Fake Museums Rock

I recently went to see my friend Mary Anne Kluth's amazing show at Frey Norris Gallery in San Francisco that includes watercolors, ceramic rocks, detailed dioramas, and photographs in the style of a museum exhibit. Everything is so thoughtfully done, beautifully crafted with painstaking detail, and with a little bit of quirk. Just a few of the many, many pieces on view:




Iceland a Raindrop of Lava
C-print on aluminum


I really love these painted ceramic wood stumps!



Chunk of Wood Shaped, a Cross Section Out of a Tree, with Crystals Inside, Different Colors 1 and 2
glazed ceramic, cone 06


And this is just a really awesome looking rock!

Because of These Reaction Rings
Watercolor and graphite on paper

I really do hope you will check out the show - it is up until August 27th, so scurry yourself over there before it closes!! :)

San Diego Bicycle Fashion Showcase

The San Diego Custom Bicycle Show has come and gone - It was a fun, hectic, chaotic weekend. We set up our booth on Thursday night, with the show open through the weekend.
The bike and fashion showcase took place on Saturday.

Fittings for the models (mostly bike builders) took place in B.Spoke Tailor's booth

Penny farthing! The original fixie.

I attempted to take photos of the actual show, but my camera really doesn't do action shots, but you can check out  some show photos by Jeff Thrasher on Flickr, and photos of some of the bikes at the show on VeloCult's site (thanks to them for hosting the afterparty!).

Bike and Fashion Showcase

Sorry for the hiatus everyone! It's been a busy year and I can't believe it's already April! I've been helping organize the Bike and Fashion Showcase, taking place at the San Diego Custom Bicycle Show next weekend.

All you bike enthusiasts should definitely check it out if you're  in the area! The fashion show takes place on Friday night at 5pm and will feature a variety of custom bicycles and bike fashions by mostly independent designers. Should be a fun time!

Red Cake at Oakland Art Murmur

Happy new year everyone! Visit us at Red Cake's first event of 2011 during Oakland Art Murmur next Friday!

477 25th St, Oakland, CA (between Broadway + Telegraph)

Friday, February 4, 2011, 6 to 9 pm

We will have a selection of art, jewelry, and other small goods for sale, like Maureen Shield's Untitled collage below (at only $50!)

The event takes place at new 25th St. Collective space in thriving downtown Oakland, with many other local artisans and designers hawking their wares. We can accept cash and checks only at this event.

Hope to see you there!

Design Made Easy

I just learned about a pretty awesome company, Garmz - fashion designers submit their sketches, users vote on the designs, and if you garner enough votes, they produce the garment to sell on their site! It's like Threadless, but goes way beyond tees. I am totally addicted to the site!

This tailcoat was one of the designs that will be produced. The price is 109 euros (about $145) - which is pretty reasonable. I am excited to see more from Garmz...I think it's a great idea and hope that they stick around.

Vietnamese Handicrafts

As mentioned earlier, I recently returned from a trip to Vietnam and Hong Kong. We did a 2-day hike through the Northern Vietnam highlands in Sapa , through villages of Hmong ethnic minorities, who make some very lovely crafts - especially intricate embroidery.

Hmong women in traditional clothing

Detail of Hmong embroidery

They make their own fabric (from the harvesting the hemp, weaving the fabric, and dying it with indigo) - and make clothes, bags, and scarves. We went to the Ethnology Museum in Hanoi, which had extensive exhibits of the many ethnic minorities, their culture, and their crafts. I highly recommend this museum - if it's the only one you go to in Hanoi, this is it. We spent over 4 hours here, and they have an excellent gift shop with a great selection of crafts and good prices (without haggling!). Woot.

Postcard Show

Howdy everyone! Sorry for the long hiatus - still recovering from jet lag from a trip to Hong Kong and Vietnam..but more on that later...

For those of you in the SF Bay Area, please check out The Lab's Postcard Show this Saturday - lots of small format art, wearables and cool stuff made by local artists and crafters - and the best part, nothing costs over $30! And for the first time this year, there will be a Mini Market, with small format edibles, of which I am participating with my baby caramel apples.