Sweet Victory

Last year I did a series of holiday sugar skulls for a campaign for WAX Partners that earned a 2014 Anvil Award. Thanks Chris at WAX for the opportunity.

Sugar, Inked.

Niko, from S.J. writes in:

"Koshi, I dont eff around when it comes to tattoos :D plus to keep the detail I had to go that big. :)"

Molasses

Get Your Molasses.

A Day with the Vandercook

Wallpaper vs Wallpaper

Ray asked for some wallpaper.

Gaining Entry

I'm honored to have gained entry into Jon Halperin's amazing art collection. Though perhaps the greatest honor is having him make a more permanent decision about my work:



Jon writes, "I've always had a extreme fondness for the muppets. A kermit graced my bed growing up. I am 42, and spent a day on the Sesame Street set in 1972. I am marrying my mexican girlfriend in November of 2012.....so a sugar skull kermit tattoo on the back of my leg just made sense."

The work was done by Dan Smith, singer and tattoo artist featured on TLC's television reality show, LA Ink.

Celebrate the Dead with Sugarfree Shipping

While you rot your teeth on your Halloween haul, save some sugar on shipping. I've got just a few prints left and if you get one before November 2, 2011, I'll ship it for free. Get your sugar.

More Thanks

A quick note of thanks again to Stephen Weeks for another donation to Give2Asia Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Fund for his recent Tetsugar Blind acquisition. Again, I have a small number of blinds left and 100% of proceeds will be donated to Give2Asia to support the relief effort. Please contact me for more information.

A Moment of Visual Silence

A special thanks to Stephen Weeks, Wendy Nakao from the Zen Center of Los Angeles, and Jason Morrow, for purchasing blinds in my auction to raise money for the Give2Asia Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Fund. If you're still interested, I have a small number of blinds available, and 100% of proceeds from the sale of these blinds will be donated to the relief effort.

Stephen and Wendy, I think a good way to preserve the visual silence is with a large white matte. If you have a companion here's what that might look like side by side:

Thank you again!

I also have a few more prints from the second series still available. Get them while they last here.

About Give2Asia

Give2Asia is a US 501 (c) (3) public charity, to which contributions are tax deductible (Federal Employer Identification #94-3373670). In accordance with federal law, Give2Asia has exclusive legal control over the assets contributed.

Sugar Too is Nigh!

It's been a while since the last series of sugar skulls but I'm glad to report that the next series is ready. Each print is hand-pressed on The Cranky Pressman's classic Vandercook, with vegetable based ink on Crane & Co.'s Lettra line of letterpress-specific paper stock. With magnesium plates and 110lb. 100% cotton paper this series is faithful to the first so if you have a print from my first series, these 12" x 12" prints will fit right in. This is a limited edition, five designs, 50 prints per design, hand-numbered and signed.



If you got a print in the presale, thank you! More importantly, your print is in the mail. Please let me know how your print arrived, I put more into packaging after seeing how the post office handled the last series.

Prototype:


Production:

About Series 2

This time around I'm working again from my childhood icons, but this time with a focus on my Japanese upbringing. While these icons might not be as popular in the US, some of them have influenced my aesthetic from very early on. Others, like the Domokun, are a nod to the continuing influence of the Japanese kawaii-cuteness in the modern dialect of commercial symbols and this thing called the Internet.



The artwork for the first skulls in this series were done just after I sold the last and after getting the illustration work to The Cranky Pressman, Japan was struck with the most devastating natural disaster in its history. I decided to add five blinds of each design as a visual moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives in the event. A blind deboss is a pressing without ink, the result is an impression in the paper but no inked surfaces. These blinds will be auctioned as a part of this series, each signed and numbered in an edition of 5 per design, with 100% of the proceeds going to the relief effort in Japan.





Previously on the web:
Wareground: This Ain't Daddy's Sugar Skull

USA Today: Sugar Skull Art, So Yummy!

Craftzine: Sugar Skull Art, So Yummy!

OMG Posters: Pop-Culture Calavera Prints by Jonathan Koshi

Monoscope: Jonathan Koshi: Sugar Skulls

BoingBoing: Dia de los Muertos skulls of Kermit the Frog, Alien, Pac-man, etc.

WIRED: Sugar Skull Prints Put Day-of-the-Dead Spin on Geeky Icons

Permanent Sugar Pellet

My sugar has been showing up a lot on the internet, and a lot of the hides of a few brave sugar fans! Thanks TaTaR FreAK.

Dear Mr. Postman

Dear Mr. Postman,

Thank you for folding my stay-flat mailers and leaving my artwork in the snow. Your spirited deliveries of my work have taught me a lesson about your service-oriented perspective. Since you're not always compelled to care about the items you're carrying, I've decided to help you out by revamping my art packaging for my next print sale.

Thanks,
Koshi.

The Plan:


The Plan in action:






/me fingers crossed

No Regrets Sugar

Sugarkun

Tetsugar

Sugar Plumber

Darumasugar

Ultrasugar