Mazzarello Media and Arts

Our Blog Has Moved

2010-09-21T22:09:00.000-07:00

When we designed our new website, we always planned to integrate a blog into it. So after many years on the Blogger platform we have now moved our blog into our own website as of September 3, 2010.

We divided up the content based on different personalities coming to our site.

Wallpaper: For those who come just for the cool images
http://www.mazzarello.com/Connect/Weekly_Wallpaper/

Studio News: For those who want to catch up on our company news
http://www.mazzarello.com/Connect/Studio_News/

Things We Like: For those who like our posts on music, film, etc.
http://www.mazzarello.com/Connect/Things_We_Like/

Simplicity

2010-08-19T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here is a great quote I came across:

Simplicity does not mean want or poverty. It does not mean the absence of any decor, or absolute nudity. It only means that the decor should belong intimately to the design proper, and that anything foreign to it should be taken away.

Paul Jacques Grillo

Delicias Salvadoreñas

2010-07-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Mazzarello Media and Arts has teamed up with San Francisco's La Cocina to create a website for a fantastic SF bakery, Delicias Salvadoreñas. Part of the fun is that our website will be competing against other websites designed for La Cocina.

The new website will be live by midnight on Sunday August 15th so the public can vote on their favorites via Facebook, the San Francisco Street Food Festival website and the La Cocina website until Friday August 20th.

On August 21st, 2010 at the San Francisco Street Food Festival, a winner will be pronounced and be awarded. So be sure and vote!!

http://www.lacocinasf.org/delicias-salvadorenas-2/

Delicias Salvadoreñas:
Patricia Rodriguez, owner of Delicias Salvadoreñas grew up in San Salvador, El Sal vador, the daughter and granddaughter of bakers. As a child, she was always covered in flour and com ing to the US, she knew she wanted to share the love and history of these traditional breads with a new audience.

Delicias Salvadoreñas is committed to using the highest quality ingredients, to hand-making the products of her home coun try and to allow people to come to know and love the rich tradition of El Salvadoran breads and pastries.

Learn more about La Cocina:

La Cocina is a ground-breaking business incubator designed to reduce the obstacles that often prevent low-income food entrepreneurs from creating successful and sustainable small businesses.

By providing affordable, shared, commercial kitchen space, an array of industry-specific technical assistance and services, and access to market opportunities, La Cocina works with entrepreneurs as they launch, grow, and formalize successful food businesses.

We focus primarily on women from culturally diverse communities and immigrant communities. Our vision is that our program participants will become economically self-sufficient and contribute to a vibrant and diverse economy doing what they love to do.

For more information: http://www.lacocinasf.org/

Wallpaper - Twisted Math

2010-07-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed patterns in math, the lines and shapes created by numbers and the challenge of problem solving. Once called the "Queen of Math" by a teacher, I had considered becoming a math teacher myself. While I didn't end up going down that path, the beauty of art is that all different kinds of minds can create, what I loved in math can now become my creations.

View the full size image.

From Kehoe to Cavallo

2010-07-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

"Toy Handle": Arrangements of beach plastic collected from Kehoe Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore.

Stephanie and I had the privilege of staying at the beautiful Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. At the lodge they have a great little gallery that is currently showing From Kehoe to Cavallo - the mystery in the mess Prints by Judith Selby Lang and Richard Lang July 8 – October 22, 2010.

These creative images are photographs of found plastic debris on the pristine Northern California coastline. The artist couple has been collecting for over 10 years and has amassed a large collection. They use the debris to make artworks including large sculptures, installations, photo tableaus and jewelry.

Here is what they do in their own words:

We are a collaborative team. Our love of nature is combined with our interest in science to produce an on-going series of art works about the oceans and the environment. While the content of our work has a message about the spoiling of the natural world by the industrial world, our final intent is aesthetic and celebratory.

How to Schedule an Event or Meeting

2010-06-02T18:57:00.000-07:00

Maybe your like us and wonder how you can coordinate multiple people schedules without the use of a full time office administrator. We recently discovered (thanks Jessica) that an amazing and FREE tool is available, called Doodle. This fantastic idea comes from the brilliant minds of Swiss programmers (I can imagine they are very organized in Zurich).

TechCrunch says, "Doodle is a free web app which helps you find suitable dates for group events, like an appointment, a conference call etc. It’s been around for a while as a hacker project, but after growing has now turned into a real startup.

Although I have not tried it, but heard good things about it, you can check out Berkeley-based TimeBridge for a more robust scheduling tool.

Wallpaper - Urban Rural

2010-05-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

This drawing is from a several years ago, around the time that we were watching documentaries and reading about food production in the 20th and 21st centuries. It was a drawing that organically developed from my mind processing ideas that I had previously not really considered.

Growing up in Southern California, I never experiencing farming or factories first hand, so I will not pretend to be an expert. I know that with advancing technology there are both pros and cons financially, ecologically and sociologically.

This is the same story in the design world. Designers used to create everything with their hands, but with the development of computers the role of the designer has changed quite a bit, for both the good and the bad.

Often we rely too heavily on the computer, I personally believe that it is important for our work to still feel touched by a human hand. A large portion of my work combines something I have personally drawn, painted or photographed with the technology available on photoshop and illustrator. I find myself drawn to the merging of organic and clean, hand-drawn and computer generated...that by beginning a design with our imperfect hands we create something uniquely us.

View the full size image.

New Temp Front Page Is Up

2010-05-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

After 4 years our trusty website will soon be replaced.

We have been working covertly in our secret design lair on our new website to be released this summer.

Now you can get a taste of where we are going. The new site will be all standards based code and will be updated with WebEngine Studios' CMS that we roll out with our clients' sites.

Don't worry, for those that love the current site we will have it always available, just like we still have our original 2004 website still up.

Get ready for color. Get ready for fun!

Getting Organized

2010-05-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

Often people will ask how we stay organized with all of our projects. Running your own business can look a lot like a circus, but it does not have to be. One of the most draining aspects of running a small business is that not only are you doing all the actual work, but you are managing the business and the financials as well. There are 2 tools that have really helped us stay organized and are easy to use.

Basecamp
Basecamp has been a huge help. It helps us with file management with our clients, creating to-do lists, nailing down milestones, it even does time tracking for those of you who have billable hours, and best of all it streamlines your email flow so you have more time for the actual projects that you really need to work on.

Quickbooks
This has been a wonderful tool. It really is helpful, even to designers. It allows us to track all of our expenses, our income and it helps us run reports so we can see where we are at at the end of each month, quarter or fiscal year and even find out which clients are sending us the most business. So even Baz Kitty is impressed when we have our "board meetings".

Running a business can get easier, you just need the right tools. One of the best tools in gaining business is complete branding, from logo and cards to a website. Let us know how Mazzarello Media and Arts can help you.

Write the Future

2010-05-24T12:45:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing commercial that captures the impact of global football (soccer) on popular culture. Well done Nike! One more classic commercial to add to your archives. We are huge Fabio Cannavaro fans so this was exciting for us on several levels.

Wallpaper - Neue Helvetica Tribute

2010-05-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

This week's wallpaper is a tribute to the Neue Helvetica typeface family. The phrase "I would love to be a part of this beautiful family" is 11 words long, representing the 11 fonts that we used from the family (there are 51 total). See if you can find all the words.

It was great to be able to celebrate type forms as artwork and not necessarily function. The plan is that every now and then we will release a typeface tribute wallpaper for typefaces that are important to our work.

