Welcome to 2013

I wonder at times if one is considered a blogger if they are not blogging on a regular basis. A Blogger is defined as: someone who keeps and updates a blog, it doesn't say it has to be on a regular basis, although a person can start to feel guilty if they aren't doing so.

It isn't that I don't want to blog, I guess it's more on the side of - what does one blog about? I tend to ramble on about various aspects of my life, when I should just narrow it down and make a more concerted effort to blog on things that are more "bloggable". Perhaps that should be my resolution for 2013 (even though I tend not to make such things) to make a more bloggable blog.

Now that I am living in Edmonton there should be a vast plethora of things to write and photograph about and share here. For instance, my family and I took in Candy Cane Lane last week. Candy Cane Lane is a decorating event on a single street stretching for 8 blocks where almost every house is a fantastic setup of lights, models and music. Started back in 1968, it still continues today. There are sleigh rides, hot chocolate and countless people walking up both sides of the street. On either side, every other block or so, there are huge bins for people to make donations to the local food banks. It was a heartwarming and endearing time that I'm sure my family and I will include in our holiday traditions from now on.

TR

Here's a pic of one of the setups, it's a Snowman tanning bed :)

It Continues...

In the beginning there was the move and it was good and life-giving. A chance to start over somewhere fresh and unencumbered. There was new hope, new experiences, new horizons, but that was then, this is now, now there is merely the drive. The drive to find work, the drive to procure gainful employment. This is a more difficult feat than I was lead to believe. It is a new world here and therefore I have left behind all those whom I knew and respected and networked with, creating an empty slate that has yet to be filled. I am hoping that this slate will become full again once I have entered the Graphic Design work force here. At this point in time I wonder, am I missing something? Is it my credentials or the province that I have come from? Is there some unwritten rule or bias towards Ontarians that I am unaware of? Or do I merely lack the necessary qualifications that the majority of completely "over-reaching" employers are looking for? I can't imagine anyone living up to the expectations of many of the graphic design postings here and what the employers are looking for. Often absolutely unreasonable and insane, requiring not only knowledge of graphic design and all programs associated with that profession but also knowledge of multiple coding or programming languages, as if that is ever part of a graphic design program. 

Well I guess I have griped enough now. Time to get back to my website redesign. 

TTFN

TR

Adventure Continues...

It's almost the end of my first month here in Edmonton and interviews are starting to happen. I have applied at multiple, multiple, multiple places including a Wine/beer store just around the corner from me that is looking for "Brewcrew" people. It is fantastic living here in Edmonton, everything is so convenient. I have started getting more and more feeds on my Twitter (@richertim) that are art/media related to Edmonton and can't wait to start getting plugged in to that scene here. It would indeed be much more fun if I had been able to bring all my friends to Edmonton with me, but I do look forward to meeting new people and making more friends here. To all of you back "home" in Ontario, keep the Facebook updates going I don't want to lose touch with any of you. 

I leave you with a photo from Edmonton that I took on my first visit here when my wife and I were looking for a rental home. 

Thanks for reading, stay tuned always more to come. 

TR

S'all Good.

My last post was over a month ago now, September 22nd to be exact. I shared about our house selling and the move to Edmonton. We have now been here for two full weeks and we are adjusting nicely. Our kids are meeting new people and my wife has started a new job at a Walmart just around the corner from us, it's not a big paying job right now but something to get started at least. I've applied to quite a few design jobs but have to wait for the postings to run their course before they go through the resumes. I am not wanting to rush out and take just any job that I can find, I want to find a position that I can truly enjoy and sink my talents into. There are so many opportunities here and I am slowly getting in touch with various art and media groups. It is very difficult to start from scratch again, to re-network and find connections here in Edmonton. One step at a time I guess, one step at a time... 

TR 

On The Horizon

I am plagued with bitter-sweet feelings this week. Our house has sold and our closing date is quickly approaching, filling me with great excitement but also with much trepidation. We have so many things to get done, mostly packing and eliminating items we aren't taking, but the thought of the move that I am taking my family on is at times overwhelming. After much research on various cities across this great country we decided on Edmonton, Alberta. Not only a beautiful city, it is chock full of festivals, arts, great education and medical facilities, low income tax, lowest gas prices, high-paying jobs (most with full benefits), I could go on and on. Opportunities abound and you don't have to be bilingual, as is the case for many jobs here in Northern Ontario and in Ottawa, another city we had looked into.

My time working with Melissa Anwatin on "Simplified Living" was a fantastic experience but came to an end the beginning of August after my family and I settled on where we were moving to. I wish her all the best as she continues forward with it. My hope is to find a studio in Edmonton that I can fit into and really begin to build my career as a Graphic Designer.

With everything that still needs to be done for the move, including a fly out with my wife to secure housing, I don't think I will be posting again until we are settled in out west.

Until then,
TR

Photo Editing

It's been a couple of weeks since I had posted anything so I thought I'd post a few photo edits that I did up yesterday. I took these photos last summer at the North Bay Heritage festival. I wanted to give them an older 35mm kind of look. I think I succeeded to a certain extent.

Enjoy :)

TR

Busy, Busy, Busy...

I know, I know, it's been a little while since I posted last, which is actually quite a good thing. It means that I've been busy. Not only am I a stay-at-home dad these days, but studio work has really picked up with MATR Designs. We have completed the French River Tourism Guide and have almost completed one similar for the St. Charles Municipality. We have a fairly large website on the go currently as well, with a few other estimates out in the wind waiting on decisions from clients. The 4th issue of Simplified Living is now out and we (and by we I mean myself and my design partner Melissa Anwatin), are currently working on issue #5 due out for August/September. On top of all that, school is almost out for the kids which will mean, most likely, endless amounts of time on the road driving them to work/friends/events/ etc... That pretty much sums up the last little while, and probably the next little while as well, but stay tuned, I definitely need to get back into regular posting soon...

TR

Here's an illustration I had done for one of the articles in issue #3 of Simplified Living. It was about a child's ability to utilize their imagination at every moment.