french*wallpaper

2011-12-20T10:12:00.006-05:00

behind the scenes

From a recent shoot outside of Banff, Alberta. Featuring Wilkosz and Way. The story will be published in The Globe and Mail on January 14.

2011-12-07T16:23:00.001-05:00

miss laRue

a fun project that i am working on with an amazing special needs teacher, talia. she teaches at a private school for kids with autism in toronto and agreed to let me create a fun activity for her kids. i borrowed this "i spy" idea from jody sugrue, who handed out disposable cameras to all the kids who attended her wedding. i customized "i spy" lists and cameras and packaged them in stencilled camera bags.

i went into the class today to hang out and watch the activity in action. more to come...

2011-12-05T20:35:00.003-05:00

oh snap

some late-night crafting for a project happening this week and next... more info as it unfolds!

2011-11-30T23:44:00.008-05:00

movember

It's the last few minutes of movember and so this post is particularly timely... a friend of mine found himself at odds with his 'stache ... He is usually a pretty clean-cut guy and compared his furry accessory to "a houseguest who has overstayed his welcome." I created a happy stash to help him get through the final moments.

2011-11-28T08:55:00.005-05:00

a portrait
This is my uncle Scott. He lives in Ottawa. He is an amazing artist and chef.

2011-11-22T19:31:00.007-05:00

random screen grab

From a brief stint art directing Report on Small Business Magazine for The Globe and Mail.

2011-11-13T10:29:00.012-05:00

happy engagement photos,

Alexis and Jay!

Today, my best friend Alexis and her partner Jay are getting their engagement photos taken. I wanted to do something special for them ... so I made them this tote. My process was pretty simple: I hand-drew lettering, made a stencil, and then spray painted! The whole project was inspired by a brilliant portrait by Max Wanger (http://maxwanger.com/), however, the phrase also has a special meaning to Alexis - she always says this to Jay! See more of their adorable engagement session here.
Bag Photo credit: Jason Priest, Engagement photos by Jenn Stark Photographers

2011-11-06T08:41:00.001-05:00

Jaclyn's Bachelorette Jars
I've been so lucky to be involved in my two best friends' weddings. This past weekend, we celebrated Jaclyn's bachelorette. My friend Alexis and I were tasked with styling the hotel room for the pre-drink. We decided on a Mariah Carey "glitter" theme. Although I love the glitter tops and that each attendee had her own personal bejeweled jar, my favourite part was that we glued Jaclyn's Mariah-ified face to the bottom so that you saw it when you took the last sip of your drink. Ah, the little things.

2011-10-23T18:37:00.002-04:00

alberta

More to come.

2011-08-19T10:47:00.006-04:00

typography
I have been asked by a few friends lately to design some party necessities and I am starting to see a trend: type + simple lines + blue tones! My own little mini-trend ...

2011-06-07T08:38:00.008-04:00

Low-fi goodness
I was recently asked to create a 3-second piece based on one lyric of a song "Even still, the sum won't be paid." I thought the sentence carried a desperate tone, so I wanted something that depicted both worth and desperation. I thought the analogy of a spinning coin was beautiful: it spins out of control until finally it stops for good. I shot a number of spins with my iPhone to make a quick animatic, and then ended up loving the low-fi quality. I also shot footage with a better camera, but somehow, I couldn't capture the same sad beauty the iPhone footage had. So the final clip here, is a combination of 2 iPhone videos, composited, colour corrected and time remapped in After Effects. This clip will be part of a music video for an up-and-coming hip-hop artist. Stay tuned for the full music vid.

2011-04-25T13:34:00.002-04:00

Some HipstaPrints from this weekend.

2011-04-19T20:14:00.002-04:00

2011-01-02T21:00:00.002-05:00

Before I lose the light...

Stepped out just before the sunset this evening to take advantage of some magical light.

2010-12-23T09:26:00.003-05:00

Icy

It's pretty cold this morning, but I couldn't help taking advantage of my first day of mini-vacation with some icy, beach shots.

