I'm Julia Allen, a designer in
Napa, California.
This blog is my place for
gathering and sharing inspiration.
It's also where I can
share ideas and processes for
my design & letterpress work.
(and sometimes, you might just see a posting for the rant, of just because a moment needed to be shared.)
Please feel free to say hello &
share your tendencies at
foliadesign{at}gmail.com
Hmm. Oct. 13th. Last posting. Of course, the question posed is: should I close the blog? Undecided. But, for what's it's worth, a desire to post moved me today.
As I type, I can see a glorious beam of sunlight coming through my west-facing window, the warmth of light hitting my fingers. Ahhh, mother nature, you tease! It's February 5th, a Saturday, and the weather here in Napa is 79 degrees. No joke. This is not normal. I'm sure the rest of this town is out and about enjoying the weather... it's ok.... I'm enjoying it working. No interruptions. Music blaring. My own time: My own space: to be creative.
Loving this tune right now by Local Natives. A song about the sun, or maybe someone like the sun.
I climbed to the top of a hill But I had just missed the sun And although the descending arc was gone Left behind were the traces that always follow along
The most beautiful colors chase the sun They wrap her trail in a taunting gesture That seems to sing out loud, "this is what you're missing"
Nice to be thought of as "beautiful colors" chasing the sun.
Speaking of colors... currently working on new packaging for Bodhichitta Botanicals additional products. I love what's to come, for this project and 2011.
The kindness of strangers can do beautiful things. Today I received an email from the person who yelled "Tell Us About Lois" from that fateful night at the Swell Season Concert on 8/19/2010 at the Mountain Winery.
A simple email... "I share your desire to remember this night for more than just one horrific event. Thanks for posting."
My blog entry wasn't too far off, considering I wrote it 4 days after witnessing a suicide and making sense of the intensity of it all. I think I did ok. But I do LOVE that I can now revisit the story at any time, so as long as it lives in YouTube.
What a great way to start the week with official notice from the American Graphic Design USA that 5 projects I worked on won awards! Wahoo!!! Of course what makes it even better is I get to share the limelight with my fellow clients and colleagues who helped to bring such recognition and praise!
A little about this award...
For more than five decades, Graphic Design USA has sponsored this popular national design competition, open to all segments of the creative community. Selected from over 8,000+ entries nationwide this year, Folia Design's winning pieces were selected as the top 15%.
I still need to photograph the actual pieces, but for now, the awarded projects are sampled below as taken from PDFs (partial pages on some of the larger projects). To see larger, simply click for higher resolution version.
They are: • St. Helena Hospital 2009 Annual Report • San Francisco 2010-11 Season Brochure • Land Trust Napa County Annual Membership Drive Collateral • California Veterans Support Foundation Branding • Y. Rousseau Wines: Label design for Colombard & Chardonnay
I love my job!
St. Helena Hospital 2009 Annual Report
San Francisco 2010-11 Season Brochure
Land Trust Napa County Annual Membership Drive Collateral
California Veterans Support Foundation Branding
Y. Rousseau Wines: Label design for Colombard & Chardonnay
A normal day... 6am, go to the gym, 7:30am, back at home, make a latte, say bye to husband and get child up from bed. Or at least forcing myself into normalcy.
I head out to my studio (literally a few steps out of the house to the yard... yes, I do realize the glory of this) to begin my day. Onto work... email this person, print out that project to send off, update design, etc.... all normal.
Shortly after Noon, I receive a call on my work line. I answer. And I hear an elderly voice launch into, "Alice, this is Mabel. I'm calling to let you know I'm not coming over, I fell, so I'm just going to stay in." I immediately recognized the voice. Mabel has been calling me randomly for the last 3 years. Here's the strange part. Today was the first time that she ever called my work line. All previous times, she called the home phone line. The work and home phone numbers are completely different. But still, without thinking, I replied, "I'm sorry, but you have the wrong number." She stuttered, and said, "Oh, I'm sorry," and "click."
