Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim-Sum, Noodles, and more
Quarto/Rockpoint Publishing, 2022
Cover and interior design + layout by me
Art Direction Marisa Kwek
I really enjoyed working on Maggie Zhu’s beautiful cookbook. She is the magic behind the very popular blog, Ominivore’s Cookbook. The recipes and photography (both by Maggie) are so enticing, and I will be surely be diving in often! (I loved working with my pal, Marisa on this book, too!)
https://omnivorescookbook.com/chinese-homestyle/
Downton Abbey Cookbook
Downton Abbey Cocktail Book
Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook
(all titles in English, French, Italian, and German)
Working on this series was quite a thing!! It was really fun, exciting, arduous, and also a learning experience. It included watching the entire season from start to finish, culling through tens of thousands of existing stills/images on the NBC/Carnival portal, and much more.
Art Direction, Photo Direction, and Design + Layout by mwa. Collaboration on Cookbook design with Debbie Berne.
New food, drink, and tea photos by John Kernick in New York.
Cookbook cover photo by Laura Flippen.
Associate Publisher and Editor: Amy Marr
Creative Directors: Kelly Booth & Chrissy Kwasnik
Cocktail Book Author: Lou Bustamante
Help from a ton of folks at Weldon Owen Publishing and Carnival Films + NBC Universal.
With linen covers and de-bossed foil. Interiors are rich with metallic inks, as well.
Now please, all of you, help yourselves to a drink and have something to eat! I want everybody to have a drink!
– Lord Grantham (from the DA Cocktail Book)
La Vie Rustic: Cooking & Living in the French Style is a fabulous cookbook by James Beard Award winning author and chef Georgeanne Brennan. La Vie Rustic is also Georgeanne's online store and blog. It was an honor to help bring this book to life during my time working at Weldon Owen Publishing. I loved art directing, designing, and laying this one out—it's one of my favorite projects to date.
And what made it even better was I got to work with one of my favorite photographers again, Ms. Sara Remington, along with the lovely Ethel Brennan (Georgeanne's daughter) as food & prop stylist. La Vie Rustic logotype and illustrations by Michael Schwab, plus additional commissioned illustrations by Carolyn Gibb. The rest of the team was also top notch!
I included one of my mood boards, too. I love mood boards. So glad we got to include Sara’s “stock” shot from this board (upper right corner) in the front matter of the final book!
Here’s a little video I put together of the final photo shoot at Ethel’s place.
And finally the smart, sassy, and kind photo shoot team at Sara’s studio.
Weldon Owen Publishing
Associate Publisher: Amy Marr / Creative Director: Kelly Booth
Complete with textured cover, linen spine, and de-bossed type/logo. Fonts included from La Vie Rustic’s branding.
What a great experience and honor to work with the Exploratorium! I love that place.
I designed the branding for three (highly recommended) ongoing "After Dark" events:
- "Everything Matters: Tales from the Periodic Table"
- "Pairings: Cultivating a Taste for Science Through Food"
- "In the Balance: Bringing Science to Justice"
I also worked on Membership design, with the wonderful creative director Diane Burk, to create a cohesive and easily identifiable look.
"Everything Matters" features a different theme/element each month with a different artist doing the art for each trading card. Collect (and connect) them all! I designed the overall branding, cards, and first round of posters, including the first card art/illustrations for Hydrogen.
It's a thrill to see the branding applied to different items placed around the museum and beyond. Subsequent card art + branding applied to bus and subway stops, banners, floor graphics, way-finding and digital/video screens and much more adapted by the awesome in-house Explo design team.
For "Pairings" - I created the overall branding/design, and the first month's theme of "The Dirt on Dirt" (subsequent themes shown, as well, applied by the awesome Explo design team).
For upcoming events see the calendar section at:
www.exploratorium.edu
Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention (aka BOTMC )
ATTRIBUTION CARDS (series, 2 per year)
Part of the Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention’s “Attribution Project,” whose mission is to re-center the contributions of marginalized people in the living + breathing genre of Old-Time music.
- Gus Cannon + William Adams + banjo player art by Dawline Jane Oni-Eseleh (2021)
- Andrew & Jim Baxter + Etta Baker art by Zoe Sinclair / Frequency of Love by Zoe (2022)
Photo of Etta Baker by Alice Gerrard
- Joe & Odell Thompson art by Noa Denmon (2023)
- Sam O’Fields art by Nokosee Fields (2023)
- Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten art by Sharon Virtue (2024)
- Calvin Carriere art by Joseph Omolayole at Creativity Explored (2024)
Concept by Leslie Keir
Art Direction/Design by Lisa Berman Design
With Suzy Thompson and BOTMC committee support.
