I have a very mixed relationship with the news. I find myself glued to the radio during my commute to and from work (CNN, CSPAN, NPR, to name a few). It’s a little like driving by an accident… you don’t want to slow down and look but there is this almost uncontrollable need to see what happened. And like looking at an accident there is this inevitable sadness and resignation after listening to the news for a while. This summer we have lost planes, Middle Eastern war, refugee children from South of the border and our eternal political reality show that somehow seems to repurpose the same theme year after year. But one can only absorb that 30 grit media for so long. After a while the car speakers get changed to music and I look at the blue sky and think about summer relaxation, picnics, a pleasant lack of snow, and what I will create around my house in the warm weather. We hope the summer is treating you all well and that the many sunny weekends allow you to take a break from the texture of world events.

I was invited again this year to judge the World Cup Sand Sculpture contest in Atlantic City. And once again there were stunning examples of creativity and people who really pushed the possibilities of the medium.

It can be easy to assume that they use different sand that “sticks” together making the sculpting process similar to sculpting… well, sandstone. This is far from the case. In the 4 days of sculpting for the single artist competition, three sculptors suffered a collapse of their work. This almost guarantees that they will not be in the running for any award. Recovering from a collapse usually means scrambling to make something out of the rubble and the short time left to sculpt. It is true that the sand is not simply “beach sand.” There is 3% – 5% silt (or clay) in the sand. This does help keep it together slightly more… but only slightly.

Both the single and team competition had four 8 hour days to make their creations. This involved stacking (and packing down) their sand in their particular form and then carving into it.

When you first look at a product on the shelves of some store, without meaning to you make assumptions based solely on the design of the packaging. It may look like a high quality product that you want to try, or it may look like a cheap, cut-rate product that you want to avoid. It may look trustworthy or poorly made. It may seem interesting and different, or like all the other competition (or a “me too” design as I like to say). Whether it is an individual product, a product line, a company’s service or the brand for a business, the initial appearance either encourages more interest or repels a potential customer or client. This is design. We make that “first impression” lead to a “second impression.” We encourage people to learn more, and buy more.

Below is a new project from AXIS visual. Valkerie Goldbaender is a brand new entry in the fortified wine category. The design is intended to give Goldbaender a distinctive ad innovative look while allowing the consumable gold flake to show through the glass. It’s currently available in an oaked and un-oaked version with additional products in the pipeline. We look forward to expanding the brand look across the full line of products.