Poketo for Target artist Leah Chun does a little bit of everything, from animation, paintings, and drawings. If you’ve been following Poketo, you know you’ve seen Leah’s designs for years now. We are always blown away by her cute characters and her fantastic imagination. We were delighted to receive little painting for her interview. Here we go!

If you were stranded on an island, what would you need to survive?

A dear friend.

If you could have a mythical animal as a pet, what would it be?

Th Birdfish.

What was the last dream you remember?

Giant insects dancing to the sunset.

What would your house in an alien jungle look like?

A mushroom villa.

What does your inner child look like?

A little girl with an acorn hat

Check out some of Leah Chun’s Poketo for Target collection items below. And more designs she did with Poketo at poketo.com.

More from Leah at LeahChun.com

I wish I could be there for this. Our good friend and artist, Gina Osterloh is presenting new work at thirtyninehotel in Honolulu, Hawaii, titled Los Angeles, California to Manila, Philippines : You Are My Blindspot (Part 1). Hawaii (situated between California and Philippines) is the first stop of this exhibition. Components of the show, which include photographs and a light installation, will then travel to exhibitions in Manila, Philippines and Los Angeles, California.

For those in Honolulu, Gina is giving an artist talk on Thursday, with the solo exhibition opening on Friday at thirtyninehotel. This is thirtyninehotel’s fourth installment of the artist residency program where they invite artists from outside of Hawaii to create art installations that consider and respond to the mixed-use aspects of the site as a gallery, bar, lounge, and event space.

thirtyninehotel
39 N. Hotel Street
Honolulu, Hawaii
Artist talk: Thursday, September 2, 6-8 pm
Opening reception: Friday, September 3, 5-9 pm
Exhibition dates: September 3, 2010 – November 27, 2010

See some of my favorites and more of Gina Osterloh’s work at GinaOsterloh.com

Melissa Contreras, one of our Poketo for Target artists, is a native Californian and a nature lover, as you might be able to tell from her art. Melissa tells us below about life in sunny Los Angeles, why it is so wonderful, and how it inspires her work.

I love hanging out at the beach. Since moving to Southern California over 10 years ago, I have lived all over, from Long Beach to Downtown LA. For the past two years Santa Monica has been where I live and work. I love getting my feet in the sand, catching some live music on the pier, grabbing brunch with an ocean view or bar hopping along the beach. I also love to drive up the coast to explore tidepools and search for dolphins. It’s amazing to be able to walk, bike, or take the bus to work. Traffic? What traffic?

There are amazing places to hike in Los Angeles. The view is breathtaking on a clear day. It’s so fun to explore new places, find pretty flowers and watch bugs doing their thing. My current favorite spots are Temescal Canyon and Topanga. It’s amazing that LA is such a big city, but we are surrounded by nature, I love it.

I find myself downtown a lot these days. I’m working on a jewelry line, called Axelhoney, and everything I need can be found there. From flame-proofing to mold-making–you name it—you can find a place that does it or carries the supplies for it here. If it’s not in Downtown, it’s just a hop, skip and a jump away. Not too mention all the great architecture and street art you see from point A to point B.

I’m a sucker for art openings. Some of my favorite galleries are Thinkspace, LeBasse & Corey Helford, where I rub elbows with inspiring artists and enjoy a free drink or two. Someday, I’ll be able to take some of their art home with me! Scion Space always puts on great events—last weekend I saw an amazing show featuring one of my childhood heroes, Ed Emberley. Another favorite spot of mine is Royal T. The owner, Susan Hancock, has a collection I can only dream about and it’s an amazing space to go get inspired. They have great food, cute waitresses and fun stuff in their pop-up shops. I was lucky enough to have some pieces in the Sanrio Three Apples show there last October.

I spend most of my time at home, hanging out with my husband, having BBQs with my in-laws, and always working on something. You can often find me sitting at the computer, carving wax or painting at the dining room table. I spend a lot of time, and work hard on my artwork. It’s amazing when it pays off with something great, like the chance to work with the amazing Ted & Angie of Poketo, and the opportunity to see my art on products in Target.

Melissa, It’s always a pleasure for us to work with you. Fans and friends, if you would like to take home some of Melissa’s fantastic Poketo for Target designs, check out her water bottle, pouch (pictured below), and camera case.

More from Melissa and her jewelry line, visit Axelhoney.com.

Meet Poketo for Target artist Catalina Estrada, Colombian artist living in Barcelona. Her work is vibrant, intense– no matter of the application, be it textiles, products, or print media, you can’t help but be drawn to the fascinating worlds and characters that Cati creates–each illustration bursts with nature and energy. She was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule to chat with Poketo; let’s find out more about her!

What elements of Latin-American folklore appear in your work the most?

I would say that more than a particular element its the intensity of colors I use in my illustration and the extensive use of tropical vegetation and animal.

You are originally from Colombia. Why did you decide to move to Barcelona?

Initially I went to Barcelona only for a few month to attend to a short course on arts, and that was almost eleven years ago…

The artist at work on her terrace

What do you love about Barcelona? Are there any good spots for sketching besides your studio?

Well, I live in Barcelona’s city center. The bad side of it is that there are many tourists, but I really love the fact that most of the things I need are within walking distance, mostly through pedestrian streets. So while Barcelona has this sort of coziness of a small town, there are plenty of things going on there. I wish I could do more sketching, but mostly I’m in front of the computer. We just moved to a new place with a terrace, so the few times I draw by hand, its on my terrace.

Are the characters in your work extensions of yourself?

