How would you describe your style?
Playful. Mostly cute colorful cartoon animals, with a little bit of realism here and there.
 

Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
Beastlies, Ursula Vernon, and basically anyone who can do hand drawn animation.

What sort of things inspire you?
Cartoons and animals of course
 

Where do you look for inspiration?
The Zoo, art stores, Disneyland, animated movies.

What is your creative process like?
Doodling random things that pop into our heads. Then taking our favorites and making vector art out of them. Once we feel a design is finished we break it into pieces that can be cut from felt and sewn together for the final product.

Where can we learn more about you?
Squshies.net and instagram @squshies and @projectdinosaur

SHOP Squshies at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to? 
I think the work I make reflects the edgy forward thinking of the west coast combined with a quirky sensibility that I attribute to my Dutch roots. I am a huge fan of Dutch Design, which often imbues the practical with humor and a frankness that is refreshing.

I came to ceramics after a life of making and a crafts background but not having ever studied it.  My dad was and is a ceramicist and until just recently, all I knew I learned from just being around him.  Previously (and still!), I made mostly larger scale sculptural and wall pieces and still the things I make are very much inspired by sculpture. I think of them as sculptures to wear or sculptures to live with.   Brancusi brings me to tears. Cy Twombly, Calder, the Bauhaus and particularly the textiles, Eva Hesse, and as of late, I have been really into Sonia Delauney.  Everyone is suddenly into the Memphis Group and I cannot deny an affection for them, Ettore Sottsass is genius. 

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 
I don’t take myself too seriously!  There are way too many things happening in our world that bring me down and I want to make pieces that bring some brevity to the world. 

I strive to make pieces that provide a little lightness, make you smile, there's always a little humor or a wink involved.  The pieces I make are unique & clearly handmade to combat our world of mass-produced sameness.

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
Being in LA for 11 years now I draw a lot of my inspiration by these sprawling urban mongrel; from the street signs, to graffiti on the stairs and walls in my hood, to the architecture and our dessert foliage. I particularly love the patterns that emerge after the graffiti has been painted over as the colors never match exactly.  If I am in a rut, I return to my books, I have an extensive collection of “art books” that range from Andy Goldsworthy to Vik Muniz, to of course, Ken Price.

I also listen to a lot of podcasts such as 99% Invisible, RadioLab, Ted Talks, and Marc Maron.  I dream of becoming interesting enough to be on Marc Maron’s podcast!  Words become very physical to me, I seem to see and think in shapes and forms.

What is your creative process like? 
I learn through making and may make a quick sketch; I often dive right in to build.  I actually see this as a shortcoming and wish I focused on process more but as I work full time, studio time is nights and weekends.  I always reserve time to make new ideas and to play.  My happiest discoveries is when something goes wrong but then you realize it is actually better than you intended and it pushes you into new territory

What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?
“Don’t get married until you are a famous artist!” followed by, “If you are a famous artist, why get married?”.  He also included in this list of do’s and don’ts “Don’t make political art”.  This came from an early and very dear to me instructor that I adored whom also never followed his own advice.

Where can we learn more about you?
www.nicolavruwink.com
www.bevruwink.com
​IG @nicolavruwink

SHOP Bevruwink at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

How do you describe your style?  What are your inspirations? 
I am a toy maker of handcrafted stuffed animals made of repurposed materials (felted sweaters) and organic fillings.  I strip down my plush designs to their essential forms-employing a limited amount of moves to render each animal's essential characteristics so I’d describe my style as “upcyled” minimalism.

I often catch a glimpse of a face in the folds of fabric and then the rest follows. Having been trained as an architect (I have a Master's of Architecture degree), I am attracted to simple sculptural forms and clean lines, but I enjoy the oddities too. Inspiration comes from all around -nature, architecture, fashion design, fine art and an occasional misshapen vegetable.

What makes your products unique? 
All my designs are from my own patterns.  I do study classic stuffed animal patterns, but I incorporate ways to use the material in unique ways.  Since everything is made of repurposed sweaters there are always odd details that I can incorporate.  For the larger pieces, I like to provide the provenance of the material. In other words, you’ll see that your squirrel was formerly a Banana Republic turtleneck.  I’ll use the existing seams to highlight muscle structure of the creature. The cuffs often are used for the snails—the ribbing adds a flourish to their shells. Sweater sleeves are reserved for my elephants and piglets—as rolling the material makes their trunks and snouts. The variety of the raw materials (felted repurposed wool and cashmere sweaters) presents constant challenges and changes in the outcome. This means that every animal is truly unique.  I can cut out a dozen rhinoceros and they will all be slightly different due to how the material stretches once I add the unbleached cotton stuffing.  I really never know exactly how they’ll turn out.  I embrace the happy accidents working somewhere in the grey zone between toy maker and sculptor.

