Maker + Artist + Designer
COVER ARTWORK FOR LOUISVILLE MAGAZINE
In 2020, Louisville Magazine commissioned me to create the cover for their largest issue to date. This edition covers the issues surrounding race, inequality, and protests against police brutality. At the forefront is the portrait of Breonna Taylor, in collaboration with the Magazine’s art director, Sarah Flood-BaumannUnraveled. Ms. Taylor’s Portrait uses a quilting technique inspired by Lola Jenkins, a well-respected master quilter.
Using black and white, I wanted to convey a sense of timelessness while acknowledging the persistent struggle for equality for Black Americans — especially Black women.
Click here to read the full artist statement.
Completed cover design incorporating hand-drawn and sewn elements.
You Are a Queen originated from my thesis work, serving as a heartfelt love letter to my daughter and young Black girls and the girl within. This project holds immense personal significance and aims to inspire a strong sense of self-worth in young Black girls.
I want my young queens to see themselves as deserving of love and respect. I truly believe that every Black woman and girl should feel celebrated and cherished for who she is, and I hope that readers will find inspiration and encouragement within these pages.
Available for purchase on Amazon
Cover art design
For an adventure-loving couple who loves the luxury and glamour of traveling, a branded experience was created. Passport to London included a custom rubber stamp and handmade passport-style invitations. The branding continued with hand-stamped face masks, a custom wedding website, social media graphics, and signs.
My absolute favorite part? It's the making! Each invitation was printed in house and stitched and stamped by hand.
Photo by B. Rich Photography
Photob by B. Rich Photography
Hand-stamped face masks and for guests’ safety during the Pandemic.
Branded water bottle labels.
Photo by B. Rich Photography
As an alum, I had the advantage of knowing the history and culture of this 168-year-old institution when updating the collateral pieces for marketing and recruitment. As part of the newly co-ed format, the existing branding guide was applied to various publications for Admissions and Student Life Services. Go Koalas!
Involving students before they arrive on campus gives them a sense of belonging and introduces them to the College's collaborative process. I created a simple template that the printers can customize using variables to show where each student's financial aid award is at any point in the process.
The information packet and schedule for student orientation needed to be updated to introduce a visual organizer that made it easier to understand.
THESIS PUBLICATION
Little Brown Girl: Essays on the influence of Black Womanhood in Visual Communication (or Vice-Versa)
My graduate thesis, Little Brown Girl is a series of essays, personal stories, and work that reflect the subject matters of hair, skin, and self-love as a Black woman in America. What I’m sharing with you is the result of my journey to finding and expressing my own voice through design and other forms of visual communication.
This Skin I’m In discusses the history and effects of colorism, and what it means to be judged by one’s own race by the lightness or darkness of skin.
Better than Good Hair, reveals the complex, emotional struggle and celebration of a Black woman’s hair, as I share my own personal journey in the struggle to love and accept my hair no matter what state she’s in.
On Loving Blackness and Black Womanhood explores the struggle to love one’s own Blackness, and how doing so is both a personal and sometimes political choice.
This work does not begin to encompass all of what being a Black woman is and means, nor does this work speak to every Black woman’s experience—for we all don’t experience our Blackness the same.
Take in the imagery from the book and exhibition. Click here to read the digital version of the Little Brown Girl.
Hair Screens is a series of self-portraits exploring the love and complexity of Black hair. Black hair and styles are a form of personal and political expression. I used yarn to create styles and textures. With a yarn needle, I stitched patterns on window screens. This piece was inspired by artist Sonya Clark’s Hair Craft Project.
BROCHURE AND SELF-GUIDED TOUR MAP
Recently teamed up with the SCAAF (recently renamed WeGoJa Foundation) to create a map commemorating the anniversary of the Briggs v Elliot case—a pivotal case that served as the for the Brown v Board of Education. The brochure features the unsung stories of the brave men, women, and children in the SC towns Manning and Summerton. The map highlights the significant landmarks (churches, schools, and homes) where meetings took place. The project culminated in an unveiling and dedication service of the project. The surviving children, teachers and community leaders and the notable Sen. Jim Clyborn were in attendance
Cover and narrative interior.
Back cover and tour map interior
As Creative Director at the South Carolina Bar, I’ve worked on and led team members to create pieces that help attorneys in their profession and aid the public in legal education and various public service programs. Here is a sampling of a few of the projects I’ve worked on including branding, print, and email marketing design, and exhibition design.
Each year the SC YLD publishes an extensive committee recruitment brochure, showcasing descriptions and opportunities for its members to join. For this edition, the design is colorful and simplified for quick browsing.
Bar members can get assistance from technical assistance to security and financial planning through the Law Practice Management Program. PMAP needed a fresh and fun way to remind attorneys about this service. A thought bubble surrounds loosely drawn icons to quickly reference the plethora of services PMAP provides. An icon and color correspond to a particular service. I then developed advertising that displayed all areas of practice, then features a singles service.
This year-in-review report to Bar members highlights the accomplishments of members’ volunteerism efforts along with how well Bar programs performed in service to the public. As designer for this piece I wanted the look, touch, and feel fresh with use of infographics and bold colors.
Email marketing template and header designs using Photoshop and Mailchimp. The CLE Division needed a cohesive design to market various segments of its division. The challenge was to deliver a wealth of information in clean, contemporary layout.
Getting up in front of strangers, family, and friends to talk about myself or my work is always a challenging task for me. However, every time, I rise above my fear of public presentation and share what's in my head and heart. Or I make a video about it!
I took to the stage in Portland, Oregon as the opening Keynote speaker at the 2019 UCDA Design Conference. This presentation explores my graduate thesis, Little Brown Girl, and addresses my issues of Black womanhood, self-love, and the importance of personal storytelling in design.
As part of the AIGA Design Journeys YouTube Live series, I shared how my thesis work lead me to dig deeper into the issue of colorism and bias against Black women in graphic design imagery.
How can we make design education better? At the AIGA 2017 Design Conference, I share how validating my own personal story created a way to help others.
I was honored to represent Vermont College of Fine Arts at AIGA NY's Fresh Grad#17 event. On Friday, June 9, I presented my thesis Little Brown Girl: Essays on the Influence of Black Womanhood in Visual Communication (or Vice Versa). Thank you, VCFA and AIGA for this wonderful opportunity.
My MFA thesis presentation at Vermont College of Fine Arts, Montpelier!
