TweetBlessed

Creative Spark owner, Jessa Wilcoxen, is graphically exploring blessings tweeted on Social Media. Contact her to be a guest artist. Tweet your blessings to #blessed

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http://tweetblessed.com/guest-artist-andie-rea-come-thou-fount-blessed

Guest Artist: Andie Rea’s Come Thou Fount poster

  In life, it’s easy for me to lose focus of God’s active presence and goodness that is always sustaining me and keeping me “afloat” in the sea of life – I wanted this piece to be a visual reminder of that.

THE  opening line of the classic hymn that inspired this piece is “Come thou fount of every blessing”. The author is comparing God to a fountain that is continually giving blessings. The rest of the song continues as the author tries to align his heart in a way that recognizes God as the giver of all goodness.

I chose to create a typographic piece that included all of the lyrics of the hymn, using the stanzas to create an ocean – symbolic of the “fount” and other water metaphors prevalent throughout the song. The typeface I chose was one of my own font designs. I chose this decorative script because I felt the connected letter forms further conveyed the “wave” look I was going for.

Floating on top of the lyrics is a ship. The ship is symbolic of myself continuing to sail forward in life, supported by the truth of God’s blessings keeping me afloat — although I am not always aware of it, He is the one sustaining me and propelling me ever forward.

Process

As a handwritten type-designer, I find my graphic design work is generally typography driven. In my work, I am always striving to maintain the incredibly gorgeous and unique atheistic of handwritten lettering – and seeing how far I can push my fonts in achieving a convincing handwritten look.

Copyright of the artwork belongs to Andie Rea. Contact her at [email protected] for usage and licensing. Visit her font shop, Fontique for a free download of this poster.

http://www.fontique.net/shop/come-thou-fount

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My Cup Overflows With Coffee Blessings

Through the storms of life, may the only thing brewing be your coffee.

- Irish Coffee Blessing

According to the world of Twitter, coffee is a serious blessing. Just in the last week there have been 254 tweets with the words “coffee” and “#blessed”. Some people celebrate coffee for the way it encourages one to pause and enjoy their surroundings or loved ones. Some use coffee as mediation device aiding in their study of God’s word and yet others simply celebrate coffee for what it is, a tasty cup of caffeine. I’m not sure if the beverage itself is a blessing, but in this fast paced world any mostly harmless tool that helps us revel in the moment is worth rejoicing.

Process

For this design, I began the creative process intending to use the “Blessed” hand lettering that I illustrated a few months earlier as an experimental exercise. After some reflection, I decided that I really liked the natural elements of the pencil on the paper and did not want to draw attention away from the rawness of it by vectoring my lettering. Instead, I illustrated a coffee cup to add a second hand drawn element to the poster. The vector patterns, shapes, and grid background were created to contrast with the illustrated elements. The words “With a Full Cup” were added as a subtle reference to Psalm 23:5 which states:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Consider buying a gift for the coffee lover in your life. The print is available on mugs, clocks, bags, shower curtains, rugs, prints, and laptop covers. Visit the store: http://society6.com/tweetblessed

Read the inspiring tweets: http://tweetblessed.com/cup-overflows-coffee-blessings/

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Guest Artist: Kristin Mudd

Creativity has allowed me focus, drive and purpose in my life.

Home: Memphis, TN Occupation: Freelance Graphic Designer Artwork: 5″x7″ Paint with Ink Stippling

How is it that I was born seeing beauty where others do not? How is it that I can create something from nothing? How is it that this talent, this gift has saved me from myself? I suppose I surely must be blessed. Simply put, if it were not for my gift of creativity I would be lost. Creativity has allowed me focus, drive and purpose in my life.

Process

This painted piece represents the creative process, specifically my creative process, showing the utter excitement, pitfalls and peaks of how I create. The center is inception, the beginning – ideas churning, moving, popping and fading. Then the solution bursts. It unravels and is sometimes choked by self-doubt, outside influences and other negativity. Parts of it survive and then thrive. It moves onward and outward until an outcome is met – a need is met. And that is where peace comes. It is done. But the creative mind never rests, never ceases to take in, expand and correlate. It is always on edge, looking for that next great inspiration, that next great connection that perhaps someday may prove useful. This is how I create. It is never ending – a beautiful, cataclysmic cycle that keeps me in motion.

Interesting Facts

A professor once stated that my strength as a designer lies in my ability to take a multitude of complex information and present it in a simple effective manner. I didn’t become a designer knowing this, thinking it or wanting it, but through my work, its something invaluable that I realized I always had.

I love to listen to people. Everyone has a unique story and I enjoy being surprised by the little things that give clues into a person’s soul.

Copyright of the artwork belongs to Kristin Mudd. Contact her at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

Read More: http://tweetblessed.com/guest-artist-kristin-mudd/

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Guest Artist: Beky Smith

My goal in creating this piece was to inspire hope and to celebrate a victory in her life.

