When I sat down to design my new business card, I knew I wanted something that incorporated handmade elements and something textile-related. After a slightly agonizing brainstorming session (I wish I could say that this idea came effortlessly!) I thought of the string tying reminder and how appropriate that was for a business card. So this is what I came up with.  After hundreds of punches, stamps, signatures, and bows I was so pleased that they were well received at the sale. The only thing I regret is not incorporating an image of my work somehow… I’ll have to start thinking up a new version!

Happy to be putting this commissioned stationery in the mail today! The flooding here in Rhode Island has kept me house-bound for the past few days, so I’ve been tying up the loose ends of various projects.

The next big thing on my radar is the RISD Spring Alumni Sale on May 1, and I’m doing my best to get my preparation momentum going. While I participated in several student sales, this will be my first time in the alumni sale. As a student I always looked forward to checking out the alumni; on the other side of the table I’m a little bit nervous! But I’m having a lot of fun working on display ideas, and ironing out the wrinkles on a few new products.

Cover illustration, graphic design, and photography for The New Hymn Project, a revitalization of old hymns. Webdesign for www.newhymnproject.com

Two of my best-ever-friends, Chris Tolles and Henrik Soderstrom, studied furniture at RISD. I once dreamed of being a furniture major, but have witnessed enough close calls with band saws and several glue-ups-from-hell to cure me. Luckily, though, Chris and Henrik were kind enough to include me in some of their projects. (They know I’m game for some free manual labor every now and then.)

Chris designed this gorgeous chair as part of his degree project called “honesty”. The seat is two layers of thick wool felt sewn onto a birch frame. I assisted Chris with developing a technique to get the threads through all those layers. I had learned a technique in Bolivia for sewing through shoe leather, and we adapted it for use on this project.

Henrik and I collaborated on this leaning shelf made of steel rod. He was looking for a way to use string to create semi-solid surfaces for each shelf.

I designed this wrapping pattern and applied it to all three shelf surfaces. We had a great time combining these materials, and have since began work on more sculptural pieces.

logo design by Lawrence A. Hall

Some of the most memorable experiences of my time at RISD were the collaborative projects that I was fortunate enough to be involved in. I worked with a group of students to run a benefit for 2006’s World AIDS Day at RISD. My main portion was to create an interactive art installation for the event. The main goal of the installation project was to communicate the scale of the world epidemic, but without making the viewer feel completely helpless.

The structural aspect of the installation was a large freestanding panel that was attention-grabbing without being overwhelming. It presented the information simply: “40,000,000 people infected with HIV/AIDS. What will you do?” At the base of the panel was a pile of little pillows. Each pillow was printed with the “Fight Aids” logo on one side and a practical way to help fight HIV/AIDS on the other. The tips were: get tested, fund relief, fund research, educate yourself, have safer sex, vote-lobby-rally, volunteer, and talk about it. A handout accompanying the installation provided further details into each of these tips. A poster (looking silly propped up on a chair, but doing its job anyhow!) suggested ways to use the fabric pillows.

The pillows were arranged in a pile representing the problem that would diminish as each person took one of the tips away. I painted the shadow of the pile onto the panel behind it, so that as the pile grew smaller and smaller over the week there was a way to measure the progress against the original pile. The installation remained in the 15 West lobby for the week following the event, and served as a prompt and reminder for student housing occupants, staff, RISD library users, and Portfolio Cafe visitors.

Yards and yards and yards of silkscreened fabric that could not have come into existence without the help of Chris Tolles and Will Reeves!

The task of assembling all the little pillows was undertaken by apparel students spearheaded by super-friend Andi Archer!