The artwork:

An infographic to share on Mothers Day

I created this graphic for Bay Area News Group back in March for a Mike Swift story on the ShoeBox app for iPhones that allows you to make a digital archive of old family photos . Here is a link to the story on the ContraCostaTimes.com website http://tiny.cc/iln8dw

In creating this graphic and in helping come up with visuals for the print presentation, I dug out a tattered shoe box full of old family photos. The main photo I used in the graphic to show how the app works is a photo of my Mom, Carlita Carolyn Todd. I hadn’t planned on using this image for the graphic, but it really seemed to be the best portrait I had in the old shoebox to use to tell the story. The portrait is a school portrait from her early years as a teacher in Fordland, Missouri. I would guess the photo is from 1960 or 1961 or thereabouts.

I researched how to use the app, and took photos with my iPhone for the graphic. I used a ink marker to draw the hands and phone and opted to keep them simple and graphic with no color to keep the emphasis on the photos and the process of upload images in the ShoeBox App. I combined all of the elements using photoshop and illustrator.

I haven’t posted many infographics on this blog. But for Mothers Day it seemed appropriate to share this graphic and the photo of my Mom. Although Mom passed away in 1991, she got to see my illustrations and graphics work published in the Springfield News-Leader. One Sunday when she was in the hospital before she passed, I had an illustration on the front of the paper and a TV book cover illustration of Twin Peaks  (yes…that long ago) in the paper. The nurses told me how proud she was to see my work and how she glowed when showing them. As my teacher, my mother and as an incredible influence, she still inspires me.

To all Mothers past and present…Happy Mothers Day.

And if you haven’t checked out the ShoeBox app…it is a very handy way to archive and share those old family photos.

May 13, 2012 | Categories: Chuck's illustrations | Tags: 1000memories, app, art, artwork, Bay Area News Group, Chuck Todd, Contra Costa Times, design, drawing, facebook, family, graphics, illustration, illustrator, infographics, iPhone, mom, mother, Mothers Day, old family photos, photos, photoshop, San Jose Mercury News, sequential art, ShoeBox, smartphone, Springfield News-Leader, storytelling, visual journalism, www.chucktodd.net | Leave a comment