Bios by various folx performing the corresponding year at the BOTMC Festival (see backs of cards)
Additional BOTMC “Crankie Art” by moi
www.berkeleyoldtimemusic.org
Miscellaneous CDs
Some recent, some ancient. Many from my "Olde West CD Manufacturing" days, my first in-house design/art director job in San Francisco. (See also my separate pages for “Birds of Chicago,” “Cascada de Flores”, Wide Hive Records, and Copper Creek Records CD packaging.
A few CD notes:
I recently worked with Stephen Mougin of Dark Shadow Recording on Rick Faris and Becky Buller’s CDs, and the brand spankin’ new CD by Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell! // I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed working with many local musicians—including Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick (“and Laurie Lewis” beautiful cover illustration by Tom Rozum) // Kathy Kallick Band "Count Your Blessings" - embossed/letterpressed by Stumptown Printers // A couple of CDs for my two bands, The Crooked Jades and The Stairwell Sisters // Mushroom's "Hydrogen Jukebox" (with Pat Thomas) was my first letterpress job, printed by Independent Project Press in a few color combos (this one in red+silver) // Rilke String Quartet - one of my first CDs—still a favorite, simple, clean design // my scratchboard art/illustrations for Diane Ferlatte’s grammy-nominated “Wickety Whack—Brer Rabbit is Back” (Diane’s story-telling backed by my bandmate, Erik Pearson), my art and also for Red Hot Chachkas CD // an "analog" cassette (remember those?) for Amy Tan who was part of the "Don't Quit Your Day Job Records" family // and oh so many more...
Credit: Photo of Isaac Cantor by Mike Melnyk, Art directed by yours truly. Photo of Kathy Kallick's "Count Your Blessings" taken in my "Photograph Your Artwork" class at CCA with Douglas Sandberg. (Embossing/Letterpress printed by Stumptown Printers in Portland, OR)
AmerEquine Festival of the Horse
Horse & Music Festival, Ft. Worth, Texas 2012
Design & illustration for posters, programs, rack cards, ads, note cards, tees, banners and buttons for web, signs, tattoos, and gobos.
This project was a real treat to work on. My friend, Heidi Clare, and her partner, Ron Thomason (both incredible musicians + equestrians) put on a truly amazing event with out-of-this-world musicians and performers! It included an expo, concerts/performances, workshops, contests and much more. Warren Hellman helped fund the music (I included the banjo in his honor).
Click for a sweet taste of the event (with beautiful music by Ron Thomason and Suzanne Thomas of Dry Branch Fire Squad). AmerEquine Video
I couldn't resist including the dog in chaps that was there.
AmerEquine logo by someone else (I'm sorry I don't know her name).
Plum Gorgeous: Recipes and Memories from the Orchard
Andrews-McMeel Publishing, 2011
Cover and interior design/layout, photo selection/cropping, some art direction, blad, promo materials. Also, web design for Author (includes Plum Gorgeous) - romneysteele.com.
A delectable cookbook and memoir (+ food styling) by Romney Steele, with gorgeous photos by Sara Remington.
This was such a joy to work on! Andrews-McMeel and the editor Jean asked for our "My Nepenthe" team again (Nani, Sara, Jean, and myself - I love our team!!). A colorful feast for the eyes and mouth (even Tori Spelling carries it around).
Books shown displayed at the Phoenix Shop at Nepenthe, Big Sur (alongside Nani’s Uncle Kaffe Fassett, and her cousin, Erin Gaffill’s beautiful books)
romneysteele.com
sararemington.net
crookedjades.com (My band enjoyed playing the launch event!)
Launch event photos and misc shots by Gia, my Aunt Debbie, and me
The Pie Cookbook was so much fun to work on! What a great team. I got to work with one of my photography heroes, Eva Kolenko, along with her sister, Natasha Kolenko on props. And food stylist Kim Laidlaw is most definitely the pie queen.
Art direction, mood boards, design, layout, flour flinging, and drooling. Delicious!
Weldon Owen Publishing
with Williams Sonoma
Associate Publisher: Amy Marr
Creative Director: Kelly Booth
Photo shoot iPhone snaps by mwa. See Eva’s mash up of Pie images on her site here (and below). Additional favorite spreads to come...
