pop star

hope everyone enjoyed a lovely weekend filled with the sweet scent of springtime blossoms and may day festivities! with spring in bloom, it seems the perfect time to share a little eye candy from oahu illustrator kat reeder who has created an enchanting world of candy colored vintage pop starring hula girls and island lovelies.

at first glance, you can almost hear a hint of skirts swaying and beachy 'dos being swept aside by the trade winds, but dig a little deeper and you will discover layers of sketches mixing with digital brushstrokes and handpainted details to create the fresh now-meets-then charm of kat's illustrations.

happily, kat was kind enough to share a peek into her world and i discovered that her roots (born in peru and raised in miami before arriving in hawaii) add a bright, latin-influence while her love of art nouveau, tropicalia and retro packaging from bygone eras are the top notes inspiring her cosmopolitan coquettes. don't you just love all those luscious locks befitting 70's starlets and crime-fighting angels?

sally's song

hawaiian girls

2009 w's triple crown * this dream of mine

{designer notes}

how has living in hawaii influenced your work?
i've lived many places, but my senses have never been aroused like in hawai'i. i am bombarded by natural beauty and color. the skies are the bluest blues. the flowers are unapologetic in their vibrance. the intensity in my work palette is richer since moving here. i can't help it. i'm surrounded by beautiful things.

what is your definition of good design?
good design stays with you for a long time. it tickles your intellect and makes you feel something real. designers love to dissect grids, layouts, and fonts but all that means nothing to someone who's mesmerized by packaging. good design smacks you in the face. good design you keep in a shoe box, under your bed, with all your sketches.

little moments of bliss that recharge your soul?
discussing art with my husband, who is also my best friend. making up funny songs about my dog lola. opening a fresh jar of nutella.

local delights that are a must in your beach picnic basket?
chicken empanadas from valerio's bakery, ube roll from golden coin, and a six-pack of inka kola (peru's national soda) from the latin market on s. beretania.

pay it forward with a few words of wisdom that were passed on to you:
the best advice given to me recently was by wonderful local artist mark swanson. i was feeling insecure about hawaii embracing me as a digital artist. he told me i had to ultimately create art for myself and everything else would fall into place. he was right.

mahalo kat! (ditto on the nutella)

kat's artwork has already graced the coveted w's triple crown poster and has gained the notice of a growing list of local galleries. upcoming projects include an official calendar for 2011 but, until then, you can order up prints and more in the online shop.

p.s. personal commissions are also welcome!

introducing sugar fresh

the counting peacock * mister numbers

hopefully, you are all pau with the tax man and have a moment to enjoy today's etsy find - sugar fresh from the big island! one peek at the cheery prints is sure to tickle the imagination of keiki and grown-ups with the line's fresh and delightful designs. basics like the alphabet and counting numbers earn a gold star for their simply charming take on learning posters and are just a few of sugar fresh's happy offerings.

lindsay, sugar fresh's creator, moved to hilo with her husband a few years ago and dusted off her graphic design chops when she decided to stay home with her baby daughter. when decorating the nursery walls proved to be a challenge, she began designing artwork that would both brighten the walls and grow along with keiki.

anyone else think the all a flutter print (shown below) with its cascade of sweet butterflies would be just as suitable on grown-up walls?

all a flutter * now i know my abc's

sugar fresh just recently opened up shop on etsy where you can find the debut collection of 8x10 acid-free giclée prints. and, if you are hoping to coordinate with your decor, a handful of designs can also be customized in size and color.

p.s. find out what inspires lindsay over on the official sugar fresh blog.

new peeks: heather brown

sakura * heather * no. 296 * gallery peeps

this will be short and sweet due to many, many distractions in h|h-land, but i just wanted to check in with the tardy news of heather brown's charming little gallery that opened this past spring in japan.

it's not too surprising to discover our japanese friends have fallen for heather's artwork which has since gotten some love from elle japan and other publications upon the gallery's tokyo debut. just peeking at her latest offerings is an instant pick-me-up between those cheerful little birds (6x6 originals now available!) and the translucent rolling waves that have become a hb signature.

between racking up the frequent flier miles traveling back and forth across the pacific, heather has also found her way to kaua'i for quiet country living that is paying off with new vistas and surf breaks to capture with her paint brush.

more peeks below . . .

kauai surf

surf boat

single fins & feathers * pink ginger

juicy sunset

of course, this means a bit more competition for the handful of originals for sale in the online shops located stateside & in japan. both websites also stock giclées and less spendy prints of artwork that have already found a wall to call home.

also, take note that heather just returned from a series of shows in japan and will be one of the local artists featured during the triple crown surf art show's opening reception this weekend.

• when: sat, nov 21st - 6p
• where: wyland galleries, 66-250 kam hwy, haleiwa

p.s. you can follow heather's adventures (featuring her adorable pup) on her blog, or, if your written japanese is good, click over to the staff blog for gallery updates dispatched from japan.

monster mash challenge

happy october! chinatown boardroom issued a ghoulish challenge to local and mainland artists to conjure up creatures made to mix and mingle. jackie, cb's fabulous gallerista, kindly sent along a sneak peek from monster mash, a group art show which opens to the public tonight (costumes encouraged!).

featured artists include ryan higa, pegge hopper, may izumi, jeff lamm, miss mindy, otto, kat reeder, rich richardson, cade roster, masako schwalbenitz, dave tanji, mike watanabe & robert watanabe.

a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the hawaiian humane society.

• opening reception: tonight, oct 1st - 6p to 8p
• where: 1160 nu'uanu avenue
• show dates: today to sat, oct 31st
• gallery hours: tue to sat, 11a to 4p

the return of mr. ushiro

if you call la home or find yourself in so/cal in the next few weeks, hele over to lebasse projects which is hosting a new solo exhibit from maui-born artist edwin ushiro. since his artwork was featured last summer, edwin's fan base has continued to flourish with appearances at comic-con and art amsterdam filling his 2009 schedule.

one of the reasons to crush on edwin's artwork is his fascinating perspective of growing up in hawaii which he continues to explore in softly encompassing the womb. the mixed media moments from childhood skip from ethereal reflections of sweeter memories to reconstructed obake tales that hint of a more ominous side of the islands unfamiliar to tourists on holiday but whispered on playgrounds and across kama'aina campfires since small kid time.

time therefore remained idle

after its given all you wanted

i drift away silently

while hawaii continues to wait for an exhibit of its own, all are welcome to the opening reception tomorrow evening in la which will also feature the work of japanese artist ryuichi ogino. hope to see you there!

• when: sat, sep 12th - 7p to 10p
• where: lebasse projects, 6023 washington blvd, culver city
• show dates: sat, sep 12th to sat, oct 3rd
• gallery hours: wed to sat, 11a to 6p

p.s. click over to daily du jour at 3p pst (12p hst) today for a live streaming interview with edwin.