The 16oz. Canvas - The Art of Craft Beer

As we start to open to the idea of getting back to normal this year it makes me think of all of my favorite places and Chicago is near the top of the list. It’s a city that makes me smile realizing I have only scratched the surface. And for me Pipeworks is one of the beers that remind me of those adventures. We catch up with the man who brought Ninja v Unicorn to life to learn what he has been up to stay together during all of this time with his family, the band he is playing in and some of his most recent projects. The man with the beard is a genuine good dude who is appreciative of all he has and the work that he is doing in following that dream. Jason is good people and I think you will enjoy our catch up and learning what’s next for Ink and Lead Designs. I can’t wait to get back to hanging with friends and beers in 3D!! Sooner than later, that’s for sure. Be safe.

For this Episode we literally go back to where it all started and the man himself, Dan Blakeslee. Dan is responsible for two of the most iconic labels in craft beer and some of the early inspirations for the podcast and project - The Alchemist's Heady Topper and Focal Banger. Dan has been an active part of our evolution and growth and it means a lot to us. From Episode 1 to appearing at two of our events. Summer ’17 at Kehler Liddell Gallery in New Haven, CT and Hubbub in Bridgton Maine. Not only is he a great artist and human, he’s a storyteller and musician. He performed at both events and even brings some music to this episode. He’s one of the good guys and a beautiful soul. Dan recently lost his brother and we want to dedicate this episode to him and his memory. I wish I could have given him a hug and let him know he’s in our hearts. A great episode that puts it all in perspective to see how far we have come together.

We catch up with the machine David Paul Seymour who was part of our first 4 pack going all the way back to Episode 2. David’s labels are a key part of the amazing beer and brewery that is Burial - who’s got some of the Skillet Donut for me?! So good. From the beginning this episode has resonated with me because of his story and career path from Accountant to Rock Posters and Labels. He did what he loved and through support of family took his shot and here we are today. It is one of the stories about the journey and passion that has resonated with me since day 1. The man loves music and is doing what he loves on the daily with bands and beer. His project Planet of Doom is getting closer to the finish line and I couldn’t be more excited for him and the team. It is a true example of hard work and creating something literally from nothing. I look forward to Planet Doom Fest in the future. This episodes are a great way to catch up with these individuals who have impacted my life and made me believe in something that wasn’t real and just an idea. The story of DPS is one that I mention a lot when talking with others both on and off the pod and I know it inspires many to go for their passion. Nothing is guaranteed but you also can’t live life full of regrets. Check this episode and all of Season 16 on YouTube. Like subscribe and share or whatever else is possible. Be safe.

This week’s episode features Daniel Birch and Earl Barrett Holloway. Dan works for Barrier Brewing and Earl with KCBC and they are big supporters of each other which I love. Each of them have their own unique style and are key to the branding of their respective breweries which is awesome. We have had the opportunity to hang together on a few occasions and were even featured on the other side of the mic from Heritage Radio Network. This episode is a virtual hang and a lot of fun. We shared the stage and support each other while catching up and checking in on each other’s sanity and how we are all coping with this. The dynamic was as close as we could get to hanging out but was genuine and real and felt normal. Learning about each other’s schedules and projects as well as a little discussion on things we want to do in the future.

Mr. Matthew Ryan Sharp is good people. We connected over hard work and passion a few years back and have stayed in contact and he might even call me his friend. His style and attention to detail amazes me and knowing how focused he is on it all being hand-drawn and aligned with his vision makes them even more impressive. I had the pleasure of hanging in Cincy at Rhinegeist with him and @warnick back in 2019 which seems like years ago. We ate (one of the best chicken sandwiches!!), drank and laughed. It was magical. A little over a year ago a horrific accident included lightning striking his home and causing it to burn down and lose so much of his work and possessions. Thankfully no one was hurt physically but the rebuilding process is ongoing and something that we talked about in the episode. He’s honest and genuine and a huge supporter of mine. On the surface, you may judge him since he is tattoed from ass to elbow, but please don’t. He’s a kind and genuine soul who loves his family and friends. Enjoy this episode and get to know what my friend is all about. Don’t forget to like and subscribe on Youtube. That’s what all the kids say so I am working that pitch into our commentary.