About Beky Smith: Home: Madison, WI Occupation: Communications Director | Door Creek Church Fun Facts: I enjoy playing recreational soccer and snowboarding. I love people, puns, and Kid President.

Portfolio: http://www.trueyesmedia.com

The concept for this video was inspired by a friend’s Facebook status. The story God has been writing in her life is a beautiful one and this is a 30 second glimpse of it. My goal in creating this piece was to inspire hope and to celebrate a victory in her life.

Process

I would describe my design style as a balance between intentionality and openness. I am purposeful in the decisions I make, while still allowing for new ideas and moments to unfold naturally.

The video was inspired by Becky Ray’s Facebook status.Copyright of the artwork belongs to Beky Smith. Contact her at [email protected] for usage and licensing. Music by Eric Goetz “Remembering More Hopeful Times”.

Read More: http://tweetblessed.com/guest-artist-beky-smith/

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Guest Artist: Justin Smith

You are the anchor for my soul. You won’t let go.

Hometown: Jonesville, Michigan Fun Fact: I really like the Happy Tree Friends videos. Follow him on Twitter: @LikeALawyer

The quote says that God is the anchor to my soul, so I decided to use the words to create an anchor to symbolize this message. I also added a water splash effect to the poster to make the anchor seem as if it were being dropped into the water. The blue tones represent Heaven and the red tones represent the fiery soul. I chose this tweet because it’s a great saying and it also represents how I feel.

Process

My design style is usually something that’s rough and a little grunge, but I also really enjoy minimalistic design. Alex Pardee’s illustrations really inspire me, so I like to mimic how he uses lines, textures, and colors in my art. On the other hand, I also like simple and clean layouts.

The poster design was inspired by @benjaminfyler tweet. Copyright of the artwork belongs to Justin Smith. Contact him at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

http://tweetblessed.com/guest-artist-justin-smith/

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http://society6.com/tweetblessed/This-is-the-Day-Christian-Design_iPhone-Case

This design features an inspirational lake landscape with the phrase "This is the Day". The phrase comes from Christian hymn with the popular chorus: This is the day, this is the day. That the Lord has made, that the Lord has made. We will rejoice, we will rejoice, And be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day That the Lord has made.

Protect your iPhone with a one-piece, impact resistant, flexible plastic hard case featuring an extremely slim profile. Simply snap the case onto your iPhone for solid protection and direct access to all device features.

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http://tweetblessed.com/guest-artist-charley-phillips/

The concept of my piece was to combined one of my favorite Christian songs Mighty to Save by Hillsong and the essence of calmness to the poster. The song is soothing to me, so I did not want the poster to portray anything other than that. I was inspired to feature the song after viewing Anna How’s tweet on Twitter.

Process

My design style is adaptable. I have such a creative mind that once I am given a topic, I instantly have so many ideas I would like to do. I enjoy doing minimalistic yet detailed work throughout art. I am inspired by everything I see and hear. I was blessed to have such a creative soul.

The poster design was inspired by @annahowareyou tweet. Copyright of the artwork belongs to Charley Phillips. Contact her at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

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Prayers from Nicaragua

God’s greatest blessings are spiritual.

During January of 2014, I spent three weeks in Nicaragua leading a unique interterm experience which was comprised of teaching history, culture, and design to Greenville College students. During the ending two weeks of the trip each student used skills learned in his or her specific major and worked in an occupational ministry site under full time Students International staff. In each of these ministry sites students were given tasks to help improve the lives of those living in the poorest communities of the area.

While surrounded with poverty in Nicaragua, I never once thought to myself “I am more blessed than this group of people.” I simply don’t believe that is true from a Christian sense of the word “blessed.” God does not bless Americans with material goods more than those who are living in less developed countries. That would imply that Americans pray harder and in return God gives them more material blessings. I personally do not believe in the “prosperity gospel” as many of the strongest believers in the world are living in poverty every day. God’s greatest blessings are spiritual. However, I don’t have a problem with saying that I’m blessed when referring to a material good as I feel that in doing this I am acknowledging that all good things come from God.

So rather than praying for material blessings for those I was serving, I prayed to be more open to God. During my morning devotions on the mission trip I asked God to “Open the Door” to my heart and to “Fill me with your love” so that I could find the right words and actions needed to make another person’s life better in some way. I also prayed for focus so that I could hear his plans for me. Even though I was in another country, it was easy for my mind to wander back home and I felt that it was important that I put my whole self into the ministry work during the time I was in Nicaragua.

