Fall is arguably one of our favorite seasons. The leaves turn brilliant oranges, reds and all sorts of hues we never thought existed. In honor of a gorgeous fall season, we’re introducing a new line of artist wallets made my amazing artists who have a knack for bringing wonder into the everyday.

Check out our new wallets on poketo.com.

At Poketo, it’s the people around us that help keep it real. Inspired by their great vibe, this series puts the spotlight squarely on them, their aspirations and their brushes with the Poketo world. It’s also a great way to keep in touch, don’t you think? Yeah, we thought so too!

We read all your comments, especially when you take time to let us know we’re doing well…. which is how we found Alex, a mathematician with a love for art. Seriously folks, he got his M.S. in Math at 23. Oh, he takes great photos too.

He wrote to let us know how much he loves Poketo and that he’s been using Poketo’s wallets for more than 5(!) years. Naturally, we wanted to know the man behind the message, so without further ado, here he is.

(Spoiler alert: there is math talk, but also comedy and trivia thrown in. Get ready.)

Hi, Alex! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello there! I’m 27, a Ph.D. student and Adjunct Professor of mathematics at the University of Binghamton. I moved to New York a month ago after finishing a Masters’ at the University of Kansas, and before that, my B.S. at Michigan Technological University (yes, I was a yooper). In short, it feels like I’ve been in college for my entire life.

Despite being a math nerd, I’m surprisingly social, I played tennis as an undergrad, and soccer for over twenty years. I’m a movie buff (gotta break up the math somehow!).

I play the guitar, and I know more than enough useless trivia (every swan in the United Kingdom is the property of the Queen).

I didn’t know that. Now, that trivia will come up in my next conversation. Thanks!

So, what three words describe you best?
I dislike summarizing.
*Badum-ching*

What’s it like in Binghamton, New York?
Quiet. I love it here.

Could you share some of your favorite hangouts?
I love all sorts of movie theaters (aside from all the miscreants that can’t go 2 minutes without looking at their cellphone, in case the President texts them. Nobody’s that important. Nobody) and any place where I can have a stimulating conversation. Generally, I try to learn at least one thing any place I go!

Right now, what’s keeping you busy?
The semester! Teaching, taking classes, giving colloquia (research presentations)… typical grad student-y life.

You’ve always been studying Math it seems. You took it up for college and now getting your doctorate in it. How did you first get into Math?
I’ve been told my first words were, “1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.” I didn’t learn this fact until a few years ago, so I guess I chose math.

What keeps you passionate about math?
In math, there are no “i before e except after c, or when sounded like a as in neighbor or weigh. Or weird exceptions. Everything is based on a concrete set of rules, and when you understand the rules, the fact that every single thing in math behaves the way it does makes perfect sense. Most people never get to the stage where they learn the rules (hence the general mysticism of math). I guess I had this… intuition that there was some method to all the madness.

There’s a lot of us who are intimidated by the subject. What’s the coolest thing you’ve found that you could calculate?
Wow. Something tells me “coolest” has an entirely different meaning to me than to a non-mathematician.

Umm… something that fascinates me is Gabriel’s Horn, a shape with infinite surface area, but finite volume (so you couldn’t paint it, but if it were clear, you could fill it with paint and it would look painted). The internet can explain it, if you’re interested, but aside from that “I think it’s cool,” I don’t think I should go into more detail.

Do you have a favorite equation? Is there such a thing?
Absolutely. The sum (from 1 to infinity) of the reciprocal squares is pi squared divided by six. It’s unbelievably unexpected, even to people who like this stuff

How did you first find Poketo?
My undergraduate university, as amazing as that place is, is 200 miles from anything resembling civilization. So, anything interesting I wanted, I had to get online. A webcomic I read had a banner ad with a few wallets on it (“hey, those look neat”), and so the affiliation began.

I’ve carried a Poketo wallet in my pocket every day since my first one arrived in the mail around… 6 or 7 years ago.

Awesome! We love that you keep a Poketo wallet around for so long. What do you love about them?
Your wallets are the best! I love the individuality of not having a plain Jane brown or black wallet. I’ve had many, many conversations sparked by this. Also, the average bi- or tri- fold wallet makes me feel like I’m sitting on a rock. These are slim and minimalist: everything I need, nothing more. I’m hooked for life.

What Poketo stuff is on your current wishlist?
I already have my next wallet (as if there was any doubt). I think my next purchase will be some ideas notebooks (if they were graph paper, I’d probably already have them).

