Hi Friends and Family, greetings once again. Can you believe that we’re fast approaching Autumn? This year is “Zooming” by. To quote Johnny Nash, “I Can See Clearly Now.” We’ve made a great deal of progress in so many ways. With travel opening up, Shay and I took Palomino Duck and Smooth Flight to new heights as we greeted our neighbors to the north (Canada, that is) and introduced our music to a new audience. We were warmly received. The Rocky Mountaineer train ride, the beauty of Butchart Gardens, and the stunning vistas of Lake Louise will long be remembered. Let me know if you’d like to see some of the pictures. A few were released on FaceBook.
Our featured Smooth Flight artist this month is indeed an artist. He’s our graphic designer, Trevor Irvin. Trevor, aka Trevor Stone Irvin, is a well-respected artist residing in the Atlanta area. He has over 45 years of experience in illustration and graphic design. Since graduating from the Ringling School of Art and Design (Sarasota) in 1977, he has served as a staff illustrator for the Atlanta Constitution and CNN. He has created numerous logos and artwork for major corporations as well as designs for the 1984 LA Olympics, the 1990 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, and the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. His creation of “Blaze” for the 1996 Para Olympic games is still being used today. Trevor has also shared his talents by teaching and creating programs for the Dekalb County School System.
Here’s our Q&A with Trevor:
Q. In 1994, you were challenged with the task of creating a graphic image of a “Palomino Duck.” No one had heard of or seen such a creature. Your artwork would become the CD cover and image for First Flight, the initial release for this talented group of composers/musicians. What did you think and where did you start?
Trevor: Well, it started with a phone call from Tim, who conveyed that he and Sharyn had seen this strange-looking duck land on a lake they were visiting in New Bern, NC. Sharyn’s description was that it was brown with white spots. Ok, I told her that would be an “Appaloosa” duck. That didn’t work – it had to be a “Palomino” duck. So, I dropped the spots and made it “palomino” brown. On a lot of calls from clients their ideas just don’t work. Once Tim, Sharyn, and I agreed on the direction, I put it on paper and it created itself. Voila, it was magical – Palomino Duck’s First Flight.
Q. Each of the three Palomino Duck CDs, First Flight, Free Flight, and their latest, Smooth Flight, have a different look yet they’re varying degrees of the same “flying duck.” Can you comment on the artistic necessity of each piece of art having its own individuality?
Trevor: Every album cover wants its own feeling and structure to reflect the music inside. Sharyn had specific ideas about the artwork expressing the mood of the album. Her words made it into art for each of the albums.
Q. With the declining demand for the physical CD, how are you handling the “streaming” of music?Trevor: Musical product still needs a face. With a CD, the marketing was in record stores or on billboards. Image is part of the marketing so you’ll still have to have a picture of the artist or artwork to help with the musical “package.” It’s part of the hook. The major difference for me is that I now do art on a computer. I’ll start with a sketch then take it to my WACOM tablet and use Fresca by Adobe for the finished product. It was an adjustment but, just like the musical recordings, I had to adapt.
You can see much more of Trevor’s work at irvinproductions.com
Courtesy Planet Earth Recording Co.
