My Design - SAM I AM

I wanted my design to capture the imagination. As a child, I remember staring, fascinated, at the illustrations in my books and toys – images forever burned in my mind. The deepest memories are the angelic pastel illustrations in the Little Golden Books, the otherworldly creatures in Dr. Seuss, and the psychedelic designs of the round Springbok puzzles. These came to the surface when I looked at the AU dog form. In honor of these great illustrators, my design is called SAM I AM.

My design is a 70’s themed paisley. As a kid, I had a Springbok puzzle called “Love”, circa 1968, designed by Sandy Miller. I didn’t understand it at the time, but her use of line and form is what captivated me. My line work tends to be very detailed.

The final dog and cat forms will be installed outside during the summer so my plan is to use iridescent and/or interference paints to create some colorful refractions. I also plan on attaching colored gems and maybe even mirrors to catch the light. I did some recon at our local art supply store, Mona Lisa Art Supply. They did not carry any iridescent acrylics. Hmm. I wonder if this is going to be a problem?

Finally, I wanted my design to be playful and/or interactive. I decided to put little imaginary creatures into the paisleys to create a sort of “Where’s Waldo” experience. It is a design intended to engage the viewer, either up close or at a distance.

When I showed My Geek the design he said it looked like an animal you'd see on a carousel. I thought it looked like it was covered in tattoos. Hmm.