Truax Designs
The Metal Sculpture Experience
Have you ever wanted to visit an alien world full of metal? Truax Designs is an experience where people not only interact with sculpture but take a piece home.
The Metal Sculpture Experience
Have you ever wanted to visit an alien world full of metal? Truax Designs is an experience where people not only interact with sculpture but take a piece home.
The Backstory of two friends that built an alien world.
Several years before Graphicsbyte was formed Mark Boehly took a sculpture class at Clackamas Community College. In the class, he met a student named Christopher Truax. The two became good friends but eventually lost contact. In 2013 the two randomly reconnected at an art gallery in Portland. The show featured Christopher’s metal sculpture. He had articulated robots, tall animals inspired by Salvador Dali, a robotic DJ, and even a flying toaster. As a solo act, it was nice to see an old friend living the dream as a master sculptor.
The gallery event took place a few weeks after Mark graduated from Portland State University. This was a good time to look for new opportunities. He agreed to build Christopher a website and a logo. The payment was a trade for a custom piece of sculpture. Before the website and brand were finished Christopher shared a prototype where objects were infused in metal. The sculpture looked like it came straight out of a science fiction movie. Instantly Mark knew this was something worth exploring. Mark decided to join the team and learn how to build his own sculptures. He then agreed to market the new product know known as “Karbon Kast.” (The sign in the photo on the left uses this process.) Together Christopher and Mark formed a creative friendship and still continue to produce new works of art to this day.
The Logo
In Early 2014 Truax Designs reveled the Karbon Kast at the AFRU Gallery in Portland. It was an instant hit. Over 60 items sold on the opening night and a dozen more throughout the week. When the event was over Mark and Chris started to produce hundreds of sculptures. They were preparing for their next show at the Portland Expo called America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar.
This event was also a huge success. Karbon Kast attracted dozens of new fans and this was when we presented the company logo for the first time.
The brand was designed after a robotic angel named Lily. She is fully articulated and was built for stop-motion animation. Mark designed an enclosure logo that showcases the robots most iconic features. Red became the brands primary color because it matches Lily’s brother Apollo who is also an articulated robot in the series. The physical color of the two robots together are both light and dark. This formed a Yin & Yang in the color palette.
A condensed san serif typeface was created to fit in the enclosures negative space. Today that type has become the brand’s main focal point. Wings are a common element found in the brands metal sculptures. So it only made since to add graphic wings to print media such as business cards and flyers.
The Logo
In Early 2014 Truax Designs reveled the Karbon Kast at the AFRU Gallery in Portland. It was an instant hit. Over 60 items sold on the opening night and a dozen more throughout the week. When the event was over Mark and Chris started to produce hundreds of sculptures. They were preparing for their next show at the Portland Expo called America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar.
This event was also a huge success. Karbon Kast attracted dozens of new fans and this was when we presented the company logo for the first time.
The brand was designed after a robotic angel named Lily. She is fully articulated and was built for stop-motion animation. Mark designed an enclosure logo that showcases the robots most iconic features. Red became the brands primary color because it matches Lily’s brother Apollo who is also an articulated robot in the series. The physical color of the two robots together are both light and dark. This formed a Yin & Yang in the color palette.
A condensed san serif typeface was created to fit in the enclosures negative space. Today that type has become the brand’s main focal point. Wings are a common element found in the brands metal sculptures. So it only made since to add graphic wings to print media such as business cards and flyers.
The Website
We first launched the Truax Designs website in 2014 at the Portland AFRU Gallery. This was during the first Karbon Kast art show. The site was mostly informative featuring Christopher’s portfolio. After a couple years of updates the website started to turn into a real brand. It now features an e-commerce shop where customers can buy sculptures online or put in a request for a custom order. The about section is no longer focused on a single individual. Truax Designs has always been a team project. This page talks about the three main artists who have developed the look and feel of the company. The site also keeps fans up to date with an active events page and video log.
