Nina Goffi

Austin, TX

2011-10-25T20:50:00.000-07:00

New City Guide for Poets & Writers, Austin, TX. View all City Guides here: http://www.pw.org/city_guides

I loved the little bus so much, I added it to my website homepage: www.ninagoffi.com

Also, hurrah for blogger and their new designs! Haven't updated since 2007, and I thought it might just be about time for a spruce up or two :)

SKETCH:

Washington D.C.

2011-09-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Another illo for Poets & Writer's City Guides. http://www.pw.org/content/washingtondc

High Fidelity

2011-09-27T20:30:00.000-07:00

I know I've been slacking as of late from blogging, but for good reason; I've been busy! I'm going to take it one post at a time to spread out the fun. First up, a job from my alma mater, The University of the Arts, for their latest production of High Fidelity. An excuse to watch John Cusack acting a fool with Belle and Sebastian playing in the background? I'm in.

I experimented with cut paper with the unraveling tape, which was a much needed break from my dying laptop (hello imac next week!). I've been doing a lot of experimenting lately, which you will see in posts to come.

Next up: a new city guide, a t-shirt design for a Chicago youth regatta, and an

album cover for old friends.

NYC

2011-08-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

NYC City Guide was posted this morning: http://www.pw.org/content/new_york_city

I just got a fresh batch of guides to illustrate, so stay tuned!

Also, for fun on a slow, hot, July night:

Sometimes you just need to get something silly out of your system. Everything is so serious in New York I can hardly stand it!

City Guides

2011-07-20T19:27:00.000-07:00

For Poets & Writers, a new project called, City Guides. Thanks to this talented guy for recommending me for the job, and thanks to Suzanne for giving me so much freedom. The illustrations were fun to work on, but the research was twice as fantastic! This will be an on-going project, so stay tuned for new cities. So great to see this launched after waiting since January!

On a side note, I sent out a small batch of Promos this afternoon; bless the poor post office woman who helped me count stamps. Hope to hear from you soon!

On a final, final note, can we just bow our heads and appreciate Paper Presentation?

Tito's Vodka Spots

2011-07-01T14:11:00.000-07:00

I got lucky enough to whip up recipe spots for the Saveur website a few weeks ago. Illustrate Sriracha? Dream job! See the spots in action here.

I was also lucky enough to attend the 2nd Annual Saveur BBQ! So much delicious food, even tastier cocktails... need I mention Grey Goose popsicles? All of the ladies in the office did an amazing job putting everything together and I could not have been happier to join in! View photos from the event here. And view your devoted blogger up top courtesy of Metromix!

The Boy from Lam Kien

2011-06-24T17:24:00.000-07:00

Post graduation is a mix between extreme anxiety and utter bliss. On the one hand, freak outs are necessary (how am I going to pay my rent? What do you mean my BFA means nothing in the real world?). And on the other hand, I have lots of free time to cook my heart out, read on the subway, and design intern at my favorite food magazine, Saveur!

After weeks of not a glimmer of a freelance opportunity, I've decided to take matters into my own hands and work on personal projects. This illustration was inspired by a thumbnail back in October, my denied original senior thesis: Miranda July book review illustrations.

Some snippets from the short story (things I tend to hold onto when doodling).

"I was eating some of the inedible juniper berries when the door of Lam Kien opened and a little boy stepped out."

"I didn't want him to see I was the kind of person who wore hair gel, because I'm not, really. A friend left it here. Wouldn't it be nice? If I had a friend and she brought her hair gel over and she left it here?"

"He gave me a long, strange stare, and my mind bent like a spoon. Why would anyone want to sleep in the bed with me when they could have their own bunk, like on a ship?"

"He took out the hair gel and squirted a large amount into his hands and quickly pushed all his shiny black hair straight back and looked in the mirror. He looked like he was standing in a strong wind. We smiled at each other because it was such an incredible look."

"Mervyns said the bunk beds were only $499. The boy said he thought this was a very reasonable price. He said he would pay a million dollars for bunk beds if he had a million dollars."

On to the next story, on to the next illustration!

I am now available for illustration, design jobs, and making you dinner.

Another Round

2011-05-10T10:39:00.000-07:00

Summer cocktail, anyone?

This round is on me!

Saturday Plans

2011-05-08T23:06:00.000-07:00

I'll be moving to Brooklyn!

I'm so excited to settle down, set up a duo studio with my bearded other half, and grow herbs on the terrace.

Who's ready for Summer?

2011-04-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

I just want to sit in a patio chair and sip lemonade and gin. Who's in?

35 days left until graduation, and then Brooklyn bound. It's a very scary thing, to start fresh in a new city, but I think I'm up for the challenge. Portfolio review is in a mere week and I have an unexplainable urge to burn my entire portfolio. Is that natural?

detail. The noise was a happy accident from the acetone transfers.

Jobless, broke, and to boot, sick. Once tomato season hits, my life will realign.

Next up: Wine labels, Menu Designs, I promise!

ps: joined the twitter train.

Street of Crocodiles

2011-03-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

My first real crack at a book cover. I'm taking a class this semester with the assigned reading of Bruno Schulz's The Street of Crocodiles and was so excited with the imagery that I knew I had to work it into my portfolio somehow. If you haven't cracked the book open yet, I order you to read it cover to cover, preferably with a strong stout. I actually had a peer critique of, "Well, it is a little confusing because there are no crocodiles in it." OH MY.

a few initial sketches out of many (had way too much fun on this one).

The (most) unreliable narrator's prelude to his father, who is constantly on the verge of dying, dead, or transformed into something magnificent like a cockroach.

