About two weekends ago, when the weather was an easy, breezy 80 degrees, I went on a Downtown L.A. excursion with my friends. We drank creamy horchata’s at the Grand Central Market, had 30-45 blissful seconds of simulated flight inside the Angel’s Flight Railway, and ended our day admiring MOCA’s permanent collection.

Alas, it seemed our day was coming to an end, when my friend pointed out a peculiar sight at the corner of Olive and 4th:

Image taken from Google Maps

Can’t see it? How about my newly edited version?

Those were fake, painted window reliefs! You can’t really see it in these photos, but the painter went as far as replicating shadows from his fake window ledges as well. Was this art? Or was this a really bad paint job?

As much as I was convinced it was the latter, I conducted heavy, non-academic, purely Google-based research. And although there were no specific results that came up relating to Olive St. and 4th St. in Downtown LA, I did discover an artist by the name of Richard Haas who is famous for his “Trump l’oeil” facades in New York City. Take a look at his work, and you be the judge.

His murals seem to appear intentionally fake and more theatrical than the one I saw on Olive and 4th.

Have you seen the work of this mysterious,repeated offender of bad-facades anywhere else in LA?

Photo via IMAKETHINGS

Andrew Groves of IMAKETHINGS has been all over the world and seems to have a deep connection with the natural world. A lot of this is seen in his art, including the newest t-shirt he did with us, “Mountains” but isn’t in a granola, tree-hugger-type way with beiges and browns. Groves’ natural world is fun, super fresh, and grotesque. Check out the interview we did with him this past week!

Tell us a little bit about your t-shirt design.
My design is about spending time in the mountains and the magical things that you see there.

Any projects you have coming up in the near future?
I’m creating work for a group show called ‘Freakshow’ at the moment and for a fun book about beard related things.

Photo via IMAKETHINGS

What kinds of things(if any) can you only express in your art that you can’t otherwise?
The kinds of things I think in my head but that wouldn’t make sense if I tried to tell you about them, the stuff that lives in my imagination.

Photo via IMAKETHINGS

Favorite Spring time activity?
Surfing or walking in the woods.

How has your artwork evolved over the years? What aspects of your art (if any) do you hope to improve upon?
It has become much more simple and flat. I’m also more focused on what I want to achieve with an illustration and from where I get my inspiration. I hope to create more hand made, tactile pieces in the future as well as continuing with my regular work.

If you could have a beer with someone, living or dead, who would it be? What would you want to talk about?
Bushcraft genius Ray Mears. We’d chat about forests, axes and bears.

Photo via IMAKETHINGS

Sexiest font: I generally prefer hand drawn typefaces.
Not-so-sexy font: Any script style font.

Photo via IMAKETHINGS

What is the relationship between geometric shapes, nature, and your art?
You can see geometric shapes and patterns everywhere in nature, particularly when you simplify natural objects which is something I like to do in my illustrations.

First art piece you saw that you were affected by?
Jim Phillips’ skateboard graphics for Santa Cruz.

Biggest celebrity crush as a kid was:
Jet from the UK version of Gladiators.

Thanks for doing the interview Andrew!

You can check out his site here!
And also check out his shirts here!

The too-cute-for-words duo of APAK (Aaron + Ayumi) have done it again with their new “Joyriders” t-shirt. We’ve worked with them in the past when they did a pop-up shop at Royal/T gallery in ’09, and they continue to keep the magic alive with their work. See what APAK‘s been up to since our last interview!

Tell us a little bit about your t-shirt design.
“Joyriders” was originally made for one of Ayumi’s friendship greeting card collection. It’s our hope to communicate teamwork, harmony, and love and also encourage eco-friendly bike riding!

Photo via APAK

Favorite song to karaoke to
Aaron – Daisy Bell
Ayumi – Natsumatsuri by JITTERIN’JINN

Any projects you have coming up in the near future?
A Kids book! We have a story and the pages layed out already but just need to find time and make it happen. We’re really excited about it!

