Simplification. And Saturday.

This is my only personal blog now. Simplifying things so that I have less to manage, the design, beer & pdx adventures are all rolled into one. Aaahhhhh.

co-bosses: fearless leaders of the pdxbeergeeks

I'll still be posting beer related items as the co-founder of PDX Beer Geeks... and I still reign as the resident Beer Geek at Portland Rules! but this makes my life so much more enjoyable!

Simplifying the shop space is really feeling like the right move, and I can't wait to get rid of some pieces of furniture, move things around, clear things out... I stall a little here and there (like here, here - blogging instead of doing) but every so often I feel like I have to sit down and revisit my list of things to do - staying on track is requiring an immense amount of mental focus. This is something that I really need to practice - following through and not getting distracted when things get boring or tough. So far though, I'm happy that the original focus of design & beer has remained steady... I am enjoying the distillation of those things into the most important aspects to me, and the throwing overboard of things that are too time consuming, both physically & emotionally, is feeling right.

OG beer geeks... mmcooljam, Jared, Doug, Lance & me

Spent a little bit of time at the Oregon Brewers Festival yesterday with some great people. I'd missed the opening night Thursday because of that damn migraine, and then yesterday we were fortunate to finish up in time to head down before picking the kids up... we busted ass in the garage to get room for the vintage shop/estate sale stuff next weekend... and of course the usual errands like Costco, a little laundry, and minimal housekeeping result in a weekend that is too quickly gone... I'll plan another quiet night to avoid reamplification of the ongoing (and quite pesky) headache.

Lance, me & Doug

photo by mmcooljam: geeking out over my next move

Beers tried at the Oregon Brewers Festival:
(Top Five are **)
10 Barrel Zitrone Kolsch: lemon fizz
Boundary Bay Double Dry Hopped Glacier Pale Ale: Coors Light - esque
**Caldera Brewing Co Hop Hash: delicious, well balanced & super hoppy
**Elysian Brewing Idiot Sauvin: fantastic beer. Great flavor with the Nelson Sauvin hops.
**Lagunitas Lil Sumpin' Wild: tasted like a blend of Belgian + IPA, nice body, great flavor.
Laht Neppur Brewing Co Peach Hefeweizen: Thankfully I did not pay to get this in my cup. Terrible.
Mad River Brewing Co Jamaica Sunrise ESB: I really liked this one, a little earthy, a little citrusy.
**Mt Emily Wildfire Red Ale: Liked this alot, came across sweeter than I expected, but delicious.
Natian Brewery CuDA Cascadian Dark Ale: This was tasty.
**The Prodigal Son Bruce/Lee Porter: lovely coffee espresso notes, not too watery or chompy.
Terminal Gravity TG Pale: The line was long for this one, and the line wasn't worth it. Standard.
Widmer Bros Foggy Bog Cranberry Ale: Tart. Not bad, but not something I'd voluntarily purchase. Glad (again) that I didn't pay for this in my cup.

Plucky Maidens Junk Fest!

Been working with Maria of Collage PDX and my sweet friend Pammy of One Gal's Trash to create postcards and posters based on their sketches... It's been a blast, and if you're in town, you should put this event on your calendar. These girls know how to throw a party!

Roses! More Roses!

i made these roses. if you like them, please credit my work!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, what better option for a paper artist like me to have than full creative input on someone's wedding?! Someone whose vision seems to be so perfectly aligned that every email you send or receive elicits an "OMGITOTALLYLOVETHISIDEA!" Well, kids, that's me. I get to work with an AWESOME bride, and I cannot be happier. For the current pins I've made on her Wedding Board, visit my Pinterest page...

We're using vintage paper and fabric in tones of black, tan, and cream throughout, including bouquet, boutonnieres,  ceiling decorations, a chuppah (Jewish wedding altar), table centerpieces, and chair decorations. I am in hog heaven with this project!!!

There will be minimal updates on this wedding to keep some of the magic and surprise under wraps until November... But suffice it to say, I cannot be happier.

*Casey, if you're reading this, I love you, girl.*

Lantern Brewing: Design Progress

I can only assume from the mildly sporadic communication from Chris that he's busily brewing and attending to official business in anticipation of his Farmer's Market Debut in Seattle on June 3rd.

Meanwhile, I've designed and ordered this banner for use on his tent setup. I'm really rather pleased with how it turned out, if you must know. 8 feet of linear sunshine ready to announce delicious beer. Fo' sheezy.

