AMERICAN LIFESTYLE

THE MAGAZINE CELEBRATING LIFE IN AMERICA ISSUE 69

Homage to Nourishment - pg. 12 | California Greening - pg. 20 | Into the Woods - pg. 32 | Yellow Owl Workshop - pg. 6

ISSUE 69 $5.95 US
CANADA/FOREIGN $6.95
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 HISTORY

C ONTENTS 12 HOMAGE TO NOURISHMENT

6 Yellow Owl Workshop

STAMPS AND CARDS AND TOTES, OH MY!
Avid printmaker and owner of a craft workshop, Christine Schmidt waxes
poetic on the versatility of stamps, creative childhoods, and ice cream
within walking distance.

12 Homage to Nourishment
VEGETARIAN RECIPES FOR A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Fresh and seasonal ingredients abound in the recipes from The Vibrant Table:
Recipes from My Always Vegetarian, Mostly Vegan, and Sometimes Raw
Kitchen by Anya Kassoff (Roost Books, 2014).

20 California Greening
AN ORGANIC HORTICULTURISTS TALE
Garden Apothecary founder Jennifer Lee Segale has made organic
gardening and design her lifes work, including a bath and body
product line.

24 Painting the Pedestrian

THE ART IN THE ORDINARY
Artist Michael Ward paints to document and bear witness to life, and
chooses subjects often overlooked to force people to see.

32 Into the Woods

BUILDING AMONG THE TREES
James Rills architecture is informed by the environment, integrating
outdoor elements into the design of the home.

38 Bourbon with a Twist

THE ART OF SALVAGING OAK
Craftsman Tony Davis transforms Kentucky bourbon barrels into
useful household items, like cutting boards, lazy Susans, and art easels.

44 Treasure on Couch Street

HOODOO ANTIQUES IN PORTLAND, OREGON
Mike Eadies extroverted personality and love of peoples stories make
him an ideal shop owner of a much-loved antiques store on Portlands
Couch Street.
 AMERICAN LIFESTYLE
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editorial
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 PRINTING

WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD LIKE? WAS

CREATIVITY ENCOURAGED?
I remember my house being full of creative
things. I have three sisters, and my mom was
active in making us do crafts. Year-round, we
were always making things with our hands.
My mom actually ended up becoming an art
teacher after that, and taught me in school
(she was also the only teacher to send me to
the principals office). Just having those op-
tions and creative resources readily available
really gave me the confidence to make art
my career.

HOW DID GEOGRAPHY INFLUENCE

YOUR INTERESTS?
I grew up in the Midwest (I am from Kansas
City) before moving to Washington, D.C. to
go to art school. Once I was in Washington
D.C., I was surrounded by so many amazing
museums, many of which were free. Even a
broke art student could go in and explore
all of the wonderful treasures there. Once I
moved to the coast, I became more interested
in coastal imagery and would spend my time
exploring the shores of Maryland. I then
moved to New York, which was a big change
from D.C. because everything in D.C. has to
be smaller than the Capitol building. It was
there where I finally found more verticality
in my work. While living in this denser
population, elements like bikes and little

Yellow Owl Workshop

corner stores became an influence. Now that
Im on the West Coast, I find the landscape
to be just staggeringly beautiful. There is so
much drama to it that isnt present on the
S TA M P S A N D C A R D S A N D T O T E S , O H M Y ! East Coast.
text: CHRISTINE SCHMIDT photography: AUBRIE PICK
Avid printmaker and owner of a craft workshop, Christine Schmidt waxes poetic on the WHAT ART SCHOOL DID YOU ATTEND?
versatility of stamps, creative childhoods, and ice cream within walking distance.
I went to a small, four-year art school in
Washington, D.C. called Corcoran School
of Art and Design. I studied fine art and did
everything from photography to ceramics
to printmaking. I really wanted to try my
hand at everything I could while I had the
facilities available.

