Josh and Colby of design duo, Jolby are having a solo show at Subtext Gallery, San Diego. They sent over a few sneak peeks and a link to their awesome video giving us the overall vibe of what you’ll be seeing.

Jolby will guide us on a voyage through their past, present, and everything in between to find out what makes them happy. For “Shapes & Smiles”, Jolby has been exploring their methods of storytelling with over 50 new pieces of work, including illustration, paintings, wood-cut shapes, screen prints, plush, and home goods. An audio tour will accompany the exhibition accessible by your smart phone. With this, you’ll be able to know the back story and personal relevance of each piece from the artists. Such a great idea! You’ve seen this done before in museums, but, rarely in a gallery setting like this. If you are in Southern California, the show is Friday, December 16th. Subtext Gallery is located at 2479 Kettner Blvd., San Diego, California 92101. More info here.

By the way, you can pick up some exclusive Jolby for Poketo products on the Poketo site. We met them last year in their hometown of Portland…. really down to earth, cool guys. We pride ourselves here at Poketo with collaborating with people that love what they do, are awesome at it, and are undeniably the coolest people on earth. Jolby is one of them. Stay tuned for more good things with Jolby and Poketo in the new year!

Last month, we started a few new things from us to you!

We promised you guys new postcards every month and we’re coming through. This August, we’ve been sending out this awesome artwork along with every order (while supplies last, of course).

Doesn’t it make you want to explore the nearest forest? There’s something very freeing about this work.

Who designed this, you ask? You’ll just have to flip over your postcard to find out. I can tell you though that you have seen this artists before. She designed the artwork on these.

Have you figured out who our artist of the month is? For those of you lucky enough to get one, you know who it is right? If you haven’t gotten a postcard yet, we’re starting September strong with a new batch of postcards ready.

Remember, you don’t have to wait for anything; just place your order and your postcards come with it. Hurry, it’s limited edition postcard series, they do run out!

Love the postcard you got? Send us a line and let us know what you think!

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.