View the full size image.

UPDATE: This wallpaper is featured on the design blog JUNKIEE.NET:

30 Typography Wallpapers for Your Inspiration

History of the the Neue Helvetica Font Family
Except below from the Linotype website

Designer: Linotype Design Studio, 1983
The Neue Helvetica® Font Family is part of the Linotype Originals.

In 1983, D. Stempel AG redesigned the famous Helvetica typeface for the digital age, creating Neue Helvetica for Linotype: a self-contained font family. Today, this family consists of 51 different font weights.

Neue Helvetica sets new standards in terms of its form and number of variants. It is the quintessential sans serif font, timeless and neutral, and can be used for all types of communication. Neue Helvetica is one of three Helvetica typeface families from Linotype.

New Business Cards For a New Era

2010-05-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

Today we got our new business cards back from our favorite printer, Greener Printer in Berkeley, CA!

You will notice that we actually printed 4 cards. 2 per person. Stephanie and I decided that we wanted to have a "collect all four" appeal. We each display our design style with the cards. Stephanie's has the more illustrated look (she hand-drew hers) and Bryan's has more or a grid layout.

Without further ado we present our new look. Website to follow later this summer.

Wallpaper - Ring Ring

2010-05-12T19:30:00.000-07:00

This week's wallpaper is a fun illustrative pattern of an old school rotary telephone. As we are working on our new website (coming summer 2010) we are working out new patterns and illustrations of common objects in our life. Although we don't have a rotary telephone, communication via phone is an important aspect to our daily lives. Can you remember back when we were all tied down to a phone jack on the wall? So much for privacy in those days. But there was something cool about the crazy, curly phone cords.

View the full size image.

Pixar Visit

2010-05-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

Luxo Jr. the Lamp and ball from the original 1986 Pixar film is brought to real life with sculpture on the Pixar campus in Emeryville, Calif. The light bulb lights up at night.

Who does not love Pixar? Ever since they released Toy Story the folks over at Pixar have been blowing our minds with creative stories and beautiful art.

Last Friday Stephanie and I had the chance to visit the Pixar campus in Emeryville, CA, a mere 3 miles from our office. Thanks to our new friend Jirat, we had an awesome tour from a super friendly animator, Austin, who walked us through the creative spaces of the animation department.

It was more of a wild college residence hall, rather than an office space. Instead of cubicles, each personal had a mini-house, complete with a roof and even front porch! We even saw one office space that was two stories! It was amazing. Down each "street" of offices there was a large lobby in the middle with arcade games and retro couches and of course a few Macs and flat screens so that the staff could review the progress of the project.

Turns out each animator cranks out a few seconds week! Luckily with their endless supply of cereal and coffee in the Pixar cafeteria and an on campus pool, they can do just about anything.

We had an awesomely inspiring time and are grateful to our neighbors for giving us a tour!

If you love Pixar you should watch the great DVD (Netflix link) of all their shorts!

Wallpaper - New Amsterdam

2010-04-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

This week's wallpaper is a collage of our photos from a New York trip. The view of Manhattan is from Brooklyn and the trees are from Central Park. We named this week's wallpaper from one of our favorite band's Travis' song New Amsterdam.

View the full size image.

Wallpaper - Icon Pattern

2010-04-22T14:29:00.000-07:00

So we are done with taxes and some major projects. Unfortunately during the busy time we did not have time to develop any new wallpapers until this week.

This new wallpaper represents the new direction we are going with some of our personal work. Fun, bright colors and utilizing our logo's open space. The photo in the background is graffiti from a skate park in London along the waterfront.

Recently Stephanie and I have been reworking our business cards, planning our new website and developing our primary statement. We hope to share it with you this summer.

View the full size image.

Wallpaper - Spring Pop

2010-03-17T17:47:00.000-07:00

You know it is spring when you have a hop in your step and the sun is shining on you. Suddenly the world is full of possibilities and colors are popping up all around you.

In this week's desktop wallpaper we wanted to create a visual representation of our emotions at this time of year. We hope you have a good week! Get out and smell some flowers!

View the full size image.

Wallpaper - Saint-Ouen

2010-03-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

We love exploring. We especially love exploring cities. One can never tell what is around the corner unless one looks. We love that. One of our favorite things to do in a new city is to stroll and just take it all in.

When we visited Paris this past summer we had the chance to stay with our dear friends Aurélie and Giuseppe. Aurélie is a costume designer in the French film industry and they have great taste. They live in a very cool neighborhood call Saint-Ouen just outside the center of Paris. Saint-Ouen is home to the famous Paris's flea market (marché aux puces). This neighborhood has tons of texture and variety and is no surprise that our wallpaper comes from this street.

We found lots of old walls that for decades have been plastered with signs and advertisements for different market stalls. We just love the way the wall carried history and wore it well. We hope you can enjoy it as well.

View the full size image.

Eco-friendly green printing

2010-03-02T17:57:00.000-08:00

When we print, we always choose to print "green". What is green printing you ask?

When we choose a printer we want to know they are using paper from FSC-certified sources and vegetable-based inks.

Read the Grist.com article where Bryan Mazzarello was interviewed about his green printing choices.

Check out our favorite printer:

Greenerprinter.com

Wallpaper - Lights in the Night

2010-02-24T18:24:00.000-08:00

Most of the time driving is no fun, especially when you are in traffic, but every now and then a good song comes on and you are just in the moment. Lights are flying by in the night and nothing can stop you.

View the full size image.

Great Social Media Idea - Tweet your blog!

2010-02-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

Are you like me and sometimes forget to tweet, or you are good at tweeting but forget you have a blog? Why not have your blog post get picked up my your twitter account and save yourself some time?

I recently set this up with twitterfeed.com. Feed your blog to twitter - twitterfeed lets you post any RSS or Atom feed to twitter automatically.

Public Profit Branding

2010-02-16T11:04:00.001-08:00

We had the privilege of working with a fantastic client from Oakland. Public Profit works to improve the effectiveness of public service organizations like nonprofits, education, and government and helps them manage what matters.

We were very excited when we sat down to our first meeting with Public Profit because we could tell from the beginning this would be a good partnership! That is important when helping a brand start from scratch on all their design materials.

Public Profit made it very clear who they were and who their clients were. Once we got the full picture, Stephanie and I went to work, creating a color palate, choosing a typeface, and creating ultimately a new face for their organization.

Our contact Corey, was very responsive and helpful in responding during the process and very quickly we were able to build a catalog of materials:

logo
business card
letterhead and envelope
postcard/handout

Click for the full size image.

Wallpaper - Green Cabin in the Woods

2010-02-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

In the past two weeks Stephanie I have been able to enjoy a weekend in Boulder and a weekend in Tahoe. We were so inspired by the beauty we saw in the snowy mountains and trees! This week's image comes from the inspiration of a green cabin that struck me like lightening when I walked by. All around was white and then all of a sudden this weathered, green, cabin sat peacefully in the fluffy snow.

Click for the full size image.

Wallpaper - Sicilian Flowers

2010-01-14T15:07:00.000-08:00

About this time of year we are daydreaming of another trip to Sicily. Last autumn we had an amazingly inspirational trip to Europe and we were sure to include a week in Sicily with my family. We hope this wallpaper will warm your computer up a bit on a cold winter's day and make you daydream of warm Tyrrhenian, autumn, breezes coming off the norther coast of Sicily. The photo was taken at the top of the hill over looking the my family's city of Capo d' Orlando.

