News
The Cicadas Are Coming!
In a few weeks, the East Coast of the USA will experience a natural phenomenon that only occurs once every 17 years—a mass emergence of billions of cicadas whose only purpose will be to tunnel out of the dirt where they have lived for 17 years to indulge in a short-lived “coming out” party. Emerging from their shells en masse, they will unfurl their wings, start making LOTS of noise, find a mate, lay some eggs, and then die. As graphic designers, our job is to observe popular culture and the world around us, so we can speak visually in...
Lane Motor Museum Poster
When we got a call from Lane Motor Museum asking if we could do a Spirit of Nashville poster we jumped at the chance. Being a fan of all things vintage we took a field trip down to the museum, cameras in hand. Established in 2002 by Jeff Lane, the museum started with his personal collection of cars that he had bought and restored. Finding a swag location in the former Sunbeam Bakery at 702 Murfreesboro Pike, Lane Motor Museum unveiled it's collection to the public in 2003. One of the few museums specializing in European cars, Lane maintains all...
New Dr. Pepper Hour Poster
A few months ago we were approached by Baylor University to create a poster to promote their Dr. Pepper Hour; an event that has taken place on campus each academic week for the past 60 years! What started as an informal gathering of students and teachers in 1953 has become a longstanding tradition. Dr. Pepper Hour, formerly known as Coke Hour, is held every Tuesday between 3pm and 4pm. Students, faculty, and staff come together and socialize while enjoying a refreshing Dr. Pepper float. To commemorate the early beginnings of this special tradition, we knew we wanted to create something...
Mère Bulles Art Nouveau Poster Design
This week we added an interesting new illustrative style to our Spirit of Nashville Collection. Mère Bulles(pardon our French) translates to Mother Bubbles—it’s the name of a popular restaurant in Brentwood Tennessee. So why all the French? Mère Bulles history begins with its muse, Mother Bubbles, who was the granddaughter of the original owner. Born Michele Bouvier around 1840 in Deauville, France, she eventually grew to become the belle of New York and later opened a popular restaurant in Charleston, S.C. One thing that Michele loved was champaign, earning her the nickname "Mother Bubbles," which in French translates to Mère Bulles. In 1985 Mère Bulles opened on...
The Mod Collection
We have enjoyed creating classic poster art for a long time. Over the years, most of our prints have been inspired by illustrations from the Golden Age of Poster Art—a period which spanned from the later 1800s to the mid-1900s. Recently, we started admiring mid-century modern design—especially illustrative advertising, fashion design, and travel posters from the 1950s and 60s. In that era, designers were trying to distance themselves from tradition. Mod was in. Anything old was out. Nature wasn’t good enough, either—man-made shapes and lines replaced organic, realistic or traditional styles. The modern aesthetic reinterpreted everything from clothing, typography, architecture,...