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Art Tuesday: Making Art & Making Friends

Art Tuesday at The Specialist Works US and we are kicking off the week with making art and making friends.Our featured piece is Thomas Swoffords Making Friends, one of the newest additions to our office walls.Although artists may have unlimited resources for circulating their work today, the process of art making, at least in the traditional sense, has always been accompanied with solitude; time necessary for working on their craft. With few exceptions, being a Fine Artist is the most isolating of the core art forms. We think Thomas Swofford understands this and we like how he has chosen to depict it. The pen, in black and white, is the largest and most detailed subject of the piece; suggesting its authority to bring life to the drawings. The two animals are less rendered but are fully colored indicating that they are alive and the pen, while powerful, is merely a toolperhaps matching his opinion on art. All of this depicted in a greatly appropriate cartoon stylelike his opinion on art, its kind of fun, not meant to be taken too seriously.

Throwback Thursday: Spooky Scary Smirnoff

With Halloween coming up this month, we've got a number of spook-tastic content lined up for Throwback Thursday here at The Specialist Works US.
Wit usually comes from the combination of two pieces of information that don't immediately seem to be related. In this ad, Smirnoff uses the trend of drinking Bloody Marys in the spirit of Halloween to relate to their audience. Smirnoff also creates interest by flipping our immediate thoughts about monsters; showing Frankenstein sitting at the edge of the chair in fear of the drink underneath; a scared-y monster.  By taking the context of an old idea; flipping it; combining it with a trend; and relating it all to their product, Smirnoff creates a humorous, light-hearted advertisement that easily sticks with the consumer.
I know what were having for Cocktail Friday!

Octoberfest Cocktail Firday

Its Octoberfest Weekend here at The Specialist Works, so our Cocktail Friday is an obvious choice. Ritzenhoff Beer Glasses!  Traditions run stong around this widespread German holiday, and the use of our Rizenhoffs is no exception.  These fantastical artist-designed glasses are brought out each year to help us celebrate our heritage, but with a modern twist.  Each piece is vividly decorated with a design from a different artist.  Left to right we see Thomas Marutschke, Julien Chung, Sandra Kretzmann and Mark Oliver. Now we just have to wait until closing to see how it looks holding a nice rich lager.

60's Art Nouveau

Today for throwback thursday,we are throwing way back. Were still sticking to the 60s, 1860s that is, with the birth of Alfons Maria Mucha,the father of Art Nouveau.  Mucha had a tendency to use anything within the frame, including the frame itself, to decorate and bring attention to the main subject (which were usually pretty women in flowy drapey) and move the eye throughout the entire work. We just love his mixture of detail with areas of simple shapes and color to give the viewers a place for their eyes to breathe.In the piece we chose to highlight, Mucha has placed two young women seated at a table sipping their Heidsieck & Co. wine with their male companion; advertising the company name, founders and city of origin.At the Time of his death, Alphons style was considered outdated, but has experienced several art revivals throughout history. The 1960s had, arguably, the biggest Art Nouveau revival, bringing a new psychedelic element integrated into the style.Heres one for Alfons, his legacy continues to influence the fields of advertising to comic books, to graphic design and much more. 

I'd Beavery happy to help you.

Meyers-Briggs personality profiles are meant to inform us about ourselves and our coworkers.  Here at The Specialist Works US, we have an abundance of Beavers.  Good thing too, because Beavers are make good workers.  
Beavers are in the Creative and caring quadrant. They like to see the big picture, are imaginative, forward-thinking, organized, and hard working - occasionally Beavers neglect themselves in favor of being helpful, so they need looking after.  

We will be looking after our newest Beaver closely.  Artist Jon Deuschele from Zimbabwe was in the area and available to create this beautifully simple interpretation. Having never before seen this North American flat tailed semi-aquatic mammal, I think he captured it perfectly. Thank you Jon. Hop over to Instagram for a look @jondeuschle

Reduce Reuse Re: LOOM

're:loom employs and empowers homeless and low-income individuals through weaving beautifully-designed products out of recycled materials.'
We are lucky to find a home for our fabric remnants, but to know that they are making a difference in the lives of so many is an added boon. A quick drive by intern Liam, and our burden became another's blessing.  Thanks so much to Lisa Wise for her help in getting our fabric where it needs to be.  Check out www.reloom.org for more info on this great organization.

Sometimes it’s a Doodle

What art offers is space a certain breathing room for the spirit. -John Updike

Today is Wit and Wisdom Wednesday at The Specialist Works US and we are trying to push through hump day.
Things can get pretty hectic at TSWUS; sometimes you start working on one thing, and as the week goes by you find yourself working on multiple unrelated projects with each of them demanding your best efforts. Those days can quickly evolve into mayhem. What is there to do?
Sometimes the answer is writing down the random words from your stream of consciousness; messing up your hair and combing it back into place; finding different ways to arrange your notes; or a simple doodle. The most important thing is to do something that requires some level of effort, but no specific result.
Often times we think that art needs to be something grand or beautiful; true and timeless. But art can also be something we do to forget about where we are -- an escape. It doesnt need to be anything displayed in a museum or shown on the big screen. This art is the kind we make so that we may vacate from our daily demands and return with a new perspective on problem-solving.

Profit With A Purpose - RMC Round 2

At TSWUS we are always looking for ways to give back to the community that are meaningful and aligned with our corporate philosophy. Our local Ronald McDonald House is a perfect fit for both. Last week we collected items off of their wish list in honor of Stephanie's Weigle's birthday and delivered them this week. Our donation of snacks, laundry soap, individual dinners and cleaning supplies may not change the world, but it should help make a tough time better for the families that have to stay there. 
Pushing out good karma one donation at a time!

National Hug your Boss Day

an>It is Cocktail Friday at The Specialist Works US and it is also National Hug your Boss Day. Talk about an interesting mix.

Many studies have shown that having a good, positive leader can make all the difference in a working environment. Statistics tell us, that the majority of people leave a job more frequently due to not getting along with their employer; and that people working for a boss they enjoy tend to be happier, more productive and loyal, compared to people who work for higher pay with a boss they do not like.
Cultivating a constructive and progressive work environment is no effortless feat either. There is so much that we need to manage, organize, and maintain in order; all at once. In business especially, our work day is often times nowhere near finished when we leave the office and head home. It is a job that takes copious amounts of patience, leadership skills, motivation, and just plain heart.
So make sure to show your boss some well-earned appreciation, if not with a hug then at least with a cocktail, TSWUS style. Please remember to drink responsibly and hug your boss responsibly.

Wit & Wisdom Wednesday - Francis Quarles on Rest

"Put off thy cares with thy clothes; so shall thy rest strengthen thy labor, and so thy labor sweeten thy rest."
-Francis Quarles

It is Wit and Wisdom Wednesday at The Specialist Works US and today, were still not done with labor day. The three-day weekend provided us with some much-needed rest. It can be difficult sometimes to go from work to rest and then back to work again. It is often easy to forget about one while focusing on the other.

Having a balance between work and rest in critical, especially in business. Our greatest thoughts and ideas come when we are not focused on them; when we arent trying to force them. Inversely, knowledge without action is practically useless.

So while it may have been a quick holiday weekend, TSWUS is back and ready to get ourselves in gear.