SIMPLE BEAUTY By Antonella Saravia @tsaravia “There’s nothing like a pencil with a good eraser,” is one of the first things that local artist and graphic designer Christopher Dina tells me as we talk about his career and creative process. Dina has found a creative haven in Astoria. To the artist, home is a special place, and inspiration — from violas to fallen ginkgo leaves — are right outside his door. BORO: Chris, you mentioned that every design starts with an idea and sketch, often married with careful real-life observation. Can you elaborate more on this? CD: Whether it be fruits or vegetables at the market or iconic architecture, real-life observations help me see the shapes, forms and proportions before putting the idea back together. I’ll study an object, and take a photo for reference. I'll do a bunch of sketches of the asparagus — sketching is so important to me because it allows me to explore proportions and refine an interpretive design. Sometimes the design gets “solved” quickly; sometimes it takes days. BORO: What places in Astoria play a part in your everyday inspiration? CD: Socrates Park always has an amazing array of installation art on rotation, and the Noguchi Museum is a great place to take in some modern and iconic sculptural forms. NOVEMBER 2016 I BOROMAG.COM I 33
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