Kyle Olson isn’t much of an outdoors winter guy but his interest was piqued after hearing a good friend talk about the fun he and his partner were having at the curling club they joined.

Kyle says his Isthmus cover illustration is an “ode” to them and all of the “people that really embrace the season and use it as a time to do something they aren’t able to do the rest of the year.”

To prepare, Kyle watched videos to get better acquainted with the sport and observed that the action is often shown from above. “I love graphic illustrators like Charley Harper and got to thinking the large target, the stones, and people pictured from a bird’s eye view made for a very appealing cover design.”

Of the three ideas Kyle submitted, Isthmus art director Tommy Washbush found his curling idea the most impactful, with strong contrast and bright colors, but felt that it needed something extra. “I loved the top-down perspective, and it felt accurate to how the sport is televised, but the first attempt felt pretty bare-bones. The addition of curlers sweeping, strong cast shadows, some chunky texture and grooves in the ice really added a lot to this piece, and it ended up being one of my favorites of the year,” says Tommy.

Kyle went to school for graphic design but works in video game development. See more of his work on his website.