Carlsberg's new Gender-Neutral Beer Campaign...

This is the new "gender neutral" beer design from Carlsberg:

From an article at Time: "The beer ensures lager loving ladies (and their metro-sexual counterparts) won't get left behind. And with its sleek design and "natural ingredients" of wheat malt and rice, who can resist? Dubbed "Copenhagen", the beer has just 4.5% alcohol and is branded for a sophisticated and international jet-set audience."We can see that there are a number of consumers, especially women, who are very aware of design when they choose beverage products. There may be situations where they are standing in a bar and want their drinks to match their style. In this case, they may well reject a beer if the design does not appeal to them," says Jeanette Elgaard Carlsson, International Innovation Director at Carlsberg." (Time Newsfeed)

Seriously? Is this a joke? 

Why does this bother me so much? I'm absolutely confused. As I wrote in the comments section on Holy Kaw:


"This bothers me to no end. I haven't been able to fully express or even grasp the multitude of reasons why I have such an adverse reaction to the new "gender neutral" beer as being women-friendly - in some ways, the assertion that women might want a beer that "matches their style" is at best a veiled insult to women who drink beer that is both well crafted and delicious, despite whether the flavor profile is "light and refreshing" or a heady Eisbock. I'm baffled. Are we, as women, supposed to be excited that someone at Carlsberg is looking out for us and has thought enough to market a beer in a generic looking label in a clear bottle that might not clash with our shoes?!? Women drinking beer are only as hindered by beer design and beer being a "man's" arena as their experiences allow them to be. Women were the original brewmistresses! Why is there even an agitation towards gender neutral beer in the first place? If one wishes to support breweries who don't "target dudes with bikini-clad sexpots," then make an informed choice at the beer counter and choose local, craft beers. End of story. It doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman, or what the label looks like. To assume that Carlsberg's "gender-neutral" campaign is anything more than another sly marketing attempt is both naive and ill-postured." 

Now, it might be because I'm fairly comfortable with beer that I've never felt shy about what beer I'm drinking because the label might not look good with my purse. I like to drink it, brew it, think about it, and talk about it. Please, fill me in if I'm missing something. Are women all over the world really a) supposed to buy into this and b) that insecure about a freaking drink? C'mon.

I'm all for choosing local, micro, craft & nano brews for a multitude of reasons, just one of which is the choice against big brands like Budweiser and Coors who actively market *to* boobs using boobs. If you choose your beer based on tit-size of the model slopping themselves over race cars and spilling out of bikinis, then I guess you deserve what's in your can. But this seems like a board room conversation on equal par with the skin-led ads! It doesn't matter what gender, age, or size you are. Just drink good beer.

Wooo hoooo! Approved!

So excited, y'all. Got word today that the labels I've been working on with Chris of Lantern Brewing have been approved by the TTB! (That's the federal office which makes rules about labels on booze and beer. Now you know.)

For those who don't appreciate the requisite attention to miniscule detail when creating labels for *actual* distribution, let me just assure you - it's enough to make you crazy. However, as Chris so cleverly pointed out, we are now Level 2 TTB Submission Ninjas. 38 days, people, of emails sent back and forth, tweaking the design, original drawings, a logo created from a photo of the *real* lantern that lives at the brewery in Greenwood-Phinney in Seattle...

The final push was teeny tiny adjustments to make sure that the wording comes out at the right size when scaled to the actual label size - 2 mm, folks. 2 mm is what the TTB wants to see for the Government Warning and the lowercase letters on the required information on a beer label. This is fo' realz. The genuine article. And I am so proud to say that Chris (who is my older brother) rocks it as a design client, too.

Now, the long awaited result: these can be printed and set lovingly upon bottles of awesome beer, and sold at the farmers' market starting June 3rd. Follow Lantern Brewing on Facebook, visit the web, and encourage more tweets for further information! More work to come on those sites, and updates about where Lantern Brewing can be found in Seattle!

Beer is Culture...

I just now emailed my art off to Sixpoint in Brooklyn, NYC... This is my submission to the Sixpoint Ales "Beer is Culture" Art & Design Exhibition 2011! To see more about it, visit their Facebook page, and please vote for your favorite. It'd be swell if it was me!

Tuesday notes... What's to wear?

I made an effort today - to wear something psuedo professional. Y'know, instead of my usual lumberjack garb... and, I don't have on Uggs! I might freeze, but dang it, I am wearing my fancy little flats from New York today.

