SAX

YO-its been a minute since i've posted but even this entry is kinda old news. I thought i had already posted it but, nope. Anyways here it is: It's a poster for a saxophone recital by Sean Cameron-at UC's CCM. It's sort of like a senior thesis or exit exam so it was kind of a big deal. He had 3 of his friends each make a poster for the event, each one was way different from the other but it was pretty cool to see them all, mine included, together. I happened to take some process photos as well, which is something i'm trying to do more and more when i print lately. Other than that, school is crazy but the 1st semester is almost over, i'll probably post work from this half over the break but i don't know, we'll see.

-Jon
Stacks Press

Obama and Clockwork

Final
2nd draft
1st draft
Yes even I did an Obama poster/flyer-it seems like every designer in the U.S(international too?) has done one. This is for a premature 'victory party' in NYC taking place on the night of the big day(nov. 4th). This flyer has taken a ridiculous amount of changes to get to where it is now but i think the outcome is better than it's previously been. Above are all changes and the one with Obama's protrait is the final.

Also-Clockwork told me to do a logo for him, so i did. Above are two versions-i forget which one he said he liked and they need color applied if nesseccary but these are basically the final products.

-Jon
Stacks Press

Clockwork has a Blog

My friend and hometown DJ, DJ clockwork (you could say he taught me a few things) has a blog!  This man's been playing gigs everywhere lately including allover the the cincinnati area, New York city and Paris.  He definitely knows how to rock a crowd and you should definitely check out his blog periodically as i'm sure he'll be updating many mixes and photos from his gigs.  

Clockwork's Time

New flyer(s) and Clockworks logo-posted within the super near future.

-Jon

Stacks Press

In Space!

Just finished up and am about to print this poster for the local band In Space and their headliner Zach Deputy. They'll be a small run of 50-18"x 24." Besides this, i'm pretty much living @ school, all the work i need to be doing for the senior year and my show has left me with basically no time for any other projects, forcing me to actually turn down work which SUCKS-especially when it comes with money; Also had to cut back my time @ work to like a day a week which SUCKS more. BUT all of this is good because i can really focus on my thesis work-so basically if my show ends up being some mediocre concoction of a few prints and nothing super impressive with all of this time i've allotted for myself, then i have serious issues -but that won't be the case. I thought about posting work from this year as i make it but i am not really sure how much of what im doing right now will be final pieces or even thoughts in the show. Maybe later in the year though...

-Jon
Stacks Press

Litho Night

Thought i'd post some photos of a recent lithography all-nighter @ school. Many people don't know what's involved in the the Litho process(aka the oldest printmaking process) so i thought i'd try to inform-or provide something cool to look at. Though these photos don't begin to explain all of it, because damn there's a lot, they really focus on the actual printing of the stone.

-Jon

Matches and Bastards

YO! I just finished up a new poster and also have one from earlier this week that i haven't posted yet.

The first is for The Matches and their show @ the Mad Hatter coming up soon. The poster is a super vague and literal design, and i'm ok with that, haha. Basically it just represents the number of members in each band playing that night, including Pluto Revolts @ the bottom-1 member. I really like the type and DAMN they look super bright when they're printed-the RGB really pop from the flat black.

Lastly is a poster i JUST finished designing for Heartless Bastards-one of the few(or any) Cincinnati bands who have made it into the national scene and gained much respect, great band. This poster is based upon their core influences-as stated by the band. I've wanted to do a yellow and black poster for sometime now-ever since i saw an older Andrew Lewis poster hanging in my mom's office years ago. Just in case you can't figure out-the influences inside the letters are Debbie Harry(of Blondie), Jon Bonham (of Led Zepplein), Ray Charles, Johnny Thunders(of New York Dolls), The Yardbirds and Otis Redding. Haven't printed yet but i'm about to this weekend.

Hit up the Powerhouse site because we just did and update on the site and there's a bunch of new posters in the shop, regardless just check out what we've all been up to. PHF

That's about it.

-Jon
Stacks Press

New process in progress. I'll post the final product later.

-Jon
Stacks Press

Poster On-the-Go

So here's the final of the Grace Potter and the Nocturnals poster. Designed through Powerhouse, 11x17 on white. As of now only one color is printed-printing the last color(black) at the concert tomorrow night in Indianapolis. Pretty cool concept-printing posters AT the show-give them out to the fans. Whoever came up with that one is a damn genius. It looks pretty crazy on the computer screen so i'm excited to see how it turns out on paper once the black it printed.