6 AL 7

DID YOU ALWAYS SEE YOURSELF PURSUING
THE FINE ARTS?
I did, thanks to my mom. I think a lot of
parents are probably not that excited that
their kid is going to art school. It isnt neces-
sarily the greatest career move. But my mom
has always been very supportive of that. I
have had a lot of random jobs trying to sup-
port myself while I got this business started.
I was a cake decorator and a mural painter
and finisher. I worked as a gallery attendant. I
like to think that each of those random expe-
riences did help to inform my creative work
and also my entrepreneurial sense as a small
business owner.
WHAT ART MEDIUMS DO YOU FIND
YOURSELF DRAWN TO AND WHY?
I am most drawn to printmaking because it
is amazing that with these humble materials,
you can create so many different looks using
so many different techniques. With print-
making, you can do surface design and textile
design. You can adorn three-dimensional ob-
jects with two-dimensional designs through
image transfer. Printmaking, for me, is the
most flexible, and I can do it in a confined
space. It doesnt require a lot of facilities, like
a ceramic studio or a traditional photography
studio would.
DO YOU FIND YOU ARE MORE CREATIVE
WHEN GIVEN GUIDELINES OR WHEN YOU
ARE GIVEN A BLANK CANVAS?
I actually work both ways. For instance, I
create a lot of custom goods for Crate and
Barrel. They come to me with a specific
holiday, event, or function in mind, and that
can be a good jumping-off point. For my
own work, I usually take a meandering path.
Maybe I am spurred on by a specific image,
or I am really enjoying a specific technique
and I want to see what that looks like on a
different scale. I tend to look at a drawing and
think, What would this look cool on? and
then I figure out a way to make that happen.
8 AL 9
HOW WOULD OTHERS DESCRIBE YOU?
I am really not the most organized. I laugh a
lot. I am pretty outgoing, but I can also be an
introvert. I come from a big family, and ev-
eryone just laughs all the time. I tend to sur-
round myself with creative people who like to
have a good time.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT STAMPS?
I love the versatility of the medium, especially
the way I create my stamps. It is more fun for
me to see what other people make with them.
I use individual unitsfor instance, my land-
scape stamp set that is made up of five stamps.
You can use the entire motif and create a re-
ally large scene, or you can use just one of the
stamps and create a gift tag. I think stamps
are also really accessible because people are
familiar with them. It is an approachable
medium, and when people sit down and al-
low themselves to play with it, they can come
up with a variety of different things. It really
excites me to see what other people create
with them.
WHICH PART OF THE PROCESS DO YOU
ENJOY MORECREATING THE PATTERNS
OF THE ACTUAL STAMPS OR USING THE
STAMPS TO CREATE DESIGNS/ART?
I think they go hand in hand because I am
always thinking about how they will be used
by the person who is stamping. I always try to
keep versatility in mind. I would say, for me,
seeing the finished product is really fantastic,
especially when the finished product is some-
thing I wouldnt have thought of myself. That
is the most rewarding aspect. Making some-
thing that allows someone else to be creative
is the best prize.
DESCRIBE THE ATMOSPHERE WHERE YOU
WORK. WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT DO
YOU TRY TO FOSTER?
The team is made up of all women who are
very friendly. We get all of our goods from lo-
cal suppliers and small, US-based companies.
All of our products are then assembled on
two long tables in our San Francisco studio.
You are very likely to hear a food radio show,
Radiolab, or This American Life playing as we
work. A lot of the people we employ are cre-
ative folks themselves, so it is a plus for us to
know that we are creating employment that is
supporting other peoples creative lives while
they support mine.
DO YOU HAVE A LARGE STAFF?
Currently, we have a staff of five, which some-
times increases during the holiday orders.
They are all tremendous people. Although I
often work from homeI have a two-year-
old, so I work by myself at timesit is always
fun to be in the studio in this communal at-
mosphere. Everyone has become friends, and
we are this little community. We have old em-
ployees stopping by for lunch. It is a pretty
positive place, and I feel lucky. It also helps
to have people with different skills surround
me, which is a tremendous plus because I
tend to be a little disorganized.
You can use the entire
motif and create a really
large scene, or you can use
just one of the stamps and
create a gift tag. I think
stamps are also really
accessible because people
are familiar with them. It is
an approachable medium,
and when people sit down
and allow themselves
to play with it, they can
come up with a variety of
different things.
WHERE DO YOU FIND INSPIRATION FOR
YOUR STAMP DESIGNS AND NOTECARDS?
It really varies. Most recently, I have been
working on getting more texture into my
work. In the previous seasons, I was playing
around with watercolors, and this season, I
have been using mark making to create add-
ed depth into the two-dimensional pieces. I
put out seasonal designs that interest me at
the time. I recently put out stamps that work
with two-color ink pads. You can ink differ-
ent areas of the stamp with varying colors to
create different looks. I had a fun time play-
ing around with the color palette on that.
WHERE DO YOU GO WHEN YOU ARE
FEELING CREATIVELY BLOCKED? IS THERE A
TRAVEL DESTINATION THAT INSPIRES YOU?
I wish it was a travel destination! I will take
my kid to Dolores Park, which is a great
big open park. I will just take a break, walk
around, and go shopping there. There are so
many cool shops, specifically in the Mission
District of San Francisco, which is where my
studio is. There are a ton of cool stores run
by other small makers from around the coun-
try. I find it inspiring to know that people are
supporting handmade American goods. Just
looking at something that isnt my own work
is a treat too.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE
FOR YOU?
My daughter gets up at six thirty or seven
oclock, and we get her ready for school. My
husband works at City Hall downtown. He
takes a train down there, and that is when
I start my day. I will check e-mails and In-
stagram, have way too much tea, and pretty
much just work until around one or two
oclock before stopping for lunch. I might go
out for a burrito. Then I will come back and
finish working until about five oclock, and
then make dinner. After dinner, I just crash.
DESCRIBE YOUR HAPPY PLACE, EITHER
AS A TANGIBLE PLACE OR A SET OF
CIRCUMSTANCES:
Besides spending time with my family,
friends, and my daughter, I am most happy
when I am in the middle of working and I
get that feeling that I am in the zone. You can
feel it, but youre not working for itit is just
flowing with you. That is my happy place, and
that can happen anywheresketching at a
park bench, while I am in my studio, or even
on an airplane as an idea strikes me.
WHERE DID THE NAME YELLOW OWL
COME FROM?
I dont have a good answer for that. I oddly
had the business name before I had the busi-
ness. I just knew I wanted to do something
with my hands. I liked the repetition of the
letters. Yellow owls dont exist (that I know
of). Yellow Owl just suited me. I wasnt think-
ing that it would be the longest website name
ever. And now that I have to say it twenty
times a day, it was perhaps not the best busi-
ness decision Ive ever made, but it suits me.
WAS THE TERM WORKSHOP CHOSEN
ON PURPOSE?
Yes, I knew I was going to make stuff myself.
It wasnt going to be a design studio. It was
going to be an approachable workshop where
we took care of business.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE STAMP SET AND
YOUR FAVORITE THING TO STAMP?
That is tough. It is always the one that I just
did. I have a rose stamp that is new that I re-
ally like. I have been into florals lately, and
it makes me happy to look at it. I think my
10
favorite thing is to stamp on fabric. We have FAVORITE FOOD PLACE IN YOUR
these ink pads that work on paper and fabric, NEIGHBORHOOD:
and they are very vibrant colors that work on La Palma is delicious. Its a taqueria that spe-
a variety of different surfaces. Because you cializes in making their own tortillas, which
can stamp on a T-shirt or a canvas lunch bag results in serving amazing tacos and burritos.
or a table runner or a napkin, it becomes the
most versatile surface to work with. It is good DESIGNERS OR ARTISTS YOU ADMIRE AND
for occasions and small events. It is kind of a HAVE SHAPED YOU:
way of branding yourself. I think that changes so frequently. Today, I
was looking at Paul Klee, Agnes Martin, and
IF YOU WERENT THE OWNER OF YELLOW the paintings of Henri Rousseau. It really var-
OWL, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING? ies. Since I am in the business of always hav-
Getting a lot more sleep than I currently do! ing to create new products, I have to get new
I think I would still be doing something in inspiration just to keep myself interested, and
a creative field. But I just cant imagine not to keep the attention of the people who buy
doing this right now, especially since I have my wares.
been working nonstop the last three months.
Maybe I would like working in the kitchen. I DO YOU HAVE A DREAM CAREER GOAL?
also like science, so maybe I would be a scien- I am living it. I feel really lucky to have the
tist. (Oh, I could never be a scientist!) job that I have. I cant imagine anything bet-
ter, except more time off.
HOW DO YOU FILL YOUR FREE TIME?
Running a business takes up a lot of time, so WHATS PLAYING ON YOUR IPOD?
often my free time is watching terrible televi- Right now, Radiolab, but it changes fre-
sion. We will go walk around North Beach on quently. I listen to a lot of talk radio when
the weekend, or we will go to the beach. We Im working, so I love public radio shows. I
am also listening to a band called Architecture
in Helsinki.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YELLOW OWL
will go back to Kansas City where my fam- WORKSHOP IN FIVE YEARS?
ily lives, or head to New Jersey and visit my We had a tremendous response with our
husbands family. Carve-a-Stamp kit, which is a product I was
making myself for use. It is two river blocks
WHAT IS IT LIKE LIVING IN SAN glued to a stamp block for even carving and
FRANCISCO? CAN YOU IMAGINE LIVING impressions for solid printing. We also just
ANYWHERE ELSE? released these stencil kits that allow people
I have lived in a bunch of places. And since to use drawing stencils on totes and decals.
San Francisco has no winter, it is hard to beat. I find myself thinking more and more about
It is a really great, very vibrant town that is craft kits.
very supportive of small business. It is an AL :: www.yellowowlworkshop.com
ecologically aware town, so they also pride
themselves on local produce and locally pro-
duced goods.
It is changing a lot. We are seeing a second
wave of technology moving in that is push-
ing the younger creative people out. But it is
a great place in general. I think that I would
always want to live in a walkable city. If I cant
walk to the corner store and get a pint of ice
cream, I dont want to live there.
AL 11
 From The Vibrant Table by Anya Kassoff, 2014. Photographs by Masha Davydova. Reprinted by
arrangement with Roost Books, an imprint of Shambhala Publications Inc., Boston, MA.

Homage to Nourishment
www.roostbooks.com FOOD

V E G E TA R I A N R E C I P E S F O R A H E A LT H Y L I F E S T Y L E
text: ANYA KASSOFF photography: MASHA DAVYDOVA
Fresh and seasonal ingredients abound in the recipes from The Vibrant Table:
Recipes from My Always Vegetarian, Mostly Vegan, and Sometimes Raw
Kitchen by Anya Kassoff (Roost Books, 2014).

I love cooking with tofu, as its texture

and ability to absorb any flavor allow
citrus broccolini
so much creativity in the kitchen.
The flavor of this marinade is
sensationalthe combination of
with cardamom tofu SERVES 4

cardamom and citrus is vibrant and

sunny, perfect for a summer meal.

ingredients: cooking instructions:

1 package (14 ounces) firm tofu
1 bunch (about 10 ounces) broccolini
For the marinade
Juice and zest of 2 limes
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Seeds of 7 cardamom pods, crushed in a mortar
and pestle
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
the baking dish
teaspoon sea salt
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon purified water
Handful almonds, toasted and chopped
1. Drain the tofu, and place it on a plate. Cover with another plate, and put
some weight on it, such as a glass jar filled with water. Let it drain for
about 2 hours.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the citrus juices, cardamom, red pepper flakes,
coconut sugar, olive oil, and salt. Pour into a food processor, add the cilantro
and water, and pulse to incorporate. Reserve cup of the dressing for later.
3. Pour away the water drained from the tofu. In a medium dish, crumble
the tofu with your fingers. Pour the remaining dressing over the tofu, and
leave to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour. (You can do these steps in advance
and marinate the tofu overnight.)
4. Preheat the oven to 425F.
5. Blanch the broccolini in a large pot full of well-salted water for 4 to 5
minutes. Transfer to an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Remove the
broccolini from the water once cool, squeeze out the excess water, and pat dry
with paper towels.
6. Place the broccolini in a lightly oiled baking dish, drizzle the reserved
cup of dressing over it, and top with marinated tofu. Bake for 10 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with the toasted and chopped almonds, and serve immediately.

