For our logo we wanted to have something evocative of the name, not too literal, but not completely abstract either. Going with an animal suited us both, and as Brooks's last name is Bailey we started looking at images of (canis lupus bailey) wolves. Wolves are often used to express a sense of the wild, and have a long history of being described as 'spirit animals.'
Although the idea of a lone wolf 'rambling' through the woods or standing on a mountain top was appealing, we wanted the final image to be more inclusive - and preferably fit within a circle. We tried figures with wolves, and geometric patters made up of wolves, but nothing really stuck.
Finally we asked UK artist Harriet Bruce to come up with a design for out logo. She is an illustrator and stamp maker based in London. We love the rough hewn effect of her stamp work that gives an effect a bit like a wood cut-print. Check out her work via her website:
As we do a lot of our work in Oaxaca, Mexico, we wanted something with an aesthetic that reflected the culture of print studios and graphic there. Harriet explored ideas of the wolf as an alebrije. Alebrijes are fantastical animals carved from by artisans in Oaxaca.
Although these drawings were exciting, we felt it pigeon-holed us too much with work in Mexico, when we want the concept of Rambling Spirits to apply anywhere we happen to be.
The final design started as an Escher-esque repeating design of the wolf. She pulled out two of these and expanded the design a bit to it fitted more satisfactorily within a circle. The last issue was how to make include text, but Harriet solved this by continuing with the rough style of her stamp carving to include an R S in a circle between the wolves.
And now it's out there - thanks Harriet for all your help and patience ;)
