Rebranding: Iridia Creative will soon become IrisCat Designs!

This is a short heads-up that I will soon be rebranding this business to IrisCat Designs -- with hope that the new name will be more memorable, sticky, easier to say, and more evocative of what I do.

IrisCat Designs

Madison, NJ chamber, art council and schools bring community together with holiday window painting

 

“[Window paintings] will not compete with your window display, but help to enhance it... The window painting will help tie in all the stores and create a beautiful and festive atmosphere throughout our business district for the holidays."

-- James Burnet, executive director, Main Street, Madison, NJ.

I am looking for a similar project in which several stores on a same stretch of a street would have a thematically coordinated, serialized window paintings. If anyone know of a neighborhood community and business organizer who can spearhead an effort like this, please contact Sarah Morrigan.

Iridia Creative launches StoreCats.info

[caption id="attachment_221" align="aligncenter" width="230" caption="directory and resources on felines in retail and business environments"][/caption]

Today the new website StoreCats.info officially went online. While focused primarily on Portland, Oregon at the moment, StoreCats.info aims to bring resources for business operators who would like to build a sense of community and attract more business through having a "store cat" in a retail or other business environment.

Simultaneously, the site seeks contribution of information, cat stories and pictures from the general public, allow public comments and ratings of cats.

StoreCats.info. Get your kitty fix. Support your local shops.

Window painting for Vancouver and Clark County businesses

Iridia Creative Productions does not provide window painting services outside the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, or in the state of Washington due to costs and complexities of operating an interstate business.

If you are in Vancouver, Washington area, please call Ariel at (360) 719-8595.

Five old-fashioned arts to grow your business today

Today it seems as though all what one must do to grow his or her business is to get online, find as many Facebook friends and tweet every other minute.  While social media and Web 2.0 have dramatically transformed the way we do and grow business, it is important never to forget why they have done so: They have moved the marketing from primarily a one-way street (such was the case with broadcast advertising and older web-based marketing) to a moderately unregulated and decentralized relationship, or conversation, coming and going in all directions.

This brings the business back to the spirit of a more traditional age, when most shopkeepers and salespeople grew their wealth out of conversations, relationship, words-of-mouths and their reputations in the wider society.

It does not take an expensive campaign or a rocket science to cultivate such a beneficial relationship. Here are five easy and inexpensive ways to move your business from purely a pursuit of sales figures to a solid foundation for a long-term prosperity.

Read more on Biznik.com: http://biznik.com/members/sarah-morrigan/articles/five-old-fashioned-arts-for-your-business-today

Schedule your window painting project soon

Due to the seasonal popularity of window painting during weeks preceding Christmas, this year I am instituting a peak-season rate between Friday, Nov. 20 and Sunday, Dec. 20 to better balance my scheduling load and to stabilize cash flow.

To take advantage of the lower price, schedule before Thursday, Nov. 19.

Branding: When color means brand

About a month ago I was at a neighborhood festival showing my art. I was directed to a small section called the "village" where there was a small live music stage and space for vendor tents, tables and art displays.

In front of me was a white and green canopy, which is rather ubiquitous in recent months at events such as this.

Honestly, this color combination got me confused for a couple of minutes. Was this Cricket Wireless, or Clear Wireless? They both have been heavily promoting at fairs and events like this, using almost the same modus operandi. The former is a cell phone company with an add-on mobile broadband Internet option; the latter is a WiMAX broadband Internet service. And they both use a very similar green-and-white branding schemes.

This is rather unfortunate. How many people are readily able to tell them apart when they see a green-and-white tent or a sandwich board sign?

Granted, they are not using exactly the same shade of green. Clear's green is approximately RGB (127, 195, 86), while Cricket's green is RGB (64, 181, 77). But how many people can distinguish them apart, especially when they are not next to each other? To excerbate the situation, Clear and Cricket are in the same industry, further contributing to confusion.

What can we learn from this?

1. Be very specific about color schemes when you are thinking of a branding makeover. Just like your alma mater has very specific school colors, your business must have specific colors that reflect who you are. A trivia: Portland State University and the University of Oregon are both green, but the former is RGB (101, 136, 26), the latter RGB (17, 111, 74).

2. Avoid confusing color schemes. When DHL rebranded back in 2004 following its merger with Seattle-based Airborne Express, many thought their delivery workers were from McDonald's. Within or without your specific industry, people perceive a certain combination of colors and associate it with something you don't want. Come up with unique combination of colors. Using a color wheel to find which colors complement one another. Haphazard combination of random colors can have a devastating effect as some colors are never meant to be seen together.

3. Have a corporate-wide guidelines on branding, including appropriate use of colors and typefaces. "Green and yellow" would be too vague and your employees may have a very different idea about green and yellow than what you might. It is also possible that employees and contractors might take an artistic license and modify your brand in such a way that it would no longer bear any resemblance. If you must, create a list of acceptable alternative colors -- especially one that uses only "web-safe" colors (i.e. 216-color palette) and for monotone colors (this would allow you to save money on printing and advertising expenses every once in a while). Ideally colors should be defined precisely by RGB, CMYK and hexadecimal numbers.

Window painting for the holiday season: four things to consider

This is my third year in window painting business, thanks to Mr. Chris Fadness who trained me in this trade in the fall of 2007. Since then I have developed unique methods of window painting art, through trials and errors, and through experiences with many businesses and residences in the Portland metropolitan area. I am fortunate to be in a place where there are not many competitions, but there are a couple of well-known window painters. My methods differ significantly from the ones utilized by my competitors.