I sew all the animals in my home studio using my 1970's Riccar sewing machine.  What started as handmade baby gifts fro friends and family  has blossomed into a small business that compliments my other work in residential design. 

Materials
Repurposed wool and cashmere sweaters, organic cotton stuffing, Ingeo fibers, wool felt, scraps of suede and leather

Where to find out more
www.zazufaurelosangeles.com
www.zfla.etsy.com
​instagram:  @zazufaurelosangeles

SHOP Zazu Faure at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

Describe your style: 
I am a simple and non complicated person ( at least I think I am ) and I wanted BALM ME to reflect that too. It's simple and to the point. You know what you are putting on your body and you can actually read the ingredients without stumbling over the words. Phen-oxy-ethanol.....what the?????

What sort of things inspire you? or where do you look for inspiration?
I am inspired by so many independent makers out there. Its hard to pinpoint one. But I like clean looks. I really love that the independent movement is growing everyday and I think its important that we keep this going. I am truly inspired everyday by the creativity I am seeing. Thanks to instagram and etsy for being my window of inspiration. 

When do you feel the most creative? 
This is going to sound funny but I find to be most creative sitting in my car. Preferably in traffic. It took me a really long time to learn how to be patient while driving. Especially on the streets of Los Angeles. But when it happens, which is every other day for me. I will turn on mellow music and get in the creative zone. I keep my phone on the hands free holder and press siri to record my notes. Some of my favorite ideas came from sitting in my car going two miles an hour on the 101. 

Where can you learn more about me?
You can check out BALMME.COM or Instagram @balm_me_lip_balm
I post daily affirmations on my website. You know why not? Everyone deserves a pick me up or some feel good words every once in awhile. :) 

News to be on the lookout for: 
I will be launching new product and will be selling for the first time at Jackalope. Not only will I be selling natural and organic lip balm, I will be selling Mens solid cologne, womens solid perfume, and hand salve. 

SHOP Balm Me at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
Our style is modern minimal and responsible rebellious. We make architecturally inspired, versatile silhouettes that work for today’s fast-moving lifestyle. Our brand revolves around salvage material and thoughtful process, making product that balances elegance with environmental integrity.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 
We have a unique relationship as best friend and business partners, each with different backgrounds and expertise. We both quit corporate industry jobs to work towards environmental change at something we believe is the future of design and production. Working with salvage materials is not easy, and our various experience in architecture, material development, detailing, and high design allows us to transform these materials through a complex process of research, testing, prototyping, and problem solving until we reach the perfect balance of construction and design.

We handcraft everything in our small studio, and know what it takes to make something long-lasting, strong and useful.

Every sheet of filter cloth that we get is unique, dyed to a particular color by the beer during its life in the big brewery.  We sort material on a gradient from lightest coppery tones to a deep patina of dark grey. Beer Brindle means that the cloth has been dyed naturally by hops and barley during first life manufacturing. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
We are constantly exploring Los Angeles, inspired by the incredible natural landscape that surrounds us, and also by the history, culture and industry of the city. In the mountains and beaches around LA, we camp, hike, rock climb and swim. We spend time at our local library. We take Rewilder field trips to places as varied as the Puente Hills Material Recovery Facility (to see how our trash is processed), the Gentle Barn (to commune with animals), and the Craft and Folk Art Museum (to learn weaving skills).

Our name is inspired by the rewilding of the wolves in Yellowstone National Park (wolves were reintroduced into the ecosystem in 1995 after being killed off 70 years earlier). The results were dramatic, starting a cascade of growth and change that brought back many animals, regenerated plant life, and even stabilized the riverbanks.  This amazing transformation inspired us to take the name Rewilder and begin our own transformation, giving strong, valuable materials a second life. 

When do you feel the most creative?
We work most creatively during those instrumental phases of development, when we find a new material to explore from design concept to physical experiment. Working with salvage materials takes many failures before finally finding the right design details, and we have piles of failed tests in sewing, cutting, and painting – each one teaching us something new. We also work creatively on limited edition pieces that allow us to test details at a small scale. The creative meetings for these projects have no boundaries, and often our wildest ideas will become seeds for other projects. We use our creativity to keep moving forward, designing toward an overall shift in the way things are designed and made.

What is your creative process like?
Everything at Rewilder is under one roof. We design, sew, paint, silkscreen, brainstorm and collaborate in our small Hollywood studio. We are simultaneously filling orders and drafting new patterns. Everything is hand crafted here, which allows us to have creative control over the entire process and end product.

 What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?
Jenny:  Try anything. We learn everything about our materials from the process of experimentation, and the inevitable failures that come from testing. Even when our ideas don’t work, we will discover something valuable and interesting from the process.  

