my buddy bishop lennon, and i will be taking over the weekly artisans booth at the montavilla farmer’s market this sunday! lucy the dog will be on hand too! come say hello and pick up some fresh produce and handmade goodness for your holiday celebration! the market is located at 7600 se stark street [across the street from mr. plywood!]

[above is my t-shirt design for the market, which will be available there in a few weeks!]

completed this a few months ago: i illustrated the save-the-date card for kim and doug, while the bride did the design – but couldn’t share it with everyone til now!

kim and doug: i hope your wedding was as spectacular as the mendocino coast on which it took place!

in progress: here is one piece from this upcoming show as it progressed from one artist to another.

betsy walton, apak, yellena james and i have been collaborating on a new suite of art panels for the past few months. it’s been a treat to get together with this group on a weekly basis, and we’re excited about the artwork development so far!

the name of the show comes from the idea that all artists use repeating elements in their work. as a collaborative group we’re also thinking about, discussing, and depicting the 5 elements.

come see all the results on july 29th at together gallery [2916 ne alberta st.] 6 – 9 pm! the show will run through mid august.

the art blog “my love for you is a stampede of horses” has put together an art and design gulf coast fundraiser. the roster of artists that donated art is amazing. the fundraising shop is now open and will be for the next 7 days. first come, first serve! this is your chance to do a little little something for the gulf area, and get a great piece of art.

yesterday at a yard sale i scored a pair of yummy bright yellow metal folding/adjustable saw horses for a table i’ll construct in the wood shop using a 3/4″ maple plywood top.

this is a similar idea, but the fancier german designer version from schwab panther! [via contemporist]

while we’re on the subject of maple wood, here are two more things i’ve been coveting from my online travels…

the crystal collection by pour les alpes makes me want to redo my entire garden just to accommodate these in it!

then there’s the simple glass hill chair that would be a good accompaniment to studio gorm’s collection.

finally had the chance to download photos from my camera, and found these: photos from the intro surface design workshop i taught at modern domestic last week. so much fun! potatoes, carrots, ink, fabric, sharp implements! i’ll have more workshops at modern domestic later in the summer. check their schedule!

my reading schedule has been hampered as of late by a few too many projects scheduled at once, and then allergies and stuff. these are the 2 books i remember reading since my last “book of week” entry! both excellent.

the geography of bliss prompted lots of discussion in my book club, including creating a fantasy world tour of at least iceland, scandinavia, the netherlands and butan. some of the other countries mentioned in the book were hotly debated for inclusion in our tour. for instance, india and thailand didn’t get my vote: too hot!

i just finished what the dog saw. malcolm’s books and essays are always thought-provoking and a joy to read. stand outs in this collection of essays were:

the one about the inventor of the birth control pill – the one fact in this essay that hit me on the head is this: some scientists contend that biologically, women’s bodies were designed to be lactating or pregnant at all times and are actually not meant to menstruate every month as modern women do. and this may be the reason we modern women have so many female health problems and cancers. huh.

the essay entitled “late bloomers” – genius is not just for 20 year olds, and, dang, my early career could have been a lot easier if i’d have figured out that patronage thing back then!

the “something borrowed” essay exploring the varying degrees and [mis]conceptions of plagiarism and intellectual property. these pages had a date with the copy machine for my college students this upcoming winter term. the late bloomer essay was on that date also.

the DIY lounge here in portland is making a tv show! see the teaser spot filmed at last month’s crafty wonderland, including a brief glimpse of me and my work alongside countless other artists, crafters and designers!

sorry i’ve been m.i.a. here – allergies! today for the first time my headache is only a dull ache and not piercing pain, so i can work again. i have lots to tell you about. first up:

one of my favorite art blogs, my love for you is a stampede of horses, has put together a gulf coast fundraiser. i don’t need to say anything else other than the roster of artists that donated art is amazing. the fundraising shop will open on monday, june 28th, at 12 pm PST (3 pm EST). first come, first serve! this is your chance to do a little little something for the gulf area, and get a great piece of art.

my donation is a small 3.5″ original drawing that became one of my fabric prints. i made it very, very affordable!

i’m excited to teach this class tomorrow noon – 4pm at modern domestic!

we’ll be going over repeating textile design basics, and create repeating designs by carving simple motifs into easy-to-find sources such as potatoes, carrots and erasers using easy techniques that don’t require special or expensive equipment.

i think there’s still a few more spaces left if you’re interested!