chronicle books fellowship.

soo... most people that know me, know i have a thing for books. i prefer the ones with pictures, but reading is ok every once and a while. my love for books has led me to pursue the publishing world. currently i am learning that it never hurts to try, in this case, the bar can never be set too high. i have being lucky and gotten to visit : chronicle books : twice now because of the Art and Design department at Cal Poly. i have to say they have the most beautiful workspaces of all the studios i have been to. they have this fabulous lounge space with furniture i dream to have in my own space someday, also being there are books everywhere. being surrounded by awesome books and designers all day, um, hello,- sign me up! so i did just that, signed myself up aka submitted my portfolio to Chronicle Books for the Publishing Group Fellowship. i was very torn, because the industrial designer position sounded very cool too, but alas I stuck with what i know. i have some really high hopes, mostly because i am in love with the final presentation. i was really hoping to at least be a little different, and by the look on the receptionists face when i dropped it off, i did just that. she flashed me a smile and had this look of "this is a little different" or maybe she was confused and thought i was delivering a postal package. anyways - i like it and it shows me. me in a box, inside a book if you will. so now i sit and wait. i would love an interview and i would love the job, but lets shoot for an interview first. keep your fingers crossed!

these are a few shots of the box as it opens and the books
(portfolio and process)

Pixar... you let me down.

so exactly one year ago today i was sent a denial letter from Pixar, for my application to the Art internship for Summer 2008.
so what do i get today, a letter i wished would never come.

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Dear Amanda Wallace

Thank you very much for applying for the Graphic Art Internship position with Pixar Animation Studios. While we appreciate your background and experience, we unfortunately do not have a position to offer you at this time. We encourage you to visit our website periodically and apply to future positions of interest.

Pixar Animation Studios wishes you every success in your future career endeavors.

Thanks,
Pixar Recruiting
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its a sad day, but obviously there was someone better. i do have to say my portfolio layout and work has been much improved since i sent my portfolio to Pixar. so here is to next year and a fourth try. i will never give up, because you always have to have a dream and Pixar you are mine. someday. someday.

all i want to know...
where do the portfolios go after being looked at. what dumpster do they end up in because my poor, gold book doesn't deserve such a future. i want it back! so Pixar where do they go, is there a vault? a special room?

quick poster.

when you are a graphic designer, your non-design friends always think you (the designer) work will for free. (this really applies to students) "will you design a poster please for my club... can you make me a logo... can you design a website." sorry to say, i usually don't even have time for my own special projects. however i made an exception. last november i was able to attend the pack expo in chicago with the industrial technology department. they even gave all the students who attended the large expo/conference money to cover most of the trip. so because of all that, i helped out the poly pack club. it's a pretty simple poster designed to advertise the event. part of the simplicity was due to the quick turn around time and lack of information provided during the process. it was a learning experience, because the group is not a typical client.

slightly BOOKISH

So a lot has been going on here. Not only is my work currently in the Student Show in the Cal Poly Art and Design Department, but my work is also in slightly BOOKISH at the Robert E. Kennedy Library, Learning Commons 2nd floor and Rm. 409 on the Cal Poly campus. The exhibition’s goals are to promote the library’s fine printing and graphic arts collection and demonstrate how book art is incorporated into Cal Poly’s curriculum. Work on display will include local presses and artists, current student (thats me!) and faculty work, work by alumni, and printing ephemera and artifacts from the Shakespeare Press Museum at Cal Poly.

I was very excited to find out I had been included in the show and even more excited that out of all the books, some how a little blurb about my book was included in an article promoting the show in the new times.

“It’s hard to showcase something that it’s hard to define,” acknowledged Trujillo. “These exceed the vision of what a book is.” Some have no text whatsoever, as in the case of a wallet filled with Morton’s salt that mimics the sound of rain. Many expand and contract, accordion-style. Binding might consist of a make-up compact, apron, or vintage python skin. Each book is cradled in its own box, buffered, acid-free, and often custom-built. The department possesses more than 700 such books, an estimated 10 percent of which will be included in the exhibit.

Oh, almost forgot, my book "when it rains it pours" is the book in the show. Click HERE for the complete New Times SLO article.

Best of Graphic Design.

Soo I have to brag! Mosty because my senior project, "The Unconventional Oddities of San Luis Obispo" took over my life and I am very proud of the final project.

Anyways to the fabulous news, drum roll please... I won Best in Graphic Design for "The Unconventional Oddities of San Luis Obispo" in the Annual Juried Student Exhibition at Cal Poly. I have to say I was super excited! I have gotten work into the show previously throughout the last three years, but this year was the best.

So if you are in San Luis and want to check out my piece, the show will be up until May 1st.

Gallery Info:
The Cal Poly University Art Gallery is located in the Dexter Building (34), room 171, on the campus of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Gallery hours:
Tue - Sat 11am-4pm
Closed during academic holidays and between sessions.
Gallery: 805.756.6038
http://artgallery.calpoly.edu/