I was approached about doing a coat of arms for the father of a friend of mine with the last name Obermeyer. From talking to them about the design, I wasn’t left with much inspiration or references. The notable highlights was that the father was a pirate radio DJ in his younger days and he been building computer networks since 1979. I was told his personal traits lined up on integrity, honesty, respectful and that he was a ‘simple’ man.
So, toying with initial ideas, I have come up with this design. The wavy in base representing being from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area which is dominated by the Ohio River. The pile being a radio tower and the thunderbolts being an hommage to both the DJ aspect and the computer aspect.
http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b146/Snydercrew/Untitled-1-01.jpg
While it evokes military heraldry too much for my tastes (as it regards personal heraldry), it is still attractive. I wonder, though, if there are any heraldic artists out there who, if working by blazon, would come up with what you have. That’s an awfully, awfully skinny pile. I’m hard-pressed to come up with something to replace it at the moment, but I’m not sure I’d stick with what you have without considerable clarification on size.
It doesn’t do much for me, which isn’t unusual for a first concept, not least my own. There must be better ways to symbolize radio and computers than lightning bolts. The waves for the Ohio River as a general geographic allusion also seems like a strain.
Waves for radio would (to me) be more interesting. Fretty to represent networks? There may be something there, I don’t know. Not getting much inspiration on this.
A more trivial point: if you’re going to use it, the water in base would work better with a silver stripe on top. Better contrast with the red field.
What about fretty overlaid with bars wavy? Something like "Sable fretty Argent some number of bars wavy Or." The black can allude to pirate radio stations operating mainly at night.
Or fretty (computer networks) and black roundels (vinyl records for a DJ). "[Metal] fretty [color] with roundels sable in the interstices."
I’ve been feeling the same way with the whole project, but I really like the fretty with the bar idea.
A new direction to play with. This is why I come to you guys :D
Just a random thought: if the frets are gold, they can represent ethernet cables. Then you’d probably want the bars argent.
What about a cant on the name?
David Pope;102962 wrote:
What about a cant on the name?
I suggested that, but they weren’t excited about the idea.
I rather like your first design, modified per Joe’s suggestion. I agree with Ken that it does look somewhat military, but whether that’s good or bad depends on that particular family. The blazon may be a bit challenging, but to me that’s a secondary point to resolve if/when the family buys into the visual image.
FWIW while canting arms as a concept may not have set their hearts going pitty-pat, a particular canting design or element might fare better, particularly if it could do double duty for some other bit of symbolism. "Ober" seems obvious, not sure what "meyer" means in German.
My opinions, others may differ - but playing the game is great fun!
According to a website on German names, Meyer/Mayer originally referred to the steward of a farm or headman of a village, later to a prosperous farmer especially a dairy farmer. Not much there for a cant.
Thanks for checking - as you say, not much there. Now if this Obermeyer, or his ancestors here, were dairy farmers or farm managers… No? Ah well…
Moving on, what else might we know or ask re: Mr. O. and his family & ancestors that might (or might not) merit mining for possible design themes? Where they came from, settled, have lived? Military, civic or religious affiliations, service or accomplishments? Businesses or occupations? Any craft or family business trademarks, cattle brands, or other emblems distinctive of this family? Something from a family heirloom such as patterns on grandma’s handmade quilt, or on the old family home or farm buildings etc., e.g. hex marks on the barn?
There are likely many other possibilities, but perhaps some of these might trigger a useful brainstorming process. Even if they don’t eventually end up in the arms, it might be fun for the family!
And while we’re at this early stage, Mr. O & family might consider how broadly or narrowly they might want the new arms to to apply - just his immediate family, or his Obermeyer siblings, or near cousinss, or more extended Obermeyer cousins? That might affect some of the possible design themes, and who if any outside the immediate family they might consider including in their discussions.
I’ll shut up now
Michael F. McCartney;102972 wrote:
Thanks for checking - as you say, not much there. Now if this Obermeyer, or his ancestors here, were dairy farmers or farm managers… No? Ah well…
Moving on, what else might we know or ask re: Mr. O. and his family & ancestors that might (or might not) merit mining for possible design themes? Where they came from, settled, have lived? Military, civic or religious affiliations, service or accomplishments? Businesses or occupations? Any craft or family business trademarks, cattle brands, or other emblems distinctive of this family? Something from a family heirloom such as patterns on grandma’s handmade quilt, or on the old family home or farm buildings etc., e.g. hex marks on the barn?
There are likely many other possibilities, but perhaps some of these might trigger a useful brainstorming process. Even if they don’t eventually end up in the arms, it might be fun for the family!
And while we’re at this early stage, Mr. O & family might consider how broadly or narrowly they might want the new arms to to apply - just his immediate family, or his Obermeyer siblings, or near cousinss, or more extended Obermeyer cousins? That might affect some of the possible design themes, and who if any outside the immediate family they might consider including in their discussions.
I’ll shut up now
Did I miss something, or was my earlier suggestion of a fretty field overlaid with wavy bars rejected? Or are we just generating additional ideas?
Not rejecting anything - just hoping to generate more grist for the mill. Sorry if that was unclear. (I’ve been in the hospital since last Thursday fighting an infection & can only access the net sporadically via our Kindle, subject to unscheduled overrides for shots, pills, and other indignities so can’t always complete my thoughts.)
Thinking about Joe’s Sable fretty Argent , overall "x" bars wavy Or, in between needle sticks and TV news about the Ottawa shootings (very sad - thank God for Sgt-at-arms Villiers!)
My first impression, picturing x = 3, was of overcrowding; but playing with paper & pencil stub, if its three bendlets wavy bunched together where a fess would go (too fuzzy to recall how to blazon) it looks pretty good! IMO so would two bars wavy, with normal spacing, or a fess wavy. The trick seems to be allowing the fretty pattern enough room showing.
Also played with other color combinations, but absent some symbolic reason to change, none appear to work better than Joe’s suggestion.
Now for another yummy hospital lunch…
Sorry for the lack of response. Like Mr. McCartney, I’ve been in the hospital the past few days. My wife went into labor; after 48 hours of all natural, no medication labor we had our second daughter (9lbs, 23 inches)—Rose Marie. </a>
I was thinking of something like this.
http://www.americanheraldry.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1362&stc=1&d=1414170349
It might require some creative blazoning, since this isn’t normal fretty or wavy.