2010-07-26T08:34:00.004-04:00

Chicago

The Set:

The Cast:

The Rest:

2010-06-21T07:09:00.003-04:00

Virginia Beach

Was in VA for a wedding this weekend.

2010-06-13T19:41:00.005-04:00

Skate!

I finally worked up the courage to "chill" at the skate park by my house.

2010-06-09T22:40:00.003-04:00

Follow me

http://twitter.com/frenchwallpaper

2010-06-09T19:46:00.003-04:00

A Quiet Walk On the Beach
There is something so beautiful about an almost-empty beach on a cold day.

2010-06-01T23:03:00.000-04:00

2010-05-31T12:14:00.005-04:00

2010-05-30T01:04:00.006-04:00

L.I.F.E. Moves

On Saturday night I had the privilege of photographing Celebration of Life, a Dinner and Dance Gala for the L.I.F.E. for Health organization, and sponsored by Rogers Communications. The organization recognizes the importance of Livelihood, Infrastructure, Food and Education for the well-being of all people, and implements their initiatives through simple, straightforward methods. To learn more, check out: http://www.lifeforhealth.org/Welcome.html

These are just the outtakes, some artsy fun. More of the actual people to come!

2010-05-29T23:11:00.001-04:00

Penny Black

Business Card. This is a new company for which I am doing the full identity including logos, business cards, website design, etc. More to come!

2010-05-25T14:15:00.002-04:00

Sundance Promo

The Sundance Channel was recently launched in Canada. I was on the team that developed all of the motion graphics for broadcast. I also helped direct the online effort. This is a promo beginning that I designed and animated.

2010-05-07T15:49:00.001-04:00

Tees

2010-03-28T11:27:00.002-04:00

More Rejection!
Here's another campaign concept left on the cutting-room floor.

2010-03-08T08:31:00.004-05:00

Rejection!
Here are some recent ideas that ended up on the cutting room floor... more to come!

2010-02-21T21:18:00.003-05:00

Old Dog, New Tricks
Have been thinking about a friend this week, so I thought I would re-visit a photo I took of her dog a while back. It's always nice to go back and try something new - in this case, a treatment that I thought reflected the age of the photo...

2010-02-09T11:24:00.003-05:00

Commute
I take the trail to work every day on my bike. This morning I thought I would bring my camera along to capture some of the scenery. One of these days I am going to strap a camera on my head and record the entire 10-k...

2009-12-29T15:46:00.003-05:00

Designing to Decorate
An idle designer is a dangerous thing. On one hand, you have tons of time to think of amazing creative endeavours. On the other hand, your imagination can quickly get out of hand. I have had the past week off of work and in an attempt to avoid cleaning my apartment, I have decided that it is time to invent new and exciting decorating solutions. One such project are these letter prints for a friends house. The idea is to personalize a space like the bedroom, without having pictures of a couple up everywhere.

2009-12-09T09:39:00.002-05:00

2009-12-05T15:41:00.004-05:00

Identity
I am always super flattered when a friend asks me to design them something. So I was thrilled when one of my best friends Lauren invited me to pitch some ideas for her BFs business card. The coolest part? He's a percussionist. Braeden knew what he wanted (and what he wanted was cool!) so it was fairly simple, but allowed me to stretch my photography, illustration and design skills all at once. And I even got a private concert for inspiration! He is AWESOME so if you are interested in live performance or lessons, drop me a line and I'll put you in touch (I replaced his real info with fake info here).

2009-12-04T09:08:00.001-05:00

Going for Lunch
I work with all guys. The reality of doing design/animation is that you are surrounded by dudes all the time. Which is cool, especially when they all walk down the street together. Makes for some fun shots.

2009-11-15T09:39:00.003-05:00

J + T
Here are more pics from a friends wedding. I didn't shoot this for real, I just snuck my camera in as a guest. CLICK HERE to see a few more.