12 AL 13
 When I first made this salad, it was
nothing more than an attempt to put
summer bounty
together the produce I had on hand
into one meal. It turned out so well
that everyone who tried it declared it
salad SERVES 4-6

was one of the best salads theyd ever

had. I dont think anyone has changed
their mind since.

ingredients: cooking instructions:

Sea salt 1. Blanch the green beans in a pot of well-salted boiling water for about 4
About 10 ounces young green beans or French minutes, until crisp-tender, and shock them in an ice-water bath. In the same
beans, ends trimmed water, blanch the peas for about 20 seconds, until crisp-tender, and shock
About 6 ounces fresh shelled green peas them in the ice water. Remove the vegetables from the ice water when cool,
1 small carrot, shaved with a vegetable peeler and gently dry them with a dish towel or paper towels.
1 small head radicchio, thinly sliced
2. In a large bowl, combine the green beans, peas, carrot, radicchio, radishes,
About 10 radishes, thinly sliced
zest of the lemon, parsley, and dill.
Zest and juice of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3. In a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder, coarsely grind the coriander,
3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
cumin, mustard, and fenugreek seeds. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over
2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds medium-low heat, add the crushed seeds and garlic, and cook for 2 to 3
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds minutes, until fragrant. Pour the hot oil over the salad, season with salt, and
1 teaspoon whole yellow mustard seeds add a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Mix gently, add the berries, if using,
teaspoon whole fenugreek seeds (optional) and serve immediately.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed with a knife
Handful of berries, such as cherries and
raspberries (optional)

14 AL 15
 I have a deep fondness for vegetable
pancakes or fritters; they were one of the
tastiest and simplest meals of my
childhood. My mother made them with
zucchini in summer and pumpkin in fall
and winter.To make them with zucchini, just butternut squash
squeeze out the excess water, eliminate the
sage and nutmeg, add 1 tablespoon each
and sage fritters MAKES 12

minced mint and dill, and use almond flour

rather than hazelnut flour.

ingredients: cooking instructions:

1 tablespoons olive oil, divided
medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 cups packed finely shredded butternut squash
1 large egg
Large pinch of sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons minced fresh sage (from about
5 sage leaves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
teaspoon smoked paprika
Dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1 ounces feta cheese, preferably goats milk
and/or sheeps milk feta, crumbled
cup hazelnut flour or almond flour
1. Warm tablespoon of the olive oil in a small saut pan over medium-low
heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saut for 4 to 5 minutes, until translucent.
Set aside to cool.
2. Preheat the oven to 400F.
3. Wrap the shredded butternut squash in several layers of paper towels, and
squeeze gently so the paper towels can absorb the excess liquid. Remove the
paper towels, and place the squash in a medium bowl with the egg, salt,
pepper, sage, parsley, paprika, nutmeg, cheese, and hazelnut flour. Add the
onion and garlic, and mix to combine.
4. Line a baking sheet with lightly oiled parchment paper. With your hands,
shape the squash mixture into patties, and arrange them on the baking sheet
about 1 inches apart. If the batter doesnt stick together or is too wet,
add a little more flour. Brush the patties with half of the remaining olive oil,
and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Remove the sheet from the oven, and flip the patties using a thin
spatula. Brush the other side of the patties with the remaining olive oil, and
bake for another 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream or yogurt, and/or a
simple green salad on the side.

16 AL 17
 Halva is one of my favorite desserts.
Whenever I see those irregularly
shaped blocks of nuts and sugar at
Middle Eastern markets, I lose all
willpower. I cant ever pick just one
kindsesame, sunflower, pistachio
they are all delicious in their own way.
Its no surprise that I wanted to create
a healthier alternative so I wouldnt
feel a sugar overload after every burst
of indulgence.
ingredients:
5 large soft dates
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw hazelnuts
cup raw sunflower seeds
cup rolled oats
cup raw Brazil nuts
Pinch of sea salt
2 tablespoons maca powder (optional)
3 tablespoons coconut butter or coconut oil
2 tablespoons sesame tahini
cup pumpkin seeds
cup unhulled or hulled raw sesame seeds
cup hemp seeds
cup chia seeds
2 tablespoons quinoa puffs
1/3 cup goji berries
1 heaping tablespoon cacao nibs
tablespoon bee pollen
3 tablespoons honey
18
everything
halva MAKES 24 SMALL BARS
cooking instructions:
1. Place the dates in a medium bowl, and cover with purified water. Let them
soak while you follow the next few steps. Make sure your dates are very fresh,
soft, and moist; if theyre not, soak them for several hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Spread the walnuts and hazelnuts on a baking sheet, place it in the
oven, and toast the nuts for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool.
Meanwhile, spread the sunflower seeds on a separate baking sheet, and toast
them for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool. Rub the toasted
walnuts and hazelnuts with a kitchen towel to remove their skins.
4. Pulse the rolled oats in a food processor to partially grind them, about 10
pulses. Transfer into a large bowl. Add the walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower
seeds, Brazil nuts, and salt to the food processor, and grind to the consistency
of breadcrumbs. Drain the dates, remove the pits, and add to the nut mixture
in the food processor, along with the maca powder, if using, the coconut
butter, and tahini. Grind until well combined and as smooth as possible.
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the large bowl with the rolled oats,
followed by the nut-date mixture. Using your hands, combine everything
very well. The mixture should be sticky and hold together when pressed
between your fingers.
6. Line an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with parchment paper extending up the
sides. Press the mixture into the pan in an even layer, and freeze for 1 hour.
Remove the pan from the freezer, lift the halva out with the parchment paper,
and place the halva on a cutting board. Carefully slice it into bars with a large,
sharp knife. It will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
You can also store the bars in the freezer; they dont harden completely, so
you can eat them straight from the freezer.
AL 19
 GARDENING

much as possible. I also work with my clients

long after to maintain their landscapes so
the gardens stay chemical-free, sustainable,
and beautiful!

WHAT KIND OF SCHOOLING IS

INVOLVED TO BECOME A
PROFESSIONAL HORTICULTURIST?
Like a lot of professions, horticulture can be
self-taught hands-on or by going to school
and getting a degree or degrees. I have done
all of the above, but I find that nothing is a
better teacher of nature than nature. My fa-
vorite quote is, Study nature, not books.

WHAT ARE YOUR IDEAL CIRCUMSTANCES

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE VIBE OF
HALF MOON BAY?
Half Moon Bay, California, is a chill coastal
town, deeply rooted in an agricultural com-
TO WORK WITH?
My favorite jobs are when I work privately
with most or all of the creative freedom. I like
to see inside a persons home or office to get a

California Greening
A N O R G A N I C H O R T I C U LT U R I S T S TA L E
text: JENNIFER LEE SEGALE photography: ROB CO
Garden Apothecary founder Jennifer Lee Segale has made organic gardening and
design her lifes work, including a bath and body product line.
munity. I can walk to the beach and coastal
bluff, and I can look out my window and see
horses, cows, and a tractor pulling hay. Our
biggest crops here are artichokes, pumpkins,
and brussel sprouts, so there are always great
fresh vegetables here. Its heaven!
WHAT CONSTITUTES ORGANIC
LANDSCAPE DESIGN?
Organic landscape design is when you de-
sign and implement a garden, using organic
practices. I grow my own plants organically,
and buy from organically certified compa-
nies. I fertilize with compost that is certi-
fied organic. When I design a garden, I am
sure to study the natural habitat and climate
before we come in and work with it. I look
for a shady, soggy area on the property, and
plant accordingly. I plant drought-tolerant as
sense of their taste and color choices, but oth-
er than that, my job is to design with the land.
One job that I maintain each month (in San
Francisco, California) is located near the bay,
so we deal with a lot of salt, wind, and sun.
We have a beautiful layer of native perenni-
als, shrubs, and trees, and every few months,
I plant containers around their house to hold
the high-flowering annuals. We have a lovely
patchwork mix of sustainable natives, as well
as pockets of color and texture.
DO YOU HAVE A DREAM PROJECT?
My dream job is to work on an estate where
I can plant hillsides of lavender. How gor-
geous would 1,000 lavender plants in full
bloom look each summer? Id love to be on a
property that had some history and some es-
tablished trees, as well as areas for transition
and new plantings. Masses of lavender always
intrigue me. Vegetable gardens are always fun
to install too.

