mike rivamonte

i am very excited to bring you robot sculptor, mike rivamonte. he is an avid science fan who grew up making anything he could get his hands on. his curious mind comes up with some of the most endearing robots i’ve seen. i want to be friends with edison, walt, and ace—complete with led jet pack! be sure to check out mike’s prints too.



my work is greatly influenced by my family. as kids my mom would take us to countless antique stores, curio shops and flea markets. during these ‘field trips’ i marveled over dusty scientific instruments, phonographs and other obscure mechanical devices. i developed a deep appreciation and interest of inventions and history. i picked up the love of making things from my father and uncles. my dad built our first color television set, all kinds of radios and our first computer. he could and would build anything. we constructed many things together. my uncles, one a science teacher the other a carpenter, fueled my inquisitive, experimental nature and appreciation for the finer points of craftsmanship.

cate anevski

cate anevski is a creative extraordinaire that i found on flickr…back in march! for some reason we keep losing each other in the interwebs. i email her, she emails me, i never get it, i email again, she emails me, i bury the email in my box—no more of this—it is time! what i love most about cate’s work is her charming outlook on the world. her unique style is present in every medium she uses. my favorite illustration work includes celtic knot, marie antoinette, and elemental nymphs, which are now available in cate’s etsy shop! i’m also a fan of her eleven-eyed monster and leet embroidery skills. for recent work, updates, and all things worth doing in portland, stop by her blog.



i have recently undergone my first portland, oregon, winter, and the gray weather left me a bit starved for the warm colors of the sun. my latest illustrations reflect this with a bright pink and orange palette.

black friday

oh black friday, i’ve easily ignored you in the past, but this year i made an exception…for bras. shopping is one of my least favorite activities, especially if it’s for something i have to wear because i’m incredibly picky with a side of freakish proportions. however, this year i just happen to live within two blocks of macy’s, so i got dressed and left the house around 4:30am. i had some coffee, compliments of macy’s, watched all the cute girls coo in front of the window, and mentally prepared myself for what was to come. finally, they plugged in the last bit of neon and opened the doors. we were greeted by a very authentic rosy-cheeked mr. and mrs. claus as everyone flocked downstairs to make-up and housewares. i escalated to the 5th floor, grabbed a handful of bras that were close to my size, and entered the fitting room. a very small woman yelled at me from outside—YOU LIKE? well…not really. GIVE ME SIZE, I FIND YOU GOOD ONES. she passed a handful back to me…UGLY, BUT COMFORTABLE…YOU TRY! ok, ok. they were very lacy, and quite the opposite of my tastes, but they felt like silky magic on. so i bought three for $50. the end.



macy’s windows | mr. & mrs. claus | bra | bra | bra

happy t-day

this is our 5th thanksgiving alone since we moved to san francisco, and we’ve turned it into our very own yellow day of joy. we spend wednesday evening and thursday morning baking (in our underwear) the tastiest, most midwestern plate of carbs you’ll ever see.* for a laugh, check out my husband’s thanksgiving shopping list.



my plate: homemade noodles | stuffing | mac + cheese | corn | potatoes
*no, that roll isn’t giant…the plate is tiny.

alvin diec

i stumbled upon the work of alvin diec way back in august, but i was too busy preparing for my first international trip to write him a proper post. diec is an atlanta-based designer who does what i can only think to describe as beautifully-clean work. his love of food has inspired some wonderful projects, including one flew south and the buccaneer, two of my favorite stationery sets. other notables include his fleet foxes poster and pygmalion theatre promotion, which i yearn to see in detail. finally, if you are in need of design clarity or just want to see what diec is thinking, check out his blog!



the idea is pretty simple. food and drink are probably two of my favorite things. ever. so it happens, i spent a few years doing design primarily for the restaurant industry. it comprises a large part of my portfolio and still represents much of the work i’m most proud of. we’ll just go through a small meal of things i really enjoy, in no particular order: crispy bacon, cloudy wheat beer, plain ol’ white rice, fresh greens, and hot coffee. cheers.

michelle ‘milo’ white

michelle ‘milo’ white is a line-lovin’ lady who uses graphite and acrylics to create unique, angular characters. my favorite part about her work is the way she renders faces, carving them out piece by piece like a wooden sculpture. i am fond of tree, nymph, memories, shin bone, and twin. be sure to check milo’s blog for new work.



