A new post at long last

Whew!!!! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted last... especially as the last one was so sad.

Well finally I am getting my act together and this year I am going to really crank out some stuff to prove myself to the world!!!!

This image is something that started off as a mouse mat for my Dad who is a Django nut.. but I ran out of time for that so I've finished it more as a poster for now and I'll jig it up for the mat later. I hope you like it.

Kind Regards
Piers

"Possom" In Memorium

I know it's been a while since I've posted... I'm working hard on my new website.. hopefully it will see light of day sometime soon... any that's not what this post is about...

About 5 weeks ago we took on a new addition to our household.. a little kitten called Possom.. Named after a famous New Zealand rally driver, the late "Possom Bourne"... she even had a racing strip up her head!

Here she is.. not long after we got her home.. she was extremely inquisitive and very very fast!!!!.. and loved to climb!

It didn't take too long for her to settle in... and was soon making herself comfy and at home with us.



Here she is ... sitting on the couch... she was a funny chick... she'd go to sleep literally anywhere - just plop herself down.... some of her favourite things to do included climbing up our legs and bodies to our shoulders while we washed her food bowl and prepared her food!... sweet but always left scratches in our legs... she had a tinkly ball that she loved to bat from one end of the house to the other and a fluffy faux mouse that was a real favourite I think she killed that about 10 times over..!!!! oh and she loved to play with my son ... he'd roll the tinkly ball up the hallway and she'd chase after it and bring it back to him to roll again like a dog... and sometimes she'd just chase him trying to swat his ankles with her sharp claws.. as he'd shriek and giggle.

Alas her curiosity and adventurous nature got her in to strife, the middle of last week, she decided to climb some net curtains... unfortunately half way up the curtain gave way and she fell damaging the knee in her right rear leg. Although this wasn't apparent until the following morning, when she began to limp. She got worse over the day so my wife called a vet in... who looked at her and gave a very strong anti-inflammatory/pain killer... she didn't seem to bad... the next two days weren't too bad, she ate well, toileted etc... had bursts of kitten energy doing her kitteny things... but having big rests between... though by Saturday morning we were unsure what to do long term... so we took her to another vet to get a look over and prognosis. So the vet says - she'll heal okay with maybe a little bit of a limp, but nothing to impede her general mobility... cool.. so we went home and then it was all down hill from there... her pain seemed to increase and then she stopped eating, sleeping and everything else... so after a harrowing day though Sunday evening we took her to a 24 hr vet and had her put to sleep. God bless her little soul.. no more suffering... here's a photo of her not long before we took her to the vet the final time...



God bless you - we loved you so much and will never stop... you will always be in our hearts!!!!!

ArtnSoul gets news mention on Creative Latitude!

Hey there....

Hard to believe April is here... March was certainly an interesting month with the takeoff of NO!Spec!.. and with that the Crew at Creative Latitude have give ArtnSoul a news article on the creation of the NO!Spec logo!.. here is the article:

ArtnSoul Graphic Design Creates Identity Design of Global Proportions

Christchurch NZ: New Zealand designer, Piers Le Sueur of ArtnSoul Graphic Design, has recently completed a logo design for the global, web-based NO!SPEC initiative. In addition to the mark begin used to identify the NO!SPEC effort, it will also appear on NO!SPEC supporters web sites, print material and other communication vehicles. In addition, the logo appears on NO!SPEC fund-raising products including coffee mugs, apparel and many other items. Proceeds from sales are used to support the NO!SPEC initiative within the graphic design educational system.

“I am so pleased to be a part of this worldwide effort to discourage the cheapening of our value by means of speculative competitions, tenders and pitches,” said Mr. Le Sueur. He added, “Spec work requests are one of the worst aspects haunting our industry. Visual Communication Design (also known as Graphic Design) is one of the only industries where this sort of thing is allowed to happen and it has to stop. Some larger organisations have tried to use it to get cheap, or free design work — even though they have advertising and marketing budgets in the thousands. It is so demeaning to our profession. So,lets the spread the word. Lets work to make our profession a strong one with a foundation firmly rooted in professional ethics.”

In addition, Piers’ logo design was the key element for the design of the NO!SPEC web site. Site designer, Catherine Morley of Fast Coconut, based in SE Asia, said, “Piers’ logo was instrumental in designing the look and feel of the site. The strength and clarity of the mark made the site design process flow by providing a solid foundation on which to build the site.”