If you had the chance to realize a dream project, what would it be?
I’m doing it! I love thinking about some of the things I’m working on, learning, and the hope that maybe someday people will want to learn what I’ve thought of… It’s our version of fame, really.

If life could be encapsulated in one equation or symbol, what would it be to you?
Yikes! What’s the meaning of life? Well, a guess there’s your symbol. A question mark.

If you had one awesome piece of advice to give to anyone reading, what would it be?
Aside from the fact that Poketo is amazing? (is that the answer I’m supposed to give? Seriously, it is, though.) I guess I’d say… “Don’t be afraid of math. Or mathematicians. Well… some mathematicians.”

Haha. You could be a great comic too. Comic mathematicians, anyone?

Thank you, Alex. That was awesome.

Check out Alex’s photos on flickr.

Know someone we should talk to for our next installment? Send us a quick note. We’ll be glad to hear from you.

Summer’s been on everyone’s mind while working on our most recent wallet series. For Los Angeles-based artist Nick Lu, it meant swimming deep into the heart of the ocean. We took some time to ask this Art Center grad whose work has been seen in the New Yorker, The Globe and Mail, American Illustration and many more a few more things about his work and his passions. Read on:

If you only had three words to describe Nick Lu, what three words would those be?
Positive, creative, sporty

How did you discover your love for illustration?
I’ve been drawing since I was a kid, so it’s been a pretty organic process.

Could you share your favorite illustrations (of any kind). How did they make it on the “favorite list”?
Anything with a cool idea catches my eye, I don’t really care too much about style.

What or who are your current inspirations?
Polish book covers, Tatsuro Kiuchi, Michael Swaney, Gary Panter.

If you had one dream project, what would it be?
Something with a huge circulation, like stamps or currency; collaboration with fashion brand; more editorial illustrations for major magazines would be nice.

Could you tell us a little bit about your wallet design for Poketo? How did you come up with it and what’s going on in the scene?
Hm… let’s see, it was so awesome Angie gave me total freedom on this one (thanks Angie!). I think it was one day a friend asked me what new things would I want to try, I said scuba diving, and we talked about how cool it would be and the fear of being so deep under water, that’s where the image came from.

What a great way to spend a summer day! Thanks for chatting, Nick!

Check out Nick’s wallet at poketo.com
Find more of Nick at nicklu.com

Jennifer Davis found her passion for painting and drawing at the University of Minnesota where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. After graduating and working for a few years, she made the leap transitioning from being an office manager for a couple of agencies to being a full-time artist.

We love Jennifer’s whimsical yet nostalgic style that leaves lots of room for the imagination, so we wanted to get a chance to hear what she had to say about herself. Here’s how our conversation went:

Hi, Jennifer. Could you tell us about yourself without using the word artist, designer or illustrator.
I am a curious, introspective, dedicated dreamer who also enjoys getting loud and silly.

Three adjectives that together make Jennifer Davis.
…creative, excitable, high-strung…

What was your earliest memory of drawing?
I used to draw my toys- Cabbage Patch Kids, Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake girls, etc. It is easy to trace my current work back to those strange characters. I’ve been asked to reinterpret one of my childhood artworks for an upcoming show at Subtext Gallery in San Diego. Luckily, my mom has saved some hilarious “early works” and some funny letters.

Your work often features animals and plants in vaguely humanoid situations, why?
I use animals, plants and other random objects as stand-ins for people, most often myself.

Ooh… in that case, could you tell us one of your favorite self-portraits?
Oh that is a tough one! Recently, maybe “Curious.” Also- Last year I made an actual self-portrait for a show in Minneapolis. It was my first real attempt to paint my own likeness and a real challenge for me. I look scary and haggard but I like it.

You’ve lived in Minneapolis for more than 35 years. What it’s like to live there?
Well, I’ve lived in Minnesota for my whole life, various suburbs of Minneapolis. I have lived in the city for 18 years. It is really beautiful here- in the summer!

We have zillions of lakes, bike trails, parks and wonderful arts organizations of all shapes and sizes. The winters are brutal but ideal for hunkering down in the studio for long stretches. It is a great place to make a living as an artist.

Could you tell us a bit about your wallet design for Poketo? What inspired it?
The wallet design is a detail of my painting, “Wish You Were Here.” It is a strange dreamscape full of made up symbols and situations. An invitation to join me in the Twilight Zone.

What would be your dream project?
I love to draw and paint my characters on clothing. I think it would be really fun to collaborate with a seamstress or fashion designer to bring some of my characters to life.

Check out Jennifer Davis’ wallet on poketo.com.
See more of Jennifer at jenniferdavisart.com.