The goal was to create something unique in the yoga field, that didn’t have poses or lotus flowers like so many other studios. We wanted it subtly powerful and contemporary, with still a nod to the conceptual origins of the Eastern practice. The active green shade fading down to the solid steel color imbues a dynamic figure grounded at the base.

Here’s a shot of the exterior of the space. It’s an amazing 70-year-old brick building that faces a Fridays Farmer’s Market and neighbors the new Sushi Garden location.

The owners of the space, who told me it was once an old Baptist church, were highly inspired by the history of the mining town and some evocations from an era where music met craftsmanship. A member of their staff has one of the biggest antique radio collections any of us had ever seen, so the direction was clear to incorporate visual elements from what made them so classic and identifiable.

They recently repainted the building (it was a hideous hot dog color palette of ketchup red and mustard yellow) and you can just feel it hum with energy now… This shade of blue is close to what a friend and muralist Salvador Duran called “Frida Khalo Blue”. Check it out:

Under Consideration has featured Sparkroot’s menu boards and printed collateral on its renowned blog called Art of the Menu. I’m honored to be included with such amazing designers as OMFGCO., Nothing:Something, Pentagram, and Mucca Design. Sparkroot deserves the attention too; it’s such an inspirational space.

I am honored to be mentioned among other Tucson legends in the arts community, with whom I worked to organize Luz De Vida: A Compilation to Benefit the Victims of the Tucson Tragedy. The album was released October 18, 2011 on vinyl–featuring an amazing assortment of local talent–and as an extended digital download–with bands such as Spoon, Jimmy Eat World, Neko Case, Robyn Hitchcock, Ozomatli and more. I worked closely with James Tritten of Fort Lowell Records (the imprint it was released under) to craft artwork suitable for such a momentous and honorable project. I believe it conveys simultaneously a sense of remorse and longing for those lost on that fateful day in January, 2011, as well as a sense of hope and unity that our community has gathered around.

Check out more information about Luz De Vida at musicagainstviolence.org, see other releases by Fort Lowell Records, and buy the album via iTunes. The reviews have been very favorable!

Sparkroot owner, Ari Shapiro, and I sought out to brand Sparkroot in a way that comfortably presents the name and associates it with what you’ll experience inside the café. Since it is such a unique name, the challenge in tying it to an artisan, urban coffee/beer/wine space was ever-present.

The interior unabashedly presents you with a variety of textures, combining to give a fresh, yet familiar feeling, with a distinctly urban intention. There’s no mistaking Ari’s passion for handmade art, whether it be the silkscreened wood embedded in the floor, the wine barrel stools, or the fantastic variety of grill cheese sandwiches on the menu.

Saywells Design is responsible for Sparkroot’s visual branding development, website, menu, stickers, interior photography, and other collateral coming soon (coasters!)

I am proud to announce my Amos Lee poster will be featured in a new gig poster book called The Wall Book. It will be released next week in eBook form, and hopefully get published down the road.

I’m honored to be among such fantastic designers as Aesthetic Apparatus, Jason Munn, Concepcion Studios, Status Serigraph and 80+ others.

I’ll let you know when and where you can purchase the book. Thanks to Tom Booth for my inclusion!

For the past 13 months, I’ve had the privelege of working with Ari Shapiro (founder of Xoom Juice) in crafting the visual branding for his new downtown artisan café called Sparkroot. The new website is currently under development, built on the WordPress platform. Stay tuned to late July for launch!

This month’s issue of Zócalo Magazine has a great profile on the upcoming coffee shop/eatery/beer & wine bar. Read it here, or grab it at many fine establishments downtown.