Some of the advantages in my method appeal to local business operators who would like some window painting done for special events or holidays. When selecting a professional window painter, instead of doing it yourself, there are several things you want to consider.

1. Why do I want it anyway?
Like trees and wreaths, window painting has become a seasonal tradition of sorts for many businesses. While it is a year-round operation, I receive most inquiries during the months of November and December. This year I have instituted a "peak-season pricing" system (Nov. 20-Dec. 20) to prevent overloading on my schedules.

Window painting is kind of like a temporary mural. It simply attracts people's attention. Humans are often products of habits, and even if your business may be at the same storefront for decades but many people just walk by in front of your shop and never notice you exist or what your business is. Window painting often brings people out of the routine and brings their attention to your business. Often I design the painting to lead passers-by to wonder about your business (for example, a winged angelic car pulling a sled for a Subaru dealer), so they would think about what my clients do.

It also builds a sense of community. Window painting adds your business to an overall neighborhood scene, and gets people to talk about you as a positive part of your neighborhood. Even though it may be just a bit of warm-fuzzies it promotes, but business involves a lot of customer's emotions, and warm-fuzzies can greatly enhance your holiday season earning capacity.

2. What kind of paint is it?
Some window painters in the area use permanent paints (such as acrylic or even house paints) for window painting. While this is great for permanent signage, it is a pure nightmare if you are just looking for seasonal or temporary decorations. Removing permanent paints off your windows involves heavy scraping (can cause damages to the windows -- just as the owner of the Postal Annex in South Portland discovered last year) and use of toxic chemicals (paint thinners, if inhaled, is poisonous and smell of the chemical can linger inside your building for some time) that can be harmful to the health of your employees and customers, as well as to the environment.

My window painting method is designed specifically for temporary or seasonal use, and requires no scraping or dangerous chemical for removal after your sale or the holiday season is over. While the paint becomes opaque (which means one can see the design from both inside and outside, keeping your shop from becoming dark) and solid without discoloration for about six months once it is dry, it can be removed with lots of warm water and typical household window cleanser (such as Windex). Also it saves you money as you would not need to hire a professional cleaner to get rid of the window paints.

3. Use of negative (transparent) spaces is part of the art.
Many window painters try to literally fill up the entire windows with paints, sometimes with big block of white or black paints. As trained artists know, what is not painted is as important as the painted areas. For a storefront window, the negative space serves an important role of keeping your windows function as windows. If your business needs visibility through a window for security reasons, it makes no sense to fill it up with paints. Likewise, especially some of the permanent paints used by a few window painters can block light and make the space inside semi-dark all day long (which may require extra lighting indoors, resulting in a higher electric bill and carbon emission).

4. Original designs are kings.
It is your storefront. It deserves to stand out from the crowd with a one-of-the-kind, only-one-in-the-world design specially made for you. It is also important to know that some painters, without authorization or license, paint copyrighted cartoon characters or something that could easily be mistaken for them. You could be held liable for any copyright infringement.

Would you like to see how it is done? Would you like one done for your storefront, office or home (a great fun for kids -- I had a client who asked me to paint fairies and a snow princess -- my original creation inspired by the Renaissance style, not the Disney kind -- on her daughter's bedroom window!) this holiday season? Stop by at the Postal Annex on Southwest Boundary Street between Corbett Avenue and Macadam Avenue, on Thursday, November 19 between 9 a.m. and when done (probably by noon). Any client who makes a reservation there and then will receive a 20 percent discount.

Read more about Sarah's window painting and signage services

Working professional artists' cooperative in Portland, Oregon

The Working Artists Network is being reorganized this fall as a cooperative, and is recruiting members from all disciplines and genres of art. Members come from performing arts, fine arts, commercial arts, music, literary arts, etc., and there is a plan for also establishing a genre-specific subgroup within the co-op.

Members receive many useful and valuable benefits, such as health care discount plan, workshops and preferred professional service discounts, as well as a powerful voice to promote their art to the Portland city hall and to the world (through its export program).

The co-op's three-tiered membership starts at only $5 a month. To learn more about this exciting opportunity see http://workingartistsnetwork.com/. Mention that Sarah Morrigan sent you when joining.

See live window painting in action on Nov. 19

I will be working on a relatively large window painting project on Thursday, November 19 from around 9 a.m. till done (in about 3 hours) in Johns Landing, South Portland.

This is a chance for those who would like to see how it is done. I will also be giving out 25% discount on anyone who stops by and makes a reservation for their own location on the spot.

The method I use for window painting eliminates the need for toxic chemicals or possible damages to the windows. The non-toxic paint, durable for about six months once dry without discoloration, can be washed off with soapy water and typical consumer window cleansers (such as Windex) albeit with some patience, so there is no need for paint thinners or other volatile chemicals that can harm people's health and the environment. It also reduces the possibility of damages and scratches to the windows.

It will be at the Water Tower Postal Annex on Southwest Boundary Street between Corbett and Macadam on November 19.

How to make your own stylish business card with free software

As many new business operators soon discover, there are simply never too many business cards once they get serious about promoting what they do and have to offer. From local networking groups to coffee shop bulletin boards, there are many places where handing out or exchanging business cards is a must in creating leads and gaining clients.

Some business operators would still like to make their own business cards with their own computers and printers for a variety of reasons: scalability in expenses, flexibility and speed.

Read more at http://biznik.com/articles/stylish-do-it-yourself-business-cards-on-the-cheap-and-quick

Recommended software:

• Scribus


• Inkscape

What else you need

• Pre-perforated business card stock paper such as Avery 8879; or


• Nice hard card stock paper and paper cutter (desktop rotary cutter is good).


