Take the 10% Challenge!

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I was thrilled to contribute drawings to a local organization, Red Hook 10% Challenge. Their mission is to educate citizens about simple ways we can reduce personal energy consumption. In this program, home-owners sign a pledge to to reduce energy usage by 10% in a year's time. Participants are encouraged to take 10 steps to help achieve this goal. Examples include carpooling, hanging a clothes-line, or using a bicycle for local transportation. Consumers benefit from these actions by saving money, and putting less strain on our shared environment.

Group coordinator, Laurie Husted, initially asked me to create 10  B & W spots to illustrate these steps.  The spot illustrations appeared on the organization's website, brochures and t-shirts. They were also the genesis for the drawings on display here.

To help publicize this program, a fabulous local cafe called Taste Budd's offered to exhibit larger color versions of these drawings. I liked the idea of working on a bigger scale, and for the opportunity to display my drawings in a great setting. 

 

I  tend to rely on digital tools when I put together illustrations, so this was a healthy challenge to step away from my computer. It was fun to utilize papers of various colors and textures to convey each theme. Creating these pictures reminded me how rewarding the pure physicality of drawing is. There's no substitute for the joys of connecting hand to pencil to paper!

There has been discussion about utilizing these drawings in a calender. I can imagine each image acting as a monthly reminder of  little things we can do to save money and reduce our energy dependence.

Here are examples of the original B & W drawings:

Every illustration starts with a simple thumbnail sketch...

 Every year, more towns across the United States take part in the 10% Challenge. You can find out more about my local program by visiting http://www.redhookchallenge.org/