kyle steed

I first stumbled upon, no pun intended, Aaron Irizarry a few months ago when I read his article “Blessed are the flexible“. As I continued to read his blog I found myself thinking his words where exactly what I had been thinking. Aaron has a very genuine writing style that is easy to read and full of personal experience and compassion. Getting to know and talk with Aaron over these past couple of months have been great. He was even featured in my “Branded Designers” post. We both seem to share a common desire in that we both love design but we want to do more than just use our talents for our own personal gain.

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When it comes to finding gig posters there is definitely no shortage. But it seems the good ones, I mean the really good ones, come few and far between. And that’s why I was ecstatic when Andrio Abero, over at 33rpm, said he wouldn’t mind doing an interview for me. I have followed Andrio’s work now for the past three years, and his progression has been wonderful to watch. His work has been featured in numerous magazines including Print Magazines Regional Design Annual, not once but twice. Andrio has also been involved in over 40 exhibitions for his work and received more honors than you can count on your fingers. But if you think Andrio is only good for a print design, then you would be mistaken, his web portfolio is just as impressive.

So sit back, relax and enjoy all that is 33rpm.

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If you were to look up Nectar in the dictionary you’d find a picture of the six sexiest guys you’ve ever seen, along with the definition: “A company built upon strong relationships with an even stronger commitment to serving up the best in personal branding on the web.”

I first met the men of Nectar back in August, well one-half of them anyways. Josiah, Caleb, Aaron and myself got to know each other at the Dallas Museum of Art. Then I met Dave for lunch the following week and that just seemed to really open the door to working with these guys. But it wasn’t until Nectar Hackathon 2.0 that I got to meet the rest of the team, Brett and Charles, and work right along side of them. These guys are the real deal with a lot of heart and a lot of passion for what they do. So without further ado, it’s my pleasure to present you with an in depth look at the minds behind Nectar.

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Shannon Rankin is an artist based out of Rangeley, Maine. Her work is composed of collages, drawings, paintings, installations, and even a few experimental videos. I first came across the work of Shannon back in May of this year. Her pieces with vintage maps and anatomical silhouette’s all being connected with thread really appealed to me. The simple manner in which she constructs her work is what sets her apart from so many other artist. I am really excited to be able to bring the work of Shannon Rankin to your attention and I hope you all enjoy.

1. First off, I love the simplicity of your work. Can you tell me how you first become interested in art?

Thanks Kyle. I was a creative kid growing up with an artistic mother who always encouraged the creativity in me, but it never really occurred to me that I could be an artist until much later in life. In High School, I took one art class that lasted for a quarter of a semester, which was a lot of fun, but not at all serious. Once I got out into the “real” world, I would repeatedly meet artists and designers who became my friends and would inspire and encourage me. One day, it suddenly dawned on me that I could also do this, be this! So, I’ve had a lot of catching up to do…

I went to art school, and it was an amazing experience for me. Everything seemed to really make sense for me there, and I suddenly realized I was in the right place, at the right time.

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When I first stumbled upon the work of Kelly Dyson I was in awe. The magical, emotional view of his characters reminded me of a darker Alice in Wonderland … as if it weren’t dark enough. His use of grunge and splatter textures are refined and not overpowering to the main focus of his illustrations. So when he told me he would love to do this interview I was delighted. Please enjoy.

1 - I love your style. When did you first become interested in design/illustration?

Thanks. I guess I was interested in drawing from a pretty young age. I have memories of doing drawings in junior school and the whole class standing around my table saying how great my drawing was… I never made the link between drawing and illustration though, so when I left school I went on to mostly irrelevant courses, worked in factories, in care, etc. Eventually I landed a lucky job through a friend to do drawings for a leaflet he was doing - through that I realised that there was a whole world of people out there who do this illustration thing for a living. That’s when I first became interested in illustration as a profession as separate from drawing as a hobby I guess.

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