• Linkspirations: January 2013


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  • My Daily View: Baseling 2012


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    After a very eventful week, Art Basel 2012 has come to an end. Miami can now return to its normal homeostasis of moderately-horrible traffic and extremely hot winters. All shall now return to the way it was; the way the locals like it.

    But although it’s over, we will truly miss Art Basel and everything it brings to the city. Like its never-ending block parties in Wynwood and sponsored alcohol at almost every gallery.

    I am sure that we Miamians will mostly miss the amazing artists and their live-art displays which took place so vividly throughout Art Basel’s time. There’s nothing like walking down the streets of Wynwood or Miami Beach and seeing an artistic piece coming together.

    This year, I snapped away shot after shot of art that caught-my-eye. Unfortunately, my point-and-shoot died this summer, so I stuck to capturing images with my handy dandy smart phone. Add that plus some awesome Instagram filters, and voilà! Magical photos are now available for your viewing pleasure.


    { Noteable Galleries & Artists }
    Wynwood Cigar Factory · Evoca1 · Faith47 · Tati Suarez · Pulse Miami · Banksy · Spinello Projects · Gallery 212 · Basel Biergarten · The Flower Bombs · La Pandilla · AsIf’s Guns · Mr. Brainwash · Shepard Fairey · Peter Tunney


    So without further adieu, I invite you to please enjoy some of my favorite Art Basel 2012 treasures, caught on camera. Enjoy!:



  • My Daily View: Art Fair Live 2012


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    Last month The Flower Bombs joined Miami’s Art Live Fair in an interactive art exhibition. This year, it took place from October 26th-28th in the Coconut Grove Convention Center and benefited the Lotus House Women’s Shelter.

    Art Live 2012 is an interactive, performance based, contemporary “art happening” and fair in which artists and exhibitors are invited to share the creative process unfolding spontaneously in every form of artistic medium and to the extent possible, engage the fair-goers in the creative process.

    My partner, Arlene Delgado, and I planned to share our special Art Live messages of “togetherness” and “new perceptions” through vinyl prints that could be placed anywhere in the show. While wearing our gas masks, we chose to set most of the prints on the floor of the entrance points – this way people could take a moment to stop, read the messages, and take a good look around at all of the amazingness that the exhibit had to offer.

    Art Live Fair 2012 had plenty of artists interacting with the audience and creating on the spot. For example, there was a huge satellite-looking stage where one person would sing and the people across the room could hear them perfectly. There was also a kite-making workshop and fun body-movement classes every hour. Artists were painting, building, and involving those who were at the show in their work. It was a beautiful and inspiring experience. With that in mind, coming up next is Art Basel Miami, in December; and The Flower Bombs plan to have a definite presence in the streets of Wynwood. Stay tuned!



  • Branding 101: Getting Down to Business


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    Business cards rock! Plus, they’re pretty important to letting people know what you do and how to reach you. So of course, it was due time to print new business cards for DiamariTorres.com

    Design wise: I decided I wanted to keep the consistency of my blog’s minimal design through incorporating the sites colors and simple type. Personally, I like the whole “no BS” approach – especially when handing out your card. People want to be reminded of what you do and how to contact you quickly. Yet, the card has to be impressive and actually kind of fun! Remember, the design and texture of your cards is what really sells it ;}

    Printing: On that note, the print quality is the first and lasting impression. Quality is most definitely triumphant over quantity. This is a trend I’ve seen in business card printers. Sites like Moo.com – which don’t get me wrong, they have awesome pre-designed templates and materials – can charge you over $100 for a measly 200 business cards.

    In my case, I luckily got both quality and quantity. Printed on 16pt cardstock paper, my cards are coated in a very smooth Silk Lamination. It actually seems to make the card thicker and stronger; I love it. The final touch though is the Spot UV, which creates a slightly-visible rise of gloss over whatever you choose to highlight. Logo. Name. Info. Background. Whatevs!

    I chose to Spot UV my heart logo one the mustard side and my entire logo on the white side. It feels very interesting and different from the traditional card design. I’m truly very happy with the results. Probably even more so because of the price: 1,000 cards for $145! (shipping not included, I picked ‘em up) You can’t beat that – I have cards for like ever now ;} The service was great and the turnaround time was about a week. I recommend Elite Flyers for printing business cards – especially their Silk Laminated and Spot UV ones, of course.

