The Gray Havens T-Shirt Design

For those of you who don't know, one of my favourite things is the heart and brain of C.S.Lewis.  Like many I grew up with his books and the seminal BBC programme (I won't start a long paragraph on my preference for the real fake animals in the TV version over the fake fake CGI in the films)!  I also studied his critical essays and theories for my dissertation.  John Piper recently labelled him a 'romantic rationalist' and I love that mix.   My reason for starting with a little Lewis love is that a lot of what I love about the heart and brain of Lewis is encapsulated in the music and lyrics of The Gray Havens.  There's an engagement with the mix of joy and pain that is part of the human condition, but also a huge sense of hope and redemption all told with a creative flair and narrative-themed lyrics.

There is a quote on their website that reads:

"Good, beautiful, stories plunge the reader into a fictional world in such a way that when they come out again, they perceive the real world more clearly and with more joy than before. In much the same way, song lyrics—when married to the right melody—can penetrate the heart. Story plays such a huge part in our songs because powerful narratives have been so transforming for us personally.”

As a fan of theirs, when the opportunity came along to submit designs for their next t-shirt I grabbed my sketchbook and had a whirl.  Below are three ideas and the one that has made it to the shortlist.  If you fancy voting for it you can hope on to the survey here and give it a click.  There are some lovely ones on their so you can vote for them too (though I think you have only one chance to vote for the one you like).

I would thoroughly recommend their music for a listen and their website for a look. 

And these were a few other ideas: