OH NO! My blog has gone stale.

It is true. My blog has gone stale.

I've been so busy that I just haven't been able to keep up with it.

I'm working on some new designs that aren't quite ready to be showcased yet. This is what is taking up most of my time.

Do keep an eye out though, because I am working on some really cool furniture, among other things.

They will be on view later in the year.

Come by my studio in October during the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours.

I'll have plenty for you to check out

EA-

Was swamped... Now I'm swimming in it. A 2010 re-cap.

So as far as 2010 goes... It was a wash. At least for this blog anyway. Sometimes something has to give, and unfortunately this blog gave way. If you haven't noticed, updating this site was not happening very often. But, the rest of the year was pretty monumental! My non-virtual world was chock full of action, that left my virtual world by the wayside.

I was super busy in the Artlab. Came up with a bunch of new designs. Some of which I have already built the prototypes for and some that I'm about to break ground on. Acquired some new tools. Made major headway on setting up the shop and I bought a house! Had some major momentum going. Then found some major problems in the new place. SCCREEEEECHHH! That's when everything in the Artlab came to a halt. I had switch gears to Bob Villa-mode and re-renovate the new house. Uhhgg.

Luckily, my Dad taught me well when it comes to house repair. I had the skills to pay the bills, so to speak.  Without getting too into detail, I basically had to gut most of the house, tear up the first floor, jack up the staircase and then rebuild. With the support of my better half and some good friends and family, I made it through the 8 or 9 crazy hot heat waves and didn't totally lose my mind while doing so(if anyone has ever been in this position, you know what I'm talking about). This past summer was probably the hottest I've experienced in Philly, and I was covered in brick and plaster dust for most of it.

Flash forward a bit, It took me a few months to recharge after all that stress, sweating and exhaustion. I made it through my first Thanksgiving as host. My birthday had an awesome lunar eclipse the night of (Stayed up really late and got some good pics) and the holidays went smoothly.

I've made it through the 2010 gauntlet that was my life. Coming out the other side a wiser, more experienced, knowledgeable person... I hope. Ha!

                                                
Now its 2011 and I'm back in action. Going to try my best to update this blog on the regular and will be building my new website, www.industrialartlab.com as well. Also, I have a years worth of projects that I will be posting soon, and new designs coming out. keep your eyes peeled for those and the new website. Hopefully the site will be up in late March. Thanks for reading.

EA

It's POST time again!

Hello to all,


It's the POST Philadelphia open studio tours this weekend. Come join me for a visit to my studio. It's this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 9th and 10th, from 12-6pm both days. You can see what I've been up to lately and enjoy some foods and beverages. My studio is in The Viking Mills building on the 1st floor. Located at 2424 Coral Street, 19125 (across the street from the Coral Arts House) right on the corner of Coral and Hagert streets. Click HERE for more info. Hope to see you there!

Production Junction

So my friends over at GRID Magazine contacted me. They were in need of new counter top displays and distribution racks for their publication. The problem was, they needed them to be really durable, as well as functional. All while giving them a unique visual appeal to set them apart from the crowd.

    The Problem: I needed to come up with two designs that would look great, give GRID the image it wants AND do the job. They needed to be constructed out of wood and metal. Plus, they need to be reproducible.

    Design #1: The Counter Top Display needed to be really appealing and built solid. That way if it falls or gets knocked over, it doesn't break. Also, it needs to showcase the magazine well when it's on display.

    Design #2: The Distribution Rack also needed to be really appealing and built solid. Hold as many magazines as possible, without looking over burdened. All while trying to compete with other more mainstream publication racks.

After coming up with several design options for each and some deliberation with the folks at Grid...Alex, Claire, Jaime and I chose two designs that we thought would work best. Once those decisions were made...fabrication and production began.

Here is a glimpse at the production line.

  

 

Here is the Solution for Design Problem #1: The Counter Top Display. It utilizes a grid-like pattern made of steel with a knockout for the logo. Paired to a wood back and base. It is quite durable and has some weight to it for stability.

Here is the Solution for Design Problem #2: The Distribution Rack. It utilizes a three tiered vertical slot design. In order to showcase the logo multiple times when the rack is full with publications. Also, it gives it some dynamic appeal rather than a purely static, repetitive feel. The rack has a bottom shelf as well. This bottom shelf is for storing a fresh supply of magazines to replenish the upper tiers. This enables the rack to hold as many magazines as possible without over-burdening the "display" area of the Rack.

Overall, this project went really well. I'm very happy with the outcome of the designs and the quality of production. My friends over at GRID are thrilled as well and they were a pleasure to work with. Go pick up the latest copy now and let me know what you think of their new digs. 

EA-

The Coffee House: Brewed Bike Appeal

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The Coffee House is a fairly new shop to the Philadelphia coffee scene. It's located at 113 W. Girard ave. right at Front and Girard. I stumbled upon it one day, because it was close to my studio and I was out getting lunch. What's better after lunch then a cup of coffee?

After weeks of going in there I was hooked. Derrick, the owner, is a rad dude and his employees are all really nice people. If you like coffee and enjoy a good place to drink it...go check out The Coffee House! Not only that, It's now bike friendly too.

Derrick, approached me one day about making a bike rack. There was nowhere to park your bike. You would have to either walk a block or risk locking to a very small tree. So... I got started sketching.

Here is the design I came up with, that I like to call "Drop Top Down". It maximizes space well, offers a double duty purpose (bike rack and community bulletin board) and parks the most bikes in the smallest amount of space. It does so by utilizing angled bike parking. It works really well on tight sidewalks too. Why don't you go get a cup of coffee and ride a bike there. It might just become your new favorite Java spot.













Derrick also wanted to bookend the bulletin board with plants, so I fabricated planter trays on each end.









Beyond what it was designed for...apparently it can accommodate scooter parking as well. Hmmm.