Sunday, June 20, 2010

The Hagg made me do it!

I designed this t-shirt for my father-in-law. He attends the Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival every year and has started a Secret Beer Society where he and his mates bring craft beer from all over to partake at the event. All while they listen to and watch live musicians molest their instruments on stage with names like The Delirious Frogmoment Stringband, Giant Hobo Guerilla Dance Squad and Jamkatta. Throw in a few aboriginal elements and a esoteric wood instrument or 3 and you have yourself the making of a international gumbojam weekend (I crack wise because I'm more of a studio junky with strong interests in technical sounds and production. Plus, the only live music I TRULY love to see is independent punk rock or classic soul). 

I don't usually attend this sort of barefooted stinkfest, but this year I designed these shirts for his Beer Society (of which I am an honorary member) and I like beer way lots. I am also going because I'm a longtime appreciator of the legendary Merle Haggard who will be performing the first night of this 4 night patchouli jamboree. Either way, I have a good time with the wife's daddio and I'm pretty open to most music, so…WHY NOT? (PLUS: I'm bringing some kickass new craft brew to enter into the offering plate).

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The design was created with the intention to make a mock beer label as well as being a workable t-shirt design. I think it works well for both and it made my father-in-law pretty happy. The back design (which is the all-blue design) is a locker-patch position which sets between the shoulder blades at around 3 inches wide. My favorite part is the incorporating the hops and barley subtly so it was almost a subliminal suggestion. My father-in-law's suggestion of replacing the crossbones with a mandolin and fiddle neck was pretty brilliant. Originally, I had crossbones there and I was trying to come up with a way to incorporate the instrument he wanted, but it just wasn't coming to me. It seems obvious in hindsight. This is one of the reasons why I like collaboration. You just miss the most obvious element because you are too close to the work then someone just takes a look at it and says, "how 'bout this?…" TADA!

Now that I've posted this on the world wide web I guess the society isn't secret anymore. DRINK UP!

Posted via email from dawlism

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