this weekend multi-talented san francisco artist lisa congdon shared a beautiful commission she’s just completed. a lovely, vibrant mural at a beach house out in stinson beach, just over the golden gate bridge and tucked away a bit from the bustle of city. nice spot to work, isn’t it?

the beach house is owned by elizabeth clayton’s family (and is available for vacation rentals!). y’all might know elizabeth from her lovely blog, a browner brown. lisa was asked to incorporate the area rug by the claytons, and also found inspiration for the mural in the existing colors in the room and the natural landscape around Stinson beach, native birds and butterflies.

if you’re interested in commissioning lisa congdon for a uniquely beautiful custom mural for your home you can contact her via email. you can also find more of lisa’s work in her etsy shop, and visit her at the shop she co-owns with rena tom in san francisco, rare device. and yes, that is lisa’s trusty sidekick wilfredo, checking out the mural there in the mirror!

san francisco-based artist lisa congdon never ceases to amaze me with her prolific creativity. and in typical fashion, lisa’s off to another inspiring year, with her latest project ‘a collection a day 2010′. lisa is going to photograph, paint or draw her many collections and is documenting them here, on her new blog, a collection a day.

i love this idea — and i wish i’d come up with it! but she has inspired me to try and shoot something, or at the very least do something creative every day. now, i just need to figure out what! here’s a peek at lisa’s collections, just after a few days into it. i like to think of her first shot, of the erasers on january 1 as a metaphor for erasing all the negative in 2009 and starting fresh in 2010. simple and amazing! to follow lisa’s more of inspiration and see what she has posted to date, visit ‘a collection a day 2010′.

if you’re in the bay area this friday evening (november 6th), be sure to stop by rare device for an amazing new show from artists Amy Ruppel and Lisa Congdon, Gently by the horns. Lisa and Amy have put together a show paying homage to one of their favorite animal groups: the cloven hoofed, horned, furry creatures that belong to the family Bovidae. They each chose five different Bovids to render in their own own style, including the Yak, Duiker, Bongo and Chamois. The installation will also include horns and antlers from our collections and a fake fur chandelier.

Rare Device
Friday, November 6th, 7-9 pm
1845 Market Street
San Francisco 94103
415.863.3969

[ Lisa Congdon ]

[ Amy Ruppel ]

here’s lisa’s [talking picture]: “This is a photo of my beloved Wilfredo, my two year old Chihuahua mix. It was taken on February 1, 2008 when he was a mere 6 months old. I was leaving town for a week with my business partner Rena to go on a buying trip in New York for our store Rare Device. I’d only had him for a few weeks, and we were going to be apart for the first time. I packed his bag to go stay with his Auntie Diana (diana fayt). Diana often takes care of Wilfredo when I am out of town. He’s wearing a tweed and cashmere jacket made by my sister, Stephanie Congdon Barnes and standing on a vintage suitcase, which contained all his toys, treats, food and clothing for the week. I missed Wilfredo so much on this trip, because it was the first time we were apart. I travel a lot, so I have gotten used to being apart from him since then, but it makes me feel better to pack a bag for him with all of his things when I take him to stay with other people. I think he likes it too.”

*editor’s note: i think it’s funny i wrote this intro before i even knew what the photo would be. i should have guessed. i know mine would have been of my coop. i just loved this and i think a lot of dogs are getting some bad-ass travel suitcases put together right about now. thanks lisa!

Little Pink Houses is a collaboration between two very talented San Francisco artists and friends, Mati McDonough and Lisa Congdon. They conceived of the show by discovering their mutual love for John Cougar Mellencamp’s famous melody. Little Pink Houses is an homage to many of the pair’s mutual loves, including the color pink and all things of the forest. The installation includes eight 8×8 paintings (four by each artist), eight hand painted birdhouses (four by each artist) and two collaborative paintings. Fabric designed by each of the artists is also on display.

Already on display at San Francisco’s Curiosity Shoppe, the Little Pink Houses show opens this Friday, July 10th, from 6-10, with both artists in attendance for the opening, and the work will be up in the gallery until July 31st. If you aren’t in the bay area and can’t make this wonderful show, all artwork is also for sale online at The Curiosity Shoppe.

I love the Paumes books and have quite a few of them already, but the San Francisco Kitchens book will definitely becoming part of my collection! I’ve also long admired Lisa’s kitchen and it is a well-deserved book cover, indeed. For more about Lisa’s artwork, upcoming gallery shows and to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website, or etsy shop. Or drop in and see her at the San Francisco shop she shares with partner Rena Tom, Rare Device. Congratulations on a wonderful cover, Lisa!

*Photos courtesy of Lisa Congdon, and Paumes.

Bell Jar
3187 16th Street (between Guerrero and Valencia Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94103
415.626.1749

Hello all! It’s Lisa reporting from Portland again. I am so lucky to have so many talented friends here in the Northwest. One of my favorites is Amy Ruppel, who is as kind and generous as she is talented. Today I went with Amy, my friend Diana and my eight-year-old niece (also a big fan of Amy’s) to see her most recent body of work entitled Migratory Patterns at the Grassy Knoll Gallery in Portland.

Migratory Patterns is the most impressive and diverse collection of Amy’s work that I have ever seen. Included in the collection are a wonderful combination of her popular trademark encaustic paintings—along with about fifteen hand painted wooden houses and “shrubs”, cheery wall murals, and, most impressive, meticulously hand-printed (by Amy) fabric from hand-carved wooden and rubber stamps.

I highly recommend checking out this beautiful collection of work (much of which is still available for purchase) at Grassy Knoll Gallery, located upstairs in the historic Merchant Hotel at 123 NW 2nd Avenue, in Old Town Portland. And you’ve got plenty of time to see it—it’s up for another three months through the end of August, 2008.

Hello! My name is Lisa and some of you know me from here. I am so pleased to be guest blogging for Victoria this week from Portland, Oregon, my second home. This week I visited one of my favorite places in Portland, a newish restaurant in the Clinton neighborhood of Southeast called Broder.

I love this place for two really basic reasons: first, its super cute, Scandinavian aesthetic; second, its fantastic, comforting food made with fresh, local ingredients…served, well, in cute, Scandinavian pans with your own personal potholder.

The breakfast menu is simple—mostly several variations of eggs and cheese and ham or salmon with dense, nutty breads; tiny puffy “pancakes” served with lemon curd, lingonberry jam and maple syrup; good coffee and dozens of teas. There is relaxingly slow service (don’t come if you are in a hurry.) But never mind that—there is plenty to look at. Colorful mid-century Scandinavian dishware and timeless folk objects line the walls while interesting-looking, understatedly stylish Portlanders fill the seats.

Broder is located at 2508 SE Clinton St., Portland.