had fun perusing images and so on and I had fun trying out new things with photoshop. As I was putting her banner together I was struggling with the placement of text and so on. It didn't come together until I changed one simple thing.... the message. Here's what I mean. We went from this

to this

Of course I've come a long way since I created her first banner two years ago. The message is simple, elegant, the text flows and the design fits her personality so well. If you get a chance stop by and see what her blog looks like now at  Seasonal Whimsies . I would love your feedback!