gift thoughtfully this season…
… and every season!
I mean, it’s always a good time to support your local biz but what better time than during the holidays! I may be biased BUT I know each of these wonderful humans and know that they put their heart and soul into their work. Whether it’s photography, illustrations, ceramics, or designing a sweet new tee, your support and love is truly appreciated.
So check out these incredibly talented friends of mine and make sure to share this page with your friends too!
** Artists/businesses are listed alphabetically below.
andy putnam art
andy putnam | catalina island, ca | photography
An east coast native, but Californian by choice, Andy has focused his entire life on seeking out beauty in life. Taking that mission a step further, he strives to document the wonders in life by both creating visual art pieces as well as through digital and film photography. Andy is almost always in sight of a coast, which is from where most of his work draws inspiration. However, he can also be found getting intentionally lost in a forest of deep green foliage or scrambling across seemingly endless geographic jungle gyms.
The biggest goal for Andy as an artist is to capture life’s beauty in every way possible, which he feels grateful to try when surrounded by such radiant people and awe-inspiring wilderness.
carter higgins
carter higgins | las vegas, nv | author & illustrator
Carter Higgins is the author of many books for young readers, including Everything You Need for a Treehouse, an NPR Best Book of the Year, Bikes for Sale, and the chapter book series, Audrey L & Audrey W: Best Friends-ish. Her first book as both author and illustrator, Circle Under Berry, was named a Best Book of 2021 by Publisher's Weekly. Carter is a creative storyteller who designs playful experiences around visual literacy and believes the wit of kids' language is the best poetry of all.
She is an Emmy-winning visual effects and motion graphics artist and spent a decade as an elementary school librarian. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram @carterhiggins.
epipelagic photo
michal ross & desmond ho | santa barbara, ca | photography & home goods
Michal & Desmond are two underwater photographers with roots in Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara. With passions for scuba diving and marine science education, they bring functional art to your coffee table through handmade ceramic coasters and etched glasses. Each features one of their photographs coupled with a fun fact that is sure to be a conversation starter. They hope to inspire tales of past underwater adventures, daydreams of future travel plans, and stewardship of coastal environments.
Jonathan Yamakami
jonathan yamakami | los angeles, ca | ceramics
Jonathan’s work as a ceramist focuses on hand built and wheel thrown vessels. He draws inspiration from the varied forms and textural abundance of sea creatures, botanical life, and geological formations. Figures from his childhood in Brazil, especially family members, are also present in Jonathan’s pieces.
If you are interested in purchasing his work, please contact him directly.
keira designs
keira mcgee | san diego, ca | clothing
WHERE ART AND ADVENTURE COLLIDE
A sustainable clothing company featuring one-of-a-kind, handmade products. Keira Designs mainly focuses on unique up-cycled clothing items, plus a line of surf-wear that promotes inclusivity within surf culture.
kiwi sea creations
Kiwi cyr | monterey bay, ca | cribbage boards and art
Kiwi has been inspired by the ocean and nature her entire life. She studied marine biology at the University of Hawaii but instead of following a research path, realized she loves sharing her passion for marine life and ecology with others! She spent many years in outdoor education before shifting to art. Currently she brings nature into people homes with fun and functional handcrafted art; especially through scientifically accurate custom cribbage boards! Each board is hand cut, carved, painted and drilled with care and extreme attention to detail. Kiwi’s specialty is marine animals, but she also loves bringing memories to life. She also creates hand carved rubber stamps that she uses to print nature themes onto patches, canvas pouches, bandanas, and thrifted clothing.
phil lemley photography
phil lemley | monterey bay, ca | photography
Phil Lemley is an underwater photographer based in Monterey Bay, CA. After years of teaching marine science at non-profit organizations, Phil shifted his career path to renewable energy in 2018. This was not an easy decision for him, but the career change created two things in his life. The first, was the ability to (mostly) afford to live in coastal California and upgrade his camera equipment. The second, was a search for new ways to share his love for sweet sweet momma ocean with the world. “So I started taking photos. I thought they were good photos. Eventually a few friends and strangers felt these photos merited consideration for purchase and placement in photography competitions and now we are here. (chuckles quietly to himself) It’s been a real whirlwind!” says Phil.
Studio Zedsie
Zed yasay | Los angeles, CA | ceramics
Zed Yasay is a Filipino-American Designer & Artist from Los Angeles. He fell instantaneously in love with the medium of pottery after his first workshop in 2017. His color palettes range from the bold and primary to the warm browns of the earth. Zed is inspired by everyday objects like the hinge of a computer monitor to the handle of a door. He loves playing with the functional and reinterpreting ways to stylize the conventional.
the local naturalist
andrea dingeldein | monterey, ca | illustrations
Andrea Dingeldein specializes in visual depictions of the maritime environment. She illustrates everything from the flora and fauna of the ocean realm, to the vessels and lighthouses that have guided generations of humans towards scientific discovery. With watercolors and field notebook in hand, she sets out into California’s tidepools, redwood forests, and coastal prairies to document the wonders and oddities of the natural world. Back in the studio, she transforms her field studies into polished science illustrations for researchers, parks, and local environmental organizations that fight to protect the ecosystems she knows and loves.