I guess they must be in some way, people have told me so, though I’m not entirely convinced.

What would you be doing if you weren’t an artist?

Dancer, singer, cook and right now, I would also add gardener.

Your husband is an amazing photographer and artist. Have you collaborated on projects together?

Yes, we did an exhibition together called ‘Backyard’, we have collaborated to make prints for clothes…. and in the everyday life he helps me a lot with all my projects. There’s no way I could have made it this far without him. He´s the best thing that has ever happened to me, he’s the love of my life

A collaborative piece between Catalina and photographer husband, Pancho Tolchinsky

Thanks to Catalina! You can check out her nature-infused Poketo for Target checkbook here.
More from Catalina Estrada at katika.net.

We loooove getting surprise goodies in the mail. This from our new friends from Portland, Jolby. Jolby is design team Josh and Colby. Josh + Colby = Jolby. Awesome. Super sweet crew, we met them up in Portland on our trip up there last month. Here are some shots of their limited edition zines and prints, enjoy!

We love getting snail mail… if you are so inclined, here you go! Only lovely things please.
Poketo HQ
510 South Hewitt Street
#506
Los Angeles, CA
90013

Poketo for Target artist Katharina Leuzinger was raised in Zurich, Switzerland by Swiss and Japanese parents, and now lives and works in London. Her Japanese and Swiss background have shaped the themes and aesthetics in Katharina’s work, which conveys play and innocence with intricate detail. Below is an illustrated interview with Katharina, which bursts with the color and energy characteristic of her whimsical style.

Remember to check out Katharina’s awesome Target accessories, they are going fast!

If you follow us on Twitter, you know we were in New York last week for the ice cream meet up. You also know that our baggage got lost in the the myriad tunnels and caverns of the airport system, with our precious camera inside. Luckily, we got everything back in one piece. Here are some super sweet photos of friends that came out to the Poketo ice cream meet up in Brooklyn. It was awesome seeing y’all! For those that couldn’t make it, we’ll be throwing a killer party next month. No need to be shy, Karaoke Dance Party II is coming! If you weren’t there last year, you need to be there this year! Stay tuned for details.

Artist James Gulliver Hancock and singer/songwriter, Lenka.

Poketo for Target artist, Mike Perry and Josh Cochran.

Designers Anna and Sean of Substudio. Dig the Poketo x Target goodies there guys!

Howard and fashion designer, Titania Inglis.

Former interns at Poketo, Lauren and Mingzi! Mingzi just graduated from RISD, Lauren just finished up another internship at Pentagram Design.

Let’s get to know Niels Oeltjen, one of our Poketo for Target artists. Niels “Nails” Oeltjen was born in Germany, and is now based in Australia. He has shown in numerous solo and group shows in Australia and overseas. His work is informed by his early experimentations with graffiti, and as an active member of the local art community, he is constantly involved with projects in publishing, exhibitions, apparel, and murals.

Below is a letter from Niels to Poketo, describing his perfect day. Read on, and check out these beautiful photographs by Scottie Neoh and Niels.
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Dear Angie and Ted,

How are you guys? It’s been too long. We went to our friends Scottie and Natalia’s place in the Tallarook Ranges last week and I wanted to tell you about it to tempt you to come visit us again. The place is a sanctuary for us and when we are there we never want to leave.

Tallarook is just over an hour’s drive from our place so we started early. The drive along the M31 is dull but after an hour you turn off onto a road that meanders between twisted gum trees and crushing granite boulders. A bit uphill the view opens up and you can see bush and rocky hills for miles. There was an Echidna rambling along the road so we got out of the car to introduce him to Arlo (he’s almost one now!).

Scottie and Natalia’s long driveway was covered with hundreds of the season’s newly hatched butterflies, and they took off with a paper flutter in front of the car. It was pretty surreal. Then when Carly rolled down the window that dusty sweet smell of the bush blew into the car. I could pick out the distinct odour of the rusty soil, warm eucalyptus leaves, and the dry pollen of the wild grasses. As we parked we were greeted by River (the Border Collie) wagging her tail like mad.

Natalia came out with a pot of tea and I felt immediately relaxed. We shared it at their outdoor table set among big grey trees. While the girls took Arlo for a walk I went with Scottie up to the barn they built last year (or maybe the year before?). They have set it up so they each have a studio with lots of light and big tables, and the fragrance of wool, leather, and wood hangs in the air.

We lingered for a bit comparing junkshop finds and discussing art etcetera. It’s always the same with us — there’s never enough time to talk about all the things we want to talk about. After, we got out the spray paint and had a relaxed session painting the water tank behind the studio. Every once in a while we were interrupted by a screeching Cockatoo or a Kookaburra in the canopy.

We were expecting our friends Milo, Polly, Hiro and Kelly for lunch so we sparked up the grill. They brought some fresh organic salads, and we all enjoyed the bbq and the warm afternoon sun.

For the boys the afternoon was spent painting the water tank while the girls had tea on the grass nearby, which eventually became dinner. As the light started fading we all scrambled up to one of the big boulders to watch the sun slowly withdraw its light from the paddocks and then drop behind the hills before winking out. Back at the shack the wood fire was going and we settled in for a card game and a couple of bottles of wine.

Does that sound tempting? Anyway, hope to see you both back in Oz real soon.

Best, Niels

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Niels, we wish we were there with you. Thank you for sharing this with us, and for adding your vibrant sensibilities to the Poketo for Target collection! Readers, be sure to check out Niels’ gorgeous tote bag design here.

More from Niels Oeltjen here.