The Battle of Writing and Design

Artwork by Devin Battle 1

2008-12-18T22:19:00.000-08:00

Devin is my oldest son and loves to draw, sketch, and paint. He drew these illustrations on the computer in the Paint program using only a mouse.

Artwork by Devin Battle 2

2008-12-18T22:13:00.001-08:00

More of Devin's drawings. The first is based on the video game box Grand Theft Auto. The second drawing is his rendition of Scarface.

Artwork by Devin Battle 3

2008-12-18T22:03:00.000-08:00

All of my kids like to draw. Devin really enjoys drawing on the computer using a regular mouse. He's very talented.

The Evil Sea Witch Ursula

2008-12-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

This is Ursula The Evil Sea Witch. This is a cookie jar in my kitchen. Of course when this movie came out I got teased for weeks.

Odd Items

2008-12-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

This is a liquor bottle from Russia. I brought it from a Silent Auction a few years ago. Yes, that's a gold tooth in the front of his mouth. I keep this nifty little bottle in my China Cabinet. I like unique items and I thought this really fit the bill.

The Drinking Chef

2008-12-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

This chef likes to drink. He sits atop a cabinet in my kitchen.

Forgotten Comics 1

2008-12-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

I was looking for some papers on Thursday morning. Lo and behold, I came across a collection of old comics. I had completely forgotten about them. My mother gave me these about a year ago. I used to love to read comics book when I was a little girl. I mean I literally would read them for hours. I enjoyed the colorful illustrations and the great stories. I used to read all of the ones pictured above. Ritchie Rich was my favorite.

Comic Books

2008-12-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

I also used to read the Archie Comics when I was a kid. I enjoyed the stories and the artwork. I didn't think the cartoon they came out with that was based on the cartoon was that great. This is a portion of a strip from Archie and Friends.

Forgotten Comics 2

2008-12-18T21:13:00.002-08:00

Talk about a trip back down Memory Lane. I also came across these comic books as well. I used to enjoy reading the Woody Woodpecker comic books as much as I enjoyed him on television. Richie Rich was my favorite comic book as a child.

Forgotten Comics 3

2008-12-18T21:03:00.000-08:00

I also came across this Smurfs comic book. I used to love to watch the Smurfs. The characters were funny and interesting. I also thought the colors that were used were outstanding in the cartoon. I also read a few Smurfs comic books back in the day. Some of my favorite characters were Smurfette, Jokey, Papa Smurf, and Gargamel.

Christmas Play

2008-12-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

I wrote a Christmas comedy that was presented at my church last December entitled, Widows In the Hood. We will be presenting the play again this Sunday. The play is based on I Kings 1-16 in The Bible about a widow who shared her very last bit of food with Elijah. My son Devin who is pictured above is playing the role of Elijah. All are welcome.

Designing with Topiaries: Part 1

2008-12-16T19:55:00.000-08:00

I just love to work in the yard. My favorite trees are topiaries, which I love to trim and shape in the summer.

My sisters have dubbed me "Miss Edward Scissor Hands."

Gardening is therapeutic for me.

Desiging with Topiaries: Part 2

2008-12-16T19:48:00.000-08:00

These are two of my favorite trees. These two topiaries are in my back yard. I always liked working in the yard and planting things, but my mom was the one that got me interested in topiary trees. I think they are lovely.

Bathroom Redesign

2008-12-16T19:35:00.000-08:00

I am curreny smack dab in the middle of having my bathroom redone. This is what I'm looking at right now. I got so tired of my old bathroom, which was in dire need of a facelift. This project got underway about three weeks ago. I'll post the finished bathroom once it is complete.

Wax Figures

2008-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Can you believe the first man pictured above is a wax figure? His name is Thomas W. Dortch. On Monday morning I visited the Great Blacks in Wax Museum located on E. North Avenue. This museum is truly fascinating. These figures are a great form of art. Typography is also used to convey information about the exhibits. The museum is raising money for a likeness of President-Elect Barack Obama, which will be revealed early next year.