20 AL 21
My dream job is to work on an estate where I can plant
would 1,000 lavender plants in full bloom look each summer?
I READ THAT YOU RAISE BEES. HOW DID
YOU GET INVOLVED IN THAT?
I do raise honeybees. I have just a small hive
(less than 20,000 bees) in my back garden,
close to where I make my organic bath and
beauty products. From my office, I can hear
the buzzing! I wanted to work with bees be-
cause of the amazing beneficial properties of
honey. I also wanted to help support our lo-
cal bee colonies, and add biodiversity to my
garden and neighborhood.
DO YOU TAKE CARE OF OTHER ANIMALS?
I have four rescue mutts from various rescue
organizationsSprout, Patootie, Lucky, and
Whiskey. They are all adorable, and a giant
pain in the rear! They each have a different,
entertaining personality, so they always keep
me on my toes!
I also own chickens, though they dont have
special names; I call them all Mama. They
are sweet little pets, but we mostly have them
for egg production. I have four chickens, so
we (pretty regularly) get four eggs a day. My
friends and neighbors reap the benefits, and I
always have eggs on hand for cookie making.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO LAUNCH
GARDEN APOTHECARY?
I was inspired to start Garden Apothecary
about six years ago. My sister and I were
walking through the Ferry Building Farmers
Market in San Francisco, and I saw a plethora
of bath products, but none were organic or all
that interesting. I decided it would be fun to
make products for the body from the plants I
knew and loved and researched. Plus, it was a
perk to be able to get dirty from one company
(my landscaping) and clean up with another!
My cacao body scrub was created for getting
22
hillsides of lavender. How gorgeous
the dirt out from under my nails after gar-
dening, but its ended up being fabulous for
so much more!
DID YOU HAVE WILLING FRIENDS TO TEST
YOUR PRODUCTS?
Early on, I made my products in my kitchen
and did a lot of family and friend testing!
It really started as something indulgent for
myself and a few close friends. But after a
holiday season of everyone wanting some, I
decided to turn it into a business. It was off
to the races from there! I noticed a hole in
the beauty market, as none of the products
I could find had actual plants or flowers in
themjust oils and chemicals. I find that
Garden Apothecarys best sellers and most
indulgent products are the ones I add a lot
of botanicals to, like our vanilla and balsam
scrub that includes one whole organic va-
nilla bean in the jar.
DID YOU ALSO CREATE YOUR OWN LABELS
AND PACKAGING?
I created all of my labels and packaging. Its
been a painstaking process that took me
about two years, but I love the outcome and
find the labels to be very fitting for the prod- type of plant research I can do in whatever FAVORITE PRODUCT: football shaped. The taste and scent from the
ucts and my brand. I work with a designer country we are traveling to. Belize is perfect Its tough to have favorites since I handcraft beans is incredibleeven magical. Its found
and printing company who I give my ideas to. since Matt loves to scuba dive while I am each product, but if I had to choose, it would to have a tremendous amount of antioxidants
They make sure its printable, and constantly trekking in the jungle. Id say that is where be our cacao and cardamom oil. Its a rich, and other medicinal properties for the body,
help with my perennial grammar issues! we have had our best memoriesjump- grounding scent that feels luxurious on the mind, and spirit.
ing off waterfalls, cave exploration, rid- body; its our best-selling item. AL :: www.gardenapothecary.com
WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF TRAVEL ing horses in a mahogany farm, and eating
STEM FROM? great local foods at the Belizean farmers WHAT IS CAPTURING YOUR ATTENTION
My love for travel came when I met my hus- markets. My favorite times are just driving THESE DAYS?
band, Matt. He has always been a constant for hours down the Hummingbird High- Right now, I have been doing a lot of
traveler, and after we took our first month- way in Belize and listening to our favorite hands-on studying of theobroma cacao.
long trip, I was hooked. If I dont make it podcasts. We speed by the beautiful land- This is the namesake of chocolate. Its a small,
to Belize a couple times a year, I get pretty scape, stop whenever there is something in- tropical tree that loves to grow in the under-
antsy. I tend to tailor my trips around what teresting to see, and enjoy our time together. brush in jungles. The pods are large, almost
AL 23
 Painting the Pedestrian
T H E A RT I N T H E OR DI NA RY
text: MICHAEL WARD paintings: MICHAEL WARD
Artist Michael Ward paints to document and bear witness to life, and chooses
subjects often overlooked to force people to see.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR
JOURNEY AS AN ARTIST:
Id like to say I knew from an early age I
wanted to be an artist, but thats not quite the
case. In my youth, I wanted to be an architect,
and got as far as studying architecture in high
school before diverting into creative writing
in college. In 1974, I spent a summer with my
cousin in Maine, who put me to work doing
pen and ink sketches of houses for friends. I
earned $15 a drawing, and by summers end,
I had a couple hundred bucks in my pocket.
That led me to do more pen and ink draw-
ings of historic architecture, which abounds
in Maine.
Back home in Long Beach, California, I went
searching for more historical buildings to
draw. Pickings were slim, but in the course
of my wanderings, I photographed whatever
caught my eye, old and new. I was friends
with a couple professional photographers,
who encouraged my amateur efforts. In the
early 80s, I tried painting some of these.
I used gouache on illustration board, just
because thats what I had on hand from my
day job as a graphic artist. The results were
encouraging, and I even managed to sell a
painting (Pink Elephant) for a modest price.
24
ART
DID YOUR CAREER TAKE OFF FROM THERE?
I got distracted with a girlfriend (later wife)
and stepson, and put my brushes down for
a decade or so. I regretted selling Pink El-
ephant, and one day decided to get it back
by painting it again. Then I painted another
work and another, and havent stopped since.
I draw from my now-ancient archive of slides
from the 70s and 80s, and more recent im-
ages as well.
I went along the typical amateur path, show-
ing in community art shows and county fairs,
gradually climbing the emerging artist ladder
to group shows at galleries, then a solo show
in 2008, and then gallery representation and
more group and solo shows. Though I still
have a day job, painting occupies more and
more of my time.
AS AN ARTIST, WHAT IS YOUR MOTIVATION
FOR CREATING?
For me, painting is about bearing witness.
Its about documenting the life I live and
have lived, the places Ive been, and the
sights I have seen. I concentrate on what is
normally overlooked: the everyday, the com-
monplace, the stuff we take for granted. Alan
Watts calls it, The mystery of the ordinary.
AL 25

I believe there is a grace in everyday things
that we usually overlook. My paintings are a
way of making people pay attention to whats
around them. My hope is that people look at
my paintings and see something of their own
experience in them, and that prompts them
to look at something theyve never seen be-
fore and say, I know this.
HOW HAS YOUR ART EVOLVED OVER
THE YEARS?
In the early days, I was copying my photo-
graphs exactly, only leaving out stuff that was
too complex to paint. At some point, I began
adding figures to images that needed them,
or other elements such as cars or trees. And
I might change the color of a building or re-
position things for the sake of composition.
I have dabbled with wholly fictional scenes,
but always come back to a more documen-
tary approach. Over the years, Ive learned to
become braver in cropping tighter and mak-
ing changes for the sake of composition. So
Im probably somewhere between documen-
tary and reality TV.
26
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORK?
In art historical terms, youd probably call
what I do photorealism. Id be happy just
calling it realism. The paintings look photo-
graphic to the untrained eye, but my level of
detail is not as great as some. And though I
sometimes wish it were looser, it never quite
gets to an impressionist level. A curator once
described my work as abstract realism. That
may explain my affinity for Richard Dieben-
korn. My fascination with the ordinary might
put me in the Ashcan School, though it would
have to be updated to the Plastic Recycling
Bin School.
WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR WORK, ARE
THERE ANY BOUNDARIES THAT YOU ARE
NOT AFRAID OF CROSSING?
If there are any boundaries, they are ones Ive
set myself. I shy away from painting pretty
picturestouristy scenes, flowers, pets, car-
ousel horses, etc. (though I have done all of
those at some point, and theyve been well
received). But I would rather not paint the
stuff thats already been painted over and
over. There is so much in the world that is
overlookedI feel a duty to document it.
I concentrate on what is normally
overlooked: the everyday, the
commonplace, the stuff we take
for granted. Alan Watts calls it,
The mystery of the ordinary.
I believe there is a grace in
everyday things that we
usually overlook.
TALK US THROUGH THE PROCESS OF
CREATING YOUR AVERAGE WORK OF ART:
I start by picking an image from my archive,
either a slide from the 70s or 80s, or a digital
shot from this century. I crop it in Photoshop,
and do any necessary editingremoving or
adding elements, moving stuff around, modi-
fying colors. Then I make a full-size printout
that gets traced onto the canvas. I work back
to front, and top to bottom. A small piece
takes a couple weeks, working two to three
hours a day. A more complex piece may take
two months. One painting took me a year, but
that was in my early days when I was slower
and less devoted to painting. I generally dont
varnish my paintings, so when the last detail
is painted, theyre done.
WHAT INSPIRES THE SUBJECT MATTER OF
YOUR ART?
Im always looking for subject matter, but its
hard to articulate exactly what Im looking
for. It usually boils down to, I know it when
I see it. People sometimes send me images
they think could be Michael Ward paintings.
AL 27
They may be way off base, but sometimes
theyre right on. Thats satisfyingto know
that other people share my aesthetic.