2009-11-15T09:06:00.004-05:00

Communicating Technology
A while ago I was asked to come up with a wall and scrim design that would create the ambiance for a booth at the WAEA conference (World Airline Entertainment Association). There were a few stipulations:

1) logo + their colours (purple) prominent
2) brand messaging catch phrases i.e. expect the unexpected, surprise & delight
3) message that Spafax is "ahead of their time" in the industry, or that they were using the most groundbreaking technology

After much deliberation (CLICK HERE to see a previous post with other options), I decided that the catch phrase "surprise and delight" provided a way to peak interest in a fast and simple way. Paired with the photo of a metropolis slightly askew and the sharp lens flare, the message became: "Spafax exceeds expectations, takes the clients to exciting, new heights." This allowed me to get to the idea of technology without going too "industrial" in aesthetic. If I could choose one thing about this that I think is most success, it is that I feel it communicates "technologically advanced" without relying on nuts, bolts and futuristic gimmicks. Instead, I went for frontiers, heights, wonder.

2009-11-11T10:53:00.003-05:00

Caffeine!
I have been on an indefinite hiatus from blogging for the last little while. A few reasons for this: my sister's wedding, followed by a trip to Seattle, Portland and Argentina. Boom. Not a bad excuse, eh? But, I am back in Toronto and now have the time to share some of the work I have been doing over the past few weeks. So, expect a few posts this week and next in what I am calling the "caffeinated blogging spree", or simply, "a lot of posts in a short time to compensate for the lost time." Above photo is me in Seattle embarking on my city-wide coffee crawl. Photo credit: Jonah.

2009-10-23T17:14:00.000-04:00

2009-09-27T13:56:00.008-04:00

Bazaar Poster
Every year my mom organizes a church bazaar that takes place in fall. When I was first starting out a designer, she asked me to design the posters and other signage for the event, and since I do the marketing every year, she is my longest standing client! The challenge with these posters is to make a church event feel open to all in the community.

2009-09-27T08:31:00.008-04:00

Stop-Motion Saturdays ... 01
In an attempt to get my head away from the computer for an hour or two (at least on weekends), I have decided to start a small, independent project - "stop-motion Saturdays." I have always loved how this medium relies on the simple notion of sequencing for its material. Also, as someone who only has a still camera, this is my only way of creating "original footage." Hope you enjoy.

2009-09-26T16:12:00.007-04:00

Children's design
I have recently been working for Corus Entertainment, a big media company in Canada doing motion design. With a number of channels devoted solely to children (YTV, Teletoon, Treehouse, etc.) they are arguably the best at designing for this demographic in the country. Although I have worked on a number of their non-children's brands, I have been inspired by the way Corus' designers/animators explore styles and solutions to the evermore challenging problem of communicating to young people. I did this board for self-development - I wanted to see if I could come up with an idea/design that would work for a kids platform. What do you think? I have to say, the jury is still out on whether or not I could design for the creative bastions that are the "youth."

2009-09-26T15:28:00.004-04:00

Sky-high design
I used to think that web design was particularly impressive because of the unique hurdles the platform poses. However, after designing a few concepts for inflight entertainment interfaces, I have changed my mind.

2009-08-30T23:10:00.002-04:00

Wedding!
A few weeks ago I attended a beautiful wedding. These are a few candids. More to come pending the time to process the photos and approval from the bride and groom!

2009-08-30T10:41:00.002-04:00

Brochure
A friend of mine recently recommended me for a quick job for The Centre for Equity and Human Rights, a student organization for the University of Ottawa. After speaking with the amazing coordinator Caroline, I was inspired by their goal of bringing people together to ensure that diversity and equity on campus were valued and that students who experience discrimination have a place to go. I decided the best way to send this message was to use an image that immediately evoked the idea of teamwork and accomplishment. Then I incorporated the colour of the organization - shades of blue, to keep the feel similar to the other creative they have in place. I used thick bars to organize the type as their strong nature added to the idea of solidarity.

