CREATIVEGIRL BLOG :: DESIGN INSPIRATION :: PORTLAND, OREGON

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2015-01-03T10:34:00.003-08:00

I've been busy the last three years, working and writing on other platforms. Please visit me at WeMake for more creative inspiration!

Balancing Act, An Interview with Blaine Fontana

2014-02-26T20:16:00.000-08:00

Reblogged from WeMake

I just adore Blaine Fontana. I love his style, his personality, and his openness. He's married to the fantastic, Eugenie Fontana, and their studio is just down the street here in NOPO Junction. When ever I see his work, I automatically recognize the distinct style. It's organic and architectural, painterly, graphic, and lovely. He's a wood worker, a designer, a fine artist and so much more.

If your in Portland, please join us for a night of inspiration and fun with Blaine on Friday, March 7th as we explore the multiple facets of his work.

Date of the event: Friday, March 7, 2014

Time: 7:00 – 9:00pm

Check-in begins at 6:00pm. Doors close at 6:45pm.

Place: Tillamook Station, 665 N Tillamook Street, PDX 97227

Cost: $5 Suggested donation at signup

Registration Begins: Friday morning at 9am, Februrary 28th

Space is limited. Be sure to register early!

RSVP on Eventbrite

Forest for the Trees Mural Project

YPE
Your influence in graphic design and fine art is a nice blend. When I first met you I thought your focus was just fine art, but as I discovered, I realized you're so much more. Often, graphic design and fine art are disconnected, would you agree?

BFEach discipline has a way of frowning on a multidisciplinary individual. Sometimes the gallery scene will not get involved with artists who are doing commercial work, and vice-versa.

However, there's something to be said about the phrase, “Jack-of-all-trades”. There’s pros and cons to it, but for me I like to say that I am just trying to master my life. It keeps me sane and helps with all the different genres I do, and industries I work with—from project to project, they inspire each other.

It wasn’t until after we left LA that I started to push the design work. I had had been doing it privately the whole time and decided to bring it to the foreground and say fuck it, I’m doing this too.

YPEA lot of your older work has been inspired from metaphysics. This new body feels different, more typographic and lots of layering. Are you in a new series or is this your style now? Has it evolved into something different?

BFWhat I’m doing now is sequential bodies of works. Series after series- and they overlap sometimes. One of the first series I did was the “I Dream Series.” It integrated design with a multimedia approach. That’s winding down, and now I've started doing these board panels. I call it, “This Perversion of this American Cultural Cannibalism.” It’s still work in progress, there is still a very heavy process, now it’s more calculated.

This series is introducing a very pragmatic approach, they are graphic but have a very painterly quality at the same time. I’m always challenging myself to make a piece that creates a reaction in an audience—where they look at it and ask themselves, how was that done (formally and technically)? For me, that’s an incredibly successful piece, especially in the fine art sense.

YPEYou’ve done a lot of books. I love your personal book, Amalgamate.

BFI collaborated with Derrick Brown, a brilliant poet on that book, he's a good friend, and one of the most charming man I’ve ever met (he even married Eugenie and I). Derrick was around when my career in LA started blossoming. It was perfect for him to write the book. He’s been a very integral figure in my work.

Kirk Pedersen is the publisher who runs Zero + Publishing. We work together when selecting the artists for the books. Often he handles the in-house design of them. However the ones that require heavier design, body copy and custom graphics, I create. Kirk is another very inspiring person and after the last four years of working together, we’ve developed a two way mentor-mentee relationship.

While I was designing my book, I started working on another book called Heroes and Villians- a photo collaboration by Tatiana Wills and Roman Cho. They managed to shoot artists all over the world of different movements—post graffiti, pop surrealism, and urban contemporary, to name a few. They shot around 300 artists in wide format film.

The Heroes and Villians book was my first time designing a large scale project on a large scale timeline. It was an incredible challenge to suspend myself and my ego. I am so used to putting my own style, stink and funk onto everything, but for this book, I did completely the opposite.

After I designed this book, I finally felt I could consider myself a designer, even though I had been designing for over a decade. That’s when I was comfortable enough to say "I do fine art and I do design." It’s not some hobby thing I do on the side or because I have to, I choose to do design, I choose to do illustration, and licensing, and fine art. I choose to do all these things. I have the same passion for design, layout, and typography. I have a passion, especially, for the architecture and tempo of a book: how it flows and how you enjoy it, as much as I have a passion for the process of a painting.

YPESo you just finished up an immense fucking awesome mural project with Vans. It was so great to see it unfold on Instagram. How did that project come along and how many pieces did you end up doing?

BFI have had this awesome relationship with Vans for about seven years. I was introduced to the VP of Vans at a surf tournament in Hawaii. He became a big fan of my artwork, and over the years I’ve done multiple projects with him, primarily fine art. This project was a total of 23 boards and the piece in it’s entirely put together was 4 feet tall and 96 feet wide. It took 3 weeks to get the project pushed through, and then I was left to my own, to do my thing. I just had to represent Vans ethos, and lifestyle of So Cal culture of surf and skate. The project was finished in 2 months.

YPE Something this size must have been awkward to work on?

BFTThe work had to be created in a certain way in case they moved the final piece again. I also was limited by my studio walls and could only work on 12 foot sections at a time.

This whole process had to be streamlined to ship down there, but it had to function as a whole. I have not seen the piece put together in it’s entirety— I've only seen sections of thirds, because that’s all we could line up outside of the building here.

YPETwo months is a tight deadline, and not much time to process the end results. How did it make you feel?

BFI crated it up and gave them a care package of materials to help them install it. The crates aren’t fun at all. Being so "in" the work, it’s a little depressing to send it off after it’s done. For a short while, you're so involved with this kind of child of yours. You see it grow up, have it around for about a week then off it goes. That whole high and adrenaline of getting it done is just gone—you're coming down and packing it up and thinking, crates suck. It’s sad, but it was amazing project.

Blaine has designed and licensed work for a number of companies including SCION Installation Art Tour, Patagonia, Nike, Vans, Toyota, Kid Robot, Upper Playground, Supreme Being, Quiksilver, Ocean Pacific, KFC International, Arbor Snowboards, and Hop & Vine.

Little Wolf & The Animal Battle: An Interview with Maryanna Hoggatt

2013-12-23T13:22:00.001-08:00

Re-blogged from WeMake

I first discovered Maryanna Hoggatt through her work on Animal Battle—a delightful series of animals dressed in elaborate forest garb and carrying wooden swords. They reminded me of all the fantasy books and stories I read as a child. I was immediately a fan, so I asked her to create a poster for WeMake Celebrates with the challenge of using just three colors (that we chose) to be silkscreened in collection with nine other participating artists. She didn't miss a beat and over the next few weeks we watched her process unfold through Instagram posts (see: LeetleWolf). For someone who had never silkscreened her art before, Maryanna created an awesome print. It was then that I wanted to know the story behind Little Wolf and her fantastical Animal Battle series.

Maryanna Hoggatt was born in the Philippines, raised in the dusty deserts of Arizona, and moved to the lush forests of Portland, Oregon in 2007. She created her own self-published comic mini-series, and regularly shows new work in galleries. Her clients include Willamette Week, Nike, Skullcandy, Microsoft, and Redbull, to name a few.

When we met for this interview, Maryanna was just back from Paris where she celebrated her honeymoon after eloping with her new husband Jake Hollomon, a designer at the agency Roundhouse.

In Maryanna's Studio

YPE Lets talk about your series. Looking at your work, I am amazed by the level of detail and intricate scenarios woven into each of your characters. It seems that storytelling has been a huge part of it, starting with the Adult Babysitting comic series, and now with Animal Battle. Can you tell me how this latest series came about?

MH When I started Adult Babysitting I was working as a bartender. The inspiration for the stories came from the bar's log book.

Everybody has their stories and it was a release for me. A natural extension of what I was doing with my everyday life.

The funny thing was, when I quit bartending I kind of stopped cartooning. I think it was because I had more time to do my art.

I had fun doing the comics. It was more of a labor of love for me, there wasn't a lot of money in it. Now I feel such a strong disconnect from that project because what I'm doing currently is so different.

Animal Battle

MH When I got the idea for Animal Battle I was exhibiting Adult Babysitting at a comic convention. While sitting in my booth, I did a series of animal drawings that were all very violent—heads on spears and bloody axes, but in this cutesy cartoon style.

At the time I really liked the concept, and decided to pursue it later in a different direction. Working within the themes of sex and violence is easy, but I wanted to challenge myself and do something that wasn't so automatically embraced. I wanted to think about the idea of Animal Battle a little longer, and make it more of a sophisticated concept, and I didn't want to do violent work.

A year later I quit my job and started working on the animals. I decided to paint them and then I set up a series of rules.

1. No violence.

2. All the materials had to be natural.

3. I had to have a reason for everything. Why are they fighting? Who are they fighting for? What are their army colors? Where do they live? What do their costumes look like and why are they like that?

I developed the narrative over two months because I had my first solo show as a member of the Pony Club Gallery. After producing the work, I started posting them on Instagram and the response was huge. When I had the opening, parents and kids approached me telling me how much they loved the series. I knew then I was doing something in the right direction.

YPE Is there one side against the other in this animal battle? What do the animals represent?

MH From the beginning I decided there was going to be two armies. One is the "Hearts and Stars" and they represent passion, courage and imagination. The other is the "Eyes and Hands" and they represent physical tools. The battle is actually in our minds. It's a symbolic battle of physical tools vs. mental tools.

The armies aren't actually fighting each other. When they come together and collide they create the good guys, which are thoughts and ideas. They fight the real enemy—fear and doubt. It's an animal characterization of all the thoughts and ideas within our heads battling ourselves with our own fears and doubts.

I'm still in the middle of developing Animal Battle. There is a whole world I have yet to explore.

YPE So when is the children's book coming out? It sounds like a perfect platform.

MH That is a good question. I'm really good at visual storytelling, but not so great at writing a story. If it came out it would probably just be a picture book or a collection of the artwork. I would love to see it animated though.

Animal Battle Series Time Lapse to promote her solo show at The Pony Club Gallery.

YPE You mentioned that you really didn't sketch your thoughts out first, but obviously you had these ideas. You just jumped straight to paper?

MH Oh, there were a series of sketches that lead up to it. I actually don't do a lot of prep work when I set up to make a final piece. I usually have it so fully realized in my head, maybe I will do a quick sketch for composition reasons or to figure out the wardrobe sequence, then I'll just start on the final piece. I think if I work too much on the process leading up to it I get bored, or it loses some of the magic.

Photo's of her XBox controller created for Microsoft

YPE Do you feel like this is your style now and something your sticking with?

MH Yeah, I have been working at this long enough where I have found myself artistically. I'm very comfortable working in this style.

YPE So tell me about your sketchbook.

MH My sketchbook is a mix of company logos and process, lots of lettering and fuzzy animals. I use the big Canson sketchbooks. I like working big.

YPE Your name on Instagram and Twitter is "Leetle Wolf." What does that stand for? Is it your spirit animal?

MH It's a bit of my spirit animal. I've been using the nickname Little Wolf for about five years. It came about during my 20's. At the time, I had a whole lost period. I wasn't really creatively focused and made a lot of bad decisions. I had a bit of a reawakening and told myself to never forget the path I'm supposed to be on, which is this creative path. The wolf thing came out—the howl out the moon, independent streak thing. At the time I was also riding a little motorcycle and I had a girlfriend who wanted to start a gang—a wolf pack—so I was Little Wolf. As far as Instagram and Twitter, someone already took Little Wolf on everything I've signed up for, so yes it's "Leetle Wolf."

I guess that's my story. Howl at the moon!

If your in Portland, come kick off 2014 with some creative inspiration at our new headquarters. See you soon!

Date of the event: Friday, January 3, 2014

Time: 6:00 – 9:00pm

Check-in begins at 6:00pm. Doors close at 6:45pm.

Place: Tillamook Station, 665 N Tillamook Street, PDX 97227

Cost: Donation at signup

Registration Begins: Friday morning at 9am, December 27th

As always, space is limited. Be sure to register early!