WHERE ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE

PLACES TO DRAW INSPIRATION FROM? In art historical terms,
Museums are always energizing for me, as
youd probably call what
is the study of other artists in general. And
travel, of course. Lately, Ive been traveling I do photorealism. Id
repeatedly to the same places (because of be happy just calling it
family): Montana, Michigan, and Mexico. realism. The paintings
Ive gotten a lot of material from all of them.
look photographic to
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF THE
the untrained eye, but
CREATIVE PROCESS? my level of detail is not
I like the entire process: finding an image, as great as some.
preparing it for the canvas, and executing the
work. I guess a favorite aspect for me is find-
ing the unexpected and overlooked details in
an image as I paint it. For instance, I found
a slide in my archive that had a girl leaning
against a light pole at an odd angle. When
I began painting, I noticed she was wearing
roller skates, so that painting became Rollin
Down Pico after the location, Pico and West-
ern in Los Angeles. Another image I painted
contained a bank building in downtown Long
Beach built in the twenties; a couple of old
cars appear in the slide I took in the 1970s,
and an elderly woman in the foreground is
clutching her sack lunch. That became the
painting called Persistence.

28 AL 29
My most recent revelation came when I
did a painting of a VW bug parked outside
an art deco apartment building, based on a
slide I took back in the 1970s. I discovered
that the VW had snow tires, not usually

needed in Southern California. The VW was
a 1968 model, the same one my father had
when he left Montana in the 1960s to reset-
tle in Long Beach. So there was a personal
symbolism for me, though I didnt realize it
when I took the photo or started the painting.
These themes often only present themselves
after hours of study, which painting allows
me to do.
HOW WOULD YOU SAY YOUR ART DIFFERS
FROM OTHER CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS?
Im self-taught, so I havent been influenced
much by art schools or art trends. I dont feel
the need to express any inner demons. I dont
think Im consciously emulating anyone,
though there are many contemporary artists
I admire, such as Robert Bechtle, Richard Es-
tes, Ralph Goings, and John Register.
HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE
YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST?
For a long time, I resisted doing commis-
sions, though Im often asked to do them.
Somehow, it seems too much like work. But
lately, Ive been more open, as commissions
often take me in directions I would not oth-
erwise have gone. And as my skills improve,
I have tackled images that I once considered
too hard to paint.
Lately, Ive tried to include more people in
my paintings, which often means combining
images. Having a person in a scene changes
the dynamic entirely.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST VALUABLE
LESSONS LEARNED?
It took me a long time to realize that if some-
thing didnt come out right, I could repaint
it. That has freed me up, which means I can
paint faster. Theres no pressure to get it right
the first time. Another thing Ive learned is
that often a composition can be improved
by cropping the original image. I found this
out more or less by accident while trying to
fit the image of one of my paintings onto a
business card.
DESCRIBE FOR US THE ATMOSPHERE WHEN
YOU ARE AT WORK:
I can paint anywhere, and have, but I have a
purpose-built studio attached to my house
where I do most of my painting. My cat, Milo,
keeps me company, and I listen to podcasts
(mostly current affairs programs) to engage
that part of my brain not engaged in painting.
TALK ABOUT YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE OF
YOUR WORK:
Theres travel, reading, taking care of cats,
and being a graphic designer. But Im always
thinking about paintingwhether it is the
project Im working on at the moment or
what I want to paint next.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE IN
TEN YEARS?
Id like to still be above ground, painting full
time in some picturesque location (or sev-
eral), reluctantly jetting off for the occasional
museum retrospective.
TALK ABOUT THE WALKABOUT SERIES:
These paintings are from my 2008 solo
show, with ongoing additions. They are all
city scenes, based on photographs taken
while roaming the streets of Long Beach,
IT TOOK ME A LONG TIME TO REALIZE THAT IF SOMETHING DIDNT COME OUT RIGHT,
I could repaint it. That has freed me up, which means I can paint faster.
Theres no pressure to get it right the first time.
Los Angeles, and Orange County. Just as a
walkabout is a coming of age, these paintings
represent my ongoing journey of discovery
and maturation as an artist, and simultane-
ously, my examination in detail of where Ive
been, and by extension, who I was and who I
have become.
TALK ABOUT THE HOME IS WHERE THE
HOUSE IS SERIES:
I am currently working on a series of paint-
ings of simple, ordinary housesones with-
out grand architectural pretensions. Rather,
their importance derives from the lives lived
within them, of which we see very little. The
paintings are all of a common size, four-
teen inches by eighteen inches. The houses
are from a variety of locations in the United
States and Mexico. They are, in a sense, the
places we all grew up inplaces of nurture,
experience, trial, memory, and forgiveness.
AL :: www.tmichaelward.com

