leanna designs

Dance the Magic Dance

2011-07-22T13:06:00.001-07:00

Well my plans for the day were put on hold because Zazzle.com was having a 4 hour sale on skateboard decks - 50% off!... I couldn't pass that up, so I started looking through my files for some inspiration. I came across this drawing that Jordan did a while back of an old Hispanic woman getting her groove on (which fit great on the board shape). I took another random sketch he had done and repeated it for a background texture. I wanted to keep a similar look and feel as the first skateboard deck I designed for Jordan's Christmas present a few years back.

Horsefly Brewing Co. Beer Logos

2011-07-13T09:55:00.000-07:00

My husband and I had a great time working with Horsefly Brewery on designing custom logos for their popular beer selection. We wanted the logos to reflect the brewery's eclectic, rustic charm while capturing the distinct features of the individual beers. We also wanted to create a consistent element that would tie them all together...(the horsefly). The designs include hand drawn illustrations and lettering. Shirts are for sale at the brewery, 846 East Main Street, Montrose, CO 81401.

Tough Horse

2011-05-02T17:46:00.000-07:00

There is a new kind of sawhorse in town...The Tough Horse. The sawhorses have lightweight metal triangular legs that have a patented hinge mechanism that enables them to twist to lay flat or remain level on uneven ground. This ability allows for easy storage and transportation. I had the privilege of working with Revolution Holding Co. (the inventors of the Tough Horse) to design a logo for their awesome sawhorses. I knew right away I wanted to capture the twisting leg feature that makes the Tough Horse so unique, as well as keeping it super clean, simple, and 'tough'. After taking several pictures of the sawhorse, I found just the right angle and went from there.

Tuesday Laughs

2011-03-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

The Winos Best Label: Kahil Winery!

2011-03-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

Kinda old news, but it's never too late to brag right! haha Colorado Wino chose Kahil's label as Numero Uno!

Thanks Denver Magazine!

2011-02-22T18:38:00.000-08:00

Last week Jacob Harkins of Denver Magazine wrote an article on Tyrel Lawson of Kahil Winery and he threw in some good words about the label! Read the article here.

Merry Christmas from Jordan's Nose

2010-12-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! Stop motion animation starring Jordan Johnson, created by Leanna Johnson.

Adhere to Me Sketch #4

2010-11-29T20:36:00.000-08:00

In all of my sketches I have been trying to incorporate a dictionary page that includes a word that relates to the particular sketch. The dictionary I picked up for $1 only has 194 pages with big type, so my vocabulary is pretty limited... we'll see how long I can keep it up.

Adhere to me sketch #3

2010-11-15T20:29:00.001-08:00

There is always that bit of anxiety in the back of my mind every time my tongue touches the popsicle for the first time...

Sketchbook Project: Sketch #2

2010-11-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

Sketch numero dos of the 'Adhere to Me' series.

First Sketch Done!

2010-10-13T20:29:00.000-07:00

Just completed my first sketch for the 2011 Sketchbook Project. It is always hard to start a new sketchbook... kinda intimidating, all those blank pages just waiting to be filled up...

My theme is 'Adhere to Me' so what popped into my mind...a bee covered in pollen. I used pen, colored pencil and cut out shapes from a dictionary page for the stem, wings and eye. I would save a lot of plastic bags if I could adhere my lunch to my legs to go to work everyday! Check back to see what page #2 will be.

Wine Label Design

2010-09-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

My husband Jordan and I worked with Tyrel Lawson, the wine maker for Two Rivers Winery and Kahil Winery, to design the label for his 2009 Malbec wine. Tyrel loves the outdoors and fishing so he wanted to incorporate a Cahill fly into the design. I took Jordan's illustration of the fly and brought it all together, working with an earthy color palette, a cracked texture to give it a weathered look, and a little trout emblem. The label was printed on a textured linen with the fly, trout, and name embossed. Tyrel's Malbec won two gold medals in the Colorado Mountain Wine Festival in Palisade, CO. and was featured on KKCO 11 News on NBC. Kelly Asmuth reported on September 17th, 2010:

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - A new local wine is emitting a bouquet of success, after winning a double–gold medal at the Colorado Mountain Winefest in Palisade.

Two Rivers Winery in Grand Junction has mastered the art of cultivating vino. Chief Winemaker Tyrel Lawson worked his way up from the vineyards, and now, he's pressing out his own label, Kahil.

