The first name I designed to a STARSCAPE was indeed my own; but actually, I originally intended for the sketch to go to my little nephew, my namesake: Matthew Joseph Blanchard. Back in 2006, he would have only been 3 to 4 years old, and I imagine he, his father (my brother, Bradley) and Matthew's mom (sister-in-law, Jennifer/Jenn) would have really cherished getting something like this in the mail. Once I have their new address in Japan (they are a military family!), then I will be sure to mail the sketch out right away. I keep the drawing tapped to my wall above my computer, over my desk, so I can not only be reminded of who I am, but of the family I have yet to meet that are seperated from me by continents & oceans, knowing that one day, the sketch will be in the hands of its rightful owner, lil'Matteo!! He's an adorable kid! I've seen pictures. He's part Algerian, so he's got really cute curly black hair and soft mocha skin, and such a gentle, genial smile. One day, I'll get around to posting pics of my brother's family on my blog for all my many myriad of followers to see! I jest. But I will post some pics sometime soon, if not just for the right to boast & brag about how good looking my family is.
The second STARSCAPES & TYPOGRAPHY design is for the name of my former employer at FOLSOM STREET EVENTS®, Demetri Moshoyannis, about whom I wrpte a blog entry not two or three posts back. Demetri was a great guy! I so sorely miss the time we spent working together, and to show him my gratitude and admiration after my employment was terminated, I designed his STARSCAPE.Again, I intended to mail it to him, but I just never got around to it, and now it just seems like it would be a little out of the blue for him to receive such a gift in the mail at his office. Imagine what he would think? "Oh man! I've got a stalker!" That is if & only if I send the sketch anonymously, which I have thought of doing. But, I suppose that if Demetri ever does take a gander at my blog, then he may just by chance see the sketch posted here and know immediately who it was from.
We'll see what I decide! All I know is that now that I have them scanned & saved on the computer, then there's no point in keeping a hold of the designs for posterity's sake. I'll get it in the mail within the month. That's a deal!
The final STARSCAPES & TYPOGRAPHY design is my most recent; in fact, I just completed it tonight. It's for my SHANTI Volunteer, Wallace (WES) Smith who has been visiting me three times a week now for three months. He is an INCREDIBLE GUY!! I'm proud to say that our ralationship extends far beyond the confines of a volunteer-client rapport; we have truly developed a budding friendship.
He listens to me when I am down, or when I am manic, or when I just feel like complaining or making a joke about my sorry life. I was so comfortable with him that after the second time hanging out with him in my apartment, I took my mask off in front of him, and I haven't put it back on for him ever since. He's very compassionate, caring and understanding. He's going to San Francisco State University in the fall to get his B.A. in Psychology. He wants to be a therapist, I think. And, I'm damned certain that he'll make a mighty fine one; that's for sure!!
Before I was assigned a therapist a NEW LEAF: Services For Our Community, I used WES has my primary sounding board and as nearly my only emotional support. I've been meaning to create for WES his own unique STARSCAPE design, so that he could have the sketch as a token of my love and appreciation. Finally, after spending all day yesterday writing & designing a THANK YOU note for a new friend I met in NEW LEAF HIV+ RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP, I stayed up even later working on WES's STARSCAPE.
It took me about seven hours to complete, because indeed I had to start over a few times here & there because things weren't beginning to shape up just perfectly enough for my hypersensitive aesthetic tastes. The STARSCAPE eventually took its finally shape, and I was quickly on the road to just filling in the empty space around WES's name with stars, arrows and circles. I'm not entirely please with the way it turned out. I particularly don't care too much for the clutter up top where WALLACE intersects with a bunch of stars, and the cursive-type font could be improved upon, so I might just have to try my hand at another STARSCAPE for WES. I will definitely give him this one later on today, when we hang out; that's for sure!! I put too much good concerted effort into doodling this design out for it to get tossed to the wayside and ignored. I'd at least like to get WES's reaction on it, just to see if he likes it, or if he would prefer that I try to do another one.
All I can say now is that my neck HURTS! I spent the last seven hours laid over in my bed, with my head propped up in one hand and my other hand drawing, and now that I'm at the computer, I'm forced to creen my neck in an awkward uncomfortable position just to be able to see these tiny words that I am typing. It doesn't help the matter much any that I am exhausted. I'm sure that sheer & utter fatigue doesn't do well on the eye sight! My bed is calling me to return to it, only this time, head to pillow, eyes closed, relaxed, trying to sleep.
WES is an avid reader of my blog, especially when he knows that I have new entries posted, so we'll have to wait to find out what his reaction will be to seeing his STARSCAPES & TYPOGRAPHY design presented in this entry. All in all, I'm pretty delighted with the work I have done on these designs. I think that I have found a little niche for my graphic design tastes. It's simple, geometric, modular, symmetrical design with a little bit of flare in the details, so I can't boast too much too soon.
I'd rather get some feedback from anyone who might come across this blog entry, either in Blogger® or in Facebook™ or by linking to it via my LinkedIn® or Google™ Profiles. Any feedback is quite welcome!! And if you'd like to put in a request for a STARSCAPE of your own, with you very own name sprawled out in the center of the cosmos, then just ask. I think it would be reasonable to charge between $25 and $50.00 USD per sketch. I can also do them in black pen, so that they scan better; just mention that you'd prefer your name designed in ink, and I'll make a note to get started on a sketch right away for you.
It's a simple courtesy I can offer, now that I am so overwhelmed by gads & gads of free time all the time. This sketching given me a fun way to pass the time. I enjoy it! So, I'd be happy to do one for you. NO PROBLEM!! Cheers! Ciao! Peace Out! Namaste. And GOOD NIGHT!! TTYS!
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Matt(e)o | QHereKidSF
Matthew D. Blanchard
Development Associate
IPPSL: International Professional
Partnerships for Sierra Leone
Freetown, SL • Washington, DC USA
San Francisco, CA 94109 USA
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[MDB2009.06.07@04:04PST]
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