Click for the full size image.

Wallpaper - Winter Rain

2010-01-07T13:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from Mazzarello Media and Arts. The winter season is here (except our Southern California friends and family). For us that means rain, although today it is quite pleasant.

Nevertheless, we decided that a desktop wallpaper of beautiful rain drops on our car windshield would be a nice image this week. Do you remember being a kid and watching the rain drops slide slowly down the glass, while your family was on a road trip? I always liked to think of it as a topographic map of some alien landscape.

Click for the full size image.

Wallpaper - Snowflakes

2009-12-16T13:50:00.000-08:00

We realize that we live in Oakland, CA and that snow is not very common in the month of December, but we did get a bit of snow here in the East Bay on Mt. Diablo. While we rarely get to enjoy snow here in the Bay Area the natural beauty and and intricacy of a snowflake is universal.

Click for the full size image.

Wallpaper - Autumn's Final Cry

2009-12-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

As the season of Autumn gets set aside with preparation for Christmas (even though Winter does not start until December 21), we wanted to give you one last parting image of Autumn. We just love the look of the trees at this time of year and the lovely patterns their leaves make on the ground.

Click for the full size image.

Standards of Professional Practice

2009-12-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

A professional designer adheres to principles of integrity that demonstrate respect for the profession, for colleagues, for clients, for audiences or consumers, and for society as a whole.

These standards define the expectations of a professional designer and represent the distinction of an AIGA member in the practice of design.

-AIGA

Read the whole Standards of Professional Practice
http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/standards-professional-practice

Photos - New York

2009-12-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

Around this time a few years ago we took a trip to New York City. New York is full of strong imagery and it was an inspiring trip. From the museums and galleries to the subway, ethnic cuisine and towering structures our eyes were busy taking it all in.

View the image full size.

Wallpaper - Foggy New York Night

2009-12-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

New York truly is a wonderful place. This week's wallpaper comes from a shot in Manhattan on a foggy November night not long after Thanksgiving in 2007. I love the way cities look at night in the fog. Probably since I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and we know about fog. Still, there is something mysterious and haunting about it, but you can't pull your eyes away from the light reflecting in the water droplets of the night sky. I just love how the city skyline is transformed.

Click for the full size image.

Wallpaper - Squash in November

2009-11-18T18:28:00.000-08:00

Squash are wonderful for food, decoration and photography. Their vivid colors and unique shapes are so interesting, I only wish I could enjoy them all year long.

We picked up these beauties from our local farmers market. Apparently you can eat the outside if you roast it right.

Wallpaper - Love Paris

2009-11-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Paris is a city to fall in love with. So many people from all over the world come to this city and are struck by its beauty. When the time comes to leave, a part of their heart forever remains strolling along the Seine, receiving inspiration from the Louvre and sitting and sipping at a cafe. A piece of my heart is in Paris with dear friends and the rest of my heart longs to return.

This week I put up one of my drawings of the Eiffel Tower (on 2 wallpapers to please both Mazzarellos), that plays like a film strip in my mind. Whenever I desire to relax in a garden or walk through the city, I play this film in my head...and quickly check out plane flight prices. Oh Paris, I will come back soon, I promise.

Impact of Designers

2009-11-10T23:18:00.000-08:00

This video of Steven Heller, Author of "Iron Fists", is from the Gel Conference in October 2009 in New York. Heller addresses the impact of design, looking at totalitarian states and how they use their graphic design as a mode of influence and direction.

Steven Heller at Gel 2009 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Power of Art Film Series: Rothko

2009-11-08T23:37:00.000-08:00

Well this Monday (11/9/09) night will be the final night of our 8 part series on the Power of Art.

We will be taking a look into the powerful paintings of Russian-American, abstract expressionist, Marcus Rothkowitz, better known as Mark Rothko. He is best known for his large abstract 'colour-field' paintings.

Here is a great site on Rothko at National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC.

And of course you can learn more of what Simon Schama thinks on the BBC site.

Doors open at 8:00pm, film starts at 8:30pm.
Email us if you would like to come!

Wallpaper - London Edifice

2009-11-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

This week's wallpaper comes from an inspiring building in the finance district on London, not far from St. Paul's Cathedral. I just loved the edifice. It seemed so futuristic. I could not wrap my mind around the texture of the building. On closer inspection of the image I am even more intrigued. There are grids and grids inside of grids. Even the windows have grids within.

You never know when inspiration will strike, so it is good to keep a camera with you and always be looking.

Click for the full size image.

Sneaky Ad

2009-11-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

Got a letter in the mail today from AT&T. It looks like Stephanie's mom wrote notes all over it. You know your mom does the same thing and then mails an article to you.

Well on closer inspection looks like AT&T's ad people are pretty clever. It even looks like it has been photo copied.

It is amazing the effort designers go to to grab your attention. This one is well executed.

Oakland Athletics Brochure

2009-10-30T16:59:00.001-07:00

We have some very exciting news. Maybe you can guess if you have been following us on Facebook or Twitter.

We got a phone call one week ago today from the ticketing office at the Oakland Athletics. They explained that they needed a rush job on a brochure that needed to be done right away. The brochure is for season ticket holders, inviting them back for another year.

They had a great concept already and needed a design studio to execute it for them right away. They knew they wanted to stay local with an Oakland design studio, being that they are the Oakland A's. Luckily for us they found us online and gave us a ring. By Tuesday a contract had been signed and designing began and we are happy to announce the project is already completed!

The basic concept is to personalize the direct mail piece with the season ticket holder's name on the cover and then to give the feel of the stadium and ballgame experience. A big emphasis on our time was spent on photorealism of the inside spread as they wanted to take the outfield wall and replace the standard advertising with plugs for the benefits of being a season ticket holder in 2010.

Check out the brochure here.

Wallpaper - Jazz City

2009-10-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

I love illustrating with pen and ink, intersecting lines at different angles, looking at the spaces in between and vibrant color...and this week I loved combining them all together. When I look at this I think of music flying through streets and between buildings...welcome to Jazz City.

Photos - Vancouver

2009-10-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

This week's image comes from Vancouver, British Columbia. We were so inspired by our trip to Canada. We absolutely loved all the glass buildings. It is as if Vancouver built all of their skyscrapers and high-rises only out of glass. The skyline is so magnificent.

We could not get enough. Luckily we were packing our camera and grabbed a few cool shots to share with you.

View the image full size.

Wallpaper - SFMOMA

2009-10-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

This week's wallpaper comes from a spiral staircase at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. A couple weeks ago we bought a pass to SFMOMA. Not only is the art great but I really enjoy the physical space and architecture as well.

I loved the delicate light and shade on the walls as I walked down the steps. Luckily I was packing our Nikon D300. Later in Photoshop I added a cool filter for a more soothing desktop wallpaper.

You never know when inspiration will strike, so it is good to keep a camera with you and always be looking.

Click for the full size image.

Photos - Baz Kitty

2009-10-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

This week's image is of our cat, Baz Kitty. Like most pets, Baz is part of the family, but he also is our coworker. Baz is our Interim HR Director. He makes sure we don't work to late, by biting our computer cables once 6:30pm comes around. He prefers his title to include "Interim" since he does not like to hold too much responsibility. He is more comfortable with the less permanent sounding title. Since he works for cheap, we figure we can go along with it. His second title at the office is, Muse. Just look at him in these photos and you can see why.

View the image full size.

