Carlos Solano

The bottle design reflects the beautiful nature and color palette of south Florida. The layering of objects speaks to the unique vibe of south Florida which can be both energetic and chill at the same time.

I would like people to stop and notice the cultural elements in the design. These are specific call outs to our local culture. From dominos, cafecitos, alligators and wooden signs. These are all elements that make up our regional story.

The part of the design that feels most like me is the BOOM BOX. The boom box is something that I love to paint and draw. It’s been a part of my visual storytelling for years now and it’s become part of my branding. The boom box is something that brings a lot of joy and nostalgia to me.

What inspired the piece mostly was my surroundings. I’m blessed to live in a place with a lot of color and nature. Being able to visit the Everglades, a major city and be ocean side within minutes is very inspiring. Everything here has its own pace and place. It’s very beautiful to experience this daily. The culture here is a vibe too. A true melting pot and a place that has an internal rhythm to it.

I wanted the design to stay true to my style of work. Over the years I’ve been able to brand my work with my unique style of smashing or collaging things together to tell stories. I’m proud that the bottle continues to stay true to my visual storytelling.

A ritual that I have before I get into my creative space is to make a TO DO list and get my day organized. This helps me be most efficient with my time but also allows me to set clear intention for my time creating. Along with that I love to play music and light incense along with a warm cup of coffee to get the vibes right.

What people might be surprised about me is that I love to fish and that I’m a huge fan of Salsa music and older genres of music too. My playlists sound like they were created by a much older person.