Wax Figures

2008-12-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

It's really amazing how life-like the figures are at the Great Blacks in Wax Museum. Pictured above are the founders of the clothing company FUBU. The second wax figure is the late homeless advocate Bea Gaddy who started the famous Bea Gaddy Thanksgiving Dinners.

Two Famous Lewis' in Wax

2008-12-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Two Baltimore Lewis' are also remembered in wax. This is the late Reginald Lewis, a native Baltimorean and basketball star, who played for the Boston Celtics.

This is the late Reginald F. Lewis, an entrepreneur who founded TLC Beatrice International Holdings.

Christmas Spirit

2008-12-15T14:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of my nine-year-old daughter with Santa. The photo and Christmas decorations are on a table in my basement.

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

Since the kids did finish the tree, I am trying to get some other things up around the house before the holidays. I really love decorating for Christmas. I am juggling this around my revisions. Frosty playing the piano was a gift that was given to my daughter a few years ago. I really like lighted Christmas houses. Three of them are above.

Merry Christmas Update

2008-12-15T13:56:00.000-08:00

When I arrived home from class on Saturday, I received a major surprise. My daughters had decorated the Christmas tree! Lights, tinsel, Christmas bulbs and all! I couldn't believe it. It was a far cry from the photo of the bare tree I had just posted that morning. Even Santa and Frosty The Snowman are in place now.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-13T05:34:00.000-08:00

I know my tree is bare. I haven't had a chance to decorate it. Frosty The Snowman and Santa are sitting on the floor because I haven't had a chance to set them up yet. Once my daughter and I decorate the tree, I'll take a picture and post it on my blog.

Project 7: How-To Manual

2008-12-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

For Project 7, I am doing a How-To Book geared towards females entitled, "How To Hook-Up Your HDTV." The manual features a character by the name of "Helpful Helen" who gives instuctions throughout the book.

Show and Tell: Collections

2008-12-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to share this other as well. The jersey is a Shaun Alexander (Seattle Seahawks) jersey. I'm not seeing much of Shaun Alexander these days. He used to be a pretty good running back.

Show and Tell: Collections

2008-12-10T21:55:00.000-08:00

I really love sports. Basketball and football are my favorites. I love to collect sports memorbilia. They include a Juan Dixon figure, a Cal Ripken Wheaties box, sports glasses, and baseball, and a football signed by some of the Baltimore Ravens. GO RAVENS!!!

Show and Tell: Collections

2008-12-10T21:38:00.001-08:00

This is a photo of a New York Giants football signed by Jeremy Shockey.

Show and Tell: Collections

2008-12-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

I used to love to collect clowns, and really like extravagant ones. While I no longer collect them, I like to buy unique items with jester or clown-like attributes. The photo of the three clowns are among those I have collected over the years, or were given to me by my mother.

The clown with the purple beads around his neck is sitting on my bedroom dresser. One of my favorite pieces is the clown with the three bells hanging down. This is actually a jewelry box and stands close to 2 feet tall.

Show and Tell: Unnecessary Instructions

2008-12-10T11:20:00.000-08:00

This was another example of a product I came across in my home with Unnecessary Instructions. These are Mickey and Minnie Mouse salt and pepper shakers.

The instructions say:

Not recommended for microwave or conventional ovens.

Show and Tell: Unnecessary Instructions

2008-12-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

I shared this unnecessary instructions example in class. These instructions were on a bottle of shampoo. I thought that the section which says "A timer may be used" was unnecessary. I would think that the user would know to use a timer, watch, or other device if they decided to do so to keep track of the three minutes.