RSVP on Eventbrite

On the Dot, The perfect spot.

2013-11-21T09:50:00.001-08:00

On the Dot™ evolved over time, beginning with brand strategy and naming, through identity, packaging development, illustrations and design consultation. The project is now trying to get kickstarted. Three design styles were created for the launch targeting the personalities and styles of various aged women. On the Dot™ is more than just a container, it’s a design necessity for women everywhere.

I am happy to have worked on the project and think that every young lady should have one. Check it out and support it on Kickstater!

WeMake Celebrates Posters available now!

2013-10-15T11:33:00.003-07:00

Reblogged from WeMake

We have some posters left over from our event and would love for you to have them! These are all limited-edition prints based on the theme "Celebrate Making." Each 18"x 24" print was silkscreened by Seizure Palace and uses only three colors. They look fabulous next to each other and you should totally buy two (or more)!

Cost: $20 plus shipping and handling. If you're in Portland send us an email and you can pick them up at our headquarters!

All funds go towards our efforts in supporting arts and music education.

Get them here!

BeeTeeth

Dan Christofferson is an illustrator, painter, and designer from Salt Lake City, Utah. His art illustrates stories of exile, industry, and the parched, sunburnt west. Printed on thick white stock.

Get it here!

Alberto Cerriteño

Alberto Cerriteño is an illustrator & designer who has developed his own very personal technique and style, having always present a delicate hints of traditional Mexican artistic influences. Printed on thick white stock.

Get it here!

Blaine Fontana

Blaine Fontana currently lives and works in Portland, Oregon. Imbuing his vision with the divine symbolism of religious myths, worldly folklore and current social dynamics, his works contain a kind of shamanic exploration of meaning that recognizes the totemic quality and power of the image. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Adam Garcia

Creative director, designer, and illustrator Adam R. Garcia’s work spans aesthetic in the fields of design, identities, direction, illustration, event coordination, gallery exhibits and packaging design. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Maryanna Hoggatt

Maryanna Hoggatt was born in the Philippines in 1981, raised in the dusty deserts of Arizona, and moved to the lush forests of Portland, Oregon in 2007. She created her own self-published comic mini-series, and regularly shows new work in galleries. Clients include Willamette Week, Nike, Skullcandy, Microsoft, & Redbull. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Meg Hunt

Mug Hunt is an illustrator, educator and maker of things. She lives and work in the wooded city of Portland, OR. Her goal is to fill the world with her creations, and make people happy in the process by creating charming and colorful character-based illustrations, lettering, and patterns for visual development and the editorial/publishing markets. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Jolby

Jolby & Friends is a collaborative creative studio based in Portland, Oregon. Founders Josh Kenyon & Colby Nichols combine their talents as Art Directors, Designers and Illustrators, utilizing their experience from working within agencies over the course of their careers. They try to achieve two goals within the work they create: “Tell a memorable story” and “make people smile”. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Mary Kate McDevitt

Mary Kate McDevitt is a letterer and illustrator living and working in Brooklyn, NY. Mary Kate graduated from Tyler School of Art in 2007 with a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration. Her clients include Sesame Street, Fast Company, and Nintendo. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Dan Stiles

Based in Portland, Oregon Dan Stiles creates work for everyone from indie bands to major corporations. His work has won numerous awards and has been reproduced in a wide variety of books and magazines. He draws from a broad swath of influences from comics, skateboard graphics and punk album covers to modern art, japanese design, and vintage packaging. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Keegan Wenkman

Keeganmeegan & Co. is an artistic design, illustration and printing company that provides creative in house solutions to local and national businesses and individuals. Printed on thick natural stock.

Get it here!

Cost: $20 plus shipping and handling. If you're in Portland send us an email and you can pick them up at our headquarters!

All funds go towards our efforts in supporting arts and music education.

Get them all here!

Little Dwellings: 2013 Put A Bird In It Maker Spotlight

2013-10-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Reblogged from WeMake

Portland, Oregon never ceases to amaze me. It's a great place to live, work, and play, and a great place to be a creative. Last year when we asked people to help us celebrate the process of making and the spirit of community they did not let us down. This year is no exception, in fact I think the makers out did themselves.

So why a birdhouse? To me, it's the perfect medium to explore. Know matter what genre of the creative field you might be in, there's just something about the sweet structure of a bird dwelling that allows for so many forms of interpretations. The name of this gallery show, Put A Bird In It also allows the makers to be playful and clever—we like that.

I want to personally thank all of the participants this year, they really rocked it and put a lot of time, passion, and thoughtful thinking into creating these awesome works of art. Below is just a sampling of the photo's we've taken, but for some up-close shots with more details be sure to visit Ethan's flickr set, you will be amazed!

We hope you will join us this Saturday night, as all of these houses will be auctioned off to help support arts & music education. Up close, they will delight and inspire you, and you'll want to take one home! Be sure to get in early as the auction will close at 9pm.

Thank you again for everyone who has supported our efforts!

Yvonne & The WeMake Team

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The Details

- When: Saturday, October 12, 2013 we're closing off Design Week Portland
- Where: Sandbox Studio, 420 NE 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
- Time: 7:30-11:30pm
- Cost: FREE

NOTE: Starting bids will be $40-$50 with $10 bid increments. The value listed is what the makers place on time, material and worth.

- Official event page

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2013 Put A Bird In It Makers

Adidas

Team: Dan Garland & Todd Rolak

Dan Garland is a graphic designer at adidas and enjoys getting his hands dirty doing creative projects of all sorts. Todd Rolak is the head of footwear design for adidas football category.

Birdhouse #1: “You Know It’s Strictly for the Birds” by Dan Garland

For myself as a city dweller, the National Forest sign represents all these great times of getting out and ‘enjoying nature’, but that’s nothing special to a bird. Value: $225

Birdhouse #2: “Confess” by Todd Rolak

Flaming blue and yellow sparkles with gothic influences. Value: $150

Amy Ruppel

Amy Ruppel is an artist & illustrator who is always and forever painting, building things from wood, carving things in wood, smothering things in wax and putting a bird ON it.

Birdhouse: “Bird Yurt" Value: $150

Artslandia

Artslandia magazine is Portland's Performing Arts Annual. Art lovers now have a single resource to find their art.

Birdhouse: Our birdhouse is contemporary, modern and retro. Just like Portland's vast performance art scene. Value: $75

Bethany Ng

I'm an Art Director and Illustrator that typically works in digital mediums. I love building, exploring, learning and adventures.

Birdhouse: My house is inspired by one of my favorite things; snowboarding. I drew inspiration from Mt. Hood and old A-Frame mountain cabins. Value: $450

B ig-Giant

At Big-Giant we specialize in creating visual solutions that effectively help realize business goals. This may be achieved through retail design, branding or rebranding, naming, strategic planning and any type of printed or 3-D design elements required.

Birdhouse: Big-Giant is for the birds. We consolidated all of our favorite things: beautifully crafted materials, clean lines and sharp angles. This is the classiest joint in which your bird will ever perch.

Team: Whitney Owen + Heather Noddings Value: $300

Blaine Fontana

It’s really simple, we’re complicated. Fontana Studios are a husband-wife duo and creative obstacle assassins who work in the fine art, design, installation, print making, environment, furniture and consulting genre’s.

Birdhouse: This alber block was from an eighty year(ish) old tree on Blaine’s family property on Bainbridge Island, WA. Using a chainsaw, hand planer, power sanders and acrylic, this commonly titled “Bucky Blossom” harmonizes our love of design, sculpture, painting and wood sculpture. Value: $800

BT Livermore

BT Livermore loves to make things, anything, really. He currently works as an illustrator, sign painter, printmaker, designer, wood worker, and co-owner of Man’s Face Stuff moustache wax.

Birdhouse: Inspired by ancient Egypt, (perhaps after watching too much Ancient Aliens recently), I used hieroglyphics and other iconography to represent this period in history. Value: $150

Cameron Sandage + Ryan Swedenborg

Cameron Sandage is a left-handed, one-hand clapping, Gemini, multi-disciplined creative currently working as a designer for Nike SPARQ. In his free-time he enjoys working on side projects, art shows and pushing himself to try new things, aka building a birdhouse.

Ryan Swedenborg is a graphic artist hailing from the Golden State. A graduate of Portland State’s Graphic design program, Ryan currently works at Mayer/Reed architecture in their small but strong visual communications department.

Birdhouse: Simple complexity is the thought behind our birdhouse. Birdhouses don’t generally come equipped with remote controls, but ours does, allowing this multi-media birdhouse to come alive with color with the touch of a button. Value: $200

Casey Ohngren

Casey Ohngren is a designer + illustrator who works on things like websites, logos, and patterns. She also likes to draw, does screenprinting and get her fingernails dirty whenever she can.

Birdhouse: "Palace Mosque Cathedral House". This house is made of a Chinese Palace, Moroccan Mosque, Italian Cathedral, and a San Francisco Victorian for the bird who can't make up his mind.

Value: $175

Celia Beauchamp + Nikolas Wise—Grange and Company

Celia Beauchamp and Nikolas Wise for Grange and Company - a design-make-build collective rooted in cultural sustainability, holistic design practices, and a critical notation of the world around us.

Birdhouse: "The Bodega Bay Petrol Station" is inspired by a recent visit to Jean Prouvé’s 1953 Petrol Station in Basel. In revisiting the design for this birdhouse, we reverse-engineered (with chickadees in mind.

Value: $100

CINCO Design

Cinco Design is a branding agency that likes helping frame the first idea, and execute the final expression. They also believe that those two things should inform each other.

Two teams worked on the houses.

The Product Team: Matt Capozzi, Nic Ramirez, Beverly Moon, and Scott Layton.

The Brand Team: Sean Barrett, Ezra Hardman, Nate Garvison, and Sonja Niess

Birdhouse #1: “Ceramic House” Slip cast and glazed with a dip-dyed rope. Value: $350

Birdhouse #2: “Dice” The dice were constructed out of wood and painted with gold accents on the “5”s. Value: $100

Citizen

Citizen is a global mobile innovation firm based in Portland, Oregon. We’re pushing mobile forward by shaping the evolution of the connected user experience.

Birdhouse #1: Peep Show uses a microphone to detect sounds that trigger light shows on LED panels covering the birdhouse. Warning: birds may either be frightened or enamored. Value: $400

Birdhouse #2: 24-Hour Party Peeps uses an Arduino-run motion sensor to trigger bird calls from around the world. Made from a nest of old cords, this birdhouse is the merger of the technological and natural. Value: $300

Clutched Key Collective

We're a small collective of women designers, writers, and marketing strategists that help brands communicate authentically with their female customer. We all love the outdoors and our access to them in Portland. We're definitely known to play hookie for a powder day or a sunny break in the rain.

Birdhouse: Our goal was to make something out of the parts provided. We started by creating functional spaces for day and night use. The third more abstract space sits above the house within the negative space of the hanging harness. Value: $100

Dave Selden

Dave Selden is a Portland, Oregon-based designer and creator of the "33" series of pocket-sized tasting notebooks. He's an avid runner, woodworker and beer geek in his spare time, which is fleeting these days, thanks to the recent arrival of his second child. He hails from the great state of Iowa and smokes his own bacon, two facts which may or may not be related.

Birdhouse: When the (turned, hand-carved and gouache-painted) pie is opened, the birds begin to sing (a sultry, smoky hit from the turn of the century, recreated in 18 notes by the Sankyo corporation). What a dainty (Basswood and Alaskan Yellow Cedar) dish to set before a king. Value: $200

Design Vessel—Mark Soasey + Eric Delph

Design Vessel Construction LLC is a small Design/Build operation specializing in custom remodels, yard transformations and furniture design—constantly in pursuit of opportunities that test their skills and inspire their work.

