Card 27 | Nigel Holmes

Always dressed in blue, from head to toe, Nigel Holmes was easy to spot when I picked him up from the airport in 2005. As his personal ‘speaker buddy’ , I made sure he got from here to there during the Creative Summit weekend. Originally from England, Nigel makes the east coast his home and does phenomenal informational graphics. He also has a huge obsession with cheese, and even informed us during his presentation that while digesting, cheese somehow releases a chemical or substance that makes us happy. He also thanked me for being a wonderful ‘student driver’, but it sounded like I was practicing for my driving test. At least he sent me a free signed copy of his book, Wordless Diagrams, which is now available at Amazon.com.




Check out Nigel and his amazing graphics here.

Card 26 | Christian Helms

What more is there to say about Christian Helms? I’ve actually met him at many conferences and AIGA events around Texas, and he was kind enough to take the time to look at my portfolio when I was fresh out of school and give me some great pointers. For those who don’t know, this ‘teenage witch’ character (Melissa Joan Hart) is actually sitting on a Chevy Vega. My dad pointed this out to me one day because apparently he used to drive one.

See more of Christian and The Decoder Ring here.

Card 25 | Casey McGarr

Another great letter pressed card comes from Casey McGarr of Dallas, TX. Like most people I met from Dallas, I talked briefly with Casey about this project while at the DSVC Conference in 2006. This card is interesting because you can actually feel the indention that the letterpress machine actually makes on the paper.

Card 24 | Marc Burckhardt

Marc is not just a published illustrator from Austin, Texas, but also an instructor of illustration at Texas State University-San Marcos. His work has been featured in Communication Arts and numerous other journals and publications. This is one of the most beautiful hand painted cards that I got in the mail, and includes his very own stamp.

I think the little birdie on top of the elephant is the perfect little touch. It speaks for itself.

See more of Marc here.

Collections Three

At fundraisers for one of my band organizations, my friend Christine and I are always drawing all over napkins. One night we were talking about this book and she made some doodles on a Taco Cabana napkin that I later kept to add in here. Below is yet another doodle done during class, and in the opposite corner is part of the envelope from Phil Hollenbeck that sent the remainder of his card. The original Sabrina film starring the stunning Audrey Hepburn has a classic serif font that compliments the classic look that the actors are posing for on the cover of this DVD.

Card 23 | Kat Jones

While browsing through the websites of accomplished design and advertising firms in Austin, I came across the fun website of Milkshake Media and decided to ask them to participate in my book project. You’ ll notice that the golden ‘a’ sculpture is one of the ADDY awards. The ADDYs are comparable to the Emmys or Oscars of advertising.

Card 22 | Jim Sherraden

I first met Jim Sherraden at the Creative Summit in 2005, and met up with him again when he spoke at the DSVC conference in 2006. His work at Hatch Show Prints in Nashville has a very sought after style that attracts many of the live music events in the area.