From The Archives: Graphics & Labels

It has been quite some time since putting words down here at REDCROW blogspot... Unfortunately  the projects as of late have been few and far between since last November but the itch is there and it is need'n to be scratched. The sketch book is full so it is high time to get  a build'n! Lot's of goods are in the works for some very near future funtimes. As always will get to a sharing as the projects begin to take shape.

As for now, I recently had the great fortune of taking time out of the regular schedule and hit up a few spots to dig and gather, something I need to do more often.

Here are a few images for your viewing pleasure. Sticking with a focus on the details, mostly graphics and inner neck labels.

Here are a few random assortment of various graphics and packageing.

Also, upon one outing I come upon this beauty of a cover-all!

Big fan of the chain stitch embroidery.

Well a time it is a waist'n so...
Back to it!

Cheers &
Stuff,
'MrRay'
>>>--'Keep On Crow'N--->

Motion Picture: The German

The German from Nick Ryan on Vimeo.

A fine example of Motion Picture making. Please enjoy and if you like what you see go on over to Nick Ryan's Vimeo site for more of his magic making. I am a fan for sure.

Hope your week is going well and only gets better.
We are in the single digits till Christmas! The month is almost over, wait, the year is almost over!!!

Well back to it...

Cheers,
'MrRay'

Button Options

A collections of buttons that caught my fancy a while back while digging through my collection of old buttons that have been picked up over the years...
Wood, Metal, Coconut, Shell, Plastic, and Bone.
A little self portrait in pen and ink for sum fun.

Hope your week is going in the right direction and that your projects are coming together.
Back to it...
>>>--"Keep On Crow'N--->
Cheers,
'MrRay'

Inspo From Books.

Sometimes I wonder if I am just a strange bloke, as I love books. Nothing strange about that, I know, but I love to read non fiction books. Fiction just dose not do it for me. But if I really want to settled down for a good read I like to turn to a good biography. Stories of real folks doing what they do. Overcoming adversity. Making do with what is given them, or just the story of how they got to where they are today. In some cases what they did with the life they were given here on earth... I just like learning about how people do things. One such part of that interest is, being that I find myself feeding my family thru employment in the Apparel and Design field, that of Designers sketch books and or Pin boards (aka:mood boards, season boards or just, inspiration boards).
A while back I picked up one such book at a roadside stand along the information highway, Fashion Designers Sketchbook by Hywel Davies
There are a lot of really great Designers found within the pages of said book such as Aitor Throup and Margaret Howell. One that recently jumped out at me upon a revisit from the book shelf was that of Frank Leder.
So now I share with you these wonderful pages. Enjoy.

On another note, not only do I enjoy books, I have an addiction to collecting images. If you find yourself on a similar path, or just like to see what people are collecting image wise, please follow me on my latest online addiction Pintrest. 

Well the week has just begun. Hope you have a good one.
Oh and 18 more days and counting....


"Remember the Golden Rule"
Cheers,
'MrRay'

Inspiration: 1930's Japanese Wood Block Prints

Before I moved our family back south I really started to get into print making, even was set up to take a few classes at the local community art center. Funny how many things were available to the community up in the Evergreen state, in the Great Pacific Northwest, that I can not find here in SoCal. That is another story...
I am really interested in relief printing (block printing, lino cuts, etc.) Recently I stumbled upon a wonderful site that shares "100 Views of New Tokyo," 1928–1932, a subscription series by 8 Artists. 
It is really quite a wonderful web page. I really like how detailed some of them are and how simplistic others are. Here are a few of my favorites.

I recently picked up a few really good books from Amazon that show techniques for print making / woodcuts / wood etching.
Here is the list of goods picked up.

The Woodcut Artist's Handbook 

Japanese Woodblock Printing. Highly recommend this one if you like Japanese style woodcuts.

Print Workshop: Hand-Printing Techniques and Truly Original Projects

Angie Lewin: Plants and Places  This one is work form an amazing print maker out of England, Angie Lewin. More on her later.

Well time to go finish setting up my new shop space in the garage in SoCal.
So I can actually mess around with doing some prints myself. I am getting antsy to be getting back to building goods.


What are you stoked on right now?


"Keep 'em Flying"
Cheers,
'Mr.Ray'

R/Co. Meeting.

I have been working on a little project as of late that has given me an opportunity to meet someone I never would have imagine I would ever meet in person. Mr. Nigel Cabourn! 

Talk about someone who loves what they do and is keen to talk about it and show you, me, anybody who will listen, his latest work. It was so nice to meet him, he is genuine and you come away feeling like you are his new best friend. I am so excited to continue to work with him in any amount of involvement that the future holds. Plus he thinks I am a "Cool Dude". 

So stoked!

 

Cheers.

Native Inspo.

