* Travel : To the MAX!!! //

 * After a successful speaking engagement in Indianapolis at the Adobe Creative Jam I was invited to attend the Adobe MAX Conference in Los Angeles October 5 – 7. Seven thousand enthusiastic attendees came to be inspired, learn, network, party and hear about cool new Adobe technologies. I crashed at a hip penthouse loft downtown to be able to walk to the conference and explore the diverse urban landscape shooting photos. I also visited the expansive Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the brand new The Broad contemporary art museum, an awesome collection wrapped in astounding architecture. I had a wonderful time meeting so many creative, interesting people from speakers, Adobe folks to locals and left feeling extremely inspired. For more info about Adobe Max and to check out some of the presentations visit Adobe Max Online //

1. Los Angeles Theatre
2. Trip Ephemera + Fuji Film X-T10 generously gifted to attendees by Adobe and Fugi Film
3. The Broad museum t-shirt
4. Found still life in my downtown Los Angeles AirBnB Penthouse Loft
5. "this is crazy future shit" _Nick Offerman co-hosting Sneak Peaks Adobe MAX
6. Tim Miller, Director, Dead Pool : Adobe MAX
7. Baz Luhrmann, Director : Community Inspires Creativity presentation Adobe MAX
8. "persevere" _Maria Kalman : Community Inspires Creativity presentation Adobe MAX
9.  ...from where I stand downtown Los Angeles
10. The Last Bookstore
11. LACMA : Robert Motherwell, David Smith
12. LACMA : Frank Gehry Exhibit
13. LA Chapter restaurant at the Ace Hotel
14. The Broad contemporary art museum
15. The Broad : Cy Twombly
16. Cage the Elephant performing at Adobe MAX

* Speaker : AIGA Chat – The Business of Design //

* enjoyed presenting // Evocative Branding — Connecting the Heart & Mind // tues. 9/22/15 in Indianapolis at the AIGA Chat : The Business of Design //

* Speaker : Adobe Creative Jam //

* pleased to have been invited to present // Evocative Branding — Connecting the Heart & Mind // thurs. 9/17/15 in Indianapolis at the Adobe Creative Jam //

* Funnel : Eric Kass Studio Hideaway //

* collaborating with patrons worldwide, with Toby the wooly cockapoo, from an eclectic-mid-century-modern-infused-Midwestern-hideaway, south of Broad Ripple Village ( SoBro ), snug in the historic, densely wooded, Meridian-Kessler neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A.// ( photos : Eric Kass unless otherwise noted ) 

 1. Falls City molded foam beer sign I've had since I was a kid 
2. College Court Condos courtyard ( photo details : 1928 College Park Apts - Bass Photo Collection / original non-working Dictograph transmitter in lobby ) 
3. Me & Mr. Toberson head of HR with part of my vintage books and objects collection and my drawings on the back wall ( photo : Stacy Newgent ) 
4. Work station with desk I made, vintage girl scout flag and original 1968 Robert Indiana The German Love limited edition serigraph
5. Stack of 55+ books I have work published in + Evel Knievel giant puzzle poster I got in 1972 and one of my paintings ( photo : Stacy Newgent ) 
6. Uturn turntable spinning Within & Without by Washed Out 
7. Succulents still thriving with Jonathan Adler vases 
8. Branded antique blasting caps wood box from the farm where I grew up and found explosives metal sign

* Travel : Seeking Truth & Beauty in The Great Pacific Northwest //

* Spent an amazing week in The Pacific Northwest crashing on the couch of one of my oldest friends and mentor Darryl Brown, who lives in Newberg, Oregon and is a designer at George Fox University. We explored Crater Lake National Park and hiked the Oregon coast. I spent a couple days in Portland scouring vintage stores, design boutiques and the cavernous Powell's Bookstore. Also while in the city I enjoyed local beers with an old Indiana friend & great photographer Kurt Hettle and was fortunate to meet with another Hoosier transplant Brad Trost, a talented Art Director at the legendary ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, who graciously gave me a tour of the renowned office. I rounded out the trip driving to Seattle for coffee & conversation with Liz Pachaud of Honor Society Coffee to discuss potential branding work and met with the awesome in-house design team at Starbucks HQ to present my portfolio. //

1. Souvenir Loot : ( map / engraving patch / matchbook : Smut Vintage Portland, OR ) ( beauty, great, explore patches : Prism Seattle, WA ) ( Hand-Eye Supply patch, Portland, OR ) ( key tags : Budd + Finn Portland, OR ) ( Deschutes Brewery patch, Portland, OR ) ( Stay True patch, Porch Light Portland, OR )

2. Portland Outdoor Store, OR

3. Pacific City Oceanside, OR

4. Ford Thunderbird : City of Creswell, OR

5. Me in Oceanside Beach, OR ( photo : Darryl Brown )

6. Crater Lake National Park, OR

7. Wieden + Kennedy Ad Agency Basketball Court, Portland, OR

8. The Alchemy of Coffee, Starbucks World Headquarters, Seattle, WA

9. Space Needle, Seattle, WA

* Travel : Pittsburgh Pilgrimage to The Warhol //

* Weekend road trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to explore the city, catch a Pirates game and visit a shrine to one of the biggest influences in my life and work : The Andy Warhol Museum. "I like to be the right thing in the wrong space and the wrong thing in the right space" _A. Warhol //

* Published : Branding Distilled – A Guide to Package Design for Craft Spirits //

* Pleased to have my branding / package design for Lyon Distilling Co. featured in the book Branding : Distilled – A Guide to Package Design for Craft Spirits. I do however wish they would have gotten my company name correct in the credits. I am Funnel : Eric Kass or Funnel : The Fine Commercial Art Practice of Eric Kass not Funnel Design Group as listed - that is an entirely different organization. Much gratitude to my great friends / patrons Ben Lyon and Jaime Windon founders of Lyon Distilling Co. for the opportunity to tell their story // 

* Travel : Tailored Twig Tampa Trip //

* A few years ago I had the pleasure of working with the talented Darin Bahl of Tailored Twig in Tampa, Florida to create his upscale luxury brand which you can see HERE. Recently I designed signage for his new studio. To celebrate the new space he had a two night open house party which I traveled to Tampa to attended. It was great fun and nice to meet Winthrop his German Shorthaired Pointer who was the inspiration for the logo. Also got to see the hand-carved wood block of the logo that he had made on a trip to India. While there visited with family in St. Petersburg, hit the beach and had lunch at Oxford Exchange with another patron, Stacy Larsen of Photogenica, who's brand I created a couple years ago//

1. Oxford Exchange
2. Oxford Exchange Restroom
3. Winthrop
4. Wood Block Printed Fabrics
5. Woodblock Hand-carved in India
6. Studio Door _Design - Funnel : Eric Kass
7. Studio Signage _Design - Funnel : Eric Kass
8. Stacy Larsen Studio
9. Treasure Island Beach, St. Pete