In 1994 Joshua Tree was designated a National Park, having only had Monument status since 1936.  One might wonder what the difference between the two is.  A monument usually protects a singular resource of physical, cultural or historical value.  That designation can be granted by a President.  To earn the designation of National Park it takes an act of Congress.  That later being awarded to protect land, ecosystems, habitats and vulnerable places.   In 1994, the National Park designation for Joshua Tree protects  nearly 800,000 acres and the plants and animals that make it a wondrous place.
The park's namesake, the Joshua Tree is something akin to a Dr. Seuss illustration and the perfect specimen for a "B" alien.  

Beyond book illustrators and movie directors, the Joshua tree has caught the attention of a new generation and their Instagram-able moments.  If you follow the hashtag #joshuatree you will see elopements, weddings, family outings and wilderness wanderings set against the backdrop of the mighty Joshua.  Who would have thought this giant relative of the asparagus would command such insta-fame.   Are they sought out for their spiny silhouette, their mysterious wavy arms or the you-can-overcome and thrive spirit they embody sprouting up from the harsh desert conditions?

The magic and mystery of JTNP drew 3 million visitors in 2021.  The eclectic village of Joshua Tree, which borders the west park entrance comes alive at dawn with locals and visitors hitting Joshua Tree Coffee Company for some caffeine.  Travelers join the caravan of vehicles winding the small road up to the park entrance.   After you greet the fee booth attendant, the road through Joshua Tree becomes seemingly smaller and smaller as the vistas of open land grow larger.  Waving their bristled arms up in the air, the Joshua Trees greet you like a socially distanced crowd.    While they do appear in groups,  most seem to like their personal space standing lone in the desert sands.  Their frequency and sprawl is hard to capture on camera.

 Cresting from the ground, corralling the Joshuas are huge rock and boulder formations.  They look as if giants stacked them.  Many of the outcroppings have been named due to their unusual form, indentations and shapes such as Skull Rock, Cyclops Eye and Heart Rock.

Joshua Tree at night is just as spectacular.  It is rated 10th in the list of National Parks designated as night sky parks.  Views of the milky way, asteroid showers and lunar events draw thousands.

So what does make Joshua Tree so magical?  In my personal opinion it's scale.  These amazing trees dot the landscape farther than the eye can see and boy can you see a long way.  The JTNP desert landscape while diverse on a micro ecosystem scale is rather featureless on a grand mile to mile scale.   The landscape rolls forever blurring into a shade of gray green and brown.  The trees and the earth blend into a tapestry of hard desert life.  As an individual, it reminds you how small we.  We are just a dot on the landscape dwarfed by the population of Joshuas.  It can be very peaceful and humbling.   Traveling through and seeing the dotted Joshua Trees come into view, turning from blurry shadowy forms into larger than life ornate structures of lancet leaves, blooms and curving branches is exciting.  Their distant friendly arms waving turn away from human-like form into an otherworldly coarse and rugged collections of pointed leaves and desert dried bark.  They are both threatening and delightfully whimsical.   Their beauty in whole outshines.  Heck, if you could hug one, they look as if they would hug right back.  The park entrance sign should read- "Joshua Tree, we welcome you with open arms.  Just don't take us up on it." 

My love for all things Joshua Tree, has had me inspired to create some new art and decor.  While most of my art has a travelers heart coming through, this is the first series with a single destination in mind.   And with that addition to my collections, I foresee heading towards more National Park art.  If you are a fan of my work please consider subscribing to my newsletter.  New subscribers get a 10% off coupon code.

When I create a new collection, it is a process.  It's one thing to create one piece of art and poof put it up for sale.  It's another to try and create a mood, a setting or in better terms to imagine a space and build towards it.  Having designed many, if not hundreds, of kids room since starting my studio, I can't help but envision the reveal.  What will the client not just see but feel?

So, I've been working on designing more ingredients to add to a space.  While there may seem to be some matchy, matchy going on when you first glance, realize the most people will pick a couple items from a collection and then build from there. Maybe they like a particular fabric for pillows that may go with one piece of art. 

So the goal that I've set for myself is to give customers some options.  Give them choices that they can incorporate into their existing space or create a whole new one.  A piece from Aaron, a homemade craft, a piece from Home Goods, an antique thingy and that one gift from the mother-in-law (you have to display it...ha!).  Put them together to create the vibe or feel that's desired for the space.

So, in this latest collection, I first decided on a general idea.  I wanted something in my vintage vibe but refreshed with a little modernism or lean towards trend.  The elements of the current trend-o-sphere I plucked for this collection are use of a limited color palette, boho vibe watercolor washes, stains, paints, heavier textures, handwritten type lettering, rustic finishes and to no surprise beads and tassels.  They are concepts that could work within a modern farmhouse, that mid century minimal pad or a rustic converted warehouse condo.

