RockPaperPoem (https://rockpaperpoem.com/) is an online poetry journal with a whimsical name that is a play on rock-paper-scissors. However, as I began the design process for the logo, I was encouraged to think of rock as something stable and grounding, rather than as a game piece, so I created something solid, putting all three words together and using large and small caps. To add a bit of playfulness to the piece, I altered the bottom of the initial capital R, giving it curves and bringing the line to a point.
Type Used: Gwyner Light and Gwyner Regular
Program: Adobe Illustrator
Website Background
Mock-ups of the initial homepage design and the current website.
For the website background, I considered numerous images, mocking them up for presentation to the rest of the group. The final group consensus was for a photo I shot of the beginnings of the Mississippi River running through the "stepping stones" at Lake Itasca State Park.
Images for Poem Tiles
Although I began my work with RockPaperPoem as a graphic designer, creating a wordmark logo and furnishing a photograph for the webpage background, my current involvement with RockPaperPoem is as a visual designer. I create, curate, and format images accompanying poem titles for each RPP issue. I use my original photographs and illustrations for the journal or as part of compositions with royalty-free photos obtained under a Creative Commons license. I also use royalty-free images in composite photos or as standalone images. Whatever the source of the image, what matters most is to find just the right one.
Poem Tile Images: Edited Photos, Photo-Composites, and Illustrations
A composite photo made up of my sunset photo and the photo of a crow for a poem titled "Crows."
A photo for the poem "On the Origins of Sloth Via Despair and Protest."
The Dreaming Deep: "Post-Oral Surgery Fears" illustration.
A photo for the poem, "To the Wasps (And Others I Have Harmed)." "To the Wasps
A photo composite of a partly opened door and a US flag for a poem titled "Memorial Day."
I used my own photo of prairie grass for the poem "Bluestem."
I adorned this bunch of cilantro with illustrated hearts for the poem, "Cilantro," which talks about someone's love for the herb.
A composite of two photos to create an image of a daffodil blooming in the snow for the poem "Keepers."
My photo of prairie grass for the poem "Another Probable Cause."
A composite of wedding photos, water, and illustrations of water drops and bubbles for the poem "Rogue Wave," in which women thrown their wedding albums overboard.
Siren for Somebody Else: Photo-composite of emergency lights and a worried adult.
Forecast: "The Case of the Haunted Plastic Bag" illustration.
Seeing Music: The Spirit of Music Illustration.
Uncommon Dust: "Broom, Dust, and Memory" photo-composite.
Excerpt from Article: Best Lit Mags of 2023: Chill Subs Community Favorites # 11-25
https://subclub.substack.com/p/best-lit-mags-of-2023-chill-subs
In December 2023, RockPaperPoem was voted a "Top 25 Best Lit Mag of 2023." The reasons RPP made this list are listed below. but along with mentions of great writing, there is recognition for the visual design: "beautiful accompanying artwork," "elegant zine," and "attractive design." It's nice to be noticed.😊