With over 13 years’ experience in graphic design, ArtnSoul Graphic Design focuses on helping businesses achieve clear, consistent branding and marketing materials. Through ArtnSoul Graphic Design, Mr. Le Sueur provides corporate identity, print and web design for a variety of clientele. The ArtnSoul web site can be found at www.artnsoulgraphicdesign.com. Piers’ blog can be found at stirringsfromthesoul.blogspot.com.

The NO!SPEC.com initiative has recently launched its web site in an effort to educate both creatives and those who buy their services about the damaging effects caused by speculative work and contests. The initiative was developed by a group of visual communication designers across the globe who share a common passion for their industry, ethical business practices and wanted to take a firm stand on the issue of speculative (“spec”) work requests. NO!SPEC has received broad-based support from both the visual communication design/graphic design community and professional graphic design organizations, worldwide. The site can be found at www.no-spec.com.

Reproduced with kind permission from Creative Lattitude: Thanks again Neil and Cat...

NO! Spec Website is launched

Hello there, well it's finally arrived... NO! Spec website is launched and pretty soon the whole industry will be hearing about it.

Spec Work must be stopped...

First of all I am immensley proud to have been a part of the whole machine that got it here... I should be, it's my design in the logo and that influenced the design of the site and all of the rest of the collatoral and other items that will be coming along... I take my hat off to Cat (Catherine) Morely and Von Glitschka.. Cat who's worked tirelessly for two weeks on the website and marshalling the other contributers to get it all done and up.... Plus her design for the website based on the logo... Also Jay Sinebeg who did the back end stuff and helped Cat when she needed it.

BIG THANKS YOU's to the following for their contributions...
Tamar Wallace, Elisabetta Bruno, Danita Reynolds, Erin Harris, Robert Wurth, Alina Hagen, Dawn Burgess, Neil Tortorella, Tom, Mark Astrella, Bill Schuhle, Dagmar Jeffrey, Chris Tomlinson, Brian Rollins, Michael Miller, Rob Gough, Dana Chrysler and Calvin Lee all busted their butts to make it happen ...

I am so very keen to see what reaction the industry has to this... indeed I have never created something that will have such a big or long lasting impact on the world... unless I get lucky enough to design the logo for the next mega conglomerate - who knows...

Also I can't go without thanking the universe for giving me the spark that helped me create this logo - so seemingly perfect for the task, so flexible so... just right....

Spec work - one of the worst aspects of our industry - it's the only industry where this sort of thing is allowed to happen... and it has to stop - especially some larger organisations have tried to use it to get cheap design work - even though they have advertising and marketing budgets in the thousands... it is so demeaning to our profession... so to all that read... lets spread the word - lets make our profession a stronger one.... we need to stick together to get back what we deserve.

Well I appear to have run out of puff on that for the time being... I'm going back to working on my website and watching and waiting to see what happens next... I can't wait!!!!

Warmest Regards
Piers

WOW - LOOK WHAT I DID - NO! SPEC Logo NO! Spec online within 48 hrs!

Hey there.. that wasn't long was it!!!! LOL!

BUT I just have to share - I may have done one of the best things of my career so far if I may say so!...



It is being used for a new website and design industry campaign to educate and attempt to rid the industry of businesses and other organisations from using speculative work as means to obtaining design work. The website for this will be live I believe certainly within 48 hours if not 24!!!

Way to go Crew.. Catherine Morely (http://www.katzidesign.com) and Sinebeg... (sorry can't remember your first name) both responsible for the website... based on my logo design!... and I can't forget the rest of the crew.. you know who you are!!!!! YOU GUYS ROCK!!!!

I am so pleased to be a part of this worldwide effort to discourage the cheapening of our value by means of speculative competitions, tenders and pitches.

I could go on with more - but I'd rather let the website speak for itself!!!...

That out of the way - I hope to share more soon!...

Thanks for your time!

Well here I am....

It's a very muggy Saturday afternoon here... the young'un is away at the gramps... and I'm just sitting here wondering what I can do... I know what I WOULD like to do.... but there are forces at work conspiring to not let me... so for now... I'm setting this blog up... somewhere I can rant and post bits and pieces... I'm trying to concept my new website and my creativity is a little dry.... so I think maybe this might help.

Okay I'm off to see what else I can do to make this look okay.

Warmest Regards
Piers

There I go... even got my links up!!!!! now to think what else to write....