• This template

Gearing yourself for a multicultural audience

Today, micro- and small-enterprises are in a much better position to serve a diverse, global customer base thanks to a robust cultural exchange aided by social media. Yet, a successful business must remain culturally competent to build rapport.

Read more on Biznik.com

Start thinking ahead: Holiday season window painting pre-reservation begins

Window painting is a popular service that I offer year-round, but especially between October and December it becomes in high demand. To help me manage scheduling better I am trying something new for 2009.

This year I will be offering up to a $100 discount* for any client that reserves a project before September 30, 2009 and pays a deposit equal to 25 percent of the quoted price. The project itself would be any time between October 1 and December 31, so it would be ideal for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or New Year's.

Call Sarah at 503-427-8269 for details. Certain restrictions apply. Discount is for one project only, for both new and existing clients. Offers valid only within the Portland city limits between SE/NE 82nd Avenue and NW 30th Ave or SW Vista Avenue, or in all North Portland including St. Johns; discount will decrease to $60 per project if client is located in Portland outside the said area, or in the cities of Maywood Park, Troutdale, Wood Village, Fairview, Gresham, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Lake Grove, West Linn, Tigard, Milwaukie, Gladstone or Oregon City; or unincorporated Washington County east of Walker Road, or unincorporated Clackamas County west of I-205 and north of the Clackamas River. Offer not valid in any other location. Service not available outside the tri-county metropolitan area of Oregon.



http://iridiacreative.summerhost.info/windowpaintings-and-signage.html

Revolution that quite wasn't: What could have been "radical" vindicates the traditional

Continuing on how communism became an unwitting preserver of tradition through the time period in which the Western nations underwent a massive cultural change, it is also interesting to note how the adoration of the leadership in many communist countries underlines our basic human need for a monarchy.

Today, as most of the world's nation-states are republican, we tend to laugh at communist nations for engaging in a "personality cult." But on a deeper level, it is a healthy inclination for any country to look up to its king -- and in absence of a stated "king" the leader of the communist party gains the popular expectation to act that role. Indeed, what people in DPRK give to its Great Leader, is very much like how pre-WWII Japanese "loved" their Emperor Hirohito, and how most monarchical nations looked up to their respective queen or king. Additionally, in absence of an actively practiced religion, the Great Leader also has gained the role of a religious messiah. The official biography of Kim Jong Il almost copies itself from the Gospel of St. Luke in its birth and childhood story.

In the United States, the only reason why such a personality cult did not become a central part of its culture was that the personality cult of Jesus Christ -- not just a holy man or a saviour, but Jesus the King of Kings. With associated (decidedly American) doctrines such as dispensationalism and dominion theology, conservative Christians in America successfully fused American nationalism with Christianity and turned it into a distinctively American personal cult that provides both a substitute king and messiah that our human consciousness needs.

In the end, neither democracy nor communism did not entirely extinguish the human drive toward the primordial traditional worldview. Humans need that sense of relating to their monarchs, and no nebulous political theory can be a substitute to satisfy that human needs. As such the development of communist society during the 20th century vindicates the tradition.

Did communism unwittingly become a preserver of traditionalism?

Here is a somewhat off-topic discussion for this blog, but since this deals with art history, aesthetics and culture I suppose this would be an appropriate forum for this.



Today, socialism of Marxist or Stalinist types (not the Social Democracy, which is a mainstream political system in Europe) is viewed as an arcane, failed ideology that eventually gave way to a global free market society ("Capitalist Democracy", or the American system). Certainly, there are many evils done in the name of socialism or communism, and one should never forget the damages done by the Khmer Rouge or by the Great Cultural Revolution. But in the light of the recent wave of hostilities between the world community and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, it may be a good idea to evaluate how cultures could develop in two respective systems, and if there is anything to be learned from the experiences of communism. After nearly 20 years after the "end of communism," it may be worth exploring this topic in depth.

As an artist, one of the most important questions is whether arts suffered -- and even destroyed -- under a communist rule.

Many say yes, that communist regimes routinely suppress artists' freedom of expression often with gulags and thought reformation camps, and that communist governments are generally averse to the preservation of traditional cultures. On the other hand, capitalist society usually has a constitution that guarantees one's freedom of speech and expression, and new ideas are valued as the free market stimulates innovation and rewards artists in tangible ways. At least, these are the official American government line of reasoning.

History seems to suggest otherwise.

Many internationally renowned conservatories and companies of music, arts and theatre were based in, and sponsored by the government of, socialist countries until the end of the Cold War. The Soviet Union was known for some of the best ballet companies on earth, while China's Shanghai Circus and USSR's Bolshoi Circus were far above the crass "entertainment" (exploitation of animals, "freak" shows, etc.) of American counterparts to truly elevate circus to the level of a high performing art, decades before there was even le Cirque du Soleil. Far from destroying it, socialist countries spared no expense to develop conservatories and art academies to teach traditional classical music and traditional visual arts.

What they were against was the older institution of traditional arts, which often imposed unreasonable barriers for talented common people from learning the arts, and the "masses" from enjoying the arts.