30 AL 31

WAS THERE A DISTINCT MOMENT THAT
HELPED DETERMINE YOUR PASSION
FOR ARCHITECTURE?
I dont think there was a specific moment.
There was nothing so glorious as getting hit
in the head with an apple and coming up
with a theory. I was always interested in tin-
kering and building with things, and had re-
ally liked being around construction as I was
growing up.
I played football while attending an Ivy
League college to earn a liberal arts degree.
I pursued a pretty well-rounded degree be-
cause I didnt know exactly what I wanted to
doat that time, my mind-set was fixated on
pretending that I might be able to play pro-
fessional football in the future. I started out
studying engineering, but found that I was
more interested in putting things together
and seeing how they were modeled rather
than learning about how things stressed. So
I ended up becoming a visual arts major,
Into the Woods
which I excelled at but wasnt focused on.
Although I did end up getting signed by a
professional football team, I got cut fairly
BUILDING AMONG THE TREES
photography: JAMES RAY SPAHN quickly. Returning home, I took a job as a
text: JAMES RILL
do-everything gofer with an architecture
James Rills architecture is informed by the environment, integrating
firm, just to see if I would like it, and coached
outdoor elements into the design of the home.
football for a high school team. Through that
experience, I was offered a couple teaching
positions from a local high school; however,
I decided to follow my fathers advice and
attend graduate school before jumping into
a teaching position. I applied and got into
graduate school to study architecture, and it
became my passion.
WHAT ABOUT ARCHITECTURE WERE YOU
DRAWN TO?
I think it was the ability to make functional
artwork with my hands. There were reasons
to do things a certain way, whereas art was
too wide open for me. There was context with
architecture, like wind, sun, and landscape.
There were buildings next door and views to
take into account. All of these variables had
to be considered and integrated in order to
create a story or an experience as you move
through the space.
32
cess. You need to know all the pieces so you
can incorporate it into your design.
ever their needs and wishes are and incorpo-
entso it never gets old.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR
DESIGN AESTHETIC?
Naturesque, which to me means it responds
to its environment. It brings nature into the
house and the house out into the natural en-
vironment. Our firm dedicates itself to cre-
ating spaces that are connected to the views
and vistas of the outdoors. Every house you
design creates outdoor rooms as well, and the
outdoor rooms are some of the most wonder-
ful rooms in the house. Our clients really like
to feel connected to nature while they are in-
side their home, but they also like to feel that
they are not all alone when outside.
DESIGN
HOW DOES LOCATION TRANSLATE INTO
INSPIRATION FOR A HOMES DESIGN?
The environment around you provides con-
text, which includes factors like the views,
the sun, the wind, the trees, and the terrain.
There are next-door neighbors, backdoor
neighbors, and front-door neighbors. There
is streetscape. All of these elements play into
how you respond and how you begin the pro-
The other context is the client. Our clients
have a lot to say about what they want in their
homes. We want to base our design off of how
they live, and not how I live or anyone in our
firm lives since we are not the people who are
going to live in the project. We find out what-
rate those into our plan as we are designing a
project. If you came to us with your house, we
would ask questions like, How do you enter-
tain? Who wakes up first? How much space
do you have for your closets? Who cooks?
These are a lot of personal questions. By tak-
ing your cues from the site and the clients,
every project you work on is differentevery
site is different, every personality is differ-
ONCE YOUVE SELECTED A DIRECTION FOR
THE DESIGN, WHAT IS YOUR PLANNING
PROCESS LIKE?
It is always evolving. There is no selection to
the design. There is something called a parti,
which is a French word for an organizing ele-
ment from an architectural standpoint. You
begin by creating organizing elements that
are reviewed with your clients and reviewed
by your staff. And you pull together how you
want to expand the project. From that point,
you start designing the details, and you re-
view it again with your clients and staff ev-
ery couple of weeks. You keep pushing along
in baby steps until you get something that
is morphing into a design that is physically
AL 33
The client was looking for a place to live
nature both from within the house and from outside the house.
beautiful and functionally beautiful, but not
constructable at this point. These are not con-
struction drawings, but rather drawings that
give you a sense of what the design is.
At that point, you take it to general contrac-
tors for pricing because you want to make
sure you are not building the Taj Mahal when
you dont have a Taj Mahal budget. All ar-
chitects are accused of going overbudget. Its
crucial to find out the budget early so you can
modify and tailor the project to meet your fi-
nancial and aesthetic needs. There are ways
to design and masterplan, get some pricing,
get a shopping list, and then tailor it to meet
your needs, budgetwise.
YOUR FAVORITE ARCHITECTURE SECRET:
There is no real secret. We spend a lot of time
thinking about natural light. I think one of
the biggest things we do differently from oth-
ers is we design the house as if it owns every-
thing it can see. If you have a five-acre site, we
are designing a five-acre project, although the
house may be only 3,000 square feet. There
will be trails, gazebos, and outdoor rooms.
We think of the entire site as the project. We
help with the landscape architecture, and we
also work all the way to the interiors where
well coordinate to design the kitchen cabi-
nets, the built-ins, and everything up to the
furniture and fabricswhich we can coordi-
nate as well if you want us to. I think our se-
cret is that we are not just thinking about the
house as a structure. We are thinking about
it as a home.
GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THIS
PARTICULAR PROJECT. WHAT WAS YOUR
CLIENT LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF
AESTHETIC AND FEELING OF THE SPACE?
The clients were looking for a place to live
within nature so they could experience na-
ture both from within the house and from
outside the house. If the husband had his way,
he would have pitched a tent on the property
34
within nature so they could experience
or hollowed out a log and lived in that. But
the wife insisted on including the amenities
of modern-day lifestyles.
They wanted their house to sit within the
context of the neighborhood from an archi-
tectural standpointthey didnt want it to
be so rustic that it didnt fit with the other
houses in the neighborhoodbut they also
wanted it to sit on the site as a piece of the
landscape. They wanted the design to be a
little more sleek, clean, and made of glass,
stone, and wood so that it appeared to grow
out of the landscape.
DESCRIBE THE LOCATION BEFORE
YOU BEGAN:
It was on a steep slope in the middle of the
woods with vistas toward valleys and river
valleys. The houses on each side were con-
temporary in nature, and the neighborhood
as a whole was more English traditional. It
was a wonderful site. There was nobody be-
hind you for miles that you could see, and
you could easily screen out your neighbors to
the sides.
SUM UP THE THEME AND INSPIRATION
BEHIND THIS PROJECT IN A COUPLE OF
SENTENCES:
Live within your surroundings without hav- taking down as few as possible and spending and also boasts a glass room, which is ideal for EXPLAIN SOME OF THE ECO-FRIENDLY
ing an adverse affect on the surroundings. lot of money saving the ones that were tight sitting in the environment and looking out at DESIGN MATERIALS, SYSTEMS, AND
Influence the site versus ripping it apart and to the house. When we did have to take down the nature that passes by. On the second floor, BUILDING TECHNIQUES USED IN
disturbing it. a tree, we would utilize the wood within there is the master bedroom and another THIS PROJECT:
the construction materials so that nothing bedroom. And on the third floor, there is an We put a lot of thought into living green and
HOW DID YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH was wasted. You will notice that some of the office and a bird sanctuary for the owners living within your environment. The main
NATURE TO ACHIEVE YOUR DESIGN? trees are actually used as the wood floors in parakeets. When the client walks around up features were the insulation, the indoor air
WHAT SORT OF CHALLENGES DID THE the house. there, the birds perch on his shoulders, so we quality, and the hot water heat that runs
LANDSCAPE PROVIDE? had to make sure the materials up there took from a geothermal system. We utilized Icy-
We chose to work with the surrounding mate- TELL US ABOUT THIS HOUSE IN care of themselves. If you notice on the front nene spray foam insulation, duel flush toi-
rials so that the house didnt appear like an ob- GENERAL TERMS: of the house, the dormers are made of glass. lets, and ENERGY STAR appliances. We also
ject in the landscape, but rather it blended in It is a four-story, 4,200-square-foot house. We treated the dormers as hatches; when you incorporated cisterns, which take the water
with the green of nature. We relocated moun- The lower level consists of an indoor pool, are standing inside a dormer, you feel like from the roof and the site and filter it into
tain laurels, which we were advised not to do which opens up to nature as well as a guest you have lifted up the hatches of the roof and two ten-thousand-gallon tanks for irrigation.
but were successful at anyway. We worked room, workout room, and rec room. The first are looking around in all directions.
with the existing positioning of the trees, floor is the living, eating, and cooking space,
AL 35
WHAT SORT OF DESIGN DETAILS CAN BE
FOUND IN THE HOMES INTERIORS?
The interior of the house is made up of all
exposed timbers and wood, which plays on
the idea that the trees and limbs have moved
into the house. We really focused on using
these timbers and wood as a way to relate
to the same timbers and wood in nature,
but utilizing them as structure. The ex-
posed wood creates a textured and organic
design, even though the lines are clean
and straight. The walls are mostly floor-to-
ceiling glass to allow for wonderful views.
The marble granite that we used for the kitch-
en emulated a force like you were looking up
through the trees.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE TIMEFRAME FOR
A PROJECT?
It takes about a year to design, and a little
over a year to build. You can design it in six
months, but it would be stressful. It is a very
hard question to answer because every proj-
ect is different. Depending on the size of the
project, it can be six to eight months for an
addition, or twelve to sixteen months for a
new home. If you are building on a ninety-
degree slope, it is a lot harder to build. Every
project is different.
HOW DID THE CLIENTS REACT TO THE
FINAL DESIGN?
Our clients are very involved in the early
stages, the middle stages, and again when it
is done. Some are pleasantly surprised with
the beginning siting, confused with the con-
struction, and then pleasantly surprised that
it comes out as wonderful as we planned for
in the end. Envisioning the project when it
is done is a little tough, and people end up
thinking that rooms are too small or too big
during the construction phase. But the final
results are worth it in the end. There is some
trust there, but we do bring them along with
every step. In general, I think our clients
expect to be wowed when it is done. In this
36
particular case, the clients were ecstatic with
the final results. They helped design it and
loved every detail because it is personal to
themfrom the kitchen pantry fit for a gour-
met cook to the garages special fittings to
hold up kayaks and bikes.
HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO CHALLENGE
YOURSELF AS AN ARCHITECT?
Every project is different, and every client is
differentthat is what keeps us on our toes.
The sites themselves are always different, as
are the budgets. Everybody has a budget and
a wish list, and 100 percent of the time, the
wish list is more than what the budget allows.
It doesnt matter the number. If you have two
dollars in your pocket, you will want three
dollars worth of architecture. If you have one
million dollars in your pocket, you will want
1.5 million dollars worth of architecture.
Each project comes with its own set of pa-
rameters that keeps things interesting.
WHAT DO YOU FIND TO BE MOST
FULFILLING ABOUT THE FIELD?
The fact that we are doing something that will
last forever (in our opinion). We are molding
the environmentour environment, yours
and mineinto something wonderful that
will stay there for a long time. We are creating
something, and making somebodys dream
come true. When we drive by, we can enjoy
the satisfaction of being able to say that we
had a little something to do with its creation.
That is how our clients feel too. They are
doing this because they love it. Not only are
they doing something for the future, but
also for their own satisfaction and simplicity
in life.
SHED SOME LIGHT ON YOURSELF OUTSIDE
OF THE DESIGN WORLD:
I coach Special Olympics basketball and soft-
ball. That is out of the fact that my youngest
son, who is twenty years old, has special needs.
He is very athletic, and I like that. I played
sports my entire life, and I like to continue to
work out, swim, run, and bike. I also find that
running an office is much like running a great
team, which I find to be enjoyable. Although
architecture isnt an inherently team-oriented
process, I really preach the teamwork. A lot
of architects think of themselves singularly;
there are a lot of Frank Lloyd Wrights of the
world who think that they did it all and do
not need any help. But our philosophy in this
firm focuses on being very team-oriented.
I constantly look for advice and people to
inspire me. I also like to inspire others. For
that reason, I really like coaching in the
off-season and working with kids who have
special needs.
AL :: www.rillarchitects.com
AL 37
 CRAFT

Bourbon with a Twist

THE MASTER DISTILLER EYES THE CHARRED
oak barrels carefully year after year, anticipat-
ing just the right maturity to produce the full
essence and classic amber tone of top-shelf
T H E A R T O F S A L VA G I N G O A K bourbon. Craftsman Tony Davis has his eyes
text: BRADLEY D. SAUM photography: BRADLEY D. SAUM
on those same barrels, but not for the bour-
Craftsman Tony Davis transforms Kentucky bourbon barrels into useful household bon. Tony seeks the perfectly seasoned wood
items, like cutting boards, lazy Susans, and art easels.
barrels to succumb to his creative hands. The
salvaged oak is crafted into functional art
pieces for the home, such as cutting boards,
As the staves fall to the lazy Susans, and art easels.
floor, the traditional
charred interior is His unique designs start with the staves, the
revealed and generates a curved wood planks of the barrel that are
bound tightly with metal bands. A grinder
blanket of soot
quickly relieves the tension of the band, free-
throughout Tonys ing the pieces of white oak. As the staves
Studio 300 in the old fall to the floor, the traditional charred in-
James Pepper Distillery terior is revealed. The grinding generates
in Lexington, Kentucky. a blanket of soot throughout Tonys Studio
300 in the old James Pepper Distillery in
Lexington, Kentucky.

