chances are if you’ve bought a greeting card in Los Angeles you’ve come across the fabulous painterly designs of one of . her whimsical illustrations are uplifting, cheerful, cheeky and a touch retro. we paid a visit to her highland park studio and learned about the path that brought her to the wild (and not so small) creative adventure she’s on today. you can shop for keiko’s cards at .
were you working elsewhere before leaving to start your business?
I worked at as a Home Merchandiser full-time and then a Sales Associate part-time while I started my business. itself was a part-time endeavor for years so I also taught piano and violin lessons while building up more product and figuring out what kind of business I wanted to have. I finally stopped teaching altogether in 2015 to work on exclusively even though I technically started the business in 2009.
was your new path motivated by a particular creative need or personal goal?
I felt I needed more creative control over projects and I wasn’t getting that from working for other people. Starting was sort of a last-ditch effort/experiment to see if I could learn more about drawing and find creative satisfaction.
where do you gain fuel that inspires your creative endeavors?
i’m most inspired by talented illustrators and painters who have been honing their craft for a while, but inspiration for me can come from anywhere: a tv show, a ceramic bowl, a beautiful landscape, a cool outfit, interior design, a children’s book, etc. just seeing something that sparks an idea gets my creative juices going again. even just thinking about how much more i have to learn and practice makes me excited to get working on something.
what was the most unexpected aspect of putting together your business?
i didn’t expect that would become a greeting card line, but as i made various little craft items at the beginning i realized that i enjoyed drawing and painting most and found excitement in seeing my paintings printed on paper. as my business grew, i realized that making cards for a wholesale based business seemed to bring in the most income and started focusing on that which helped the business grow even more. i’m lucky that small adventure has developed and grown naturally over the years.
what kind of vibe did you have in mind while designing the new studio space?
i wanted my first away-from-home studio to be organized and functional but not too proper or clean so i could feel like making messes and being creative. sometimes it gets a little too messy in here with all the boxes and our ever-changing methods of trying to hide them away and keep them out of walking paths, but i truly love this space and never felt more inspired to work hard and create than when i’m here. i’d say it has kind of a relaxed and homey vibe, with soft colors.
what are some of your work tools that you can’t live without?
isabey squirrel mop paintbrushes as well as any super tiny brushes for small detailed painting, hot press watercolor paper, gouache, a thin mechanical pencil, mono zero tiny mechanical eraser made by , sketchbooks and (a japanese paper goods company). i also recently purchased a medium called on the recommendation of an illustrator i really admire and am having a blast playing with them!
what are three books that changed your life?
(kind of cheating since it’s a whole series, but maybe if I had to pick just one.), , and I just finished reading , the first in a Chinese science fiction trilogy, that blew my mind.
what do you currently have playing on the studio’s turntable?
by the tune-yards, the , and by fela kuti.
• photography by for sfgirlbybay; | | | | card photographs by .
The post appeared first on .
chances are if you’ve bought a greeting card in Los Angeles you’ve come across the fabulous painterly designs of one of . her whimsical illustrations are uplifting, cheerful, cheeky and a touch retro. we paid a visit to her highland park studio and learned about the path that brought her to the wild (and not so small) creative adventure she’s on today. you can shop for keiko’s cards at .
were you working elsewhere before leaving to start your business?
I worked at as a Home Merchandiser full-time and then a Sales Associate part-time while I started my business. itself was a part-time endeavor for years so I also taught piano and violin lessons while building up more product and figuring out what kind of business I wanted to have. I finally stopped teaching altogether in 2015 to work on exclusively even though I technically started the business in 2009.
was your new path motivated by a particular creative need or personal goal?
I felt I needed more creative control over projects and I wasn’t getting that from working for other people. Starting was sort of a last-ditch effort/experiment to see if I could learn more about drawing and find creative satisfaction.
where do you gain fuel that inspires your creative endeavors?
i’m most inspired by talented illustrators and painters who have been honing their craft for a while, but inspiration for me can come from anywhere: a tv show, a ceramic bowl, a beautiful landscape, a cool outfit, interior design, a children’s book, etc. just seeing something that sparks an idea gets my creative juices going again. even just thinking about how much more i have to learn and practice makes me excited to get working on something.
what was the most unexpected aspect of putting together your business?
i didn’t expect that would become a greeting card line, but as i made various little craft items at the beginning i realized that i enjoyed drawing and painting most and found excitement in seeing my paintings printed on paper. as my business grew, i realized that making cards for a wholesale based business seemed to bring in the most income and started focusing on that which helped the business grow even more. i’m lucky that small adventure has developed and grown naturally over the years.
what kind of vibe did you have in mind while designing the new studio space?
i wanted my first away-from-home studio to be organized and functional but not too proper or clean so i could feel like making messes and being creative. sometimes it gets a little too messy in here with all the boxes and our ever-changing methods of trying to hide them away and keep them out of walking paths, but i truly love this space and never felt more inspired to work hard and create than when i’m here. i’d say it has kind of a relaxed and homey vibe, with soft colors.
what are some of your work tools that you can’t live without?
isabey squirrel mop paintbrushes as well as any super tiny brushes for small detailed painting, hot press watercolor paper, gouache, a thin mechanical pencil, mono zero tiny mechanical eraser made by , sketchbooks and (a japanese paper goods company). i also recently purchased a medium called on the recommendation of an illustrator i really admire and am having a blast playing with them!
what are three books that changed your life?
(kind of cheating since it’s a whole series, but maybe if I had to pick just one.), , and I just finished reading , the first in a Chinese science fiction trilogy, that blew my mind.
what do you currently have playing on the studio’s turntable?
by the tune-yards, the , and by fela kuti.
• photography by for sfgirlbybay; | | | | card photographs by .
The post appeared first on .
Related Posts
