My grandnephew, Chris Spicer graduated from high school last year, and now, in college, he is doing great. He is studying graphic design, and he has a real knack for it. Chris, like most young people his age, is very good with technology. I wasn’t totally sure what graphic design was all about. This is what I found. “Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline, and applied art whose activity consists in projecting visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of design and of the fine arts. Its practice involves creativity, innovation and lateral thinking using manual or digital tools, where it is usual to use text and graphics to communicate visually.” As to what fields will be open to Chris, I found, “The role of the graphic designer in the communication process is that of the encoder or interpreter of the message. They work on the interpretation, ordering, and presentation of visual messages. Usually, graphic design uses the aesthetics of typography and the compositional arrangement of the text, ornamentation, and imagery to convey ideas, feelings, and attitudes beyond what language alone expresses. The design work can be based on a customer’s demand, a demand that ends up being established linguistically, either orally or in writing, that is, that graphic design transforms a linguistic message into a graphic manifestation.” It sounds like very interesting work, with lots of potential. Chris is taking some summer classes, so that he can graduate next spring. It’s an ambitious goal, but he can do it.

While he is in college, Chris is also working at Ace Hardware. He has worked there before, in Rawlins, and now that he and his mom, Andrea Beach moved to Casper, it seemed like the perfect job for his college days. Chris is very good at his job. He gives great customer service, and always with a smile. With his background in color and design, Chris has become the go-to paint guy. With his art classes, he has become very knowledgeable with color theory and how mixing paint works. That is a valuable asset in the world of paint colors.

Chris is still close friends with a group of friends from high school, and even though he has moved away, they make frequent trips to Casper to visit him. Often, when high school is over, friends go their own way, and drift apart. It’s hard to keep up with old friends, because everyone has their own lives. Chris’ friends are the exception, but that could change as the years go by, as we all know. It’s nice that they can remain close, for now anyway. Chris still hangs out quite a bit with his mom too. They have been close all his life, and they enjoy doing things together, like concerts, movies, hikes, and walks. He also likes to spend time with his cousins, Xander, Zack, and Isaac Spethman, as well as their sister, Aleesia Spethman. And each year, Chris, his mom, and his grandma, Caryl Reed take a trip to the Black Hills. It’s been a long-standing tradition that they love doing each year…and this year it is on his birthday, so that’s extra special. Today is Chris’ birthday. Happy birthday Chris! Have a great day! We love you!