by Tim Beeman

Oct. 1, 2010 — When Bruce Freely came up with his award-winning poster design for the Half Moon Bay Art & Pumpkin Festival, he wanted something simple, rustic and eye-catching. He captured all three. His close-up of a pumpkin top has a gritty realness to it that speaks to the rural farmlands surrounding Half Moon Bay, set off with a background of brilliant blue.

“I wanted the pumpkin to be really prominent and eye-catching,” said the artist. “I used a rustic typeface and some grain and woodcut lines to give it a rich texture while still keeping with simplistic, iconic design that would allow it to represent well in different implementations.”

Freely’s design will be prominently displayed not only on festival posters, but also on T-shirts, hats, wine and beer glasses, wine bottle labels, brochures and other promotional items for the 2010 Pumpkin Festival.

Freely has owned his own freelance graphic design studio, Cieve, for the last six years and has been in the business for more than a decade, but he’s never entered a contest like this before. A relative passed him a newspaper ad about the contest, and he decided to give it a try. After sketching out some ideas on paper, he completed his design using Adobe Illustrator.

Freely’s town of Turlock in California’s Central Valley has similar agricultural roots to Half Moon Bay, with lots of melons and pumpkins growing there. “Being in an agricultural area has influenced my style. There is a grittiness to my design that probably arises from that exposure,” Freely said.

For Freely, graphic design is a great way to turn his lifelong love of art into a profitable career. “I was always drawing as a kid,” he said. “I was interested in doing something involved with art, and graphic design seemed like a way I could apply some of my art skills in a marketable way.”

Freely was awarded a $1,000 prize for his entry, which he put toward some bills and a new iPod Touch. Unfortunately, he will not be able to make it to Half Moon Bay for the festival this year, but would love to visit some day, he said.

Entries from the 2010 Pumpkin Festival Poster Design Contest, a joint effort by the Coastal Arts League and Half Moon Bay Beautification Committee, will be on display at the Coastal Arts League from Oct. 1 to 31, with a reception on Saturday, Oct. 9, from 4-7 p.m. Members of the public are invited to visit the league’s gallery while the contest entries are on display — including Pumpkin Festival weekend, Oct. 16-17 — to vote for their favorite designs to win the People’s Choice Award.