Design is the conscious effort to impose meaningful order.

-Victor Papanek 1970

“The trout streams where I flyfish are cold and clear and rich in the minerals that promote the growth of stream life. As I wade a stream I think wordlessly of where to cast the fly. Sometimes a difference of inches is the difference between catching a fish and not. When the fly I’ve cast is on the water my attention is riveted to it. I’ve found through experience that whenever—or so it seems—my attention wanders or I look away then surely a fish will rise to the fly and I will be too late setting the hook. I watch the fly calmly and attentively so that when the fish strikes—I strike. Then the line tightens, the playing of the fish begins, and time stands still. Fishing, like photography, is an art that calls forth intelligence, concentration, and delicacy.”

-Stephen Shore, 1982

Thanks Eric!

“The West is not a place. It’s a state of mind.”

-Jack A.Weil (Rockmount Western Wear)

delay gratification.

-unknown

My work is a game, a very serious game.
- MC Escher

“If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough”
-Mario Andretti

“We live in a society that has replaced the fear of dying of starvation, with the fear of being bored to death”.

Author unknown. (This quote was apparently spray painted on a wall in downtown Edmonton) Thanks to my good friend Johnny-Mac for passing this along to me!

artistic value

“A late night in the studio beats a bad day at work anyday”.

I’ve been thinking lately about the notion of “quality time”. In our fast-paced, time-is-money world, time has become a limited resource and has gained alot of value. To most of us, our time is equated by our hourly wage at work. We see a good week as one that makes us the most money. A successful week is one we’ve worked hard to feed our monetary investments and invested little time for family and friends, and most importantly in ourselves.

Artists see life in different light. For they we have discovered there is immense value investing time in ourselves. Time to ourselves, I mean, in the studio-being creative. This may include playing guitar, drawing, or writing- whatever your outlet is. Instead of watching TV, we go here for inspiration. The studio is a special retreat removed from the rest of the world and acts much like the traditional monastery of priest or spiritual leader. The studio is a place for freedom to grow. A place for introspection, and experimentation. Real inspiration is not found lying on a couch or skimming magazines at starbucks; it is channeled through the hard work in the studio.

To me my most valuable time in my life lies with my family and here in the studio. As winter begins (which by the way is the most productive months for Canadian Designers) I ask you to consider where you invest your time, and if it gives you “value”?

I know where my time will be spent this winter, and like always, the product will be posted here…

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
-Scott Adams

Design is not done with rules, but with intuition. Intuition never lies.
-Jasper Morrison.