"The Cook & Her Farmer" (TCAHF)
In Swan's Marketplace in Old Oakland, and it's DELICIOUS!! Run by two fabulous people—my dear, long-time friend, Romney "Nani" Steele, and her partner, Steven Day.
I designed the branding—logos, posters, window decals, business cards, swag, event postcards, rubber stamps, labels, stickers, menus, signs, and more. I take photos for them, too (including some of them here). HOMEMADE jam, preserves, pickle, sauce labels coming soon!!
Note: Nani also wrote two amazing cookbook/memoirs, "My Nepenthe" and "Plum Gorgeous"—both of which I designed. Check them out—they're here in my portfolio, as well. She also makes delicious jams, preserves, pickles, spice mixes and more. Do yourself a favor and go!
Photos by Sara Remington, myself, Romney, and others.
P.S. the "boot" was part of the original logo direction before we went with the hook.
Playing with a bunch of funky "vintage" typefaces, and images old & new counts as a good time in my book. The music ain't nothin' to shake a stick at either.
Photographs by Mike Melnyk and Stuart Mason. Purloined "Banjo Kitties" art source unknown.
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse
Posters, Fundraising Mailers, Web Banners, Calendars, Logos and more
I love the Freight & Salvage. They have some of the best acoustic and traditional music in the world. It's an honor to design for them. My bands have enjoyed playing their stage, as well. It's a treat to get to work with so many great musicians, the wonderful staff, and the photographers (usually the wonderful Mike Melnyk!)
• Esprit de Django et Stephane Festival Posters (2014+2015) - celebrating the amazing music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli.
• Berkeley Bluegrass Festival 2016
• Warren Hellman poster/plaque for the green room, aka "Big Twang Lounge" (based on a song that Warren and Colleen Browne wrote). I feel so lucky to have known and worked with Warren. My bands were also honored to play his "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival" many times, and I really enjoyed being Warren's banjo tech for a few tours with his band, The Wronglers. I miss him dearly. (separate portfolio entry also)
• Woody Guthrie's "American Song" - an amazing musical (and they even made a cake based on my design).
• Fundraising mailers, envelopes and lobby signs (2011-2015).
• Logos - for various ongoing themes/events
I love Cascada de Flores, and am grateful to call them dear friends.
I art directed multiple photo shoots, two with art (film) photographer extraordinaire, Rosey Lakos, and later with renowned San Francisco photographer Dennis Hearne who haunts North Beach. Hipstamatic iPhone shots taken by yours truly.
Cover and back cover photo + others (with radio & porch) by Rosey. Inside fold-in of Digipak of band by Dennis. 16-page booklet insert includes many more lovely photos. Oh yeah, I designed the whole package, too.
Gramophone Illustration on "La Chuparrosa" CD cover by kiya-nochka
Birds of Chicago
I love working with these two songbirds! My family is also from Chicago, so it makes it even more special.
- Digital release, 2017 (full CD to come in 2018)
- Self-titled CD, poster, T-shirt, flyer Design, 2012
Digipak + 12-pg Booklet, T-shirts, Art Poster, Misc. in situ (including Kickstarter video + Discmakers feature)
Banana Republic + The Gap
In-house Graphic Design + Production/Layout, San Francisco
(2000-2002 + 2003-2006)
I worked on everything from ads to window displays, image crops, in-store signs, in-house logos, brochures, magazines, directories, promo pieces, billboards, and even in-house invites that requested my personal style.
(I wish I had saved more examples of my work from this period! It was often hard to get our hands on printed materials. I have a few other pieces that need to be photographed and added.)
1. Robert Earl Keen (REK) Fillmore Poster
Fillmore/Bill Graham Present, 2006
Another fun Fillmore poster opp. I included a topo map of REK's hometown, Texas for this one.
Extra: I had the fun opportunity to back up Avery and Olivia Hellman at The Chapel in San Francisco. We opened up for Robert Earl Keen. He kindly signed my poster for me, and told me that he liked it so much when it came out, that he had it framed. Sweet!
2. Willie Nelson Fillmore Poster
Fillmore/Bill Graham Presents, 2006
Design + Photo montage (from 3 photos I took).
What a total honor to work on Willie's poster - not to mention the thrill working on Fillmore posters. The concert was fabulous too!
3. Chris Isaac Poster
Delta Classic Chastain Park Ampitheater, Atlanta, Georgia, 2010
Final poster + sketches that were shown to my client. The bottom entry shows the sketch chosen before I polished it up.