Birdhouse #1: "Synthesis House". The combination of ideas to form a theory or system. This house comprised of a metal lattice house structure with attached planter box, utilizes the combination of a man-made feature with an element of nature, a vine plant, that merge together to create the final functioning home. Value $ 450

Birdhouse #2: The enclosing boundary of a curved geometric figure. This house, a triptych design, explores not only a system of attachment that responds to the natural shape of a tree trunk, but also through a non-invasive series of springs to affix the structure, allows for a continuing adoption of shape as the tree grows and expands. Value: $ 650

Dominic DeVenuta

Dominic De Venuta is the foremost expert in the field of mixed ideology. He has dedicate about one eighth of his time to contextualizing the inner sanctity of the studio practice known as pencil sharpening. For best results let sit in sun for 1 to 2 days then shake vigorously.

Birdhouse: Upcycling old skateboards, Dominic kept things simple and timeless with his approach to the tradition of birdhouse crafting. While constructing this house, a conscious decision was made to not incorporate any parts or features that are not found on a skateboard. Value: $200

Emily Katz + Adam Porterfield

Adam: “Emily Katz is a singer songwriter, Quarter Horse whisperer, moondancer, and maker of magic.”

Emily: “hahahah, Adam has a really good sense of humor and is good with his hands.”

Birdhouse: An exercise in ENFP. Made from the reclaimed lathe of the couple’s 1906 home, a re-envisioned birdhouse with an open floor plan, perfect for entertaining your field guides, Audubon pamphlets, and binoculars. Value: $250

Em-Space

Rory Sparks and Emily Squires print and work out of EmSpace Book Arts Center, an open-access letterpress and bookbinding studio in Portland, where artists have access to space & equipment on a membership basis.

Birdhouse: “Typeflock:. Letterpress printed wood type from the Hamilton Wood Type Museum collection. Value: $150

Eric Reigert

Eric Reigert is a designer and illustrator with strong passion for innovation and technology. He also claims he can eat a whole pie in one sitting.

Birdhouse: Inspired by all the warm summer days filled with frozen treats. This chilled delicacy is sure to keep any birdie warm during the cold Portland winters. Vegan and Gluten-free. Value$150

Factory North

Factory North is a full experience branding studio here in the industrial SE neighborhood of Portland, Ore. From helping small business concepts to organizing our annual charity event, Art Takeover; at the end of the day we are just great problem solvers that truly love what we do.

Team: Tyler Segel - Creative, Nicole Sakai - Operations

Birdhouse: Our one-of-a-kind "Owl Totem" birdhouse is digital printed plywood with a polyurethane coating and was made to hang. It was designed, assembled + finished by Tyler. He really hopes that it will provide a home for actual birds. Value: $200

Gravitate Design

We are a design and digital marketing agency in Vancouver, WA.

Birdhouse: We wanted to incorporate humor into our birdhouse. The idea of luring the bird into a ridiculous situation was something was explored. Playing on the nostalgia of the 80s we came up with the Duck Hunt, and to trick the bird into entering and become part of the game. And so was born… The NESt! Value: $200

Greater Than Four

Hannah Amis, Sam Amis, Maria Lalli and Amin Zahiry are Greater Than Four, a collective of designers exploring a range of media free of constraints. Our studio consists of rock, paper, scissors, wood, fabric and cookies. We hail from the West and the Midwest, with backgrounds in industrial design from the University of Cincinnati and graphic design from Art Center in Pasadena. We believe in learning through making and that making makes one Greater Than.

Birdhouse: "Cloud" (white marble, nylon cord, copper) Strata of water-jet cut marble create a structure that is simultaneously permanent and ethereal. Value: $300

Joe Mansfield / Grove

Joe is a native Oregonian with a curious obsession with lasers, magnets, and natural materials. He co-founded Grove, maker of bamboo apple accessories, with the goal of humanizing technology and putting art into pockets.

Birdhouse: “Aerie”. Made from 19 layers of acrylic, this house is perfect for the exhibitionist bird. The translucent mass takes on the colors of its surroundings and blends into the branches. Value: $250

Halle Cisco

Illustrator, designer and educator. I prefer working with pen and ink, letterpress and screen printing but also use the computer to add color and words to my drawings. I like drawing animals, objects and random people.

Birdhouse: "Fishing Shack" For some reason I am drawn to the sea. Many of my projects include boats, sea creatures and underwater adventures. I love how worn and colorful buoys are and wanted to create a home for them to hang on. I thought some birds might enjoy them too. Value: $125

Henry Gibson

Henry Gibson is a Creator / Destroyer based in skateboarding, camping, bands, vans, repurposing and flying by the seat of his pants. He is unable to attend the event because he’s out on tour with his band, The We Shared Milk, but wishes he was there.

Birdhouse: This "Bird Camp" can be used inside or outside, or as something completely different. It is built for the bird that wants to get out of town for a couple weeks and reflect. Value: $200

HERENOW

HERENOW Creative Network is a dynamic team of artists, designers and project managers. We've been helping our clients create and execute meaningful brand experiences for over a decade.

Birdhouse#1 Eight-sided elongated wood diamond with black drawings on each panel. Value: $150

Team: Robert Hribernick, Jessica Jones, Trevor Karnofski, Zach Minard, Bryan Morgan, Peter Stevens, Corey Thompson

Birdhouse #2: Laser-etched gold cube rotated 45º, with blue acrylic front and back and a red dowel perch. Value: $150

Team: Natalie Bohm, Sean Stackhouse, Keith Warner, Mike Welch

Evan Wilcox-Birdhouse #3: Eight-sided fat diamond with a mottled texture. Value: $150

Derek Salemme-Birdhouse #4 Eight-sided latticework diamond with gold wire. Value: $150

Keith Warner-Birdhouse #5: "Seed & Beak" Value: $150

HUB Collective

HUB Collective is a small design studio that specializes in brand cohesion. We are an agile team of experts skilled in the application of brand design language.

Team members: Zack Custer, Ashley Pieren, Verelle Stuck, Colleen Fulford, and Brittany Albertson

Birdhouse #1: "Rockin’ Robin"—Sleek, minimal and modern. On the outside, our birdhouse appears to be simple and beautiful. But you will be pleasantly surprised to find that our birdhouse is equipped with Bluetooth speakers to play all of your favorite music. Value: $200

Birdhouse #2: "Rosenplantz + Guildenfern"— Made from African Wenge, This house will instantly liven up your living space while providing one to a little birdie. Bringing the environment inside, this house features a succulent garden, and hooks to hang your keys/coats or dog leash. Value: $200

Brian Madden + Kelso Davis

Brian Madden is an industrial designer at IDL Worldwide and Kelso Davis is a Brand Designer at Cinco. They like to design stuff together.

Birdhouse: “That’s All Folks!” This birdhouse is a throwback to the cartoons we watched growing up. All it’s missing is a tweety bird! Value: 400 buckaroos

Industry

Industry is a multi-disciplinary team of experts based in Portland, Oregon. Drawing from our many years of experience working with companies large and small, we have developed a unique set of skills that allows us to quickly translate abstract strategy into tangible design. We are a collective of creators, designers, thinkers, and makers.

Birdhouse: "SORU", meaning to change and evolve, is meant to be a modernist statement as well as a distinctly contemporary object. Our challenge with this effort was to push the boundaries in technology and craft and integrate the birdhouse kit into a cohesive design. Value: $800

Jennifer Reynolds

I am a freelance Graphic Designer/Illustrator. When I am not at one of Portland’s parks, you can find me in my studio creating custom maps and fun kid’s illustrations.

Birdhouse: This birdhouse was inspired by Swedish Stugas and Swiss Chalets, European folk art and my love of pattern design. I hope some bird makes this house it’s happy home. Value: $150

Jessica Swift

Jessica Swift is a full-time artist, surface pattern designer, and author in Portland, OR. Her magically uplifting and colorful artwork is licensed by companies and manufacturers for iPhone cases, fabric, stationery, and much more.

Birdhouse: The birds in my paintings often wear crowns—Since my birdhouse is painted much like one of my paintings, I thought it would be fun to somehow include my little crown signature, but with a real-life bird! The birds will wear a crown each time they poke their tiny heads through the little round door. Adorable! Value: $175

Jon James Staton + Alexandria Cummings

Alexandria M. Cummings: Clay slinger, horse jumper, pro rabble rouser and Studio Assistant for The Official Manufacturing Company.

Jon James Staton: Gentleman, sportsman, craftsman and Fabrication Lead and Shop Manager for Orange Design + Construct.

Birdhouse: A simple contemporary aviary development adorned with fun brightly colored cord, oh snap. Materials: earthenware; black walnut and alder; fun brightly colored cord. Value: $129

Jon MacNair
Jon MacNair is freelance illustrator and gallery artist known mainly for his monochromatic ink drawings. He resides in Portland, Oregon, dividing his time between client work and gallery exhibitions.

Birdhouse: My birdhouse is an attempt to transform my illustrative drawings into a three-dimensional object. I wanted to create a sense of dark mystery within the house, using paper and ink—my main tools of the trade. Value: $350

Keith Carter

Keith was born in 1978 in Tacoma, WA. He went to Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. He received his BA in Fine Art. He later went to Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR. He currently lives in Portland, OR. He is a co-owner of the Pony Club Gallery. He spends most of his time painting pictures of animals and people.

Birdhouse: I wanted to create a hidden fortress for the birds, camouflaged within the leaves. My Birdhouse is titled “Long Live The Queen”, and it’s painted with Acrylic. Value: $200

Kimi Kaplowitz

Kimi is a multidisciplinary artist based in Portland. She currently works as a puppet lead at Bent Image Lab.

Birdhouse: "Rubber Chicken".This birdhouse is fabricated out of silicone, plastic and found natural materials. I thought it would be humorous to make a house for a bird out of a bird. Value: $100

LAIKA

LAIKA is an animation studio that produces features and shorts. From scratch. We handcraft and transform everyday materials into living creatures infused with dimension and soul.

Birdhouse #1: "A little bird told me". "Coming from the depths of my closet I heard a chirp… Materials: real buffalo fur and pig skin." By: Heather Anderson Value: $100

Birdhouse #2: "Olde CrowsNest". “What if Jack Sparrow was actually a small bird? Maybe he would have lived in a house like this. By: Kyle Bell, veteran stop-motion animator, professional pirate. Value: $100

Birdhouse #3: "Birdlejuice". The colors in the movie Beetlejuice are so striking and fun that I thought it would be fun to use as inspiration for my birdhouse. My favorite part was designing the bird to look like Beetlejuice. And now I have to say Beetlejuice one more time since I already said it twice! By: Cammi Upton Value: $100

Birdhouse #4: "Under the Dome". This birdhouse represents everybody's first home and the courage it takes to move on into the world. By: Tony Travis Value: $300

Birdhouse #5: "Burnt House". By: Niles Snyder Value $100

Birdhouse #6: "A.T. - B.T." (Jabbs Yaga's Hut) Made from materials in the LAIKA wood recycling bin. By: George Willis Value: $100

Birdhouse #7: "Cherry Street Inn". Bill Murray inspires my whole life and my heart. By: Maria Andreotti Value: $100

Birdhouse #8: "Frank Lloyd Wrong". Falling house meets textile block head. Materials: MDF board, poly-urethane castings, cyanoacrylate glue and acrylic paints on exotic hardwood base.

Note on fabrication: Main square textile block pattern printed with rapid-prototype plastic from computer file. Original file then altered in Rhino 4 and also printed. All were then molded and cast for the final design. By: Michael Possert Jr. Value: $300

Birdhouse #9:"Don’t Feed The Birds".By:Danny Samuels Value $150

Birdhouse #10: "Final Roosting Place".By: Katie Mello + Margaret Meyer Value: $200

Leo Zarosinski

Leo Zarosinski likes nice people, things that are awesome and high-fives. He is a native Portlander.

Birdhouse: Birds are resourceful, and sometimes make homes in very unexpected places. Value: $300

Lisa Hildebrant

At the age of 15, Lisa studied Fine Art, with an emphasis on painting, at the New School for the Arts in Scottsdale, Arizona. After receiving her BFA from Tufts University in 2004, Lisa focused on glass and interior lighting design in Los Angeles. Lisa has since come full circle, and is once again a prolific painter. Her Little Animals© series has gained international attention as well as her commercial paintings and illustrations.