Show and Tell: Unnecessary Instructions

2008-12-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

I found several examples of unnecessary instructions that I shared in class on a website called jardMail. Examples included:

On a blanket from Taiwan:
Not to be used as protection from a Tornado

On a package of airline nuts:
Open package, eat nuts

On Sainsbury peanuts:
Warning - Contains nuts

On a Swedish chainsaw:
Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals

On packaging on an iron:
Do not iron clothes on body

On a Sears hairdryer:
Do not use while sleeping

To read more examples of Uneccessary Instructions on jardMail's website, go to
http://www.jardmail.co.uk/factslists/instruc.shtml

Which Morton Salt Umbrella Girl is Your Favorite?

2008-12-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

New (1968- )
Old (1933-1941)

Show and Tell: Products with Interesting Stories

2008-12-04T13:12:00.001-08:00

Zatarain's makes a variety of New Orleans cuisine-style products which includes Jambalaya. The packaging immediately makes you think about The Big Easy and the delicious food that they are known for. The side of the Zatarain's box has a short story about the product, which goes like this:
This easy-to-prepare dinner mix has just the right blend of ingredients for a great tasting, authentic New Orleans style meal. Zatarains has been the leader in authentic New Orleans sytle food since 1889.
So when you want great flavor, Jazz It Up with Zatarain's!

Show and Tell: Products with Interesting Stories

2008-12-04T12:58:00.001-08:00

There's an interesting story behind the Morton's Umbrella Salt Girl. The Morton Umbrella Girl first appeared on the table salt packaging in 1914. In 1911, Morton’s first advertising campaign for a series of ads in Good Housekeeping created the idea for the girl and her slogan, "When it Rains it Pours." The slogan is still used today.

Since 1914, there have been a total of six Morton Salt Umbrella girls. The package that I brought in for Show and Tell is a commemorative package and pays tribute to the 1933 Morton Salt Girl.

The package read: "The third Morton Salt Umbrella Girl was on our package from 1933 until 1941. In the post depression years, jazz was king. And as it reigned, our little girl poured. "

The newest Morton Salt Umbrella Girl, which is the second image above, was introduced in 1968, and has been used on the packaging every since.

Show and Tell: Favorite Words

2008-11-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

These are some of my favorite words. I use some of these words a lot. I chose the others based on liking the way they sound, how they make me feel, or how effective they are in creating a visual mental picture.

Eclectic
Metamorphosis
Fresh
Creative
Dream
Hypothesis
Dag
Win
Spiritual
Overcome
Vacation
Paradise
Calm
Life
Crazy
Design
Creative
Imagine
Prayer
Symbolic
Goal
Accomplish
Cartoon
Risk
Excitement
Discombobulate
Spontaneous
Comical
Adventurous
Luxurious
Luxor
Vegas
Island
Rush
Colorful
Mimic
Lush
Hippy
Tipsy
Cantankerous
Amazing
Run
Hoochi
Different
Edgy
Simultaneously
Craft
Freak
Idea
Start
Finish
Completion
Unknown
Infinite
Pisces
Karma
Beyond
Patience
Serendipity
Outrageous
Unique
Brash
Confident
Odd
Texture
Cocky
Tone
Love
Determined
Tenacious

Show and Tell: Typography

2008-11-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

This Energizer battery ad uses typography to appeal to music listeners looking to boost up their battery power to listen to their tunes longer. The combined use of serifs and sans serifs also adds to the appeal of this ad which appeared in the October edition of Rolling Stone Magazine.

Show & Tell: Narration

2008-11-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

These narrative examples come from the children's book, Miss Nelson is Missing! The book is written by Harry Allard and James Marshall and is about an elementary school class who is always misbehaving. They take their teacher Miss Nelson for granted until she doesn't come to school one day. They don't like their new teacher Miss Viola Swamp. This book is very entertaining, and has great illustrations. My daughter loves this book.

Group Story Assignment

2008-11-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

This was the story that our group put together
using just scissors and colored construction
paper. This assignment was fun and informative,
and allowed us to work as a team to tell a story
without using words. The story reminds me a
lot about life. You reach for the top not
knowing what might be waiting on the other side.