New Site Launch - MB Realty Inc.

2009-10-14T19:30:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce the launching of a new website for local, family, Bay Area real estate company, MB Realty, Inc. This brother power duo is not new business. Being the fourth generation in Bay Area real estate, Matt and Mike of MB Realty understand the complexities of the local real estate market.

They originally came to Mazzarello Media and Arts to help them develop the look and feel of the company, but as business grew so did their needs. This website offers quite a different feel to most cluttered real estate sites. Let's be honest the real estate world is not known for ground breaking design, so we knew the door was wide open to bring a fresh look to the industry. Reflecting the open and honest hands on service of the Bay Area brothers, we wanted to keep the site clean and open.

Don't be fooled though. This site is powerful. With a custom backend the brothers have entire control over the content of their site from the front page intro text to the contact page photo this Content Management System does it all. Not only that but we integrated a custom listing tool that allows MB Realty to add, delete and sort property listings and add property photos as well. Special thanks goes to Aaron Barker of Tap Consulting for his fantastic CMS.

Take a look at the site: www.mb-rg.com

Wallpaper - Oakland Port

2009-10-14T11:45:00.000-07:00

This week's wallpaper is an homage to the hardworking longshoremen of the West Coast ports. Seems like whatever city we end up moving to we always end up not far from shipyards whether in Long Beach, Seattle or Oakland.

Just think about all the materials and merchandise that flow through the ports, from Apple iMacs to exotic spices. It must be incredibly organized in order to get all those ships unloaded without a major hitch each and every hour. Just think of the scale of the container ships.

I have always been enthralled with the large cranes at the Port of Oakland. I remember my dad telling me that the AT-AT from Empire Strikes Back was inspired by the port cranes. Maybe George Lucas got as excited as me when he drove past the large white cranes working tirelessly at the port.

Click for the full size image.

Movie - Paris

2009-10-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

I love Paris. I love the people, the architecture, the parks, the food and the feel. It is a city that feels like nowhere else on earth. So when I saw the advertisement for the movie entitled Paris (and starring Juliette Binoche), I knew I had to see it.

The film was lovely and interesting, like taking a stroll through the city for 2 hours. And while it is a love letter of sorts to the city, it is a love letter that is full of true moments with real characters feeling a spectrum of emotions.

It showed me the Paris that I love, but often do not see in film. The Paris full of diverse landscapes and ethnnicities, temperamental weather, fragrant markets and shops, and beautifully quirky people that you feel like you must have known somewhere/sometime before. A city that is not perfectly pristine for tourists, but a city that is lived in and real.

If you love the city of Paris for its beauty and flaws and everything in between, this is a film to watch.

Photos - American Photography: A Century of Images

2009-10-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

Typically our photo posts are used to display our own photography, but since I just viewed American Photography: A Century of Images, it seemed fitting to write about the documentary that explores 100 years of photography in this country. The documentary covers the development of cameras, photography as an art form, photos for personal documentation, the spectacular moments captured on film and much more.

After watching it I wanted to go out with my own camera or look through my own photos, and think about how much life and history has been captured through the lens. I also wanted to set up a darkroom and smell chemicals and feel photopaper and start using film again. I even considered throwing my camera in a bag and driving across country and seeing what really lies inside of these 50 states.

The interviews, the history and the photos are brought together so well, it was interesting, educational and extremely enjoyable. And for any current photographer, a great look into the history of the art form that has grown and will continue to expand and change.

Things to Do - Richard Avedon at SFMOMA

2009-10-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

I have mixed feelings about art museums, sort of a love/hate relationship. I love looking at the art, thinking about the art, reading about the artists, and I hate how exhausted I feel afterward. This happens to me often. I bombard my senses for one half hour too long, and I am done for the day.

One way I have found to avoid this, is to purchase a year pass to a favorite museum. I feel less pressure to see everything in one day, and allow myself the time and space to be inspired by the work. So as a new member to SFMOMA I was very excited to take the time to enjoy the Richard Avedon exhibition, and it did not disappoint.

Not only was the photography spectacular, the curating was excellent. The show takes you through his work photographing fashion, celebrities, politicians, artists and the working man. The way it is presented feels very organic, enabling us to see how he grew/changed as an artist.

At the end of the exhibition I overheard an interesting question posed by a guide, "Would you have wanted Avedon to photograph you?" While he was known to capture a beautiful photograph, not every person was pleased with their portrayal. You are looking at yourself in the mirror as someone else sees you. A potentially scary prospect...

...But come on, of course I would have signed up for that portrait - he's Richard Avedon.

Online vCard Converter

2009-10-08T11:25:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a tool that can convert vCards to CSV files? Maybe you are getting ready to do an email blast but you are not sure how to upload your Apple Mail contact list into a commercial email tool like Vertical Response.

You could go through the agony of copying and pasting each name into the tool or use the Online vCard Converter.

Simply drag your contacts onto your desktop. The addresses will be changed into a .vcf file.
Point your browser to Online vCard Converter.
Click "Choose File" button and navigate to your .vcf file on your desktop.
Choose CSV format.
Click "Convert" button
Locate your downloaded file.
Upload your CSV file to your email tool.

Online vCard Converter

Wallpaper - Power Lines

2009-10-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

I am often captivated by power lines in our skyline. Some may view them as urban blight or as ugly man made obstruction of our skyline. Sometimes when I look up I am inspired. Our photo archives are full of shots from our travels of power lines. I like how they can frame a scene, buildings, trees or sky.

Of course I am attracted to Piet Modrian's paintings and I probably transfer a bit of his work in mind mind when I view the sky grids. I am also inspired by LA artist, Ed Ruscha. I love his concept of word play and image.

This photo mash up comes from power lines we pass every time we drive the I-5 from the Bay Area to LA or vice versa. Our life has been suspended in this transition many times whether we were living in the greater LA area or Bay Area. Now there is a comfort almost in the scenery like it or not as I have been driving this route since entering college 13 years ago.

This week's wallpaper is an homage to Modrian and Ruscha.

Click for the full size image.

Wallpaper - Watercolor Clouds

2009-09-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

This week's desktop wallpaper brings together the worlds of watercolor and clouds, the clouds being combined from a variety of photos we have taken abroad. The hope is that this imagery will cause one to feel inspired while suspended in the airy saturated space.

Click for the full size image.

Tunes - Over the Rhine

2009-09-29T19:28:00.001-07:00

When the days start getting darker earlier, there are three things that I want: a warm drink, a crackling fire and to listen to Over the Rhine. Their music makes me relaxed and invigorated, melancholy and hopeful, chilled and warm...it is perfect for the time of inbetweens.

I also must mention that they are even better live than on their cds. Karin Bergquist has a voice that is absolutely spectacular in person, Linford Detweiler is a beautiful storyteller, and together they thrive when interacting with an audience. See if they have a show near you sometime soon.

Movie - Little Dorrit

2009-09-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would be writing/typing/saying this, but I really love Masterpiece (Theater). I grew up thinking that Masterpiece Theater was full of strange accents, boring stories and a great thing to nap to. And now I keep finding myself addicted to Masterpiece movies over and over again.

The most recent favorite is Little Dorrit, winner of seven Emmy Awards. It is a great story, full of beautiful cinematography, acting, sets and costumes. It looks at debt, greed, pride, classism in a different time and place, but the story is something that says much to us in our current world.

