South End- Boston Marathon April 2013

South End- Boston Marathon April 2013, a set on Flickr.

Images from a memorable week in Boston, my neighborhood, my home.
#bostonstrong

Olympic Gymnastics GOLD.

Last night the powerhouse that is the US Olympic Women's Gymnastics team soared through the rotations and stuck gold.  The first team to do so since 1996. I'd say "you go girls" but honestly that doesn't even cover it. Such young women- so small and yet so powerful.

Great things do come in small packages.

Go for gold.

Cheers ladies. Great job!

Olympics 2012- Swim/Dive

For years I've always enjoyed and been fascinated by the aquatic events of the Olympics. Maybe it's because as a kid I was so very much a "water baby" and if I could've I'd have grown fins.  My family is built for swimming on m Dad's side... nordic people with broad shoulders and powerful legs. Sometimes I wish I'd been or had myself pushed harder to stick with swimming as a sport.  C'est la vie- having learned to swim in a round pool... lanes were a bit of a mystery to me anyway ;)
Kairn Design honors the skill, the determination and optimism that is the foundation of a true Olympian. To face the odds and say "I'm going to do my best, represent my country and no matter what- it's an honor to compete."... after years of dedication and training... that's pretty amazing.  SO to honor their skill- I'm using mine to create an array of Olympic posters. I hope you enjoy!

Illo Friday- LOST

©kairndesign2012

Things have been crazy busy around here- and sometimes when work has piled up and you've been flat out... you just gotta... LOSE IT.  I'm joking, well, maybe not, but this weeks Illustration Friday theme was "LOST", and while I did follow the tv show for awhile- I wanted to mix it up a bit and do something a lil cheeky (no pun intended) and fun. This summer has been a hot one and the beaches I love to peruse (even in winter) are now PACKED with people making it rare to have a stretch of sand all to yourself. I guess that's the funny part about this illustration- while she's clearly lost her clothes- maybe she's found a bit of herself in the freedom of simply being- free.

If you haven't checked it out already kairndesign.com has had a makeover- swing on by and take a look!

Hello again.

Yep. I've been hibernating... again. sorry bout that. BUT I've been busy too and will post new pieces in the next few days so stay posted. IN the meanwhile today I've decided to share a lil discovery.

Several years ago a man named Ze Frank had this blog thing. I was working a temp job in the middle of no-frikkin-where, dating and asshat and pretty much got to stare at a mouth breather a computer screen and a man who ate hershey bars like a starving refugee.  So in this cube life, between answering calls and submitting data... I discovered this funny lil blog with games and silly videos made by this quirky guy I could've easily hung out with in college.
A few years later he'd make this innovative "Show", called.... "the show" that went viral before going viral was even a thing to do.  It was in a word- awesome.
Now, years later, a few grey hairs, a few life changes, relationships and jobs later... my virtual pal Ze is back at it again with his new show, called.... "a show". Same but different awesome.
Check it out. No. Really. Go. Yes.... you. go see. Srsly.

http://ashow.zefrank.com

But here's the funny part... well not ha-ha funny, but more quirky funny.
In a forum on his new site, seeing fellow former viewers and virtual pals I came across a post asking what everyone was listening to. So being clever I thought I'd find a video of my current audio background tunage only to find instead a preview for an indie flick.  Rather than "So Long Lonesome" by Explosions in the Sky... I found this.



I can't really wrap my head on the broader picture just yet- but in life I believe in signs... that whatever we're meant to learn, need to attain or are somehow missing hints to us everyday where it can be found or embraced. It's just a matter of learning how to see the signs, read the invisible map written in a language just for us, leading to where we want or need to wind up.
Being a realist that seems a bit fluffy a philosophy... but there's something to it.

I went looking for a song about loneliness, and came across a trailer for a movie about quantum physics, the movement of time and love.... reminding me of the new TV show starring Keifer Sutherland called "Touch" which also just sends shivers down my spine.

We're all connected. So goodbye, welcome, see you soon and hello. If all of life is "a show"- we're all co-stars.

busy busy.

a photo by Kairn Design on Flickr.

I have been. quite. So not a drop of art to view (yet anyhow) but instead I'll share a night lyric. Not quite poem, not a song... just a ditty that pops to mind when the day is long.

"The moon hung by her silver leash, drifting in the sky… and I watched as she dangled with my dreams sailing by..."

Katniss the mockingjay

Katniss the mockingjay, a photo by Kairn Design on Flickr.

Happy hunger games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

I'm betting on the mocking jay....