Comings and Goings: A celebration of riches!

My design resume is beginning to look like an electronic flight schedule at an airport: Lots of arrivals and departures, including new and familiar locales. Most familiar of all is the IMAGE: Global Vision studio.

I began as a receptionist and apprentice several years ago and then departed so that I could finish school. With an art education experience gained I eventually returned to the studio as a designer, only to depart again in August of 2012 for a special project with another group. Little more than a year later I have returned once again to work as a freelancer with Regina Rubino and Robert Louey.

But this time my arrival has been accompanied by some fanfare. Two projects I contributed to in 2012 have won awards. This surprising turn of events means I can now say I am an award-winning artist. This was not a conscious part of my flight plan. But it is exciting and I’m so overjoyed I could paint the sky!

The two celebrated projects were quite different. 

One: A business card design for Joan Dangerfield and Opus 73 Group, LLC demanded a high-altitude of sophistication, both visual and tactile: the card is a limited edition that would touch the fingers of the business and entertainment elite both in the US and in China. Thank you, PRINT Magazine, for the recognition as part of the team which will be officially displayed on your website in December.

Two: The rebranding of Jaya International with a new identity solution website is every bit as exquisite as the Opus 73 project. The project meant to create a visual, moveable feast of imagery that would transcend mere online presence and showcase the outstanding interior designs. Thank you Graphic Design USA for the America Web Design Award.

Don’t expect me to take a bow all alone on the big stage of North American design. Everything we do here is deeply and profoundly collaborative. “Team” may not be an elegant word, but it certainly fits how we approach our challenging work each day. And it means we’re all entitled to a group bow that speaks of solidarity and an inspired state of being.

Yet I must admit that sharing in the award makes me feel like I’ve graduated to a new level. You can’t help but feel more professional, and have a little more confidence in your creative choices. I realize now what success is meant for: not self-aggrandizement but incentive to do more and do it better.

Through it all — the learning, the growing, the coming and going — Regina and Robert have been tremendously supportive, always encouraging me to depart to broaden my skills and consciousness, and then warmly inviting me back.  Every return has felt like a smooth landing in a beautiful, familiar place. 

~ Danielle Vega