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The Black Apple

I just discovered this wonderful Portland artist, The Black Apple, aka Emily Martin.  I love the Victorian and surreal sensibility in her art.   She is the author and illustrator of a new paper doll book, The Black Apple’s Paper Doll Primer, and an upcoming illustrated novel,  Oddfellow’s Orphanage.  I can’t wait to check those out!

In the meantime, I may have to do some shopping on her Esty site for affordable prints and new lockets! BTW, my favorite illustration of hers at the moment is The Beekeeper, available as a locket as well as a print.

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simple, beautiful, thought-provoking art

beautiful. positive. universal. lovely. simple. clever. thought-provoking.

These are just a few words that describe the art work of Greg Beauchamp, a friend in my posse who lives in Venice, CA.

Greg is featured on Etsy’s blog with a beautiful video by Pazcal and write up that showcases his  kind demeanor and positive outlook on life and art.  It truly is inspiring.

Just one favor, please don’t buy up all of the prints on his Etsy site, beauchamping, before I get a chance to get one. or three.

Etsy Blog post by Pazcal

Handmade Portraits: Greg Beauchamp a.k.a. Beauchamping from Etsy on Vimeo.

13Q with Ali from IDOL Stylestudio

Welcome to the first installment of a new feature on my blog, 13Q, where I’ll
be interviewing and photographing people who inspire me creatively and artistically.

Meet Ali Mermel, owner of IDOL Stylestudio hair salon in the Georgetown neighborhood in Seattle.
French bulldog Zoe is Ali’s only workmate in her inspiring, funky and comfortable hair studio. And she’s incredibly talented at her job.

With her one-on-one attention, Ali is skilled at listening to your input, while also giving great suggestions on beautiful, sassy, current, and grown-up ‘do’s. She’s a whiz at color and fantastic with cuts.  She’s also amazing with curly hair, a must for our family. We’re not the only ones that love her. Check out her top star reviews on Yelp.

Ali is the sweetest Midwesterner with an edge you’ll likely ever meet. She recently indulged me with my first 13Q interview and shoot.  Thanks a million, Ali!

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Scraper Bikes

photo by Matthew Reamer Urban street kids are some of the most innovative and creative artists out there.  From New York subway graffiti movement in the 1970′s to the Scraper Bike movement out of East Oakland happening today, these artists make use of what’s around them in a novel and beautiful way.

Oakland local, Tyrone “Baby Champ” Stevenson is credited with popularizing this DIY bike art. Not able to afford a “scraper” car with painted rims, Baby Champ designed his own scraper out of a bike, calling it more postive, innovative, creative and definitely more green than a scraper car.

Scraper bikes are the new low rider.

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Adventures in Portlandia

The Dream of the nineties really is alive in Portland.

We just got back from a super fun family-with-tween-and-teen friendly mini vacation for our kids’ spring break in Portland. Each kid had a friend in tow making our crew six humans plus one chihuahua. We all piled in the car to trek down south for a full immersion experience in Portlandia. While exploring the city, we found our own Portlandia moments and secretly pointed them out to each other with a slow whisper of our code phrase:  “w h i t e  e a g l e.”

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Memoirs of a Suburban Geisha

As a suburban geisha, I pursue the fine art of the perfect peanut butter & jelly
sandwich to please my clients. I move about the room as a butterfly does on the
breeze as I gently pick up discarded socks and crumpled school papers. Rather
than silk flowers in my hair, my clients prefer my choice of Legos and Barbie
appendages to decorate my coif. Although I am rendered to perform my duties in
the suburbs, exclusively to three stringent clients, I strive to create an
atmosphere of art and creativity in everything I do for them and for myself. As
a suburban geisha, I live my life as a moving work of art.

I’m hoping to win a coveted spot at Phoot Camp, an invite only creative workshop for photographers hosted by Laura Brunow Miner,  founder of Pictory.  This year’s event will be held in Marfa, Texas. To enter, I had to create a self portrait and a story to go along with the photo.  I came up with the concept of Suburban Geisha as a reminder to myself that I am an artist, no mater where I am in life or geography.

A quote from the first of the  Letters to a Young Poet by Ranier Maria Rilke has always stood out for me:

“…ask yourself in the most silent hour of your night: must I write? Dig into
yourself for a deep answer. And if this answer rings out in assent, if you meet
this solemn question with a strong, simple “I must,” then build your life in
accordance with this necessity; your whole life, even into its humblest and most
indifferent hour, must become a sign and witness to this impulse.”

I replace the word “write” in the first sentence with “create.”  I can’t imagine my life without the freedom I’ve had to create.  I simply must.

And with that impulse, I created this suburban geisha.

 

Record Store Day

Want to see from free shows? Want to get access to exclusive releases? Want to make your own magical musical moment like P does in this photo? Go participate in Record Store Day, this Saturday, April 16th, 2011.

Record Store Day was founded in 2007, but had its original kick off with an in-store performance by Metallica in April of 2008 at the classic Rasputin in San Francisco.

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Madison Park Conservatory

A is for April (finally!),  B is for blue skies (yay!), and C is for conservatory. Madison Park Conservatory,  that is. I’m here to talk about D. D is for design.

From Tako Truk to Madison Park, with a warm up at Sitka & Spruce, our good friend, Cormac Mahoney, has rocked our palates over the years.  He is finally at home in his own restaurant space with a million dollar view right across from Lake Washington.

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