wemakepdx

[wemakepdx]

Keynote Speaker — Katy Ann Gilmore

"I like that about art. Any interests that you have, no matter how seemingly disparate, can come together in what you make."  -- Katy Ann Gilmore

Katy Ann Gilmore is a multi-disciplinary artist that brings together the worlds of mathematics and art. She pushes the boundaries of what you can do with shapes and intricate line work and transports you into spaces where dimension takes on an entirely new meaning. I can confidently say she makes me think math is way more cool than I would have ever believed was possible. We are so excited to hear more about her life, work and love of non-Euclidean geometry at the Disrupt conference - in the meantime, we had the chance to ask her a few questions. Check it out.

MB: We are so dang excited for you to come to Portland! Is there anything you’re looking forward to doing while your here?

KG: I’m excited to be up there! In general, I’m looking forward to seeing murals around the city, meeting all others involved in WeMake, and maybe getting out for a short hike or walk around the city!

MB: Can you tell us a little bit about your creative journey up to this point?

KG: I grew up making things, but in the rural Midwest, I didn’t really have an idea of what it meant to make art professionally. I’ve been keeping journals since I was 8, so it’s fun to look back and see how many times I wrote that I just want to “make things” for my job. I feel so incredibly lucky that I get to wake up and do that each day!

I was always making things, and I studied both art and math in undergrad. After graduating, I still wasn’t sure about the feasibility of art as a career, but I moved out to LA 7 years ago for grad school. I didn’t have a car, money, or a large space to work. That really limited me in materials and flexibility. I found that I had to make my studio wherever I was, so drawing was a perfect medium to explore. I took projects with me and worked when I could. I was working full-time at the same time, so I’d also use my lunch break to draw. Then, as life began to stabilize, I started working in more 3D/installation terms.

The same cycle happened again when I quit my full-time job in late 2014. I started focusing on drawing again as I didn’t have a dedicated space to make art, and started to use Instagram as a tool to push small drawings for purchase. I really credit those times focusing on drawing for providing the foundation for my mural work today. My work and drawing eventually began to mature as I started bringing in ideas and interests from the past about perception and the ways we engage with the environments around us.

Now I’m balancing between working on murals and studio work for shows. It’s a really fun mix, and I love that murals and installation projects are a part of it!

MB: Your work is such a great combination of logic and creativity - how do you manage to bring the two together?

KG: Art and math have always been big parts of my life. I was always making something growing up, and also had a pretty heavy interest in buildings and architecture along with mathematics. The higher up in mathematics you go, the more abstract it becomes. You’re not so much dealing with numbers as concepts and problems. I really loved that, and particularly fell in love with non-Euclidean geometry. It’s been fun to see them naturally intertwine as I pursue ideas that seem interesting to me. I like that about art. Any interests that you have, no matter how seemingly disparate, can come together in what you make. Focusing on both has led to a natural expression of ideas through what I make.

MB: Is there a project that you’ve worked on that is particularly memorable? What made it special?

KG: I really loved working on my mural last summer at Facebook Los Angeles. I worked on it for a month, and it was fun to commute out to their office near the beach. I really enjoyed the vive of the offices, and had a great time making the mural. It was a marathon of a challenge, and I’m so happy with how it came together.

MB: You work in a lot of different mediums - drawing, murals, 3D installations - how does your planning and process vary between them? What stays the same?

KG: For all mediums, I usually start with pretty messy and initial ideas in my sketchbook. I take a sketchbook with me wherever I go, so when these ideas come (I tend to get a lot while driving, on a walk or hike, basically during any monotonous activity where my mind wanders), I draw them out. From there, I pick the winners to develop into nicer sketches. This is where they could deviate according to medium. At this point is when I figure out the details of how I’m actually going to make it. Once I figure that out, it’s the most satisfying and meditative part for me, seeing it all come together after so many steps.

It’s a big planning process, so I’m simultaneously in the stages of sketching on piece, working on a finished piece, or drawing in Illustrator to keep work flowing.

MB: If you could collaborate with one person on any project, who would it be and why?

KG: I would love to collaborate with Phillip K. Smith III. I think his work is so intelligent and interesting.

MB: We have to know - what happened with your Nissan Maxima!?

KG: That was such a fun project! The car wasn’t really in great running shape without some major intervention, so after documenting it well, I kept the hood and the spoiler, but got rid of the rest of the car.

MB: What are you drawing inspiration from lately?

KG: Lately, I’m finding inspiration from taking time to read, hike, and recharge. I’m taking time to slow down and think about what I’m making, which I think has been important for my work. Specifically, I’ve been going back and reading about the mathematical study of topology (the study of properties of spaces that are preserved through twisting or stretching of that object or space).

MB: What do you find yourself doing when you’re not working?

KG: When I’m not working, apart from spending time with friends, I’m usually hiking or boxing.

MB: And finally, the official WeMake question: Why do you make?

KG: I’ve always felt an internal compulsion to make. I can’t remember a time where I wasn’t drawing, painting, or tasking myself with some project. I find that I’m most myself when I get into the zone and work through ideas in this way.

[wemakepdx]

WeMake Design Week Lettering Exploration

Yay! Design Week is rapidily approaching and we are bringing three amazing events to celebrate!

TUESDAY 4/17

sketchXchange with Jordan Metcalf, moderated by Luke Choice

South African (newly relocated to Portland) designer and illustrator Jordan Metcalf explains his creative process and shares the magic of his imagination during this inspiring talk. His breathtaking typography and lettering has appeared on the covers of National Geographic and Oprah Magazine and in The New York Times Magazine, plus on walls, editorial pages, packaging, book covers and apparel for Nike and Reebok. Jordan’s consistent mastery of emoting type is pushing boundaries in the design world, and this is a rare opportunity to meet and learn from Jordan himself.