    Elite Flyers
    305 538 2712 | eliteflyers.com | info@eliteflyers.com
    407 Lincoln Road, Suite 8-F | Miami Beach, FL



  • My Daily View: Wynwood Cigar Factory


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    Brand spankin’ new to the Miami Design District, we welcome the Wynwood Cigar Factory. It’s grand-opening isn’t for another month or so, but they recently had a soft-opening during Art Walk on Saturday, September 8th. Lots of fun!

    Prior to the Art Walk event, The Flower Bombs were invited by WCF’s creative director, Raul Flores, to put up a piece. Arlene Delgado, the designer and mastermind behind The Flower Bombs project, designed a minimal typographic piece as a place-holder for her wall in the factory. (She plans to cover the entire wall in beautiful Flower Bombs inspired paintings; I’ll definitely post an update when it’s done!) While Arlene and vinyl-print guru Gaius Benbow put up the artwork, Vanessa Perez and I enjoyed a nice hand-rolled cigar and some white wine. Who says you can’t work AND play?

    Raul invited other local artists to insert their own artistic interpretations of what the Wynwood Cigar Factory should hold within it’s walls – and outside too. His idea is to fuse the idea of a high-end cigar rolling factory with the eclectic blend of Miami’s art scene; and the result, so far, is amazing! I’m excited to see the end results and visit them for the grand-opening.

    Be sure to check it out next time you’re in Wynwood Miami. Whether you enjoy smoking a nice hand-rolled cigar or not, I promise it will be visually stimulating and totally worth it.

    Wynwood Cigar Factory
    101 NW 24th Street
    Miami, Florida 33127
    info@wynwoodcigars.com
    wynwoodcigars.com (coming soon)



  • Design Love: ‘Pictures of the Day’ for 2011


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    Typography: Diamari Torres — Image Source: TwistedSifter


    We all know that images are important and impactful. Whether you are trying to create an advertising campaign or just inspire people to click a link — images are what pull people in. And to serve as inspiration, here we have some of the most amazing photos of 2011, courtesy of TwistedSifter. Every day at 5pm the Sifter posts the Picture of the Day, and in this post, The Top 50 ‘Pictures of the Day’ for 2011, they chose the most overall amazing images of the year. Below you will see some of my favorites from the bunch, but be sure to check out All of the images on the site. While you’re there, if you click any of the pictures you will be taken to the individual post to learn more about the photographer and picture taken. Enjoy & Inspire!


    Protests in Egypt


    The Blue Lagoon, Ecuador


    The U.S. – Mexico Border


    Awww Yeah Flowers!


    Die for the Money


    Vintage Daredevils


    Epic Aerial of Barcelona, Spain


    Festival of Lanterns in Chiang Mai, Thailand


    The Craziest Illusion in Paris


    The Stunning Glasswinged Butterfly


    Lightning Show at the Grand Canyon


    The Inhabited Volcanic Island of Aogashima


    The Great Grey Owl


    { & Last But NOT Least }

    Wait For It…



  • Design Love: Wynwood Walls Series


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    Miami recently held it’s annual Art Basel week, which took place in Miami Beach and the Wynwood Art District. Both areas of the city flourished with people from all the country and the world, enthused to see what new art piece they could simply see, or even purchase and call their own.

    Although traditional art pieces hold the ultimate beauty, I found that it was like cutting out a piece of heaven while walking around the Wynwood District and seeing the plethora of street-art wall murals. This is a place with endless street-art that lasts for years – unable to be bought, just viewed, photographed and appreciated. I found that it is the way Miami is branding itself as an up-and-coming art mecca. & I believe that there is a little gold mine here that is only going to get better.

    Over the years, many others have come to appreciate this outdoor art-experience. And thus, a fascinating documentary series, titled “Here Comes the Neighborhood,” was created by Urban Visionary and Placemaker Tony Goldman, with his team of Art Directors and internationally and locally respected Street Artists, Graffiti Writers and Muralists.

    Miami, amongst everything it has to offer, continues to impress with these new expansions of art and overall cultural beauty. So are you ready to check out the Wynwood Walls Documentary Series? Then click the link below, take a look for yourselves, and fall in love … ♥

    http://herecomestheneighborhood.com/

    & for your viewing pleasure, I have compiled some images of Wynwood Art taken by my friend, graphic designer and fellow art-enthusiast, Arlene Delgado. She has had the pleasure of working in the Wynwood area for the last month. So, let’s just say, she hasn’t taken her pretty little finger off the clicker on her cam. And I don’t blame her! Take a look at some of my favorite photos and follow her Blog for more delightful artistic posts.


    Artist, Johnny Robles:


    Artist, Tatiana Suarez: