When Drag’n SlayHer told me the theme was “Frosted Skates” my mind thought of punning off Frosted Flakes, but Celeste had done an excellent “Lucky Charms” poster not too long ago so it seemed a little too soon to do another. Frosty the Snowman seemed kinda clunky. Then I thought of the Hans Christian Anderson tale The Snow Queen – perfect, I thought – combined with sort of a Narnia White Witch image. I set about sketching, but it just wasn’t working. I couldn’t get the roller derby energy into an ice queen.

To make a long story short, after digging around the internet and thumbing through lots of books at the library, I came around to the X-Men character, Emma Frost. Now that is PERFECT. She is tough, icy, and well, her name is Frost so we end up with a pun after all.

The illustration came together nicely and I got to use some of my cool Alien Skin Photoshop filters to create icicles on the type.

Seems to me Emma Frost would make an excellent rollergirl. I’d get out of her way.

Inside spread, front and back of the five panel brochure developed for the YMCA of WNC. Part of the implementation of the new Y brand.

The YMCA is in process of rebranding across the nation. They have updated their “Y” logo and created a new colorful look.

Rebranding is a great time to remind your audience of who you are and what you stand for, and the Y is maximizing this truism. They are using this time to draw attention to their three areas of focus: Youth Development, Healthy Living, and Social Responsibility, reminding us of the depth of the Ys commitment to community.

Starting with the 2010 Annual Report, I have worked with our Y of Western North Carolina in implementing their new brand. I worked closely with their Financial Development Director to ensure that the materials for this year’s fundraising campaign brought the new brand to life.

Along with the updated graphics, we moved to a five panel brochure and included a pledge card for ease of response. Brochures sent to past donors included variable data on the pledge card, additionally adding to the ease of responding.

We also revamped the newsletter, implementing brand while creating a new oversized piece to allow for more stories and larger photos. I’m proud to say that our newsletter design was presented as an example to other Ys across the country of good implementation of brand! Click here to view a pdf of the Winter/Spring 2011 issue.

Other support materials included t-shirts, banners, ads and posters (shown below).

For information on the Y of WNC visit www.ymcawnc.org

Click image to view pdf.

Click image to view pdf.

As we near the YWCA Stand Against Racism day on April 29, 2011 it seems appropriate to post some images from the poster project I worked on in celebration of 100 years of the YWCA in Asheville.

As part of their centennial celebration, the YWCA in Asheville gathered information and images to make a series of posters commemorating the important work they have done and continue to do in our community to eliminate racism and empower women.

In total eleven posters were made.
The areas of focus were:

• E.Thelma Caldwell & the YWCA Boosters
• The Central YWCA in Asheville, Where it All Began
• Nurturing Children
• Eliminating Racism in Asheville
• Eliminating Racism at the YWCA
• Health & Wellness
• General History of the YWCA
• History of the Phyllis Wheatley Branch
• History of the South French Broad Avenue Location
• Guiding Teens
• Empowering Women

The two posters on Eliminating Racism are shown above as examples. I encourage you to click on the images for larger pdf views so you can read the copy (please note, poster copy and images are copyright to the YWCA). For more information on the YWCA in Asheville, please visit their site at http://ywcaofasheville.org/

Thank you for taking a Stand Against Racism.

Yeah, I love creating posters for the Blue Ridge Rollergirls (BRRG)!

This time, a double header with the theme “Sibling Rivalry.”

When Drag’n SlayHer told me the theme I immediately pictured two young girls being, well, as sisters can be, bratty. Perfect for my children’s book illustration style.

So, some time at the drawing table, some coloring on the computer, some fun with type and a poster came to life. Well, actually two – one tabloid size and one letter size (shown).

Want to know more about BRRG? Visit them online at www.blueridgerollergirls.com and come out to the bout on April 24th. I recommend picking up your tickets early, saves you some $ and time in line, giving more time for cheering.

And for you fans out there, who do you think was the inspiration for the young BRRG?

Mark your calendar for the 2010 season. Home bouts are:

• March 13
• April 24
• June 5
• July 31
• September 18
• November 6

Trust us, one of the most fun things you can do in Asheville for under $20 is attend a bout. We hope to see you there.

For more info on the BRRG visit their site: www.blueridgerollergirls.com