I watched Little Dorrit online, but the website says that Tuesday (tomorrow) is the last day it will be available in its entirety. However, it is definitely worth putting in your Netflix queue. For more quality online videos, be sure to check out the great PBS' video website.

Photos - Discovery Park

2009-09-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

This week's image comes from a series of photos we took at Discovery Park in Seattle, WA June of 2007. It is a gorgeous 530 acre park right in Seattle. It was a great source of refuge for us when we lived there for 2 years. Once you step into the park you are in another world, surrounded by great beauty. If we timed it with a sunny day then it was really great.

We too hope you find sources of inspiration in your own backyard. It might just be the trick to getting out of a creative slump.

View the image full size.

Things to Do - Farmers' Markets

2009-09-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

If I am feeling down, if I need visual inspiration, and if I desire lots of delicious fruits/vegetables/cheese/bread...all I need is a trip to the farmers' market.

I love becoming a regular at the market. It is so fun to know which guys sell the best stone fruit, who has delicious heirlooms, and where I can buy that amazing bag of lettuce that never seems to end and always stays fresh. I enjoy getting a great deal or extra sample of delicious paratha. And I really love seeing the same smiling faces week after week.

I am super lucky to have a fantastic market in walking distance on Saturday mornings, but if I happen to miss my market, I know another market is nearby and waiting for a visit. For a great resource to find a market near you, check out LocalHarvest.org.

Wallpaper - Lake Merritt

2009-09-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

This week's desktop wallpaper is a tribute to our neighborhood in Oakland, CA. Highlighting our fantastic Lake Merritt, sometimes called the Jewel of Oakland, which brings much refreshment to us urban dwellers here in Oakland.

According to Oakland Parks: "In 1963, the Wildlife Refuge at Lake Merritt was registered as a National Historic Landmark. The nation's oldest wildlife refuge, expanding 140 acres, with a shoreline of 3.4 miles around the lake. "

Also featured is the historic Grand Lake theater, popular for "talkies" since the late '20s. You can also see bay seagulls and the Cathedral of Christ the Light. Here is a great video about the architecture of this building.

Click for the full size image.

View all desktop wallpapers on Flickr.

Tunes - Wild Beasts

2009-09-22T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Wild Beasts hail from Kendal, England. The band is a recent discovery for me, that comes along with a recently released second album titled Two Dancers.

The group provides interestingly beautiful vocals with well matched music. While listening, I was continuously surprised by the ever changing journey for my ears. I find this variety invigorating for the creative process, making Wild Beasts some delightful designing music.

Check them out, and be sure to do something creative while you are listening.

Did You Know 4.0 - Convergence

2009-09-22T11:53:00.001-07:00

Very interesting facts about the rapid change of the social media realm, laid out in visually stimulating form.

Movie - Billy the Kid

2009-09-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

We recently saw an awesome tip on Facebook from an old college buddy, Josh Forbes, who now happens to be a genius music video director. He did one of our fav videos for some other college friends, Cold War Kids.

The recommended film is called Billy the Kid. We were really impressed with the how the director, Jennifer Venditti, had the ability to tell a very engaging story about a struggling teenager from small town America. Turns out the director has had a good career as a casting director and has met people all over this nation. She had kept notes and audition tapes of many real, non actors that she found compelling. One of those people that stuck in her mind was a kid named Billy from Maine.

Here is what the director says:

The film captures a moment in Billy’s adolescence when his thoughts, dreams, and actions are still actively designing his future. Ultimately, I feel Billy’s journey is connected to all of ours and that what we strive for, no matter how different we seem, is the same: acceptance, understanding, and love.

I intend to continue making films that challenge the viewers’ expectations, and my hope is that audiences will leave the theater either inspired or unsettled enough to start their own discussion.

We highly recommend this glimpse into the life of an outsider. We hope you too will be filled with compassion and curiosity about those that do not fit into society's little boxes. Maybe this film will inspire you to look at people differently or notice someone in your community that deserves your attention. We know we have been changed.

Photos - Colorado

2009-09-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

This time last year we were in Boulder, Colorado visiting good friends Brian and Beca and camping in Estes Park. One night we were kept up listening to the wild elk bugling. It got us up pretty early one morning, which provided for some great autumn morning light images.

Full the full size photo collage.

Things to Do - Peter Pumpkin Patch

2009-09-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

When we were up in Seattle we found ourselves very inspired by the farms in Autumn. There was a weekend where all of the farms encouraged people to come out and learn about how they work and enjoy their bounty of fruits, vegetables, cheeses, wine and more. This event provided us with new colors, textures and images to inspire our work.

Now in the Bay Area, we found out that Spring Hill Cheese Company in Petaluma is inviting everyone to come out and and "experience the farm atmosphere" at their Peter Pumpkin Patch. You can taste freshly made cheese and ice cream, dig for potatoes, pick pumpkins, visit a hay maze and more. On the weekends there is also live music.

Peter Pumpkin Patch is going on September 25 - October 31, from 9 am until dusk and admission is free.

So take a day to be inspired by nature in Autumn...and try some delicious cheese while you're there.

Wallpaper - Struttura della Sicilia

2009-09-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

This week's wallpaper is a photo grid of my favorite place on the planet, Sicily!

This summer were able to spend a week photographing the life and texture of the Sicilian people and landscape. This wallpaper reflects our love of the color and inspiration of the clear Tyrrhenian Sea, sea rocks, and crumbling plaster walls of the seaport city of Catania, my family's Mediterranean hometown Capo d'Orlando, and my great-grandfather Francesco Mazzarello's home town of Naso.

Just click the image to download the large wallpaper (1920 x 1200 px).

News - Red Letters

2009-09-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Getty, originally uploaded by Mazzarello Media and Arts.

Mazzarello Media and Arts got two "red envelopes" yesterday!

Stephanie's Autumn Desktop Wallpaper, as seen on this blog, is slated (no promises) in the next issue of Conspire Magazine! Also we found out that one of our photos of Los Angeles as well as Stockholm, as seen on Flickr, could be featured in the Schmap Los Angeles Guide and Stockholm Guide!

Don't miss out. Be sure to get your desktop wallpaper each week from our blog: http://mazzarellomedia.blogspot.com/search/label/wallpaper

Also check out photos on our Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazz78/

Tunes - Technology

2009-09-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

This Tunes Tuesday is all about our fav music technology. We have got to start out with a shout out to iTunes. If it were not for iTunes we would still be on our old CD player. We have been feeding CDs into our Macs for close to a decade.

Wikipedia says: "iTunes was introduced by Apple Inc. on January 9, 2001, at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. The latest version, iTunes 9, was announced at Apple's September 2009 keynote "Rock and Roll"."

Speaking of iTunes 9...have you downloaded the newest upgrade? Have you seen the awesome iTunes LP.

Finally we can start getting the equivalent of DVD special features when we download music. Now labels have no excuse for not providing a better and deeper music experience. The film industry, although a giant, is still more agile and seems to adapt to fans better than the lumbering major labels of the music world.

Here is what Apple says: When you download select albums, you’ll experience a beautifully designed, interactive world right in your iTunes library on your Mac or PC. While you listen to your favorite songs, dive into the lyrics and liner notes, view photos, watch videos, and enjoy other bonus materials. Many are even created by the artists.

Another cool thing in the music world is Last.fm. Last.fm is a UK-based Internet radio and music community website.