We also welcome 3D designer Luke Choice as the moderator for the event. Luke is better known as Velvet Spectrum, and is an Australian graphic artist who specializes in typography and 3D illustration. Beginning his career designing for the music industry, Luke has now formed the base of his portfolio with a strong focus on dynamic color and composition.

sXc with designer and Illustrator Jordan Metcalf  moderated by 3D designer Luke Choice aka Velvet Spectrum

Door open at 6 pm. The talk starts at 7 pm.

The first 100 people at the event will receive an exclusive 9" x 9" print designed by Jordan exclusively for DWP, and all proceeds benefit arts education in Portland.

Powered by Eventbrite

WEDNESDAY 4/18

Lettering Workshop with Jessica Hische

On Wednesday, April 18, lettering super star Jessica Hische (co-founder of Title Case in San Fransisco) will lead a 3-hour lettering workshop, guaranteed to inspire and leave you in awe. The class will work through a conceptual lettering project from starting idea to finished sketch, with plenty of tips, tricks, and helpful criticism along the way. If you can’t place her name, you already know her work: the USPS Love stamp, Mail Chimp’s logo and her title design for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. You won’t ever be the same.

Powered by Eventbrite

THURSDAY 4/19

26— A Lettering Show

Join 26 international, national, and local typographers and letterers as they display their exclusive 9x9 prints, created using only three colors — black, metallic gold, and WeMake orange. Each of the artist’s 40 limited-edition prints showcases a letter, word, or phrase, and will be available for purchase. Some of the letterers participating include Gemma O’Brien, Tobias Hall, Erik Marinovich, Maia Then, Nick Misani, Mary Kate McDermott, Masgrimes and Zach Yarrington. You’ll only be able to purchase these prints at this once-in-a-lifetime show, and 100% of the proceeds go towards funding arts education in Portland.

26—A Lettering Show

Participating Artists:  Joseph Alessio, San Francisco Craig Black, UK Pies Brand, Portland Thomas Bradley, Portland Colt Bowden, McMinnville Mark Caneso, Austin Anna Drivis, Sweden Martina Flor, Berlin Tobias Hall, UK Josh Higgins, San Francisco Jessica Hische, San Francisco Dani Loureiro, Portland Shauna Lynn, Orlando Erik Marinovich, San Francisco Masgrimes, Portland Mary Kate McDevitt, Philadelphia Hope Meng, San Francisco Jordan Metcalf, Portland Nick Misani, New York City Gemma O’Brien, Australia Kkade Schwarzmaler, Switzerland Brett Stenson, Portland Maia Then, British Columbia Brian Patrick Todd, Louisville Travis Wheeler, Portland Zach Yarrington, Portland

The show is free and prints will be on sale $20 each, with 100% of the proceeds going towards arts education.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase, too.

Powered by Eventbrite

Friday 4/20

Learn to Burn, A Woodburning Workshop with Make & Mary & Electric Lettuce

Although this is technically not a WeMake hosted event, it is happening in our headquarters at Tillamook Station. Find out more at Make & Mary

[wemakepdx]

A Botanical Journey—sXc with Courtney Roth, moderated by Kai Söderström

"As I began to pay closer attention to the creative processes of some of my favorite artists, I noticed that the best botanical artists out there routinely draw from life."  -- CR

We are excited to have local illustrator and tattoo artist Courtney Roth in for our March sketchXchange. Courtney has always been treading the line between creativity and logic, the right and the left brain, and has seen no reason to indulge just one of those seemingly opposite paths in life. While imagining and creating have always been an integral part of her life, so too was the desire to understand. 

Courtney started her plant journal in early 2017. Since then she has documented her journey by pushing herself to explore nature, hone in on her drawing skills and create a place where she could share the work. We are excited to see these journals up close and talk about her work as a tattoo artists ( @courtneyrothtattoos ) as well.  I asked Courtney a few questions about her work and process, check it out~

YPE You started a new project from your botanical journal called the Plant People Project. How often do you get people asking you to draw different plants? Have you got anything sent to you before announcing the project?

CR Oh gosh, almost every day! Since the beginning, I’ve been overwhelmed with requests to draw different plants. I love seeing people inspired by my work and interacting with folks over common botanical interests, so I want to accommodate requests as much as I can. In the beginning, I would try to honor all the requests that I could, targeting hikes to finding native plants and scouring local plant shops and florists for the non-natives. I’d even send my husband out on his daily runs with a list of plants to look for. It got to a point where I just didn’t have the time to hunt down all the plants people were interested in seeing, and in many cases, especially international requests, I didn’t have access to the plants at all. I hadn’t made any kind of address public until now, so I haven’t gotten anything sent to me specifically, but I’ve worked with other botanical artists that I’ve met through this nature journal project to locate live plants to use. I’m so excited to see where it takes us! I’m hoping to keep submissions open over the course of a year to get a good sampling of species in different stages of growth over all four seasons and, hopefully, across many different ecosystems worldwide.

YPE  Why did you start drawing botanicals in your journal and what inspired you to set up the IG the way that you did it?