While I'm excited for all the pieces, there is a concept I was stoked to bring to life.  I wanted a piece of wall decor shaped like a baseball home plate.  Well, that's not original you say.  And of course you are right, it is not.  But I wanted a piece that eluded to baseball without being so literal, emblazoned with red baseball stitches and painted white.  I'd be one of a million with that old concept.  I wanted something a little more wall decor less baseball.  So has it, last year I bought the studio the equipment to do some fabric printing.  Not screen printing, but actual infusion of ink into fabric.  It's called sublimation.  I can print out art and imagery and using heat I can transfer it by chemically fusing it with the fabric's fibers.  Sounds cool?  It is!  The image doesn't sit on the fabric it literally becomes the fabric.  It won't fade, it won't peel, it won't wash out.  Even if you tore the fabric apart you would end up with fibers and thread with the image intact.
By fusing the inspirational phrase - It's always good to be home to the "inspired by trend" heavy texture, open weave linen look fabric, I have the perfect print to staple over my stretcher bar home plate shape.  It took a little trial and error to figure out how to wrap and staple the fabric around that shape.   To update it, I added some ever popular washed wooden beads, tassel and a burlap twine hanger.  I hope you like it.  While some little league outfielder may look at it and shrug, a mom, dad or interior designer who wants an updated look on the tried and true baseball room hopefully will enjoy it.

The studio introduced pennants a few years back to complement the wall art I create and they have been welcomed with open arms by our customers.  So for this collection I gave a wink to the golden oldie days with a swoosh, a ribbon a non-text thingy ma-bob that acts as a tail off the end of a word.  Such a classic Coke thing.  Added to that is a handwritten style font that we use to personalize them.

Fabric is a huge part of room design.  It often sets the tone for everything else.  One builds a nursery or bedroom around the bedding, it's rarely the other way.  So, to take the lead on the collection, I created 29 prints and variations for this collection.  It explores the baseball theme with classic shapes and patterns but updates them with a limited color palette, modern use of "white space" and yet still has a vintage appeal.  While I'm still on the hunt for someone to produce my bedding and home dec ideas directly for my site customers, I maintain a Spoonflower.com shop to vend my patterns and sell some of their finished goods with my designs.  I'm a stickler for quality and the accuracy of the reproduction of my imagery.  Spoonflower does a great job with the printing and offers a wide variety of fabrics.  They offer finished goods like pillows, tablecloths, duvets and such with my designs on them.  It's a win, win for now until I have my own produced.  I can see so many combinations of the pieces that would make wonderful crib or boys room bedding.

Pushing myself out of the usual size ratio I work within on my paintings, I decided to go with a tall and skinny version of a baseball player.  His popped collar, wooden bat and probably not very comfortable heavyweight fabric uniform are definitely vintage, but I made it more modern by keeping it painterly, in a limited color range and as minimalist as portraiture can be.  I guess it's still portraiture sans face or is it torsotraiture ?  Ha!

What would my baseball collections be without a new scoreboard?  I realized the other day that it's been almost 18 years since Pottery Barn Kids launched a line with my very first scoreboard.  As far as I was told, it was the first painted depiction of a scoreboard anyone had offered in the retail catalog industry.  Now, years later with Pinterest, Etsy, DIY'ers and knock off bloggers, they're a little more common <eye roll>.  I spot the occasional too close for common sense copycat who forgets to change the scores.  What are the odds that our games had the very same scores...<double eye roll>. Ha!  Well, flattery being what it's not, all's good.  I'll just keep painting more until I don't.  In this version, I wanted the charms of what a scoreboard might look like back in the early mid 1900's.  I envisioned it painted on some old fence in a dirt field where rag tag leagues played on the big nights and broom handle and homemade ball wielding children filled in the gaps.

As I write this and think about baseball nostalgia, I would love a trip to yesteryear with a little box of Cracker Jack to indulge in.  It used to be sold in little cardboard boxes that you immediately tore open to find a prize.  Prize first, eat second.  That sweet popped corn and caramel smell fills my mind.  I wonder if I should ever include tasty treats or confections in a collection?  Heck, a Cracker Jack scented candle would suffice, I'm hungry...ha!