Here is what Wikipedia says: Using a music recommender system called "Audioscrobbler", Last.fm builds a detailed profile of each user's musical taste by recording details of all the songs the user listens to, either on the streamed radio stations, the user's computer or many portable music devices. This information is transferred to Last.fm's database ("scrobbled") via a plugin installed into the user's music player. The profile data is then displayed on the user's profile page.

Users can create custom radio stations and playlists from any of the audio tracks in Last.fm's music library, and are able to listen to some individual tracks on demand, or download tracks if the rights holder has previously authorised it.

You can check out my Last.fm. Last.fm listens to my iTunes and builds a catalog of my songs and can recommend artists.

If you don't have speakers for your computer, check out harman/kardon Sounds Sticks. These babies crank! Plus they are just so pretty!

Movie(s) - Pheobe in Wonderland and Blame It on Fidel

2009-09-14T19:41:00.000-07:00

This last weekend we watched two films that focused on the lives of children, but they were not movies made just for kids. Both Phoebe in Wonderland and Blame It on Fidel take us on journeys as the world is changing around the lead characters. The main characters struggle with feeling a loss of control in their lives and have to mature greatly over the course of the film to deal with the circumstances they encounter.

The films are full of emotion, pain, laughter and talented children actors. Kids that already know how to make the viewer laugh and cry in the same scene. Kids that could teach some adult actors a thing or two.

While the stories are very different, they seemed a nice complement to one another, helping us to recognize that the lives of children are not as simple as we might remember.

Photos - Cal Bears Women's Field Hockey

2009-09-11T21:26:00.000-07:00

On Sunday September 6, we got in at field level and photographed a very tight Cal Bears Women's Field Hockey match with Northeastern. It was a very close match going into double overtime. Unfortunately our Bears lost, but we got some great action shots and made a few friends with the fans.

We were very impressed with local Bay Area sophmore Jessica Kreck. She was great to watch and photograph as she wreaked havoc on the Huskies.

Click the photo to view a larger version.

Things to Do - College Football

2009-09-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

"Roll on you Bears" and "Fight on Trojans" because college football season is here. When thinking of things to do during the Autumn months, watching college football is pretty much at the top of our list. Sitting at home with a cold Pyramid Haywire in hand, fresh guacamole and chips on the table, and football on the television is really my idea of a perfect afternoon. It's cheap, it's delicious and it's a whole lotta fun. I plan on making it a regular habit in the next few months.

However, for even more fun, I would say to the football fan and non-football fan alike, going to a college football game in the fall is a must do. We were in attendance for Cal's triumph over Maryland last weekend, and it was an absolute blast. The fog rolled in, the lights shined brightly and the Bears looked spectacular. The pre-game festivities were a lot of fun, and a Maryland fan even treated us to a pitcher of beer...now that is good sportsmanship.

So make it out to a game, maybe even this weekend. The Bears are at home, and the weather is supposed to be beautiful...get your tickets!

(And yes, you are allowed to be a Cal and USC fan, it only becomes problematic one day a year.)

Wallpaper - Football Season is here

2009-09-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

It is that time of year again at last! Autumn is here. With autumn comes leaves, tasty new foods at the farmer's market and football season. We wait all year for this season. It is a season of change and of new promises of holidays right around the corner.

The image this week comes from this past weekend at Cal Berkeley's campus. We spent quite a bit of time at the home opener for Cal Football and also got to see Women's Field Hockey. Roll on you Bears.

Just click the image to download the large wallpaper (1920 x 1200 px).

Tunes - Noisettes

2009-09-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

I came across the Noisettes, and while Wild Young Hearts is not out yet...I am very excited to get it in the mail once it is released on the 22nd of this month.

The band is from London and this album, their second, is said to be, "a set of sleek pop songs steeped in soul, dizzy on disco and harking back to the days of blues and jazz greats." Sounds good to me.

What I've heard so far has made me want to get up dance, and seeing as Autumn puts me in a dancing mood, I can't wait to hear the rest.

(Oh yeah, check out their video page, I particularly love Never Forget You.)

Movie - Waltz With Bashir

2009-09-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

We recently watched Waltz with Bashir and were struck by the beauty of the film and the pain of the story itself. The autobiographical film depicts a man in search of his lost memories from the 1982 Lebanon War through stylized animation. It was extremely well done, and stunning.

However, it definitely tears one in half, like viewing Picasso's Guernica...something so beautiful portraying something so ugly. It brings forward questions of what the point of art should be.

I know those that think distinct lines should be drawn between what is art and what is not. That art should be beautiful and say little. That it should hang on a wall. That films are not art, but entertainment.

Waltz With Bashir pays little attention to those people. It declares that film, art, beauty, devastation and critical thought can/should be brought together...I agree.

Photos - Southern California

2009-09-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Southern California is an inspiration to many who live, work and play there. Here is a collection of images from a recent trip to our old stomping grounds. Highlights include:

Bargain Basket Markets' signage
Long Beach State Japanese Garden
The Getty Center

Things to Do - Art Walk

2009-09-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

While living in Seattle, Stephanie and I discovered a very cool activity right in our backyard. We enjoyed going on a neighborhood art walk. We lived in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle which had a thriving art community. Here is how MyBallard.com describes it:

The second Saturday of every month, dozens of Ballard businesses along Ballard Ave. and Market St. feature some of Western Washington’s most talented artists and photographers.

We would stroll down our local streets and pop into local galleries and even shops and restaurants had art up. We found it to be very refreshing and inspiring for us and looked forward to it each month.

When we moved to Oakland we immediately looked for similar opportunities and found we have the Oakland Art Murmur just blocks from our place!

Oakland Art Murmur is a coalition of art and cultural venues dedicated to increasing popular awareness of and participation in the arts in Oakland, with an emphasis on visual art. We promote visual art in Oakland through collective marketing and outreach efforts and our monthly First Friday events, which are open to the public and attended by hundreds of local and visiting art enthusiasts.
The First Friday art walk has grown to include street performances, one night only art installations, activists raising money and awareness for local social service organizations and political initiatives.
-OaklandArtMurmur.com

What opportunities for creativity and inspiration are right around the corner from you?

Wallpaper - Autumn Is Upon Us

2009-09-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Autumn is our favorite time of the year. It is the time for school starting, leaves falling, cider brewing, spices baking, colors coming forth from the earth and football being played by young and old. I know some people that don’t care much for fall. Some that view it as a foreboding sign that time is passing, things are ending and a cold awaits. I can understand that thought, but it could never be my own.

When I see, smell, hear and taste autumn, I can only think of the preparation for what is to come, the decay that will bring newness, that in the ending...there can be great beauty (and hopefully some pumpkin waffles). So as each year passes (and 30th birthdays await), I welcome fall gladly. Let the beauty come forth, let that which is ending give to that which lays ahead.

And yes, I know that most people recognize Autumn officially beginning closer to the end of September, but as it turns out meteorlogically it is September 1 - November 30. That’s all that I need to know! So I welcome you Autumn...I welcome you with wallpaper.

To download the wallpaper, just click on the image above.

Tunes - Cut Chemist

2009-09-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

This July Stephanie and I were at The Getty Center in Los Angeles. What an inspiring location. Mix it with warm weather, gorgeous architecture and a live FREE show by one of the best DJs, it was an epic day.

To our surprise, The Getty Center offers a cool event called Saturdays Off the 405. On Saturday, July 25 Cut Chemist was performing. I will let The Getty describe it:

Celebrated DJ Cut Chemist took to the decks to create an audio feast featuring vocalist Hymnal with video by Cinefamily's VJ Pimpadelic Wonderland. Cut Chemist—a.k.a. Lucas MacFadden—is an L.A. native who was a founding member of both the rap/hip-hop group Jurassic Five and the Latin funk outfit Ozomatli. He plays music and rhythms from around the world while keeping strong the hip-hop tradition.