Lisa:  Spend time with your materials. Working with one material over time makes you an expert, which gives you the ability to be truly creative.

and

Ask for honest critique.  Our long term success comes from honestly understanding our strengths and weaknesses.

Where can we learn more about you?  
Rewilder.com

SHOP Rewilder at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to? 
I seem to really like poppy, colorful paintings with a dark edge/meaning to them. But not always! I feel that I'm just beginning to find a direction for myself as an artist. I've always loved Esao Andrew's work and attention to detail.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 
I strive to create artwork that is usable and/or wearable. After painting custom Vans full time for about 8 years, I started custom painting guitars. Painting canvases just hasn't been a part of my agenda.. yet, at least. 

When do you feel the most creative?
My routine of waking up in the morning, get a fresh pot of joe brewing, a nice big breakfast, then getting to work, makes me feel super motivated. Which I realize isn't very special.. but for me, it's as simple as an awesome breakfast with Dunkin Donuts coffee. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
I have some really talented friends that are going to school for art. I love seeing their work and picking their brain for advice. Seeing what my friends can do and hearing what they have to say about my work is inspiring to me. 

SHOP Bear Gallery at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

How would you describe your style?  Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
Brinko Ties goal is to take traditional ideas and make them new.  Our first product was a woman’s tie because we wanted to take the traditional men’s power accessory but alter it so that it was made just for a woman.  In terms of our men’s neckwear we focus on making our designs approachable by incorporating non traditional fabrics and prints. In both cases we want to appeal to those that desire to be unique and stand out from the crowd while honoring a classic approach to fashion.   We love working with unexpected textiles like cotton, tweed, linen, corduroy and wool to name a few.  We are not trying to reinvent the wheel but we do strive to give a fresh face to the ultimate power accessory with the idea in mind that ties can be worn in a variety of settings and beyond the men’s arena.  We have recently expanded to make bow ties for pets, kids, wine bottles and decanters.    The best part about the wine accessories is that they prevent wine drip!

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 
What sets us apart is our focus on women’s ties.  The inspiration comes from Bethany’s grandmother, Maria Victoria Brinko.  She was a fashion designer and collector in New York in the 50’s and 60’s and would wear men’s ties with sparkling brooches on the knot.  We have taken that idea and made a tie just for a woman that goes on like a necklace and comes with a vintage brooch that you are able to pair with your tie if you like.  This provides you with a truly one of a kind accessory that speaks to your personal aesthetic. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
We are definitely inspired by vintage fashion where quality was king

What is your creative process like?
Bethany and I (Elizabeth) live on opposite coasts so the creative process is always an interesting and fun one.  In terms of communication it can be challenging working in two different time zones.  What is always exciting though is seeing the melding of both the east and west coast aesthetic into our designs, which combine for a unique and well rounded approach to our accessories.

Where can we learn more about you?  
You can learn more about us on our website at www.BrinkoTies.com or on our social media pages @brinkoties

PS - We desperately want to get a Brinko Tie on a teacup pig.  Anyone that helps us achieve that goal gets a prize! :D

SHOP Brinko Ties at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
Mid century modern furniture was a big first inspiration. A friend would hunt down and buy Eames furniture and I became mildly obsessed with their design work  From there I moved to architecture and was amazed by how simple clean lines could create in an amazing environment, which is not unlike some of the formal results of my patterns and weavings.  Home décor, my focus now, pulls from all these disciplines (architecture, furniture design, graphic design) in an effort to really convey an experience in a space. 

 What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?
I worked as a visual merchandiser for over 10 years and the best creative tip that I have ever received is:

“If you feel like something is not quite right with what you’re working on, like you’ve over-worked it or can’t find the solution to a piece - walk away and come back with fresh eyes”

I know it may seem like an obvious one, but this has been the most helpful.

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own?
As a designer who practices shibori, even though I employ techniques traditional to creating dye patterns, each has a distinctive fingerprint. This identity of this fingerprint comes from a shibori dyer's method, how we tend to our vat, and the different touches we put in our hand-dyed process. Every piece is different from the last.

Since everything I produce is handmade, I like to imagine the finished work is a personal art piece made for a new friend or a colleague's home, and if it’s in their home – that’s a pretty intimate thing. And what’s more personal than sharing something you've made with your hands?

When do you feel the most creative?
When I'm not under a deadline! I think I make my most exciting work when I'm playing, and you need that freedom to play to really push outside of habit and routine. Anything to shake up expectations. Before I know it, the projects I  work on without creative or time constraints end up being some of the most satisfying.

SHOP Juniper and Fir at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

How would you describe your style?
Playful.  Organic.  Accessible.