Once I returned to the states, students Kathryn Kelley, Fallyn Paruleski and I put on a campus gallery show titled “Masaya, Reflections from Nicaragua.” At this show we featured the design work we created for the non profit Students International and artistic pieces we created in response to our experience living and serving in Nicaragua. You can view some pictures from this event here: Greenville College Masaya Gallery Show and you can view photography from the trip here: Greenville College Visits Nicaragua.

Process

Since the gallery show was about my trip to Nicaragua, I felt it was important to find a way to use my prayers in a design. It was also important to me that the content would be something that the viewer would find uplifting. When I reflected on all of the devotions that I studied while in Nicaragua the verses Isaiah 41:10 and Matthew 7:78 came to mind. I paired these verses with my own prayers in a design that equally focused on typography and photography. I also wanted the gallery viewers to interact with the design and make the words their own in someway. This is why each of the designs were printed as a standard 2 x 3.5 business card and the line “This Prayer or Verse Will Guide My Life” was added to encourage the viewer to write something personal on the back of the card.

http://tweetblessed.com/prayers-nicaragua

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http://tweetblessed.com/guest-artist-jenny-ferguson/

When presented with the idea to create an artistic piece reflecting on blessings, I looked back over the past year of my life and realized that I have a lot for which to be thankful.

he icons at the top symbolize hardships: a dear friend died in a car accident, my dad shot himself, and my stepmom overdosed. The icons at the bottom symbolize my new marriage, graduation from college, a new house and a new church. The center of the poster shows an angelic figure transforming the bad into something good, which signifies my process of looking deep inside myself, questioning my faith and relationships, and finding peace and comfort. I realized that grieving is necessary for healing, and I used colors that reflect that dark process.

Process

When presented with a design problem, I first think about it over a cup of tea and sketch out a few ideas of my own. Then, I take to the internet and research what others have done to address this problem. I re-sketch and evaluate based on the client’s needs, then I make several similar versions to review after some sleep and perspective has developed.

Copyright of the artwork belongs to Jenny Ferguson. Contact her at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

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Guest Artist: Amanda Richardson

Guest artist of tweetblessed.com, Amanda Richardson, talks about the concept behind her Christmas #blessings inspired poster design.

When presented with a design problem, I begin by researching online and see what other designers came up with for similar problems. I limit my search to maybe three pieces. I do not want to model my work off others, but rather open my mind to different ways of thinking. I’ll also create multiple sketches (spending five seconds on each) to get an idea of how I want the final composition to look.

The blessing portrayed here is my being able to give a gift to a child through my church’s “Christmas Angel” program. I used a minimal style for this project because I felt that would best portray the blessing. Because James and I have never met and I do not know what he looks I created a silhouette image to represent him. The only detail on James is his smile because I hope I gave him that.

I chose to place him in an ornament not only to represent Christmas time, but to represent a spot light on that point in his life. I will most likely never meet him, nor be able to draw his name for next year. Just for this one instance I was able to make a difference in his life and it was completely worth every penny. Because I did this, he now has a nice winter coat to keep him warm, which is why there is snow everywhere but inside the red (warm) ornament.

The poster design was inspired by @AmaRich22 tweet. Copyright of the artwork belongs to Amanda Richardson. Contact her at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

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This past November I considered what I was thankful for. My spouse, family, health, and job were among my first thoughts. I viewed the #blessed Twitter stream during the few days surrounding Thanksgiving expecting to see many tweets about similar blessings. While I did see some of these blessings tweeted I was surprised to see dozens of tweets about pie.

Pie has been around in some form for thousands of years and it is no secret that Americans love their pie. For many of us, seeing a pie brings to mind family gatherings and happy times. So I thought to myself. Is pie a blessing?

The dictionary says being blessed can have secular meanings “enjoying happiness or bringing pleasure, contentment, and good fortune” and religious connotations “honored in worship and enjoying the bliss of heaven”. From a secular point of view, I imagine that many would agree with me that pie brings pleasure. But is pie a blessing from a religious standpoint? I know there are smarter theologians than I but I believe pie is a blessing, at least in terms of a Christian blessing. With Jesus as a model, it is a common Christian practice to give thanks to God before a meal. So why not give thanks for pie??

I was inspired to design this poster honoring our culture’s love for pie. I was so inspired that I ate a piece for breakfast and a piece for lunch today. I encourage you to take some time and have some pie!

Visit http://tweetblessed.com/pie-blessings/ to see all of the tweets about pie that inspired the poster.

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Guest Artist: Noah Henry

Guest artist of tweetblessed.com, Noah Henry, talks about the concept behind his #blessed inspired typographic poster design.

 I believe, as Christians, we should take a moment to pause and give thanks to Jesus for what he did for us on the cross.

I felt I could come up with something that is appealing to the eye by incorporating the Axial design principal and using hierarchy with the placements of the elements. This tweet resonated with me in a personal way. I believe, as Christians, we should take a moment to pause and give thanks to Jesus for what he did for us on the cross. I feel that this tweet reminds us that this does not take much effort or time and can be done with, three words, two seconds, and one moment.

