It's super hard to contain myself from sharing my works in progress but here it is ! This illustration is actually complete but the project as a whole is not. There are still 3 other illustrations in this series and then I must format with typography the poetry portion.
To read more about this project read my former w.i.p. post found here. This illustration will be the second in the series. I'm happy to revisit this style I discovered in college with the vector shapes that collage together to create forms. I especially love to paint water, and fluid motion, so I loved exploring this whimsical seascape. I also feel that the use of the masculine sharp edges to the shapes with the overall feminine fluidity of the composition is balanced. Often this balance of the masculine and feminine is one I seek to refine within myself. Purchase a print of this illustration here :)New twist on creationFor a while now I had this vision in my head that I deeply wanted to express. I wanted to display my flexibility while embodying another being, an altered state of being. This time, I wanted to utilize the medium of photography , body art, and digital painting as my medium. There were so many elements involved with creating this series that I knew I had to bring on a team to make it happen.
This series is meant to express a reformation of human form, consciousness, perception. All images feature: Photography & Hair sculpture by Sey Smith Makeup & Body paint by Ashley Spikes aka Gore Glitter Modeling, Concept design, Photo Manipulation & editing by Myself- Jordan Remar The Story behind Aerial Alchemy When Raven Summer reached out to me to illustrate her logo for her aerial company, Aerial Alchemy, I was thrilled ! Often I find myself working on projects with people who share similar interests with me because I tend to acquire clients from the community that I'm in ( this awesome health conscious, spiritually uplifting, healing group I'm so fortunate to surround myself with ) and I really enjoy connecting with them about their desires and purpose for growth to see how I can be of assistance. This project kind of took the cake for me, because I too am a dancer and aerialist . She was inspired by another recent project I had completed for Shane's (Govinda ) new project Liquid Seraphim , which features a ballerina- like dancer with wings melting into a water droplet . This logo is more illustrated than normal logos because of the importance placed on having a beautiful seraphim represented in his branding. I have developed a graphic sort of layered vector style that I was happy to utilize in the creation of this, which I feel went very well because of all the positive feedback I received when I shared it. Movement is MedicineSo when I asked her to tell me more about her business, her story really touched me . " I named my company Aerial Alchemy because Alchemy is a transformative process ,and for me ,aerial has transformed my life in so many ways and I've seen the magic it has done for others as well. I teach an after school program on the reservation here in Montana as a prevention program to get youth involved in fun "risky" activity like aerial so that they don't get involved in drug use. I myself have witnessed the devastation addiction can cause, not only with my loved ones but myself. I used to smoke cigarettes and I smoked since I was 13 years old, my dad used to give me packs of cigs with my lunch money, I smoked for years because my heart was hurting so bad. I still struggle with mental health issues, loneliness and depression... Aerial and movement is my therapy. Movement is medicine. " - Raven I really connected to what she said because I too have struggled with addiction in my life . Honestly, my story is pretty dark ( perhaps too dark to share) but I can say that art & movement has absolutely saved my life. There was a time where I was almost ready to give up and end my life, but I had some vivid dreams that showed me how beautiful life could be - real or imagined. I started to paint the content of my dreams and my depression melted away. As an adult, it is hard to avoid drugs and alcohol. These substances are all around me, even the most "conscious" groups struggle with addiction. "Transformational " festivals have emerged, and if I'm not careful, it's very easy to fall into the toxicity of the party that is always present at these events. However, dancing and performing has become a healthy outlet for me to co exist at these events and experience them in a beautiful way. I love to perform and I'm so happy that I've developed the talent to do it professionally as well. I feel that spending time developing a physical talent such as aerial dancing has been motivation for me to maintain a sober state of mind, not just for my health but for my safety in the air. The danger of dangling high in the air held up only by my own strength & balance is enough risk for me to satisfy the need to live on the edge. Movement as a Catalyst for Transformation So the Aerial part of her business name is obvious, but why the term "Alchemy?"
"Alchemy is the transformation of regular material into gold, it also is about enlightenment, transforming the mundane into the divine. Aerial for me has transformed my life and continues to... nothing feels as good as training Aerial does for me, it has always been a personal thing for me, its a spiritual movement. " -Raven I chose to represent the Alchemy in her name by adding a spiral behind the illustration of the aerial dancer in her logo. Simplicity is important in design, especially logos, because the image is meant to be memorable and used in many different ways such as advertisements, business cards, and signs . All of these ways of experiencing a logo happen somewhat rapidly- a person only views the image for a short time. I feel that the spiral implies a transformation, blending materials into the divine that is the aerial dancer. Just Completed : Soundcloud track cover for Govinda Music It was fun to once again create a cover for some deliciously juicy bass tracks to be released by Govinda! My favorite thing about creating the music is listening to the (usually unreleased) music that I'm creating an image for. I always feel like I'm getting the inside scoop, knowing how amazing all the music is before anyone else hears it.
This week he is preparing to travel to California to perform at first year festival Heart and Soulstice Gathering : Metamorphosis. He plans to release the new music behind this cover soon, so stay tuned ! I'll be sure to add the tracks to this post as soon as they are made public. For now, enjoy the sneak peak of the cover and the mysterious vibe he is cultivating . I'll give you a hint , the new music definitely includes magic and also hip hop touches, as well as the usual enchanting violin that we all know and love ! I'm not normally one to share works in progress on my website, but I am so excited about what I'm working on currently that I just had to !
I wrote a long poem a few years ago about being swallowed by the sea. The sea is a metaphor for human emotion & the inner sanctum of my consciousness and my experience of myself. The poem touches on how I chose to be there for myself during a hard emotional time in my life, this comforting aspect manifested as the african goddess Yemanja of the sea. So far, I've illustrated the beginning sketches of the first part of the poem which includes her. She is pictured here to the left of me, making the form on the right a representation of my vulnerable emotional body. I am excited to reveal this as a series of illustrations alongside calligraphic text I create of my poem . I will be sure to include more updates as they develop here. For now, here is a look into my studio and my first concepts. Sometimes the most exciting part for me is not the finished illustration, but the process I go through to make it to completion. Zen Selekta is an incredibly talented female producer who hired me to update her logo and create some graphics incorporating it for her SoundCloud ! I was so happy to create this text for her , inspired by Arabic calligraphy(quickly becoming an obsession of mine) & decorative touches !
She was such a joy to work with . I am so happy that this is the second female producer who has reached out to me to create a logo for her musical project . Female producers have been few and far between in the music industry and it is so nice to see a woman express herself and empowered through sound . Have a listen to some of her tunes! Click here to listen on SoundCloud After being on a bit of hiatus from photography, I have returned with this surreal and ethereal photoset featuring my friend Sey Smyth. I feel so freed by the chance to explore various compositions, colors, and textures with these photos. Enjoy.
I am super fortunate to have had the opportunity to create a logo & business card for my friend Amritaji from wisconsin ! She makes beautiful , transcendental music & is a conscious movement facilitator! I love to work with people who are cultivating a spiritual life . She is also a kundalini yoga instructor :)
to hear some of her music , please visit www.soundcloud.com/amritaji the inspiration for her logo is derived from a Sanskrit style , (utilizing dots as decorative touches ) while adding a modern touch to it ! I chose to reflect this modern touch by integrating a brush graffiti type style . This has inspired me to create calligraphic stylized Sanskrit ! More to come on this soon, but just know that my head and heart are exploding with the magic of typography! |