Are there any artists / designers that you particularly look up to?
I actually admire ANYONE who is creating, designing or making art in any way. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?
My kids. My fish. My kitchen and backyard. I try to remember to find inspiration in the mundane and everyday because that's what I'm experiencing a majority of the time.  Like when my youngest son, Rex was born and I had three kids under five and what felt like no time to shower and I would just sit on the  floor to watch the fish when I had five minutes to myself. It became as close to entertainment slash meditation that I got. And I became obsessed with and couldn't stop talking about my Frisky Fish. That essentially became my inspiration for my line of essential oils. 

When do you feel the most creative? 
After two glasses of wine…. No, actually it's random and that's why I scribble lists, notes, and ideas everywhere...on my phone, post-it's, my notebook, my hand. And then eventually one of those random words and ideas turns into something. 

What is your creative process like?
Experimental. Organic. Collaborative. 

What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?
I'm completely paraphrasing something someone said a few years ago:
Just put it out there. Get your work an ideas out into the world. Don't wait for it to be perfect. I think the ACTUAL phrase was "just get shit out there".  The sentiment really stuck with me.  

Where can we learn more about you?  
Www.friskyfishla.com
Or come visit me at my booth at Jackalope Arts.  I look forward to chatting with you!

SHOP Frisky Fish at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.

Meet Lauren Wilde, of Wilde Animals.  

How would you describe your style?  

I create Wilde Animals, which are realistic animal head sculptures made from all vegan materials that add a thoughtful charm to any wall. I choose to create animals that are endangered or vulnerable species to raise awareness and education for these animals and their habitats. 15% of every animal head purchase is donated to an organization specifically helping that animal. Wilde Animals partners with some amazing organizations doing great things for endangered animals all over the world. I hand make every single Wilde Animal head. I sculpt each animal once and create a durable mold. Then I can run the materials through the mold as many times as I need and paint each new head.  

What do you feel makes your work unique and truly your own? 

There's lots of great and creative faux taxidermy out there. What makes Wilde Animals unique is our commitment to realism - I believe that something amazing and powerful happens when we see these animals as they really are, both in terms of us understanding their beauty and importance as well as realizing how unacceptable it is that they might soon be extinct from our earth. My hope is that through this realism all who see a Wilde Animal connect with these endangered and vulnerable species in hopes of raising awareness for these animals and their habitats. 

What sort of things inspire you?  Where do you look for inspiration?

I get inspired by unique and strange "ugly" species. Everyone loves the cute, furry animals (me included!) but I like to give some attention to endangered species who might not always have the spotlight, like the pangolin, California condor, pygmy hippo- I like giving all species equal love and attention. I try to feature animals from all eco-systems and from all around the world. 

When do you feel the most creative?

I feel most creative when I am in my studio getting my hands dirty and making these animal heads. Every head is a little bit different- a different frame, a different plaque, and slightly different paint scheme- so I'm constantly staying creative. 

What is your creative process like?

My creative process: I research and learn about different endangered animals, and I find animals that I feel would be a great contribution to the Wilde Animals line. After I decide on an animal, I collect as many photos and data of the animal as I can so that I can create a realistic and proportional animal head. I use clay and sculpt the head, and then take a mold of that sculpt. Then I use expandable flexible foams and can run as many heads as I need out of that mold. Then I hand paint each head, apply any fur or whiskers and eyeballs, then mount it on a frame or plaque ready to hang!

What's the coolest artistic tip you've ever received?

Coolest artistic tip I've gotten: Starting a business is extremely difficult, and someone once told me "If you are scared, then you are doing the right thing" and it has really stuck with me through this process. It can be very scary and overwhelming to put your art out there for people to buy, and there are so many times during the process of creating Wilde Animals where I could have stopped or second guessed all my decisions. But instead, I stuck with it and pushed on and also aspired to the highest and greatest goals, and I often think about that saying as it help push me. 

Where can we learn more about you?  

You can learn more about Wilde Animals and see the animal heads on our website-www.wildeanimals.com. Currently through Wilde Animals, we are doing a "Go Wilde Challenge" where once a week I introduce one small lifestyle change you can make to your life that will greatly impact these animals lives and habitats. I introduce one small change to my own life once a week for a whole year, and I document and teach people about the change, and encourage others to take the challenges with me. Each Wednesday we put up the new challenge on our blog (www.wildeanimals.com/blog) and also on our Facebook and Instagram. The most challenging one for me personally so far this year has been to stop using plastic straws. It's unbelievable how many plastic straws America goes through in one day, and most end up in the ocean and on our beaches. I invested in reusable straws that I clean every night to carry around with me instead of using plastic straws. So check out the challenge- the more we know, the bigger impact we can create. 

SHOP Wilde Animals at our upcoming Jackalope Art & Craft Fair at Central Park in Pasadena CA on April 25th & 26th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.