Photo via APAK

Were there any art projects you can remember from your childhood that you were extremely proud of?
Aaron – got in trouble for drawing boobs in Kindergarten.
Ayumi – a portrait of my mom for Mother’s Day when I was 5 or 6 years old. I remember I was putting so much energy and love in the piece.

Photo via APAK

Photo via APAK

(For Aaron) Ayumi is better at _____ than me.
Ayumi is better at cooking tasty treats than me.

(For Ayumi) Aaron is better at _____ than me.
Aaron is better at watering house plants than me.

Photo via APAK

Biggest risk you’ve taken with your art?
Collaborating together!

Ayumi, fondest memory of your childhood in Japan.
I really enjoyed making Yomogi (Artemisia princeps) Mochi filled with red bean paste with my grandmother every spring.  We’d walk around in the neighborhood and pick the young Yomogi grass. Then sit on the floor in the kitchen and grind up the grass and mix it with cooked mochi, and wrap it around a ball of red beans. It’s the best when it’s fresh because you can smell the scent of young yomogi leafs and also the mochi is very soft. That’s how we celebrated the arrival of Spring back home.

First art piece you saw that you were affected by?
Aaron – Works by MC Escher and Magritte maybe.
Ayumi – Paul Gauguin’s “Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?”

Photo via APAK

Most rewarding memory of your careers as artists?
There are so many rewarding memories as artists and it’s hard to name one as the best… But when a fan of ours told us that our work makes him smile every time he sees our painting hanging in his apartment in the morning and evening after work made us feel good. It’s rewarding to know our work is affecting people in a positive way on an everyday basis.

Ocho and P-Nut! Photo via APAK

Thanks for this interview Aaron and Ayumi!

To purchase “Joyriders” visit our shop here.

We were so fortunate to have teamed up with illustrator, Will “Mr. Fancy Pants” Bryant, for his awesome “Cubic World” t-shirts! Get to know him a little bit more, as we talk about his future projects, music that makes him dance, and which artists he finds inspiring!

Photo via Will Bryant and poster available here.

Tell us a little bit about your t-shirt design.
This design was inspired from another cube piece that I made and was originally produced as a poster! For the tshirt we reduced it to a 3 color palette, but it still captures the trippy goofiness of the piece.

Photo via Will Bryant

Any projects you have coming up in the near future?
Oh yes! Things are nuts right now with SXSW. Working on a few identity projects, a book for Chronicle Books, and recently made a cover for GOOD Magazine. I’m really excited to see work released later this year for Nike, Stussy, and Benefit Makeup!

If your art could be displayed anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Michael Jordan’s bathroom would be pretty cool.

Do you and your wife have a song
Yes, Ray LaMontagne – “Shelter”

Photo via Will Bryant

A freakish bodily talent I have is…
I’ve broken my nose 9 times…is that talent? I can also wiggle my ears, have hobbit feet, and beefy thighs.

We hear you like to dance.  What’s the most recent dance song that you’ve had on repeat…
Douster – “King of Africa” gets me moving!

What would you tell 16-year-old Will Bryant?
Start drawing funny stuff now, spend more time with your parents, play even more basketball/football, and don’t worry about Sally. Things will work out, you’re going to date her for a decade before you get married. haha

Stanley Donwood CD Cover for Radiohead’s, Hail to the Thief (2003)

First art piece you were affected by?
All of Stanley Donwood’s artwork for Radiohead. Then Mike Perry’s 2006 guest lecture at Mississippi State was monumental. 

Converse Collaboration. Photo via Will Bryant

What’s one thing you wish art school taught you about your profession?
I would really like to have learned more about the business aspects of graphic design, but honestly this is probably best learned by experience. “They learnt me good”

Most rewarding memory of your career as an artist so far?
Oh my. This is tough. I feel like having this career is one big rewarding memory. It’s remarkable that I’m able to do what I’m doing and that I’m supported by respectable artists, friends, and my family. AMAZING. I am very blessed and grateful. Thanks so much for this opportunity!

Thanks so much for your time “Mr. Fancy Pants“! Can’t wait to see what 2010 has in store for you!

You can also purchase his Cubic world shirt here.