Birdhouse: “Canary in a Goldmine”—The title was inspired by The Police. I heard the song and thought viola! Like miner’s canaries which would warn workers of coming danger- I believe that this is what Put A Bird In It and it’s participants are symbolically. We are sensitive to the notion that schools with out art education can be/will be an unfulfilling life for our youth, and it is paramount to make changes as a community. Value: $600

Matt Graff

Matt Graff is an art director currently working at adidas. He has previously worked at Sasquatch, W+K, and Leopold Ketel. He also keeps bees.

Birdhouse: Cold-Blooded Birdhouse: I haven’t carved into a piece of solid wood since my 4th grade Pinewood Derby. What better time than now? I got a chunk of an evergreen branch and went to town. The chisel, sander, and dremel helped bring out the reptile within. Pop open the lid to see the nest. Value: $250

MC Laser Labs

MC Laser Labs is comprised of Marshall Tipton and Chester Lindgren and a handful of other skilled creatives specializing in laser cutting and engraving as well as custom fabrication with acute attention to detail. MC Laser Labs is located in the Immaculate Order of Makers at 521 NE Davis St. Stop by and say hi.

Birdhouse: "Wood Drop". How much wood could a wood drop drop if a wood drop could drop wood? We have no clue. Value: approximately Eleventy Hundred Dollars.

Molly Kennedy-Darling

Molly Kennedy-Darling is a graphic designer currently working at Figure 8 Creative. She has previously worked at W+K, Big-Giant, and Liquid. Her dog’s name is Onion.

Birdhouse: B is for Birdhouse. This lovely duplex is a testament to modern urban living. Brightly colored exterior. Spacious interior. Would look as great on a mantle or hung from a tree. Value $250

Morgaine Faye

Morgaine Faye is a Bay Area transplant who graduated from PNCA in 2011. She has shown both locally and internationally. With a penchant for the bizarre and creepy, she works as a freelance illustrator, puppet-maker, and jewelry designer in South East, Portland.

Birdhouse: The inspiration for this house was equal parts “satanic bird cult,” “haunted out-house,” and Baba Yaga’s legendary walking shack. Materials: Wood, paper, brass, epoxy-resin, pheasant skin, rabbit fur, aluminum wire, arches hot-press paper,ink, gouache, polyurethane, quartz crystal, glue. Value: $500

NEMO– Eugene Good

Eugene is Portland based creative, by the way of Denver and Chicago. Working as a lead designer at Nemo by trade, artist by choice and wood shaper by night using a multitude of mediums and found canvases.

Birdhouse: I want to keep it this design sunny side up and in relation to Portland. This city is obviously full of big bushy beards, so I started with a sketch, a skateboard deck, and a beard— this is where it landed. Value $400

Nicole Bittner + Zach Yarrington

Zach Yarrington is an artist and member of Band, a local design duo. Nicole Bittner is a printmaker and an independent Portland designer. Their shared love of classic signage and custom typography brought them together as birdhouse building partners.

Birdhouse: Inspired by The Mint, a classic hotel and casino from Las Vegas long past. Value: $500

Paul Anders

I have worked as a professional designer in Portland for over 19 years. I have spent the last 5 years as a freelance motion graphics designer. I have been drawing and painting and creating for as long as I can remember. I am honored to be in the company of such amazing artists.

Birdhouse: For my birdhouse I a style that I have wanted to do for awhile—Creating sculptural paintings that play with a viewer’s perception of depth through use of color and layers. Thankfully this opportunity has motivated me to get off my ass and to grow in this new direction. Value: $550 doll hairs

Phillip Stewart & Robb Off

Rob Off and Phillip Stewart are friends that love each others work and love working together whenever they can. Rob's work explores the realms of interactive installations that defy simple explanations with the honesty of a saint. Phillip's work takes a knuckleball's approach to problem solving that is executed in mediums from print and object making to digitally interactive experiences in the mobile realm. Realizing that they're duo wasn't enough, they brought in the outrageously talented Anna Petry of Tanner Goods to pinch hit in some areas of the birdhouse construction and overall aesthetic.

Birdhouse: Inspired by Tom Cruise post-apocalyptic movies, 19th century socialist prison architecture, terrariums, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, 1970's soap operas, happy hours, and really bad jokes. Value: $300

Pinnacle Exhibits

Pinnacle Exhibits is a 3D brand agency. We design, build, and manage environments for marketing, sales, education, and interaction.

Birdhouse #1: Triangular Birdhouse— Inspired by a pup tent, but made of metal so squirrels and raccoons can’t break in. Materials - white powder coated steel and walnut hardwood, with top air vents, drainage slats, and a removable base for seasonal cleaning between bird families. Value: $222

Team: Sarah Tisdale – senior industrial designer - “I like turtles”, Joe Rosch (lead builder) and Mike Butto (project manager).

Birdhouse #2: Casa Shovela. I have always enjoyed repurposing things and developing the unexpected from the expected. That’s what brought me to the “Casa Shovela” concept. Go out back pick your favorite raised garden bed and dig into some earth right next to your kale. Value: $300

Haller McCrory was trained in industrial design at the Pratt Institute of Art in Brooklyn. His work experience spans positions in interiors/casework, product development and design, POP, tradeshow and brand design. Haller recently relocated from LA to Portland. He’s a surfer currently, but we’re pretty sure the arctic currents of the Oregon coast will cure him of that. Oh well, at least he can still ride a bike if he buys fenders.

Print Graphics

PrintGraphics, a commercial printer located in Beaverton at the same location for 30 years. Charlie McDonald, owner of PrintGraphics, built the birdhouse and Patsy Turner, sales rep, added the decorative touches.

Birdhouse: Our theme was a bird get-away, so it is a beach retreat complete with wading pool (can also be used as a water dish as paint is on the outside of container) , life preserver and tropical palm tree. Value: $100

Rory Phillips

Rory Phillips is a freelance graphic designer, illustrator and printmaker. In his spare time he is the seer of the bird song and protector of its secret.

Birdhouse: The birds remember, their songs call His name. Knowledge? Justice? Only the initiated may truly understand. Value: $250

Ryan Bubnis

Ryan Bubnis is a multidisciplinary illustrator, artist and educator. Bubnis’ work has been described as “urban folk."

Birdhouse: "GOOD TIMES / GOOD VIBES". The theme of my birdhouse is good times and good vibes. I wanted to create a "chill" space or environment that birds would wanna hang out in. I also wanted to make sure it didn't look like a sex toy. Materials: Acrylic & Ink on Handmade Papier Mâché sculpture Value: $300

Santiago Uceda

Santiago Uceda is an interactive art director, illustrator and motion graphics artist. He has worked with many talented folks and institutions from global brands to non-profits, magazines, bands, and private commissions. His work has been recognized by American Illustration, Latin American Illustración & International Motion Arts Awards.

Birdhouse: I really like what I did for the WeMake poster (the Viking mask) so I thought it would be fun to create a birdhouse using a similar design. Value is $400

Sean Garrison

Sean is a designer and illustrator who likes bright colors, vectors, retro stuff, new stuff, minimalism, Pinterest and house plants.

Birdhouse: The "Missing Bird" birdhouse is hand-painted and constructed out of birch plywood. Inspired by Andy Warhol's Brillo boxes, this birdhouse is the ideal dwelling for urban birds and is within walking distance to coffee shops, restaurants, and parks! Value: $150

Second Story

Second Story is an innovation center pioneering new interactive experiences. We push the boundaries of storytelling for brands and institutions across digital channels—web, mobile, and installations—empowering audiences to connect and share.

Birdhouse: Second Story’s "Vogelkammer", literally “bird room” in German, was inspired by the form and function of a cabinet of curiosities, a precursor to museums that contained an assortment of objects and specimens intended to inspire wonder.

Team: Laura Allcorn, Nora Bauman, Heather Daniel, Joe Carolino, Sam Jeibmann, Norman Lau, Sorob Louie, Swanny Mouton, Dimitrii Pokrovskii, Donald Richardson, Kirsten Southwell, Filippo Spiezia. Value: $200

Sockeye

We are creatives, filmmakers, editors, project managers and happy client-makers. A family of tinkerers and dreamers, united in creating work that makes everyone look good.

Birdhouse: The Dirty Bird—A tribute birdhouse to the seedy underbelly of Portland. The Dirty Bird is your local dive bar and strip club in one, nestled in the marsh and occupying an abandoned duck butt you'll find everything here; air conditinin', mid-day specialz, .69 cent SirLoin and Wifi at just 1.99/min. Enjoy your stay!

The Makers: Maria Janosko, Julian Gese, Cary Watts & the Sockeye Family. Value: $200

Spoke

Spoke is a full-service branding & design studio that’s small in size and big in impact. Senior designer/design educator Aaron Zurcher created this years entry pulling from his background in design engineering.

Birdhouse: As a studio that spends a great deal of time branding multi-family housing, we wanted to create a home that was modeled after a birds natural home — their nest. Exploration of the similarity between the spoke, our conceptual background, and a birds nest led us to our final result. Using almost entirely parts from bicycle wheels, we created a nesting space space that a bird can build in, and truly call their own. Value: $200

Tanner Goods

At Tanner Goods, process is the soul of our work. Our passion lies in the design and creation of modern products that respect the past. Since 2006, we've been dedicated to the craft of producing products here in Portland that are "Worth Holding Onto." Break them in. Wear them well. Pass them on.

Mazama is group of friends with a knack for getting our hands dirty and making things that get used. We share an affinity for thoughtful design and well crafted objects. And we love to drink. So earlier this year we rallied our crew to start a new venture here in this liquid city that we call home, focused on designing and manufacturing ceramic vessels worthy of our favorite drinks. We're only weeks away from launching our first collection, so keep shopmazama.com bookmarked and stay tuned for more to come.

Birdhouse: "The Sanctuary". Designed and constructed by Sam Huff and Paige Wright. Value: $400

Terrazign

Terrazign Inc. a design studio that specializes in technical soft-goods and astronaut running gear.

Birdhouse: We have been to the moon and we are going to mars, this little bird house is a home for avian astronauts. Likely, they will face harsh conditions on planets without trees. No matter, anti micrometeoroid fabric* will provide shelter from star dust storms. A collapsible easy pack exoskeleton allows them to set up shop quickly, kick back on their perch, look fondly towards earth and give us a thumbs up.

*Ortho fabric. Yes you are right the real stuff, on orbit, up there now. Godspeed.

Crew members: Commander: Bill Dieter,, Command Module Pilot: Simon Quay, Lunar Module Engineer: Spencer T Birdhouser, Command Module Seam Engineer 1: Adrienne Lacavaro, Lunar Cruise Director: Susanna Hohmann Value: $1,200

The Good Mod

The good mod buys, sells and restores midcentury modern furniture. We also have a custom fabrication studio in which we work with architecture firms, artists, and creators in the community. Come say hi and let us give you the tour!

Birdhouse: This birdhouse was a collaborative effort by TGM design dept. Matt Ryan, Ashton ford, Ana Mikolavich , Simon yuen, Robert Johnson and Spencer Staley. Made of brass and acrylic rods. Held together by gravity and opposing forces. Value: $150

Thomas Adock

Thomas Adcock is a Visual Designer based in the Portland area. Thomas believes every project has a soul and a story to tell.

Birdhouse: A sanctuary. Light in the darkness, shadows in the forest, life is fostered. Value: $350

VizWerks

Adrienne Allaert and Chad Mangers are designers at Vizwerks. Both enjoy pushing the limits of the design realm and share a passion for rock climbing.

Birdhouse: Mixing Stephen King with Alfred Hitchcock to create "Red Rum Ranch House". A prototypical track house for a murder of crows. Value: 25 to life

Watson Creative

Watson Creative is a design-led marketing firm with considerable work in Professional Sports.

Birdhouse: The Locker— It’s only fitting that our birdhouse is an Athletic Locker for the birds to play ball. It is constructed from Alder with Cherry wood legs and trim, and a Walnut door accent. Crack it open and you’ll find a grassy field, a goal post “perch” and some tasty refreshments. Complete with paper footballs.

