One day out of the blue our good friend Terrence McClusky sent a link to an incredible little blog post and video about Herman Miller designer Steve Frykholm and his iconic “Picnic Posters”, created for the company’s annual employee & family picnics.

As young designer in 1970 (and Herman Miller’s first in-house graphic designer) Frykholm was approached to try his hand at creating a poster to announce the annual picnic that year. What blossomed from a simple side-project utilizing old school techniques that he learned in the Peace Corps is honestly so wonderful.

“It’s a sequence of events, one color at a time. And then that last one goes on and it’s better than you imagined.” – Steve Frykholm

Be still my heart.

Washing out a screen in preparation for printing.

Click any of the images above or below to watch the beautifully done short video on Frykholm’s history, process and The Picnic Posters series.

Frykholm standing in front of the MoMA‘s collection of his Picnic Posters.

Frykholm watching over the printing & drying process. Photograph of one of the many Herman Miller employee & family annual picnics. I want to travel back in time to this place and day…