N E W . D I G S

In more way than one! After many happy years as a little old lady from Pasadena, I'm packing up my shoes and books and moving to Brentwood. I'll be closer to work and sharing the place with an amazing room mate. In other news. Artist Eric Nyquist's new site is live! Be sure to check it out and +1 it on Google!

N E W . S P O T

Now you can check out my illustrations here on this fancy new TUMBLR I created called kathryndraws.tumblr.com. 

D R A W I N G

J A R - O L D . B U T . G O O D . N E W S

The love affair has been underway for some time, but I'm remiss in getting it down. JAR calls itself a modern chophouse in the heart of Los Angeles. That seems right, but incomplete. It's also one of the most satisfying, you-won't-leave-hungry, virtually fuss-free, foodie experiences in Los Angeles. Trust. Suzanne Tracht's updates classic American comfort food (like pot roast and skirt steak) that bring you back to the best home cooked meals while spoiling you with gourmet touches like green peppercorn sauce or lemon caperberry relish. To die for her sides is to die happy. Especially the japanese yams with creme fraiche and chives. But please, whatever you do, save room for dessert. Refreshingly, this top notch dinner joint has also mastered the sweet finish--chocolate pudding. Doesn't sound like much, so prepare for ironic bliss. 

C A R M E L A ' S . D I V I N E

Aside from my ordinary obsession with ice cream, Brynn and I have been doing lots of research for a project at work. Friday night, Eric took me for an after dinner treat to a place he discovered in Altadena. Carmela's ice cream is heavenly. Their menu included flavors like Guinness (yes, beer flavored ice cream), Lavender honey (which tasted like heaven...that's my best comparison), strawberry buttermilk, and espresoo (made with Intelligentsia beans, #hipsterpoints). The best part was, the owner encouraged us to try everything, and he was so enthusiastic about every flavor--a regular Wonka. The homemade waffle cookie was buttery and perfect for nibbling between bites of what I feel comfortable calling dream cream. Check them out at the South Pasadena farmer's market or make the drive to their parlor on Washington boulevard.

C H E G O

To celebrate their one year birthday, my friend (who works for the Kogi group) commissioned me to paint a mural in the bathroom at Chego. Filled with things that inspired the restaurant and represent Los Angeles. To see it up close, you'll have to stop by for a Pork Belly Rice Bowl or some home made Rock Yer Road.

B R A N S O N . T U R N E D . C O U S T E A U

Eric just wrapped up an incredible image for the launch of Richard Branson's newest frontier--the deep. Virgin Oceanic launched a entirely new submersible, that will dive at 5 locations around the world, going deeper than any other ocean craft before it. Learn more about it here.

W H A T . A . L I T T L E . T U M B L R . C A N . D O

What started as a little inside joke between me and Brynn has turned into a small following. I'm pretty sure people show up for the cat truths and not my illustrations, but either way Brynn & Ray is becoming a well loved side project. Meaning, we love it. If you haven't already checked it out on Tumblr, you can find it on facebook. Like it?

A L L . D O L L E D . U P

I grew up with Madame Alexander and American Girl dolls. They were hugely important in my world of make believe. But Brynn sent me a link to this, which was equally fun as playing dress up with an actual doll (even as an adult). You can accessorize and customize your very own princess avatar, not to mention animals, Harry Potter characters, ninjas, and pirates. Why didn't I think of this? Check out Doll Divine to make your own.

T H E Y . D R A W . A N D . C O O K

If you haven't seen this site yet, definitely check it out. I made the cut, check it out here.

N E W . O B S E S S I O N

I realized this weekend that I wanted to know where certain foods came from. Like ice cream, for example. So I started to research and draw my way through the history of how ice cream came to be. Although it's originally derivative of a frozen dessert in ancient Persia, it was also championed by Catherine De Medici. When she married a french duke in 1533, she brought Italian chefs with her who made flavored ices and sorbets--introducing ice cream in France.

B R Y N N & R A Y

Emotionally, Brynn can't decide if Ray is her boyfriend or child. 


My partner Brynn has a black cat named Ray. Ray Finkle actually. Anyhow, her relationship with him is ...fascinating. I decided to draw up some of the scenarios that take place at Brynn's apartment with Ray. You can see it on BrynnRay, a tumblr site.

V I D E O . L O V E

L A T E S T

I've been really into my brush pen lately. 

G A W K E R . H E A R T S . M E

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S W E E T . S O M E T H I N G S

The best thing about this Valentine's day promotion is I don't think you actually have to be in sticky sweet love to participate. The other is that you can win up to $1000 toward any of the  businesses in One Colorado. That's the brick shopping center in the heart of Old Town Pasadena (Johnny Rockets, Il Fornaio, Crate & Barrel, J Crew, Patagonia, etc.) Follow them on twitter and like them on facebook to participate starting Feb. 1, so you can win daily prizes and qualify for the whopping $1000 shopping spree at any of the businesses in the complex. Look for the posters that look like this around the complex for more information. Or check here.

E R I C . O N . G A W K E R

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T H E . N E W . O L D . F A S H I O N E D

Until recently, I didn't know about the modern wedding trend of hand-drawn or watercolored maps to accompany wedding invitations or save-the-dates. It seems like an old-fashioned approach in a world where everybody has photoshop and access to "decorative" typefaces courtesy of sites like Dafont.com. I think it's interesting that today's bright-eyed brides and grooms gravitate towards something so analog and personal for their big day. A friend of a friend hit me up to do one for her wedding, and I had a blast. Maps are interesting already, but one that combines the places you and your significant other have made memories over the years is even more so. So, while I've never been there yet, here's Boston illustrated by me and envisioned by a young couple who'll get married at the Four Seasons there in October.

E X P L O R E R S

In a campaign we recently finished for Belkin we partnered with THE FADER and the launch of FADER TV to produce video profiles of cool people doing cool things. Take a look:

T H E . G I F . T H A T . K E E P S . O N . G I V I N G

 

When Brynn and I got the holiday card assignment, we knew we wanted to make use of our hand-craftiness. Eventually we got to the idea of animated .GIFs and from there we embraced the pun The GIF that keeps on giving. While the best holiday cards are fun to receive, this one was fun to make and give and receive. Check it out!

PS: AD FREAK even liked it.

MEIN FAVORITE .GIFs