Break Time 休憩時間 (Kyūkei jikan) 2019

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

About four works into the series, I knew that I wanted to finish with this piece. ‘Break Time’ is set in a dingy back alley where many of us in the hospitality world spend our breaks. A quick bite or a smoke, joke with a coworker or vent a little and then get back to work. It’s these little moments in the day that get forgotten but are so important to what we do- I feel that they had to be included. I also wanted to represent the Shin-Hanga night scenes of Yoshida, Kawase and Koitsu that have been such a big influence on my work. All of the graffiti related to the food and beverage world: my favorite foods, wines and cheeses. Break’s over-I need to get back in the kitchen.

Brewery ビール醸造所 (Bīru jōzōjo) 2018

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

Coming from a background in wine, I am envious of brewers. In wine you get one chance a year to make your product; but you can brew different beers all year long. This leads to an enormous amount of experimenting with styles and flavors. No city in America is as closely tied to its beer than my home in Portland, Oregon. ‘Beervana’ is home to almost a hundred craft breweries, so choosing one for this piece was tough. I went with Ecliptic Brewing, owned by the godfather of Oregon brewing, John Harris- they make some of my favorite beers in the world. Creating an artistic composition of a brewery was difficult- everywhere you look there is just so much stainless steel. On top of that I had no idea what all the equipment even did. I found my focal pop of color in the sunburst yellow of the canning system and even managed to put Mr. Harris in the piece, Where’s Waldo style.

Distillery 蒸留所 (Jōryūsho) 2018

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

Japanese artist Hasui Kawase (1883-1957) was the most prominent artist of the Shin-Hanga movement and one of the most profound influences on my work. I remember when I first encountered his artwork in the spring of 1997 while researching a paper on Japanese art in college. I was utterly blown away by the clean lines, vibrant color and level of detail. His work (among others) sparked my interest in Ukiyo-e and Shin-Hanga art that started this whole process. This piece serves as an hommage to Kawase’s influence on me, drawing from his famed snow compositions. The subject of the Nikka Distillery in Hokkaido, Japan was the natural choice for this piece.

Farmer 農家 (Nōka) 2018

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines.

Set in Parkdale, Oregon, Farmer is an ode to the the people who grow our food. When you ask many people where their food comes from, they will tell you ‘the grocery store’. This mindset ignores the hardworking people who work so passionately to provide us with much of the food we eat. Oregon has a rich tradition of family farms that need to be highlighted. Plus, with a backdrop like Mount Hood, this scene could not be ignored.

Sushi Chef 寿司食人 (Sushi Shokujin) 2018

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

Considered the ultimate masters of attention to detail in the culinary world, sushi chefs seem to have finally earned western respect thanks in part to the documentary Hiro Dreams of Sushi. Having cut sushi-grade fish before, there is nothing more terrifying than potentially ruining a $300 Ahi tuna loin with poor knife skills. This piece is a much more ‘macro’ view than others in the series. I wanted to highlight the craftsmanship from the customers perspective while sitting at the sushi bar itself. Fun fact- Michelin star chef Hiro Sone was my ‘hand model’ for this one.

Dishwasher 洗い場係 (Araiba-gakari) 2018

12x12 inches ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

My first job was in 1992 as a high school kid in Napa working at Rings restaurant washing dishes and prepping veg for the kitchen and banquets. My life-long obsession with the food industry started right there. The dish pit was hot and crazy with cussing flying all over the place in multiple languages-and I loved every second of it. The dishwashers are the engine of a kitchen. Without them everything-including the best restaurants in the world- would break down into mayhem and havoc. I believe that everyone should be conscripted into dish washing service for three months as it teaches humility, work ethic and sacrifice. I hope that this piece does them justice.

Waiter ウェイター (U~eitā) 2017

12x12 inch with ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

I think life as a server gets a bad rap. It can be a thankless job for sure, but man does it hone your interpersonal skills. I waited tables for a while at a small bistro in my hometown and I loved the customer interaction and how you get multiple chances every night to make someone’s day. This piece is set in Belden Place, San Francisco. It’s a bustling street crammed full of different cafes and bistros that might be the most ‘European’ dining experience in SF. I wanted to highlight this, so I set it on Bastille Day to amp up the party atmosphere. I can only imagine what it’s like to work a shift there on days like this…wear running shoes.

Pizza Chef ピザ職人 (Piza shokunin) 2017

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

The pizza oven is my favorite station in a kitchen. I love working with the dough and the fire- adjusting it with different sized wood to the perfect temperature. Working with the dough and all of the ingredients with your bare hands the oven taps into something primal. The cooks in this piece needed to be women. I always think of working the oven as a very masculine job with all the wood and flames. I wanted to show that women can work any station in the kitchen as good- or better- than men.

Food Truck キッチンカー (Kitchinkā) 2017

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

The food truck phenomenon is perfect for this time period. Put a bunch of food options in one area, each focusing on a specific cuisine, and count the cash. While my adopted city of Portland, OR has become synonymous with food truck culture, I chose to throw the subject back to to my roots. Tacos Chavez is the oldest registered food truck in Napa (1972) and has made a home around the corner from my parents house in the A-1 Market parking lot. They make ONE kind of taco: steamed beef tacos from beef head called Tacos de Cabeza. I grew up eating these and they are the gold standard from which I judge all tacos. Five Tacos de Cabeza and a Tamarind Jarritos please.

Winery ワイナリー (Wainarī) 2017

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

I grew up in wineries. My mom worked for one before changing careers and started building them instead. I spent many summer days as a kid wandering around winery job sites trying to figure out how they worked. I gained an appreciation and love for architecture during those summers that I try to put into my artwork. For this piece, the focus is on the details: the Oriental design of the corbels, the contrasting wood grains of the wine barrels and the building’s siding. To up the Shin-Hanga elements in the composition, I also added a textured night scene outside the barrel room doorway. Punch downs can be a beautiful thing.

