Inspiration

In my work and in my life, I’ve had the great fortune to meet some incredible people who are creating amazing things that continually inspire me. I wanted to highlight some of them in the hopes that you may be just as inspired as I am.

Marc Pagani Photography - many of the photographs on my site were taken by my dear friend Marc on Mt. Tamalpais, in Mill Valley and in Napa. Marc is a photographer, musician, educator, climber, and Ironman triathlete and has been creating award-winning photographic images since 1993.

Dos Serpientes Tequila - good friends of ours here in Mill Valley launched their tequila recently after several years of work to bring this to life. I’ve been inspired by their entrepreneurial vision and I meant every word of my endorsement on their website: “A complete labor of love. There is passion in every detail, from the design to the exquisite quality. I will always have a bottle (or more) on my shelf.”

Mark Wade - Mark Wade is an artist from the U.K. mostly known for hand-painting extraordinarily realistic 3-dimensional replicas of enlarged album covers. He recognized that a record cover acts like a time capsule, so takes the sleeve and enlarges it to capture that nostalgia into an enhanced and embellished unique piece of art. Mark rebuilds every meticulous detail, from the scuffed and creased edges, the ring wear and worn corners to the just visible paper inner sleeve, hand painted titles and catalogue number on the spine. I came across his work during the pandemic and worked closely with him to commission this work, one of my favorite Blue Note jazz album covers from the 1950’s, originally designed by the great American graphic designer and photographer Reid Miles.

Nick Shaw - a colleague of mine for whom I have deep respect, Nick wrote this book about the loss of his 9-year old son William, in a devastating ski accident during a family vacation in Big Sky, Montana. This is a heart-wrenching story of Nick’s quest to find meaning and make sense of this unimaginable tragedy. I’m inspired by Nick’s courage to vulnerably share his spiritual journey and the process of healing, staying connected to William and finding strength in his family. No parent can fathom this type of loss, but all parents should read this.

Adam Greener - I first came across Adam’s work in the summer of 2022 on a road trip to L.A. I was immediately struck by the work of an artist who boldy claimed his juvenile delinquency as a unique voice in the art world. His large-scale loose-leafs littered with doodles are seemingly torn from the notebook of a distracted grade-schooler. I knew immediately that I had to have one of his pieces and commissioned him to do this one-off version of “Obama Book Report” to fit this center space in our living room shelves. It brings me joy and a giggle every time I’m in this room.

  • Check out his work here: adamgreener.com

  • Buy his book “See Me After Class - A Spiral Bound Journey” here

Jud Bergeron - a San Francisco sculptor who’s work has been exhibited through out North America and Europe. Jud works in myriad styles and materials but generally gravitates towards permanent materials such as bronze, and stainless steel. He’s been awarded public art commissions in a number of cities around the country and his work has been in museum shows and included in many important private collections. I first met Jud many years ago through our mutual love of the indie band Guided by Voices - I bought a rare record of theirs from Jud online and we discovered we both lived in the Bay Area and have been friends ever since. And while he mainly creates incredibly cool sculptures like the one pictured here, I do own one of his two-dimensional works on paper.

Rue de Rêve Apéritifs - In Europe, to apéro is a lifestyle. Both something you do and something you drink. Special moments shared among friends. Perfect for sipping as your day transitions into evening, awakening your appetite for what's to come. Female-founded and produced in California, Rue de Rêve was sparked by two longtime friends - one of them a dear friend of mine here in Mill Valley - with a desire to bask in the beauty of a moment and enjoy the ritual of the apéritif experience: “we admire the romance of the Mediterranean, while embodying the spirit of California.” Rue de Rêve apéritifs are made with California wine, fruit and botanicals. They are delicately balanced, bright and a dream to drink. With a nod to the name and the base plant of ancient aromatized wine, all of the apéritifs include artemisia douglasiana, otherwise known as the "California Dream Plant."

A.J. Oishi - a self-taught painter specializing in abstract pointillism. Rooted in a fascination with color, geometry and the artistic process, Oishi’s work is created using paint on the eraser side of a #2 pencil.  By adding thousands of dots together and using specific color combinations, a meditative experience emerges.  The choice of a tool which is traditionally used to remove something is particularly poignant as the circular patterns created awaken a sense of awareness and moments of pause.  We are lucky enough to count A.J. as a friend of over 20 years and have this painting of hers proudly displayed in our home.