"I'm making it different because I'm doing different varietals. I'm doing a Malbec, which Two Rivers is not. There are only a couple other wineries in the Valley actually doing that," says Lawson.

But Lawson didn't have to venture far to create his label. A law passed two years ago in Colorado allows wineries to share their facility with other labels, under a contract.

"I can use the same tanks that I use at Two Rivers to make their wines to make mine," says Lawson.

"This is the way a lot of people do get their starts in wineries in California, and our motivation is to create an employee benefit," says Two Rivers Winery Owner Bob Witham.

It’s a benefit that's also shared by Two Rivers, which is pleased to keep their double–gold awarded mixologist for as long as possible. It's the only winery in the state, so far, to take up on the collaboration, which vastly supports budding vintners.

"The only profit that they're making is the overhead, which probably, in the end, is a profit that's going towards helping with the electricity and the water that I'm using," says Lawson.

While Lawson uses nights and weekends to mix his own masterpiece varietals, he hopes that one day the barrels will belong to him.

"That is the plan. With this start, having been able to put away money and slowly overtime build it up, I hope to eventually own my own (wine vineyard)," says Lawson.

"It's all part of the emerging industry in Colorado," says Witham. An industry aiming to captivate connoisseurs across the country, one bottle at a time.

The Sketchbook Project

2010-09-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

Get a sketchbook mailed to you, submit it when you're done, and track is as it goes on tour all over the country! Check it out: The Sketchbook Project

Smile! You're on Google Maps

2010-05-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

As I was strolling down the virtual streets of Denver Google Maps on a blustery Saturday afternoon, I stumbled upon two odd fellows...The first appeared to be demonstrating Neo-Nazism across 18th st. The second, well, he looked as if he had just been dropped off the hillbilly-mobile into the heart of the city. I especially like the fact that everyone's faces are blurred out, except for our little furry friend... they blurred out his hand instead.

Hi Ho Denver!

2010-05-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

The 2010 HOW Design Conference is fast approaching... and I can hardly wait! AIGA contacted it's Denver members and asked for design submissions for a post card collection that will be given out to people at the conference. The post card is supposed to demonstrate Denver's pioneering spirit... so this is what my brain spit out.

Living in Old Advertising

2010-03-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

Now that so much of advertising is digital these days, what are we to do with those old billboards? Front Architects thinks we should live in them! Why not?! Waste not, want not.

I Say Ferver

2010-03-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

For anyone who hasn't seen this music video for Ramona Falls, 'I Say Ferver,' you need to... Great! This is just one piece in Stefan Nadelmans awesome collection of work. Here are some of my other faves:

New Employee

2010-02-20T14:00:00.000-08:00

Meet Diesel, my new secretary. He does an awesome job at staying on top of my emails. I think he actually prefers the inbox over the litter box.

Watch and Smile!

2009-11-11T09:40:00.000-08:00

Book Shelf

2009-10-26T13:40:00.001-07:00

With my ability to come up with some crazy project ideas and my Husband's power tools, we were able to construct a new kind of book shelf... a shelf made out of books.

Leanna's Vienna

2009-10-23T12:31:00.001-07:00

Not the sausage... my new bike! It was meant to be... my new Globe Vienna II is the bike I have only dreamed of until now! Being a graphic designer, I can't ignore the fact that a large majority of American bicycles are covered in bright, obnoxious, colors and logos. I recently returned from my honeymoon in Europe, where we spent a fourth of our time in Amsterdam - a place where three-story parking garages are filled with bikes instead of cars, and women riding down the street in their heels look like they are straight out of a vintage bicycle poster. Pretty much every bike we saw there was simple and beautiful. However, most were single speed coaster breaks, which make any little hill a challenge. Globe's "unique ability to become an extension of people's lifestyles and personal tastes rather than simply a piece of sporting equipment" is what I have been waiting for. They have the simple stylish European look, but have the practicality of hand breaks and gears. And the best part... you can slip your own graphic in the head badge!! What more could a graphic designer ask for?!

Animation by Blu and David Ellis

2009-09-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

COMBO a collaborative animation by Blu and David Ellis (2 times loop) from blu on Vimeo.

SUPOP

2009-07-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

Holy Molley It's been awhile since I've blogged! Summer is here and my blogging priorities have become inferior to my playing outside priorities.

