Entries published in November 2007:

Issue 143 (December 2007) of Computer Arts magazine includes HOMEOPIN and DAMSEL AT SEA in a feature called Designed for Life.

The possibilites to customize your life are endless. Black tea with sugar, two spoons, three spoons - as many as you like. In your mind, you live many lifes, not just one. All the things you are not, play out sooner or later; right before your eyes, with which you look inside. The Circus is the great escape, bringing all together. The little prigs and the bold kings. All the things you are.

Just take a look at the most recent Shufflesome edition, featuring artwork by designer and illustrator Vincent Fraser. His design CIRCUS is a tale of a travelling circus, with a king and clowns. In a tree above a field of vibrant orange daisies and daffodils sits a little owl, "the surveyor of chaos, the herald of revolution and a more enlightened existence". Vincent writes, "I enjoy the process of doing it and not knowing exactly what you're going to end up with". Read my chat with Vince for more clues about his intuitive approach. CIRCUS is exemplary of his often rich and overflowing compositions, of which some turned into adverts for Chrysler, Bacardi, O2 and Nike, among others.

About Vincent Fraser
Based in West London, Vincent specializes in digital illustration ranging from 2d vector work, photo-montage, image-manipulation and 3d modelling. He has nine years experience in the field of digital arts. He describes his style as contemporary with various influences including the 70s and urban culture. Read on for details.

It's two days after i released two more of Vincent Fraser's designs into the wide open space. CIRCUS is one of them and it keeps floating back into my mind. I had to ask Vincent some questions about it.

Alex: The CIRCUS - with which element did you start composing this design?

Vincent: I usually have a rough idea in my head beforehand - then it’s a matter of gathering various elements together to use in the design. Once that's done I begin experimenting with different compositions until I'm satisfied with the result. So I guess I don’t start with any particular one element - it's more a combination of elements fused together, but if I was, it would be the background to set the mood of the whole illustration.

Alex: What was your rough idea that sparked into the bloom of CIRCUS? If you say it was no more than a mood, i understand, but was there more involved - an intention?

Vincent: Well, I wanted to create something that was quiet surreal and give the viewer something to think about - kinda like it’s telling a story I suppose. This was my initial intention so the clown and the field of vibrant orange daisies and daffodils really were the starting points followed by the vector tear drops in the foreground to give it that travelling Circus theme.

Alex: During composition, what entered onto the scene first - the clown or the owl?

Vincent: Definitely the clown :)

Alex: Does the owl carry the key to unlock the hidden treasures in the field of daisies?

Vincent: The owl is the surveyor of chaos, the herald of revolution and a more enlightened existence.

Alex: Chaos. Should this design be worn in protest to the day-to-day juggle?

Vincent: Is the day to day juggle something to be protested? or celebrated……it depends on the perspective of the individual.

Alex: What remedy do you recommend to conquer clownish misery in this world?

Vincent: Look for the beauty in everything.

Alex: A few days ago, Cirque Du Soleil launched the ONE DROP Foundation (onedrop.org). Isn't this amazing?

Vincent: I think it’s a great idea and I hope it will bring public awareness to the serious water issues around the world.

Alex: I think it's wonderful conceptually that the Circus - the arena of individual artistic expression - has been Cirque Du Soleil's starting point to enable such efforts from which we all can benefit. I hope i'll catch one of their shows.

Vincent: Oh definitely maybe we can go together - I think they open on January 6th 2008 at the Royal Albert Hall if your interested?

Alex: I am. I dream of a city with sideshows on every corner. Would you join me on a crusade to force municipal authorities to give up the streets to seriously funny people?

Vincent: I will be at the forefront with all the other graphic pimps!

Alex: Great, i'll bring the armor. By the way, do you juggle a lot?

Vincent: Without a doubt (lol) At the moment I'm juggling baby nappies with pantone colours!

Alex: Baby nappies ... thats's something else. Is this going to be an ad?

Vincent: Hmmm....an ad sounds good I'll bear that in mind.

Alex: When did you start designing?

Vincent: It’s been about ten years now in terms of digital art but if we include my whole design background then were looking at fifteen years at least. I originally came from an Interior Design background so the progression to digital illustration was a natural one.

My main goal is trying to use my experience and combine both disciplines to create something new - similar to what KinkyForm are doing at the moment.

Digital print technology is evolving so quickly it’s allowed new doors to be open for artists to present their work in many different formats never thought possible a few years ago.

Alex: That's right - and i thank you for enriching the Shufflesome collection with your art! By the way, i will be releasing yet another design with Vincent Fraser's art - next weekish.

Check out Vincent Fraser's portfolio at talentdatabase.com.
To wear his art on your Shuffle, choose from among his Shufflesome designs.

The prolonged USD depreciation against the EURO leads me to periodically adjust prices and postage rates, which means that I raised the US dollar prices slightly. I allow the dollar's conversion value to range within a certain band, but do adjust prices when it falls below a certain threshold. You may wonder why I do not simply state the price in EUR and let PayPal handle any currency conversions. Why do I set the US dollar price myself, next to the price in EUR?

Without going into detail about shopping cart systems and usability, the price expressed in two currencies (EUR, USD) serves to make clear at first sight that i support international orders. So far i have received orders from people in 42 different countries. 40% of all Shufflesome orders do not originate in the European Union, of which 73% originate in the United States.

I assume that people prefer to purchase in the currency they are familiar with. I do, and learning about the USD price upfront is more convenient than receiving a quote in USD somewhere during order processing.

By buying in USD at a price that i determine, you are at no disadvantage compared to using PayPal for the conversion. On the contrary, since the dollar's value in terms of EUR is declining and i am adjusting the USD price only periodically, you buy at a favorable rate. Second, you do not loose a fee to PayPal that is charged for currency conversions.

I certainly would like to integrate an option on the order page that retrieves a PayPal quote in any currency, based on the country you choose. I do not see this option in other online shops and there must be a reason. Anyways, if you know how to do it, contact me. To keep things simple and pragmatic, setting the USD price myself is a fair treat.