On the other hand, much of the cultural deracination originated not in the communist nations, but in purportedly "progressive" and "democratic" nations and their avant-garde movements. Cubism, Dada and others that defined the modern art in the western Europe and North America in the earlier half of the 20th century were actually seen by the communist parties in the Soviet bloc as being "bourgeois" and as such were rejected. Rather, the Socialist Realism became the mainstay of fine arts in the Eastern bloc (including the "non-aligned" communist countries such as the People's Republic of China, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Socialist Republic of Vietnam), which took off from the realist art of the Renaissance. While the Socialist Realism rejected both Romanticism and pre-Renaissance art as being too "fluffy" and for belonging only to the upper class (the assumption here was that the common, proletarian masses were not intellectually sophisticated enough to understand anything that is not "real" and "close to everyday life"), it was nonetheless derived from the rajasic aesthetics and has very little of the poisons coming from the type of cultural corruption experienced in the Western bloc during the same time period. This, perhaps, is in part due to the Eastern bloc's having shielded by the Iron Curtain from the 1960s. One do not hear of hippies or rock-and-drug subcultures in the USSR, even as they infected the farthest reach of the post-WWII American empire including Japan and the Republic of Korea.

Added to this, in general the socialist regimes (albeit selectively and with a propaganda in mind) generously supported arts. They spared no expense in building cultural facilities, recruited and educated the best of the best in various art institutes and conservatories, and truly cultivated and promoted the arts and artists as the pride of the nation. Since neither training nor production had to be bound to the short attention span of the novelty-seeking "market" or be driven by the commercial demands of the bottom-lines and popularity, they could focus on the quality. While one can always point to how the socialist nations engaged in heavy censorship, it was at the time a common practice even in the "capitalist" world. It was not until the late 1980s or 1990s when many Asian "capitalist" and "democratic" countries did finally lift their heavy censorship regimes (especially in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan). In a "free" society, art falls to the self-censoring effect of "The Market" and whims of non-profit or foundation leadership that finances projects.

Thinking of some of the grandiose works done under a stringently communist world of the Cold War, it would be a lot more difficult to put together similar productions today even in the People's Republic of China, which is only nominally communist while preserving the police-state aspect of Stalinism. With the rise of consumerism, growth of so-called "individualism" (which in fact isn't), shorter attention span and increasing personal affluence for some, a production such as the 1965 epic musical "The East is Red" (Dongfang Hong) would be very difficult to put together in today's China.

While I reserve much of my objections to the excess of communism and many of its harmful aspects, a proper credit must be given to how traditional art forms were unwittingly preserved in the artistic policies of communism. They were mobilized for propaganda purposes, yes. But it is also true that in a capitalist world arts and artistic talents are mobilized for propaganda purposes, too, and only arts that satisfy the needs of the market economics and those who funds art projects would "make it."

---

Sidebar: Glimpses into Communist arts

• Pyongyang Art Studio


• Mansudae Art Studio, Mansudae, Pyongyang


• Shanghai Circus


• Dongfang Hong (The East is Red): an Epic in Music and Dance, part 1 of 2


• Dongfang Hong, part 2 of 2


• Bolshoi Circus, Moscow, Russia (founded in 1971 under Leonid Brezhnev)


• Cho Okchu, a kayagum (gayageum) prodigy in DPRK


• Mansudae Art Theatre performs traditional Korean music

South Waterfront artist-in-residence to present an assessment of current visual culture

Michael A. Salter, current South Waterfront artist-in-residence, who considers himself an obsessive observer of contemporary visual culture, where graphics and corporate identities, signage and symbols, are used to communicate the culture of commerce, and these images wield tremendous power in the visual landscape we occupy.

• Photos from Salter's recent exhibit in Belgium


• Event information from the University of Oregon Portland

Thursday, July 23, 6 p.m. at the University of Oregon Portland, 70 NW Couch St.

Happy Caturday

download SVG
download SVG (line drawing only)

matter of running an artistic business

Although I still see myself as a somewhat principled person, I have over years learned to be pragmatic. Fortunately, I am now (finally) living my youthful dream of being a professional visual artist/graphic designer, after many years of detour. Often a prevailing popular misconception is that one cannot make a living out of arts. (Partially true, it is definitely a challenge.) But we live in the middle of someone's artwork -- somebody, somewhere designs your clothes, plates on your table, patterns on your wallpaper. Without art, we would be living in a plain, solid white world where everything is efficient and utilitarian but also very sterile. Think of a typical American jail cell and that would be your world (one of many ways to reduce prison violence and inmate mental health catastrophe is to really think of this issue; commissioning artists and implement some type of percentage-for-art program at every correctional construction would be a good investment that will in a long run save a lot of money and troubles).

Yesterday I was at the monthly Art Spark and got into a conversation. A certain individual talked how, in a totalitarian or Stalinist country artists do not have freedom to express themselves outside the official party ideology.

Whether communist ideology is conducive or destructive to art is up for a debate, and frankly I think it is a fallacy -- or at least a red herring. In a supposedly uber-capitalist country such as so-called United States of America (supposedly, although I know otherwise -- Americans and their businesses are probably a lot more heavily regulated by their government than people in many other countries) it is also true that artists do not have unconditional freedom. In a free market economy, what can be sold and what appeals to the customer is what would be made. This means in America, an economically thriving artist must be able to produce what pleases the commercial interest of her paying clients (this also holds true with fine arts that are financed by foundation grants and fellowships). Unless all what I do is doodle some nonsensical "art" in my own bedroom and then post it inside my own little closet (oh, what a joy of freedom!), that is, if I would like to be seen and recognized as an artist, then a certain degree of pragmatism is a must, and so is a business savvy.

a big white fluffy cat.

[caption id="attachment_157" align="aligncenter" width="455" caption="Inkscape 0.46"][/caption]

Download this image (Scalable Vector Graphic format)

Turn your cat picture into a vector file clip art -- there are hundreds of uses for it. Now for $40 for one picture, or $100 for three. Contact Sarah for details.