What just happened? Mabel called on my work line, how the heck did she know THAT number? Yes, in the past I was annoyed by her calls, but today, I felt different. And I couldn't figure out the phone swap. Then reality started to hit. Sometimes we do the stupidest things... why?... because you are on auto-pilot?... rushed to get to a deadline?... don't care?... blurring through life?... Thank goodness I let the little voices in my head whisper to me, "Did you hear that? She said she fell. Yeah, it's freaky that it's reminiscent to what happened the night of August 19, 2010 at The Swell Season Concert, but that was THAT night. This is TODAY. SNAP OUT OF IT. She said she fell. (Now all of you get a snippet of what my mind does, literally). So, I dialed *69, in hopes that I could get back to her. And I DID! I introduced myself over the phone and told her I just received a call from her... the wrong number person and was calling back to make sure she was not hurt. She replied that she was alright and appreciated the call. We exchanged a few more nice words. I find out she's 97 and lives at a nearby senior housing center. We said our good byes. "Click."
Back to work. Normalcy. Time check... Ack! Gotta get to the print shop to drop off a job and get a quote. Head out and do exactly that. All the while, I still am thinking of Mabel. Mabel. Mabel.
Get back to the studio: 2pm. Mabel. 2:13pm. Amazingly no calls since Mabel. I've decided. I want to meet her. I *69 her again. She answers. I re-introduce myself and tell her that I would love to meet her, and ask if she would be comfortable with this and if 4pm would work. She says yes. (I'm feeling it: I "CHOOSE" LOIS!)
3:30pm. Get Liam (child), stop at Lucky's to pick up a pretty potted fuscia plant (Liam picks it out) and we drive to meet Mabel. (Truth be told. I was freaked out! What if I get there, and they say there is no Mabel, or worse, she's dead. No joke, that probably would have given me every reason to "check myself in".) We arrive, walk into the center, find her door with her name plate on it, all lovingly decorated with family photos, cards, flowers, and patriotic ribbons. She is loved. We knock. Liam and I are holding hands and the potted fuscia plant. She opens the door. As corny as this may sound, she was a beam of love, warmth and light. We hugged immediately. Kindred spirits. She lets us in.
In our little half hour, we shared our backgrounds. Liam was well-behaved and Mabel approved. I couldn't get over at how youthful she was. Here's a woman who is almost a centurion, but was vivacious, open-minded, sharp as a tack, with positive disposition, and welcoming a stranger into her home. I asked her how it was she dialed my number and she showed me a listing of numbers of other residents there, one of which was her friend Alice. Alice's number was exactly matching my office line, with the exception of the last number, so that made sense in how she called me by chance today. But it didn't make sense in how she had been calling me for the last 3 years on my home phone. A completely different number. I told her this, and she seemed baffled as well. I told her that I had recently experienced something which had and still is affecting me deeply—to open up and do what my mind and heart says. And that was why I was there. She was very moved by that.
I don't know where this will go, as it JUST HAPPENED! But, I do know I've met someone special who I am going to get to know. Sunday, I plan on bringing her some pastries, and share more time with her. I'm really looking forward to it. I find it curious that the names "Lois" and Mabel" come from that same era of WWI generation, strong, simple but memorable women names.
As I end this entry. I will leave you with a few photos of Mabel and I (that Liam took).... and two more "universe/God/Buddha/pick-your-passion-theology" moments that grabbed my attention today. The first was at the gym. As a newbie at hitting the gym lately at 6am, let's just say that I am not altogether really awake, just rev'ing up. While on the treadmill.... my eyes kept wandering... tired at reading the captions on the TVs, but not really interested in lip reading the news reporters. Today, my eyes kept falling on part of a signage for the emergency defibrillator box directly in front of me on the wall, but settling only on 3 particular words: "Door is open!" And lastly... if you look really close (click on image) at Mabel's earrings... they are a luminous glow of glassine blue baubles.... perhaps not Paddington Bear blue, but moonlit-glow blue.
Life has a funny way of giving you a wake up call. It can happen in the most subtle and split-second manner, where most people would probably not "catch the moment". Or it can happen as loud as a bomb, rattling the very core of your world. Lucky for me (or unlucky, depending on how one might look at this), I'm one of those individuals who can for whatever reason, recognize the most miniscule to the most explosive moments where the universe/God/Buddha/pick-your-passion-theology perspective, says... "Ok Julia, lookie here, this is intended for you to learn from... so what are you gonna do with this experience?"
Last Thursday, August 19, 2010 my friends Julie, Rachelle, and I drove down to Saratoga, California to attend a very long-awaited concert at the Mountain Winery to see The Swell Season. Now, anyone who has a decent playlist on their iPhones/iPads/MP3 player would know who these amazing artists are, but another well known fact is the lead singers: Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová were in Once, a 2006 Irish musical (low budget/indie) film, that received a 2008 Academy Award for Best Original Song for the song "Falling Slowly". Yes, we are big fans and drove 1.5 hours to get there on a Thursday afternoon, taking the afternoon off from work to get dinner and an early start to the concert.
The lead up to the event couldn't have been more perfect. Beautiful warm day in Saratoga, California, early arrival to our destination at The Basin, our selected place to get drinks and dinner. We had 15 minutes until the restaurant would open when we heard someone yell... "Go across the street for some free wine and nibbles and say you are there for blah-dee-blah-dah...!" And, yes, we did just that, crash a little wine tasting party. After tasting a lovely rosé, and posing as if we were truly guests, we scanned the tables for what nibbles could be grabbed. And I saw... pickels! Yum! Perfect! So we grabbed a few before saying our thank yous and headed to The Basin.
Last minute bar seating was scored as it was a full house due to the 2 concerts happening in the area, one of which we were attending. Cucumber martinis for Julie and Rachelle, and a Stella Artois for me, launched us into the perfect setup for "letting our hair down" and getting excited for the show. Dinner and then a surprise run-in with friends of Julie made for an even more pleasant experience at our eatery. (thought in my head... What a perfect night!)
Arriving at the winery was a site to be seen. Can we say GINORMOUS? The grounds to the estate were breathtaking and seemed to go on and on. Again, a perfect build up to the anticipated show. Car parked, bathroom break, more beer, seats found....we were ready. Balmy evening was cooling off quickly for a crisp summer night sky. Moon aglow, eerily bright, even for a half lunar phase. I made a curious mental check on how luminous it did look. Opening band done and at last... The Swell Season on stage! WAHOO!
A few sets into the show, Markéta disappeared and came back in a warmer attire. She went up to the mic and admitted, "This is my first EVER wardrobe change. I wanted to look cute for you but got so cold. I will remember this night forever!" About two-thirds into the show Colm Mac Con Iomaire, Swell Season's violinist performed a hauntingly beautiful solo of a 300 year old folk song from his home town on the Western shores of Ireland. It seemed like not a soul took a breath while watching this lovely moment. Please listen if you have the time.
The band returned to stage after, about to launch into their next song when someone from the audience yelled "Tell us about Lois!"... Well, we all were like, "Who's Lois?" Curiosity got the cat!
Glen Hansard, in his most endearing Irish accent and style of speech launched into a story. (note: I am going to do my best to recite what was stated/recounted, but because it's all from memory, an exact replay of how things were said might be off. I do think the gist of the way I will tell the story will remain truthful. I know repeating the story to myself, Julie and Rachelle, and close friends has helped to maintain consistency and integrity of what happened.) Glen continues to the audience on how 6-7 months ago he was in Chicago (a big "Wahoo!" escaped my lips as it is my hometown!) and just checked into a hotel and was heading out, riding the elevator down to go out into the cold Spring air. He noticed an older woman standing in front of him in the elevator who was wearing a very impressive, intensely blue, Paddington Bear style coat, covered from head to calf, with only the feathered gray strands of her hair escaping around her face and the tip of her nose showing. He said, "Well, that's a mighty fine coat you have on and it looks lovely on you." She turned around and looked at him and said, sternly, "Thank you. What's your name and what do you do?" He replied, I'm Glen Hansard, and I'm in a rock band called The Swell Season and we're performing in Chicago... just had a show in New York." She said, "I'm Lois. Never heard of you." He continues, "I was also in a movie called Once and in another Irish rock band called "The Frames". Lois, "Never heard of it or the movie." At this point, Glen admits that unless you are Bono or Jesus, no one will give a shit who you are. Everyone laughs. Lois says, "This is my first time leaving my apartment in 2 years. I'm visiting my daughter who lives here in Chicago. I saw this coat in the window, and decided to buy it. I've never done anything like that before, so I just bought it."... she continues... "You know, I told my son not to go to that building." (Glen realizes and tells the audience she was referring to 9/11). "I had a funny feeling. He worked all weekend long and I called to tell him to stay home, that I had a funny feeling. Well, he didn't listen, and now he's dead." At this point Glen makes a statement at how remarkable a one-off chance of running into a stranger on an elevator can impress upon him an intensely deep and inspiring felt emotion that it was the source of inspiration for his next song. They exit the elevator and hotel, and as she grabs a cab, stops before closing the door and says to Glen, "That was a very nice thing you did back there. Telling me I looked good in this coat. You didn't have to do that but you did. Don't ever NOT say what's on your mind and heart. Live your life, LIVE YOUR LIFE", as she proceeded to close the cab's door and speed away. Glen faces us, the audience and says how often does something like that happen in a person's life? And he launches into "When Your Mind's Made Up", a gorgeous, impassioned song so powerful, and of course my favorite song. I've embedded it here, please watch.
