the earth ink

It is August. Light is fleeting, but beautiful. Though light begins to touch the sky again on Antarctica's coastline, the sun has not risen yet - nor has it popped above the horizon in nearly four months. August is the coldest month in Antarctica. Nose hairs freeze and skin cracks due to the lack of humidity - though exposed skin is hard to find. Privileged to accompany professional photographer and director of Antarctica: A Year on Ice , Anthony Powell out on the sea ice, this photo was captured as light reflected off white pressure ridges in the Ross Sea near Scott Base. Fellow winterover, Joe, stood contemplating his own photo through a hole melted in a slab of ice that pushed up through the sea ice's tempermental frozen coastal crust. In this area, weddell seals will pop up during the summer and summertime contractors and scientists will have to sign up for tours to negotiate the ice formations. In late January, this area to the shoreline will become slushy and unpred...

Flying. Most everyone seems to appreciate that feeling of loftiness - no strings attached, no obligations to attend to: freedom. Part of the reason I volunteered in the Philippines earlier this year was to lay things aside: a slow-growing business, deadlines, the internet, even friends and family. Of course, we always take some of this with us wherever we go, but now and then, a significant break is warranted. On this particular break, I wanted to fly - to get away, to hop on airplanes around the world, to redistribute my efforts into something physical and tangible. The funny thing is, volunteering is hard work - laborious and exhausting, but so incredibly freeing. I recommend it. Volunteering in a post-disaster area means difficult living conditions, sweat, a little blood, and probably a few tears, too. With All Hands Volunteers on the Island of Leyte in the Philippines, difficult living meant that 50-60 people from around the world shared two toilets; lived in tents, or in ...

Currently experiencing springtime in the Northern Hemisphere, this little birdy was a beautiful reminder of warmer weather that is trying to emerge between cold winter flurries and turbulent transitional storms. After the hibernation of winter, seeing life reappear on the trees and new critters hopping and flying outdoors leaves hikers refreshed and hopeful for summer. On this particularly warm Washington day, the leaves had not yet reappeared on the trees, but the birds were out in abundance near Lake Whatcom at Bloedel Donovan Park in Bellingham. Tree stumps showcased vibrant mosses and the smells of Washington's forests pervaded through my nostrils; more an earthy than musty aroma, the atmosphere smells alive, growing, and hopeful. I am no birder, but this looks like this might be a Vermilion Flycatcher in the crook of tree branches.

The Earth Ink is happy to announce that Andrea was one of the first prize winners of the AFAR | Eddie Bauer Live Your Adventure Photo Contest! Posting a photo from the hot and unexpected hike up Volc á n Cerro Negro to participate in the unusual adventure sport of volcano boarding, the picture gives perspective to the rocky new volcano and the length of the hike around the crater rim before the hikers fling themselves down the mountain on wooden boards. As one of nature's amusement rides, this mountain outside the small city of Le ó n, Nicaragua should not be missed. To see the Grand Prize winner and see the other winners, check out the AFAR announcement page . For a little more information, a recent post from The Earth Ink,  Volc á n Cerro Negro .

It took an extra month, but the 2013 Christmas card production is over for Andrea (and The Earth Ink). Here are some fun statistics about this year's distribution: 228 total cards were mailed. 20 cards were sent internationally to 12 countries. Cards were sent to 29  of the United States + Washington DC. Each card took about 6 minutes to hand make ( 22.8 hours total) which does not include design time. There are 152  cut out images in this year's card. Yikes! All but 1 card was sent out before the postage increase. The card was cut from one 11x17 sheet of recycled paper using sustainable inks. The card makes use of a verse from Philippians in the Bible about looking forward to achieve our life's goal (see below). The card measures 50 inches long - and still folds up to fit in a first class envelope. And now that the major Christmas card effort is complete, a design idea is already in the works for the 2014 card.  Not that I have already obtained a...

I recently found one of the first graphic design projects I did in school when I was learning how to use Adobe programs and integrate ideas and images together. For this project, we were assigned to juxtapose two images into one. I titled mine, made from two scanned magazine advertisements,  No Chimney for Santa. When I found this image in my archives, I immediately thought of the people in the Philippines who are in the midst of typhoon recovery during the Christmas season and I overlaid some text to capture this disaster. Last week I received confirmation that I was accepted into the All Hands Volunteer Project Leyte in the Philippines.   All Hands  is an organization that mobilizes volunteers to provide response to natural disasters. As a result, The Earth Ink will be on hiatus for a month while I volunteer my time on the Island of Leyte. In February and March, I will be recovering building materials, cleaning up properties, assisting with food distri...

In 2010, The Earth Ink established a "signature" postcard design with 15 little window for photos. Returning from an around-the-world trip, this design first became a "change of address" postcard with new details printed on the back. A quote from Mother Jones provides some context for this card: "My address is like my shoes. It travels with me." The postcard showcases global destinations; featuring thumbnail photos from Antarctica, New Zealand, Singapore, Jordan, Croatia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Canada, Switzerland, and the United States. This postcard design has been used several times over in different contexts.  The design is customizable with customer photos and available* in  qualities of 100+. For more information, or a quote, contact:  theearthink (at)  gmail (dot) com. *available in 2014 | made in the USA | sustainably printed