Jocelyn Curry

Art & Joie de Vivre

Graphics for an 18-Wheeler: New Territory!

November 23, 2025

Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

Camion comp final sun sm

Soon to appear on a Mack truck doing short to medium hauling in Washington and Oregon is this logo I designed for a long-time client. He is a unique man, and the only person I've ever known to have simultaneous careers as a commercial airline pilot and a medical doctor. What was next on his bucket list? To become a truck driver with his own big rig. And, as an appreciator of applied artwork, his intent was to customize his tractor/trailer. Because most of what I've done for him over the years is custom calligraphic work on paper, it did surprise me that he contacted me to see if I would be interested in his next bucket list foray.

Artwork with the technical qualities that allow it to be reproduced at enormous sizes is best executed as a vector-based image. This I did, using Adobe Illustrator. Still somewhat green in my experience with this software, I did encounter my fair share of learning curves but this was all worthwhile. Originally inspired by a Cuban cigar box graphics, I designed an imaginary tobacco farm on the bay near the Cuban city of Cienfuegos ("one hundred fires"). My client had a lot of say in what is depicted in this image. Everything was drawn within the program except the bottom line of information which is set in a font. The lettering was inspired by the cigar box design from early in the 20th c.

IMG_2306

The "before" picture of the truck with its owner and the signage expert. Check back here in a couple of months for the "after" shot. The tractor and trailer will be painted a deep, dark green before the signage is applied.

 

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