Team: Matt Watson, Jeremy Backer, Mykal Murphree, Nick & Alan Benson, KD McNally, Marta Mila, Beth Karper, Dave Sjolin & Anthony Armendariz. Value $465

W K12

WK 12 is a experimental advertising agency masquerading as an experimental advertising school deep within the walls of Wieden+Kennedy. Founded in 2004, the program brings together about a dozen individuals from all walks of life for 12 months of creative thinking, making and, of course, failing harder.

Team 2.9: Anna Zusman (Portland, OR), Nick Stokes (Portland, OR), Nick Finney (Los Angeles, CA), Delia Reyes (Santiago, Chile), Kate Digilio (New York, NY), Wayne Kasserman (New York, NY), Todd Saucier (Portland, OR), Ansel Wallenfang (Minneapolis, MN), Eric Swanson (Los Alamitos, CA), Brad Holdgrafer (San Luis Obispo, CA), Francesca Chabrier (Northampton, MA), Michael Nesmith (Chicago, IL), Vince Largoza (San Diego, CA).

Secret Reveal! See this bad boy at the show!

Birdhouse: There are more strip clubs per capita in Portland than any city in America. A dubious distinction? Perhaps. But its newest club, the DIRTY BIRD, touts itself as the world’s first TIT (Paridae Family) bar. Described as the “one most conservative avian families in terms of general morphology”, this club is anything but modest . If you’ve got wings, you get in free. All others, pay the $3 cover charge.

Value: $250 one dollar bills

Yellena & Andrew James

Yellena James is an artist/illustrator who lives and works in Portland. Preferring pens and inks she combines complex abstract forms into dazzling images which take on lives of their own. Her colorful arrangements of organic shapes and tangled lines are at once floral and alien, organic and sci-fi. Each intimate world she creates seems to posses its own ethos and its own special ability to radiate emotion.

Birdhouse: A collaboration between Yellena and her husband Andrew, a musician/’maker of many things’. Made from birch, then utilizing a wood-burning tool for the first time, Yellena added her illustrations. This project inspired them to start making more wood objects in the future. Value: $400

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Hope to see you there!

- When: Saturday, October 12, 2013 we're closing off Design Week Portland
- Where: Sandbox Studio, 420 NE 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97232
- Time: 7:30-11:30pm
- Cost: FREE

NOTE: Starting bids will be $40-$50 with $10 bid increments. The value listed is what the makers place on time, material and worth.

- Official event page

WeMake Magazine— A look into the Portland, Oregon Creative Scene

2013-10-08T10:07:00.002-07:00

I love living in POrtland, and I love my community of designers, artists and makers. That's one of the reason I helped to found WeMake. We put out great stuff highlighting the wonderful talents of the people in the Portland creative scene. So we decided to put out a digital magazine to share with a larger audience. This first issue has exclusive interviews and awesome video's check it out!

Reblogged from WeMake

Design Week Portland is officially underway and a creative buzz is the air. What a perfect opportunity to announce our latest passion project: WeMake Magazine!

We are thrilled to put this digital publication for the iPad out into the world. WeMake strives to connect the creative community and spark passion through our events, speakers, and workshops. This magazine gives us another platform to connect and celebrate the creative community and share Portland's magic with the world.

Each issue will support our efforts to bring together the creative community through dynamic speakers and events, student scholarships, and more exciting projects throughout 2014.

Download Now

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In This Issue:

- We sat down with Project Runway winner and Portland fashion designer, Michelle Lesniak to learn more about her creative process and inspiration. This interview also includes an exclusive video feature!
- Rory Phillips and Fred DiMeglio share their collaborative art series Versus: Heroes & Villains and discuss how they put a new spin on iconic characters.
- Get all the recaps on WeMake's events from 2013, and a preview of WeMake Celebrates, our biggest event of the year.
- Design and inspiration highlights including upcoming talent from Oregon's college and university design students, a peek inside the Portland Preservation Society, and more!

Download Now

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Issue Sponsored By: Fashionbuddha

Thank you, Fashionbuddha for being our first official sponsor! Check out their exhibit during Design Week Portland, Blurred Lines: A Curated Exploration Of The Future Of Interaction.

Two kids, loving what they do.

2013-09-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

These kids are more than just rock stars for the music they make, but also for the message they send. Really love this!

video platform video management video solutions video player

Cardboard, Tape and Stop Motion—A look inside the world of LAIKA Designer, Nelson Lowry

2013-09-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

Reblogged from WeMake

If you've ever been lucky enough to go behind the scenes of stop motion, you know the pain and the pleasure that comes from creating at the most minute level. There is a special breed of folks who do it day in and day out. You can call it a compulsive obsession, but there's no denying the magic that takes place when creating mini worlds with your intuition, hands, and craft. Portlanders are lucky to have a few places that specializes in this art form, and they do a damn good job of it. We are really happy to have LAIKA not only as our next sketchXchange guest, but also as a contributor to WeMake Celebrates, Put A Bird In It.

If going behind the scenes at LAIKA wasn't enough, getting to know designer, Nelson Lowry through his personal work and his professional insight will inspire you on another level. We like that, and he's one hell of an added bonus to this special Design Week Portland sXc.

Please join us for a night of inspiration and fun with Nelson and LAIKA. This is your chance to see some of LAIKA's puppets up close and walk away with a special LAIKA sketchbook. Plus, you could win a LAIKA giveaway prize including a tour with 10 of your best friends!

Date of the event: Saturday, October 12th, 2013

Time: 5:30 – 7:00pm

Check-in begins at 4:30 pm. Doors close at 5:15pm.

Place: Sandbox Studio, 420 NE 9th Avenue PDX 97232

Cost: $10

Registration is open now!

As always, space is limited. Be sure to register early!

RSVP at Eventbrite

YPE
Beyond working with LAIKA, what do you do personally as a creative?

NLI'm an obsessive maker. I have a little studio outside of where I live. I'm in service to so many directors while at work, that when I'm not working I like to have my own time with no rules.

I do all kinds of forms of art. One is just building. Mostly with cardboard and sometimes found objects—like plastic things I find in the street. I'll build whole characters around things like a hair barrette…I wash them first though!

The other thing I do is assemble colored paper and tape into impressionist-style landscape paintings. I create them in a fairly unique way using lots of masking tape, paper, and cardboard. They're really inspired by nature—I love to try and organize the patterns I see within it.

YPE Do you take photographs of what you are trying to paint?

NL
No, I do it in field. I have a kit to bring outside.

YPE
What's in your kit?

NLMasking tape, blue tape, black tape, cardboard, and a bit of these watercolor crayons. Nothing that I can get too controlled with.

YPEWhat are you doing with your paintings and characters?

NL
I don't really show the paintings. I give them away...send them as mail art to friends around the world. I keep some of them. I hope to incorporate the robots and characters I make into a film someday.

YPE
Can you describe your characters?

NLThey are mostly made from cardboard, like 80-90% of cardboard. I'm obsessed with cardboard. The characters are very fantasy oriented, very playful and colorful, very silly. They're kind of Sci-fi...or my own version of it. They look like monsters and robots with cardboard joints and movable, posable parts. I use clay and Elmer's glue and I spray layers, like 100 layers, then sand, color and polish them. They look ceramic, but they're just cardboard.

YPE
Where does your inspiration come from when creating your characters and paintings?

NL
Mostly from growing up in a family of people who build stuff. I had a workshop when I was a kid. I got used to making things. I love the way things come together and assemble. When I got a model kit as a kid, I would never build the kit, instead I would re-arrange it in different ways.

With my characters, I don't start with drawings. I just start building. I do a similar thing with my landscape images, they are very constructive. Instead of sketching something first, I'll just start tearing paper and sticking it down, then use tape to start putting it together.

It's fairly obsessive compulsive. I kind of need to do it. It feels good, it's like itching a scratch.

YPEYou went to art school. How did you land in stop motion and film?

NLI was a painting major. After school I moved to New York City and went into shops and swept floors. I learned how to make molds and started making things for television and commercials, then I went into theatre.

YPETheater? Like set design?

NLSet design and character building with special effects, and mechanical costume effects. I worked on the Lion King and then I came to Portland to continue working on it. That's when I discovered Vinton.

I started out doing a couple of little jobs, then began working on the PJ's. That was kind of my first stop motion project. After that I moved to London and worked on Corpse Bride and stayed there for seven years doing visual effects, some live action and Fantastic Mr. Fox. I came back to Portland to do ParaNorman and have been here ever since.

YPEAs far as the work you do with LAIKA, I remember you saying that you had a lot of creative freedom with ParaNorman. Were you happy with the outcome? Did you learn anything from it?

NL
It was great. Before ParaNorman I got to cut my teeth on other projects and work with people that had really clear visions. I don't think I could have ever done something like it having not worked with with them. It's so terrifying to have someone say, “Now you invent the world.”

Even though it was scary I knew a lot of the mechanical processes. I knew how to organize it. I learned to trust myself. That's what I noticed these other directors were doing. They didn't question their designs, they had a belief. They went with their gut. So I used their method and I think it did OK, it was a good model. Now I'm doing a new film and I get to improve on what I did for ParaNorman.

YPE
Are you still working on other people's stuff now that you've had the opportunity to production design a project on your own and have another one on the way?

NL
Never will I be that way. I will do a candy bar commercial. I will paint someones house! If I get a chance to work with someone I can learn from, with a creative vision, I am happy to do that.

YPE
What was your most inspiring project? Something that stands out and may have propelled you to where you are now?

NLWorking with Wes Anderson on The Fantastic Mr. Fox, watching him work and learning about his creative process—it rubbing off on me was invaluable. I feel inoculated for life with his creativity. Try to stop him.

YPEDo you keep a sketchbook?

NLYeah, I have lots of sketchbooks that have one drawing in them. During the day I have notebooks for every project that I'm on which I'm always scribbling in. I don't keep one in my bag, but I have lots of little sketches and drawings.

YPEFor your commercial work, do you work from a set of sketches that the director or illustrator creates or do you just start with a creative brief and insert your own interpretations?

NL
Both, we ad-lib or I sketch first.

YPEWhat are your digital tools of the trade? Photoshop? Maya?

NL
Mostly it's just hands-on making. Working in stop frame you get to make proof of concept models. I cut stuff on foam core and paint it. It's a proof of concept to see how it will look on camera. I also rely on really skilled people with a lot of experience.

YPEWhat about the 3D printers? They are a huge part of your work aren't they?

NLYes, in everything. But the maker still has to make it. The printer does nothing but print what you make. It's the people who run those printers who are invaluable. They have to be amazing modelers and build the stuff in Maya. They have to think really linear to make sure that when the stuff comes out of the machine it has a lot of spirit in it.

YPEAnything you can say to someone who is trying to do what you do?

NL
I'm kind of old fashion in that regard. You have to do a lot of hard work. I learned the business by sweeping floors and watching other people do their work—doing the grunt work, the grinding and sanding. I went through the trenches and I think I appreciate stuff more. I'm more willing to learn. You have to really want it.

Winner of the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Production Design for his work on Fantastic Mr. Fox, Nelson Lowry’s lengthy credits include ParaNorman, Corpse Bride, the Christmas comedy Fred Claus and Danny Boyle’s Sunshine.

He contributed to twenty-two episodes of The PJs, an Eddie Murphy Imagine Entertainment/Touchstone Pictures stop motion animated TV series for which he won an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation. He has also been nominated for several Annie Awards.

Here's a sneak peek at one of the houses LAIKA is working on for WeMake Celebrates, Put A Bird In It.

Put A Bird In It— Feature Maker, Cinco Design

2013-08-30T10:22:00.001-07:00

Reblogged from WeMake

Cinco Design is a branding and product design agency that creates platforms, products, and experiences across fashion, sports, entertainment, and digital lifestyles. They’ve designed brand identity for Nike Baseball, brand campaigns for Microsoft, and product design for Nixon Watches and Logitech to name a few. Some of their other clients include: XBox, Dell, and NBC. This is their second year participating in Put A Bird In It and we couldn’t be more honored. I visited the studio and spoke with Creative Director Sean Barrett and Principal/Creative Director Kirk James about their approach and process for designing for the birds.

