Hero image: "Blue" project title
Hero image: "Blue" project title

Talon Review

Talon Review

LITERARY MAGAZINE

LITERARY MAGAZINE

Publication

Art Direction

The Talon Review is a non-profit, literary magazine based at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, showcasing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art from diverse voices.

The Talon Review is a non-profit, literary magazine based at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, showcasing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and visual art from diverse voices.

(Tap to enlarge)

Like the documentary, the book is an an exploration of the color and its history. Blue has carried associations with divinity, exoticism, and the infinite, and the book traces its journey in Western art — from the arrival of lapis lazuli in medieval Europe, to its role in Renaissance masterpieces, to its reimagining in modern art and its ultimate connection to Earth.

The Book

This project began as a specialty publication exploring the cultural and artistic significance of the color blue, inspired by the BBC documentary History of Art in Three Colors.

Process

This project began as a specialty publication exploring the cultural and artistic significance of the color blue, inspired by the BBC documentary History of Art in Three Colors.

Overview

As designer for The Talon Review for three issues, I translated each editorial theme into a visual language. Through thoughtful typography, composition, and collaboration with editors and artists, I created publication designs that merge storytelling and design

Vol. 3 Issue 3

For my first collaboration with The Talon Review, the editors shared the recurring themes that surfaced from the submitted works—heritage, identity, and connection.

Vol. 3 Issue 4

Stepping into the role of Art Director, the role allowed me to be involved not only in shaping the design but also in selecting the works included.

The editors had identified a few central for the production; however, we faced a challenge—there was a shortage of visual art and a tight production deadline. To address this, we decided to create new artwork ourselves.


After brainstorming, the editors were excited by the idea of using cyanotypes, and we moved forward with that approach. We explored a range of iterations before settling on a final style, which drew inspiration from Anna Atkins’ botanical cyanotypes and Herbert B. Dobbie’s New Zealand Ferns.

Process

Vol. 3 Issue 5

In my latest collaboration with The Talon Review, we were honored to feature the work of Alżbieta “Ela” Zdunek. Her striking visuals, layered with a dark, surreal atmosphere, became a key influence on the visual direction of the issue. The editors noted recurring themes across the submitted works—homeland, roots, and reflection—"often framed within an urban-fantasy lens that echoed the surrealism of our current Anthropocene."

Check out these too!

Check out these too!