Thank you, Ken Collins

Last night I attended the memorial service for one of the most influential people in my life - one of the individuals who supported the seemingly unrealistic dream of a high school kid who wanted to have a career in some art-related field, and who encouraged me tremendously when I learned about this thing called graphic design. As ceremonies marking the end of someone's life go, this was truly a celebration of an incredible person. The music - a mixture of religious standards and show tunes - was uplifting, the selected speakers were articulate and witty, the large church was nearly full, and there really wasn't a lot of sadness. Admittedly, I teared up a bit as the beautiful rendition of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" was played. The ceremony ended with a slide show of beautiful photos the person being honored had taken of his amazing garden during various seasons.

Last Friday morning I got an email from my sister informing me of the death of one of my favorite McNary High School teachers - Ken Collins - and it really hit me hard. I immediately let my feelings be known in a post of the HOW Design Forum - one of my online familes.

You may have unknowingly read the name Ken Collins in the acknowledg- ments of my book The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success. He was one of my high school art teachers (OK, my favorite high school art teacher) and one of the people who was able to "see much more in my abilities than I was able to find within myself at the time." Ken was one of the educators I had to answer to as the first student to be put on independent study in art with our town's public school system (because I was such a pain in the ass after another art instructor told me I wasn't doing my painting "right").

It was an honor, in 2003, to be invited by Ken to speak to art students at my high school as part of an "Art Careers" program, which actually recognized that the arts were a viable future career path for those in high school. Yes, nearly 30 years after I had graduated from high school, Ken (he was one of those teachers who wanted some students to call him by his first name) was still educating and inspiring students who had a dream of pursuing art and the performing arts as a profession. Although he was only seven years older than me, he had aged much more than his years since I had seen him last, in part due to an injury that left him in chronic pain. Even so, that spark of enthusiasm about teaching was still brilliant in his eyes and that smile conveyed the joy he got from his work, his art, his family and his life.

There are those people in your life who REALLY make a difference in helping you become who you are. Ken was one of the biggies for me. I'm so glad I got to thank him in my book - and in person - for his contribution in helping me realize so many of my dreams. I'm so pleased I was able to return to my home town of Salem and attend his memorial gathering. It was kind of a flashback of memories and familiar faces. At one point during the service the pastor asked that those associated with Ken through the McNary High School family stand - and probably a good third of the hundreds of people in attendance stood.

In my original post on the HOW Design Forum, I asked that "in his honor I would hope you could all take a good look at who you are today. Who helped create the designer/artist that you are? If possible, track down those important people in your life and say 'thank you.' I'm lucky, I got to do it in a very public manner and see their reactions when I handed them my book. Expressing your appreciation will mean a great deal to these incredible people." Do take the time to personally thank those in your life who have made a difference.

Yesterday, in a bout of email ping pong, I mentioned to the editor of a design website that I would be attending the memorial service in the evening. This individual doesn't know me personally, but she took the time to send me an email with the following quotation:

"We are like children, who stand in need of masters to enlighten us and direct us; and God has provided for this, by appointing his angels to be our teachers and guides." - Saint Thomas Aquinas

I printed out the email, folded it and kept it in my shirt pocket the rest of the day and evening. It was such a lovely gift from someone I don't even know - and a great tribute to my teacher, Ken Collins.

In memoriam: Walt Nixon

This weekend my partner Ed and I learned of the death of our good friend Walt Nixon. We first met Walt, his wife Sharon and their teenage son Walter, when we all were living in the same Pearl District loft building in the early 90's. The loft building, commonly referred to as "the dorm for adults," provided the residents an incredible living experience, and valuable friendships that continued after the building went condo and all moved on to other homes - in Portland and throughout the U.S.

While living in the building, the community of friends supported the Nixon family through the cancer illness, and eventual death, of Walter. In 2005, everyone again came together to offer support to Sharon and Walt as Sharon battled breast cancer. The day after their 30th wedding anniversary Sharon lost her battle with the disease. The close knit group of friends rallied around Walt in his time of renewed grief. Today we are offering each other solace in dealing with Walt's own death.

Walt was a brilliant and talented man. He was an accomplished web designer/developer and an amazing amateur photographer. His photos can be viewed on his personal site: The Photography of Walt Nixon (Update 06.22.09: Unfortunately Walt's personal photography site was not maintained and I have not come across an archive of all of his incredible photos. However, I have found some images posted on his Flickr page). In addition, Walt was a wonderful friend and will be missed greatly by all who knew him.

In accordance to the wishes of Sharon and Walt, their ashes were combined with those of their son and scattered in a beautiful and beloved location overlooking their adopted home of Portland.

Photo: Sharon & Walt Nixon at our wedding ceremony in 2004

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives

Artist/prankster Danny Finegood loses cancer battle

This past June I posted an entry on bLog-oMotives about my friend David Batterson writing a song celebrating art student Danny Finegood's legendary 1976 alteration of the famous Hollywood sign - making it read "Hollyweed." This past week my blog was getting numerous visits through Internet searches for "Danny Finegood" and "Daniel Finegood." Late Thursday night I learned that Finegood passed away on Monday, due to multiple myeloma, at the age of 52. The Los Angeles Times posted an updated tribute on the paper's website earlier today.

This afternoon I had a very nice email from his daughter Natalie, asking if I would post the sad news. She said that her father "was an awesome guy." In responding to her email I wrote: "From everything I've read and heard about (your father), he was a man with an incredible spirit and an individual I would have thoroughly enjoyed knowing personally."

Finegood coordinated the alteration of the Hollywood landmark three other times. Once the sign was changed to read Holywood for Easter. In 1987, during the Iran-Contra hearings, it was altered to read "Ollywood" to protest the hero worship of Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North. Another brief change was made by Finegood in 1990 when the sign read "Oil War" before police removed the plastic draping the structure.

In a 1983 letter to the Los Angeles Times, Finegood and his cohorts wrote: "We broke no laws and did no damage to the sign. An artist's role throughout history has been to create representations of the culture he exists in. By hanging four relatively small pieces of fabric on the landmark, we were able to change people's perception of the Hollywood sign."

For many, that perception will include fond memories of artist and prankster Danny Finegood. Posters of the Hollyweed image may still be ordered at Hollyweed.net. Donations may be made in Finegood's memory to the Institute for Myeloma & Bone Cancer Research, 9201 W. Sunset Blvd., Suite 300, West Hollywood, CA 90069.

© 2007 Jeff Fisher LogoMotives