Show and Tell: Classification

2008-10-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is a spread from In Style magazine that I selected for the Show & Tell portion of the Classification Assignment (Project 4). The article poses the question: What kind of girl are you? Categories include All about Skin; Hair-focused; The eyes have it; You crave color; You're brave enough for burgundy; and You're not afraid to go nude. Each category includes celebrities who fall within each of the categories based upon their facial appearances and hairstyles, and samples of products used to achieve these looks.

Show and Tell: Call to Action

2008-10-10T10:17:00.000-07:00

This is a call to action ad by The We Campaign, which encourages people to switch to clean electrity such as the wind and sun to cut down on dependency on foreign oil and to address the nation's worsening economy. The We Campaign was founded by former Vice President Al Gore, and ultimately seeks to solve the climate crisis.
http://www.wecansolveit.org/

Great Article!

2008-10-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, I really like Success Magazine. My blog contains the cover from the November 2008 edition. I wanted to share the Publisher's Letter, which was written by Darren Hardy who is the Publisher and Editorial Director for this publication. It is on page 6 of the November edition.

Project 3: We Want You!

2008-10-10T09:21:00.000-07:00

Meet my youngest daughter Asha. She is going to be featured on my poster portion for Project 3: "We Want You." My call to action will be getting Maryland voters to vote "Yes" in favor of Question 2 on November 6, which is the slots referendum to avoid raising taxes and cutting needed services.

Plays, Etc...

2008-10-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Last month, I presented a play at Coppin State University called "DisChord In The Choir" It was great. The play received a great deal of media attention and was very well-attended. Trying to balance my classwork with the play, family, etc., well, you get the picture, was tough. But, I made it through. If you would like to learn more about the play, or would like to see the great commercials that aired advertising the play, please visit : http://dischordinthechoir.com/

No Inspirational Drippy Junk: Favorite Sentences

2008-10-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

I picked up a copy of the November 2008 edition of Success Magazine for this class, and came across some great sentences. Although this was the first time I read the magazine, I found it to be highly informative and inspirational. Particulary, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur.

"Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.
--Oprah Winfrey

"Reflect upon your present blessings, of which every man has plenty; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some."
--Charles Dickens

My Writing Station

2008-10-02T13:46:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my home. This is my workstation. This is where I write my plays and work on my class assignments. This is where I have sat many evenings contemplating about the assignments for this class and others and wondering how in the world I am going to get them completed in time.

This is a great room to create and work. I love sunlight. During the day, I love to open the blinds, and let the rays beam down on this room. It seemingly creates a sense of calm and welcomes a more soothing enviroment for creativity.

That is... until my kids enter! There goes my thought!

Director's Scene

2008-10-02T13:44:00.000-07:00

As you know by know, I love to write plays. I have set-up this little shelf in the den of my home. This also inspires me to keep writing and creating. One of the things I am enjoying about Words & Images, is that the class pushes the boundaries of creative thoughts to another level. The norm is not acceptable, and that's a good thing.

Money Does Grow On Trees

2008-10-02T13:40:00.000-07:00

This money tree was presented to me by members of my cast. I have already begun to pluck the fruit from it.

Show and Tell: The Teachers' Lounge

2008-10-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is an image of an apple that was created for a play that I wrote that was performed in Baltimore called "The Teachers' Lounge." I presented the play in Baltimore in 2002. The letters, which spell out "The Teachers' Lounge" have faded quite a bit with the passage of time. The Teachers' Lounge apple really inspires me to keep writing. A gentleman by the name of Mr. Floyd Barnes came to see the play and loved it. In addition to writing to two local papers to share his opinion about the play, Mr. Barnes also presented me with this apple. He passed away about two years ago. While the letters that Mr. Barnes handpainted on the apple may have faded, his memory has not. I continue to be inspired to continue writing plays each time I look at Mr. Barnes' little token, which I have dubbed, "The Teachers' Lounge Apple".