Contact information changed

To reach me at Iridia Creative Productions use the new phone number, (503) icp8-Amy, or 503-427-8269.

* Amy is my middle name. In the past there was a bus driver who (without knowing this fact) kept thinking my name was Amy. I told her one day, "My name is Amy only in bed." (She blushed. Cute.)

To send me a fax, continue using (206) 338-0417.

Must-have Linux software

The beauty of today's Linux is the ease of obtaining software you need, as long as you are connected to the Internet. Unlike Windows, almost anything can be easily downloaded and installed with just a little line of text in the command prompt, or if you are graphically oriented, from Synaptic.

To install any of these simply open up the "Terminal" and type
sudo apt-get install nameofthesoftware

"nameofthesoftware" is the standard UNIX name for the software programs, as listed below.

Graphic design tools
* scribus = desktop publishing and layout
* gimp = photo and image editing (often comes preinstalled)
* inkscape = drawing
* xaralx = easier drawing, nice effects, has difficulty saving as a vector file; excellent if you are only making PNG files for websites.

Internet tools
* drivel = write in your blogs even if you are offline
* FireFTP (an Add-On inside Firefox) = file transfer protocol, install from Firefox tools > add-ons
* webhttrack = copies contents of websites for offline archiving and viewing, including all images and media; great if you travel and need ready access to certain online resources

Productivity/Office
* abiword = fast word processing alternative to OpenOffice Writer
* evolution = calendar, addressbook, task list and offline email reader in one (I like this better than Thunderbird)

Media
* songbird = kind of like iTunes, except for iTunes Store function

Other neat stuff I found

*stardict = an amazing multilingual dictionary that supports many languages. While it is on, you can highlight on any word and dictionary definitions/translations will pop up. Dictionary data files are available at http://stardict.sourceforge.net/ .

* aiksaurus = this is a text-line based thesaurus. To use simply enter "aiksaurus wordofyourchoice" in the terminal prompt.
* display-dhammapada = a saying of Sakyamuni Buddha. To use simply enter "display-dhammapada" in the terminal prompt.
* pyching = throw coins and read I Ching.
* bibletime = not just bible but also comes with e-book versions of classics like John Calvin's Institute and St. Augustine's Confession. The Bible in many languages and versions of your choice.

Testing Drivel

Drivel is an offline blogging editor for Linux that works under GNOME.

To install Drivel (the last letter is lower-case ell, not one) open terminal (bash or shell of your choice) and type
sudo apt-get install drivel

or from root
apt-get install drivel

To use Wordpress

Use your Wordpress username for login (not the name of your blog)
Enter password
Select "Movable Type" (do not panick if you don't see Wordpress)
Enter blog server address as http://yourblogsname.wordpress.com/xmlrpc.php
Of course yourblogsname is the first part of your Wordpress.

Iridia Creative website glitch with some browsers

It appears that some browsers have difficulty displaying the Iridia Creative website correctly. I have been testing the site with a number of browsers on multiple operating systems, including the latest versions of Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera, Microsoft Internet Explorer, K-Meleon, Amaya, and Epiphany.

This may be due to some browsers not interpreting CSS as it should.

If you cannot see the text, if the text goes invisible or instead shows Unicode numbers (small numbers in boxes), use the no-CSS, lite graphic version below:

• Iridia Creative home


• Iridia Creative graphic designs


• Iridia Creative fine art


• Iridia Creative window paintings and signage


• Iridia Creative contact (the webmail form may not work in this version)

Also the problem may be resolved by forcing your browser to ignore CSS and use fonts of your choice (Arial, Helvetica and FreeSans should look okay). Since this problem is largely limited to Firefox and other Firefox-derived browsers in Linux, try this if you are using Linux:

Edit (Alt-E) > Preferences (n) > Content tab > Fonts and Colors > Advanced button > de-select "Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above"

Press OK, go back to Preferences > Content

> Fonts and Colors > Colors button > select "Use system colors", deselect "Allow pages to choose their own colors..."

Additionally, Opera 9.64 for Linux displays the site correctly but it may not be in your distribution's repository. You can download the installer file from Opera's website. (This will involve a knowledge of unpacking a .tar.gz file, then running the installation shell script by using chmod and ./ inside the shell.)

Free for all download: 10-up business card template for Scribus

Here's a template for U.S. Letter size 10-up business card sheets, such as Avery 8879.


Download here (GZipped Scribus Layout file)

Art show opening Sunday, June 28

The Five Rogues plus One

a group show

featuring
Darren W. Alexander | Troy Ennis | Larry Patrik May | Rick Miles | C. J. White

with

Sarah A. Morrigan

June 28 - August 17, 2009

Opening Reception: Sunday, June 28, 2009 - Noon

First Presbyterian Church of Portland

1200 SW Alder St

"Green Iris": Environmentally sustainable practices at Iridia Creative

Iridia Creative Productions is committed to a "green" business practice in purple iris style!

• Low-power computing equipment. The newly purchased computer consumes on average 20 to 25 watts, about a half of a typical computer, to reduce the carbon footage and thermal emission.


• Non-toxic paints. Whenever possible certified non-toxic paints are used -- especially for window painting


• Electronic, paperless billing. To reduce paper use all invoices are sent and processed electronically.


• Sourcing recycled art supplies. Many of fine art works are made from recycled or reused supplies to reduce waste in landfill and to save energy needed in production of new art supplies.


• Commitment to open-source computing platforms and commercial application of open-source software. GNU/Linux and other open-source projects help people reuse older computers. At Iridia Creative Productions almost all work is done on open-source platform.