As were now in the age of Covid-19. It was important to incorporate our Etsy page into the site. Etsy has been a good selling point for the Karbon Kast. This page has helped inform new and old fans about the other types of sculpture Truax Designs is capable of producing.
The Website
We first launched the Truax Designs website in 2014 at the Portland AFRU Gallery. This was during the first Karbon Kast art show. The site was mostly informative featuring Christopher’s portfolio. After a couple years of updates the website started to turn into a real brand. It now features an e-commerce shop where customers can buy sculptures online or put in a request for a custom order. The about section is no longer focused on a single individual. Truax Designs has always been a team project. This page talks about the three main artists who have developed the look and feel of the company. The site also keeps fans up to date with an active events page and video log.
As were now in the age of Covid-19. It was important to incorporate our Etsy page into the site. Etsy has been a good selling point for the Karbon Kast. This page has helped inform new and old fans about the other types of sculpture Truax Designs is capable of producing.
Karbon kast & Illustrated Hybrids
Creating the art is one of the best perks of working with Truax Designs. In 2017 we started to create 3D printed prototypes. These prints were infused in the metal and turned into success stories at events like Comic Con. We also created some mixed-media hybrids using Graphicsbyte art as the focal point. The Karbon Kast was then used as a secondary texture.
Karbon kast & Illustrated Hybrids
Creating the art is one of the best perks of working with Truax Designs. In 2017 we started to create 3D printed prototypes. These prints were infused in the metal and turned into success stories at events like Comic Con. We also created some mixed-media hybrids using Graphicsbyte art as the focal point. The Karbon Kast was then used as a secondary texture.
The Pop-Up Gallery
Towards the end of 2017 Truax Designs created a pop up gallery in Oregon City called Truax Gallery. Mark and Chris spent a year here selling metal sculptures to the general public. About three months into the project we needed another line of art. Graphicsbyte received an opportunity to sell prints and sticker packs. This added a splash of color to the gallery and attracted a different audience.
The Pop-Up Gallery
Towards the end of 2017 Truax Designs created a pop up gallery in Oregon City called Truax Gallery. Mark and Chris spent a year here selling metal sculptures to the general public. About three months into the project we needed another line of art. Graphicsbyte received an opportunity to sell prints and sticker packs. This added a splash of color to the gallery and attracted a different audience.
Even though the gallery was short lived the experience was everything the artists hoped for. The following year the gallery packed up and moved to West Linn. The new location had a storefront connected to the same building the Truax Designs workshop is in. This move was going to speed up production… Soon as we were getting ready to officially launch the second chapter of the gallery Coivid-19 came to Oregon. We were forced to cancel the project.
Chapter 2: Truax Studio Gallery
Even though the Oregon City gallery was short lived the experience was everything the artists hoped for. The following year the crew packed up and moved to West Linn. The new location had a storefront connected to the same building the Truax Designs workshop is in. This move was going to speed up production… Soon as we were getting ready to officially launch the second chapter of the gallery Coivid-19 came to Oregon. We were forced to cancel the project. Truax Designs still has a workshop in the West Linn building but it’s not open to the public.
Chapter 2: Truax Studio Gallery
Even though the Oregon City gallery was short lived the experience was everything the artists hoped for. The following year the crew packed up and moved to West Linn. The new location had a storefront connected to the same building the Truax Designs workshop is in. This move was going to speed up production… Soon as we were getting ready to officially launch the second chapter of the gallery Coivid-19 came to Oregon. We were forced to cancel the project. Truax Designs still has a workshop in the West Linn building but it’s not open to the public.
Are you interested in custom art?
Online Truax Designs is still an active brand. Sculptures are shipped worldwide. If you’re looking for some custom art let us know and we will gladly put the project in motion.
Are you interested in custom art?
Online Truax Designs is still an active brand. Sculptures are shipped worldwide. If you’re looking for some custom art let us know and we will gladly put the project in motion.
