What’s up Twenty—Twelve?

One week down and 51.177457 weeks of action packed design goodness to go featuring: Clint Eastwood, Cartoon Network, Guru Tattoo, Martin Wittfooth, Kevin Paulsen, gallery promotions for 101/Exhibit plus the Mindy Solomon Gallery and a full length fine art documentary film.

Anyone who knows me, recognizes my commitment to design and love for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to collaborate with the fine arts community. The Scribble 08 blog is an active resource for artist interviews, exhibition reviews, new music and a great resource for Murphy Design portfolio pieces. (Guru Tattoo on location details).

As fate would have it, one of the first people I met when moving to California began with Clint Eastwood. Your can imagine my excitement when Lisa Fitzpatrick, project director and catalyst, called and invited me into the Malpaso Productions world of Clint Eastwood? Over 50,000 words will fill the pages of “Clint Eastwood, Master Filmmaker at Work” with an introduction by Steven Spielberg, preface by Morgan Freeman, authored by Michael Goldman, edited/created by Lisa Fitzpatrick of Swan Studio and Robert Hoffman of Technicolor and published by Abrams, New York. (Flags of Our Fathers Storyboards, Clint Eastwood, courtesy of Jack Taylor).

Guru Tattoo features eleven creative professionals that make a forever lasting impression with inspired draftsmanship and dynamic ink for your “bod.” Guru founder, Aaron Della Vedova, is mixing up the flavor for the shop’s first book, “Creative Urges” featuring edge-to-edge reproductions of some of Southern California’s finest tattoos. (Tim Mantoani photographing Aaron at Guru Tattoo).

Over the past ten years I have been operating a booth at the world-famous Comic-Con in San Diego. An honor, as the exhibit halls are filled with wall-to-wall inspiration and good pals. Fortuitously, I have made friends with the kind folks at Cartoon Network over the years and a creative collaborative project has emerged to celebrate their twentieth-anniversary celebration in book form. The Cartoon Network 20th Anniversary Book will be one part celebration of their commitment to deliver an entertaining array of entertainment, one part celebration of the men and women who bring hundreds of characters to life, one part artist interpretations of their characters, one part extravaganza to be announced prior to Comic-Con 2012.

2012 will feature active promotion of important contemporary artists through Murphy Book Publishing, documentary filmmaking, active reporting, art collecting and archiving. The long awaited film and longer filmmaking process continues with the delivery of a new feature length documentary film that features: James Jean, Souther Salazar, Martin Wittfooth, Matt Furie, Mark Todd, Esther Pearl Watson, Megan Whitmarsh, Kelsey Brookes, Victor Castillo and more.

New books are in the works for Martin Wittfooth and Kevin Paulsen (pictured above), two contemporaries living and practicing in New York. (Clint Eastwood sets for Mystic River and matte painting for Unforgiven courtesy of Jack Taylor).

And yes there is more. Collaborative projects and creative exchanges with gallery owners, support at art fairs and Art Basel in Miami in support of 101/exhibit and Mindy Solomon Gallery. New websites in the works for yourBuddhi—Yoga for life, Murphy Design (really? It’s been way too long), and goodChatter.com promoting all things good.

Thank you for taking a glimpse of a few of the projects happening this year. My sleeves are rolled up and I’m ready to deliver on an inspired year. If you are interested in more information or would like to collaborate, email me and “magic” will happen, or at least that’s what Christian Clayton has coined—“Magic Murphy.” The new year is turned on and looking forward. More soon. (yourBuddhi.com website design, empowering the non-bill payers of yoga. Beware of yourBuddhi.com of La Jolla, CA and Harmony Yoga of Redondo Beach, CA).

Guru Tattoo Photo Day w/ Tim Mantoani

Pacific Beach based Guru Tattoo is generating art of all kinds for their first book, “Creative Urges,” to be release later this year. Leader of the band and ink on skin aficionado, Aaron Della Vedova reveals, “Guru’s essential ingredient is the flavor derived from eleven artists working together as one formidable art collective.”

Having recharged their creative batteries while on holiday break, Guru was a buzz today with tattoo guns inking inspired art work of the permanent type. The energy within the shop was/is super positive and features a diverse group of creative talent working hard for their clients. Tim Mantoani and I spent the afternoon photographing the studio and capturing the special details that will bring “Creative Instincts” to life. The photographs reveal the multi-dimensional persona of Guru Tattoo and assist me with the visual narrative with the turn of each page. (Above: Body Sleeve art details, in the office of Adam Hathorn).

