Everyone knows the feeling of overhearing a stranger’s conversation that lies somewhere between comically odd and flat-out strange. University alumna Carlin Mumphrey takes this simple human experience and brings it to life in her recent work.
While Mumphrey was originally intent on studying science when she started college, that quickly changed once she took a digital art class.
“I got sucked into graphic design,” Mumphrey said. “It became my life.”
Although everything is designed in some way, a lot of people take graphic design for granted, the Baton Rouge native said.
This “behind-the-scenes” aspect of design paired well with Mumphrey’s introverted nature, a nature reflected in the concept for her book, “Fly on the Wall.” The book, which features quotes she overheard during her time at the University, was her senior thesis when she graduated in May.
The concept for the book transpired from notes she would jot in the margins of her notebooks of funny comments her classmates would make. She combined the list she had compiled with her design background to create a visually pleasing memento of her time at the University.
She originally had over 100 quotes to use but narrowed it down to about 65 due to time and space constraints. She specifically picked quotes she heard around campus as a way to reflect on her college years, she said.
Quotes included in the book range from her personal favorite, “I bet Beyonce has gold flakes in her boogers, and when she sneezes, angels sing,” to the shocking “Every time I pick up my dog’s poop, I think of you,” which she admits was taken out of context.
The fun, light-hearted tone of the quotes is mirrored in the book’s vibrant colors which include hot pinks, yellows, oranges and blues.
The bright colors contrast with Mumphrey’s personal style and previous works. Though you would not know it from reading her book or scrolling through her Instagram feed, Mumphrey tends to gravitate toward neutral colors, she said.
This shift in her work followed the death of a family member. Mumphrey decided to make her work colorful this year, as a way to help herself heal, she said.
Eight months into her exploration with color, Mumphrey has opened her eyes to different styles and plans to continue her new approach into the future, she said.
In another attempt to deviate from her usual style, Mumphrey hand-lettered all the type seen in the book. She said having a brush in her hand brought her back to the medium where she first fell in love with art: painting.
The entire book was done as much by hand as possible, Mumphrey said, the pages only scanned onto a computer when completed. Even the cover – which features Mumphrey wearing a yellow patterned shirt against a wall of the same pattern – was not photoshopped.
Mumphrey picked out the fabric, sewed the shirt with her mother’s assistance, set up the backdrop with the remaining material and had Katie Barnett of Vivid Dream Photography photograph the scene.
While she admits there were likely easier ways to get the cover shot, her love for working with her hands – reflected in her other hobbies of printmaking, embroidery and sewing – made the choice for her.
These intentional stylistic shifts made the book the most challenging project she had ever worked on, she said, but the struggle made the final product all the more rewarding.
Since graduation, Mumphrey has been able to put her expanded skill set to use through her work at Xdesign, Inc., a design firm in Baton Rouge. She has worked on a variety of projects, including branding and packaging, and loves the diversity of the job, she said.
Eventually, Mumphrey would like to also teach art classes to high school students on the side, as a way to encourage younger students to develop their art early, she said.
“I want kids to know you can do this,” Mumphrey said. “You can do what you love and still eat.”