From the moment I walked up the stairs and into their large hallway I was captivated by a massive wall devoted to birdhouse brainstorming. A multitude of ideas and thought processes spanned the surface like a gallery of inspiration, delighting any onlooker. Sketches next to beautiful drawings and 3D renderings included traditional materials as well as other unusual forms. It was quite a sight to see.

With two creative divisions—traditional brand and product design, Cinco offers a unique client experience. This year, they decided to create a few birdhouses with each division developing their own ideas.

YPE You have two teams and have decided to create a few birdhouses, did you start out that way? Are they competing against each other?

SB Currently, we are at the idea stage with plenty of cross pollination. Right now we’re trying to keep it team based but there’s a healthy dose of competition amongst the two divisions. We will be voting to determine which houses we make.

YPE Cinco is among a couple of agencies having multiple teams, I think that’s cool and interesting. How many people are in the agency? Have they all been involved in the idea generation process or did you start out with teams?

SB We are pushing about 50 people in the agency now. It’s been an open call these first few weeks. Anyone who wanted to contribute could. I think that’s cool because then everyone who comes with their ideas feels included. From here we’ll see who is really engaged and then the teams will just sort of happen.

YPE So this is kind of a nice team building project.

SB Absolutely. This is the stuff we love doing between the cracks of client work, it keeps us fluid and fresh.

When you rush into a new medium you start to find out where people’s skills lie, and what new things they can bring. We had no idea that our project manager could draw like this. Being able to work outside the box actually allows for that opportunity to happen.

SB New mediums help inform new solutions. Once you break out of the rigid confines of how you’re used to working, all of a sudden you’re free. There’s a part of us that gets off of on the design aspect of this project, and another part that thinks of what the bird would want most in terms of functionality. What would they like in a dwelling? Some of these ideas are on the side of personal studio expression and some on the side of how do we make something that is made to be lived in.

At this time Principle and Creative Director Kirk James enters the room.

YPE What do you think about this project and this wall?

KJ I think birds will be happy! The intent here is to create a modern twist on the typical birdhouse structure—something that a bird might actually enjoy. That’s the fun we are having with this. We want to be imaginable but also look at it like any other project we do. There are some really cool concepts for how people have done this in the past. The approach is what we are trying to get at, something that could be a good experience for the bird—something treated in a thoughtful way.

YPE Because you often work in 3D what about this do you like, how is it different for you, Kirk?

KJ This project is a great creative platform to do things we love to do. We love telling stories and using design as a tool to do that. In the case of all the different things you see out here [pointing to the wall], there are some that are unique in formal studies of what a house could be, but each of them has a slightly different kind of story. For us, that’s what a successful creative experience is. Ultimately, the birdhouse is an icon. it’s something we all understand and recognize, but it can become so many different things. There’s a certain point when it will break and stop being that. That’s a pretty interesting idea to see.

KJ With this project we are able to bring together many different things that we love doing: building, form, product, and user experience. Making it fun and refreshing and maybe having it transform an environment, those are the things that come right inline to how we work and what we do. The fact that we get to do it in a way that is part of the community and share this experience is a bonus. It’s cool to us.

SB It’s been awesome that WeMake has included Cinco two years in a row. We feel super lucky and happy to be a part of this project. We are always trying to be more involved in the community, and this is a great opportunity to do that.

YPE Would you do it next year?

SB Absolutely. Or anything similar.

Cinco’s birdhouse last year was a simple but beautiful design. They constrained themselves by using wood from the kit provided.

We can’t wait to see which ideas they develop into their final designs. You can see from the brainstorming wall that the teams are thinking far beyond the scope of last year. I’m sure whatever they do, the birds and the new house owners will be awfully lucky!

Lego Maps

2013-06-12T09:11:00.002-07:00

Loving these LEGO maps made for the London Undergound, celebrating 150 years.

Home, A video by Josh Brine

2013-06-04T09:52:00.001-07:00

If you have ever been to Portland, you know the city is full of life, creative energy and down to earth people. We are not all the stereotypical Portlandia types...but many still are :) Here is a lovely little video featuring the beauty of Portland from the perspective of Josh Brine. Yes, It is also quite hip.

Home from Josh Brine on Vimeo.

The Door is Always Open, An Interview with Gary Baseman

2013-05-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

Reblogged from WeMake

We are thrilled and honored to have Gary Baseman join us for a night of inspiration and drawing in a special sketchXchange.

Gary will be personally sharing his process from his latest exhibit, his art, and book. You’ll have a chance to skim through his sketchbooks, talk with him and be inspired by his energy and body of work.

Each attendee will also receive a limited-edition sketchbook with Baseman’s art provided by Scout Books

DATE OF THE EVENT: Friday, June 7, 2013

TIME: 6:00-9:00pm

PLACE: The Hollywood Theatre

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
Proceeds from this event will help WeMake’s efforts to support arts and music education, as well as Hollywood Theatre’s Animate It!

I’ve admired the work of Gary Baseman for many years. His sweet characters and distinctive style have become somewhat iconic in the world of illustration. The surface of his work may portray toy or doll-like creatures with bright colors of pinks and purples, but if you look deeper you will find strong narratives of the human condition, stories that reflect traces of pop culture, mythical creatures, dreamlike landscapes, and his personal life.

Photo by Timothy Norris

His latest endeavor, The Door Is Always Open, is a reflection and exhibit at theSkirball Cultural Center. Based loosely on his book, The Door is Always Open,Baseman not only explores the influences of his Jewish family heritage within this retrospect, but has created a house within the walls of the museum where eight different rooms represent the different themes of his work.

Photo by Timothy Norris

What gave you the idea to create The Door Is Always Open as an installation?

GB: I would see how people came into my home, the smiles on their faces, they would notice that I have an eclectic taste. Walking into my home is like walking into my personal Disneyland. I’ve always collected interesting things, from old advertising displays to mannequin heads. Because I produce performance art, I keep a lot of costume heads from my characters around my home. I saw how people would immerse themselves into my world when they visited. I thought that’s what I wanted to do in this museum exhibition. I wanted to create an environment that’s like my home. I wanted my space to be engaging. I didn’t want traditional white walls where people felt unattached to the work, or where the viewer had no right to be a part of.

Lots of times viewers go into gallery space and are made to feel unwanted or even stupid. If you have not already known the artist history or have an understanding of the art, you’re perceived as an idiot, and you’re just there to experience someone else’s brilliance. For me, that is not what I think art or life is about. I wanted to create an environment that allowed people to connect and give them an introduction to my work within the last 25 years of my life. This exhibition is mixed with a bit of family history, and in many ways is a love letter to my parents and to the Fairfax community I grew up in.

Do you have a favorite room?

GB: I don’t know yet. I am trying to live in each room. Every room represents a theme of my work. Just like the book we produced with Rizzoli, every chapter in the book represents a room which represents a theme.

The rooms are filled with my family’s real furniture which lived in our home my entire life. It is the first time it has been removed from the home in 48 years, and now it has been embellished by my imagination. People can come sit on the sofas, relax, and interact with my world. When they walk into the den, they can sit down and watch Teachers Pet on my parent’s TV, or sit at the game table and play Cranium.

It was a challenge to create these rooms while looking at my body of work, and trying to understand why am I the way I am. Why did I grow up as I did, why do I draw the way I do? Why do I even draw at all? How have I allowed myself to be a living breathing artist for my whole life? How did my parent’s nurture me to be this way, and how did their past allow this to happen?

Did you get any of those thoughts answered with this retrospect, did you get anything out of it?

GB: The Skirball is a Jewish Cultural Center and although I’m not very religious, I am proud of my heritage. When they asked me what my art had to do with my heritage I first said nothing. I always joke that my art is about girls, in reality many of my themes are about discovery, breaking down boundaries, acceptance, desire, longing, and passion.

Looking closer into my work, I discovered a lot of themes that run parallel to my heritage, to my parents’ story and my background growing up in an environment of Holocaust Survivors. I noticed many of my characters would run and hide off into the forest finding freedom in the protection of the trees, like my parents did. If it wasn’t for the forest in Eastern Poland, my parents along with most of the survivors would be dead.

You did a collaborative poster with Shepard Fairey for the event. That’s awesome.

GB: Yes, It was important for me to tell my father’s story in the exhibit. I was grateful for Shepard collaborating with me on a special print that honored my father. I chose a photo of my dad as a partisan, sitting on a tree stump, holding a papeshka (a Russian machine gun). Partisans were freedom fighters in the woods of Poland during World War II against the Germans.

My father told me many things about survival and sacrifice. Later after he passed, I learned even more about his heroism, which he never told his family. It warms my heart to create an image that celebrates his heroism.

I love your sketchbooks, how many do you have? Do you use them only for sketching or do they have themes?

GB: I have completed 135 of them in my life so far. I use them as a process of creating my themes for my exhibitions now. Sometimes I write my thoughts and ideas in them, it all depends on what I am working on. They have gotten more and more involved, I have been drawing with colored pencils and every page is filled from one side to the other. For me, the sketchbooks have become a type of “work of art” in their own right. They and the characters are part of the fine art process, much like a painting.

Toby is such a re-occurring character and somewhat of an icon, what’s his story?

GB: I’ve been drawing my whole life and creating my own characters. When I was a little kid, the first characters I created were Morris Mouse or the Blah Blahs. It wasn’t until I moved away as an illustrator that I started drawing somebody like Toby— who became like my alter ego. I didn’t name him until I wrote an unpublished children’s book called, The Fish Tale Hat and he was a character in it. That was the official beginning of Toby. I didn’t use Toby again formally for 12 years because I felt he was too precious to me. He was me, but I did not know how I wanted to present him, until I produced the For the Love of Toby exhibition in 2005.

Gary Baseman is a very interesting and dynamic person who has explored many genres of of creativity— from illustration to animation, painting, and performance art. WeMake is excited to have him come share his story, his passions, and his sketchbooks! We hope you will join us in welcoming him back to Portland!

DATE OF THE EVENT: Friday, June 7, 2013

TIME: 6:00-9:00pm

PLACE: The Hollywood Theatre

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
Proceeds from this event will help WeMake’s efforts to support arts and music education, as well as Hollywood Theatre’s Animate It!

Each attendee will also receive a limited-edition sketchbook with Baseman’s art provided by Scout Books

Named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment by Entertainment Weekly, Baseman is best known for his work on the Emmy-winning ABC/Disney animated series Teacher’s Pet and for his design of the best-selling board game Cranium. Baseman’s work has also been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Time, and Rolling Stone.

Gary Baseman is coming to Portland!

2013-04-29T19:54:00.002-07:00

Re-blogged from WeMake

Special Event June 7th at Portland’s Hollywood Theater

Portland, OR – Creative non-profit WeMake is proud to announce a special edition of their monthly design event, sketchXchange, featuring the renowned Los Angeles artist, animator, and toy designer Gary Baseman. This interactive and inspirational gathering is open to the public, and will take place on Friday, June 7 at the Hollywood Theatre.

Earlybird tickets are available NOW at the Hollywood Theatre box office.

We hope to see you there!

http://www.wemakepdx.com/handouts/Baseman_Press_Release.pdf

About sketchXchange

SketchXchange is a monthly WeMake event that gives students, creative professionals, and curious community members a peek inside the creative process of Portland’s favorite artists and illustrators. Presenters share their sketchbooks and answer questions from the group, while participants bring their own sketchbooks to swap drawings and exchange ideas.

Proceeds from this event will help WeMake’s efforts to support arts and music education, as well as Hollywood Theatre’s Animate It! program, which organizes affordable animation workshops for kids ages 7-18.

You are more beautiful than you think

2013-04-17T11:27:00.003-07:00

Very thoughtful and moving video by Dove.

A former forensic artist for the San Jose police department met a series of women and asked each to describe the way they look. He had no way of seeing them behind a curtain. He prompted them to detail everything: hair length, facial structure, their most prominent features. He then sketched each participant from their self-description.

Each woman was asked before the study to get to know one of the other participants. The forensic artist then prompted each woman to describe the other's face.

