F is for Fetch

(above is a sample of some of the different kinds of shells in my collection)

I have been collecting, or fetching, sea shells for years from several beaches (St. Augustine, Florida; South Padre Island, Texas; Gulf Shores, Alabama and San Diego, California). I am drawn to their patterns, shapes, colors and textures. The idea is to transform my tangible collection into a digital one with more than photographs. For it to become a reference guide and starting part for color combinations, patterns, and shapes that all stem from an individual shell. Taking those elements out of the context of a shell and into a digital graphic form.


If this were to be an online reference guide it would be interesting to set it up so you could take a digital journey on the beach and pick out shells. Once you chose a shell it could reveal its parts from its graphic standard and you would begin to understand what it is about the shell you are gravitated towards. It could be a helpful tool for both graphic and interior design.

F is for Family

The Meiners-Hodes-Aumuller family claimed to be the largest multi-generational family in Kansas City years ago. This family is 7 generations strong and has around 3,729 living members. I am apart of this family. This year we had our biennial family picnic where 760 of us gathered at a local high school for an entire day. (We also have a summer bowling league with around 21 teams of 4)


A  family tree for the Meiners-Hodes-Aumuller clan needs to identify the following 5 major things for each person. (this is in addition to capturing the family line of everyone) 


1. Which one of the 8 major families do they belong to? (The family started with 5 brothers and 3 sisters. Two of the sisters married Hodes boys and 1 sister married an Aumuller. This family identifies themselves to others by stating which of the 8 they belong to.)
2. Which generation are they?
3. Are they married in or are they blood line lineage?
4. Are they dead or alive?
5. Do they happen to be one of the few that actually belong to two major families? (As weird as it may sound down the lineage line individuals that belong to a Meiners line have married in the Hodes line and vice versa. This is not incest due to the fact they are far enough apart and are barely, if any, blood related!)


Informational graphics can be breathtakingly beautiful while at the same time completely functional. They key, for myself, is to understand the information I am working with in and out. This might take some time, even though all of the information I need is within a directory that is staring at me on my desk.

F is for Features (of a Fool)

Each fool in the book should flaunt at least one unique feature. Animals and insects have many to observe and draw inspiration from. Not only can these features distinguish a look but also the way they communicate, move around, and function. Most living creatures have a body, head, arms, legs, eyes, ears, a nose and a mouth of some sort. Unique features flaunted by others are antlers, antenna, beaks, gills, quills, claws, whiskers, wings, webbed feet, fins, feathers, fur, flippers, fingers, toes, tentacles, tusks, tails, talons, horns, hooves, stingers, shells and scales. They crawl, fly, float, hop, swim, slither, and glide. To communicate they can growl, howl, dance, glow and even release odors . Sketching these observations are around the corner.


(I adore alliteration...a little too much.) 

F is for Fools

It can be peculiar what you find while cleaning out a closet. These doodles from high school are the inspiration for a children's book. The characters need work if they are going to stand up for themselves and their story has to be written, but these fools found tucked away are coming out of the closet to frolic about in tiny minds.

F is for Flaherty

I am a graphic designer and creative writer who is captivated by process and observation. Here is my process. Here are my observations. I invite you to invest a few minutes observing what I post and participate in my process with comments.