Bartender バーテンダー (Batendā) 2017

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

Bartenders are an odd bunch. On one hand, they are like chefs in that they are creative, meticulous in their execution and quite ingredient-driven. On the other hand, they also need to be able to perform and interact with guests. This piece explores the ‘old school’ and ‘new school’ of styles of bartending: the buttoned-up classic bartender pouring stirred drinks juxtaposed by the ‘flair’ bartender with tattoos shaking cocktails. The liquor bottles in the background represent my favorites. Look closely- they are all real brands- I bet some of your favorites are in there too.

Kitchen Line シェフ・ド・パルテ (Shefu do paruti) 2017

12x12 inch with ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

Ah, the hot line. This is where things get personal. I have logged thousands of hours cooking, chopping, sweating and cursing as a line cook in my lifetime. Nothing gets my adrenaline going like a busy shift here in the weeds. Each of the characters in this scene depicts a personality type you find in almost every restaurant kitchen in the world: the quiet guy, the yeller, the brooder, the confident one. This piece is dedicated to all the people I have cooked with over the years and are part of my family. Embrace the suck.

Cake Shop ケーキ屋 (Kēki-ya) 2016

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

One of the few jobs I have never done in the food and beverage industry is baking. I flat out suck at it. I marvel at what people can make with such few ingredients. This piece was an opportunity to highlight pastry chefs and bakers as well as depict my love of traditional irezumi (入れ墨) tattoos. While tattoos have become mainstream, I feel that it is cooks, chefs and bartenders that helped make them more acceptable to 9:00-5:00 society. When most people see someone with a neck tattoo they wonder if they are an ex-con; I wonder if they are a line cook and might offer them a job.

Vineyard ブドウ園 (Budō-en) 2016

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

Growing up in the Napa Valley, I spent a lot of time in vineyards and even lived on one in Carneros. As a kid, you don’t really concern yourself with what varietals are planted there, if its schist or alluvium soil or what the yield per acre is; they are just fun as hell. I used to pretend that the vines were baseball stands and I would hit green walnuts into them. Nowadays I nerd out on vineyards. This is one of my favorites: Red Willow Vineyard in Yakima, Washington. Boasting some of the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon (1973) and Syrah (1986) vines in the state, it also has a stone chapel on top and the majestic Mt. Adams as a backdrop. Simply breathtaking...and so are the wines that come from it.

Fruit Stand 果実店 (Kajitsu-ten) 2016

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

This piece has Shin-Hanga fingerprints all over it. Hiroshi Yoshida was one of the great artists of the period. In 1975 his son Toshi Yoshida made a piece on life in Taxco, Mexico that has haunted me with its brilliance for almost twenty years. I felt that updating this piece for the series with a fruit stand in the foreground needed to happen.

Barista バリスタ (Barisuta) 2016

12x12 inch with ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

I believe I pulled my first espresso shots in 1994, but it wasn’t until I moved to Portland, Oregon that I really immersed myself into serious coffee culture. I love everything about being a barista: the rituals, the fanatical attention to detail, the fact that everyone from the grower to the roaster to the barista is doing everything that they can to make your drink perfect for your taste. The rise of Barista culture has directly led to the ‘maker culture’ that we enjoy today where striving for genuine products is everything. Fun fact- almost all of the barista tattoos in this piece are those of people that I have worked with. Suck it Folgers.

Pasta Makers パスタ厨房 (Pasuta chūbō) 2016

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

Growing up I spent a lot of time in the Depot restaurant that my godparents owned. It was an old school Italian place where everything was made by hand including their famed malfatti. I never thought I would choose to be a cook or a bartender- I actually studied to be a college art history professor. Thinking back, maybe it was all those hours in the kitchen watching and occasionally helping the old Italian ladies make ravioli and meat sauce that eventually led to this. Either way, this piece represents the people and the way food was made in my childhood.

Fish Market 魚市場 (Uoichiba) 2016

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

I think that Fishmongers have to be some of the hardest working people in the world. They get up at ungodly hours only to spend their time in freezing temperatures and wielding insanely sharp knives so that you can have a fresh filet of salmon for dinner tonight. These folks are hard-core. This piece was inspired by places like Tsukiji in Tokyo, Fulton in NYC and Pike Place in Seattle who keep the tradition of fishmongering alive.

Charcutier 豚肉店 (Butaniku-ten) 2015

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

This may sound strange, but my ‘death row’ style last meal would probably be a charcuterie board. I have dreams about fennel-flecked Finnocchiona, smoky Speck and velvety Prosciutto. Seriously. While working in delicatessens and specialty food stores for 25 years I have sliced an insane amount of charcuterie for customers and I still love to get behind the slicer. The model behind this piece was my good friend Jefferson who used to get more than a little annoyed when a customer would ask if he was slicing their Prosciutto thin enough. He would hold it up and say ‘I can see you through it; is that thin enough?’

Cheesemonger チーズ店 (Chīzu-ten) 2015

12x12 inch ink and pencil on wood block with wood burned lines

This is the piece that started the whole series. My first job as a cheesemonger started in 1995 and it changed my whole life. At the time I thought selling cheese was just a job to help pay my way through college; sure I loved it, but as a career? Fast forward 20+ years and you can still find me waxing on about Shropshire Blue and Epoisses with a smile on my face. It was in this piece where the Food and Beverage Series began: I think it started with ‘hmmm, I wonder how Hokusai or Hiroshige would have drawn a cheeseshop…’