Of course, all my stuff is uber inexpensive, cause I am notoriously cheap when it comes to clothing. Like, really bad. Ridiculously bad. I like old t-shirts and hoodies and Clinton & Stacy would have a hey day with me. I don't do dry cleaning. And I don't iron. I think about half my wardrobe came from the two college aged daughters of one of my coworkers. What, is that bad?

I have on Gap jeans, a Gap tank (which I got from a clothing trade here at work), a grey shift cardigan, (I think I found it at the Rack before we went to New York last year), a yellow "pashmina" scarf (found in NYC at the shows - 3 for $10) and my black patent loafers that I found in NYC at Filenes. On sale. This is what my outfit looks like, but these pieces are all insanely priced.

41211 Outfit by Emily Engdahl featuring a cashmere cardigan

Now, I will also say this: I *hate* going clothes shopping, and I *hate* spending money on jeans. I know, I know, it's totally weird. But I get most of my clothes super on sale or at thrift stores/resale shops. I hardly ever buy jeans brand new (also in part due to the fact that I seem to always be needing different sizes). I think I'm dressed for about  $80.00 total, including my necklace today, which was a gift from my sweet friend Shana at Cookoorikoo. 

My beautiful necklace from Cookoorikoo

I must say, I am crossing my fingers that no old men will ask me when my baby is due today. That was really harsh. (Dude, I'm not pregnant, it must be this down plaid vest?!?) I look less fluffy than I did yesterday when that occured. Or at least I hope I do.  

Here's to Tuesday, not dressing like a lumberjack, and still staying warm during the weird Portland weather. 

Interview #4........ ooooooooo it's one of my favorites!

Paragraph Cove. Whenever I ponder this name, I think of Beatles-esque comma submarines floating with parentheses seaweed, ampersand sea lions, and graphic background water. Paragraph Cove... It evokes thoughts of peaceful patterns and nostalgic papers. The name is clever & the girl behind the work is a crackerjack with paper. Minuscule notebooks, envelopes and stationery sets from recycled materials, and cunning mini-zines... Her blog is impeccable. Her Etsy shop is ultra cute.

 Meet Esther. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Esther this June when I created the PDX Progressive Shop Hop and she is an absolute delight. Hardworking, sweet, and funny, Esther has inimitable style and an eye for design. I'm constantly floored at the stationery she creates, and the vision she shares on her blog. Here, she gives us the low-down on what goes on in her world.

1. Have you lived and/or traveled to many places? What is your favorite place to be? 

 

I grew up in Salem, OR.  When I was 23 I moved to Oakland to attend California College of the Arts.  Two and a half years later I decided to move back to Oregon.  I missed my family and wide-open spaces.  My mom found me a job on the coast and I moved into her little house in Wheeler.

2. How long have you been in your current location? What do you love most about being there? 

 

The move to Wheeler was supposed to be temporary, but I fell in love with the quiet coastal community. I’ve lived here for two years.  Every day I’m blown away by the gorgeous landscape – mountains, river, ocean, elk, killdeer, great blue herons…

3. What is your design/craft aesthetic & philosophy? 

 

My stationery line is a mix of past and present.  The materials evoke a sense of nostalgia while the designs are clean and modern.  

 

 

4. What tools & products in your studio could you not live without? Do you have a favorite? 

 

My tools and materials include: discarded books, found paper, scissors, templates, pencils, ruler, and a paper cutter.  One of my favorite tools is my pair of scissors with non-stick blades.

5. What experiences do you see in your life as it relates to your craft? 

When I moved back to Oregon I left behind some really good friends.  I sent them handmade cards and envelopes to keep in touch.  They encouraged me to market my designs.  

 

6. Complete this sentence: "When I'm in my studio/workspace/creative space, I feel (or think) _______________________." 

 

I feel inspired and motivated.  I’m usually wondering how long my cat, Ramsey, will let me work until he climbs onto my table to get some attention.

7. When you're stuck or facing a tough decision, what creative inspiration do you look to? How do you combat "creative block?"

 

When I need a creative boost I visit thrift stores in search of materials, go to concerts in Portland, visit my favorite blogs, and/or go for a walk in the woods.

8. If there were a soundtrack to the movie "A Day in the Life of YOU" what would it include? 

 

The Byrds, Drew Grow & the Pastors’ Wives, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Kelli Schaefer, and Donovan

9. If you could visit the studio of any craftsperson/artist/designer (present day or historical) who would it be and why? 