• Encouraging bicycling and public transit use.

Free for all download: The least you need to know about writing a web page

Sarah's introduction to basic HTML skills.

Download PDF

Free for all download: Postcard template for Scribus

Here is a standard postcard template that meets the United States Postal Service specifications. The blacked-out area "For USPS Use Only" is where the address and USPS barcode go. Simply click on the blacked out area and hit the delete (DEL, not backspace) before printing or exporting.

Download template

This file should open automatically if you have Scribus. If for some reason if you see a decompression software starting, you can either extract the .sla file, or simply start Scribus and open the .sla.gz file.

It's your business. Dream it up, and do it, in style.

Download problem fixed: Use this link to download any of the ads below in PDF.

Download the PDF version of this ad.

Download PDF version of this ad.

Download PDF version of this ad

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Iridia Creative Production has launched a new marketing campaign and doing it in style! The tagline here is "dream it up, and do it, in style." More than anything else, small businesses and community organizations are manifestations of someone's visions and dreams. Entrepreneurs literally "dream up" -- envision, innovate and create -- and set the world of the future in motion. In this difficult time it is a common temptation to cut down on what one may perceive as "non-essentials." As a result businesses become too boring and sterile for owners, employees and customers alike (remember that it is the experience that counts in all aspect of turning up the profit), innovations are stymied, and customer communications suffer. I believe that the time has come to do it -- and get it done -- all in style. Even if heaven forbid some people were to fail, I'd like to see them fail in style, not just fail like a roadkill.

For the rest, I am here to help you achieve what you dream up -- in style.

Free for all download: Task list

Here is a colourful PDF task list for you and even your kids. It is another way to help you plan and accomplish, all in style. Enjoy!

Download

June specials from Iridia Creative Productions

Custom promotional publication design package for $400

Economic recovery is in the air and it's a time for a new beginning. Doesn't your business or community organization deserve an injection of new energies with a redesigned brand/logo and/or promotional materials?

During the month of June, get a custom design package for only $400. This includes a print-ready electronic file (press-quality PDF) of a business card (this can be up to three different names with the identical design), a promotional postcard or poster/flier, and a 1-sheet brochure.

The price includes up to 5 hours of consultation in Portland. The price does not include printing costs, I provide you with digital files that a typical printing company can use.

Print Coupon

Window Painting 20% off (area limited)

Print Coupon

Summer creative IT crash course series, 6/23-7/28

This six-week series of free workshops will focus on practical application of intermediate computer skills for career development and personal advancement.

When: Mondays, June 23, 30, July 7, 14, 21, 28; 1:30 p.m.-3:15 p.m.
Where: Julia West House Workshops (www.juliawest.org), 2nd Floor Computer Lab, 522 SW 13th Ave, Portland 97205 (TriMet #15, #20; Portland Streetcar; MAX) -- The location is not wheelchair accessible; there is a steep and narrow staircase.

Instructor: Sarah A. Morrigan (Iridia Creative Productions, www.iridiacreative.summerhost.info)

Course outlines
Weeks 1-3: Basic website building and maintenance, with focus on HTML 4.01 and new HTML 5.0; how to use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to upload contents; online privacy; search engine optimization (SEO); integration of website with weblogs and social networking applications.

Week 4: Experience the world, expand the horizons - finding multicultural resources and non-mainstream media from around the world; making use of no-cost educational opportunities such as Open Courseware (OCW) offered by many universities; free classic literature and reference materials on the web.

Week 5: Digital Creativity - Introductory, hands-on exploration on open-source creativity software such as Inkscape (vector drawing), Scribus (desktop publishing), Audacity (MP3 editing/podcasting), Skencil (image drawing), GIMP (graphic image manipulation/photograph editing), etc.

Week 6: Mindful, meaningful social networking - How to use popular social networking sites for career advancement and community building.

All six sessions are free. Due to limited space available pre-registration is highly encouraged. Contact Patty Warman at 503-222-6564.

Free public domain clip art by Sarah

Check out Sarah's new clip art... and best of all it is free for you to use. These pictures are all drawn with Inkscape 0.46 on ASUS Eee PC 900 running on Easy Peasy.

You are invited to an art fair this weekend.

The Episcopal Church has been in recent years very supportive of arts. Long before the emergent church movement rediscovered the value of arts in spirituality and communal worship, many Anglican parishes established art programs to connect children to art in the context of spiritual formation, to provide forum for emerging artists, and to better incorporate fine arts, music and performance arts in the life of the church.

In this spirit, Portland's Trinity Episcopal Cathedral (147 NW 19th Avenue) will be host to its ninth annual art festival. This year the show features over 95 artists.

This is also a good opportunity to personally meet many local artists and artisan crafters including Sarah.

Event details: http://www.trinity-episcopal.org/08TrinitySite/sections/music_arts/artists_among_us.html

Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10.

Iridia Creative Productions, the "corner store" of graphic communications: Strength in underserved markets

In a Google search alone there are literally thousands of graphic design firms in Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. Some are quite small, while there are a number of well-established firms in large Pearl District office spaces with many employees.

So why choose Iridia Creative Productions?

ICP primarily serves local and -- thanks to the power of the Internet -- global small or home business and community nonprofit markets. ICP is equipped to handle the necessary flexibility inherent in a human-sized business enterprise, in a way no big corporation can. ICP has a better capacity to spend more devoted time on each client -- where our clients are not merely "accounts" but actual human beings an artist relate on a ground level.

