“All roads that you travel in life lead you to where you are now” is the mantra of All Roads, an Etsy shop featuring custom and handmade objects by Janelle Pietrzak and Robert Dougherty. Believing that you shouldn’t have regrets in life, that both good and bad experiences make you the person you are today, All Roads strives to explore whatever path their artwork chooses for them. A collective of two, Janelle designs the elaborate and incredible weavings that you see here, while Robert hand-forges the steel arrows. They also offer an assortment of small goods, such as bronze arrow keychains and necklaces made from vintage fishing lures.
If you’re interested in any of these weavings, One Kings Lane will be selling these pieces as part of their new Artisanal Division. (The sale kicks off at 6 p.m. PT today!) Be sure to check out more weavings here.
Various small goods made by All Roads, including necklaces made from vintage fishing lures, all atop a table made by Robert.
Janelle and Robert also live an incredibly inspiring lifestyle in Los Angeles where they frequent the desert and set up a new studio space. I highly recommend following them on Instagram!
{Images via All Roads}
Alice Gao has been on our list of inspiring photographers for quite a while. Her professional work is flawless and we love getting a glimpse of her life behind the scenes as well on her blog Lingered Upon. As much a food lover as a photographer, we were excited to have Alice contribute to the “Simply the Best” article in Issue No. 11, where she shared the story behind her mother’s delicious tea-smoked eggs.
You’d think that between her blog and her portfolio, we’d see enough of Alice’s work to satisfy us, but we’re also always keeping an eye on her Instagram stream, too. If you’re not, you might want to add her to your feed. Scrolling through is guaranteed to add a shot of inspiration and beauty to your day—perfect when you’ve got a minute while you grab a cup of coffee or wait in line at the post office. These are just a few of my favorite food-related shots from the last few weeks.
{Pictures from Alice Gao on Instagram}
{ Palmiers Foldover Bags }
There are so many artists making amazing things in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Jen Hewett is a personal favorite of mine. I met Jen over a decade ago through a mutual friend; back then, she was producing lovely stationery sets (I still have some of them). A couple of years ago, our paths crossed again and I was delighted to learn that she was now hand-printing her own textiles.
The textiles are used for Jen’s line of bags—including simple pouches and foldover bags that are perfect on their own, or for throwing into a beach bag or large tote so you don’t have to dig around the bottom for small, loose things. (I love that the inspiration for the bags shown above are palmier cookies! And how great a detail is the leather zipper handle?) In addition to bags, Jen prints and sews tea towels that are beautiful enough to frame.
To keep up with her latest creative efforts and product releases, be sure to bookmark Jen’s blog.
{ Fishnets & Shoes Zipper Bag }
{ Feather Bouquet Tea Towel }
With their Scandinavian-inspired geometric motifs in coastal navy blue, rich cobalt, and sunshine yellow, these porcelain cheese platters from MB Art Studios are perfect for any summertime shindig you’re planning.
Each platter is hand-built in Mary Burrow’s Reno, Nevada, studio. The artwork is then screen-printed and sealed with a shiny clear glaze, making these platters something you’ll want to leave out even when the party is over. I especially love the idea of grouping together platters of different shapes and sizes!
{Images via MB Art Studios}
{Milk-Plus by Joël Penkman}
When we were looking for contributors for “Screen Play” in our food issue, Joël Penkman was an obvious choice. Joël’s favorite medium is egg tempera—paints which she grinds and mixes herself from pigments and egg yolks. Like a great meal often is, the paints are time consuming to produce, but the process is worthwhile.
But the reason we were most excited to have Joël on board for this particular column was her Fictional Food series. In her signature style, Joël’s captured food from many classic stories. The Milk-Plus painting above is from Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. Below she’s created Paddington Bear’s favorite marmalade sandwiches, the 50 eggs referenced in Cool Hand Luke, Holly Golightly’s famous breakfast, and Edmund’s Turkish delight from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. We love the paintings on their own, but especially that they are a nod to many beloved films and books.
{Paintings by Joël Penkman}