 

I’d like to hang out with artist and author, Sabrina Ward Harrison.  I’ve been a fan of her for years.  Her work is so raw and honest.  When in search of inspiration I crack open one of her books.  

 

10. If you could have been born in any other time period, what period would you choose, and why (or how do you think it most suits your sensibilities and personality)? 

 

I would’ve loved to be around during the late sixties.  I’m really drawn to the music, fashion, interior design, and art made during that time period.  My favorite books to convert to stationery are printed in the late sixties. 

 

 

Don't hesitate to visit Esther's blog & Etsy shop. All things Paragraph Cove can be found here:

 

Paragraph Cove Blog

 

Paragraph Cove Etsy

psst. Paragraph Cove is on facebook & twitter, too... 

@ParagraphCove

Interview #3: Thomas Malcom Cook: Artist

Tom Cook has been in the periphery of my life for many, many years. In fact, I cannot remember a time when Tom, one of my older brother's best friends, has not been around! Tom has a classic spirit; timeless and energetic, he creates a rich and warm life with those whom he surrounds himself. When not painting, Tom builds, enjoys his friends, and generally finds adventure wherever he goes.

His paintings, showcased in many exhibitions and solo shows, are raw expressions of his visions of life. Tom says about his art: "My ultimate goal with my work is to create paintings which prompt the viewer to personally decipher whether the images depicted are simple abstractions, or whether they tell a story. Layering, outlining, overlapping, and transparency are all elements I use as the vocabulary of a painting." 

You can see more of Mr. Cook's art on his website, at selected exhibitions, or keep an eye out and about for his paintings, as featured in Converse and Nintendo commercials filmed in Portland.

1. Have you lived and/or traveled to many places? What is your favorite place to be?



-I am not well traveled, but the memories of the places I have visited are some of my fondest memories. I don't have a favorite place. It changes all the time. One of my favorite places is my aunt Shirley's house in San Jose, CA.

2. How long have you been in your current location? What do you love most about being there?

-I've lived in my house off and on for the last 38 years. It is my family home, inherited from my father. I love that there are lots of cozy places throughout the house to read, nap, or entertain.

3. What is your design/craft aesthetic & philosophy?
 
-Good question. I've never really thought about this. I was trained by instructors from the Abstract Expressionist school, and that influenced my work for sure. I think most of my paintings are, at their base, about energy, rhythms and relationships between elements I use as subject matter.

4. What tools & products in your studio could you not live without? Do you have a favorite?

-That is a toss up between my squirt bottle, and compressed charcoal. Both have gotten me out of many jams in the studio, one softens a painting and the other hardens it. Current favorite item is clear gel medium. It changes all the time though.

5. What trends/experiences do you see in your life as it relates to your craft?

-Every work is in a way a self portrait of some aspect of my personally or what is currently going on in my world. I wouldn't say that I do this on purpose, but it is definitely a factor.

6. Complete this sentence: "When I'm in my studio/workspace/creative space, I feel (or think) ___aware____________________."

7. When you're stuck or facing a tough decision, what creative inspiration do you look to? How do you combat "creative block?"
 
-I often look to other artists for inspiration. It always seems like someone else is creating some really amazing things and that inspires my work. I battle the block by painting. It doesn't matter what it is or even if it looks good. If I keep working I know I'll get there. The only time I feel blocked is when I don't paint.

8. If there was a soundtrack to the movie "A Day in the Life of YOU" what would it include?

-Equal parts sappy R&B and energetic Hip Hop.

9. If you could visit the studio of any craftsperson/artist/designer (present day or historical) who would it be and why?

-My instructor from University of Washington, Michael Dailey. He passed away last year and I never got to see him paint in person. His works are so obsessive and beautiful. I would love to have been a fly on the wall and watch one take shape. His daughter, Susanne Kelly is one of my favorite artists in the world and I hope I can watch her work some time.

10. If you could have been born in any other time period, what period would you choose, and why (or how do you think it most suits your sensibilities and personality)?

- I think I am perfectly suited to live in this time. I never long for any other time period or location. I feel very lucky to be alive right now.

You can reach Tom through his website - THOMAS MALCOM COOK - or track him down at his next art show... "Like" his facebook page at Thomas Malcom Cook Studios on Facebook to stay in the loop!