We are still talking about the magic of that night. Part of the magic was how well VJ Pimpadelic mixed old film archives of kung fu movies, 70s cartoons and other fun visuals perfectly to the spins of Cut Chemist. Here is another blogger, On the Hush who loved it:

The multi-media combination of lights, sound effects, and video screens made for a science lab where experimentations are bound to explode over the heads of the unrealizing. Cut Chemist did things with beats that only a scientist is capable of. Mixing just the right amount of rare grooves and converting them into funk, techno joints. Pulsating bass lines and sound effects forced bodies into an ineluctable groove beyond the pavilion.

We first discovered Cut Chemist on LA's Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW with then DJ Nic Hardcourt. He performed live on the show and blew my mind. You can watch how we scratches and mixes live. You can still watch it since KCRW is so good at archiving.

Ever since the show we have had the songs in our head so we had to buy some of his work. We recently bought The Litmus Test and The Audience is Listening. This is inspiring work and definitely will get you in a good mood. We highly recommend picking up his album today!

Movie - Young @ Heart

2009-08-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes one carries too high of expectations into a film; expecting greatness and getting mediocrity. I dread these experiences because I really love to love movies. It was once said of me that I like every movie...and while that is not true, I do like to find something redeeming in every film. If hundreds to thousands of people come to together and put blood, sweat and tears into a production for months even years, it feels as though something, at least one thing, might have been well done. Therefore when I face a film that leaves me wishing for much much more, I find a bit of joy in recognizing that the costume designers or cinematographer did a fantastic job in their role.

All of that to say, yes I love movies, maybe too much...but I really believe that Young @ Heart is a movie everyone should love. This documentary carries you through emotional highs and lows, presents a story of hope and strength and brings you into the lives of some of the most energetic and lovely people one could ever have the hope of meeting. Does it seem amusing that 80+ year old people are singing punk music? Did I chuckle to myself at first? Yes, me along with most of the people at their concerts.

However, those feelings soon faded and all I could see was an energy and beauty in all of these individuals. Their passion for life, friends and a way to express themselves pulls you in and challenges the viewer. What risks am I taking in life? Am I willing to put myself out there in my art and work? Any movie that can make me want to live life more fully...now that’s a movie I can really love.

The Power of Art Film Series

2009-08-31T11:49:00.000-07:00

Great turn out on Monday night. We had a cozy group of eight to experience the stylistic BBC documentary, The Power of Art: Caravaggio. We experienced the drama of Caravaggio's life, art and personal tragedy. Brilliance seems to come at a price.

September 14, 2009

The next Monday we will be looking into the life of Bernini (1598-1680). If you have ever been to Rome then you have probably been enveloped in some of his greatest works. This episode will culminate with his work in 1652, Ecstasy of St. Theresa.

Here is what Simon Schama says:
"A century after the creation of The Ecstacy of St Theresa, a French art lover doing the Tour of Rome entered the Church of S. Maria della Vittoria in Rome, peered at the spectacle and said: "Well, if that's divine love, I know all about it".

What Bernini's managed to make tangible is something that we all, if we're honest, know we hunger for, but before which we're properly tongue-tied. Something that has produced more bad writing, more excruciating moments of bad cinema, more appalling poems than anything else. No wonder when art historians look at this sculpture they tie themselves in knots to avoid saying the obvious, that is, that we're looking at the most intense convulsive drama of the body that any of us experience."

Please reply YES if you can make it.

Bernini Biography
Born in Naples, Bernini was an exceptional talent from an early age and went on to dominate the art world of 17th century Rome. His work epitomised the Baroque style and his sculpture, church interiors and exteriors and town planning could be seen everywhere. He was also a painter, playwright, costume and theatre designer.

Bernini worked under successive Popes; Pope Gregory XV made him a knight and Pope Urban VIII took him as his best friend. He was revered in his time until a jealous rage caused him to have the face of his mistress slashed after discovering her romance with his brother. His reputation fell further after his bell towers for the Cathedral of St Peter's started cracking in 1641. He redeemed himself and kick started his career again with arguably his most famous work, The Ecstasy of St Theresa, in 1652.

Schedule
9-14 Bernini
9-14 Rembrandt
9-21 David
9-28 Turner
10-12 Van Gogh
10-19 Picasso
10-26 Rothko

Please reply YES if you can make it.

Wallpaper - Flying

2009-08-28T10:21:00.001-07:00

This week's wallpaper is from a photoshoot we did at Pescadero Beach, just south of Half Moon Bay on the northern California coastline. That afternoon was a brilliant sunny day with large wind currents coming off the ocean. There were hundreds of seagulls catching the currents and almost floating right in front of us. This particular bird gave us an amazing shot as the sun filters through his wings.

Just click the image to view the larger version.

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The Power of Art Film Series: Caravaggio

2009-08-25T19:33:00.001-07:00

The first night we will be looking into the wild life of Caravaggio. Please RSVP as soon as you can.

Schedule Outline:

8-31-Caravaggio

9-07-Bernini

9-14-Rembrandt

9-21-David

9-28-Turner

10-12-Van Gogh

10-19-Picasso

10-26-Rothko

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Tunes - Snow Patrol

2009-08-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share with you an impactful music video. I am pretty sure I first discovered Snow Patrol from iTunes back in 2004. I think they may have featured this song and video and it blew my mind. So reaching back into the archives of my mind I dug up this video on Last.fm.

We also we lucky enough to see them play live along with our favorite band Travis at Sterling Castle, Scotland in 2004.

View the video.

Social Media Revolution

2009-08-24T15:09:00.001-07:00

Socialnomics. What is the impact?

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Power of Art Film Series

2009-08-21T16:28:00.000-07:00

We wanted to let you know that Mazzarello Media and Arts will be be doing a film series at our home Monday nights at 8pm September-October: The Power of Art, an eight part series. If you are in town, come on down.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/powerofart/

"The power of the greatest art is the power to shake us into revelation and rip us from our default mode of seeing. After an encounter with that force, we don't look at a face, a colour, a sky, a body, in quite the same way again. We get fitted with new sight: in-sight. Visions of beauty or a rush of intense pleasure are part of that process, but so too may be shock, pain, desire, pity, even revulsion. That kind of art seems to have rewired our senses. We apprehend the world differently."

Here is the playlist:
Caravaggio
Bernini
Rembrandt
David
Turner
Van Gogh
Picasso
Rothko

Art that aims that high – whether by the hand of Caravaggio, Van Gogh or Picasso – was not made without trouble and strife. Of course there has been plenty of great art created in serenity, but the popular idea that some masterpieces were made under acute stress with the artist struggling for the integrity of the conception and its realisation is not a "romantic myth" at all. A glance at how some of the most transforming works got made by human hands is an encounter with "moments of commotion".

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Out of the Ashes

2009-08-19T15:29:00.000-07:00

This year we had the pleasure of working with Project Peace on their new Film Festival series. This year's theme was Out of the Ashes.

This is a film festival featuring films by Bay Area female filmmakers. The four films share the theme of women overcoming various obstacles and adversities, including La Corona by Amanda Micheli & Isabel Vega, an Academy Award® Nominated Documentary Short.

