a better city

I've just finished up an illustration job with the Boston based non-profit, A Better City. Their mission statement is this: "Improving the economic competitiveness and quality of life of the Boston region by advancing significant transportation, land development and environmental policies, projects and initiatives." I'm excited to be a part of this project as it's doing wonderful things for Boston, a city I am particularly fond of (being from there and all). I lived right across the Charles River, in Cambridge, while doing my BFA at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. It is where I began bicycling, which I did everyday in Boston, then in England where we lived for three years, and now in Los Angeles!

I was commissioned to design five certificates which will be awarded to businesses who reach sustainability goals in the areas of energy, transportation, water, waste and people. My job was to illustrate these goals, giving them each a message which is easily read and interesting to look at. I decided to use the shape of the image, playing with borders and making them relevant to the concept. 

While sketching them out I found that drawing a horizon and some sort of landscape was a great way to express the ideas of progress and moving forward into the future. I wanted them to look clean and simple, with enough detail to make them interesting. 

This was a fun project to work and on top of that I feel strongly about the issues of environmental sustainability. I want to be a part of the change and use my art to do it. In my life and work I make a effort to always pick the responsible path, my husband and I do not own a car (yes, even though we live in LA!), we are committed to composting and recycling, and in my art I use recycled or organic materials. There is so much we can all do, and the fact that I am able to use my art and illustration for this purpose is very cool indeed. 

Please check out A Better City's website! http://www.abettercity.org/