I finally got to see Chris perform at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival - he puts on a great show!!
This page features miscellaneous items (mix of printed and on spec):
logos/branding, event programs, posters, postcards, older higher education books, including:
- Jazz on 9th Poster sketches for a proposed neighborhood event—I sure hope it will eventually get off the ground, sounds like it would be fabulous! Placeholder mock-up photos by the amazing Bryon Malik!
- Rev One Design branding sketches. The company changed hands so this is as far as we got before then. It was fun to work on them in any case.
- Founders for Change - branding/logo rough sketches on spec (they went with something simpler, but again, fun to brainstorm and sketch.)
- Logo, Biz Cards, Flyer for Duo Pizzicato Italian Mandolin Music by Bill & Martha. Hand-drawn art and text by moi
- Logo + labels for Grand Manor bedding branding on spec
- Jewish Music Festival - 25th Anniversary Poster/Mailer
- Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention (BOTMC) I recently created an illustration for their “Crankie Cabaret” 2021 (you can submit one!). I've also designed their programs for a bunch of years - based on the extraordinary poster designs of David Murray. Here’s one from 2011. berkeleyoldtimemusic.org / spectacularopticals.com (David Murray)
- Additional entries:
Big Sur Old-Time Music Camp, a wedding poster, more Fillmore posters + sketches, various (mostly older) book designs. "Finite Mathematics" (featuring a wall-size textile) won a Bookbuilders Award for book cover design, and Trinity Chamber Concerts (brochures and postcard mailers for multiple years/seasons).
Here are a few more of my Weldon Owen Publishing books that I designed and art directed (see also my “Downton Abbey Cocktail Book” and “Downton Abbey Cookbook,” “Downton Abbey Tea Cookbook,” “Pie Cookbook,” “La Vie Rustic,” and “American Girl Cookbook” series.
”Of the Day” series (with Williams Sonoma)
I art-directed the photo shoots and updated the design/layouts to bring in 100 new recipes and revised color palette (including metallic inks on the covers). Photography by Erin Kunkel, Food styling by Lillian Kang. Original design & direction by Emma Campion. (iphone snaps by mwa).
Jr. Baker (with Williams Sonoma)
I art-directed the photo shoot, and designed the book (based on Jr. Chef designed by Marisa Kwek). I sourced the models (including bringing in my friend Jalen who I’ve known since birth).
Skillet Supper
Another little Williams Sonoma book that I art-directed and designed.
Weldon Owen Publishing
Associate Publisher: Amy Marr / Creative Director: Kelly Booth
Most books in the series were a collaboration between Weldon Owen Publishing, American Girl, Williams Sonoma, and Mattel). I worked on every one of these books except for the first one, “Baking.”
As Associate Art Director/Art Director I worked on design, layout, and illustrations. For each book, I adapted the design (original “Baking” design by Alexandra Zeigler and creative director Kelly Booth). I art-directed the photo shoots, created mood boards, endpaper ingredient grids, sourced and created props and party scenes, worked closely with the photographer, prop stylists, food stylists, hair stylist, studio teachers, and the models.
It was a great experience working with the top notch team at Weldon Owen—Amy Marr, Kelly Booth, Alexis Mersel, Lisa Atwood, Emma Rudolph, and others. Also photographer Nicole Hill Gerulat, prop stylists Veronica Olson and Ethel Brennan, food stylists Lillian Kang, Veronica Laramie, Erin Quon, Kim Laidlaw, all their assistants and so many more. And to boot, the models were super cute and sweet to work with (including my son, his childhood friends, and our sweet neighbor :).
Note: these books were created for kids who want to learn to cook, not about the AG dolls.
You can see many of the book spreads here on photographer Nicole’s website, and additional images here. More book layout/design examples to come. Behind-the-scenes iphone snaps by mwa.
My Nepenthe: Bohemian Tales of Food, Family, and Big Sur
Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2009
Cover and Interior Design/Layout, photo selection/cropping, blad, promotional materials. Also, web design for Author
romneysteele.com.
A cookbook, memoir, and historical book. I loved this project! My dear, long-time pal, Romney "Nani" Steele (who I met during my publishing days at Brooks/Cole, as well as my waitressing days at her family's restaurant, "Nepenthe" in Big Sur) requested that I design her book.
Andrews-McMeel usually works with in-house designers, so I designed on spec, and landed the job. They said it was the first time they approved a design on the first pass! It was an honor to work on this book as Big Sur and Nepenthe will always have a special place in my heart. Nani and I have always connected when it comes to art and design. I have since designed the logo for her current restaurant "The Cook & Her Farmer" in Oakland, CA (see separate entry).