Gary Baseman comes to Portland for sketchXchange with WeMake

2013-04-08T07:47:00.001-07:00

Reblogged from WeMake
SAVE THE DATE, sketchXchange with Gary Baseman!

WeMake is proud to host a night of process, art, and inspiration with Gary Baseman—artist, designer, painter, animator, toy designer, and TV/movie producer.

FRIDAY NIGHT June 7, 2013 at The Hollywood Theatre

Meet Gary in person, be inspired by his work, and peep inside his sketchbooks! Like always, attendees will participate in an informal sketchXchange throughout the night.

Gary’s work has been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, Time, and Rolling Stone; and he designed the best-selling game “Cranium.” He created the three-time Emmy and BAFTA award-winning animation series, “Teacher’s Pet,” earning him credit as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment named by Entertainment Weekly Magazine. The Los Angeles Times has described his art as “adorably perverse,” humorously playful and dark, childlike but often with adult themes. His fine art has been displayed in galleries and museums in Brazil, Germany, Israel, Italy, Russia, and all over the United States.

Proceeds from this event will help our continuing efforts to give back to the community by supporting arts and music education. WeMake Celebrates, an interactive party celebrating design, art, and the spirit of community, it will be the big bash at the end of Design Week Portland, Saturday, October 12th at Sandbox Studio.

This year we will also contribute to digital learning with Hollywood Theatre’s Animate It!, a program that teaches the basics of stop motion animation to at-risk kids.

Tickets will be available for purchase soon via The Hollywood Theatre box office. More info to come!

The Beauty of Letterpress

2013-04-01T21:49:00.001-07:00

The Beauty of Letterpress is presented by Neenah Paper and Crane® Papers as an online resource and showcase, featuring the best and most innovative letterpress work in the industry today. In addition, the community will be assisting the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in their efforts to relocate and effectively salvage a priceless piece of letterpress history. There will be monthly issues curated by prominent designers, highlighting their favorite projects on the site. There will also be an accompanying Beauty of Letterpress Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, each showcasing the intricate nature of the craft and the incredible results of this printing technique. This
film was created on location in Two Rivers, WI by Spectrum Studios - spectrumchicago.net

Thoughtfully Energized, An Interview with Adam R Garcia

2013-03-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

Re-blogged from WeMake

Please join us for a night of inspiration and a look into the sketchbooks of Adam Garcia of The Pressure. His client work includes, NIKE, Target, Nickelodeon, Fast Company, Studio on Fire, Good Magazine and much more.

DATE OF THE EVENT: Friday, April 5th

TIME: 6:00-9:00pm

PLACE: The Left Bank Project, 240 N Broadway

Check-in begins at 6:00pm. Doors close at 6:45

COST: FREE, however a $5 donation is appreciated

REGISTRATION BEGINS: Friday morning at 9am, March 29th

As always space is limited, so be sure to register early!

RSVP on Eventbrite

I got to the building he told me to go to, but then realized he didn't give me a studio number, and he wasn't listed on the directory. Made me think he was under cover or something. So I called him and in a moment he rounded the corner with a huge smile, very warm and approachable as always. Nestled in the basement under Barista in The Pearl is B1, the collective studio of Adam Garcia of The Pressure and a few other Portland creatives. The place used to be rented to some hip hop dancers, complete with a bar and dance floor. I loved the name, B1. Yes technically it's the name of the storage unit, but cleverly it's also the studio name, and a perfect metaphor for Adam's philosophies.

We got right to the interview and throughout our time together it was clear that Adam was someone who thinks things thru, jumps right in, and absorbs everything around him. His warm smile is genuine, and he has a magnetic kind of energy that makes you want to get to know him…and so I did.

YPEYou do a lot of collaboration work, how many of those projects are real work or have gotten you real work?

ARG

I don't know, to me it's all real work whether you get payed or not, it's all from the same pool. Overall it's hard to quantify what works turns into other work. It's the work, and hopefully the work is good and that's the bottom line. The thing that makes me want to work with you, is your energy. You've got to be easy to work with, and professional. The easy to work with part comes from collaboration, and putting the ego aside to make something great and smart.

I recently finished the project The Good Stuff, a promotional piece for Premier Press. I designed the system and the identity, and art directed 12 different artists to create pieces that showcased Premier's processes and papers. I had to be tactile with who worked on it. I pulled people with the same mentality about collaboration as I have. Even though most of the work was by other people, it was about having vision and the energy to bring those people together. It all comes down to energy—being open to the world and people.

YPE

Tell me about your old graffiti days, did you use to do graffiti?

ARG

Yes, in the late 90's—the whole hip-hop universe. I was a rapper and a promoter, and used to throw a lot of events. I was a breakdancer as well, my life was dancing. That's all energy too.

YPEYou got to get up to get down.

ARG

Agreed. It's all performance and exuding energy and that translated directly into design.

YPE

I have a soft heart for graffiti, it's expression, how its evolved as a movement and art form. It influenced me to become a designer.

ARG

For me, in the design world I want to be involved in, the aesthetic of graffiti is not relevant, or would I like to introduce it to my work. I have evolved but the energy is still the same. I think what I learned from it was being part of the culture and community, it's really aggressive and hard—people are incredibly critical. There's always people starting. Those that are good, are good for certain reasons. It's the consistent quality of work, pushing boundaries, and being good to people. There is something to the community and the hard critical culture of it that has translated to everything else I do. I don't do it anymore, but I've learned from it.

In 1999 Steve Powers wrote the book, The Art of Getting Over. At that time there was this idea of getting up in graffiti—putting your name in so many places. He talked about the idea of getting over, and being original—pushing boundaries and doing things other people weren't doing while being present all the time. I still think about that.

YPE

It's the same rules for design.

ARG

Yeah, it's not about getting over yourself—the idea is if you choose to play the game, in the community and the culture, there are certain kinds of rules. It's like branding—What's your USP as a human being in this community, what's your story, how are you distinctive? There are a thousands of freelance designers out there, how do you set yourself apart and still be true to yourself and your clients. It's like getting over. It's a balance.

YPE

So you read a lot?

ARG

Yeah I read a lot. I read a lot of different kinds things. Right now I'm reading, How Music Works, by David Byrne. I'm also reading Blaise Pascal, Human Happiness. It's from the 17th century, it's all about happiness and brutally true things about being a human. I also read a lot of magazines.

Have you read, A Brief History of Thought, by Luc Ferry? It's about the history of philosophy. He talks about the fear and says there are two ways people overcome fear in their life on a broad scale. The big fear is mortality, the other is the fear of leaving a legacy.

YPE

Do you believe in leaving a legacy?

ARG

Yeah maybe, it comes back to energy, sort of. I think a legacy doesn't need to be an object, but energy and stories. It can also be children, thoughts or one kind act.

YPE

I love talking to you about life stuff and perspectives, they are so relevant to who we are as designers, and what influences us. What has influenced you as a designer.

ARG

I love studio's that are multi-disciplinary. A lot of people might say you need to be specific, you can't be a generalist in what you do. That just bores the shit out of me. I don't think I could do it. When someone gets to your site and see's a wide variety of work, and then you can talk about it and position it in ways that is palatable to them, they'll understand you. I do a wide variety of work, because I have a wide variety of experience.

YPE

What's the majority of your work? Mostly illustration, graphic design? What do people call you for?

ARG

Different relationships call for me for different things. At Nike, I've done some illustrations—T-shirt stuff, hand lettering and visual identity branding. For Target I've done illustration and art direction for motion design. The work I do for the agencies in Philly and New York is a mixture of type design, logos, and high level brand concepting. Then there's local work for people and small businesses and my super fun personal projects and collaborations.

YPE

So your busy, busy with work but still maintaining your personal projects?

ARG

Yeah, that's why I'm doing this, so I can create the work I want to create. Every single project I love. I don't want to take on projects that I don't want to work on ever.

DATE OF THE EVENT: Friday, April 5th

TIME: 6:00-9:00pm

PLACE: The Left Bank Project, 240 N Broadway

Check-in begins at 6:00pm. Doors close at 6:45

COST: FREE, however a $5 donation is appreciated

REGISTRATION BEGINS: Friday morning at 9am, March 29th

As always space is limited, so be sure to register early!

RSVP on Eventbrite

The many layers of Meg Hunt

2013-01-25T11:18:00.003-08:00

Reblogged from WeMake

Our next sketchXchange guest illustrator is the very talented Meg Hunt. She is a fascinating woman, a full-time illustrator, teacher, and explorer. Meg lives in Portland and has a very impressive client list including: Disneyland, Cartoon Network, Junior Scholastics, Vegetarian Times, Image Comics, Brand New School, Seattle Metropolitan, and the Washington Post to name a few.

I recently met with Meg to learn a little more about her her style–check it out.

YPE
You've done quite a few self initiative pieces, I really like The Picture Book Report, how did that come about?

MH
I try to do projects that can fill a gap a client might not see, and eventually maybe hire me for. With this particular project I wanted to do a lot more narrative work. I decided to illustrate Alice in Wonderland and thought it would be a fun to invite other people to work narratively, so I began Picture Book Report. At that time I didn't see a lot of narrative book artwork beyond what was in picture books for kids. I invited 15 illustrators to create pieces of art (geared towards all ages) in response to text that moved, shaped, or excited them. There was a dozen or so guest artists that contributed as well. Three weeks out of every month we posted a new illustration every day along with our thoughts and process. The project went on for a year, but eventually had to be put on hold due to contributors' busy schedules.

YPE
Did you get the Alison in Wonderland job for RadioLab from that?

MH
Yes. I also got invited to create a piece for Disneyland's Wonderground Gallery show that they curated for Pixar.

YPE
When I look at your style it makes me feel happy. I love the colors, layers and details, and I get a sense of going into the woods with some of your characters. I also see a lot of your characters with the little pointy shapes is that a signature style?

MH
No, not necessarily— there are certain shapes I go to, much like my color palette, but I don't stick to one signature thing. Some things do crop up, patterns resurface, and little elements become surprises. If you look a little closer you might find hidden secrets along the way.

YPE
I've heard you do a lot of Rubylith work to create your designs, that's pretty old school. The nice thing about it is that it gives you imperfect lines. Do you use that process for everything or just in your silkscreen work?

MH
I've been trying to work with it both in my digital as well as my silkscreen process. When I silkscreen I like to make my layers by hand. Although I have created some layers digitally, I prefer the imperfections of cutting the rubylith or inking by hand. The technique is like working with relief printing in a way—working backwards from a sheet and carving details away. There are certain things I could certainly do digitally, but I probably wouldn't. I have one technique where I carve lines at different angles then scratch off all the little cuts, this is a texture that I wouldn't easily be able to replicate digitally.

The process of using rubylith is unique. I try as much as I can to do things out of the computer before bringing them in so I can cobble together what I want and not feel like I have to be beholden to digital processes.

YPE
Have you always been an illustrator? Did you start out as a designer.

MH
No, I feel like the most non-designer person out there! When I was in high school someone from the School of Visual Arts came in to speak about illustration. That's when it clicked for me. I went to college for illustration, then switched over to a combination of illustration and printmaking. At one point, I thought illustration wasn't for me and that I would just work as a screenprinter- then realized the prints I made were illustrative, and I could make illustration work to suit my needs.

YPE
What school did you go to?

MH
I went to a small art program at the University of Connecticut. It was a good inter-disciplinary program, I got to use many techniques and explore a lot. It was a scrappy and small department but I was lucky enough to find three mentors working in entirely different ways. If I had gone to an art school I would have probably just stuck to one focus.

After graduating I hit the ground running. At first it was a lot of hard work, and it took a few years before people would actually seek me out. I have a very go-getter attitude and always try to self-initiate things to get the work I want. So I worked on personal projects, sent out postcards and self-promotions to potential clients, and researched new avenues for clients to find me. It was slow the first year, but ultimately worth the hard effort.

YPE
So what's the tool of choice?