CR I've been focusing on the natural sciences as a direction for my art for most of my life, but a few years ago I began to get serious about making a career out of my love for creating. As I began to pay closer attention to the creative processes of some of my favorite artists, I noticed that the best botanical artists out there routinely draw from life. You just see so much more dimension and detail when you're drawing from life, and I love to experience the way my subjects feel, smell, and maybe even taste. All of this informs the spirit of the plant and how I want to interpret it. I also had a personal goal to get more familiar with the native flora around me and the plant allies that I enjoyed in my teas and tinctures, so keeping a live journal (early 00's pun very much intended) was a natural way to do that. I had seen some other artists dabble in the side by side format (check out Vancouver, BC talent @leo.mortem ) and my photography style evolved as an extension of that. 

Folks seem to enjoy the research component of my botanical journal just as much as the art itself, which stemmed from my compulsive desire to learn as much as I can about our natural world while it’s still here. I have not always been a full-time artist: I spent a few years in a Ph.D. program, and while academia was not my ultimate calling, I learned a lot about how to conduct research. I love learning, and I love that the folks who follow my art do too. The fact that it marries my two greatest loves, art and science, is really what makes this botanical journal project exciting for me.

YPE Is there a favorite plant you have draw?

So many! Some of my all-time favorites are western hemlock (those tiny cones! Swoon!), salmonberries, and, of course, roses, particularly of the English garden variety. I also love documenting plants in various stages of growth. I enjoy it all, really. More than anything I love the variety that keeping a nature journal affords my art. The landscape is constantly changing and evolving throughout the year, and as a person who's pretty easily bored, I enjoy the diversity of plant life we enjoy here in Portland across our seasons. This is part of the idea behind the Plant People Project as well: to begin incorporating more different types of plants that may be tough to get a hold of locally.

YPE What came first, the plant journal or tattooing?

CR The plant journal, but not by too large of a margin. I had always focused on natural science in my work, but for a few years I was more inspired by the avian world (I'm sure I'll talk your ears off about my time working at a raptor center at the SketchXChange event). I’ve been focusing on drawing flora form life for a few years now but only began sharing my plant journal on Instagram when I was on the cusp of getting my tattooing license. Before tattooing, I worked in styles and media that were much more gestural and freeform, but once I got serious about tattooing I began focusing on cleaning up my linework and working primarily with ink. The plant journal project evolved out of those goals. I hadn’t been big on sharing my work on social media before then, but I knew that if I wanted to make a real career out of tattooing, I had to get used to it. It was scary at first, but needless to say, I’m humbled and honored by the reception that it’s gotten, the friends I’ve made through it, and all that I’ve learned along the way.

YPE Are you looking to focus more in botanicals in your tattooing or would you tattoo anything?

CR I only accept tattoo projects that fall within the realm of the natural sciences. Botanicals are my bread and butter, but I'm finding that tattooing presents a very unique opportunity to engage people with art in a way that's unlike any other medium. When you tattoo an image on someone, the story that goes along with that tattoo is going to be a conversation piece for that person for the rest of their life. As an avid, lifelong conservationist, I’m very excited by the idea that my tattoo pieces can provide a platform for discussing our natural world. Like so many, I’m floored by what’s happening to our planet and how easys it is for most people to live their lives without really engaging with the species we share it with and the natural cycles that it follows. Focusing on flora that people identify with in one way or another is a great way to enhance that connection to our natural world and get people talking about it. 

Back in the fall, after the Eagle Creek Fire, I turned to art and research as a way to deal with my own mourning over the loss of so much of our unique natural space. I created a series of five tattoo pieces that illustrated the stages of forest recovery after a devastating fire and response was overwhelming; people snapped them up within minutes of posting. So many people loved the story the pieces told together, and together we raised $1,150 for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, a nonprofit dedicated to gorge conservation. This really opened my eyes to how engaged people want to be with the flora and fauna around us and how powerful tattooing is as a medium to facilitate conversations about our natural spaces. This project is my favorite thing I’ve done as a tattooer to date, and I’m hoping to clear some time in my schedule in the coming months to create more like it.

Since then, I’ve also had clients who have been inspired by this project and have worked with me to create pieces that tell stories about other ecosystems as well. For example, I do many pieces themed around various ecosystems within the PNW, and have a Bob Marshall Wilderness tribute piece coming up that I’m very stoked on. These projects that raise awareness and incite conversation about the natural world are the direction I want to take my work going forward, and I’m humbled to be able to impact real-world conversations in this way.

YPE Why do you make?

CR Short answer: I have to. Long answer: I’ve been making my entire life, for as long as I can remember. While most kids were playing sports, I was drawing. However, I did not grow up in a creative community and listened to the whole “you can’t make a career out of art” thing early in my adult life (it’s a lie!), but found that all I ever wanted to do was create. I’d sketch whenever coworkers weren’t looking, draw under the desk in meetings, and constantly try to engineer my time so that I could spend as much of it making as possible. It’s meditation for me. It forces my active mind to slow down and appreciate what’s in front of me. Now, I can use that process that feeds my soul to create meaningful pieces for others that contribute to collective conversations about our natural world, something I’ve always been passionate about. Making allows you to have complete autonomy over what you do and why you do it, which is an absolute dream. I am infinitely grateful to be on the creative path that I’m on and for the supportive community that makes it possible. 

About the moderator, Kai Söderström

Kai Söderström is a local Portland tattoo artist and visual artist of many mediums. Her true loves are clean lines, vibrant, unique colours, and bold black ink.  She's a survivor and advocate for survivors of sexual abuse and trauma, and aims to use tattooing as a way to heal and empower others to reclaim their bodies, minds, hearts, and souls from oppressive modern day systems. She is also an advocate for accessible arts programming for kids of all ages and deeply believes the power of art can change and save lives. She has a passion for nature, and the inherent magic within it, as well as a particular fascination with the divinity inside of us all. You can find more of her work at www.knowfolly.com.

