The other night I was one of the last to leave Leaf and Bean. The employees and I exchanged our usual banter as I made my way to the door. When I got to the front, Allison, who works in food was working on a specials board that customers see as they enter. It’s been there for a long time. It gets re-written or drawn with the seasons. The owner is pretty lucky as someone in his employ almost always does something with graphics.
A few years ago I worked with a partner that had studied illustration and opened my eyes to just how important and ubiquitous illustrations are. I suspect most of the time we just overlook any of this art. We shouldn’t. It’s a talent, and without the hand-drawn, painted or use of any other medium our world will be much more plain. Sure, you could use computers, but there is something to be said for the imperfections of the human hand and mind.
I love to watch people with their talents go to work. Brian Briskie is an airbrush and pinstriping guru in Adam’s Basin. He is impressive to watch. As is Allison or Brittany who creates these small but important works of temporary art that so many people look at.
I had my phone with me and snapped this shot of Allison starting her next incarnation of the chalkboard. She was meticulous in her design and execution. It was good to see someone so dedicated to her craft.
The image had a very red cast to it from the neon lights, and I was not happy with any of the color correction in Photoshop. I changed it to black and white and found after looking at it awhile, that it is another piece of photojournalism. I could imagine a storyboard of images or even a short video clip of her talking while she created.