The evening started with hors d’œuvres  in the Bumble and Bumble building, saying hello to a friend who works as a designer there, and then sitting down for a fun and entertaining talk by the uber-talented husband-and-wife duo, Jason Fulford and Tamara Shopsin.

They shared a hilarious sampling of things that catch their interest ~ a metal pipe and a copper block that involved a bit of quantum physics, and the big eyebrows on potato chip owls. Everyone in the audience each got a colorful goodie bag, mine had a train whistle, Shawn got a bizarre plastic spinning whistle. “Toot on your whistle if you have a question,” we were told.

A few memorable things about how they work ~ while they help each other out with projects and are obviously very much influenced by one another, their work remains independent of the other. Tamara Shopsin is a full-time illustrator, contributing regularly to the print publications like the Canadian magazine The Walrus, and to columns in the New York Times. And she also churns out some really cool screenprint and letterpress cards and illustrated books. Jason Fulford is the J in J&L Books, juggling editorial and administrative tasks, while also being a globe-trotting freelance photographer whose work has appeared in advertising campaigns, book covers, magazines, and galleries.

On the days when they are both at home working, they put two quarters beside them, one on each of their tables. Each quarter is painted red on one side, green on the other. Green for yes I can listen and talk, and red for quiet please. I think I should make myself a pair of these for Shawn and I, apparently I can get quite chatty.

November 7th, 2007