Every Thursday night the streets of Montrose, CO become alive with people, music, food, and vendors. For the last two weeks, I have set up a booth at Main in Motion to sell my new line of jewelry - SUPOP - (Pronounced Soo-pop). For those who are wondering what the name means, it is a combination of my middle name, Sue, and Pop, from Pop Art. "Pop art challenged tradition by asserting that an artist's use of the mass-produced visual commodities of popular culture is contiguous with the perspective of fine art. Pop removes the material from its context and isolates the object, or combines it with other objects, for contemplation. The concept of pop art refers not as much to the art itself as to the attitudes that led to it." SUPOP has adopted the "Challenge Tradition" attitude by taking everyday objects such as matches, erasers, playing cards, fake fingernails, puzzles, bread clips, bicycle chains, etc. and transforming them into wearable art.

Bart Hess & Lucy Mcrae

2009-04-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

The way Bart Hess and Lucy Mcrae transform the human body with the use of everyday objects fascinates me.

And the Waste Your Time Award goes to...

2009-04-02T16:26:00.000-07:00

http://unlimited.orange.co.uk/flash/go

If you are looking for some simple, never-ending entertainment check out Oranges' site.

Renegades ReUnite

2009-04-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

It's back. The Renegade Art Showe. May 8th. Same warehouse.

More info: www.myspace.com/renegadeartshowe

New Litter

2009-02-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

Happy A.M.

2009-02-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

Two separate incidences, neither set up, and both made me smile as I was making coffee.

"Coffee Mate"

New Species Discovered

2009-02-08T20:53:00.000-08:00

Meet Eskipube Dante. He is a Litter.

What is a Litter?
In contrary to popular belief, a Litter is not an object strewn or scattered about. Nor is it a number of young brought forth by a multiparous animal at one birth. In fact, Litters do not like the fact that trash and a group of baby animals stole their name. Litters are little creatures that are conceived from peoples' thoughts that are constantly littering our society. Every time someone thinks that they just don't fit in, or that they look funny because they don't resemble the people on TV, a Litter is born. If you happen to stumble upon one of these creatures, love it. The more you love your Litter, the more we will love ourselves.

More Litters are being born every day, so check back for new faces.

My Web Site Makeover

2009-02-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

My online portfolio was in need of a makeover. Its new look is much more clean and user friendly. I especially like how I was able to incorporate the menu buttons into the logo. (You can organize the folders on your desktop in a similar way with the desktop image download in the "loot" section). I will be continuing to add pieces to it, so check back often!

leannadesigns.com

Bike Shop Idiocincracies

2009-01-31T16:37:00.000-08:00

While waiting at my parent's bike shop, I whipped out my camera and decided to capture the little things that give the bike shop so much character... A rubber band ball that has been with the bike shop ever since I was little. A vintage water fountain that was left in the building from the previous owners. The contrast of the beautiful cursive lettering against the old stone wall. The simplicity of the old bicycle license plates lined up in a row. The dirt that has accumulated over the years on the white Victorian style curtain that creates a doorway into the back room. An organized line of brushes waiting to be used.

Put Your Designs on Fabric!

2009-01-30T21:18:00.000-08:00

Hey all you designers!..upload your designs to Spoonflower and get them printed on fabric! This is one of those things that I wish I would have thought of first! :)

Tracy Chapman's Site Rocks!

2009-01-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

Simple, interactive, brilliant, and still easy to navigate! Check it out!
http://www.tracychapman.com/

The STUFF MONSTER has been CAGED!

2009-01-19T18:27:00.000-08:00

I finally got my home studio set up!! Complete with adequate storage for the piles, bags, and boxes of art supplies, that previously invaded every room of my apartment. With every artist comes lots of STUFF... you know, that STUFF monster that keeps growing and growing because you just can't manage to through away that old door knob or piece of cardboard that might just come in handy for that art project that you are going to start tomorrow but then tomorrow turns into next week, next week turns into next month, and before you know it the STUFF monster has doubled in size! OK, so a little off track there, but it sure is nice to have a studio designated for the STUFF monster.

Beareo Skateboard

2009-01-18T15:06:00.000-08:00

Now that Christmas is over, and there are no more secrets to be kept, I can do this post with out my boyfriend finding out what his Christmas present was. I took one of his sketchbooks and chose one of his thousands of awesome drawings to put on his very own custom skate deck. He used to skate a lot growing up, and the first time we met he was on his skate board, so I figured it would be a pretty sweat gift...and guessing by the expression on his face when he opened it, he liked it. I used his drawing entitled "Beareo" (bear + stereo) as the basis of my design and went at it. When I was finished, I sent the design to Zazzle to be printed...they did a great job!