Interview Series: #2

In his blog, sfo2sgn, Andrew Lieberman recounts his ever increasing (and ever challenging) days and nights in Saigon. Moving from San Francisco to Vietnam last May to jump in feet first in creating a furniture and interior design company from the ground up, Andrew's humorous (and sometimes scary-hilarious) tales of living abroad, learning the culture, not knowing the language, and creating functional and beautiful pieces of furniture while marveling at the traffic patterns in his host city's streets are a complimentary foil to his stark and simple photos.

Although I've known Andrew since I was 8 years old, the tale of our friendship has, in a way, always been through words. And while we have stayed in touch for over 25 years through handwritten letters (and eventually email), seen each other on occasion, and only last year had the chance to hang out as regular friends would (if regular friends hang out in stripper karaoke bars), there remains much about him that I do not know. I was mighty pleased that he is participating in our interview project!

As the design director of District Eight, Andrew has opportunity to draw on his life experience as a frequent traveler, his time at California College of the Arts and his natural talent for design. Herein, some of the things that make Mr. Lieberman tick.

1. Have you lived and/or traveled to many places? What is your favorite place to be?

Portland, Oregon.
San Diego, California
Santa Cruz, California
San Francisco, California
Glasgow, Scotland - twice
Malmo, Sweden
Valencia, Spain
Copenhagen, Denmark
Saigon, Vietnam

traveled all over europe.  asia is the new frontier, but japan, thailand, china, singapore, and vietnam are checked off the list...

Reykjavik, Iceland was by far the most fascinatingly bizarre country i've been to, totally unique.  my favorite place to 'be'... hmmm...  copenhagen, riding my bike through norrebro.  or the havelock in hammersmith, london.  or, royal coffee on college in oakland - reminds me of portland.

2. How long have you been in your current location? What do you love most about being there?

next week makes six months i've been living in Saigon.  My favorite activity of all time here is watching the total abstraction called traffic.

3. What is your design/craft aesthetic & philosophy?

i like honesty in materials and focus on details and connections.  most things i'll make are minimal or simple.  or industrial in some way.  i like incorporating natural light and warmth as much as possible.

4. What tools & products in your studio could you not live without? Do you have a favorite?

studio being my storage closet off the kitchen...  i'd say my cordless drill gets the most work.  i love my old polaroid transfer machine but almost never use it.  but i probably couldn't function without my computer.  right now my favorite tool is the 110-piece tap and die set i bought just before moving.  amazing the power you feel knowing you can thread on a whim.
 

5. What trends/experiences do you see in your life as it relates to your craft?

absolutely living abroad.  being in places that were similar but different made me hyper aware of the spaces i was in, what i liked about them and why, what i didn't like or missed when returning home.  i found myself wanting to go back to places i'd been, just to inhabit the space again, usually really specific street corners or rooms somewhere.  its hard not to make the leap into designing space.

6. Complete this sentence: "When I'm in my studio/workspace/creative space, I feel (or think) _______________________."

i usually think i should quit fucking around and get back to work.  or, i feel full of momentum and energy.  or, i don't really think much, i'm just plowing through a ton of work...

7. When you're stuck or facing a tough decision, what creative inspiration do you look to? How do you combat "creative block?"

i can always pick up a magazine or check a blog to get some competitive creativity going again... but usually spending some time interacting with another craft is best.  an afternoon looking at paintings, a morning in a glass studio...  sometimes working with raw materials i'm not usually exposed to is enough of a trigger to set off thousands of ideas for future projects.

8. If there was a soundtrack to the movie "A Day in the Life of YOU" what would it include?

right now it'd be all r & b and slow jams.  i have no idea why i like this music now.  but...

9. If you could visit the studio of any craftsperson/artist/designer (present day or historical) who would it be and why?

Poul Kjærholm - Danish mid-century designer.  His furniture is very modern, very logical and intentional, but while totally minimal and simple, his work has an outstandingly high level of craft, usually not seen in production furniture.  and its the high level of craft that gives it warmth and makes it timeless.

10. If you could have been born in any other time period, what period would you choose, and why (or how do you think it most suits your sensibilities and personality)?

probably some time in the 30's or 40's so my life could be like an edward hopper painting.  and, because bars and clubs were just way cooler back then.

you can see more of Andrew's work at District Eight Design, in Vietnam... or you can read his blog, sfo2sgn, and watch him turn his surroundings into cooler spaces. 

(all photos in this post courtesy of sfo2sgn)