It's been pretty hot here in Philly this past week. I am hunkered down in my air conditioned office and found myself so productive I have time leftover to update my Web site, so here goes.

Since my last post I have launched a couple of new sites, including the Social Change Network and Work for Progress, a new non-profit with the mission of matching talented individuals with jobs in progressive organizations. Both were built on the Joomla! content management system, which is fast becoming my go-to platform for Web development. Clients love it because its easy to maintain, so if you're thinking about a new site or redesign, I strongly suggest looking into Joomla! I'm also in development of a Wordpress site for NPR reporter Joel Rose...more news as that progresses.

This past winter I also kept busy designing brochures, stickers, banner ads and other collateral for various registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns centered on the presidential primaries. Great to see such amazing turnout at the polls...look forward to the same enthusiasm driving people as November nears.

Finally, if you happen to live in California, you may have seen the logo and t-shirts I designed for the CalPIRG Students high-speed rail tour.

Fall is finally here and as the crisp air settles on Philadelphia I see it's time to bring you fine people up to speed with my various doings.

The new BiG TeA PaRtY site has finally debuted, and it features a vast array of news and information—from a recipe for mock cheesesteaks (aka cheesfakes) to an essay on the future of bioplastics—this site has it all. The official launch/fundraiser/BTP 10th annversary party is Saturday, December 8 at Molly's Bookstore in the Italian Market. Also, recently launched is the spanking-new Web site for Arts In Motion, a non-profit based in Philly that is taking on the Western classical music hegemony. Arts In Motion curates and develops forward-thinking, innovative presentations of classic works in all types of venues and instructs inner-city youth all about music appreciation and composition. In short, they rock.

Also been busy working with student activists and organizers on a pair of campaigns with nationwide atttention. The first is the Truth About Credit campaign which is raising awareness on college campuses about credit card scams and working to mitigate the worst practices of the industry. In coordination, we developed a set of guerilla marketing materials including a poster, brochure and guidebook for students to learn about the issue. The campaign has garnered coverage from Web sites and newspapers around the country, including a recent editorial in the New York Times. The second campaign I've been working on is focused on global warming. I produced a 72-page booklet for the Power Shift 07 conference which brought together around 6,000 students from around the country to hear speakers, attend workshops and lobby elected officials in Washington, D.C. about climate change legislation. It was a inspiring project to be involved with.

Things have been a little quieter on the music front, but with a newly minted live lineup for papertrees, I expect things to start moving along soon. Got some dates listed on the MySpace page. I've enjoyed filling in for a couple of bands, specifically Lazlo and Quintero, whose drummers couldn't make the gig over the last couple months. Look forward to future stints with them and others.

Almost forgot...I took part in my second group art show in October with the Bike Part Art Show in Old City. There was some active bidding on my lighting installation, Paradiso and all the money raised goes to support Neighborhood Bike Works. The show was tons of fun and I'm looking forward to the next one!

So much going on that I really wanted to make sure and share the news with you here. The first half of 2007 has brought many exciting projects my way, including the launch of 2 Web site redesigns entirely based on the content management system Joomla. (Joomla is a great way for small or even not-so-small organizations to manage their content and Web assets and keep their site up to date. Best of all, it's open source and free!) The two sites are for Mid-Atlantic Environmental Law Center, a non-profit legal group, and Gulf Restoration Network, which works to protect the entire Gulf of Mexico region from threats to the environment and public health and safety.

On the arts front, I've been asked to design some more CD packages (which is always a great opportunity) and have most recently completed the artwork for Philly's own The Lowlands. They will be debuting the new album at this summer's Philadelphia Folk Festival. Also getting ready to launch a new Web site for the Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz and Performing Arts, and a new blog site for BiG TeA PaRtY, which is the world's longest running public access TV show and features an anarchist version of Martha Stewart offering DIY tips of every variety. Very psyched for that.

And of course still busy performing with several bands. My group with Allison Polans has been named Papertrees and we were invited to record a six-song EP at Drexel's Mad Dragon studios this past spring. Some of the mixes are being leaked onto the MySpace page, so please check it out.

Happy New Year everyone! Been so busy I have failed to keep the news here up to date. My apologies.

I have been asked to work on a whole slew of exciting new projects. But first, I must extend a hearty congratulations to Grassroots Campaigns for their fabulous work this past fall helping to create a Democratic majority in Congress. I was happy to be a part of the team, designing posters and materials for their canvass and grassroots mobilization.

Music has been a big part of the agenda lately, both as a designer and performer. I was recently commissioned to produce the artwork for a new release by Turtle Studios titled Pianadelphia. It's a fantastic recording—Philly jazz pianists solo interpretations of Philly jazz legends. Definitely check it out. Also directing the artwork for the new CD by Cowmuddy and recently finished design work for singer/songwriter Blake Allen (both on IOU Records). And check out some of my latest web design handywork on the site for Philly's Cordalene.

And on the performance front, I'm still busy recording and performing with Allison Polans (see her recent review in the Philadelphia Weekly), Todd Young & His Rock Band and in the wake of Drugbyrds breakup have joined fabulous Philly band Walker Lundee. Whew.

