Drunken Tree Frogs – Where did the tree frog idea come from?

Drunken Tree Frogs – So why combine tree frogs with images of alcohol? Why not?-tree frogs are some wild animals, you remember the bull frogs of Budweiser, it’s not the first time that amphibians showed themselves as party animals.

Back in 1994, I was working at Taylor Publishing Company, my portfolio consisted of yearbook illustrations, a very limited collection of very rough line drawings. 

My brother was working for Dallas Semiconductor and after a second urging to submit my resume, I gathered my drawings into the semblance of a portfolio. 

I added a very rough drawing of a green tree frog I created in Arts and Letters-the only experience illustrating on a PC, I barely learned on a Mac through working nights and weekends but had no experience on a PC.

Family members urged me not to include a tree frog illustration which had nothing to do with the electronics work I was applying for. The frog illustration was the only thing that proved I could do the work, I got the job, Dallas Semiconductor had all PCs.

I learned, I adapted, much like how the tree frog I illustrated adapts to changes in its environment. Hyla graphics was born but really it never happened, I even had the logo but Artbygordon replaced Hyla. What does a green tree frog have to do with design?

Drunken Tree Frogs – A love of science and the sound of waterfalls, a creative departure

When both of my son were very young I collected tree frogs, building waterfalls in several tanks, always perfecting the fall of the water, the sounds and the beauty of nature in my studio. We have fond memories of watching the red eyed tree frog wake up to crickets chirping, while my son was being rocked to sleep. They were special moments. Stay tuned for the story about building waterfalls and what inspired that creative departure.

Really, What is a NFT?

It has been years since I’ve thought of illustrating a tree frog again-a friend asked if I could do an illustration for a NFT-what is an NFT? No really, someone explain it to me. I saw a series of fat apes, so I decided to do a series of drunken frogs, because I love tree frogs.

The beauty of this series is it gives me the ability to play with branding, create text for the enjoyment of writing, connect several elements that don’t fit together and illustrate them all-all of my creative passions on the same image.

Creativity without limitations

Creativity without the limitations of a committee is quite liberating. The passion is untainted and the options are endless. I don’t know where the series will go, even as the next image continues to show itself, I am enjoying the process of all my creative passions in one project-maybe Hyla creative will be resurrected, for now I’m just having fun.

The next Post-The Joy of Waterfalls (A Creative Departure).