[wemakepdx]

Colortime with Nick Stokes—sketchXchange

"My happiness as a human being is wholly dependent on making things. It’s the best way to hold my fragile ego together. Also, I’m not good at much else."

Written by Morgan Braaten, Photos by Rowan  Bradley

WeMake was excited to welcome illustrator and art director Nick Stokes for our second sketchXchange of 2018. His talk was moderated by friend, coworker and poet extraordinaire, Becca Wadlinger.

Nick’s playful work was a great indication of what the night would hold - there were plenty of stories and laughs, all with a clever, intentional edge. Topics included everything from his early doodling days to directing his first Super Bowl commercial for Wieden+Kennedy (and being pranked fantastically while doing so).

We also had the chance to ask Nick a few questions of our own, which resulted in the perfect combination of inspiration, process and Kanye poetry. Check out his answers below:

MB Your style is so playful and full of color. Was that a natural approach for you, or did it develop over time?

NS My disposition overall is pretty upbeat and positive. I think my work is naturally an extension of that.  Bright and bold colors have always been something I’ve been attracted to, and it’s been a shorthand for communicating fun and playfulness. I’m sure a huge part of it comes from watching so many cartoons as a kid where everything is bold and colorful.

MB How has incorporating animated elements into your work changed your process?

NS I like to think of animation as another tool in the drawing toolbox. If an idea works better as an illustration I’ll keep it an illustration, but sometimes the story is better told through an animation. It’s been really great experience adding animation to my workflow thought. There is something I like about tediously drawing frame after frame in an animation that's so mundane, tranquil and therapeutic.

 Also, animation adds some cool production value and wow factor to the work.

MB You’ve worked with some amazing clients. Can you tell us a little bit about a favorite project that you’ve worked on? What made it special?

NS Yeah I have been very lucky so far. If I had to pick a favorite, I think it may be IGN, the video game and pop culture website. They found my work a couple of years ago through a personal project my good friend Eric Swanson and I created called 'What Ye is it?'. It was a website that featured a new Kanye West looping animation for everyday of the week. They found that project and asked if I could create a similar series of animations for their social media channels. They gave me free reign to create whatever animations I wanted based on my favorite TV shows, movies, video games and pop culture moments. The nerd inside of me couldn’t have been more excited.

MB On the flip side of that - if you were given the opportunity to work for anyone on anything, what would it be and why?

NS Oh man. My bucket list is a long one. I think on the short term I would love to design a beer can or a series of cans. I have ideas I’ve been bouncing around in my head for the last few years that I’d love to get out. I would love to work with the publishing company Nobrow too. They put out such an amazing collection of work. It would be a blast to work with Nike or Adidas again. Both of those companies do such great work with illustrators. I would love to do an illustrated identity for a band, work in cartoons, design toys, direct music videos, design tattoos and do another another skateboard series. I mean the list is endless. I could sit here and add to this for days.

MB What or who do you find yourself drawing inspiration from recently?

NS Recently I’ve been really into French illustration. Folks like Moebius, Hergé, Jean Jullien, and Je Andre. There’s a really cool style the French use called ligne claire that uses fine black outlines and bold eye catching color palettes. I love how clean and crisp it is.

 I’ve also been really into 1980s New York city. There was an awesome grime and grit to it that had so much character and charm. All the hand painted storefront signs, garbage, graffiti, steam from sewer grates, and traffic add so much life to the city. It’s been a big inspiration in several of my personal projects.

MB You seem to be constantly creating. Have you ever experienced burnout, and if so, how do you overcome it? What do you do to prevent it?

NS I get burnout from advertising work for sure. The industry is really intense with crazy timelines and that can be a total drag. It helps that I have my own personal work. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced burn out from that. Drawing is my favorite thing to do. It's how I charge my batteries.

MB Can you please write us a short poem about Kanye?

Kanye West you are the best.

Aladdin had a purple vest.

Had I three wishes from a magical genie,

I'd use all three to see your weenie.

jk

MB Why do you make?

NS My happiness as a human being is wholly dependent on making things. It’s the best way to hold my fragile ego together. Also, I’m not good at much else.

[wemakepdx]

26—A Lettering Show

26 international, national and local letterers participate in a curated show presented by WeMake for the 2018 Portland Design Week. 

Thursday, April 19th in our headquarters at Tillamook Station

Each artist has been asked to used only three colors - black, metallic gold and WeMake orange -  to create a letter, a word or a phrase.  40 9x9 limited-edition prints, from each participating artist will be screen printed by Seizure Palace. Prints will be available for purchase with 100% of the proceeds going towards arts education. 

The event is part of WeMake’s Lettering Exploration celebrating Design Week. More on that soon!

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Joseph Alessio, San Francisco

Craig Black, UK

Pies Brand, Portland

Thomas Bradley, Portland

Colt Bowden, McMinnville

Mark Caneso, Austin

Anna Drivis, Sweden

Martina Flor, Berlin

Tobias Hall, UK

Josh Higgins, San Francisco

Jessica Hische, San Francisco

Dani Loureiro, Portland

Shauna Lynn, Orlando

Erik Marinovich, San Francisco

Masgrimes, Portland

Mary Kate McDevitt, Philadelphia

Hope Meng, San Francisco

Jordan Metcalf, Portland

Nick Misani, New York City

Gemma O’Brien, Australia

Kkade Schwarzmaler, Switzerland

Brett Stenson, Portland

Maia Then, British Columbia

Brian Patrick Todd, Louisville

Travis Wheeler, Portland

Zach Yarrington, Portland

[wemakepdx]

The handy work of Eric Nyffeler— our January sXc guest

"Every single texture I use is something that I made myself by hand. I've never even played with any sort of brush or texture pack or whatever they're called."  -- Eric Nyffeler

The art of local designer and illustrator Eric Nyffeler is unique in style and in process. His work is gritty (in a good way), textured, and colorful. With influences from mid-century design, the gig-poster era and the complexity of silk screened art, Eric has created a look that has garnered attention from an array of clients in the editorial world, the music industry, and beyond.