In closing, I'd love to think that the market will continue to steer me.  That I'll continue exploring new things, trying new techniques all for the sake of expressing my creativity.  Please know that I couldn't do it without the fans of my work.  Without you it would be a failed business venture obviously, but it's the comments, the sharing, the photos you provide that keep me inspired.  Feel free to offer suggestions, critiques, comments and ideas.  Please continue to share, post, Pin and tag with wild abandon, it truly does help my and other small businesses.  Thanks for reading. - Aaron

We're happy to introduce the Bright Collection of felt pennants.  We make them, here in the studio, using a combination of our print on felt technology and precision laser cutting techniques.  The Bright series has three stock designs and one that you can customize.

The collection features- "HELLO SUNSHINE" which is made from raised cut felt letters on a cream felt background.  The "GOLDEN" pennant is made using our print of fabric technology to feature a happy sunshine and cut felt letters.  The "HELLO GORGEOUS" pennant is printed with a beachy skyline with palm trees and an overlay of printed felt that's precision cut.  The "SUMMER" piece is available as show or you can visit our custom pennant page to create your own using the same curvy script font.  Design your own CUSTOM PENNANT.

I'm excited to share new additions to my vintage sports wall art line.  These three new scoreboards round out my selection to include more color schemes and types of sports.

The images are available as archival paper prints and stretched canvases.  If you have a favorite sport that's not represented in my collection send me a message.  I'm always happy to receive feedback and inspiration!

I'm always on the hunt for new bedding styles and designs for my customers and I often get asked what bedding works with my sports wall art lines.  So here are my picks for new and tried and true pieces from my favorite haunts.  I rarely use themed bedding with sports graphics on it, for me it's usually too expected and often tacky.  In contrast I applaud my friends over at Land of Nod have done a great job of offering up some very simple understated pieces, I've included below.  The top picks include bedding from Restoration Hardware Teen, PBteen, Ralph Lauren via Nieman Marcus, Rejuvenation Hardware and Schoolhouse Electric. 

Having worked with several large retailers on the development and coordination

Okay Lax lovers, here we go...  I proudly present my lacrosse wall art series collage.  Available as a one piece, nine image design or you can pick and choose any of the nine as individual prints in canvas and on archival paper.

According to Thomas Vennum Jr., author of American Indian Lacrosse: Little Brother of War "Apart from its recreational function, lacrosse traditionally played a more serious role in Indian culture. Its origins are rooted in legend, and the game continues to be used for curative purposes and surrounded with ceremony. Game equipment and players are still ritually prepared by conjurers, and team selection and victory are often considered supernaturally controlled. In the past, lacrosse also served to vent aggression, and territorial disputes between tribes were sometimes settled with a game, although not always amicably." 

With it's rich history and evolution into one of the fastest growing sports here in the States, it's time to be wall proud and art up!  I hope you enjoy them, I'd love to hear your feedback.

Need some inspiration for your lax loving walls?  Here are three style mood boards to give you ideas and inspire.  Feel free to pin, post and print!

When author, TV personality and designer Kathy Peterson sent me an email saying she needs a man, I almost clicked the spam button.  Sure, she and I are Facebook banterers keeping each other's spirits high with humor and accolades, but this proclamation had me perplexed.  In reading further, that was just the tip of the iceberg, she needed five men.  Now, before I lead you on too far and tarnish the respectable and admirable reputation of the talented KP, let me share with you her exciting idea.

In association with Flip-Pal ©, Kathy was assembling her team of Men, five men who create.  Her invitation was for us to test drive the mobile scanner, that was awarded the Craft and Hobby Associations Innovation award in 2010.

To run it through it's paces with a different breed of animal, joining me are the talented Suede Baum - Fashion designer and TV personality from the Project Runway, Ken Oliver - The Accidental Crafter, Martin Amado - Interior designer and HGTV design host, and Mark Montano - Author of The Big Ass Book of Crafts.

While my resume of notoriety is dwarfed by these high profile men of design, Kathy knows that my magical world of Embellishments can put any product through a warfare of art and craft.  I'll put it to the test and share with you how it does keeping up with kid's design, prop making and the overall theme overload we see here in the studio.  I unwrapped mine today and have just begun to play with it.

Every Thursday during December, the guys and I will be updating our blogs with our Flip-Pal© experiences and sharing our creations.  To keep with the "man" theme, I wonder if we all scan our manly abs, could we start a Men of Flip-Pal calendar?  I better scan and crunch, scan and crunch
Crunch...1,2,3...Crunch 4,5,6... whew!  Could I please have a stunt double, or an ab stand in?

Here are links to my cohorts.
Happy Hopping!
-Aaron

Suede Baum - http://suedesays.com/blog     
Ken Oliver - http://kensworldinprogress.blogspot.com/
Martin Amado - http://www.martinamado.com/
Mark Montano - http://markmontanoblogs.blogspot.com/