This week's episode features artist and designer Sarah Hedlund who works for Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. We catch up with her and life at the brewery during the pandemic. She shares how they learned some things and made changes to process and events for the future, finding a positive during a tough time. We talk about the virtual phenomenon that was her RBG VOTE graphic that was everywhere. It was a fantastic thing to see from the outside so getting the inside story was exciting. This episode is an upbeat and positive conversation that is honest and relatable for so many of us.

This week's featured guest is one of our long time friends of the podcast, Dean McKeever. It was great to catch up with Dean on the podcast and update everyone on Keever Glass and the plans for the future. Keever has become a household name with the labels he has done for Tree House and Vitamin Sea, but there is also Batter Steele and several others. Dean is good people and passionate about their craft and creating his own style and spot in the hypercompetitive space that is craft beer. I would argue that Keever is pretty close to a household name for the craft beer world.

Episode Sponsored by ATHLETIC BREWING CO. “BREW WITHOUT COMPROMISE” www.athleticbrewing.com 25% OFF your 1st Order Use CODE: CANVAS25 Follow IG: @16ozCanvas Twitter: @16ozCanvas Website: 16ozCanvas.com JESS GRAHAM Original Episode - Episode 7 - https://www.16ozcanvas.com/podcasts/episode-7-jess-g WEBSITE: http://www.jessgrahamstudio.com/ INSTAGRAM: @ jgstudiovt | @jessgrahamvt Crystal Stokes Website: www.crystalsart.com Instagram: illuminatedminds / cstokes_by_design The Alchemist WEBSITE: www.alchemistbeer.com INSTAGRAM: @alch3mistb33r

This week's featured artist is Craig Gilbert of New England Brewing Co. Craig is a great man and friend of the podcast from the jump. We have featured his work at both of our CT events too. He is a staple of the #CTBeer scene and hanging in 3D has been missed during all of this. This season we go back to the beginning of the project and catch up with some of our earliest supporters and guests. Craig and I reminisce about our in person interviews, the growth of NEBCO and just laugh and catch up. It has been too long and sharing his smiling face with everyone via our video recording for YouTube is another way this season is special for me and so many of us.

This week’s featured artist is photographer and all around good human, Melissa Jones. She is the eye and vision behind 'Beauty of the Beer' one of the great perspectives and celebrations of beer and the experience that brings us all together. I met her a few years back and am glad to call her a friend. I have long been a fan of her work and the moments she captures with it. Her photos allows you to feel like you are there in the moment without telling you the story and allow you to escape and wonder what your adventure would be in that moment. We need those moments or escapes now more than ever and if you haven’t had a chance to follow along with her adventures and stories you are in for an experience. Melissa has a way to record an experience and moment without you ever knowing she took the photo. Then when she shares her photos you hope that she captured you in a candid moment or flipping off the camera with her hand model @barrelagedbeerd This is our last episode of 2020 as we prepare for a special Season 16 and is a perfect way to end the crazy year. Lets enjoy the time we have together despite it not being how we remember it. This is a unique chapter in the story but one that we will discuss, laugh and even cry about at times. Melissa’s photos and stories allow us to remember the laughs and smiles of the past with fondness as we plot and scheme for that first ‘normal’ gathering with friends sharing the beauty of beer together.

Going way back with this one. Kent Ambler was a planned guest for Season 6 so we are very excited that we were able to connect with him from his home in Greenville, SC to close the circle and celebrate his unique story and passion. We came to learn of him and his work through a few one off labels he created for Blackberry Farm Brewery and have been following his adventures and creativity for the last couple of years. His story is one of hard work and finding his calling to his craft of wood carving in class and falling in love with it and being really good at it from the start. We talk about how he got his work into galleries, the internet before it was useful and where his everything will kill you series originated. It is a celebration of a career and passion that is inspiring and beautiful to hear. I also learned that woodcutting and this labor of love is the secret to capitalism and getting rich. As we enter the holiday weekend please take a moment to recognize all of those people in your life that you are thankful for and let them know. Everyone of you that has liked a post, sent a message or listened to the podcast has made me a better human and grateful for this community. The idea of this project was born around this time four years ago and here we are with some amazing guests, friends and events that have allowed us to celebrate hard work, creativity and being true to your self. THANK YOU ALL.