We created the film fest logo, theme logo (font created by hand), color palette, promotional posters, web site and flyers.

You can see the work we did here.

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Design iMix

2009-08-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here is an iMix we made to share music that helps us crank out our work. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Learn how to create your own iMix.

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Wallpaper of the Week 6

2009-08-17T18:35:00.001-07:00

This week's image comes from the mind of our resident illustrator, Stephanie. Bask in the dripping night sky and peer through the endless layers of stars and sea. To download the wallpaper, just click on the image above.

Don't miss a thing, follow on Twitter or Fan us on Facebook.

Battle of the Salsa Bands

2009-08-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

This spring we got to work with Project Peace on their first annual Battle of the Salsa Bands event.

The event featured live salsa music provided by Josh Jones and His Latin Jazz Orchestra

We created the logo, color palette, promotional posters, web site and flyers.

You can see the work we did here.

Wallpaper of the Week 5

2009-08-10T19:46:00.001-07:00

This week's image comes from the Copenhagen Airport. We were just stunned when we turned the corner and saw this incredible, massive, cathedral-like hallway! It is really amazing. The light is wonderful and the arching ceiling really let's you know that this is a unique experience. This is probably the most amazing airport we have ever visited. Enjoy the image.

View the large version here.

Common Sense

2009-08-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

This spring we had the pleasure of working with Intel Research Berkeley. Allison, came to Mazzarello Media and Arts to fully brand their newest project, Common Sense.

Common Sense is described as: "We are developing mobile sensing technologies that help communities gather and analyze environmental data. We hope that this hardware and software will empower everyday citizens to learn more about their environment and influence environmental regulations and policy."

We created the logo, color palette, promo postcards for the press, shot product photos and designed and built a clean web site that their team could edit.

You can see the work we did here.

Forza Institute

2009-08-05T15:19:00.001-07:00

This year we had the pleasure of working with Dr. Angela Robles. She came to Mazzarello Media and Arts to fully brand her new company Forza Institute.

The mission of Forza is: "To help individuals discover their uniquely innate gifts, talents and strengths in an effort to transform groups of individuals into highly functioning and successful teams." She recently has worked with the teams from Notre Dame and Harvard and even two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Michele Smith.

We created her logo, color palette, business cards, web site and 3 fold brochure.

You can see the work we did for her here.

Desktop Wallpaper of the Week 4

2009-08-03T10:35:00.000-07:00

This week's image is from Paris once again. What can we say? We were inspired quite often in Paris. We took this photo from inside the Centre Pompidou, looking out over the city. In the background you can clearly see the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur on top of the highest point in Paris, Montmartre.

Click on the photo to download the larger version for your desktop wallpaper.

Desktop Wallpaper of the Week 3

2009-07-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

This week we offer one of our favorite shots from our travels in Sweden. This one comes from Uppsala. The photo is of the Uppsala Concert & Congress Hall designed ironically by an incredible Danish team, Henning Larsen Architects.

You can view the full image by clicking on the photo above.

Pro Flickr Account

2009-07-28T19:11:00.001-07:00

Going Home, originally uploaded by Mazzarello Media and Arts.

We finally upgraded our Flickr account to Pro and we are having fun posting new photos. Check out our page.

Europe Photos now available

2009-07-20T13:43:00.001-07:00

DSC_7929, originally uploaded by Mazzarello Media and Arts.

Check out some shots from our recent month abroad.

Now on Flickr. Check it out.

Desktop Wallpaper of the Week 2

2009-07-20T12:36:00.001-07:00

The second installment of Desktop Wallpaper of the Week.

This wallpaper is from 2 photos I took at the fabled Krongborg Castle in Denmark. You can see the original here on Flickr. I then laid a texture over the image. The texture is from a photo we took of the beautifuly old walls of the town of Helsingør (immortalised as Elsinore in Shakespeare's Hamlet) on the extreme northeastern tip of Zealand at the narrowest point of the Øresund, the sound between Denmark and Sweden.

Just click on the image to view to large size (1920x1200px)

Europe Photos now on Flickr

2009-07-17T18:03:00.000-07:00

Check out some shots from our recent month abroad.

Now on Flickr

Desktop Wallpaper of the Week

2009-07-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

After an inspiring month long trip in Europe, I decided that it would be fun to create a desktop wallpaper each Monday for our blog readers and Facebook fans.

This first wallpaper is from a photo I took of a very cool couple on the escalator at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. I love how the yellows and blacks came together in a very dynamic and inspiring space.

Just click on the image to view to large size (1920x1200px)

Busy little bees

2009-05-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

We have been super busy with client projects as we prepare to wrap up our work and head to Europe for 4 weeks of design inspiration.

Our client list has really grown in the last month! We are very excited with the work and have really enjoyed a fantastic creative relationship with each of our clients.

Here is who we have been designing for most recently:

Forza Institute - San Diego, CA - Team building/speaker
MB Realty, Inc - Danville, CA - Real Estate
Sterling Pacific, Inc - Berkeley, CA - Property Management
Bellevue Healthcare - Bellevue, WA - Healthcare supplier
Project Peace - Berkeley, CA - Community Empowerment
Intel Research Berkeley - Berkeley, CA - Scientific Research
Flory Construction - San Leandro, CA - Commercial Construction
Lisa Blanchard Design - Seattle, WA - Interior Design

We also just launched the splash page for Forza Institute

Here are some of the brand identities we have designed for them:

LSMP Fundraiser

2009-05-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Recently Stephanie and I had the opportunity to photograph an amazing fundraiser for a non-profit we work with in West Oakland, Lafayette School Mentor Program.

Inspiration from Nature

2009-05-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Stephanie and I spent some time camping along the coast of California, near Half Moon Bay. We were able to experience all the elements of nature: earth, wind, fire and water. It was good to get back to the basics.

Our Recommended Event Registration Tool

2009-05-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of EventBrite? It could be your business' or non-profits' most helpful tool for promoting, and hosting an event. Sure there are sites out there that you can have people register with for a birthday party, but when you want to have a simple yet serious tool (think Gmail) to get the job done for a very reasonable rate this is the top choice.

I have done lots of research for my clients to find the top picks for email marketing, event registration, blogging, and organizational tools. EventBrite is being used now by most of my clients including a university in Seattle.

Register your next event with EventBrite

Battle of the Salsa Bands

2009-05-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

One of our most favorite clients, and a non-profit we work in the community with is Project Peace. Over our long term relationship we developed the brand identity, website, postcards, and event promotions. This brings us to our latest project, the Battle of the Salsa Bands fundraising event this weekend in downtown Berkeley.

Stephanie designed the look and feel for this Caribbean salsa slam. Her amazing poster (pdf) features blaring latin horns, floating musical notes an exiting color palette and neo-retro typography.

It's not to late to RSVP for the non-profit fundraising to support and build up a good institution working for good in our Berkeley and Oakland communities.

Check out the custom EventBrite registration page we made:

dosdemayo.eventbrite.com

Learn more about Project Peace

Steadfast Website

2009-04-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

In a previous post we told you about how we created the CD cover art for a new album called Steadfast Make My Heart. Well now there is a website, with free a free mp3 download and an ability to buy from PayPal.

www.christchurchberkeley.org/steadfast/

Favorite RSS Readers

2009-04-21T11:26:00.001-07:00

Trying to figure out what RSS to use? Maybe this article from Wired.com will help you decide. I am using Google Reader but still seeing if it fits me best.

blog.wired.com