A while back I had picked up an interesting photo book from the local Library and scanned a few amazing images, unfortunately I do not remember the title of the book or who it was that shot them but I wanted to share. When you get a moment click on each image to get a bigger size and better detail. You need to take a closer look and get inspired! What am I talking about? Well first off when growing up playing with the neighborhood kids we would play "cowboys & Indians" I would always be the Native. When I got into high school I still had a great interest in Native history and culture and would spend time building native crafts or going to Pow-wows in the summertime. But what is so awesome about these images? I just love the way that the Native Americans took the White mans apparel and made it their own. I do not glorify their situation, being that these photos were taken during the early days of the reservations, but I find such inspiration in their use of what they have received, ether by trade or by supply, and infused it into their established style. 

Take a close look at the bead work on the man's blanket!!

Great Plaids!

What out there gets you excited about style, art, or life? What about when you were a kid? Has it changed? Why?......

"Keep on keep'n on"
Cheers.

Northwest Railway Musuem Pt1.

A while back the significant other and I decided to take the two wee ones ones on a little adventure to ride the old rickety rails up in Snoqualmie WA. usa, at the Northwest Railway Museum.  It was wet and fun and very, very rickety.... But filled with rundown history of the rails.

Shot heaps of images with the ol photo shooter and got way stoked on all the amzing worn out box cars, steam and diesel engines along with heaps of great logoing and number 2s (have a thing for the number 2, well 22 to be exact) and since I am way beyond busy with trying to tackle life head on will just do a few post filled with images of the adventure of the past. Who dose not get a little excited when he hears the shrill cry of a train whistle in the distance or the rumble of the monster engine as it passes by???!!! I would not call myself a fanatic but a fan for sure.

Somethin To Think About...

"If any of you who read this aspire to a writing or illustrating career (*or design or music or fotography or surfing or skating or bmx or anything else in this short but wonderful life) and are looking for guidance, I offer only these few words of advice:
Read everything. Experience everything.
Get to know and like yourself. Build up your own history, then
WORK
WORK
WORK
Persistence is always rewarded and I devoutly hope that it rewards you."

Jim Flora,
Artist, Illustrator, Writer. The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora, By Irwin Chusid & Jim Flora

*My own addition to the quote...

R/Co. Inspo: 1950's Everyday Fashion

Good Stuff. Enjoy.

R/Co. Inspo: Early Surf.

As I have been working on putting stuff together for the little local shindig that we entered a while back.  I have been thinking a lot about what's next. This is my favorite part of being a desinger and builder of things is the begining of something new. It is so awesome how totaly random ideas spark something that spark something else and before you know it a big jumbled puzzle somehow all fits together.... Have been getting really "Stoked" (sic) on surfing history as of late. So while I was doing my regular dig'n around the local library came across a few good books, one of them being Stoked.

Pulled a few things out of it that caught my eye...

R/Co. Inspo: Native Drawing.

This is just amazing!

Back to it....

Cheers.

R/Co. Inspo: 2 Button Military Henly.

Got heaps on the plate to get completed so just wanted to share part of a big ol' shoot I did of a bunch of military items that I was able to borrow for a while.

The first one to share is...

R/Co. Inspo: Random Images.

I have been meaning to share all of the images from my NYC trip but I took heaps of pics so it is taking longer, I will get to it soon.... I am a little late to the show with the whole page jump option on this here blog, it took a little mess'n around but I finally got around to figuring it out and having it work. I now hope to post way more images in a nice tight layout that will not fill the front page with an overload of images...Way stoked!

Anyway, while dig'n around through some of my archived folders on the desktop, I figured why not post a few up and mess around with this page jump thing and see how it works. So after the jump are a few images that I have gathered a little while ago from various books borrowed from the local library. So go ahead and click below and let's check out this fancy jump option...

R/Co. Inspo: Lee Whizit

Just a few images of things that have caught my eye recently

1950's Advertisements.
LEE Whizit: Front view with details.
A few flight insignia used during WWI. This has nothing to do with the Whizit but everything to do with what is bobbing around in the back of my mind right now.
The fun part is not knowing what all this might lead to?...

'Keep 'em Flying'
Cheers.

Put The 2 Together.

So I am starting work on a new project idea for the REDCROW Quality Goods and was thumbing through the 'ol net and stubled upon the latest collection shots for Kato' out of the land of the riding sun. I am super stoked on the way they composed the shots for the products.

A nice mix of on body shots for some style andthen hanger or on the flat for others.






Then the nice use of two images side by side one full body one with a little close up detail.

well done! I am going to have to keep this layout style in mind.... More on that later.

If you want to go and see the full run down check it out here. And be sure to check out all of the other offering they have over there. The stuff is on point for sure.

Cheers.