Originally published Mar 14, 2021
As a matter of habit, I carry a sketchbook with me at all times. For me, inspiration can come at any time. And while that doesn't always mean I have the perfect idea right then and there, it does mean that I need to dump all of those ideas onto paper before I forget.
We'll also dig into the name Cypress together in a later issue, the important part here is that I've known for quite some time now that Cypress Design Co. would be the eventual name of a venture of mine. So where did the logo start? Honestly, over years of filling various Field Notes pages with sketches and ideas.
[logo_sketches]
Fast forward to 2020 and a lot of extra time at home (because of, well, gestures broadly at the world) and the timing felt right to design a proper logo. So I blew the dust out of the old Adobe Illustrator cartridge, set my laptop on a heat-proof surface while its fans started screaming, and got to work.
[logo_illustrator]
And while design-by-committee rarely works out well, there's something that works even worse: designing for yourself. So I turned to the source of the most chaos in my life, Design Twitter™. Sometimes strong opinions by some of the industry's most vocal designers can actually work to your advantage. In my case, some truly wonderful people came forward to help refine the vibe of the logo.
[logo_twitter]
By the end of a few rounds of digital critique, things were looking a bit more finished. The final logo features a hand drawn and original topographic map (an obsession of mine and the inspiration behind every print you see on the site) set in a circle with softened edges. If you look closely and turn your head to the right by 45 degrees, you might see the 'C' that makes up the mark.
[logo_final]
Featured
Sediment 002
Just released and available now!
I've been playing with reduction prints in the studio. These are a ton of fun; with a reduction print, each layer is printed in a single run, carved away to set up the next layer, and repeated. It means that each print is a single edition, because once the layers are carved away, the block is done!
This one is the second in the Sediment series, the perfect compliment to it's sister print, the green Sediment 001. [https://www.cypressdesign.co/product/sediment-001/13?cp=true&sa=true&sbp=false&q=false]
Playing in the studio
John Coltrane
[coltrane_aLoveSupreme]
I love jazz. Always have, always will. And as I started to appreciate it even more over time, I find my favorite part of going back to New Orleans the nights where I get to wander in and out of the jazz clubs in the Marigny.
John Coltrane is a go-to when I need something playing softly in the background when I'm pulling prints. A mentor of mine recommended that A Love Supreme [https://open.spotify.com/album/7Eoz7hJvaX1eFkbpQxC5PA?si=STtxAUkGTja5_RsV_R57dg] belongs on vinyl, so if I've got the record player going, that's what's on. And if I'm looking to waste hours on end through Spotify, I'll start with Duke Ellington & John Coltrane [https://open.spotify.com/album/1OvmilWKtrabJGEpPRlgK5?si=xD440jCMQieOYlPZxAgeJA] and go from there.