Please join us for our first sketchXchange of 2018

WHEN: Friday, January 5th, 2018 WHERE: 6-9pm at Tillamook Station COST: $15—Includes a limited edition silk-screened poster

Our photographer Rowan Bradley got an opportunity to visit Eric in his studio and I had a chance to ask him a few questions on process—check it out!

YPE Your work is layered with texture, and so representative of your style. Has it always been a key factor or something you have developed over time?

EN Texture and distress have always been an essential part of my work, pretty much from the first day of my first design class. I've never been able to fully explain why my brain responds so positively to it, but things never felt finished or complete to me until they had some wear and tear on them. Nothing feels better when building a composition or illustration, and then slowly working in the textures and distress—everything falls into place.

YPE How often do you create the textures in the computer verse by hand? If they are created by hand, do you have system/library of go to backgrounds and textures or do you create new ones each time?

EN Every single texture I use is something that I made myself by hand. I've never even played with any sort of brush or texture pack or whatever they're called. My process is definitely more time consuming, but I feel like the results speak for themselves and it’s worth the extra time and effort.

My main texturing process involves the usage of a couple of 20-30 year old copy machines, but I do have a handful of other texture tricks involving lacquer thinner, paint brushes, graphite, or any number of other dirt-ifying processes. While I have been slowly assembling an ever-growing library of my textures, patterns, and worn shapes that I use to expedite some steps or to fill out background areas, (if I have the time), I will always build the main/important areas with bespoke (lol, I've always wanted to use that word) textures.

YPE There is an underlining tone of playful mischief that runs through your work. Do you ever get resistance from clients or do they expect to see a trace of it in the work you do for them?

EN Thankfully I rarely have any pushback with my weirdness. At this point, it definitely seems like people seek me out for that exact reason and often ask me to push things even weirder. I guess it shouldn’t come as that much of a surprise when clients are paying me to draw robots or candy-colored skulls, they're going to have some sense of humor!

YPE What or who have been inspirations to you? 

EN The single biggest inspiration in my career and my work has been the friends and collaborators I’ve made in the gigposter/screenprinted poster scene, which can be directly traced back to the (sadly now defunct) Gigposters.com website. The sheer variety of techniques and styles and aesthetics and talents and personalities is truly jaw-dropping and it was guaranteed that I would learn something every single time I interacted or hung out with someone from that community. There is no motivation greater than being friends with people who are staggeringly more talented than yourself and kicking your own ass to try to keep up with them. Apart from that, I have found huge inspiration in a wide number of the classic mid-century designers, such as Herb Lubalin and Saul Bass, or Alain Grée and Charlie Harper.

YPE You work with so many colors when you’re setting up something to be silkscreened. Do you feel like you are pushing the limits to that process or are there ways you are challenging yourself to do so?

EN Compared to some of work that is being done in the poster world, my work is vastly less complex, that doesn't mean that I’m not still trying to push my own limits at making prints which are bolder, brighter and denser than anything I’ve previously made.

YPE Who would you like to design for and why? 

EN My number one bucket list band to work with would be Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I think I could make something perfectly dark and pretty with just enough of a sarcastic wink to it. As far as editorial clients go, I could die a happy man if I ever had a chance to draw something for National Geographic. Some of my earliest ever memories are thumbing open the yellow cover and instantly being transported all over the world. Also, someone needs to hire me to draw some beer labels for them! Who wouldn't want to drink a beer with some psychedelic colored space castle on it?!

YPE Why do you make?

EN Is there really a choice? It’s the only thing I really know how to do!

Eric has a client list that is long and impressive. He's worked with the likes of: AARP, Adweek, Airbnb, American Greetings, Austin City Limits/PBS, Bon Appétit Magazine, Bonnaroo, CBS Films, Earnest, ESPN, Facebook, Fast Company, Freehub Magazine, Hasbro, iHeartRadio, Mental Floss Magazine, Merge Records, Mondo, Nike, National Public Radio, Portland Art Museum, Target, University of North Carolina, The Washington Post, Whole Foods Market, Writer’s Chronicle

Andrew Bird, The Avett Brothers, The Black Keys, Dave Matthews Band, The Decemberists, Philip Glass, Gotye, The Head & The Heart, Iron & Wine, Mogwai, The Mountain Goats, Phish, The Roots, St. Vincent, Superchunk

And been featured in and or awarded by : Communication Arts, Print Magazine, IdN Magazine, Graphis, HOW Magazine, Society of Illustrators, American Illustration 35, Uppercase Magazine, DPI Magazine, Advanced Photoshop Magazine, The Fox is Black, Underconsideration, HOW, Design Work Life, FPO, Illustration Age, BLDGWLF, OMGPosters,: A Decade of Rock Art, Gig Posters: Volume 2, Playful Type 2, Rock Poster Art, Low Tech Print, Damn Good, Big Book of Green Design, 1000 Indie Rock Posters,  The Wall: Inside the Poster Studio, AIGA 365 Publication

We are thrilled to add Eric to our sketchXchange roster and can't wait to share the limited edition poster with attendees. Grab your spot now, space is limited.