i’m a san francisco illustrator who’s crazy about line work. i use color in a supporting role…very little…just a pop of pink to breathe some life into a piece. i love architect’s handwriting, blueprints and wood grain. my colors may appear subtle but they are accompanied by a heavy hand of black ink. the juxtaposition of the two brings me balance.

jennifer davis

i was ecstatic when i stumbled upon the work of artist, jennifer davis. her colors are so unique. she uses soft linework and surrounds her charming cast of characters with magical environments filled with balloons and bits of nature. because she works with such a serene palette, her paintings feel even more special when she adds a bright color. the paintings i enjoy most are sea lions, sent, refrain, remember, catharsis and listen. visit her blog for new paintings and show info.

emil kozak

emil kozak is a versatile designer with an an eye for beautiful repetition. kozak’s soaring vectors and clean, yet complex shapes are just the right amount of detail to complement his delightfully unexpected compositions. favorites include elements spring 09, exhibition gallery, and manual. be sure to check out his shop!



obsessed with water…

frank chimero

today i bring you frank chimero, a super-talented illustrator, designer, and writer. frank is full of ideas, and he is pro at concise communication. i love his life and design poster, state illustrations, and monster tee most of all. AND in addition to his extremely entertaining blog, he also co-writes questionable characters with ben barry. go get some answers!

so i’m sitting at a table with a full setting for myself and a few good friends. i’m on a trip in the san juan islands, a couple of small blobs of land poking out of the puget sound thanks to some geographic anomaly. there’s a huge set of windows to my right. if i look out, i have a view of all the other tree-speckled islands, which fade off in a blue atmospheric haze. it’s clear today, and it feels like i can stare out forever. also, this napkin is yellow and orange and purple.

nara

we contemplated skipping the day trip to nara all together. we grew up around deer so it didn’t seem worth the bumpy train ride through the mountains—my husband gets pretty severe kinetosis. we were thrilled to be wrong. it may have been the most enjoyable thing we did together. in retrospect it makes sense, we both get more excited about animals than people. and when they look like this, how could you not love them? the secret to enjoying the deer in nara is this—either buy shika sembei (deer biscuits) and quickly feed the deer or do not purchase biscuits at all. running around trying to photograph the deer while taunting them with biscuits proved traumatic for many visitors that day. the deer have learned that head-butting the men in the groin make the biscuits magically fall from the sky. since women often squeal and run, the deer chase them in a herd until the biscuits are surrendered. they do seem to leave the children alone for the most part, only reaching high into the air to snatch the biscuits from the smallest ones. and the cutest thing happens while they await their treat—they bow! some say they have learned to imitate the japanese, others (my husband) says they are simply preparing to buck you in the crotch. either way, it is done with the tongue slightly out and is the cutest thing i’ve ever seen.



bambi bow.

gion

exploring gion’s rain-soaked alleys was a magical experience. the machiya architecture with its lovely lanterns, bamboo inu yarai, and ceramic roof tiles all add to to the mysterious beauty of this well-known geisha district. i was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of both geiko and meiko—two in the back of a black car, and i passed another in a narrow alley. i do not have photos of these encounters as i decided to constrain my gaijin instincts and respect their privacy, but i was excited to find that they are even more stunning and graceful in person. hopefully these traditional artists continue to perform in the future. i have a lot of respect for women who brave the rain in a kimono.



mysterious geiko.

himeji castle

we took a day trip to himeji to see himeji castle, also known as the white heron. it’s the most impressive castle i’ve seen, complete with moat, stoney fortress, super steep stairs, and secret doors. and if that weren’t enough to remember, my first cup of matcha was served at the koko-en garden tea house. it was hot, frothy, and my favorite hue of green. i even learned how to make it using a bamboo chasen! and although my sugar handicap prevented me from sampling the wagashi, i was able to capture the handmade confection forever. banzai!



matcha castle.

arashiyama

arishiyama is an area in northwest kyoto. we went for two things—the sagano bamboo forest and tenryu-ji temple. walking through the bamboo was quiet and surreal. the forest was cool and wet—we were completely drenched by the time we reached the temple. tenryu-ji offered a rest on tatami mats, beautiful color-changing flowers, meticulously-maintained gardens and additional views of the bamboo.



