Found Treasure in the Mid-West

My 2 day journey begins.....photographing decayed structures and open land in the humid air of Missouri. 6a.m Sunday morning, we will load the pickup and head Southwest of Kansas City towards Jefferson City, MO to find Bates-Geers House (AKA Monster House). I am excited to ride these unknown country roads, stumbling upon whatever presents itself. We will then drive west to a town call Ozark, to seek out a historic mill call Hoover Mill. In case of any emergency....my mosquito repellent and bottle of alcohol will be at waist side! This photo was taken by a photographer by the name of Jerry E Shelton in Missouri. Thanks to Jerry, the house is waiting to be found by ME!

Here is a little history of Monster House. 

A view of the Bates-Geers house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, described as having significant Greek Revival architecture , and located in northeastern rural Texas county. The house was built in the early 1840's by Addison Bates, who moved to the area from North Carolina and built the first sawmill in this area. The large chimneys on either end are made of locally quarried sandstone. The house was used as a stagecoach stop around the time of the civil war. After the war, the house was sold to John Geers, a union soldier from Illinois who had been in the area during the war. He and his descendants lived here until the 1970's. At the time the documents were filed in the 1980's to have the house placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the owners stated it was their intention to have the house restored.

The Bold and Beautiful!

It was 3 years ago I had discovered Mirjan Rooze's Photography on Flickr. Mirjan shoots with a film camera. I fell in love with her work that felt very personal and captured the mood of the moment. Not only does she have a sharp eye for great composition and photo combination, she is photogenic, beautiful and talented. Her photography displays her life living in the Dutch countryside. Makes me want to move! Her work has definitely made a lasting impression.

Being more than just a product of society...

The need to be unique in every aspect of our lives is growing rapidly and becoming more challenging to stand out with the over saturated market. A few years ago, picking the right color and coming up with a good layout design is what a good designer needed to know. Designing a concept that makes an impact today, you might as well get a degree in product engineering or become a scientist, where elaborate die-cuts, raw materials, forms and textures are implemented as part of the design process. Below are examples of package designs that are starting to resemble one another. I still love their clean lines, the whites and touches of colors that contrast. I love the tea bag packaging acting as a coaster idea. The embossed design on the paper soaks up the tea to form a colored image. A simple design cleverly executed! Another of my favorite is the hot dog wrapper....here again, simple but well-thought out. What do you love about design?

The Beauty of Dissolution

I have been fascinated and fantasizing about Detroit for months now. My first brush with this city was an inflight magazine traveling from Barcelona to New York. My eyes bulge, observing the details captured by a photographer's lens. The remains of a forgotten structure. Many passed not giving it a second thought. A place conforming to Detroit's skeletal community. Ever since, I have been intrigued and many have explored before me. This altered city will soon be a fab-U-lous vacation!  Photographs by Andrew Moore.

Pantone Home Paint

Another alternative to owning pantone books! This attractive packaging for home paint was the design of samy halim. I like the concept and would probably buy paint even if i don't need it, just for the cool packaging. Its recyclable after the paint is used. They are stackable and pleasing to look at it when stored in a garage, storage or closet space! As an artist, I could easily use these small pantone cans and mount them to a wall space to create a 3D pantone sculpture. Out with the pantone books and in with the mountable pantone swatches!

Whole Tree Design

I would love a home build with whole trees. The concept is to help save the destruction of more trees by creating an ecological system using trees that are no larger than 10 inches in diameter. These trees are removed from clients site or trees that have been downed by weather or disease. For 16 years, Roald Gundersun has been researching this technique of building homes to substain the environment. In my eyes, these homes have been transformed into beautiful ecological skeletal pieces of art. I am sure these homes smell treely rustic!

 

 

Couple Designers

The whole idea of wooden animals might not be an exciting thought. However, with such eye-catching packagings, these animal collections appeal as gifts. A whole collection would make nice ornaments for that Christmas tree of yours. Husband and wife team at enormouschampion are the creators. They are also made out of recycled materials. Simply beautiful!