[wemakepdx]

Asa Bree Sieracki Nail Workshop

Portland native Asa Bree Sieracki has always had a call for the wild creative. She started making jewelry and selling it online at the age of 14, and later worked as a make-up artist for MAC. Now her medium is of a smaller scale.

Asa is a nail art connoisseur at Fingerbang and she is in such high demand that many of her reservation books are closed. Elle Magazine named her a global influencer, and her work has been featured on MTV Australia, Nylon, Refinery29, and PopSugar. Her client list goes beyond her daily customers to include: Nike, Adidas, and Weiden + Kennedy. She is also a frequent contributor to industry standard magazines such as NailPro Magazine and Nails Magazine. When she is not painting small scale, she hand-paints leather jackets under the name Aces High Trading Company.

Asa took part in the WeMake Celebrates conference in October. She along with four other local entrepreneurs shared their story in a 5x5 format, five slides and five minutes. Of course she was amazing! As part of the conference Asa also had a workshop that brought attendees from all over the globe in to attend—from British Columbia, to New Orleans, Los Angeles, Florida and more. It was her first workshop, but she killed it!

Photos by Megan Gex. See more here!

[wemakepdx]

Alice in Wonderland

"​​​​​​​I have my dream job"  -- Alice Kendall

A rare bird.

WeMake has been hosting sketchXchange for 6 years, and we have never had a tattoo artists in. It was inspiring to hear about the path and process of local artist, Alice Kendall and to have her husband, William Kendall in as the moderator—another first! William was a natural at asking the questions, but of course, Alice stole the show.

The process of working with clients from design to tattooing is similar. You get a creative brief from the client, you research, you share initial ideas, and then you execute. The difference, tattoos are permanent. And with designing forever art, there's not much room for mistakes.  Finding a style and mastering the craft is what sets one tattoo artist apart from the other. And today, the art tattooing has changed dramatically, both in style and in culture.

With the help of William, Alice arraigned her process sketches from her early career (pencil drawings) to her present day work (all done exclusively on the ipad!). A sea of birds, florals, and the occasional mouse and other tidbits flowed into each other, creating a wave effect that cascaded over two large walls. A small portion of the show hung full colored originals.

Alice considers herself to be a collage artist. Tracing portions of things found in nature to keep the final drawings life-like, but taking liberties with the art to make the final pieces her own— detailed and intricate. She adds to the authenticity by taking her own photos whenever possible, instead of referencing the internet.

It was a beautiful night, a great show, and a nice way to ned a year of sketchXchange.  Check it out the recap below.

Tattooing from the heart. 

Sometimes it takes something tragic to began a new journey. That was the case for Alice Kendall of Wonderland Tattoo. It was a motorcycle accident that sparked her career, and helped her buy her first tattoo kit. Back then you didn't go to tattoo school, you got a gun from the classifieds in the back of a industry magazine, and you learned by apprenticing in a shop.  It was in San Fransisco that Alice started on her path, but it wasn't until she moved to Portland that her career began. You might say that when she decided to make the move, the stars aligned.

"I remember calling my friend Amanda who owned a tattoo parlor in Portland and leaving a message on her machine that I was ready to start working in the industry. Then I got a call from her the next day, she told me that I should come to Portland and start working with her. I asked if she got my message, but she had not, because they were vacationing in Mexico at the time. She just felt the urge to call me and invite me up. It was fate, or something, and then I moved to Portland."

Alice would work for Amanda and Paul for 14 years at Infinity Tattoo Parlor. At the time she often made her own needles and learned to tattoo on the spot. Infinity wasn't a flash shop, they did custom drawings, where walkins were always welcomed, something that doesn’t often happen today. 

When Alice left Infinity, she started Wonderland Tattoo and hired Alice Carrier as her first employee. On the day she opened, the shop was overwhelmed with callers, so much so that the phone lines went down. The response to the work she had been doing coupled by the work of Carrier, and their combined experience and style of botanical art would close their books for long runs from that day forward. Don't get me wrong, you can get in, but it is a process of applying and waiting, as most of the now five artists take on new clients every quarter. 

This feminine style of tattoo art has changed the way tattoo parlors were once perceived. Wonderland Tattoo embodies these changes, with a welcoming vibe and tattooists who want to get personal with you. For Alice it's a way of researching, and part of the process. They respect that tattoos are very personal, and sometimes a way of healing. 

" I think it's important to create an environment I am happy in as well as others. I want people to feel welcomed, and I want to hear their stories—its part of being intuitive in the process. I try to create a safe space were people can trust me, I don't want people to feel intimidated with the experience."

  Alice has created a rarity in Wonderland. Designing form the heart and making it a mission to give back to the community. They host pop-up fundraisers throughout the year, and make opportunities to form relationships with local non-profits. For instance working with the Audubon Society, or launching a project where they will be able to provide free cover-ups for people who have tattoos related to drug use, sex work, or violence.

Take a stepdown the hole into Wonderland, a place where science meets art, and the art lasts forever.