bamboozled.

fushimi inari

fushimi inari is one of the first places i think of whenever someone mentions japan. you may recognize the shrine from the movie, memoirs of a geisha. there is a scene where chiyo runs through the toriis after meeting the chairman. i was happy to find it even more stunning in person. endless rows of red-orange toriis winding through the damp, green forest along inari mountain. some of the toriis were seasoned, while others were shiny and new. there were maiko praying for good fortune, bibbed foxes, and the scent of prayer. i’d say the only non-charming thing about the experience were the frequent encounters with large spiders. i wish i could share a photo, but thanks to my arachnophobia i was too freaked out to take one.



halloween shrine.

64 colors

64 colors is an extremely talented pair of creatives named laura and eric. you may know them if you are active in the toy scene. their little marshall has traveled all over—here he is in tokyo! in addition to toys, 64 colors also designs prints and paints wonderful worlds that feature their characters. some of my favorite prints are miso tippy and noodles, which i appreciate even more now that they are a daily part of my diet in japan. the paintings i can’t get enough of are control freak, sweet dreams, toast, and destination unknown. if you love 64 colors and need a place to sketch, you should check out their new artist chubby book, which is now available on pinkghost!

and, as you can imagine, with a name like 64 colors it was
torture choosing just 5, so they would like to add a lovely black—
60 | 70 | 70 | 70—to the palette below.



our version of a soft palette, picked from 50/60s books and prints. we really need 6 colors to complete our set. break the rules!

pontocho

pontocho is a narrow alley known for its geisha houses. i didn’t see any geisha, but i did see lots of restaurants and tourists. i found the area visually charming because of the multitude of lanterns and illuminated signs, window decor, and welcoming spaces. the people were also very friendly, despite the many tourists arguing loudly about where to eat. i was glad to have eaten udon at my favorite noodle place before we arrived.



pretty pontocho.

nijo castle

nijo castle is surrounded by the most gorgeous greens i’ve ever seen. the foliage, the moat, the aging metals, are all lovely shades of midori (green). the best part for izaak was the ninomaru palace—an audio technician’s dream with its singing nightingale floors.



nature’s song.

kamakura

we took a day trip to kamakura to see yabusame, or japanese archery. there is a festival at the hachiman-gu shrine twice a year. it is apparently very popular because all we ended up seeing where the shinto people praying and the grounds as we ran through the forest looking for a better view. i finally lucked out and was roped off by a police officer where i got close enough to capture the archers making their way to their horses—the costumes were elaborate and worth the wait.



yabusame wardrobe.

yokohama

we ended up spending two days in yokohama because there were so many fun things to do. we went through chinatown—the largest in japan—where we were surrounded by all sorts of panda souvenirs. the atmosphere was enchanting—lanterns overhead, narrow streets, ornate facades, until my husband was yelled at (his first time here…not mine) for opening what he thought was a trash can. we’re not sure what its actual purpose was or if we just misunderstood the woman yelling, but we decided it was a good time say sayonara. we ended up at cosmoworld around dark, for a spectacular view of the famed ferris wheel, and we were able to get a panoramic view of yokohama at night from the landmark tower. it was the best view i’ve seen to date.



a view for lovers.

tsukiji

i stayed up all night in nearby ginza just to visit the tsukiji fish market—the largest wholesale fish market in the world. i don’t even like seafood, but i HAD to see the tuna auction that takes place from 5 to 6:15am. it was cold, fascinating, and quite disturbing to see the sellers slide the mammoth frozen carcasses around the floor and then jab them with a metal pick. they were bluish silver with a bright pink circle on the back where the tail fin once was. i was in a state of delirium as i stumbled through the rest of the market on my way out, trying to photograph the multitude of sea creatures, many of which were still moving. as far as recommendations, i’d say go if you love to eat fresh seafood, but otherwise the photos will suffice. i say this because we felt like a huge inconvenience to the hundreds of people working that day, from the vendors setting up their stalls to the men racing around on the miniature trucks. and yes, they WILL run you over.



bloodbath on ice.