Artist Bill Moran Brings Heart to Crane Humidifiers

Each month Crane-USA chooses an artist to draw something on one of our drop shape humidifiers using a Sharpie marker. This month we introduce Chicago-based artist Bill Moran.

BILL MORAN – Artist Extraordinare

Crane: What did you think when Crane approached you to draw an image on one of their drop humidifiers?

Bill: Honestly my first thought was, O.K. this is odd, you want me to do what? And then the artist in me said,” Sure I’ll do it”. I was up for the challenge to have some fun with it and I thought that I’d just figure something out.

Crane: After doing this project, did it make you think of other images you’d like to draw on Crane products and why? What about using Sharpie products again?

Bill: That’s kind of the neat thing about a project like this. You are working with new and different materials on unique surfaces – in the round, on translucent plastic, oil markers. So that creates limitations or opportunities to do something different right from the start. Then you start thinking about the object itself — a humidifier. Water and air – that’s what humidifiers are, right? The put water into the air. I was also thinking about the attributes of health and the well being humidifiers provide. I finally settled on the Hearts, a symbol I’ve used in the past in my art, though these would be flying hearts – cool.

I can think of many other images I could draw on products. As an artist or creative thinker, I never have a shortage of good ideas. The problem is finding the time and resources to execute them.

The Sharpie markers are great and are eally fun to work with. They are now in my arsenal of materials I can work with. I just used them the other day to make a birthday card for my wife. Happy Birthday Honey! Just one complaint – yellow. Where’s the Yellow? It is a primary color after all.

Crane: Do you have any thoughts about one-of-a-kind objects like the one you’ve made for Crane? What makes this project stand out to you?

Bill: Of course I love the idea of the one-of-a-kind object. In this technology-driven society it is so easy to reproduce images, and there is something fascinating about that. But there is something inherently special about a handmade object, the mark made by hand – the brushstroke, smudge, swish of the pen. I think, as a society,we have lost some appreciation for that. I predict it will make a comeback though.

I enjoyed the unique challenge of the project. Working with different materials on an object as opposed to a flat surface. I also like the idea of imposing “ART” on a utilitarian object.

Well, you did a fantastic job, Bill Moran. Please check out bill’s blog at Moran Studios. Thanks Bill.

Thank you to Sharpie for donating markers to the artists participating in the “Breathe Easy” challenge.