the Latte is back!

...I know, I know, no posts for months. Well, I needed a break. A long break. And, I felt as if the Latte needed to be recaffeinated, which wasn't an easy task. I also had to decide if it was time to move on or time to dig in.

At the end of this long and arduous thought process, I decided it was time to dig in and give the Latte a bit of an overhaul.

You'll probably notice a few changes...to the navigation, the portfolio, the content in general. I'm reworking the blog to focus more on my writing niches; I'm also trying to use it as a freelance portfolio without giving it a portfolio feel. I'll slowly add to the portfolio section over the next several days and I'll be deleting a few posts here and there, mostly older stuff, generally the stuff that deals exclusively with photography, painting, etc.

[edit, 1-06-10]

I'll also republish two articles since they truly reflect my style of creative writing and overall approach towards written interpretation. Why? I really want 2010 to be about creative writing. Period. No excessive updates, no art for art's sake. Everything will have a function within this blog space and creative environment.

While I have plans for fine art, they will focus on a journal style of fine art, not traditional photography, painting, etc; some of the more visual art based posts are a little too far from the style I have in mind. But fine art is a ways away so I'll post updates on that soon.

Well, that's about it. A small update to cover a large amount of time. My next post won't be until the new year and again, there will be small periodic adjustments to the blog. But, the important thing is that the espresso's been ground and the steamer warmed up. A fresh batch of caffeinated creativity is on it's way...seriously!

See you in the new year!"

an update on my journal...

For those of you familiar with my ongoing mission to find a functional journal, I am happy to report that the latest book is working out as well as I'd hoped! For those of you just joining this article-based journey, here's a little background information to get you caught up.

I'm using my journal more than I did before and I'm finding that it's very comfortable to hold and carry. I take the journal on wine tastings, to coffee shops, and even use it while I read (to record words for future dictionary use). And if folding things isn't an issue, there's room in the back of the journal to tuck away interesting items I come across (such as wine tasting sheets). That's a nice feature to have since there's no need to work through drawings, writing, or photography when you know you can take certain items with you. I am rediscovering my interest in journals because I can once again enjoy the experience. I'll try to post some images of additional pages/spreads within the next couple of weeks.

first post of 2009!

I thought I'd look ahead for a minute and talk about my plans for the year...

...the first edition of "ink snacks" is completed and will be listed for purchase on my Etsy site sometime this month. I'm also working on a couple of other zine concepts for tentative distribution in March.

...my first brands in the "coffee & tea" section will be displayed in February, assuming I don't run into any issues that could cause a delay. I should have three brands to start (they're all independent or humanitarian-inspired brands), then hopefully add a few sporadically throughout the year.

...abstractLatte has really grown over the last year to include a studio, Etsy shop, and Twitter site. I want to keep the endeavor small so I won't be adding any more major elements to the overall brand. However, I plan on having my new portfolio page for the studio portion completed and installed this month along with new work to be displayed in the "books & art" section of the blog.

I hope everyone had a great holiday season and wish you all the best for 2009!

so...

...it's been a while!

Long story short, there are two things that have made me take a break from my normal routine: one, preparation for a job search due to an eventual lay-off, and two, devotion to some personal projects that I'm very interested in.

As for the job search, I needed to work on my graphic design portfolio/website, which is not an easy task. It took me a while to figure out how I wanted to present myself and my work, and I think I've come up with something that is fair to both. Through this process, I realized I didn't need a site for anything other than a new graphic design job. My personal projects received just enough attention to make me realize I don't have enough completed work to display; showing what I had, and talking about what I want to have in the future, wasn't going to work for me.

So, it's one site that frankly, after the last two weeks of organizing projects and slicing website images, is going to stay where it's at for the next year! I'll add projects, and may rearrange a few pages/projects, but for the most part this site is here to stay until I get a new job and get enough personal projects completed.

Now that things have calmed down a bit, I'll be posting more on my blog and sharing more information on some of my new work.

quick update

I've been very busy lately and unfortunately, haven't had the time to post anything substantial. Just letting everyone know the blog's still active!

I'll post more this weekend.

caffeinated update...

It's funny how much you can accomplish when you nearly cut yourself off from the rest of the world! Ok, so I didn't cut myself off completely but sometimes you have to step back and focus in order to make progress.

I've been hard at work on some mixed media and illustration work, I'm gettting ready to start on a new graphic design project, and the additional photography that I am installing in Capitol Eyes is almost ready for matting/framing so things are moving along! I've started on a new "journal" along the lines of my journal that I wrote about a while back...it's a different direction, more idea-based, but it's proving to be very interesting and useful.

I've decided to post a new article every week to keep things fresh; if there are any topics you would like to read articles about in my blog, feel free to contact me at "info at joe blend dot com". Unfortunately, I can't guarantee that all ideas will be accepted (for various reasons) but I'll do my best to tailor some articles around specific interests of my readers. Thanks again for all your support and check back soon for new stuff!

running to catch up...

It's amazing how far behind certain things can get if you get extremely busy! The last few months have proven to be some of the busiest yet for me...I've been shooting a lot of new photography as well as working on some new facets to my studio work.

I recently got a commission for six pieces to be displayed in an eyeglass boutique in downtown Washington DC with more work to be provided as needed! It's a great opportunity since it's an open ended gig, not to mention a great location and a great client. Anyway, I've been working on those pieces (as well as framing and matting) but I'll post when the work is up and I have some photos of the work in the space! I have a couple of articles that I'm pretty excited about but I won't promise when they'll be posted...just kidding!...I should have them published within the next two weeks.

To sum up, I'm still around so continue to check back for new stuff!

new posts are on their way!!!

Sorry that my blog has been inactive for so long! I've been out of town and shooting a lot of photography, not to mention finishing up my recent quarter for my BFA in Graphic Design. Yes, I know I'm behind on posting the recent first place shots for PhotoFortnight...and yes, I know I haven't posted in Sugar Frosted Photos recently...and yes, I owe everyone some articles that I've talked about in months past.

But I'm here to say that all of those things, and much more, are coming soon!!! I'd like to say thanks to all of you who have been very patient and tolerated the lack of recent postings. I value everyone's comments to my various articles/postings and have truly appreciated comments made "off-blog", thank you to everyone for your continued support.

Again, more postings are coming soon!!!

06.2006 update

It's been a busy few months but I'm starting to finish up a few things and the haze is beginning to clear!

...The first interview of my "designers and their product lines" series is almost ready for publishing and more are scheduled to follow.
...I've had the pleasure of working with another graphic designer to start Sugar Frosted Photos! and it's done nothing short of taking off without looking back. While the site is more casual than the other gallery I co-edit (PhotoFortnight) it still provides a great opportunity for photographers of all skill levels to display their work and view the work of others.
...I'm updating my portfolio which means I'm having to rework my website navigation and sub-section imagery so my apologies to anyone who's tried to visit my site lately only to find a placeholder page!

Being busy is hard work but it's fun too. My wish for more time in a day is one that will remain unattainable so I thank you for your patience and look forward to your comments! Thanks for visiting!