Summer 2016 in Review

I can't believe that it’s the end of summer already. As I write this the kids next door are getting ready to return to school. The leaves on the Japanese Maples are turning all shades of orange, red and brown. And my once seemingly unsurmountable summer projects are complete. This is a summer I will never forget.

I remember back to May when I was working 30 hours a week for Levi’s, anticipating two summer camp teaching gigs, and caring for my dying bulldog. At that time, I felt that I could not possibly bear the stress of the months to come.

Well, I did. And hopefully with grace. I was even able to attend Surtex, the biggest surface design trade show in NY, with my agents, Parcai Designs, a career goal of mine.

Me at the Parcai Designs Booth Exhibit, Surtex, May 2016

Dionne making her Mark at Surtex, Javits Center, NY, NY.

A highlight of our NY Trip! These 80's ladies went to the Isaac Mizrahi exhibit, An Unruly History,  at the Jewish Museum.

It was a whirlwind trip on which my twin sister accompanied me, and I had to unexpectedly take a red eye flight home a day early to assist my husband with our dog’s medical needs. We thought we were going to lose Cookie, but she hung on for two more months.

Through the Richmond Art Center, I taught an amazing grant funded project with Rosie’s Girls of Richmond. It was my first time teaching high schoolers and I learned a lot. I had the most fun showing six lovely ladies the basics of branding, marketing and graphic design. We laughed a lot and created the most amazing branded exhibit booth to be used in recruiting events for years to come.

A pretty Polka Dotted Banner

Warm up exercise in our sketchbooks

Branded freebie stickers!

Our beautiful final project!

Proud of our work!

I took on some amazing super secret projects for companies around the globe. Here's a sneak preview:

Hustlin' this summer with the projects

I continued to live. And take care of my beloved Bulldog, Cookie Blanca. Until, finally, we needed to hand feed her in bed. We carried her up and down the stairs and outside to potty. We gave her sips of water through a pipette. We propped up her weary head with an airplane neck pillow (which I heartbreakingly found the courage to run through the washing machine yesterday after 5 weeks. Her slobbery stains forever physically gone but permanently on every fiber of my being.) And then on July 18th, Cookie’s last day, we said goodbye to her. 

Saying Goodbye.

That last day before she crossed the rainbow bridge, we tried everything to get her to eat. She tasted organic ice-cream in many flavors (the remainders of which turned into our FEELINGS as Tim and I inhaled pint after pint to console our aching hearts after she was gone). She ate fresh salmon, sliced deli turkey and halibut. And on that very last morning, I had it in my mind that if we could get her a glazed donut, she would for sure eat it. But, she wasn't hungry. I had just wanted her last meal to be something delicious. I will never look at a glazed donut the same. I will probably never eat one again. At 10:30 am, we said goodbye to our greatest joy and truest love, Cookie. Tim had dug her grave the day before. We wrapped her in a cotton blanket, and buried her with her toys, and some cookies for the road. We made a toast to her and cried.

I'll never eat a glazed donut again.

Cookie's Backyard Memorial

I had to cancel my first day of teaching art summer camp to kids at our community center because I was too busy throwing my body to the ground with my arm thrown over her pile of rocks sobbing for hours. I laid in a sleeping bag by her grave for an entire day until dusk came. I ate the rest of her dog treats from Petco so I could feel closer to her. I curled up in a ball and slept on her dog bed in the afternoons. I would have eaten my cereal from her dog bowls, but Tim drew the line at that. We experienced the sharpest, bluest, searing pain of our lives, and yet, Life continued.

My best girl

Fenderales family at Pt. Isabel

St. Francis, protect the animals.

Cookie's backyard statue

All through August, I taught summer camp art classes to Richmond children ages 6-12. What a hoot, and a learning experience for us all! One of our lessons was on the theme of Summer Olympics. When asking the kids what they knew about Rio de Janeiro, someone shouted out “ZIKA!” Kids, they say the darndest things. But look what we made!!!! I really love teaching.

Dual Self Portrait on hand bound sketchbook

Rio de Janeiro inspired bird marionette!

Cardboard tube bird marionette!

An up-cycled t-shirt bag inspired by Gilson Martins, a popular Brazilian Artisan.

I’ve continued to work on my daily practice of art journaling. I can see my style evolving and loosening up. I love the layers, textures and colors produced when combining media with illustration. And in anticipation of an upcoming literacy workshop that I will be teaching, I've learned that I have a new interest in poetry, specifically found word collages. The teacher is always learning. It’s my therapy.

Art Journal Pages

We took a weekend trip to Sacramento to meet new friends and see my exhibited piece in my first gallery show at The Brick House Gallery as part of the Creativity Caravan's Tiny Book Show. 

My Tiny Book, created from my childhood journal entries.

We took the train!

Sacramento Art

Old Downtown Sacramento.

It was a fun and bittersweet trip to Cookie’s homeland and her favorite dog friendly hotel. It felt so weird to be there without her. We talked about her every minute of every day, and I started my fourth COOKBOOK which will chronicle her adventures in the afterlife. She’s having a blast, I imagine.

Cookie bringing up the caboose in my imagination

We spontaneously took a day trip to the Sonoma County Fair where we rode scary rides all day and ate junk food until we were sick. Oh yeah, and Tim won a contest.

Thank ya, Thank ya very much.

And lastly, I took an online summer school surface design class with MIID. I really pushed myself with the briefs, and was very proud of my final submissions. I have the promising beginnings of two very different collections on which I will continue to work throughout the fall. If it’s one thing that I realized this summer, is that my drawing is my healing. I am COMPELLED to do it. It makes me happy and gives me hope. Maybe if you have ever felt lost, and confused, you know that finding a bit of hope is the most amazing thing that can happen at such a time.

