Website Launch - AAF.com

Though it's been up for a couple weeks now, I wanted to note the launch of one of my largest web projects to date: http://www.auntieannesfranchising.com/

Design and visual direction was led by me, and the development into the DotNetNuke platform was done through our vendor.

The entire project was completed in less than 2 months, with a lot of blood sweat and tears from everyone involved. This was also a new sort of project for the company, as we've only done smaller-scale web projects in house so far. It was a great learning experience and while there's a few small things I'd love to go back and tweak, the design held together with little changes from the concept to completion. We've gotten great feedback on it so far - here's hoping it's a great asset for the company!

Other web projects I've worked on for Auntie Anne's:

Auntie Anne's in San Fransisco - Catering Website:
http://www.auntieannessf.com/
(One of my favorites still.)



A New Twist on Giving Back - PR Charitable Campaign in 2007.
atwistongivingback.com (no longer active)














Pretzel Perfect Store Awards - Internal recognition for management:
http://www.aainfosource.com/awards/
(disclaimer - the internal navigation was not my design and I really hate it.)



It's nice to look back and see the progress that I've been able to make on the web side of things. I'm still largely a print designer here at Auntie Anne's, but they're so supportive of our interests, and have allowed me to really get involved in the digital world more than I expected. It's much wanted experience for myself - and especially with the last project, it's paid off for both myself and the company (at least I hope for the company. ;) )

Rules Meant to Be Broken

Picasso: "Portrait de la mère de l'artiste" 1896.

Learning and mastering what it is to be an artist, or designer – it's a lifelong process and this cycle of what I can only describe as "learning and un-learning".

I was lucky to hear the owner of knockknock.com speak at the local art college a couple weeks ago. And she said a lot of great things that I really took to heart, but one in particular really hit on the thing I have been mulling over for the past month or so. She quoted Picasso:

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
- Art quote by Pablo Picasso (link)

Picasso was an amazing artist, and perfect in execution, even before he explored cubism. To the untrained and uninformed, it looks like the man didn't know how to paint (Jackson Pollock, anyone?).... when in fact, the opposite was true.

He was a master because he could take all that he learned, and then do something completely different.

Sounds really easy in theory, but it's a concept that so few of us can really get beyond, and even fewer have mastered.

It's hit me personally in my efforts to master what I called "lineless painting". I struggled - for years, trying to find a way that worked for me to paint digitally without depending on my original sketches and lines. I found myself confined by the lines, and my final pieces felt a bit stiff and regulated to me.

I had finally learned a comfortable way to paint just a few months ago. It was like a revalation to me... like a fog lifted! I felt a great amount of creative freedom and a whole new set of challenges.

And now – now that I've become more comfortable with the approach, I find myself coming full circle again. "How can I take what I now know about painting, and bring my lineart back into my work to give it more character??". Ironic, isn't it? :)

My hope - or rather, my plan, is to further look at the examples of what I think my art is missing - immersive composition, action, movement - and literally "Learn to paint like Raphael" (in my case, the artists that are doing it right) - so that I can in turn, take everything I learn from the process and turn it on it's head and make it my own.

Whew. :)

Things I'd like to remember:
1. Always ask "why?". I want it to not only be beautiful, but to always mean something.
2. Don't skimp on the sketch. Don't skimp on the sketch. Refine refine refine. The sketch is the soul of the drawing. If it's wrong, no amount of skillful painting is going to fix it. Fix and refine first. :P