Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business.
I am children’s book illustrator and writer. I currently have three books published with Vancouver, BC publishing house Simply Read Books. An additional two books are in the works for release in 2009 and 2010. In addition to my children’s books I co-own Bluebottle Art Gallery and Store in Seattle with my wife, Andrea. Bluebottle is headquarters for my infamous Monkey World paintings and products.
How did you first get involved with crafting?
When we first opened our gallery in 2002 I wanted some products to go along with my paintings. I wanted to create a more affordable option for customers so I started creating prints, magnets, and clothing plus a few other items. All of my products feature my illustrations.
What are your favorite materials to work with?
Acrylic paint on wood. I almost always sand my paintings. It give them a worn and faded look that I think is reminiscent of the well loved and worn wooden ABC blocks we stacked up, chewed up, kicked around, and dropped as children
Do you have a favorite color palette?
I like light blue, faded yellow and cool green.
What are your inspirations in your art and in life?
I like a lot of old stuff, books, movies, records. I like trees and fields and animals. I like terrible fart jokes and cockney rhyming slang.
What is your favorite song or album to listen to while working?
I like old radio shows like The Goon Show and listen to the bbc iplayer all the time. I like vinyl records on color wax. S.F. Sorrow by The Pretty Things is on at the moment
Who are some of your favorite indie artist/crafters and why do you love them?
Kristen Rask of Schmancy ā www.schmancytoys.com
Moxie of Made by Moxie ā www.madebymoxie.com
Both are Seattle artists that make really cute things. I tend to fall for things that just make me smile and we show a lot of that at Bluebottle. Moxie is actually going to be showing her work in our gallery in June. Both artists are participating in Maker Faire too and encouraged me to participate!
Any exciting future plans or developments in the works for your business?
I’m working on a new children’s book called Flowers. It’s about flowers and butterflies and 10 different colors. I also have a new Monkey World book of short stories in the pipeline which I’m really excited about.Ā Most recently I have licensed my monkey images to www.StartMovingPictures.com to create repositionable wall art. Almost like a giant sticker. I am part of an art show in May at Hotel des Arts located in the French District of San Francisco. They are also going to be using these images as cell phone wallpaper! Iām continuing on in my efforts for monkey world domination!
You can find out more about Mathew Porter by visiting his website and blog: