Smitten and Spun - Blog » design https://smittenandspun.com/blog Design, art, jewelry, photography, architecture, musings Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:37:21 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Paying you a compliment[ary color] https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/10/25/paying-you-a-complimentary-color/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/10/25/paying-you-a-complimentary-color/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:39:01 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=1133 20111025-083845.jpg

I realized this morning as I was shooting this photo that within the past three photos I’ve touched on three basic principles of design: one point perspective, rule of thirds, and complimentary colors. It’s funny how the basics often times catch our eyes more than the complex details and nuances of life. We’re drawn to the familiar. It comforts us when we’re surrounded by chaos. I like that.

]]> https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/10/25/paying-you-a-complimentary-color/feed/ 0 Beauty Begets Beauty https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/05/03/beauty-begets-beauty/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/05/03/beauty-begets-beauty/#comments Tue, 03 May 2011 15:48:35 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=681 So here they are. Side by side. The original painting and the tattoo at long last. Thank you Blaine Fontana and Jason Drager for making this vision I’ve had stuck in my brain a masterfully rendered painting both on panel and on my arm. Couldn’t be happier with the effort you both put into these pieces. I’m truly grateful. Thank you.

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Prior links: Society 6 and a previous post.

]]> https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/05/03/beauty-begets-beauty/feed/ 0 Walk. Don’t Run. AKA Sunday, Bloody Sunday https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/05/01/walk-dont-run/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/05/01/walk-dont-run/#comments Sun, 01 May 2011 15:33:18 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=676 Today, as I sip my coffee over breakfast with Spun, listening to Side 2 of The Ventures play Telstar The Lonely Bull I move cautiously. I walk and won’t run. I’m T-4 hours from getting inked with some sort of rendition of ourBlaine Fontana painting by Jason Drager at Cicada Tattoo. We’ve tried a few ideas and all have been a bit too detailed thus resulting in colors bleeding together over time … like this one I worked up, inspired by photos of the underpainting and final piece hanging in our home.

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I’m looking forward to seeing what he comes up with. He definitely knows what will age well and what just doesn’t translate well from pixels to ink. Undoubtedly there will be a photo later.

]]> https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/05/01/walk-dont-run/feed/ 0 WTF iStock? — Part 1 — Happy Family https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/03/30/wtf-istock-part-1-happy-family/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/03/30/wtf-istock-part-1-happy-family/#comments Thu, 31 Mar 2011 01:37:53 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=578 As a web designer I often times spend a better part of my day up to my ears in mediocre photos as well as some real gems in iStockPhoto. However, today culminated in something amazing. We’re doing a booth for an upcoming trade conference and I was looking for good images of families. I found some great ones. They really captured the moment; fathers in love with their boys, wives thrilled with how their kids were growing up. Sentimental goodness that you’d likely see on a bus driving by you or on a banner ad for some new restaurant or vacation hot spot.

Shortly thereafter, s*** went off the rails. In an otherwise normal search for “happy family” I came across some massive lumps of coal that only through the massive pressure of the omnipresent eyes of the web are now available as diamonds for you to enjoy. This also begins my first pass in an [what I hope will be] ongoing series of massive blunders, photographic horrors and a larger stockpocalypse. Mind you, I only made it through about 1600 photos. There are still another 70k+ to dive into and enjoy … JUST in this set.

Without further adieu … I give you WTF iStock? — Happy Family. If you have other classics that match up with the theme, please bring these to the light of the world for others to revel in and perhaps even draw a single tear from laughter or sorrow for tainting the web just a little bit.


“Young Family”



“Portrait of a happy family standing together” These guys are neither happy … nor a family. They are however a capital-T-trainwreck though



“Active Mother and Daughter” On a side note, I think this probably was moderately well thought out but unfortunately POORLY implemented



“Child in Spring”



“Happy Man and Pregnant Woman” A.K.A. The CREEPER



“Father Holding Baby Daughter, Giving Her a Kiss” *Note that in all of the photos in this series, his hair is in this EXACT ‘windblown’ state



“Pregnant Woman with Her Husband: Sitting” WHY??


And my personal fave definitely for the day, if not for 2011 thus far goes to


“Teeth Brushing” A.K.A Mixed Oral Hygiene Messages. The guy is flossing … but I think everyone knows he’s just saying how he really feels about taking care of his gums.

]]> https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2011/03/30/wtf-istock-part-1-happy-family/feed/ 0 Juxtaposed — Interior Elipse v Exterior Eclipse https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/13/juxtaposed-%e2%80%94-interior-elipse-v-exterior-eclipse/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/13/juxtaposed-%e2%80%94-interior-elipse-v-exterior-eclipse/#comments Thu, 13 May 2010 16:21:05 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=156

]]> https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/13/juxtaposed-%e2%80%94-interior-elipse-v-exterior-eclipse/feed/ 0 Juxtaposed — Good design for your glass as well as … https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/12/juxtaposed-%e2%80%94-good-design-for-your-glass-as-well-as/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/12/juxtaposed-%e2%80%94-good-design-for-your-glass-as-well-as/#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 17:45:21 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=153

]]> https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/12/juxtaposed-%e2%80%94-good-design-for-your-glass-as-well-as/feed/ 0 Harnessing the sun https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/03/harnessing-the-sun/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/03/harnessing-the-sun/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 16:11:01 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=133

In a quick effort to harness the sun I whipped up two of the three screens that we’ll be using to silk screen the guy’s prize for the pants party.  What are the other ones?  You’ll just have to wait and see.

]]> https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/05/03/harnessing-the-sun/feed/ 0 Good design begets beautiful moments https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/04/22/good-design-begets-beautiful-moments/ https://smittenandspun.com/blog/2010/04/22/good-design-begets-beautiful-moments/#comments Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:11:34 +0000 smitten http://smittenandspun.com/blog/?p=111

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