The very first staves that Tony Davis re-

claimed from a bourbon barrel were not
in his pursuit of crafting in Studio 300, but
many years before when he was young and
simply passing time in the Lexington, Ken-
tucky, summers. The walls of Tonys child-
hood clubhouse were fortified with small
wood planks pulled from trash cans behind
a neighborhood store. Those discarded rem-
nants were actually from bourbon barrels
that had already been repurposed once as
planters. Little did I know I would be doing
what I am doing now, Tony reflects.

From the little clubhouse and his humble be-

ginnings in Lexington, Tony would take a re-
markable journey before picking up another
piece of charred white oak from a bourbon
barrel. Struggling to complete a formal edu-
cation beyond the seventh grade, Tony started
delivering papers and working at a fast food
restaurant. In 1995, Tony joined the United
States Marine Corps, which would take him

38 AL 39
to eighteen countries around the world. He
put his mind to studying and earned a GED,
the equivalent of a high school diploma. I al-
ways wanted to do better for myself because
of where I came from, Tony conveyed. If it
were not for the Marine Corps, I would not
be where I am today.
The Marine Corps taught me discipline,
integrity, and to be honest. It taught me ev-
erything. I can never repay the Marine Corps
for all they did for me, Tony shared. I hold
them close to my heart.
Tony also has the USMC to thank for indi-
rectly introducing him to the art of repurpos-
ing barrels. During the time he was briefly
stationed at Camp Pendleton in California,
40
Tony enjoyed Fleet Week, including a tour of
nearby Napa Valley wine country where he
stumbled upon artisans crafting wine racks
and decorative art pieces from the wine bar-
rels. Tony tucked the experience into his
memory while he was still busy serving his
country, but found himself recalling the Napa
Valley artwork during his occasional visits
back home to the Bluegrass Region of Ken-
tucky, when the mere sight of old bourbon
barrels sent him down memory lane. Cre-
ative ideas were subtly starting to form.
Tonys journey came full circle as he eventu-
ally landed back in Lexington after his ser-
vice in the Marines. With the memory of the
artisans still etched in his mind, he found
himself frequently in his backyard barn,
crafting wine racks and art easels from old
pieces of hand-hewn boards, but had dreams
of one day creating something proprietary.
Tonys moment of creative genius came
while he was stuck in traffic in downtown
Lexington, sitting in his truck looking at a sign
for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian
Games. The World Equestrian Games would
be held in Tonys hometown, the first time
the International Federation for Equestrian
Sports would host the elite event at a venue
outside of Europe. An idea illuminated. I
pondered what I could do for Kentucky
that we already had that I could put a twist
on, recounted Tony, as he wanted others to
share in his enthusiasm for Kentucky. The
inspiration for an art piece was kindled.
Returning home, he grabbed an old bourbon
barrel that he had purchased at a garage sale
some years earlier for no specific purpose.
With newfound resolution, he cut the metal
bands with his grinder, and the staves fell to
the ground. As he was picking them up, he
saw what could be made into a body and im-
mediately knew. Kentucky Knows was in its
infancy and would gradually develop into his
signature art piece and registered trademark,
as a slightly abstract character crafted to il-
lustrate unique aspects of Kentucky.
He refined his vision with extensive research
into the history of Kentucky, the bourbon in-
dustry, and horse racing. Kentucky Knows
represents the icons of Kentucky, Tony con-
veyed as he proudly spoke of his home state.
The body of Kentucky Knows is, of course,
staves from a bourbon barrel. The long corn
Knows, a homonym play on nose, repre-
sents the required minimum 51 percent corn
content in bourbon. The Commonwealth it just took us to let him out, Tony said in
of Kentucky joined fourteen other states
in the recently formed Union in 1792, and
that date rests prominently on the end of the
corn nose.
The eyes are a story of their own. The little
thoroughbreds sitting in the eyes are re-
claimed bourbon bottle toppers from Blan-
tons Single Barrel Bourbon. The eyes of
Kentucky Knows are always facing to the left.
(Anywhere horses race in the world, they
gallop counterclockwise, thus the same for
the horses that form the eyes of Kentucky
Knows.) Tony adds, Kentucky Knows has vi-
sions of a thoroughbred.
Hes always been inside the bourbon barrel;
a nearly serious tone. Tonys entrepreneurial
drive was now inspired and in high gear. He
wanted to use the bourbon barrels to create
marketable items that would appeal to a wide
audience, which led him to a cutting board.
Tony crafts all sorts of items from the staves
of the bourbon barrel, but cutting boards are
the foundation of the business. Initially there
were several unsuccessful attempts to market
the boards. But with his eternally pensive
analysis, Tony said, I have learned just as
much from a no, as I have from a yes.
AL 41

The cutting boards are made from the head
of the barrel; the individual pieces of wood
are separated and then glued back together
to ensure a solid working surface. The origi-
nal distillery stamp along with artful char-
ring added by Tony are thoroughly sealed
with shellac approved by the Food and Drug
Administration for use in the kitchen. Some
of his cutting boards are occasionally used to
slice and dice, while many others simply re-
main hanging on the wall as decor.
With the cutting boards fully crafted, he land-
ed an interview with Brad Williams, Director
of Merchandising for Liquor Barn, a chain
of full service party stores. Tony remembers
that day clearly: August 10, 2011. Tony and
his four cutting boards made quite an im-
pression, and a relationship was sparked. The
first sixteen cutting boards he provided to
Liquor Barns stores in the Hamburg area of
Lexington sold out in the first week.
Kentucky Knows and cutting boards are not
the only creations that have emerged from the
bourbon barrels in Tonys studio. Theres also
a Bits-n-Barrel lazy Susan, a Shoes-n-Barrel
lazy Susan, easels, bottle openers, and the lat-
est addition, Grill-n-Char. In his optimistic
manner, Tony said, This little business has
brought out the good in me. In my studio, I
am able to be who I want to be as long as I do
whats right. Its still a small business, but its
really big to me.
Back at the distillery, each barrel is deeply
toasted and receives a light charring before
the bourbon begins the aging process. Once
Tony frees the thirty-two or thirty-three
42
According to Tony, It takes a lifetime to
starting to understand myself and my life. I know how I did it. It was
staves from the ringed barrels, the first task
is to scrape down that charred surface. The
black soot seems to get nearly everywhere,
even on Tonys face. The little pieces of burnt
white oak that have been soaked in bour-
bon for many years, generate a unique flavor
when smoked in a grill.
The bourbon barrel char delivers a flavor
suited for all sorts of meats, fruits and vegeta-
bles, and nearly anything you can put on the
grill. About eight ounces of the char is placed
in a foil tray and heated among the charcoal.
Just before the cooking begins, splash a little
apple juice on the char, and the grill is filled
with a twist of traditional Kentucky flavor.
All of these handcrafted creations require a
lot of bourbon, or rather the barrels that once
held all that bourbon. Bourbon barrels are
not necessarily easy to obtain, especially to
use those with logos and propriety markings
in a business venture.
Tony has forged a relationship with Buffalo
Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Ken-
tucky. In his humble manner, Tony has al-
ways requested permission from Buffalo
Trace prior to using their brand in any of his
handcrafted items. Over the years, Tony has
gained permission to use even the most cov-
eted brands in the Buffalo Trace family, such
as Elmer T. Lee and Blantons Single Barrel.
Every item remains crafted and personally
judged by Tony before it goes to market.
Well over a thousand, and possibly over two
thousand, bourbon barrels will pass through
his studio in Lexington this year. Nearly ev-
ery one of those barrels will be from Buffalo
Trace Distillery, based on a relationship that
he treasures.
master your own life. Looking back on it, Im
passion.
How was I ever so blessed to work with these Its what you do with yourself that creates
great labels? Tony wonders aloud. The peo- the story.
ple make the brand; the brand does not make
the people. Tonys future goals are not founded in pro-
ductivity, efficiency, or dollars. I see myself
In the retired James Pepper Distillery, Tony as a community servant, Tony declared.
can be found seven days a week pouring his Inspiring kids to do the right thing because
passion into the oak barrels, surrounded by what you do today will follow you. You cant
barrels, staves, heads, rings, sawdust, and let the wrong thing inspire you.
soot. Elmer T. Lee, a legendary bourbon
craftsman and longtime Master Distiller for The desire to give back to his hometown is
Buffalo Trace, once walked the very same a constant thread in Tonys conversation. I
concrete floors as a production manager want to be able to give back to the commu-
for the James Pepper Distillery, which was nity, Tony said. Go into the inner city of
owned by Schenley Products, predecessors to Lexington, and show those kids to put heart
the present day Buffalo Trace. into what they do and to stay honest. They
can do what I did; I came from there.
I am promoting self-worth, not the bour-
bon, Tony states thoughtfully. According to Tony, It takes a lifetime to
master your own life. Looking back on it, Im
The artisan in Tony is often overshadowed starting to understand myself and my life. I
by his motivation to succeed, but his terms know how I did it. It was passion.
of success are certainly not measured sim- AL :: www.kentuckyknows.com
ply by how many cutting boards he sells. It
is apparent that Tony reflects on the path
his life has followed, and provides insightful
glimpses into his desire to be a cornerstone of
inspiration for children, especially those that
are struggling.
A photo of Tony when he was about ten years
old in the kitchen of his childhood home,
with his mother and two brothers, is front
and center in his workshop. He shares how
his clothes were provided by Catholic Chari-
ties of Lexington, and speaks of opportuni-
ties that were not readily available to him. It
serves as a reminder of where he started.
Nobody in my family has ever graduated
high school to this day, Tony shared. I
find it hard to believe I made it out of there.
AL 43
 DID YOU GROW UP IN PORTLAND?
I grew up in Northern California and moved
TRAVEL
to Portland in 1993.