2008-12-08T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce that Cascade Bicycles has entered into cyberspace!

www.cascadebicyclesllc.com

Design Police

2008-12-04T15:34:00.000-08:00

I spent half the afternoon with this sticker on my head, hoping all my creative ideas would instantly turn brilliant! However, I took it off because every time my mind started to drift into the land of creativity, it was suddenly pulled back to paranoid thoughts of sticker toxins seeping into my pours...

WATCH YOUR EVIL DOCUMENT MEET ITS DEMISE!

2008-12-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Everyone has one of those documents you just want to see obliterated...
http://www.the-unloader.com

Street Art

2008-11-24T19:02:00.000-08:00

Always love a new point of view...

Use Whatcha Got

2008-11-20T18:56:00.000-08:00

One lovely afternoon I was struck with a huge desire to collage. Usually when this happens, I start to plan... I go to the craft store, second hand store, hardware store, etc. to gather materials to collage. By the time I finally get everything together I have exhausted any creativity and am left overwhelmed trying to come up with a themed composition...and then something comes up, everything gets put on hold and shoved in my closet. (And I wonder why I have stringless ukuleles, stacks of newspaper clippings, and a large assortment of other strange, unnecessary nick-knacks.)

This time was different. I just DID IT! No planning, no shopping. Just grabbed my glue, paintbrush, an old newspaper and some scraps of colored paper. I found some left over 2x4 scraps as the base for my composition. I flipped through the paper and just started taring out pieces of images and text that I thought had interesting lines, shapes, colors, visual texture, etc. As soon as I found something I liked, I immediately glued it down so I couldn't change my mind later on.

About an hour and a half, I had completed two 2'boards and one 8" board. I was pleased with the result considering what I had to work with. One of the things that turned out to work really well was the patterns I drew into the glue before it dried. It adds a nice texture that changes with the light. Even though I didn't plan a theme, the pieces work together because of the limited materials. Don't over plan, limit materials, and act on the desire to create... seems to work every time.

Robb River Rally

2008-11-07T13:41:00.001-08:00

The first annual Robb River Rally was held September 13th 2008. It was an event sponsored by Chevron and the Riverfront Commission to bring members of the community together to enjoy the beautiful Riverfront trails.

The concept behind the event was to honor James Robb, original co-chairman of the Riverfront Commission and Foundation, and his vision of restoring the Colorado River corridor. Today there are numerous beautiful trails and parks along the river throughout the Grand Valley.

Once registered for the event, people could ride their bikes, walk, roller blade, or run along the Riverfront and conclude the day with music and a free BBQ. All participants received a one day park pass and a T-shirt with the logo I designed on it.

Promo Poster

2008-11-07T13:05:00.000-08:00

The college center (where the campus design studio is located) is getting bulldozed next month and we are moving our office into the conference room in the Fine Arts building. I put together a poster to inform people of our temporary location.

wee wee wee

2008-11-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Possibly the start of a series...

The MSC HERD

2008-10-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Beau Vine, Dee Vine, Houston Saunders III, Walter T. Bohne, and Holly Kau: these are the new faces on Mesa State College's website helping steer students in the right direction. Sawami, my fellow animator, and I were hired by the college through the Campus Design Studio to create a new series of animations as part of MAVzone (a part of Mesa State's website). The project began with character development and laying out a content schedule for the next six months. We have been cranking out a new "Beau Tube" episode every week for the last three months. We are working with a production team of about 10 people including people from the Mass Communications department, Theater department, and the Vice President's office. The only way to view the episodes is to log on to MAVzone as of now. Hopefully they will be available for everyone to view in the near future.

Don't Forget

2008-08-27T19:44:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have to apologize for my absence from the blog-o-sphere. I recently took a trip to Alaska and am now pushing my way through piles of projects at work and starting my last semester at college.

Last weekend I came across some sidewalk chalk. I could only handle about 15 minutes of outdoor creativity however. Between the afternoon august sun and the necessary contortions of drawing on the ground, it was quite exhausting... but fun.
Don't forget to be a kid!

