Project verdant messenger – 2026
26′ GRADUATION GIFT – EXCLUSIVE ONLY
First and foremost, this is a heartfelt project I initiated to customize these hoodies as a way to give back to our amazing St. Croix Lutheran seniors. These thoughtful gifts serve as a profound expression of gratitude to the families of the senior(s), who supported me during my high school years with unwavering encouragement.
Each hoodie is a canvas, beautifully adorned with a confirmation Bible verse or a cherished Bible verse that holds deep meaning for them.
box sleeve
looking deeper into the artwork become reality
A WAY OF EXPRESSING LOVE
Mattew 17:20
He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
(May – June – July 2025)
In the summer of 2025, project planning officially began, and I’m excited to have started early given my busy college schedule. This proactive approach makes it much easier for me to transition into 2026.
As I combined all references and inspirations throughout the internet, I began to sketch out the box sleeve first, which is essential to establish the intention of the content inside the gift box.
*(Click images to zoom in to view more details) *
digital mock-up – second stage
Next up, I transferred my digital sketches into mockup program to further expand the project vision hence the realistic aspect of digital mockup helps easier understand how artworks taking shape as physical objects.
hoodie mockup
This is trial and error when come to balancing colors and composition concept for the entire hoodie. This stage is the most important, due to the concept has to be perfectly fit on to the physical form of the hoodie as well as the colors reflected on to the person who wearing it.
TRADITIONAL SKETCH – DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION
Early-concept illustrations and mockup concept
PROS:
- The color palette is cohesive and balance
- Reflection of the design on the hoodie very good
- Easy to understand as well as clean illustrations
CONS:
- Redundant color palette (2025 Lydia Schaefer concept)
- Too masculine for Violet
- The colors do not reflect good onto Violet
The back
Early stage and full concept emerged, trails and errors stage of designing.
“I realized that the colors are the problem for this hoodie, so I decided to change the entire hoodie color and the design color as well”
FInalized concept
After many days of deliberation, the final concept has finally concluded, and here is the final mockup for the hoodie as well as the artworks themselves.
violet enter
Matthew 17: 20
“Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” This was written by none other than Matthew, one of the most important figures in the New Testament. This verse encourages and reminds us that even through time, our faith in Him, even as small as a tiny mustard seed, can achieve many things through Jesus Christ.
When I approach this hoodie, I am actually very excited due to the number of visual indications that were easy to understand as well as the context of Jesus’ answer. I became interested in all the information that I gathered. I started to sketch physically onto paper to bring the idea to life. It took about a week to figure out the style of tree, including the form, colors, and where to guide the audience eyes.
Yes, I did struggle to portray this verse on the hoodie, so I contacted Lydia Schaefer for a little bit of help. She suggested a quite simple idea that is effective yet clean, which is what I wanted in the first place. The front will embody a fully grown mustard tree settled on top of the mountain; if you notice, I changed the leaves into doves for the reason of context and visual enhancement. The doves, as a substitution, represent the Holy Spirit and our faith when we spiritually mature over time, like a tree taking time to fully take root to grow strong. Besides that, there are three different colored doves, light blue to be exact, representing the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit at work. It was quite hard to show three in one; I decided on three blue doves united in one color, one sowing the seeds and the two others singing praise, continuing their work.
*The color scheme was actually a play on word of Violet and her favorite color yellow, complimentary color*
This is my tribute to Violet; I designed this hoodie to inspire her to keep walking alongside Him through every twist and turn of life. He is always by her side, unwavering. Her faith in Him is destined to flourish into the magnificent mustard tree. Just as that tiny mustard seed can grow into a towering tree on the highest mountain, so too will her faith expand, nourished by His guidance. Embrace this journey with Him, regardless of the obstacles, and let this hoodie serve as a constant reminder of that truth.