I'm working on designing my mixtape packaging and all that. I just got the CD sleeves and CDs the other day in the mail so it's definitely a 'go.' I gotta finish this before the end of the summer- i'll never do it once school starts back up-so i'll post that sometime before august 25th-i hope.

-Jon
Stacks Press

Skateable VS Non show poster

As mentioned in the 'In Progress' portion of yesterday's post, here is the finished poster for the Skateable Vs. Non show that went on last night at Feralmade gallery. It was an awesome time-Ryan and Ali really busted ass putting all that together - i was only able to get a crappy iphone photo but you get the idea- one half of the gallery was "skateable" and the other side was all installation wood work-pretty cool illustrations.

-Jon
Stacks Press

End of Class

So today i had my last crit in my Grad Printmaking class. Sparing details from the crit, just decided to post the prints i was working on throughout the course. They act as a triptych but i'm just posting them as 3 separate prints. I've just grown really tired of them after looking at them for so long but i don't know, maybe you dig them.

oh, PS...you know anyone can leave comments on any of these posts? -right down @ the bottom left, so do it if you have something to say or just wanna say 'hey.'

IN PROGRESS/COMING SOON:

"Able Projects presents: Skateable VS. Non" installation show poster
Working on it STILL-gonna print tomorrow and sell at the show (as well as DJ there too). Come see the show, the artists are OH SO dope and there's handbuilt skate installation on one side and the artists more 'NON-skateable' work on the other side. And fun times.

The 3RD Listening Party poster-different design from the flyer, gonna be posted up around Columbus and in Sole Classics and at the show on that night.

Grace Potter and the Nocturnals poster- designing it for PHF-taking it to be printed by us at the concert in Indianapolis. I have some good ideas for this one so hopefully i can execute them as well as they look in my head. Of course, isn't that always the struggle?

Outie 5000...

-Jon
Stacks Press

The 3RD

I've been so effing busy lately.

In between work and class(which ended today) i've also been fitting in side projects for myself/commishioned from other people. This is the most recent of those that is completed. It's the flyer for The 3RD's listening party for their new album, "1979." It'll be at Sole Classics in Columbus and i encourage anyone who's into real hip-hop music to go-they're good people too. I suppose this is a proper arena to talk about that album. I was given an advance copy of it a while back(as it is not yet released) and it's really great and i'm pretty excited to be doing the entire album's artwork-including designing the CD packaging AND-my favorite-a double LP jacket! For those of you who don't know what that is, it's the biggest, best format to design a record in, it's two records and two sleeves-one per record. It's a big canvas but i'm pretty ready to fill it...Just as soon as i get all the info for the album. Nonetheless-the album is great and it's even better to be a part of something i believe in, not just being assigned to a design for some shitty local rapper or whatever. They're good and they deserve respect.

Check out their MySpace to get a taste of what I'm talking about:
The 3RD

Shout out to Dion for being a dope, non-asshole manager of The 3RD.

-Jon
Stacks Press

SuperNew

I just finished designing and printing a run of these posters(18"x24") for a Medeski, Martin & Wood show @ the Madison coming up. It's definitely one of my favorite posters i've designed and it was the one of many that i originally designed to be the final poster, glad i chose this one though. The 'grey' layer that you see on your screen used for the inner organs and type is actually printed in silver vinyl ink and it looks fantastic. I happen to love this band and am pretty psyched i got to do the poster. - check them out

I'm currently working on a series of 3 art prints for my grad printmaking class @ the art academy, so i'll of course post those when they're completed.

Also working on business cards for SP and hopefully other cool things like that.

laterrrrrrrrrr.

-Jon
Stacks Press

(Some) New Stuff

Yo all...

It's been a minute since I've posted new stuff, or anything at all. Here's three new ones.

The first is a flyer for SKFO's Art of Partying (II) that was held @ BOMA(Bar of Modern Art) in Columbus last weekend. The affiliated DJ Clockwork opened, followed by the man Mick Boogie. I wasn't able to make it up there for it cause i had to DJ a party in town here but i hear it was pretty amazing.

Second is a flyer i did for a party and showroom event in NYC. I have officially decided that 'my font' is Rockwell and Rockwell Extra Bold--I might use it too much, maybe not, i can just say it's 'characteristic of my style.'

