One of the highlights of my trip to Seattle was getting to visit Roq la Rue gallery in Belltown. They had a fantastic group show up featuring a couple of my favorite artists plus some new ones I hadn’t seen before – all right up my lowbrow alley. The show, Tiger Tiger Burning Bright, runs until the end of the month, so pop down quickly if you’re in the area.

Travis Louie
Sir Walter Bengalfoot

Audrey Kawasaki
Negaigoto

Nouar
Raw

I had a great time at the Blim Community Market on Sunday, despite rushing back from Seattle late Saturday & getting very little sleep. It was a rainy day, so the shoppers were a little sparse, but that meant that I had time to chat with my neighbors & even do a little shopping of my own. How cute are my new earrings from The Tiny Fig??? Love ‘em!

One of the things I love about doing local craft markets is getting feedback on new products. I’m always trying to come up with something new so customers have a reason to return to my table month after month to see what I’ve been up to. (Unfortunately the shows have been taking up so much of my time that I have been falling behind in updating my online shop. If they ever master cloning, I could use an extra k.g.b. to shoot photos & list all of my new goodies while I’m in the studio painting. Wouldn’t that be nice?)

That said, I *do* have something new in the shop today – Acorn Bookplates ready to be personalized with your name!

I love the tradition of bookplates & am thrilled to add a second design to my growing bookplate collection. I’m sure the pot-bellied robot will play nice with the acorn girl. Right?

If you’re a Vancouver local & want to catch me this summer, here’s a list of where I’ll be over the next few weeks:

Upcoming Markets

May 30th ~ Portobello West

June 20th ~ Main Street Car Free Day

June 27th ~ Portobello West

I’m in Seattle right now to celebrate my super cute nephew’s 6th birthday, but I brought lots of busy work with me so I’ll be prepped for Sunday’s Blim community market. Yay!

Blim Monthly Community Market

Sunday May 23 | 11 AM – 4 PM | By donation
@ Heritage Hall (15th and Main – Vancouver, BC)

I love the crazy mix of vendors at Blim. I always find something new & unique there. Hopefully I’ll sell lots too so I can afford to go shopping! hehe

Took the pooches to the dog beach today just as it was starting to cloud over. Still warm & muggy & great for exploring the rocks. TONS of tiny little crabs to watch as they scurried about!

The pug loves the water. He only goes in up to his belly, but he could spend hours running along the shore & pawing at all of the rocks (that he thinks are balls). So cute! And great exercise too. You may have noticed that pugs get a little…shall we say…portly? Ahem.

I’m very excited to see the new Banksy film Exit Through the Gift Shop. I’ve heard that it’s getting good reviews, though I’m doing my best to avoid them so they don’t ruin the movie for me (which extended trailers and reviews often do).

If you’ve never heard of Banksy, he’s a mysterious UK graffiti artist that uses stencils to create beautiful, moving works of art in public spaces, both to the delight and the chagrin of the public. I’m so inspired by people who make art just for art’s sake – not for galleries or to hang on the wall in a state of preservation. His work will be (& often is) painted over, torn down or eventually just washed away with the rain. But what a gift to be able to catch a glimpse of one on your way to work every morning or while waiting at the bus stop. Love it.