Promotional poster for the design firm, Yankee Doodles, in Washington, DC. A single photograph by Earl Zubkoff, no retouching in this pre-Photoshop image.
Fiestaware salt and pepper shakers with purple Italee. Photo by Dennis Staffne.
Posters created for self-promotion marketing and fundraising for nonprofit organizations like the National Symphony Orchestra.
Promotional poster for the design firm, Yankee Doodles, in Washington, DC. A single photograph by Earl Zubkoff, no retouching in this pre-Photoshop image.
Fiestaware salt and pepper shakers with purple Italee. Photo by Dennis Staffne.
1978 The first in a series of ten posters announcing a fundraising 10K run for the National Symphony Orchestra. There was a t-shirt designed each year for the runners and volunteers. The posters became very popular and were sold to raise additional funds. I drew the treble clef with pen and ink and French curves then drew the runners based on the Eadweard Muybridge photographic studies of motion. All services donated for ten years. Continue scrolling to view the entire NSO series.
1979 & 1980 In 1980, several runners showed up for the race wearing bow ties around their necks and on their shoes. Fun! Martha Vaughan illustrated the shoe.
1981 The tie was illustrated by Martha Vaughan, I drew the runners with instruments, adding to the original series. These were shot as photostats and placed on an acetate overlay. On press, the runners were set up as a split fountain with silver on the left and gold on the right. This created a beautiful bronze-colored treble clef. No two posters were identical.
1982 Illustrations of instruments were hand-drawn then stats made at various sizes to create repetition and patterns. These were cut out with an x-acto knife and arranged to form a footprint, heavy at the bottom where the foot strikes the ground first and lighter at the top. Printing was a split fountain of dark metallic blue and silver.
1983 From 1983-1987, I teamed up with a great photographer, Earl Zubkoff, who was game for anything. In 1983, I found an old and broken violin at a thrift shop, cleaned it up and spray painted it white (several coats). Then I dyed shoe strings and tied them onto it. The violin was suspended on an arm that went through a 4 x 8 milk white plexi sweep then shot 4 x 5 with no retouching. This poster won many awards including acceptance into the CA Design Annual.
1984 We rented a French horn and took it down to the running path along the Potomac River across from the Kennedy Center. That is me running in the red shirt in front of the Kennedy Center. The Watergate complex is seen on the left side by the tree. The 35mm shot was composed in the camera with no retouching in the reflections or distortions. We shot several rolls of film but there was only one shot with both runners in front of the trees. We recruited people who were running by to be in the shot with the promise and subsequent delivery of a run t-shirt and a poster in lieu of payment.
1985 A Steinway grand piano was borrowed and delivered to Earl’s second floor studio. We meticulously covered the keys with plastic wrap and placed real sod on it. Shot 4 x 5 by Earl Zubkoff.
1986 Black and white art was drawn to mimic the bottom of a running shoe, the drum was open from the back and lit from inside with gel filters. A film positive of the foot was projected onto the drum. Shot 4 x 5 by Earl Zubkoff.
1987 I found an old viola case at a thrift shop and rebuilt the inside. It was lined with purple velvet complete with cut outs for protecting running shoes and a roll of music for viola solo. We placed it on a park bench in the studio and lighted for dramatic effect. Shot 4 x 5 by Earl Zubkoff.
Painting by Mary Sprague for the SLSO celebrating 25 years at Powell Symphony Hall.
Poster for Mount Vernon to commemorate the Bicentennial of George Washington’s Inauguration as First President of the United States. The poster was sold in the gift shop.
Penny Candy Poster was used as a marketing piece for a design firm and a printer. The candy was shot on yellow seamless. We set up an accurate red string grid, placed the candy and then removed the string and shot it 4 x 5. The penny was photographed separately in 2 1/4 and stripped together by the printer in the film. The final printed red grid was hand-inked on a piece of frosted vellum with a black and white photo stat of the candy underneath it as a guide for where to stop and start the lines. Tedious work in the pre-computer era! The candy is actual size on the final printed poster.
Could not find the licorice records that would unroll with a red candy in the center. They are a fond memory from Morganelli’s at the corner of 80th & Damen in Chicago in the early 60s. We agonized over how to spend a dime on their penny candy when visiting our cousins. Walking across Damen Avenue only added to the adventure! Photo by Earl Zubkoff.
Boo Poster was a Halloween self-promotional mailing for a design firm and a printer. The entire back side was printed in a deep day-glow orange. The staff collaborated to decorate the jack-o’-lantern and it was shot 4 x 5 by Earl Zubkoff.