My visual inspiration research included a schematic map of the constellation, an amateur photograph of the star (which is actually a triple star!), and the next set of roughs will be based on a cross-section diagram of the star from a scientific paper. Of course, none of the images I develop will be copies of, or even recognizably connected to the original source material.

Once the final design has been approved, I’ll post an image.

You can also send in updates of your own wildflower sightings. Lone Star Internet, an Austin-based web design firm created Wild about Texas Wildflowers to showcase their database design and management. While the visual appearance of the site is pretty basic, Texas wildflower aficionados will enjoy adding it to their information resources as they track down the latest and greatest bloom sites around the state.

Holy Cross oilwell logo, © 2010, Eni Petroleum. Used with client's permission.

Here is the accepted logo for the third oilwell in the series. The Holy Cross neighborhood is named for the Holy Cross private boys’ school which had stood on that site for over a century before the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. The tower and facade of the old building were replicated in the new school, which was re-built in a part of town further away from the major flood zones.

The typeface selected is Charlemagne, which to my eye gives a feel of the engraving style of 19th century headstones and metal plaques. The colors of dark French blue and a light shade of old gold are similar to the school’s colors of navy and old gold. The medallion uses a very abstract version of the flourish found in the entryway tiling of the old school, while the tower in the center is both an embellishment of a gingerbread detail of the old wooden gazebo, and a reference to the iconic central tower of the school’s facade.

Fonts that seemed to work best were either display fonts that mimicked the look of stone and metal engraving, contemporary versions of Old Style and Modern fonts, or display fonts that mimic old-style cursive handwriting.

I’ll post an update with the accepted version soon.

Phinisi, © 2010, Eni Petroleum, used with permission of the client

I delivered the final files for this oilwell logo Thursday morning. A phinisi is a type of two-masted Indonesian sailing boat, with 3 jibs. They were originally fishing boats, but today’s versions are often charter yachts for tourists.

Not accepted: Proposed logo, © 2010 Eni Petroleum, used with permission.

This is the proposed version of one of the oilwell logos. The requested concept was to have a hockey puck bumping into the double o’s and displacing them. This was rejected because the offset o’s made it too hard to read.

As always when a new theme is installed, then deactivated, the old theme exhibits odd changes in appearance. How frustrating.

Right now, I’m trying out the Twenty Ten theme.

Oh.

Okay.

Back to the drawing board.

Colors for these logos always need to be clearly demarcated and graphic. While gradations and blends might look nice in onscreen presentations, these sorts of complex filters don’t necessarily work well when translated to embroidery on a ball cap or golf shirt, or if engraved or embedded in a block of lucite with a drop of the first oil from the well, to name a couple of common uses.

I’ll share some pix once the finals are approved.