Process

The idea behind my design decisions was to create a poster that would catch someone’s attention and draw them in to admire the craftsmanship for more than 10 seconds. Early in the process I decided to put the type on a slant. By doing this I felt it would be unique because this layout is not something you typically see.

The poster design was inspired by @LolaBashang tweet. Copyright of the artwork belongs to Noah Henry. Contact him at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

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Guest Artist: Storm Sharrett -

"I wanted my design to be clean and minimalistic."

I really like Asian culture, and Japan is somewhere that I have been wanting to go for a long time. So when I was looking for tweets for this project, I searched for anything related to Japan, and I found the one about bullet trains and I decided to use it. I find that it is usually easier for me to create something when I am passionate about it or familiar with it.

Process:

I decided that it would be cool to incorporate the Japanese flag into the piece, and discovered that I could basically turn the entire poster into the flag. For the red dot in the middle of the Japanese flag I made an illustration of a map of Osaka and constricted it to the space of the circle and made it red. I really didn’t want the words to take away from the flag at all so I made a little transparent drop down banner and confined the words to that space. I wanted the font to be very matter of fact, but still have an emotion to them, and I think that Helvetica Neue did the trick. The words are italic and I created the little bullet train graphic to move in the same direction as the italicized words. Then I added the #blessed to the bottom right corner to balance out the weight of the words.

The poster design was inspired by @qstormprowres tweet. Copyright of the artwork belongs to Storm Sharrett. Contact him at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

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Guest Artist: Bekah Dothager

http://tweetblessed.com/guest-artist-bekah-dothager/

"I enjoy creating designs that are colorful, inspiring, and meaningful."

I featured this tweet in my design because I like to admire God through nature. It captured my attention because not only is it simple and focused, it encapsulates how Creation is a reflection of God’s beauty.

Process

This design was originally extremely basic, with the tweet written once each rotation. For the background graphic, I only had one layer for each of the eight sides. The color scheme I initially worked with was a mixture of dark colors that blended well with white lettering. I have a love of bright colors, so as I was attempting to color the design, I decided to try incorporating all the colors of the rainbow. As I began to organize them, I decided that a colorful palette reflected how colorful nature is and would therefore benefit the composition of my overall design. I also wanted to add levels to each of the spokes on the background graphic, so I decided I could accomplish this best through darkening the colors in layers of three. Once the background was to my liking, I wanted to add a focal point, as well as depth, to the tweet itself. I repeated the tweet multiple times, changed #blessed to a different font, and varied the sizes of each side in order to create a point for a viewer to immediately focus on. I also added a gradient to the background in order to mute the colors slightly so the colors will not overpower the text.

The poster design was inspired by @_BruceDale tweet. Copyright of the artwork belongs to Bekah Dothager. Contact her at [email protected] for usage and licensing.

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#blessed #beautiful day icons

On August 14, 2013, I viewed tweets with the hashtags #blessed and #beautiful day. On that particular day there were hundreds of tweets about the beautiful weather as many people were enjoying their last few days of summer break. I picked a selection of tweets that I found to be unique or interesting and then created an icon based on each one.

http://tweetblessed.com/blessed-beautiful-day-icons/

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Consider buying one of these prints for the survivor in your life. Available in clothing, home decor, and more. See the store links below.

http://society6.com/tweetblessed/Breast-Cancer-Survivor-Kaleidoscope-Art-MS1_Print

http://society6.com/tweetblessed/Breast-Cancer-Survivor-Kaleidoscope-Art-bdv_Print

http://society6.com/tweetblessed/Breast-Cancer-Survivor-Kaleidoscope-Art_Print

http://society6.com/tweetblessed/Breast-Cancer-Survivor-Kaleidoscope-Art-Usq_Print

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. In the Twitter world the pair of phrases #blessed and #breastcancer appeared together in more than 25 tweets between October 1, 2013 and October 22, 2013. The #breastcancer hashtag appeared without #blessed over 1100 times during this same time period. Twitter users were feeling blessed to be a survivor, know a survivor or be able to donate to research and spread awareness. It was through these tweets, that I was inspired to create the four artworks below.

I  hope that these images can bring a sense of peace or pride for survivors. The colors and objects were chosen  to celebrate femininity and sexuality that is still present in survivors.

My design inspiration for these pieces comes from kaleidoscopes. I wanted to pair the symmetrical and balanced designs from this childhood toy with feminine objects that I owned. Womanly objects such as jewels, pearls, ballet flats, and beach hats were photographed and placed alongside of pink ribbons and breast cancer awareness products. In each piece I wanted the breast cancer ribbon to be near the center of the design.