The crowd was alive! Feeling the setup of Lois and the beauty of this song. Glen starts bantering about another humorous story, and then it happened. A body, landing 3 feet from him coming out of the sky. Is this a joke? Was it a technician who fell while clapping? Is he ok? What the F*CK is going on!?!? And then I heard a woman a few seats to my left saying how she saw this man jump onto the rooftop of the building behind the stage and took a running leap off, landing right on stage, between Glen and Colm. A hard, weighted, graphic fall. If I had left my iPhone's video on, I would surely have caught the impact.
MD's from the audience ran on stage, Glen's reaction is what still haunts me. He immediately put down his guitar and went up to the body, and then put his hands over his mouth and the whites of his eyes illuminated, like the glow of the moon. And panic. The band was quickly wisked off stage... and the audience... tears, cries, people hugging and making their way out of their seats. Julie, Rachelle and I were caught in the intensity of our eyes glued to it all. We couldn't have had the most perfect seats to see everything. And then I felt anger... deep anger at how selfish this person's choice in ending his life became my own and everyone else's reality. The staff asked us not to leave our seats so that paramedics could have access to the stage. After 20 minutes of CPR, I knew he was gone. The three of us eventually left our seats to walk around the perimeter of the grounds, with the rest of the audience.... some zombie like, some rattled to the core in tears, some nonchalant, and some, like me feeling anger. And then it hit me... my own connection to suicide and my brother's attempt when we were 19. I won't go into the details here, but he survived. He shouldn't have. He did... but the heart-ache and stress our family was put through over the reason he did it... is what triggered my anger.
No one was allowed out for 2 hours. Obviously the show ended. We found Julie's friends (from The Basin) and headed back to their car where their dog was happily waiting for them, Zaya, a French bull dog. Zaya's owner, Ben worked his magic of tasteful but raunchy humor that definitely helped to take the edge off the night. Of course, Zaya caught the eye of a woman parked near us who became embarrassingly silly, telling her boyfriend/husband how much she wanted a dog exactly like Zaya, but would call it "Pickels" (insert here: remember pickels from the winery party we crashed? Interesting connection, I thought).... Well, if you clicked on the link above to "it happened", the media soon found out that the jumper was named Michael Edward Pickels. A man who was facing charges of assault with a firearm, domestic violence and false imprisonment, recently released from jail on a $150,000 bail.
Was this a random act of violence and stupidity with the off chance that a certain number of people were there to witness something so horrific? Perhaps. Questions swirling in my head... What's the meaning between all these connections?, "Pickels", the moon, Markéta's comment about it being a night she will forever remember, Chicago (at least for me), Lois' message to speak your mind and LIVE your life, and MY song to be the chosen one?
Still processing, but what this experience has opened for me, at every core of my being is: I choose "Lois". What about you?
Ok, so is it because I'm a woman, and I'm complicated? Jeez! Husband and son look fairly well-balanced, though don't think I didn't notice that "illegal" section on Liam. Oh no it didn't say that! (Thank you WWW for making look like I am either a genius or sociopath! Click to enlarge.)
Spanish illustrator Xavi
Garcia created his stunning ‘Handmade’ banknote illustration as a
reaction to soulless digital design. “This note pretends to remind the
viewer the amount of work, hours, patience and love that artisans put
into the handicrafts they produce and stress how valuable they are,
replacing currency for the amount of time spent working on it (3 months
were given for this project). Entirely drawn by hand, using different
printing techniques, it features security measures common in banknotes
such as watermarks, tactile elements, see-through images and invisible
UV ink.” On the front it says “Tempus Neminem Manet” meaning “Time waits
for no one” and on the back it reads “Tempus Fugit” meaning “Time
Flees.” As you stare at his work, it makes you wonder about the world it
may have come from… and i love the concept of time as currency. After
all ~ Time is Money, right? How nice would it be to be paid with one of
these 3 month notes? How would you spend it? See the details up close on
the next page…
Drypoint, screenprint and stamps on newsprint.
110x190 mm