Working with new images by whiz photographer Sara Remington, along with amazing historical photos made my job super fun and easy. Of course, I did have to sort through 1000s of images! When Nani's second book "Plum Gorgeous" was ready, Andrews-McMeel requested our team once again! (see separate entry)
Cover photo by Kodiak Greenwood. Fabric on cover by Kaffe Fassett (Nani's uncle). There is also a lovely spot varnish on the cover (not visible here), I hope to get a good photo of it soon.
Warren Hellman Plaque for Freight & Salvage Green Room
2013
This poster/plaque honors Warren Hellman, and hangs in the green room at The Freight & Salvage - aka the "Big Twang Lounge" (based on a song that Warren and Colleen Browne wrote).
I feel so lucky to have known and worked with Warren. Both of my bands (The Crooked Jades & The Stairwell Sisters) were honored to play his "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival" many times, and I enjoyed being Warren's banjo tech for a few tours with his band, The Wronglers. I miss him dearly.
Kudos to the extremely talented photographer Mike Melnyk for this image of Warren! Also, big thanks to Hill Country Backwoods in Texas for the cool custom frame made from old fence posts - made to match the Freight's recycled wood aesthetic. (Anyone know if one can get "non-glare" glass that won't dull the image so much?)
I really enjoyed designing for Copper Creek Records for a number of years. It's great to work on projects where the subject matter is near and dear to one's heart! Owner Gary Reid was a pleasure to work with, and my band, The Crooked Jades, was on their label for awhile. (The Del McCoury "Revonah Sessions" didn't end up being produced in the end, but I still liked the sketch).
I also got to work on a few cool Jazz projects for Wide Hive Records in Berkeley.
I recently wrapped up a 3-month+ stint at Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), filling in while the art director, Hugh D’Andrade, was away on sabbatical. It was a great experience working with a team of extremely smart, brave, fun, and kind folks. If freedom of speech and internet privacy are important to you, check them out at eff.org!
While at EFF, I worked on applying their new branding to many items—company stationary, print+digital banners, brainstorming new door and window signage, and more. Also, I designed the branding for “Spot the Surveillance” VR tool (see additional pencil sketches/brainstorm below), event assets, collaboration on various website designs i.e. the Santa Clara Principles, illustrations for blog posts, and much more. Note: some illustrations were from scratch, and some adapted from the fabulous Hugh D’Andrade’s existing EFF collection.
Here are a few examples of things I worked on.
The Crooked Jades + The Stairwell Sisters
These are my bands.
Design for CDs, posters, flyers, ads, stickers, business cards and more.
This page highlights my years playing old-time string band music (including a whole lot of graphic design)!
I feel very fortunate to have been part of these two amazing bands. I sing and play dobro, slides, banjo, guitar, and more. Both bands push the traditional boundaries.
Check us out at:
www.crookedjades.com
www.stairwellsisters.com
Both bands also on Facebook
Also: kateweare.com (check out this "Bright Land" video link)
Heather Christo's Generous Table
Kyle Books, 2013
Cover and interior design + layout, art direction for (2 of 3) photo shoots, prop sourcing and styling, blad
Heather is a fabulous chef, entertainer, blogger, and TV personality. It was a joy to work with her in her beautiful Seattle home overlooking the bay, and getting to know her sweet, fun family and huge dog.
In addition to designing and laying out the book, I art-directed two of the photo shoots (Anja, Kyle's wonderful editor directed the other shoot). This included working with two photographers - doing my best to see that their styles came together. I also helped source and style many of the props (shout out to "The House Studios" in Seattle).
Editor Anja Schmidt, food photography by Heather Christo, lifestyle photography by Jim Henkens, food styling by Jean Galton and Anne Miska.
San Francisco Bluegrass & Old-Time Festival (aka SFBOT)
Design + my scratchboard and Japanese woodcut illustrations for posters, programs, postcards, t-shirts, stickers, banners, etc.
2000-2004, 2008-2009
The festival has been going strong for 13 years. I was part of the founding group in 2000, volunteering as artist/designer and more, and loved working with scratchboard+letterpress.
Letterpress printers: Stumptown Printers (Portland), 2002; Peter Koch Printers (Berkeley), 2004; Horwinski Printing Co. (Oakland), 2009, 2010.
www.sfbluegrass.org
