Over at my day job at Version-X, we’ve got a cool event coming up next month at our Studio in North Hollywood. It’s a free Portfolio Review event where designers and artists can all come together to see each others’ work and network. I designed the poster and website for the event this week. Check it out and join us for a fun evening!

Disney’s GIANT new investment into their California Adventure Park is going to debut in just a few short months, now. I’ve been following the construction for the last two years on various blogs and when visiting the park and it’s really exciting to see Disney perform magic on this scale. A 12-acre expansion to an existing theme park is a serious commitment.

Recently, the put on display the HUGE scale model of the new Carsland project in the Blue Sky Cellar where they show off all kinds of concept art. This place is a constant source of inspiration for me as a graphic designer, from attraction posters to concept art to scale models like this one. If you have time, go check it out in person – it’s really great.

On a completely unrelated note, here are two random other shots that I’m posting just because.

It’s been a VERY busy few… make that several… weeks. We’re pretty slammed at Version-X and I’ve got way too much freelance going on at home, too. Lots of new projects happening, though. One of these days, maybe I’ll be able to update the portfolio. Here’s a peek at what’s been going on. Follow me over on twitter / instagram for more peeks at my day-to-day.

Toyed around with the new gear at Disneyland a couple nights ago. Here are a couple of snaps.

The moon was so bright and beautiful last night that I couldn’t resist taking a break from work projects to go outside and photograph it for a while. I shot this using a tripod and cable trigger on my Canon 7D with a 75-300mm EOS lens (no IS, hence the slight blur and need for sharpening in post). One of these days, I’d love to find somebody with a good telescope that I could mount my camera to for some nice, clean moon shots.

This week, over at my day job at Version-X, we were notified that some of our work won Gold in the Graphis Best In Design 2012 competition. The I.C.O.N. Product Brochure & I.C.O.N. Education Brochure that I designed were among the VX projects that received this award. Graphis is (The International Journal of Visual Communication) is a design magazine/journal which has been published since 1944. Each year, they also put out their Design Annual, which showcases some of the best design from the year. The book is available for pre-order now over at the Graphis Store. I’m excited to be able to play around with creative photography and printing techniques in my day job – I love what I do!

I’ve recently had the pleasure of establishing a brand new look for a favorite local LA hangout, Cahuenga General Store. After I came to the store (which is really a café) the first time, I fell in love with it and quickly became friends with the owner, Anita. She’s been in business for over 15 years, here in the Valley and she runs a business that feels really old-school and personable, which is so rare in LA these days. Like most small businesses, over the years, the place has changed a lot, with variations of the name, logo, menu, etc.

I really wanted this place to have a strong identity and a quality online presence that matches the quality you get in the store. Starting with the logo, I took a long time come up with many different type treatments, some hand-rendered and some derived from existing typefaces. In the end, I went with something that’s a mix of both. It has a vintage feel, but there’s still something contemporary about it.

The new logo is now slowly but surely being introduced to the store on new menus, business cards and even a new website. There’s a lot more in store for… the store in the coming months and I’m excited to have the opportunity to take part in it all. If you’re in the LA area, definitely stop by and check this place out!

About 3 months ago, my brother told me that he was going to propose to his long-time girlfriend and he asked that Mike and I be there to help him capture the moment with some photos and video. He decided to pop the question at her favorite place – Disneyland – which made for some really magical (yes, pun intended!) moments for the two of them. All in all it was a really fun day and I’m glad we were there to capture it for them.