karen greenberg

CUFF

2012-02-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Recently, Columbia University put a call out for open submissions for their
upcoming 25th anniversary film festival graphics. The brief was simply to
emphasize this milestone anniversary. The following are my efforts…

Honey in flight

2012-01-26T07:46:00.000-08:00

Who's the boss of me?

Gevalia

2012-01-11T14:37:00.000-08:00

1 year in the making… the newly redesigned and illustrated Gevalia Retail line hits the shelves. A good part of 2011 was spent working closely with Landor Associates to develope a packaging system which visually maintains the Swedish roots of the company, with both a modern and 'warm' appeal. Each flavor/package has it's own icon to convey flavor and taste, and geographic origin. Finally, we are live!

Happy 2012

2012-01-11T14:14:00.000-08:00

To the café

2011-10-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Don't we all need a mid-afternoon coffee break on a rainy, windy, cloud covered new york friday. Chelsea's Cafe Grumpy (20th between 7 & 8) is the best of the best.

Couture & more

2011-10-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hair stylists and colorists are very fashionable folk. They don't want to ruin their couture by spilling messy product while on the job, but they don't like to cover it up either. Coming soon, the Clearly Couture Apron. Make a mess, spill some color, or paints, or some wine for that matter!

approved logo, top right

Alone In The Spotlight

2011-10-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Brandy Cohen is a prolific writer. Within weeks of completing The Perfect Recipe, the finishing touches are put onto her new novel, Alone In The Spotlight. A romantic liason with a hollywood attachment leads to intrigue, mystery and the pursuit of escaping the paparazzi.

the potentially approved cover

Jane Green's been very, very good to me

2011-10-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

In talking of book covers old and new, I must acknowledge how good Jane Green and the folks at Penguin have been to me. For Jane's years publishing with Penguin, she was for me, the gift that kept on giving.

Life Swap and The Other Woman were the first two Jane Green covers I designed and illustrated. After a time, I was asked to design a format that would not only re-package the original covers, but would create a template for all subsequent covers. Life Swap became Swapping Lives and the template below served for all of the publications that followed.

So many covers, So little time…

2011-10-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

For any illustrator or designer working in publishing, it's a known fact that many a cover goes unseen, living quietly on in our archives. it's simply the nature of the beast. On a recent walk down memory lane, i visited many old friends, both seen and unseen. regardless of whether or not a cover makes it to publication, it's always a very worthy and inspiring exercise. At best, it finds its place on the shelf, at the very least, it results in building a larger body of work to draw from - a library of images that may be resurrected at any given moment and reborn into another opportunity to be seen.

sketches to final cover, bottom right

On the cutting room floor, as they say.

And then some…

The JP lives on. and yes, the fabulosity dog bears a striking resemblance to my muse, honey.

Absolute No. 1

2011-08-19T11:34:00.001-07:00

Absolute No. 1:
one can only live fruitfully, abundantly and happily, in the century in which they currently exist.

Kicking and screaming, I make a decision to accept what the world has decided for me - i must fully embrace the 21st century and all of it's technological wonders(?) that allow a free flow of communication, art + commerce, thoughts, ideas, dreams, and yes, puppy photos.

As much fun as the late '80s and 90's were - and boy were they, it is painstakingly apparent to me that it is in fact, nearly 2012. there is no going back. It is a different world. For anyone 40+, it's "the new math" all over again. Even back then, in those days of innocence and dreams, i was characteristically resistant - a contrarian to some degree perhaps, or, someone who simply doesn't like change. I was quite proud of being one of the last hold outs when the cell phone arrived. "I will NOT get one of THOSE things… I do NOT want to talk business on the street, I will NOT be one of THOSE people!" etc., etc. well, who's laughing now, ate my hat, foot in mouth, oops…

Yes, being techno-resistant is odd for someone who makes their living on a computer. nonetheless, technology and I are at best "acquaintances."

And so, I prepare to move - both figuratively and literally. (for the sake of this writing, i focus solely on the figurative aspect.) As an artist/designer, existing in a new environment means partaking of all that is offered in order to thrive. People, projects and connections come from a myriad of sources. one must be 'in life' and in 'the world' in order to thrive in every aspect. and so, i will write, post, share my work, thoughts, inspirations and future 'absolutes' as they become apparent to me.

As per Websters:
Absolute as noun: a. the ultimate basis of reality; b. that which is totally unconditioned, unrestricted, pure, perfect or complete.

The next time someone asks me "do you have a blog?" i can honestly answer… Absolutely.