Chris Blog: July 2013

Shuffle Concerts

Above is a logo I created for Shuffle Concerts, a series of curated performances at the Toronto Summer Music Festival (July 16-August 3, 2013). From their website:

Inspired by the Shuffle function on an iPod, these informal, eclectic sampler performances are pay what you can and feature Festival Artists, special guests and next-generation emerging artists performing a wide range of musical offerings. These short (45 to 60-minute) concerts include informal, eclectic sampler performances by Festival Artists, special guests, and next-generation emerging artists. Featured guests include: Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, Mark Fewer, the Cimbalom sensation Alexandru Sura, and more!

Be sure to check out the final three performances tonight, Thursday, and Friday night. Tickets available here.

I was completely enamoured by the Paris Métro system. Every time I saw a subway station, I was transported to another era.

There were two main types of entrances. The one pictured above was designed by Hector Guimard, and was heavily influenced by the popular Art Nouveau style at the turn of the 20th century. Part of their beauty is the high contrast between the heavy cast iron construction and the weightlessness of growing plants and organic forms. Guimard designed two variations of this entrance, with and without glass roofs (a roofed example here). 141 entrances were constructed between 1900 and 1912, of which 86 still exist.

The second type of Métro entrance is marked by red masts / totems, which came about in the 1920s. These signposts vary in the amount of decorative embellishment; the Val d'Osne variant (pictured below) consists of a globe-shaped lamp above a "Métro" sign, surrounded by an ornate cast-iron frieze.

Hector Guimard is also responsible for all of the beautiful features, including these stunning iron railings found at most stations. No detail was overlooked.

Underground, there is great variation from station - you can ready more about the historical styles here. Most are vaulted and tiled (like the one below). Almost all stations feature huge permanent poster frames, built into the arched walls.

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Paris 2013 - Architecture

Andrea & Matthew

A little lettering for Andrea and Matthew, who got married on Saturday, July 20. Below is a little sneak peek at the process work.

Congratulations!

Paris 2013

1119 photos, 14 days of perfect weather, 17 expressos, a lot of bread, 3 quiches, 2 lemon tarts... one amazing trip to Paris.

I have put together a blog of all the best photos and moments from our trip. You can check it out here:

http://paristopher2013.blogspot.ca/

Here are some highlights:

I will be posting tons of additional stuff on my blog over the next two weeks, including a full week dedicated to Parisian typography, signage and hand-lettering starting next Monday. Please stay tuned!