I wanted to use a limited palette of black, red, and white. Red and White for the Polish flag, to represent Schulz, and black to accompany the serious whimsy of the tales. The original back cover is also black, red, and white, and I didn't stray from the design as much as I'd like, so more book jackets to come in the next month!

detail (making those croc scales was so much fun! nail dipped in paint!)

Time to get serious. Things to look forward to: Open House poster, my first REAL REAL-LIFE freelance job, menu design, and possible logo! If anyone knows of any job openings in NYC, I'll be there in mid-may! I would also be open to any Brooklyn-related advice anyone has to offer. Does anyone want to be my, 'let's get coffee and gossip' friend'? I will seriously miss this girl and this girl (two of the most talented and fantastic people I know).

Also, BEST comment of my senior thesis came from two graphic designers who asked, while looking at my posters, when I dropped out of graphic design (a joke, but still, so wonderful!) I might need a Gill Sans tattoo soon. I blame Jessica Hische for everything; a brief lesson in type leads to a life-long admiration.

RECOVER

2011-03-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

Peter, Paul, and Mary (remix) click to enlarge

The back of the album read "modern folk" so I wanted to experiment with folk designs (mmm) and hint at the start of an adventure as the original cover does. The image up top is on the back of the original cover.

inspiration google image swatch.

original cover I was given

TrickGo presents "RECOVER: An exhibition of remixed albums covers"

Saturday, March 19 - 6:00pm - 10:00 pm

Trickgo Gallery & Boutique

1135 Pine St.

Philadelphia, PA

Participating artists include:

Jane Wojciechowsk, Nick Kulick, Steven Streisguth, Cerise Kacensky, Jonathan W. Francois, Leah Greenberg, Chrystal Shepard, Dustin Kemper, Steve Silvasy, Adam Smith, Troy Memis, Rachel Lesser, Chris Terrell, Alexi Fisk, JP Flexner, Ryan Fortney, Daniella Sansotta, Michael Smith, Kylie Hoffman, Dietrich Meyer, Mark Raymond, Brendan Mulvihill, Shirley Duncan, Jessica Nicho, Doug Kruger, Luis Angel Cancel, Nina Goffi, Lucas Leyden, Peter Erickson, Stephanie Smith, Matt Goold, Angel Ramos, Brad Haubrich, David Weeks, Anni Altschuler, Brianna Gilmartin, Courtney Brown, Kevin Wallace, Michael Storniolo, Emma Branson, Casey Catelli, Greg Regan, Brooks Bell, Sean MRG, Samantha Mera, Lauren Wrightson, and Mark Price.

Come ya'll. Also, Senior ELY Exhibition on Sunday in Hamilton Hall, from 3-5pm!

ELYS

2011-02-28T22:25:00.000-08:00

I've been sitting here for over an hour tapping on the backspace key and I still can't think of something concrete to say about my ELYS. Is it really over?

I chose to do four (20 x 30 in) theater posters for my thesis, concentrating on four contemporary plays (two plays of my random choosing and two recommendations). I really enjoyed working closely with the text (as always), and providing a graphic solution for each narrative.

Details

I really enjoyed experimenting with this project; I scoured Sherwin Williams for new texture-making toys and blew dust off my paint sets. Painting knots was pure zen.

The ELY reception is on March 20th. I've been working on a calibrated lab screen for this entire process, so be sure to let me know if the colors are incredibly washed out on a laptop (my eyes are doggin' it). Thank you to my peers who have been supportive in every which way and who I will be very glad to final - thesis toast at pint night tomorrow! Portfolio, ho!

Rabbits and Brides.

2011-02-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

The first assignment for my junior class (that I missed last year), Sequential Format. I was less than excited to hear that I had to take another illustration studio this semester (three is just far too many!), but I've decided to have fun with it and roll with the punches. I usually avoid drawing scenes, so this has provided yet another opportunity to push myself before graduation.

We were given a choice between six Grimm fairy tales; I chose the Rabbit's Bride. If you're interested in reading, the tale is quite brief. Read it here. The assignment was to illustrate the beginning, middle, and end of the story. This was my take.

I have to admit, the last illustration is a cop-out. Illustrating a straw doll, a marriage collapsing, a rabbit who thinks he is a murderer, and his ex-bride escaping was indeed a challenge. I kept it fairly light and I was surprised to hear my studio mates call it, "pretty." I'll take it! Marvin Gaye on pandora might be setting the mood.

My ELY poster was chosen for the judging round ( three students ). However, the teachers have refused to decide which one will reign supreme for the last week and a half. Stay tuned...

The Smoker.

2010-10-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

Senior Year thus has been an off-putting stew of out of season produce.

Nourishing, but boy, it tastes awful.

And so my only truly, "finished" piece this semester starts off as a sketch for Joe's second assignment. I chose to do a New York Times Book Review for David Schickler's The Smoker, one of my favorite short stories. You can read it here.

Sketch One (I have a very tiny thumbnail that looks exactly like this in three squiggles).

Sketch Two. (Unfavorable for this assignment, but will be reworked and used as my second design for screenprinting!)

During class, Joe suggested, or rather told me to get rid of that "tan color that does absolutely nothing" and go for something a little bolder. Leah (my studio neighbor) liked the orange.

A more final, but still final-sketch phase with color comps.

And wha-la! The finish after slight revisions.

(If you click to enlarge the image, the colors are almost right. Oh, blog).

Things to look forward to next on this particular blogosphere: Caprese salad prints, Anthony Bourdain looking dapper, Whole Foods Advertisement, a quick green editorial, doodles, and a poster that I might just lose my mind over.