I was born on a Friday, the 13th, and it

has always seemed that if pushed from an
airplane, I would land in the forest with
arrow points at my feet. Lucky.

WHAT WAS YOUR CAREER PRIOR TO

HOODOO ANTIQUES?
Prior to Hoodoo Antiques, I was a jack-of-
all-trades in the perpetual pursuit of a music
career. After being paid to play music, I
quickly realized that this short life is far better
lived following your bliss. Alas, a record deal photo | HOODOO ANTIQUES
was not in my cards, so I finished school.

WHERE DOES THE INTEREST IN ANTIQUES

COME FROM? WAS THERE SOMEONE IN
YOUR LIFE WHO INTRODUCED YOU
TO ANTIQUING?
My interest in antiques grew out of necessity
and the appreciation of past value. As a
student, I was able to furnish a rented house
photo | HOODOO ANTIQUES for pennies on the dollar with beautiful pieces
that had lasted seventy-five to a hundred
Ive always preferred years. Ive always preferred a timeless, one-
a timeless, of-a-kind, bullet-proof something to Swedish
one-of-a-kind, particle board. Design transcends time.
bullet-proof
HOW DID THE IDEA OF HOODOO ANTIQUES
something to COME TO BE? HOW MANY YEARS WAS IT
Swedish particle AN IDEA BEFORE IT BECAME A REALITY?
photo | HOODOO ANTIQUES
board. Design I remember being dragged to my first garage
transcends time. sale after a brunch years ago in Pasadena. I
looked down to see a 14 karat gold 1920s mens
Bulova wristwatch laying in an old coffee can
for a quarter. It just needed winding. Two
weeks later, I sold it to a Japanese antique
dealer who offered me $200 cash while in the
supermarket checkout line.

Treasure is out there, and I was hooked. I knew

Treasure on Couch Street

Id have a store, and decided on Portland. I
scouted for a location for about a year until I
settled on Old Town and signed my first lease
without a business name. Nothing I came up
HO OD O O ANTIQUES IN PORTL AND, OREGON with sounded good until I saw advertising for
text: MIKE EADIE photography: AS NOTED
the Rolling Stones concert, Hoodoo Voodoo
Mike Eadies extroverted personality and love of peoples stories make him an ideal Lounge, just a day before I opened.
shop owner of a much-loved antiques store on Portlands Couch Street.

photo | SHELLEY ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY

44 AL 45

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF
RUNNING A BUSINESS?
Signing on employees means they make
money whether I sell something or not; no
employees means I am an army of one who
is always chasing sticks. It boils down to
trust and control issues that create the most
difficult aspect of running Hoodoo. If I could
trust that someone other than me would do
whatever needs doing as well or better than
me, I could rationalize paying them to do
it. By giving up some control, I could chase
more sticks.
Aside from being swamped most of the time,
running Hoodoo Antiques is the best job
Ive ever had. I love the boss, the dress code,
and the autonomy. If something needs to get
done, it does. If I need to take a break, I do. If
I need to make some money, I sell it.
WHERE DO YOU FIND THE ANTIQUES? DO
PEOPLE BRING YOU ITEMS?
When asked, I tell people that there is a little
house in the woods that I like to go to find all
the treasure. But it really finds me.
WHAT IS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE ITEM IN
YOUR STORE? AND THE MOST EXPENSIVE?
The least expensive items in Hoodoo are
dollar keys.The most expensive item is a ten-
foot-by-sixteen-foot neon sign that spells red.
As all that remains from the first Fred Meyer
store, the circa 1930s red sign is an Oregonian
Smithsonian piece.
WHAT MAKES HOODOO ANTIQUES
WELL-SUITED TO PORTLAND?
Keep Portland Weird is a decades-old
slogan seen on countless bumper stickers.
46
Meaning magic of any kind, hoodoo is early
English for voodoo. Old Town Portland has
a New Orleans vibe, and Hoodoo Antiques is
purported to be haunted.
WHAT ERA SPEAKS TO YOU THE MOST
AND WHY? I have a full wood and metal
I always loved the American Arts and Crafts
shop, and enjoy repurposing
movement and had specialized for a number
of years selling original Stickley mission oak
photo | HOODOO ANTIQUES and refurbishing relics by hand.
furniture, impressionist landscape paintings, Industrial lighting is one of my
and tribal Persian rugs. Styles and tastes favorite areas; anything can
change, and currently my focus has been
become a light.
on timeless design, the unusual oddities,
industrial and modern furnishings, and
folk art.
DO YOU CREATE/MODIFY PIECES
YOURSELF?
I have a full wood and metal shop, and enjoy
repurposing and refurbishing relics by hand.
Industrial lighting is one of my favorite areas;
anything can become a light.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT
OWNING A STORE? photo | HOODOO ANTIQUES
I am an extrovert. I think I probably get more
FAVORITE PLACE TO TRAVEL:
excited about the colorful stories and people I
I like to travel to waterbeaches, islands,
meet than the treasure attached to them.The
rivers, lakes, and springs.
stuff (treasure) is like a river always flowing
by. I dunk my Hoodoo in, pull some out,
WHATS PLAYING ON YOUR IPOD OR
enjoy it, and then throw it back in.
RECORD PLAYER?
I have been listening almost exclusively to
FAVORITE BREAKFAST OR LUNCH SPOT
Andrew Bird on my iPod.
IN PORTLAND:
If I go out to breakfast, my favorite spot in
TELL ME SOMETHING COMPLETELY RANDOM
Portland is Tasty and Sons.
ABOUT YOURSELF:
I have never met a cheese I didnt like.
IF YOU WERENT RUNNING AN ANTIQUES
BUSINESS, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING?
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY IN YOUR FREE TIME?
If I wasnt running Hoodoo, Id be out loose
In my free time, I like to kayak and wrestle
in the world, picking and selling wherever
with the ghost of my past guitar-playing life.
the adventure took me. I have little baggage,
AL :: www.hoodooantiques.com
and places can always be leased, bought, or
sold. That said, I love Portland and would
probably always return here to the place Ive
laid down roots and built a clientele.
photo | SHELLEY ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY
AL 47
 exquisite
artistry

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