Here at ICP, I openly admit that this is not a "big-box store" of graphic design and visual communication. This is more like a corner convenience store -- so when a small business owner or local nonprofit executive needs a small project done quickly and done right, Iridia Creative Productions is the right place to contact.

Sarah Morrigan/Iridia Creative Productions artist presentation slideshow

PDF version of the slideshow

PowerPoint (required fonts: Gill Sans MT and Bodoni MT)

Window paintings and signage with class of elegance, artistry and whimsy

Updated information on Sarah's window paintings and signage services is now online: http://www.iridiacreative.summerhost.info/windowpaintings-and-signage.html

Pillar of Light

This is one of the three pieces inspired by the Filianic Scriptures.

Upon the Heaven are these words inscribed, the words of thy salvation. Upon the Heaven in signs of fire before the dawn of time. Upon the Crystal Tablet that passeth not away... The world is but a shadow, yet it is a shadow of Truth; and at the ending of the age shall the world be redeemed. Neither a leaf upon a bramble shall be lost, nor a blade of grass pass into nothingness. But thou, My child, of all the world, thou alone hast power to choose; and thus art thou called maid, for maid is she that hath the power of choosing. Fix then your will upon the Truth and your heart on the Spirit My Mother, for by your love shall the world be redeemed, even to the last blade of grass. In thy work praise Her and in thy resting, in thy speech and in thy silence. For thou wert made one with Her, and this is thy true estate. It is good for a maid to till the soil, but it is better to live with her Lady. It is good to build and to weave, but it is better to live with her Lady. It is good to serve maids in every way, but it is better to live with her Lady. She that liveth wholly with her Lady is the servant of all the world; no labour is so great as this, nor so greatly to be honoured. 

-- Pillar of Light

The verses are from the Madrian Scriptures.

Sarah paints Southeast Grind!

[caption id="attachment_83" align="aligncenter" width="231" caption="Brand designed by Sarah A. Morrigan, Iridia Creative Productions."][/caption]

Southeast Grind will be opening tomorrow, Sunday, April 19 at 8 a.m. Normal hours of operation will be 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. This was formerly Fireside Coffee Lodge, and the address is 1223 S.E. Powell Blvd., Portland, Oregon 97202.

See photos from this project.

ICP updates: rates and quotes, green window painting

cats, cats, more cats

See "Recent creative actions" for the earlier post on this.

For more pictures go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74030&id=581200221&l=2a28063906

Building hope, one can at a time

A world peace and happiness solution

http://ping.fm/IyxqA

A spring afternoon in Portland.

This one-minute video pretty much captures what a spring afternoon in Portland is like...

flowers, flowers, everywhere...

It's spring and there are flowers, flowers, everywhere...

little snippets of scenes from portland

I am shooting a series of silent short video clips from ordinary scenes of Portland, Oregon. You can watch them on YouTube.

Clouds forming a cross above a steeple

 

Clouds forming a cross above a steeple (2009), photography by Sarah A. Morrigan © 2009

Commercial branding and corporate identity: recent works

Recent works:

http://cli.gs/h0NG3j

• Southeast Grind, opening late April 2009 at 1223 SE Powell Blvd.


• Chinese Food and Culture Group

Space and Light

As Portland enters into the majesty and splendour of the spring in its fullness, I hope you are enjoying the lights, colours and air of this lovely city.

For those who cannot, here's a new photo series of mine, Space and Light.

Enjoy!

 

Sarah Morrigan
Iridia Creative Productions

Practice makes perfect

When I was in middle school my art teacher was a graduate school MFA intern. He always had a little notebook or sketchbook and he would draw just about anywhere -- at a coffee shop, subway station, on the train, and so on.

For an artist, this is a good habit to develop as it helps improve perceptive skills and ability to translate what one perceives onto paper in a relatively short time (which also requires the artist to discriminatingly capture "the essence" of an image). It is sort of like how a good writer tends to have a journal with her at all times. Constant journaling also helps inspire future creations.

About a week ago I was waiting outside a restaurant on an exceptionally busy evening (in the end I waited for about an hour and 20 minutes). I drew this on a notepad with a pencil and then a Sharpees -- in about five minutes.

I was in a meeting with local business owners networking. I happened to sit next to someone who was just starting a coffee shop in Portland and heard she was looking for someone to design a signage. I came up with an idea, drew something quickly and showed it to her. (And I got the project on the spot!) Note that this design differs quite a bit from the final product (of course), but the main ideas are the same.

[caption id="attachment_45" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="Southeast Grind (2009) - rough sketch"][/caption]

My point is this: if you are an artist, be always ready and prepared -- you'll never know what inspires you. It's also the same with writers. You cannot be an artist or a writer only every once in a while.

fax number changed

The new number is 206-338-2201. Do not send anything to 206-222-2077, as it has already been reassigned to another user. The number is for receiving faxes only.

Two new paintings with ocean theme

[caption id="attachment_35" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="Dance of Solitary Splendour, by Sarah A. Morrigan (2009); acrylic on ceramic panel, H 12.5cm x W 30.0cm"][/caption]

 

 

[caption id="attachment_36" align="aligncenter" width="340" caption="Pacific Northwest Sunset, by Sarah A. Morrigan (2009), acrylic on ceramic panel, H 12.5cm x W 30.0cm"][/caption]

Recent creative actions

Artist's Statement by Sarah A. Morrigan

"By Art Neo, we mean those aspects of Art Deco that are most generally associated with the name--the theatrical, upward-aspiring forms...that makes exhilarating use of geometrical line and curve, yet never divorced from the human spirit; that places solar imagery at the heart of much of its design, and contains a continual upward and outward thrust...[it] is [also] a democratic art in the best sense of that term; it belongs, we may say, to the lowest common denominator of humanity; but it does not seek to reduce humanity to its lowest and least noble elements. Its general aspiration is always upwards, always toward what is high and pure and good in the human spirit, and even where individual productions may take a cynical or an immoral turn, that is largely negated by the broad thrust of the movement of which they are a part. And what is most notable about the Art Neo movement whether in song or film or decoration...is always its unassailable innocence." -- Miss Alice Lucy Trent, in The Feminine Universe (London: Golden Order Press, 1997; republished, London: Feminine Publishing Company, 2008.).

