Loren Cook

For Folly poster project I chose Karrin Allyson to promote. Research begins.

Karrin Allyson

Karrin (CAR-rin) Allyson is a three time Grammy-nominated American jazz singer and pianist. Allyson was born in Great Bend, KS and was moved to California, then returned to the midwest where she studied classical piano and sang at her local church. She attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha on a classical piano scholarship. Early in her career Allyson was lead singer for a rock band, Tomboy.

She soon developed a love for jazz, and performed in the jazz swing bad, and gigs around Omaha. She was inspired by Joni Mitchell, Norma Granz and Carol King. 

After graduating from UNO with a major in Classical Piano and a minor in French, Allyson moved farther South to Kansas City. This is where she recorded her first self titled album. The album that would catch Concord Record’s attention. Becoming part of the Concord label Allyson would go to release 11 albums. These albums include a mix of jazzy tracks that incorporated genres of bossa nova, blues, soft rock, pop standards, and folk rock. These diverse albums also included her playing the piano. She recorded a number of pieces which she sang in English, French, Portuguese, Italian, and Spanish.

Allyson now resides in New York, staying with the popular jazz scene but enjoys traveling all over the world. 

Descriptive Words:

Sexy

Fearless

Smokey

Dreamy

Diverse

Sensual

Cultured

Tender

Strong

Heart-filled

Grit

T

The beginning of this project was the difficult for me. We created a large analog concept matrix, using the tropes we studied earlier in the class. (e.g. pun, allegory, irony, metonymy) 

This exercise was very helpful. Allowed us to think broadly about our jazz artists, and what they were all about.

After going through two of these large matrixes, I came up with this metonymy (an indexical image of one thing to stand for another thing) Having a microphone turn into a bird. The micro phone stands in for showing that she is a singer/songwriter. The bird represents her as being graceful, elegant, and that her music has a lot of flow. Only made sense to me to have them morphing into one another.

This is my second iteration of the morphing microphone. I was still working on the form of the bird and making the middle step look accurate. I was also still using the vertical approach.

I then decided to use a older looking microphone. Mostly because she had that classic feel to her voice. Very timeless. Many, many vectored iterations.

I finally get to the diagonal orientation. I began to incorporate color and pattern.

I discover these thin strips of colored craft paper. At first I use them as a background.

I begin to look at different bird orientations. Working on the form of my bird.

Many analog iterations created.

Use the colored craft paper in different directions and shapes. And start to use filters and overlays to change the hue and detail.

I have now decided on a color palette. and used the colored craft paper in masks behind my morphing birds. I have now began to make my bird and microphone look correct.

My final poster was reduced to mild colors and masked smoky images behind my morphs. I have included a detailed shot to show the paper texture within the background.