Alice Kendal on Instagram

Wonderland on Instagram

See more photos on our Flickr page

[wemakepdx]

RECAP: Design Week Portland 2017

It's seams like forever ago that we were in full Design Week mode. We of course went a little over board again with two awesome events. Our first event was a collaboration with the Portland Art Museum. We hosted the bad ass designer and illustrator, Tuesday Bassen for a super sketchXchange, moderated by Lisa Congdon and had over 200 people in for the talk. Tuesday spoke about when she first realized she was not content on doing work in other styles for jobs she didn't care much for, and how out of her frustration she drew up a little piece that basically said, Fuck it, and then posted it to Instagram. Turns out she was on to something and her audience loved it. From there she developed a rebel style that resonated with many people, and caught the attention of fashion giant Zara who plagiarized 15 pieces of her trademarked work and created replicas of her pins and patches to sell worldwide. When Tuesday became aware of the Zara fakes, she stood up for herself and fought them. She's still in the battle, but Zara has since pulled the merchandise from their shelves.

What I respect about Tuesday is her tenacity, and her go-for-it attitude. She is a young woman that knows what she wants. From opening her own shop to developing a line of clothing. Her newest venture is creating jeans for women from a size 3-33, an undertaking that takes a lot of courage and moxie. At the age of age of 26, Tuesday is still finding out what she wants, but she's doing so with style.

Two days later we paid tribute to the pin game game community with a gallery and fundraiser called, Pin That Shit! We knew that enamel pins were a craze, but we really had no idea that we would have over 60 artists participate and 600 pins for sale. The turnout across the board, from talent to the amount of people that showed up and bought pins was awesome! After lots of rain, the clouds parted and we even had some sun!

Pin That Shit! was a sweet event of small wonders. We raised over $3500 towards arts education and awarded our neighborhood school Boise Elliot $1500 to help fund their arts and music programs. We could not have done it without the help of the community, far and wide. All of the pin designs were amazing but we awarded a few stand outs for fun.

Above photos by WeMake photographer Alyse Gilbert

The Best in Show Award went to Figure 8 Creative  for their collection of feminism pins. The concepts were cheeky, relevant, and fun. And they really took the time to design the packaging in an elegant way. 

The Punch Pin Award went to Mike Aknin of the Good Hustle Company for his hip-hop urban style that sang proud and powerful all over.

The Fun Flair Award went to Indonesian artists Martcellia Liunic of Liunic On Things She submitted 20 handmade pins that were mind blowing, each one a small piece of art carefully designed and showcasing an array of style.

The Pinography Award went to local designer Danielle McCoy for her typographic driven pin that also sent a message of unity. It was clever and spot on.

Lastly, The Pintastic Award went to Bill Bubenik of Westpark Creative. His pins were cute as a button with a bite. They were also displayed on beautiful letterpress cards that simple balanced each pin design.

Above Photos by Brian McDonnell

I want to also give a shout out to The Taco Peddlar for making some awesome street tacos, Design Week Portland for putting together a platform where we could participate once again, and our amazing WeMake Team for really rallying to make both events a huge success.

See more photos here and here!

[wemakepdx]

Pin That Shit! A Creative Affair to Show Off Your Flair

Please join WeMake in an open house and fundraiser for arts education. 

Pin that Shit! A Creative Affair to Show Off Your Flair is a gallery showcase of enamel pins from across the globe. The collection of pins will be up for sale to help support our mission of design-in-action and giving back to the community. Collector items, a pin swap, and hands-on making will take place.

We encourage attendees to Show Off Your Flair at the event! 

[wemakepdx]

RECAP_A DDC LOGO WORKSHOP

"The greatest marks are built as good as the look. Solid, logical, geometry, and precise math and spacing."  -- Draplin

A DDC Workshop

Last month we had the pleasure to host a local favorite, Aaron Draplin . If you have ever had the opportunity to hear Aaron speak, you know that he is full of inspiration and design. We got this in the workshop, and so much more. Aaron not only dropped insights, he also opened up his files to share and created a special syllabus for each attendee. Needless to say, it was epic.

The five hour workshop was filled with goodness. Attendees sketched, refined, learned a few DDC tips & tricks. They learned the importance of keeping things live, how to dupe, revise, and repeat, and the why documenting your thought process along the way is so important.

We will be collaborating with Aaron again for another logo workshop, so stay tuned, you won't want to miss it!

[wemakepdx]

Is it time you got involved?

WeMake, a 501(C)(3) nonprofit arts organization based in Portland, OR is seeking a creative professional to join our Executive Board as the Treasurer. The Treasurer is assigned the primary responsibility of overseeing the management and reporting of WeMake's finances. 

The ideal candidate comes from a creative background. You don't have to be an accountant, however good project or account managing and producer skills is a plus. As a board member you have vital input in strategizing the planning of our yearly events with the executive team. You'll also have opportunities to share your skills in other capacities if you would like to, however you would not be committed to working on sub-teams, planning for events, or attending all of the events. WeMake plans a total of 8-10 events a year, including our annual fundraiser and design conference WeMake Celebrates.

Your role- To keep WeMake's finances in order, pay bills, manage budgets, provide regular profit and loss reports, stay on top of our bank account, provide financial transaction oversight, and be the main liaison between WeMake and our contract accountant who manages our tax preparations and nonprofit status. Monthly board meeting attendance will be required, along with providing a short treasurer’s report. Position starts January 3rd, 2016, and the commitment is two years minimum. 

Benefits to the position- WeMake is a respected leader in the Portland design community. We are a grassroots organization, that is process and community-first driven. There is no membership fees to attend our happenings, and our team, including the executive team are non-paid volunteers. We are passionate about supporting the design and art community and giving back through design-in-action. Over the last five years WeMake has featured over 500 makers and raised over $50,000 to support the mission of arts education. What started as a passion project remains so today. Being a part of the WeMake team gives you a platform to make a difference in your community. It also gives you up-close access to inspirational workshops, speakers, and a collaborative team that cultivates creativity and encourages making the things we want to be making.