MH
That's a hard question— I don't think I can narrow it down to one. Lately for my sketchbook I've been using water-soluble carbon and a waterbrush which is fantastic. I'm getting into using acrylic inks, and I work with pencil, brush, ink and in the computer. I have a hard time condensing it down to one art supply though!

YPE
If you can do anything what would you want to be doing? Or do you have a dream client?

MH
I want to do everything! More book covers, package design, animation, and 3D tangible objects/products. I like building things with wood and laser cutting, as well as exploring working with different 2D and 3D materials.

As for dream clients, there's not really one specifically— there are just so many amazing projects out there I'd love to be a part of. It would be great to work with more motion and narrative projects, textile work too. I can't narrow it down to one focus.

It's so important to continue evolving my practice so that I can can do the kind of work I want to and feel satisfied with in the long run. I love freelancing and can't picture not doing it— it gives me the opportunity to work both large and smaller clients, so it's a nice variety. I'm fortunate that I can pick and choose what projects I can take on. When you first start out you feel like you should take everything on... Learning to say no has been tricky, but I'm slowly realizing what's important to me and what I want to focus my time on.

YPE
Anything you can say to an inspiring illustrator.

MH
Attack things with strength and dive in— you can't go into anything halfheartedly (it'll show). Self-generated personal projects are good. Don't put work you don't want to be hired for out into the world. Be prepared for it to be hard and difficult at first, but also be excited about it too.

If your in Portland, please join us as we get the opportunity to explore and be inspired by the wonderful world of Meg Hunt

DATE OF THE EVENT: Friday Night, February 1st

TIME: 6:00-9:00 PM

PLACE: The Left Bank Project - 240 N Broadway
Check-in begins at 6:00pm in The Sting Ray Cafe. Doors close at 6:45

COST: FREE, however a donation is always welcomed!

REGISTRATION BEGINS: Monday morning at 9am, January 28th

As always space is limited, so be sure to register early!

RSVP on Eventbrite

Semi-Permanent & Design is Kinky comes to Portland

2013-01-24T22:39:00.001-08:00

The folks over at Semi Permanent recently reached out to me about their new design conference coming to Portland, Oregon this March 13th.

What is Semi-Permanent? Semi Permanent is a one day international conference featuring 8 speakers from all creative fields with satellite events. You'll see interactive work, illustrators, photographers plus headlining their events. Starting in Sydney, Australia in 2003, the event has established itself over the last ten years as a leader in presentations and exhibitions throughout the creative world. With annual events hosted in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, and Brisbane, plus events in New York, London, Wellington, Perth and Hong Kong to name a few.

I think it's awesome that they have chosen Portland as one of the hot spots this year. I'm equally stoked to see the work of Instrument and hear my friend, and their Creative Director, Shawn Petersen speak. Instrument is a digital house that does fantastic work. One of my favorite projects is the branding they created for Google Developers, which you should definitely check out!

Also headlining is Bradley Munkowitz of GMUNK ! GMUNK is the motion house behind the TRON title sequence, plus so much more.! If you have ever done a title sequence project, or are interested in motion graphics, Munkowitz would be someone you need to see!! Super excited about this one, can you tell?

Here is the rest of the line up, with more to follow.

Holly Andres- A Portland based Photographer

London based designer and artist Stephan Smith of Neasden Control Centre

and London based illustrator Holly Whales

The Logistics

Conference date is March 13, 2012

Where: The Armory

They are also having satellite events with the opening and closing parties at The Cleaners.

It's good to see so many design focused events coming to Portland, and I'm really looking forward to this one and hope to see you there!

TRON GFX Opening Titles from GMUNK on Vimeo.

Instrument

Holly Whales

Stephan Smith of Neasden Control Centre

In Other Worlds: An interview with Jon MacNair and Santiago Uceda

2012-12-21T08:29:00.003-08:00

Reblogged from WeMake

We’re excited to start the year off with a special sketchXchange featuring artists, Jon MacNair and Santiago Uceda. These guys are both awesome illustrators, each with their own unique style, coming together to share a sketchbook collaboration.

The two admired each other’s work on Flickr long before they met in person at a Society6 group show here in Portland. If you have ever participated in a sketchXchange online or in person, you know how exciting it is to swap books and sometimes work off each other’s drawings to create something completely new.

Individually, both artist have a fantastical style which to me seems somewhat folkloric. Jon’s work is often monochromatic, with many layers that weave together an underlying story. Santiago’s work is colorful with hand drawn type frequently incorporated within each piece. Together they have created a series of explorations that embodies both styles.

We hope you will join us as we get the opportunity to explore and and be inspired by the magical make believe worlds of these two.

When: Friday night, January 4th

Where: The Left Bank

Registration begins Friday, December 28th at 9am

RSVP on Eventbrite

______________________________

I asked both artists a few questions about their individual work and inspiration. Check it out!

How would you describe your work?

SU

I always struggle with this question… sometimes the work feels visceral and other times it’s more conceptual, it depends on the project. It’s a combination of hand-drawn and digital, but lately I’ve been trying to work with more traditional methods. I can be more spontaneous, lines are more fluid, and there’s more room for mistakes and experimentation.

JM
I’m not great at describing my work, but I like to use the words narrative, mythical and otherworldly.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

SU

I love Pre-Columbian Inka masks, and catholic iconography. Mexican muralists like like Diego Rivera and David Alfaro Siqueiros have been a big influence, but I’m also influenced byBen Shahn, and while I was working on my illustration degree I really admired the work of Marshall Arisman. Outsider art has also played a role in the development of my style, when you don’t know what the rules are, it’s easier to be more creative because there’s more freedom. The places I’ve lived have also influenced my style and the subject matter that I explore with art.

JM

I’m inspired by many things, like Medieval art, botany, mythological creatures, fairy tales, ghost stories, music, ancient civilizations etc. However, some of my ideas come from things I see in everyday life. You’d be surprised how you can create a pretty elaborate concept from just a seed of an idea. Over time, I’ve established a cast of creatures/characters that reoccur in my work, and the personalities they’ve developed over time help me to come up with new scenarios to illustrate.

You’re both from other countries, does your heritage influence your designs at all?

SU

Growing up in Peru definitely influenced the way I approach image making. Being surrounded by hand-crafted objects, hand-lettering on the side of buses, political party logos painted on walls and Pre-Columbian art played an important role on the way I create images.

JM

I’m actually adopted and came to America from South Korea when I was about 6 months old, so I’m not very influenced by the cultures of my ethnicity because I didn’t grow up immersed in them. I feel about as Americanized as one can be, but I would love to visit South Korea one day. I’m sure it would have some sort of effect on my work.

What’s your tool of choice?

SU

Anything that helps me achieve what I’m after, for me the most effective tools are acrylic, charcoal, pencil, pen & ink, monotypes & collage. I choose the medium based on the concept or mood of the piece that I’m working on. Digital is the final step, sometimes I do most of the work on the work on the computer, but lately I’ve been trying to do it mostly with traditional tools.

JM

I use mostly pen and ink for my fine art (nibs and dip pens - and on occasion watercolors), and pen and ink and digital coloring in photoshop for my illustration work.

As an illustrator for hire do you have any words of wisdom for young inspiring designers/illustrators?

SU

I’ve made so many mistakes in my career, I could write a book on what not to do! One thing you don’t learn in school is just how hard it is to get started as an illustrator. It takes patience and persistence. My advice would be to not give up or get discouraged even when it seems like you’re getting nowhere. It takes a while for anyone to notice you’re out there, you just need to keep putting out your best work (make sure it’s your best work, have your artist friends give you honest critiques of your work) and show it to as many people as you can, not just online but in person, or postcard mailings. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, established illustrators were also aspiring young illustrators at one point, they have a lot to share, get in touch with someone that inspires you.

JM

Be patient but diligent in trying to get work. If at first you find it hard to get responses from art directors and potential clients, don’t take that to mean they aren’t interested in your work. I’ve found it can take several years for someone to hire you for the right job. Do your best not to compare yourself to others in the field. It can be a hinderance to finding your own path to personal success. And lastly, don’t give away your work for free. Clients who see something they like should be willing to give artists the compensation they deserve for their hard work.

____________________________

Santiago Uceda

Santiago Uceda was born in Lima, Peru, and made his way to sunny So Cal. He now resides in a sleepy college town in the Pacific Northwest. He is an interactive art director, illustrator and motion graphics artist. Santiago has worked with many talented folks and institutions from global brands to non-profits, magazines, e-commerce sites, bands and private commissions. Some of his clients include: Adidas, Billabong, Portland Center Stage, TED-Ed, South Coast Repertory, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Surfing Magazine, LA Weekly, Bike Magazine, Portland Mercury. Santiago currently works as interactive design manager for Oregon State University.

____________________________

Jon MacNair

Jon MacNair was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in the suburbs of southeast Michigan where he developed an early love for drawing. He graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art where he earned a Bachelors of Fine Art in illustration. His commercial work has been utilized by clients such as Grove, Tooth and Nail Records, Corpse Corps Boards, ON3P Skis, The Stranger and The Washington Square Review. Jon has shown his fine art in galleries across the country and abroad in Scotland and Germany.

Upcoming Shows: Jon will be showing his work at the Pony Cluband Antler in the new year. He will also be participating in a massive sketchbook show at the Ashmore Gallery in Georgia, as well as the WWA Gallery in California.

A Digital Christmas

2012-12-13T11:10:00.001-08:00

Looking forward to seeing all the Christmas promos to come out this year. Until then, here are a few from season's past that may get you in the spirit! Hilarious!

This will get you all warm and fuzzy inside. Made for Yo Gabba Gabba by Kristen Lepore
Yo Gabba Gabba - To Give A Present from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Love this one from the motion house United Flakes
JOYEUX NOËL from UnitedFakes on Vimeo.

These two from Treat Studios are a little anti- Christmas...but hey!

Workshop from Treat Studios on Vimeo.

Pet Portraits with Style

2012-12-11T12:08:00.000-08:00

Portland, Oregon artist Lisa Hildebrant paints animals with a delightful style that's bold, bright and whimsical. I just adore her new series, "Little Animals", a collection of curious interpretations into the personalities of the four legged kind. When I first saw her work last summer, I knew that I had to have her paint something for me.

“ Contrary to the stereotype of the brooding, inwardly focused artist, I seek genuine connection with others. As you may have guessed, “others” includes animals. I believe every person, and every creature, has a unique and fascinating story to tell. That’s why there is nothing formulaic about my one-of-a-kind Little Animals portraits.”

Her use of color combined with the serious faces and quirky costumes are so charming. I can't wait to see what she will do for the portrait of our long lost family dog, Chance.

Lisa also works with neon. She did a fabulous piece for WeMake's design initiative, Put a Bird In It. It was one of my favorites of the show.

Be sure to check out Lisa's work here and here, she has amazing prices for original art!

Love it!

Indoor Clouds

2012-12-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

The Dutch artist Berndnaut Smilde’s work often draws upon the physical presence of transitional spaces. In his project Nimbus, he turns a clear skies cloudy— indoors.

So how does he do it? It's not Photoshop that's for sure, just simple science. He carefully regulates the temperature and humidity of a space, ensuring that conditions are perfect. Then, he sprays a short burst from a fog machine to create a cottony cloud suspended in the middle of the room for just an instant before it collapses.

“I’m interested in the ephemeral aspect of the work...It’s about the potential of the idea, but in the end it will never function.”

Smilde’s clouds dissipate so quickly that they exist mainly in photographs. He chooses surreal spaces, such as empty churches or galleries, as his setting. So lovely.

Rise of the Guardians Papercrafts +

2012-11-25T08:24:00.003-08:00

I got the opportunity to work with DreamWorks Animation again this time on the new movie, Rise of the Guardians. Pretty excited to go see it this week, the story looks awesome!

It's great to work with DreamWorks and dream up fun projects for kids to play with. This year some of the crafts made included: all five 3D characters and elves, an advent calendar, a board game, a tooth fairy kit, easter egg holders and more. It's so funny making these things, puts a smile on my face every time their done!

You can download all of the games and papercrafts from the movie site, just go to downloads, then print and create.

3D Paper toys

Advent Calendar

Download for the site to get all of these!