There’s something exciting about working inside a big, industrial manufacturing facility like Metals Fab. Huge I-beams moving about, lots of welding masks with sparks flying nearby, the sounds of steel being punched and bent, cranes moving overhead, and radios blaring everywhere—each tuned to a different station—while the smell of spent welding rods hangs in the air. You’ve gotta love the rich patina, textures, and sheer scale of this place. A visual delight everywhere you turn.

Teaming up with the production house ILF Media, we recently completed shooting for Metals Fab’s upcoming 50th anniversary video. Founded in 1966, the company has grown from one man working in his garage to 145 talented employees operating inside 122,000 square feet of production space on 23 acres. That’s some serious growth, man.

posted by: CK Anderson  |  category: on location the design life  |  make a comment

What do you do for a living? It’s a pretty simple question—unless you work in the creative field. Trust me, even our closest friends and family members furrow their brows when we try to explain it. For his final contribution to our week-long celebration (we hit 1,000 blog posts on Monday, in case you’re late to the party), cartoonist David Rowles takes that idea a step further. Too far? Nah.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: the design life  |  make a comment

Cartoonist David Rowles has provided us with five original works to help celebrate our 1,000th blog post this week. Today’s cartoon touches on the sometimes-delicate relationship between designer and client.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: the design life  |  comments(1)

I’d like to thank my parents, who believed in me before I had the courage to believe in myself. And, of course, to our readers, whose support has never waned—even when Shirlee “contributed.” Finally, I’d like to thank our guest blogger, professional cartoonist David Rowles, who has kindly agreed to mark this momentous occasion by making fun of our profession for the rest of the week.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: the design life  |  make a comment

Each week we begin our grind with a staff meeting. I know, you’re probably thinking, “Boooooringggg.” But in all reality, it’s a great time. Starting the week off strong with some bonding time and laughter seems to get everyone in the right mindset to transition from weekend to weekday without an abrupt jolt (aside from that damn alarm clock). On Monday of this week, Morgan and I doodled all over our project lists and effectively killed two birds with one stone: Monday Meeting and #inktober. Attached are this week’s meeting drawings as well as one of our favorites from the past few weeks – enjoy!

posted by: Courtney Sowards  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

THE BEAUTIFUL CHANGES
Richard Wilbur

One wading a Fall meadow finds on all sides
The Queen Anne’s Lace lying like lilies
On water; it glides
So from the walker, it turns
Dry grass to a lake, as the slightest shade of you
Valleys my mind in fabulous blue Lucernes.

The beautiful changes as a forest is changed
By a chameleon’s tuning his skin to it;
As a mantis, arranged
On a green leaf, grows
Into it, makes the leaf leafier, and proves
Any greenness is deeper than anyone knows.

Your hands hold roses always in a way that says
They are not only yours; the beautiful changes
In such kind ways,
Wishing ever to sunder
Things and things’ selves for a second finding, to lose
For a moment all that it touches back to wonder.

(1947)

NOTE: This, folks, is our 996th blog post. Which means that number 1,000 is right around the corner. I’d pay attention if I were you.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

I’ve found my newest time-wasting obsession: Factoclock. “You learn something new every minute.”

Here’s a few of the things I learned at the moments that I learned them:

16:07 – James Joyce’s Ulysses chronicles the passage of Leopold Bloom through Dublin during an ordinary day, 16 June 1904. The 16th of June is now known as Bloomsday.

16:08 – J.K. Rowling makes about $8 every second.

16:12 – Twelve cows are called a flink.

16:15 – The word ‘uncopyrightable’ is the is the only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating any letter.

16:23 – Sir Isaac Newton was 23 when he discovered the law of gravity.

And the minutes that I didn’t make note of? A solid 50% of those facts were about English poets. In the half an hour that I checked it, no science or tech facts. Mostly history and pulp trivia. So, is this a useful waste of time? Not sure.

16:25 – The earliest recorded use of the word Australia in English was in 1625.

I’ve made a discovery! I was really confused why the clock was giving me so many historical facts from the 1600s, and then I realized that the time relates to the fact. Looking back on my list, I’m a little embarrassed that I didn’t notice this earlier. If you, the reader, put it together before I did and can prove it, I’ll buy you a catfish sandwich.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment

I’m just going to say it: There isn’t a guitar player alive who can touch Guthrie Govan. (And to be honest, I’m starting to wonder whether any of the dead ones can, either.)

Others have noticed, too.

Premier Guitar: “It’s hard not to bedazzled…as guitar god Guthrie Govan unleashes multi-octave, tapped arpeggios at warp speed atop head-spinning, ultra-precise, odd-meter grooves.”

Guitar World: “No mere notes-per-nanosecond noodler, Govan has musical tastes and a command of music history far more eclectic and adventurous than those of the average shred demon.”

All Out Guitar: “Combining an unparalleled technical ability with a mastery of almost all styles…he may just be the most complete guitarist out there.”

Now that I’ve properly prepared you, here’s Govan on “The Kentucky Meat Shower,” from The Aristocrats’ latest album, Tres Caballeros (featuring Bryan Beller on bass and Marco Minnemann on drums):

The Kentucky Meat Shower

Now that I have your attention, spend a little time here for even more awesomeness.

posted by: Aaron Bragg  |  category: random thoughts  |  make a comment