PC in NY.

There was about 30 of us PC graduates in New York last Friday for the annual Portfolio Review. Our school sponsored event invites industry professionals from all across the states out to Manhattan for a one-on-one look at the portfolios of recent graduates. I was thankful enough to be included in that mix of students.

We gathered at the Society of Illustrators at 128 E. 65th St. between Park and Lexington, on the 3rd floor in a unique library room setting. It started out in two rooms with about 11 tables and 30 students, a very intimate setting. By the end of the day, it was quite possible you could present the work of the person sitting (standing) next to you. For 8 hours, designers, creative directors, vice presidents, freelancers, headhunters, and art directors strolled through the rooms browsing through portfolios and inquiring about each and every one of us. I presented my 10-17 minute spiel roughly 18 times that day. It was shorter or longer depending on the interest of the person I was presenting to. You see, after a few pages, you could tell if they liked your work, if they were really seeking an employee to begin with, or if they simply wanted you to flip the pages for them. An occasional, respectful visitor would ask if you were a writer, designer, art director, OR if they were short on time and just wanted to look for themselves. One guy simply came through, picked up resumes, and took any mini-books if students had them available as freebies. I only had a few to pass out, so I kept those for serious seekers.

Overall it was an excellent experience and I'm glad to have had it. I had my presentation nailed by the 3rd time and it always included that my primary focus was packaging. Mostly I was happy to hear that employers were impressed with my work. Had a couple people ask if Struct Gothic was available to purchase (the typeface I designed). One poor girl couldn't handle the 3-D glasses needed for my Symphony poster because of her more than slight case of vertigo. Two groups were highly intrigued with my work, one of which was a certain feminine fashion company who like my packaging projects. I'd tell you, but it's a secret.

This week I've got two interviews setup in Dallas. This will be a little different than the fast and furious aspect of the Portfolio Review, but at least I have my presentation down. We'll see how PC does in TX.

PC Fall Grad Class

PC Fall Grad Class
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

My time at Portfolio Center has been the most challenging two years of my life. From all-nighters, last minute project changes, schedule changes, and printing problems, to sliced fingers, Starbucks runs, and Chik-fil-A sandwiches; I've never worked so hard in my life. During my last week, finishing my portfolio, I had 2 nights working from 8am one day to noon the next. In my 4 years of undergrad at A&M, I barely had one a semester.

All the hard work has paid off with a great portfolio I'm excited to have and share with employers of the states. I've also made some great friends along the way. Above are my classmates from the past two years and they've experienced everything, if not more, than I have. Somehow, we made it.

Congratulations to everyone! I wish you all the best. Remember to bookmark this page and leave comments as you visit. I'll never forget any of you and will always cherish the time we spent at PC. See you in New York in 8 hours.

BTW: the guy in the tux on the right, that's Hank Richardson, president and adjunct professor at PC. His classes meet at 5:30am. That was a fun quarter.

FINISHED.

The time has finally come.

My portfolio has officially been signed off and I am now a graduate of the Portfolio Center in Atlanta, GA. And for those of you anxiously awaiting our homecoming, the wait is over. Lyndsey, Ian, and I have also completed our move back to Texas. We're living with Lyndsey's folks in Bedford taking a few days to get situated. Thursday, I'll be heading to NY for a Portfolio Review held by our school for companies and recruiters from across the states. It'll be a great opportunity to showcase my work and present 2 years of work to potential employers. There's also a few places in the Dallas area I'll be seeking out in the coming weeks. Wish us luck.

I Love This Game!

Ian At Turner Field
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

Last weekend we got to take Ian to his first baseball game. It was the last Braves series for the 2006 season and it just so happen to be against the Houston Astros. I grew up watching the Astros but have always been a Braves fan; so the opportunity to introduce Ian to both at the same time was perfect.

Overall he did really well, happy to look out onto the field and over the field to Downtown Atlanta. He just got freaked out whenever the announcer would pop up out of nowhere or those taunting stadium chants screamed over the loud speaker. He did however take part in the Atlanta Braves Tomahawk chop late in the game. He fell asleep in the eight inning and was awakened by some monstrous roars as the Braves tried to make a comeback.

Please, city of Atlanta, never wake up my baby like that again.

Portfolio Teaser.

Drew's Organic Salsa
Originally uploaded by jtpuck.

Here's a one page glimpse into my final portfolio at school. New packaging for Drew's Organic Salsa, offering a healthy alternative for all the sports fans of the world. Here, the heat score correlates to how close you are to the action on the field. Only a true sports fan knows where his seat is in the stadium; from the upper level down to the field box. I'll also have the complete label posted into my book to fully depict the off-the-shelf experience.

Of course, the actual file will be corrected to a complete white background with minimal shadows. And if you can imagine this page printed to a 12"x18" sheet, the project becomes larger than life. You'll be able to see the cilantro and onions in the salsa, it's fantastic.

I'm not Pregnant.

I had the most unbelievable of cravings tonight after dinner. It was for a dessert I had not enjoyed in 6 months, and more like 6 years before that. I first learned of this dessert in elementary, when a student brought some for the class one Friday morning. You see, I'm from Brownsville, TX, right on the border of Mexico, and this is fantastically unique Mexican Dessert. It goes by a couple of different names and with varied toppings depending on who you talk to or what Mexican restaraunt you eat at. I was taught to call it a BUNUELO. You might commonly refer to it as a SOPAPILLA.

It's essentially a fried tortilla sprinkled with cinnamon & sugar, a dab of powdered sugar, and then topped with Hershey's Chocolate or Honey. For an added kick, add some whip cream and strawberries. They're fantastic, they're sweet, easy to make, and they hit all the right notes. Amazingly enough, we had all the ingredients already. In my house, you'll always find a package of tortillas. Give it a shot if you have the stuff at home. Toss some oil in a pan, heat it up, toss in the tortilla, fry on both sides a minute or two, dabble off the oil, and add your toppings, dry stuff first.