Third is a poster(18"x24") that I just finished designing for Powerhouse. It's for The Black Angels, a band I knew next to nothing about before i got assigned the poster. Now that i've checked them out i'm pretty into them, they're a real psychedelic, dark band-some say 'stoner/druggy' as well and i suppose that applies. All that matters is that they have some pretty good albums and i'm definitely gonna go check out their show at the Southgate House.

The Black Angels

I'm gonna go print that poster riiiiiight

NOW.

-Jon

Stacks Press

All of The Above

Tuesday, New York MC, J-Live released his new album, "Then What Happened" (which from what i can tell is a music download only album, unfortunately) and it got me reminiscing about discovering his now 6 year old album, "All of The Above." This album is one of those albums that i can really apply images and vivid memories to. Similar to that of Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek's "Reflection Eternal"(this spawns and entirely different thought/post-also much to speak on) I've kinda forgotten about it recently while on the neverending quest for new and undiscovered(to me) music but as I sit here now with it on loop i realize again how much I love it, how high quality it is, how important it is and the reason why i actually went out and bought it twice. Because of the great experiences I've had through this album and thoughts that followed it makes me think of what music is to a person and how a piece of music may be more than just a great composition. I think an album is truley important and holds a place in one's memory when it can be remembered as a conversation piece and as something that's shared through experience(s). Aside from my personal reasons for loving this record, anyone who is at all interested in Hip-Hop or music in general should take a listen to "All of The Above" or BUY IT-but i know you won't. It's fantastic, it's thought provoking, and stretches the entire length of an album's capacity-which is quite rare these days.

-Jon
Stacks Press

It's Been a Long Time...

...Shouldn't a' left you © Rakim

Been a while since i posted anything but HEY! i just finished a poster so now it's time to post. It's for a Nappy Roots (remember them?) show in Covington-designed and printed for Powerhouse Factories(check the link on the right side). Dig it.

I should post more about 'random shit.' -Maybe people wanna see more 'random shit.'

-Jon
Stacks Press

Add to the New!

Just finished the latest flyer. Tom(Juke!) and Floyd are throwing a party @ the Gypsy Hut with TIme Machine from LA. It's definitely gonna be a good time. Ill be printing these as posters for the event in then next few days-week.

-Jon
Stacks Press

New Poster

So i thought i was gonna chill on flyers and posters after this crazy SKFO week was over(the planning bit at least) but alas i finished a flyer today(above) for a 3-person photo show I'm in @ the end of April and am working on one-look for it on wednesday-for a party being thrown by Tom(Juke!) and Floyd in May. SKFO week is upon us officially starting tomorrow night with Talib Kweli @ Cue! Be there!

-Jon
Stacks Press

Ohhh Starbucks...

Many may know or not know that i have a pretty heavy aversion to Starbucks. Working in various independent coffee shops, i formed a strong respect for the people that do for self and refuse to capitalize on their product in a way that jeopardizes their image. I'm not gonna go into the reasons i think they're wrong, they're not Wal-Mart, i'm not gonna hate that hard but i do disagree with their business strategies that are somewhat sneaky and dishonest.

If you're a starbucks consumer you have most likely witnessed a recent change in identity of the cup that holds your latte, coffee, cappuccino, whatever. Being a dodger of Starbucks, of course the only way i know this is from reports and images seen online. I'd just like to say-Starbucks made a bad fucking choice. Since they opened their original shop in Seatle years and years ago that 'green and black' logo has been a 'household name'-a staple in the collective conciousness whether you like it or not. As you can see from the above image, they've drastically changed that image. On what was said in the Wall Street Journal report-the choice of brown is somewhat ridiculous because not only is it a difficult and cumbersome color for a logo that demands such attention-UPS was the only major company to pull it off and has since fully embraced the color. The color 'brown' is the subject of their entire ad campaign and tagline for god's sake. "What can brown do for you?" -Graphically the new logo is an abomination compared to the latter-the past logo was so graphic and bold and simple and iconic! and now what? they've thrown that all away! Only time will tell whether or not this will come as a benneficial shift for Starbucks. My theory is that with the return of the old CEO and shutting down of many shops(most of which have drive-thrus) -Starbucks is trying to return to a more lowkey, local coffee shop image. I think the logo is certainly evidence of this.

-Jon
Stacks Press

P.S. Support your local coffee shop and record shop!!!