Originally published on Apr 10, 2022

Postcards from California

[image of postcards]

This week Cypress is bringing you a way to say hello to your loved ones.

Receiving a postcard in the mail from a friend always sparks a warm sentimental feeling. It’s a cute gesture — a little bit of physical paper sent through the mail that, on its own, lets you know how much effort a loved one is willing to put in to say hello. It’s photo that feels like a wave from a far off place and says ‘I’m thinking of you.’ The written messages just add that little extra squeeze at the end of this posted hug.

[image of Nikon FM2]

I carry this 35mm film camera around with me on most of my road trips and travels. It’s a fully mechanical Nikon FM2 from the 80’s with a full metal body, metal gears, and a titanium shutter (aka: indestructible). I’ve put it through rain, snow, and sand and this thing is still putting out photos like it was just made. At some point, I figured something had to be done with some of my favorite film shots.

[image of Lightroom]

Digging through postcard bins at old bookstores and national park visitors’ centers is a habit that I picked up from a friend. And as much as I love to travel, I’ve found that finding a postcard in a small town and sending a hello to a friend is a more sentimental way of sending your thoughts than a quick text. So, simply, I figured it was time for Cypress to share that feeling with all of you.

This pack of 5 cards will be in the shop soon. It’s tentatively titled ‘the Pacific pack,’ implying that another round of 5 may drop shortly after that. But we’ll see how many of these get sent through the mail before I’m ready to see another set of images.

[image of back of postcard]

Featured work

https://theaestheticunion.com/shop/theoceanbreathes

In this issue, I want to share a print from a locally famous artist and shop in San Francisco. James Tucker opened The Aesthetic Union in 2013 and makes original art, broadsides, packaging for local businesses, and collaborations with other artists. But as good of an artist as he is, what I admire the most is his unrelenting pursuit of honesty in the craft and the print industry. You’ll see his passion immediately by flipping through their Instagram or his self published poetry. If you haven’t heard of their work or visited, it’s worth checking out.

Playing in the studio

https://open.spotify.com/track/5s1Wpa0fv4wQVpfsuwDEAC?si=fcdfa82563154511

Another classic to share, and this time bringing it back to the soft — but highly intricate — music from Swedish artist Kristian Matsson. Specifically, this album from The Tallest Man on Earth (and, really, the whole discography) is stuck on repeat for me after a trip up to the northern California Redwoods. After cold, rainy hikes among the unthinkably tall trees, it’s hard to want anything other than a warm blanket, a good book, and some calming music.

If you’re interested in commissions or collaborating on an original piece together, reply to this email and we’ll start the conversation!