The Hollywood Bowl might be one in every of my favourite locations in Los Angeles – music, nature, creativity swirling within the open air underneath the celebs – who wouldn’t adore it?! You possibly can think about how over the moon I used to be when the Hollywood Bowl requested me to design the merch for the 2023 Jazz Pageant!!! This was a dream collaboration. I used to be so impressed that I instantly began sketching with a black sharpie. Regardless that I by no means shrink back from coloration, I wished to first conceptualize the designs in black and white to see what I used to be drawn to graphically. I wished to incorporate components that represented the music, the artists, the viewers, and LA iconography to provide the designs a way of place. Listed here are a few of my preliminary sketches.
We finally went with these (beneath) and added different components and many enjoyable, shiny coloration to make the designs pop! My designs had been impressed by the free-form, improvisational, nature of jazz music and pure components that symbolize Los Angeles and the Hollywood Bowl – together with palm timber, sunshine, seashells and stars. I wished the artwork to signify not solely the music and the musicians, but additionally the group. The dots pouring out from the Hollywood Bowl shell signify the viewers. The decision and response between the viewers and the musicians explodes in a magical show. The hand-drawn lettering, geometric shapes and spirals recall the Artwork Deco model prevalent through the rise of jazz. And the funky, enjoyable, good vibes that exudes from the artwork – nicely, that’s the “Justina spice” that I can’t assist however sprinkle into all that I do! I hope it makes you need to dance!
The group on the Hollywood Bowl (shout out to Janice Bartczak and Melissa Achten!!) – very similar to our group at Jungalow – is small however mighty. It was so cool to work with a group as nimble as ours and iterate on the designs as we went alongside. Janice and Melissa even got here to the Jungalow Pop Up launch get together (extra on that within the subsequent weblog submit!) and invited us to the Jazz Pageant a few days later. So grateful to domesticate extra inventive group!
It was such a visit to see so many lovely folks strolling round with the merch on! It felt like artwork and creativity had been connecting us all to 1 one other. The Hollywood Bowl group additionally had the sensible thought so as to add BUCKET HATS to the merch line up! How freaking cute are they?!?! P.S. They offered out in 4 hours!!! 
It was so surreal to see my designs IRL at an iconic Los Angeles landmark. Nonetheless floating on a cloud from the entire expertise!!!
Thanks SO a lot to the Hollywood Bowl for this chance and for having me and my fam at this 12 months’s Jazz Pageant! Take a look at the entire assortment right here.
