Mr. Blue Bison

Moped Print

2015-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

A little experiment that was a bit too hastily cut to call art. An interpretation of my 1983 Suzuki FA50 aka the Suzuki Shuttle. But, in a way I’m a bit sentimental about this piece - a farewell to the moped I loved so dearly.

I didn’t really have the time or the geographical location to be mopeding much - so when the time came to leave Kansas City for the greener pastures of Seattle, I couldn’t justify to myself (or more importantly to my wife) bringing it along.

With a heavy heart, I sent my friend to where all good mopeds go - to that great big craigslist in the sky (or just in Kansas City). I hope it still thinks of me as much as I of it.

Zia in the Woods

2015-02-13T00:00:00+00:00

My first book! And I even vanity printed it. You can buy it on Amazon or even get a pdf version.

Of course, most of the credit should go directly to the wonderfully talented Victoria Grace Elliott who created the illustrations for this little story. I just made up some words and stuck them next to the full color imagery she conjured forth.

Longies

2014-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Ergo Insert

2014-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Now everybody likes the Ergo right? But its a bummer that you have to wait months before your baby is old enough to use one. Wouldn’t it be great if you could jam a newborn in one? Well, now you can!

Introducing the custom Ergo insert! Now you can turn yourself into a bulky human kangaroo - no matter how tiny your little joey happens to be.

Baby Sweater

2014-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Baby Go Bag

2014-06-05T00:00:00+00:00

Commissioned to commemorate the welcoming of our second born into the world.

This bag was hand crafted by his loving mother and served wonderfully as a hospital go bag. It was prepped and ready to go weeks before the event (even though he was technically two weeks early - she was ready for him).

The pattern comes from the ever wonderful and talented Noodlehead. This cargo duffel bag was porting the provisions to provide after producing new life into this world - a ponderous purpose, I’m sure you’ll agree.

Pouch

2014-01-18T00:00:00+00:00

Backpack

2014-01-18T00:00:00+00:00

As our first born starts down the long and complex adventure that is school we try to teach her the basics: stay positive, stay smart, and stay trendy.

To facilitate that final point, Bethany selflessly engineered this marvel of a school bag - just the right size for a toddler.

Using a wonderfully detailed pattern from Made by RAE, this hand-crafted beauty features padded straps, a vintage zipper, and piggies!

This certainly would have been the most fashionable of toddler accessories in the entire school. Unfortunately, the book-bag requirements for the particular institution she attended mandated a larger sized variety. Oh well, now at least her dolls have something to wear.

Owl Diaper

2011-11-21T00:00:00+00:00

Surprising to no one, babies are not all just full of soft coos and warm smiles. In fact, for the first 18 months or so, some babies are full of everything but those things.

And by full of things - I mean they poop.

And so, my wife’s expert hand went towards the crafting of receptacles for this unflattering, but unsurprising baby side-effect.

The owl diaper is now just one of a multitude of similarly attractive and carefully constructed poop catchers. The rational, I am supposing, is that anything worth doing - is worth doing right. And by doing, again, I mean poop.

Rabbit Shirt

2011-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

Upon first spotting this rabbit, your eye is drawn to its leanness. Its bold, rough symmetry. Its perfect, God-like form. This is not the rabbit from your childhood bed-time stories: cautious, creeping, conniving. No, this is a Spartan rabbit - in the very true sense of the word. This rabbit takes what he wants. This rabbit’s tracks are marked by a confident, conspicuous canter. The stories told about this rabbit are those not meant for children’s ears: ones of blood, fear, and conquest.

On a different note, this was Bethany’s first screenprint - marking our introduction into the wonderful world of the superfluous adornment of outerwear.

Koi And Lantern Shirt

2011-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

This doodle-stitched onesie has that authentic Asian feel you can only get from Midwest white Americans. The paper lanterns on the sleeve suggest festivals, light, and celebration. It is the feeling you have when your new-born baby has finally gone to sleep, allowing you a few minutes of mindless Netflix Instant watching before you yourself flop into bed.

The Koi is a symbol of love and friendship in Japan (according to Wikipedia). Certainly, the wearer of this garb is loved. All who come in contact with such a special child can not help but be smitten. This shirt declares in iconography the truth of the world for a new child: celebration, dedication, and love.

The original design of this stiching comes from the wonderful Doodle Stitching Book. Pick up a copy at your local library today!