To apply, please send your resume to hi@wemakepdx.com. We want to know why you are interested in applying, and what are your passions. 

Thank you!

[wemakepdx]

EXPRESS YOURSELF—A Flash Artshow

We want to hug each and everyone of you and invite you to join us on Sunday November 20th to Express Yourself with art. We are taking all submissions to hang in a gallery show and to share your feelings with others who are feeling impacted by the election results. We will have positive vibes, beverages, and snacks for everyone. We hope you can make it! If you don't live in Portland you can send a digital file too! We will project the images in a slide show.

Please share this and find out more about the event on our facebook page.

[wemakepdx]

RECAP—Playing with type, A workshop with Mark Caneso

We like letters and words, and words that go both ways that make us laugh and go wow! That's what type designer and letterer Mark Caneso does so flawlessly. We were so excited to have Mark teach a lettering class with us at WeMake Celebrates, especially since he also designed the Process is Golden type that set helped to set the vibe for this years conference, and is totally awesome!

A few examples of mark's anagrams.

About 40 people attended the workshop on late, and lazy Saturday afternoon. The class was focused on exercises to get everyone's brains thinking about the process of working with the letterform.  There was introduction to parameter based drawing and how to look at words from all angles. Attendees took part in drawing over other peoples work where they set rules for how they wanted things done.  This was a challenge but also created a fun collaborative experience.

In the end people where introduced to working with Anagrams. There were some fun results. I still don't know how he makes it seem so easy, but he does!

Check out more photos from the workshop here. 

[wemakepdx]

Process is Golden Tote

Metallic Gold Silkscreened Tote, big enough to carry all your things, and lite enough to not weigh you down. The type was designed by letterer and typographer Mark Caneso for our WeMake Celebrates 2016 conference. Grab them while they last and look good and old school when your about town!

Process is Golden...like a good leisure suit.

[wemakepdx]

Behind the Scenes—WeMake Celebrates 2016, Process is Golden

Making requires a process. A commitment to the art is a journey, a rhythmic dance that plays out over time. Sometimes you need a friend to help take you there. Sometimes you have to take risks and walk on the wild side. It’s the steady pulse of the beat that pushes you towards the end result, and the golden process that transforms thoughtful movements to create a final score. 

We're still coming down from last Friday's conference WeMake Celebrates— a gathering of creative makers whose stories of process unfolded on the stage throughout the day. For us it was huge process to get there, and worth every minute. Putting on a conference is not only an adrenaline high, but also a journey that begins with commitment, strategy, and a lot of elbow grease. WeMake Celebrates has always been a big celebration of our work and our community. It's a platform to fundraise for arts education and to keep us sustainable. We couldn't do it without the support of so many people and the community of awesome collaborators! 

This year's theme, Process is Golden reminded us to keep it old school, and to always remember to take the necessary steps towards the end goal. Because it is about the journey, and the journey can be messy, it can be frustrating, and testing. But it's also the place where we can discover different ways of thinking, new ways of making, and be delighted by the simplest moments and outcomes. For those of you who attended, we thank you for your support and we hope you left feeling as inspired as we did. 

As mentioned before, there are a lot of moving pieces and people behind the scenes that helped to make this year a success and a day full of inspiration. I want to thank these amazing makers for making it happen, and for celebrating Portland's creative community with us. 

The WeMake Crew: Alise Munson, Clay Walsh, Amy Frazer, Celestia Grace, Megan Gex, Susie Morris, Daniel Cole, and Andrew Eastman. A special thank you to all of the day of volunteers too!

Our Emcee: Lisa Congdon

All the folks who helped us Play in the Mezzanine:  The Artists Drawing Booth— Kinoko Evans, Alex Despain, Maggie Wauklyn, Nicole Andrijauskas, Dominic Devenuta, Adrienne Vita, Violet Reed, Guy Burwell, Karalie Juraska, and Amy Kuttab

Interactive fun with: Mike Orhan Silkscreening, Jeremy Pair Photography, and Instrument

The Event Logo Type: Mark Caneso

The Graphics: The Study crew who designed all of the event graphics, and videos for social media.

Our recycled pencil cases!: Jessica Caldwell of Make/Mend

Our Sponsors: Adobe, Weiden+Kennedy, The Study, Swift Collective, Creative Circle, Scout Books, Sokol Blosser, and Widmer Brothers

Our in-kind sponsors that hooked us up with swag and other elements: Axiom, Alexandria Cummings Ceramics, KIND, Kiriko, North Drinkware, Omero Cellars, Portland Monthly Magazine, Red Bull, Tanner Goods, West Coast Papers, Mohawk Papers, and The Goodwell Company.

We hope to see you all next year for another amazing day where we play, learn, and make. Be sure to check out the formal recap coming soon!

Stay Golden Maker! Yvonne

[wemakepdx]

Into the Wild with Sam Larson

Sam Larson is a Portland based illustrator and designer who's unique style captures a glimpse into America's past. His ink illustrations are filled with details that embrace complex and meticulous attention. Sometimes the artwork is no bigger than a penny, with elaborate scenes entwined within scenes—telling stories of wanderers and native American animals. His work also focuses on lettering, whether with a brush or pen. In either case his it garners attention worldwide, and sometimes it even get's ripped off. 

Having Sam in to share his process was awesome, but inviting his friend Nathan Yoder in to moderate the talk was priceless. Nathan and Sam once shared a home and a workspace, so it was natural that their talk unfolded like friends having a conversation. We were lucky to witness and get an up-close look into the process Sam uses to create. He is a super down to earth guy and Portland is lucky to have him.