Tim Mantoani is one of those photographers that understands the importance of instantly connecting with his subjects. A great attribute when you have 150 minutes to shoot up the place. Tim moved the camera around, looking for the most sacred spaces that provide daily inspiration for the guys at Guru. I think we scratched the surface and were successful capturing great portraits and details that will most certainly elevate the book and provide fans of “all things creative” an intimate look into an award-winning tattoo shop like no other. (Pictured above: Ron, Kyle Walker sanctuary and Paul Dhuey at work).

And as Jean Dubuffet penned, “For me, insanity is super sanity. The normal is psychotic. Normal means lack of imagination, lack of creativity.” There is wall to wall creativity and I can’t wait to reveal the tattooed pages of “Creative Urges,” not to mention the artistry of Aaron Della Vedova, Paul Dhuey, Adam Hathorn, Cooper (pictured above 1), Nate Banuelos, Rory Keating, Kevin Dickinson, Nick Alvarez, Eno (pictured above 2 and art work wall below), Kyle Walker, Champion, Ron and Peeps.

Stay tuned for more details about the 2012 release of “Creative Urges” featuring the artistry of Guru Tattoo with a lively intro penned by Greg “Craola” Simkins and the vivid photography of Tim Mantoani and Peeps—as well as all of the guys and their digital arsenal. I promise over 172 pages of wall to wall photos, illustrations, tattoos, paintings and visual meanderings that capture the essence of Guru Tattoo goodness. (Feel like reading more? Article Two, Article One).

(Above: Craola opening original, Champion working hard). All photography by Tim Mantoani photography. And with kind thanks extended, no job is possible without the imaginative talent of great friends helping you along.

Twenty Years of Design and Counting

Back in 1986, I told a fib about my age to a marketing firm that specialized in outdoor advertising for lawn tractors and mowers. Of course, I found myself chained to a drawing board assisting a too cool for school design team with illustrations and camera ready art work wet with chemicals from the dark room. It was a real portfolio burner, nothing to show at the end of my tenure, however it evolved my technical skills and taught me to hunger for something more.

In 1991, I launched Murphy Design with the notion of collaborating with clients who love a careful eye for detail. Thankfully, many great clients shared in this passion: Brandon Boyd (Incubus), Green Day (Logan Hicks), French Paper Co., Appleton, American Express, Hanna-Barbera, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Laguna Museum of Art and inspired fine artists—the Clayton Brothers, Jeff Soto, Ray Caesar, Tim Mantoani and so many more.

Twenty years later, I feel like—“I’m just getting started.” Over the next few months you will see design and branding projects evolve for Guru Tattoo, yourBuddhi.com, Harmony Yoga, Clint Eastwood, Mindy Solomon Gallery, Tim Mantoani Photography and Baby Tattoo Books.

Also, I am working on a digital book of sorts to celebrate Twenty Years as a designer and owner of Murphy Design. A book that will highlight over 32 books and life defining collaborations with over 1000 artists from around the world. Stay tuned and know that I am always looking for folks who share the love for details.

Creative Urges designed for Guru Tattoo

For the past month I have been dedicating much of my time to the good people at Guru Tattoo dreaming up layouts for their first book, “Creative Urges.” Guru Tattoo is the creative vision of Aaron Della Vedova who pays tribute to Walter J Hoehn for making his impossible dreams a passionate reality.

Working with Guru Tattoo has been a great design project, Aaron has allowed a free exchange to make the flow of the book and the tattoo archives flow. And besides, I’ve always had a deep appreciation for the art of tattoos and really respect these guys. It’s familiar territory, as a collector of fine art, there’s an easy association for people’s desire to collect unique and one-of-a-kind pieces. As Greg “Craola” Simkins points out in his introduction about Guru, “I still have some space left and a good place to hang out and get tattooed.”

We are dialing in “Creative Urges,” an edge to edge showcase of full body tattoos like no other. Eleven artists will showcase their creative blend of fine art, drawing and unique tattoo style. Trust me, these guys are characters, full of passion and love for what they do. So stay tuned as “Creative Urges” will be an inspired book cover to cover featuring some of the best tattoo luminaries Southern Cali has to offer.

Check out the good works of Aaron Della Vedova, Paul Dhuey, Adam Hathorn, Cooper, Nate Banuelos, Rory Keating, Kevin Dickinson, Nick Alvarez, Eno, Kyle Walker, Champion, Ron and Peeps at Guru Tattoo in Pacific Beach, their studio is a full on art exhibition. The book also features an original drawing and lively introduction penned by Greg “Craola” Simkins. Can’t wait to share this kick ass assembly with you all soon.