Bird In Tree Shirt

2011-10-25T00:00:00+00:00

A blue hawk perches in the stark branches of a mighty oak, stripped bare from winter. The hawk glares over his shoulder, scanning the snow-blanketed meadows and hills around him for movement. Look! A trail of slight indentations is slowly expanding below, creating just enough movement to spot from the lookout above. The great blue beast stretches out his expansive wings, the blood returning to its feathered appendages. Swooping so low as to meet his shadow on the snow, the hawk speeds towards the movement. Eyes alert, beak shut, talons clenched: she is ready to meet her prey.

Italy Print

2011-10-24T00:00:00+00:00

Long, long ago we were an adventurous troop. Wandering the world in search of novel experiences and excitements. Perhaps some day we might return to our free-roaming ways, but until that time, we will have this print to remind us of where we’ve been.

Venice was the last stop of our six week European honeymoon - our Euromoon. Being an extremely talented trip planner, Bethany had us successfully touring six countries to celebrate our marriage. In Italy, we finally said good-bye to the great and varied continent we had called home for this short time. Venice was a fitting end to our trip. The most crowded place we visited, the most famous, and certainly one of the most unique.

This print depicts the view from one of the innumerable bridges you find yourself on in this watery city. Buildings rise from the sea on either side, maintaining their buoyancy through unknown but magical means. Gondola’s slowly skim through the canals, creating wavelets that cause the reflecting light to shimmer and sparkle off the surrounding windows. While tourist hustle and bustle all around, the canals show us the calm, serene, slow moving world of real Venice.

Boba Fett Print

2011-10-23T00:00:00+00:00

The subject matter of this print comes from our first trip to New York City. Walking through an open-air market, the both Bethany and I suddenly and instantaneously came to the realization that a familiar tune was hanging in the air around us. Tracking this ethereal music back to its origin we came upon none other than Boba Fett. It was he who was serenading the small crowd with an accordion playing the theme music from one of our favorite movies of all time: Amélie.

Who knew such a dangerous and relentless galactical bounty hunter was also such a skilled instrumentalist? Not wanting to gawk and thus rile his temper, we quickly snapped a picture, put a dollar in his can, and continued on our way. Later on this picture was used as the starting material of our Bobba Fett with Accordion print. We’re just glad our witnessing of this special moment didn’t leave us frozen in carbonite.

Rocket Print

2011-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

“Will man travel in space?” This is the title of the cigarette card from 1935 that inspired this print of a futuristic rocketship from the past. I found a digital copy of this card in the NYPL Digital Gallery. The back of the card gives a little hint as to the aspirations of the future man of the past:

> It does not seem likely that man, as his power grows, will be content to confine his activities for ever to the earth. In ships, perhaps like this, and impelled by the power of the atom, he will voyage in space and perhaps plant himself upon other planets. The time may come when he is forced to do so, for the sun may cool.

Hygieia Shirt

2011-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

What is this strange symbol of serpent and goblet? A mythical rune of the Druids? Perhaps something from an Arthurian legend? No! In fact this is known as the Bowl of Hygieia and serves as the official symbol of pharmaceutical professional.

Of course its origin really is from mythology - Greek in fact. But it is an interesting sight to see this ancient device still in use in the very modern field of pharmacology. This particular rendition is lovingly hand-crafted in green and black thread on a white onesie. The perfect pullover for the prodigy of a person of the pharmacy persuasion.

House Print

2011-10-22T00:00:00+00:00

Cresting the hill you come upon The House. It towers above the roadway below. Though some what ominous, it is not a place to be feared, for some call this house a home. Specifically, WE are those that call it home. This is a block print of our abode on a cold winter’s day. Built in 1920, it is a testament to the timeless beauty and impeccable quality now lost in modern home construction.

This was Jim’s first attempt at block print. The results, as you can see, are mixed. Certainly, you can discern that this is a building of some sort. A small leap of faith, and some squinting, is needed to turn this structure into a cozy cottage.

Snake Print

2011-10-20T00:00:00+00:00

One of the most ancient of symbols in the collective memory of man, the snake is both a creator and a destructor - depending on which end you are looking at. In the Christian world, Satan is embodied as a serpant when decieving his human hosts in the garden of Eden. While in Indian mythology, the king of serpants was paramount in the fabled ‘Churing of the Ocean of Milk’, from which all mortal life sprung. The primitive look of this wood-block print is a response to the ancient and primitive nature of the subject matter.

The primitive nature of the cutting is also due to Jim having no idea what he was doing when attempting to create this piece. It was hewn from a hacked portion of lumber, using unsharped chisels. Its a wonder nobody lost an eye in the process.