"The ministry of the icon painter is that of the theologian: first, to know and love God; second, to praise God; third, to reflect on one's own experience of God from within a community of praise and present that reflection for the community's deeper understanding of its Faith, leading to greater praise of the Trinity that grounds all communion." -- The Rev. Dr. Andrew D. Ciferni, O.Praem., in foreword for A Brush with God, an Icon Workbook (Harrisburg, Pa.: Morehouse Publishing, 2005).

"In ancient times, art was an offering and a prayer to God and the universe and a manifestation of the divinity found deep within [one's] heart. Many artists achieved a higher realm of understanding through religious devotion and improvement of their hearts and minds... A painter at that time understood the balance between morality, honesty, and having a genuine heart. Those traits were reflected in the honour and purity of every brush stroke... They found that the closer they were to their innate and compassionate nature, the more beauty their paintings would radiate, and the more the viewers could sense its serenity. Those artists believed that when [humankind] lived by benevolence and patience, the more magnificent their achievements were. Perhaps we could learn from this point of view." -- From the Epoch Times, Dec. 15, 2007.

"Congratulations! Readers of the sadly currently out-of-print Children of the Void will remember the chapter entitled "The New Movement" in which the creation of a neo-traditional art-style is extensively discussed. Such a style would be a fusion of Sattwic symbolic art and late-Rajasic Art-Neo (in the broadest sense of that term). It is wonderful to see new creations being made in the spirit of the New Movement." -- Princess Mushroom commenting on the Blue Camellia Club.

 

A revival of art, spirit and tradition...

In the ancient and up to the medieval times, religious art was one of several means through which the church taught spiritual principles and precepts. More than merely a visual aid for a presentation, it was an aid to devotion and worship, helping people focus their minds on the higher realm. The spiritual fine art is a language of symbols--each artwork makes use of highly intricate symbolism, each of such symbols pointing to different aspects of a saint's life and values they teach. To this date, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Hindus, Buddhists--and to a lesser extent, Roman Catholics and Anglicans--incorporate uses of icons in their places of worship and in their liturgies.

In my work I attempt to reconnect art, spirit and tradition together to bring about a new stream and movement of art that combine the ancient spirituality with the modern artistic sensibility. Most of my works are inspired by some of the Art Deco and Art Nouveau streams of the 1920s and 1930s. In my works I reinterpret the symbolism inherent in iconography to the early- to mid-20th century aesthetics, allowing viewers to rethink and rediscover the spiritual and metaphysical values behind the icons in the context of what may be the immediately accessible past--the era that was not yet entirely overcome by the ugliness, yet was not too distant. Ultimately my works of art are an extension of my worship and faith.  The process itself is a form of contemplative exercise, but it is also hoped that the products help others to revive their spirituality and discover the Tradition in a new way.

 

Sarah A. Morrigan
Iridia Creative Productions
www.icpArts.tk

Website transition announcement

Yesterday I began setting up the new website on 000webhost.com. Apparently it happened that every time a small detail of a web page is updated or modified the entire web site would shut down pending "review" by a human being. As a result, the website has been down for 12 hours (though the company claims that this censorship procedure takes "2 to 4 hours") at a time. I found this appallingly unacceptable, thus I had just removed the site and cancelled the account with 000webhost.com.

The new website is now located at http://www.iridiacreative.summerhost.info/ -- both www.miss-iris.tk and www.icpArts.tk will point there for the time being.

 

---

Sarah Morrigan
Iridia Creative Productions
neo-traditional fine arts | arts of liturgical and sacred spaces | identity and promotional graphic designs

Source of my passion

"Language fascinates me. As a visual artist, people assume that I am not a 'language person.' Yet, we must never forget that over 80 percent of interpersonal communication is visual, and therefore as a graphic designer and fine artist, my mission is to help people discover this form of language and equip them with tools to better communicate in the visual language." -- Sarah Morrigan on her artistic endeavour.

Since I was a small child, I perceived the world in images. I related to things through their positions, shapes, colours and textures. Even when I was learning words, I visualized parts of speech, prefixes and suffixes as though I was stringing beads or coupling and decoupling trains. In my multicultural upbringing, I knew that the visuals communicated across cultures though they were never "universal." Likewise, each culture (and within such a culture, subcultures and classes) has its own visual aesthetic sensibilities (how the visuals manifest themselves) even as the fundamental unity of the aesthetics never change anywhere in the world.

As a fine artist my aim is to communicate certain traditional ideas, beliefs and cosmology that are primarily based in the metaphysics and in the mystical. In my commercial graphic design practice, likewise, my goal is to communicate the values, visions and ideals of my clients as they manifest in the context of their markets, geographic and demographic segments and cultural backgrounds.

Sarah Morrigan
Iridia Creative Productions
www.icpArts.tk

p.s. My congratulations to Kacey Teel on the upcoming grand opening of the Southeast Grind coffee house (previously the Fireside Coffee Lodge) on Southeast Powell Boulevard!