Press Release

2008-07-16T10:11:00.001-07:00

Down to Business

2008-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

S.W.A.T. teams from Mesa County Sheriff's Office and Grand Junction Police Department recently purchased a new Tactical Rescue Vehicle. They wanted a logo that represented combined forces, strength, and protection. The end result was applied to the side doors of the 8 ton machine. This thing is massive! It has a port hole on the roof, gun ports on the sides, and about 3" thick glass. So if you see this thing driving your way, you should probably run the other direction... but make sure to get a look at my logo first!

OOOH AHHH

2008-07-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

The New Element in Fashion

2008-06-27T10:42:00.001-07:00

About a year ago I began making earrings and bracelets out of bicycle parts such as nipples (the little things on the end of the spokes), presta washers, chain links, etc. I developed an identity for the jewelry called B2U, "from the bike to you." Playing off the table of elements, B2U became the "new element in fashion." I am now selling the jewelry at Cascade Bicycles in Montrose Colorado. You can visit Cascade Bicycles or contact me at leannaardizone@gmail.com if you are interested. They are the perfect accessory for cyclists or anyone who loves handmade jewelry made from found objects.

Pink Questions

2008-06-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Head Spinning Architecture

2008-06-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Dubai, and its "anything is possible" attitude has not only created an indoor ski resort, an underwater hotel, and a residential island in the shape of a palm fraun, but is now working on a rotating skyscraper!

Tree of Life

2008-06-24T20:20:00.000-07:00

Genius Marketing

2008-06-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

I don't smoke. However, I bought a pack of cigarettes the other day. Why? Well earlier that day my friend/co-worker came over to my desk and pulled out her wallet. Inside, with all of her credit cards, was a small, flat, metal bottle opener with a sweet vintage design on it. My eyes lit up... Ingenious! On my way home from work, I popped into the quick mart to see if I could get my hands on one of these bottle openers. Sure enough, on the back of every pack of Marlboro cigarettes was a bottle opener in various designs. The next day I passed the cool promotion to one of my friends (also a non-smoker) and within a few hours, she had her very own. I may be a sucker, but If this isn't a great marketing/promotional strategy, I don't know what is.

Folk Love

2008-06-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

My boyfriend and I collaborated on a painting for a friend's wedding gift. The story of how they met was storybook and needed to be preserved in a painting... She was home one weekend from college and filled in for the fiddle player of a local folk band. He played the banjo in that band. They spent all night getting to know each other and the next day she missed her plane back to the east coast, giving them more time together. He moved to the east coast to be closer to her... the rest is history.

Over lunch

2008-06-16T13:36:00.001-07:00

I love using my sketches as inspiration for a design. The contrast between the geometric shapes and the sketchy, organic lines seem to complement each other nicely.

Pssst...check out Psapp

2008-06-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Scrape, ding, whoosh, ping, squeak...just some of the intriguing sounds embedded in Psapp's unique clunktronica melodies. Their animated music videos are just as fascinating...

Renegade 2008

2008-05-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

"UNSURPASSED IN THIS TOWN!"

"YOU GUYS BLEW THE LID OFF THE ART SCENE IN GRAND JUNCTION!"

"YOU'VE STARTED SOMETHING."

... a few remarks about Renegade, the Art Showe... which after several months of organizing, promoting, press releases, blood, sweat, tears, laughs, grease, trash bags, live hip-hop, poetry readings, living art, clay and spray paint, a keg, amazing art, and lots of support from local artists, family and friends, Renegade was a huge success.

It all started as a conversation of between Katie, Nathan, and myself. Just three senior graphic design majors who's ambition and creativity conceived an idea. This idea was an art show.
What we didn't want was:
1. Have an art show where you could only enter four pieces (which after being judged, might end up being in the show).
2. Take commission or have a ridiculous entry fee.
3. Your average small town gallery reception where you put on your Sunday's best, look at some still life paintings, eat some cheese and wine, then head out to the real party.
NO!
We wanted something fresh, fun, and funky. Something Grand Junction had never experienced before...
1. A warehouse
2. Open entry, whatever goes!
3. No commission
4. No limits
5. Not just an art show, an event

With our forces combined, we managed to fill the 28,ooo square foot warehouse with art, music, and people.

Thanks to all who helped, Skyline Warehouse, Tom and Ray, The Sentinel, and KAFM.
Keep your eyes and ears open for Renegade 2009!
Check out www.myspace.com/renegadeartshowe for more info and photos.

leannadesigns Enters the www.

2008-05-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Check out my website www.leannadesigns.com
It will be evolving over the next few months, so make sure to check back for updates.
Enjoy!