Blog
April 17th, 2015
Already 2015 is shaping up to be a year of new projects and lots of changes—I have a barrage of new things to share with you, but rather than bombard you with everything all at once, I’ll stick to just a couple for now. For one thing, I’m excited to announce that a selection of my prints and stationery is part of the Shoppe collection at Scoutmob! So these days my normal stack of packages leaving the studio each week has gotten considerably taller.
Scoutmob is a curated online marketplace of goods by independent makers all over the country. Everything on Scoutmob is made by artist-entrepreneurs—small businesses run by makers like me. So when they invited me to be a part of the collection, I felt like I was in good company. I’m inspired by the diversity of goods being made by independent artists—Scoutmob has everything from cards to art to jewelry to housewares to food and drink—and the collection is constantly changing and being updated. So whether you’re new to Scoutmob, or you’re a seasoned shopper looking for new favorites, stop by my Shoppe!
In other news, I’ve been selected for a Tacoma Artist Initiative Program (TAIP) funding award from the Tacoma Arts Commission! This is the second time I’ve been funded by the Arts Commission (the first time was for my Local Conditions artist book)—and this time I’ll be creating a new body of work called Farm to Table.
As you can see above, I’ve been interested in agricultural imagery for some time, and the subject has been creeping into my work for years. This time, though, I’ll be focusing an entire series of illustrations on local, sustainable farming. I’ll be developing a collection of prints and cards in the next two years, and the project will culminate in a solo exhibition in October 2016. Look for more info and new images soon!
December 16th, 2014
Every day this month I’ve brought a stack of packages like this to the post office, fulfilling orders and sending my goods to every corner of the country and beyond. Normally this is the week that the orders taper off, as folks finish off their Christmas list or the holiday USPS deadline looms. This year, though, the orders are still coming in thus far, at an astonishing rate that keeps me busy the whole day, every day.
So I just wanted to pause a moment to say thank you—for your support for what I do, for your support of small and local businesses like mine, and of artisans of every stripe who make their living from what they create. I can’t begin to express what that means to me—except to keep making things, in the hope that it’ll mean something to you, too.
September 1st, 2014
For those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile, you’ve probably noticed the change of decor around here. Well, more than that, really—this website has been completely overhauled from stem to stern (big thanks to Erik and Kevin for making that happen!). And it’s not just because I needed a change of pace—I did it to mark an occasion.
Anagram Press, my little business and studio moniker, is now ten years old. Ten! I can’t believe I’ve been doing this for a decade already—it still feels like I’ve only just started. (It definitely feels like I’m still figuring things out!) 2004 doesn’t seem so long ago to me, but I didn’t even have a website then—nor even a studio space to call my own. I spent the first few years balancing my work with a day job, and only went full-time with my business after a cross-country move to start over in a place where I didn’t know anybody. (Pro tip: that is the absolute hardest way to start a business.) Yet somehow, it worked out, and here I am, happily drawing and painting and printing away, as ever.
No matter how much time has gone by, or how much experience I’ve gained, my business would be nothing if not for you. Some of you have been along for the ride since the very beginning—others have happened here just recently (welcome!). As a little thank-you for your support, I’ve set up a coupon code for my new online shop: 10% off all letterpress prints and cards,* through the end of September. To use the coupon, add your item(s) to your card, then simply enter the code “tenyears” on the Shopping Cart page and hit the “Apply Coupon” button.
Thank you so much for joining me on this little journey of mine—I can’t wait to see what the next ten years will bring.
* The fine print: coupon is only good on items in the “letterpress prints” and “cards & stationery” categories. Does not apply to tax or shipping. Expires on September 30, 2014.
December 16th, 2013
I’m packaging up a huge stack of prints and cards today—tomorrow is the holiday shipping deadline, so get your orders in quick! The shop closes tomorrow, December 17 at 4 pm PST.
October 17th, 2011
You already know that I have a thing for hidden, quiet spaces tucked away within large cities. So imagine my delight when Jessica turned me onto this place.
Bell’occhio has quickly become my favorite (and most regularly visited) haunt in San Francisco. It’s easy to miss—it’s just a few steps off of the main drag of Market Street, but the little lane upon which it’s situated is so quiet that it seems transplanted from a different era.
The feeling doubles as soon as you step foot inside the shop. The place is a living, breathing Kunstkammer, with all manner of beautiful odds and ends you never knew you so desperately needed.
My favorite part, though, is the overall presentation. All her inventory is kept in baskets, drawers and wooden cabinets, like a Victorian general store. Each price tag is hand-calligraphed in flowing script. And whenever you purchase something (and I just dare you to visit and not buy something!), your items are packed in vellum envelopes and muslin drawstring bags. Which just about makes me swoon.
The owner, Claudia Schwartz, was very kind to let me take a few photos and spread the word about the place. She opened Bell’occhio in 1988, but now that this sort of aesthetic is all the rage again, I’m sure she runs a huge risk of having her ideas lifted by copycats. Ever walk into an Anthropologie? I’m pretty sure they stole their whole schtick from her. So Claudia, thank you for allowing me to share your world.
Now, whenever I return to San Francisco, I have a separate Bell’occhio budget—as crazy as that sounds. It’s the one recommendation I can offer if you’re going to come here. Otherwise, this place will have you impulse-buying before you can say, “I’ll take three of those!”
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