Introducing: Food Chronicles (A Blog)

I'm particularly proud of a recent commission I just completed. Early last month an old friend emails me out of the blue. She wants to create a blog to record my culinary discoveries... [acts as] a travelogue, interview platform, recipe collection... [featuring] writing and photographs, maybe some video documentaries in the future. She also wants something clean but hand-drawn to head the blog, so I played with some ideas and came up with this doodle on a cafe napkin:

Once I locked onto the garlic image (below), which I consider to be an essential part of my food pyramid, the rest was (design) history! See the evolution of a logo/brand unfold before your eyes.

Another preliminary sketchbook sketch

More refined garlics. Client favored the clove on the left.

Three contenders for title monogram/logo

These are the winners! Garlic + title + title monogram/logo

Look at all these gorgeous custom graphics to choose from!

 

 

 

As always, please please do not republish any of these images without permission. Thanks!

Bachelorette weekend map

This week I drew up this event map for my friend, co-worker and past collaborator of sorts (see Pop-Up Pepe). As she gets ready to send out invites to an amazing bachelorette weekend of fun for her bride-to-be bestie, I marvel at her ambition. What a brilliant MOH! Thanks for the fun illustration "assignment." This was a fun project.

First draft, with lots of errors

Real Artist

To bring my second pile of hand-rolled letterpress postcards - complete with handpainted edges - to Pegasus Bookstore, complete with invoice printed on personalized letterhead, makes me feel like 

a 

Real 

Artist.

Housewarming

New Bialetti! New (old) espresso cups from my BFF's grandmother's set!

Decaf espresso straight from Northampton... and Dutch dark chocolate

Ready for drinking. But how will the new co-habitators  like it?

Pinkies up...

... He likes it!

My turn.

Giving it a sip...

That's some bitter espresso - er, just the way I like it, I swear!

Thanks, Best Friend, for bringing the goods from the East Coast to our home in Oakland!

Date night at Yoshi's Oakland

Incredible pianist Alan Toussaint and his band hail from New Orleans, Louisiana

We shared table 14 with a sweet older couple. I ordered chocolate gelato.

Be My Valentine

Thanks to my sweet friends and coworkers who came over for soup, stamps, and papercraft - who needs Hallmark when you have champagne and Ray Charles?

Valentine Card No. 1

Card No. 2

Card No. 3

Being Malcolm

Found this on the sidewalk one bright cold January Saturday when my honey and I were walking to the Berkeley Thai Temple for breakfast. I love the dance reference!