Recommendations: Spring!

It’s finally here! After a few solid weeks in the screen print lab, we have finally finished our next print series, Recommendations: Spring. It is a five print series at 15×20, each print has at least a 4-8 color run throughout.

(Recommendations: Spring, Floral Costume)

The Floral Costume print was spurred by our belief in the power of costume! When doing mundane tasks such as cleaning, by donning a floral print or a special piece of jewelry one can transform themselves and the situation into something much more fun and fanciful:).

(Recommendations: Spring, Plans)

Spring is a time for planning and list making. What will be planted in your garden this year? What trips will you take over the summer? But we took the list-making aspect to a whole new level, making a fantasy list of ideal things and situations we’d love to see happen over the warmer months.

(Recommendations: Spring, Treasures)

In old folklore tales, it is said that when you plant something that is treasured by you and you make a wish, your wishes will come true. There can’t be any hurt in trying!

(Recommendations: Spring, Spring Blossoms)

When walking around the neighborhood, taking a closer look at spring blossoms on bushes and trees not only opens your eyes and nose to the sights and smells of spring, but also keys you in to possible foraging sites for fruit, nuts, and berries in the summer. Next time you walk your dog, keep your eyes peeled for blossoms, you could have some fresh fruit on your hands in a few months!

(Recommendations: Spring, Rain)

You know the conversation that goes something like this: “Oh, that’s gorgeous! Where did you get/see/learn of/buy that?” “Oh, it’s European,” aka: always cooler. We thought a play on this cultural phenomenon (maybe it’s more east coast than west coast) was appropriate (and funny) with how much it rain’s here in Portland. Rain not necessarily being something thought of as especially cool, we thought, why not make it cool? After all, we have a lot of it! It also rains a lot in many western European countries, and Portland has been dubbed the European City of the United States, go figure .

Here’s our blurb on the series:
The Creative Force for Efficiency and Morale celebrates the state of mind the spring season offers in Recommendations: Spring. In this bold and colorful series of hand-drawn, silkscreened prints, traditions of the season such as spring cleaning, planting seeds, and getting rained upon, are approached with humor and infused with self-made ritual. The founders of The Creative Force, Tricia Martin and Chelsea Heffner are interested in the power of creative psychology to transform everyday experiences. This Portland, OR based team works on collaboratively with other artists on projects, events and experiences that offer entry points to complex concepts such as place, memory and ritual.

They are for sale in my shop (see right column here on my blog for a link), under the name of Chelsea’s and my design collective, The Creative Force for Efficiency and Morale. Hope you are feeling spring where you are! Have a great day!

(Making Plans detail)

(Floral Costume detail)

(Treasure’s detail)