Treasured Summer Botanicals

Summer Hibiscus Bouquet

Summer Botanicals Collection

Bathroom Thingies, my interpretation of Modern Pop Art

Pop Art Placement

Pop Art Collection

And friends. I was really lucky to get to spend time with some great friends old and new this summer. Thank you, Universe! It’s just what I needed.

New friend Cindy looked me up when she got to California!

Old friend Susan, my childhood bestie, came out to SF again this year.

It’s foggy outside and starting to smell like autumn. Soon, we will be placing fresh Asters and Mums at Cookie’s memorial instead of the Daisies and Yarrow of Summer. Next month I will be visiting Denver for my cousin’s wedding which will be a much needed healing trip for my heart because I have the best family in the world. Fall workshops are coming down the pipeline, and I’ve still got a lot to work on in developing my portfolio further. I really want to take an extended vacation with my husband, Tim, as the two of us have not had a real vacation in over 9 years. We’re getting to know each other all over again now that we don't have Cookie to punctuate our days. It’s tough and wonderful and scary all at the same time. The cycle starts again. Indeed. 

Photo by Corey Knafelz

“It always seems impossible until its done.” —nelson madera

On Branding: Hello, My Name is Dawn

I’m finally starting to figure it out. I’ve talked before about developing a personal illustration style, and branding. When I first started branching out into the business of illustration and surface design, I was all over the map. I couldn’t really find my style in terms of how I was drawing, what colors or techniques I liked. And that’s understandable. I hadn’t illustrated anything for almost 20 years!  My first foray into branding was born out of making a watermark/logo for my Society 6 shop:

Cute!

I had been working so long as a graphic designer and knew logotypes like the back of my hand, but I wanted to incorporate my illustrations so people knew what I was about. It’s okay. It did the trick. I liked it, but I’ve grown out of it into something that is more comfortably me.

I had included the owl because he is cute and funny, but I had also recognized that all the illustrators and surface designers that I followed were really into drawing woodland creatures.

Old promo package. I still love the pink duct tape.

I still love drawing characters. It’s natural for me, but over the years, a lot changed. The catalyst for me was when I completed a bright floral abstract pattern collection based on very organic mark making that I blogged about here.

The making of a collection

Not only did I get some good feedback on this, but I felt that it was a breakthrough for me in letting loose.

In addition, I realized, as I spent time getting ready for my first Surtex show, that over two years I have really developed a consistent brand style. And it all started with Pinterest. In a Creative Live class taught by the lovely Megan Auman, we did an exercise on making a brand board for ourselves. This is mine. Who know I loved pink so much? 

I love pink!

The purpose of the Pinterest exercise was to find our target audience. Shocker, the target customer is me! And yours is probably you!

This was an aha moment for me. I am a weirdo, and this comes across in my board. I also really like bright colors and unusual materials, and imagery. Oh yeah, and a lot of neon. 

It really shows in my work:

Weirdo

Over the year, I found a great joy in creating my own hand done typography and mark making/drawing icons for pattern use. Because I believe it is my best work to date, my debut collection for the bolt fabric market, Abstract Florals, is the base for all my collateral look and feel. And is the sole focus of my printed portfolio for the show. I didn't realize I was doing this, but in putting together my package for Surtex, I realize that I finally found my voice with typography, color and style It’s a color explosion just tike me: Dawn Gonzales, Illustrator, aka pom pom lady! I have not seen HELLO MY NAME IS DORIS yet, but I do know that I will attempt to wear my home made triangle scarf with fringe in the style of Sally Field as the lead character. And maybe my cat eye classes.

Branding + Collateral

As a side note, I have been teaching a lot of craft workshops and participating in craft fairs throughout this year. I finally have a kiT of parts display that shows what I am all about: it’s very craft driven, colorful and totally me. I love making things with my hands, up-cycling, and mixed media. It seems like my booth identity for all my classes relate! In fact, two weeks ago at the up cycle event, I had a great interest in my hand made banner that I displayed to call attention to my printmaking booth. I conveniently directed the people who commented on it to my workshop on how to craft the banner last Saturday. It’s all related! I try to wear my pom-poms, or duct tape jewelry whenever I can for the same reason. It all goes together and helps promote my brand.

Anyway, Lets jump to today. Look at all this stuff! I’ve created business cards, postcards, stickers, a blurb book, scarves and zippered phone cases. Does it look like it all came from the same place? I think so. By George, I think I've got it! 

Business cards, stickers and books, OH MY!

I hope you enjoy this video flip of my blurb book. 

I’ll see you at Surtex 2016, Booth 427.  If you are local and would like to learn more about branding your art business through social media, please take my class at THE RICHMOND ART CENTER this summer. It will be a two hour introductory class of the best ways to talk about your art and create a streamlined brand across three social platforms: Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. I’d love to see you there.

I promise I won't wear my bikini to teach the class.

 After that, as I mentioned in my previous post, I am so excited to be teaching a Summer Camp class for Rosie’s Girls about branding, design and marketing. We are going to make a display booth for their on going events. Guess those 15 years of environmental design came in handy! (Universe, have I told you lately that I love you?)

A page from my presentation deck for the Rosie the Riveter board of Trustees

Thank you for reading. Go out there and be you in all your neon pink, duct taped pom-pommed glory! Good luck for all of you who will be in NYC exhibiting your work. I’ll look for you!

I'll see you there!