The past few months have been keeping me pretty busy. I've had the pleasure of once again being asked to work with Grassroots Campaigns on their efforts to recruit new activists and take on the Republicans in the midterm elections this year. I designed some new recruitment posters and also fact sheets for their work with the Democratic National Committee.

I've also been working on the design of a couple of new reports for New Jersey Public Interest Research Group (NJPIRG) and Environment Colorado. The New Jersey report covers the issue of misleading marketing by pharmaceutical companies and the Colorado report investigates the dissappearance of agricultural land to ranch and suburban developments. Also keeping me chained to my computer was the repackaging of print materials to rollout a national campaign working to protect our nation's last wild forests.

I was asked to implement the redesign a web site for Gulf Restoration Network based in New Orleans. They are a network of grassroots environmental groups working to protect the Gulf region. I am very excited to have been invited to work on this project and will let everyone know when the new site is up and running!

This week I launched a new web site for the Asian Arts Initiative, one of my longtime clients and an all-around great organization. This site was my first to implement a pure CSS design for presentation and layout. If you're a web geek like me, you'll know that can be a bit of a challenge. I think it turned out quite nice. Work is in progress on web sites for several artists, including Anne Canfield (painter, printmaker), Chris Jones (sculptor, carpenter, set designer) and the excellent Philly rock quartet, Cordalene. Also very exciting, I was selected to work with the Port Richmond Arts Festival on creating the web site for this year's festival! Stay tuned for more on that.

Keeping busy on the music front, too. I am now performing with more talented musicians that I have time for--but it's great. Newest among them are Allison Polans, an amazingly talented singer and songwriter, and Drugbyrds, the newest musical outing by Joey Sweeney (of The Trouble With Sweeney). Fandango has also been extremely busy these past weeks playing many gigs. Coming up next is a show for the kiddies at World Cafe Live (upstairs) on Saturday, March 4.

Lots of new things doing over this way. Sad to say, my longtime band One Star Hotel has thrown in the towel. I'm involved with several other new musical projects, though, so have no fear. Among them are Todd Young & His Rock Band and Elevator Parade. Also recently took part as the session drummer for the Philadelphia Songwriters Project's Shotgun Recording experiment at Turtle Studios. Stay tuned for more on the musical horizons. Odds are though, if you're here, you may be more interested in news from the graphic arts side of things…

This month, I took part in my first ever gallery show at Nexus/Foundation for Today's Art. If you live in the Philly area, please do go and check it out. The exhibition runs through January. All around great artists are participating in this one!

I have been working with a bunch of great new artists, too. I'm getting a web site ready for Philadelphia painter extraordinaire, Anne Canfield. A new web site I created for Sherman Community Arts compilation CD was recently unveiled. Also did some publicity design for The Future Tips, a great Philly band that's been getting a ton of press lately.

Happy New Year, everyone. It has been awhile since I've taken the time to update my site. I guess that's a good thing because it means I have been busy. So, what's new? Well, I have started working with a few new clients that I am very excited about. A new Web site is in the works for Qbix Art Gallery, a great space in Philadelphia's acclaimed Old City gallery district. Then there is Environmental Action, a non-profit advocacy group working to keep Bush from destroying what is left of our forests, clean air and such. I redesigned their public outreach materials and we're working on a new brochure.

Recently, I completed work on a web site for Douglas Witmer, a wonderful artist, musician and café owner in West Philadelphia. I am just getting underway working with Heather Kropf, a Pittsburgh-based musican on her new site, too.

Finally, One Star Hotel has been rocking shows all around the area. We recently played to a blizzard in New York City at the lovely Living Room.

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!!!!

News updates are coming soon. Really.

:: May 2004 ::

I recently completed a web site for a campaign to protect our Gulf waters, called Save Our Seafood. It's a cool fundraiser where people eat at New Orleans-area restaurants which then contribute a portion of proceeds to the cause. Also, now working on campaign materials for the Democratic National Committee.

The future of arts and culture in Philadelphia are in jeopardy. Mayor John Street's proposed budget will eliminate nearly all funding to arts and culture institutions, from the Art Museum to small neighborhood cultural centers. The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is organizing a campaign to stop this from happening because the results will be disastrous for residents, businesses and tourism—not to mention arts and culture. And if you were at the recent rally in LOVE Park, I hope you noticed the nifty "Demonstrate Your Culture" posters and T-shirts I designed!

Oh yeah—my band, One Star Hotel, has just started work on our second full-length album. Look for it this September!

:: March 2004 ::

The new Direct from NYC web site is now online! This production company brings creative performers from New York down to Philly and building the site was a lot of fun. Also, development has started on Sera Soma's new site. Take a look at what we've got so far.

:: Jan 2004 ::

Happy new year! Looking forward to another great year working on some exciting projects. Recently completed a invitation for Bread and Roses Community Fund and now working with Direct from NYC and Sera Soma--two brand new ventures.

:: Nov 2003 ::

Under arrangement with About Face Type + Design, I am the new graphic designer for The Fallser, East Falls' monthly community newspaper.

:: Oct 2003 ::

I just entered a new freelance partnership with the acclaimed Abacus Studios! Located in Chinatown, Abacus Studios is part of Space 1026, Philadelphia's finest independent arts collective.

:: Aug 2003 ::

The new Clean Air Council Web site is open for business! One of my most ambitious Web projects to date.