2009-08-28T22:56:00.000-04:00

2009-08-23T20:17:00.002-04:00

Sailing is classy.

2009-08-02T16:12:00.002-04:00

2009-07-12T15:56:00.003-04:00

I have been working on a small series for a friend of mine for a while now.

2009-07-11T09:57:00.002-04:00

Have been sorting through old photos and found this one. Don't remember liking it or taking it for that matter, but I love it now.

2009-07-04T16:32:00.001-04:00

About a boy...

2009-06-26T12:52:00.002-04:00

Wall and semi-transparent scrim to be part of a convention booth. These are the rejects from a recent campaign.

2009-06-21T08:58:00.001-04:00

2009-06-19T00:00:00.001-04:00

2009-06-16T22:02:00.001-04:00

2009-06-04T10:35:00.001-04:00

2009-06-02T01:40:00.002-04:00

2009-05-31T10:07:00.000-04:00

2009-05-28T19:10:00.002-04:00

2009-05-26T23:30:00.003-04:00

2009-05-26T15:16:00.000-04:00

2009-05-23T17:12:00.004-04:00

2009-05-22T19:40:00.001-04:00

2009-05-20T22:14:00.004-04:00

2009-05-20T00:59:00.000-04:00

2009-05-19T08:52:00.003-04:00

2009-05-16T23:06:00.003-04:00

2009-05-15T22:00:00.002-04:00

2009-05-13T18:45:00.001-04:00

2009-05-09T18:12:00.001-04:00

2009-05-09T16:43:00.001-04:00

2009-04-29T00:08:00.003-04:00

2009-04-25T21:06:00.004-04:00

2009-04-24T21:54:00.001-04:00

2009-04-05T00:03:00.002-04:00

2009-03-28T10:14:00.001-04:00

2009-03-20T10:11:00.001-04:00

2009-03-10T14:50:00.001-04:00

2009-03-06T13:17:00.003-05:00

2009-03-05T22:30:00.002-05:00

2009-03-05T21:49:00.001-05:00

2009-03-01T21:02:00.002-05:00

2009-03-01T17:47:00.003-05:00

2009-02-28T11:43:00.004-05:00

2009-02-22T10:12:00.001-05:00

2009-02-19T15:55:00.001-05:00

2009-02-10T10:20:00.004-05:00

Can we have more wine parties... please?!

2009-02-10T09:09:00.003-05:00

This is a small illustration that I am working on for the Fairmont magazine. Need to make sure I am sending the right message... Any ideas?

2009-02-08T15:16:00.004-05:00

FINALLY got a new haircut... it only took me about 2 years to get on the "bang" wagon...

2009-02-06T08:24:00.007-05:00

Shot a book launch for a friend the other day. The lighting was kind of scary, but this series is kind of fun. Gotta love black and white! See more photos from the event: http://katelarue.com/followingthegoods

2009-02-04T22:01:00.001-05:00

Wataniya Pitch

2009-02-02T11:22:00.003-05:00

See more magazine work on my website: http://katelarue.com/design/publication/01-design(pub).html

Wedding Logo

2009-01-31T15:42:00.001-05:00

Nature's Tears

2009-01-22T21:18:00.001-05:00

In Focus

2009-01-20T20:54:00.001-05:00

Fog in Stanley Park

2009-01-20T20:27:00.001-05:00

Sadie, b&w (She's a Beauty!)

2009-01-19T03:31:00.002-05:00

2009-01-11T13:14:00.001-05:00

You're next Sadie!

More Charlie V

2009-01-10T21:37:00.001-05:00

Charlie V

2009-01-10T21:13:00.000-05:00

Allow me to introduce Charlie V. I have to admit, when I agree to photograph my friend's dogs, it's totally self-serving. Dogs + snow = adorable.

Snow Angels

2009-01-10T21:11:00.001-05:00

Okay if I felt un-photogenic before, check out my BFFs. Stunning. However, I worry about what my American friends will think of us Canucks... we've been trying to shake that eskimo-in-snow image for so long...