This week’s featured artist is BEEB. We came to learn of his work through the labels he has created for up and coming DTW Brewery, Smittox Brewing Co. The initial goal was for @habibeaux to be featured on Season 11 but things worked out great for us to connect now and hear what he has been up to during that time. A creative in all aspects of his life and family. Music, art, design, beer, life and even fonts are a part of the conversation. A man who continues to evolve and challenge himself while building on his previous experiences and collaboration. @gpubco is a great example of that, a consortium that brings together and supports artists with a mix hip hop funk and soul. It’s a joy to see the passion and appreciation for his hustle as well as those in his universe and who have impacted his journey. Check out this episode and make sure to support Beeb and the Guerrilla Publishing Company. That website is a thing of beauty too.

We are proud to announce this week is the multi-talented creative Julia Green. We came to learn of Julia and her work through the labels she has done for Equilibrium. Now life happens and there have been a handful of guests that we have had slated for previous seasons and for whatever reason we are unable to get the interview locked down. These artists are on a list and I try and reestablish connections whenever possible, so when these come together it brings me extra joy. This episode is a great adventure and insight into hard work, realizing what you want and the importance of community. Julia’s story is honest, funny and makes you think. It resonated with me and was very natural and relaxed. Conversations like this reinforce what we have built together here as the #16ozCanvas community and give me all the feels during a time of such distancing and disconnect from everyone. Excited to celebrate Julia, her music, art and much more with Episode 173. It goes live on Friday!!

This week’s featured artist is Neale Playing. We came to learn of his work through his good friend and previous guest Darryl De Necker of Beerbliotek.Neal is responsible for the labels and branding for Stigbergets Bryggeri in Gothenburg, Sweden. Episodes like this are great opportunities to connect with creative and passionate individuals around the world. These episodes are special to me because of the reach of the project. When we look at the globe it is joyful to think that we have friends and hosts to show us their home and country all through this podcast. His story is one of adventure, passion and growth. Through love and inquiry he now calls Sweden his home. We talk about him speaking the language, how he ended up working for the brewery and how his style and process has evolved over the years sprinkled in with a little in the right place at the right time. Nature and birds are a common theme in his work and one of the things that drew me to his pieces not to mention the simple yet versatile circle logo, which is part of our discussion. Take this opportunity to learn about a new brewery and artist from another part of the world and appreciate the joy of the human spirit and discovery.

This week’s featured artist is the talented Jeremy Backer. We came to learn of JB through the work that he has done for Ex Novo Brewing Co. and his unique textile like patterns that are vivid, creative and seamlessly unique. His love of music to snowboarding scratched an itch that had but he never thought that anyone made the things that he loved and was part of his story. He explored his options working different gigs in breweries and cooking and ended up going back to school and diving head first into design and beer. When you look at his site and his clients, he brings together all of his loves and brings their business and brands to life. How he ended up working with Ex Novo is a great story of seeing a good thing despite initially trading beer for design work and almost six years later he is still with them. A great feel good story and appreciation for life, design and beer. I’ve been a fan of his work for some time and am excited to share this with everyone. Be safe. Wear a mask.

This week’s featured artists is Kevin Dyer. We came to learn of Kevin for the work he has done for Black is Beautiful and Weathered Souls Brewing Co in San Antonio, Texas.⁣ ⁣ Black is Beautiful is a collaborative effort to raise awareness for the injustice people of color face daily and raise funds for police brutality reform and legal defenses for those who have been wronged. The labels and design were created by Kevin in collaboration with Marcus J. Baskerville of Weathered Souls Brewing and the beer has been produced by over 1000 breweries in the US which is amazing.⁣ ⁣ Learn Kevin’s story, his connection to the Yankees and his love of painting. In posting about his painting the goal is to get him back doing it so we will see what comes of it. An easy-going laid back designer whose story of teaming up with Weathered Souls is awesome. Now almost 80+ labels later he is busier than ever which is just awesome to see. ⁣ ⁣ We celebrate diversity and inclusion especially in craft beer. We believe that Black is Beautiful has helped to start the conversation for a lot of people by using beer to tell a story and bring people together to share it. ⁣

This week’s featured artist is Brian Steely. We came to learn of Brian through our love of live music and the incredible concert posters he has made for bands like Phish, Mumford and Sons and Widespread Panic. When we learned that he was doing labels and there were for a local CT Brewery, Nod Hill we were beyond excited. Interviews like this are easy because we both had so much in common that we could have spoken for hours. Brian and I had a lot in common and it felt like we had known each other from seeing each other at different shows of our favorite bands. On top of that his story and how he got started working with Panic is pretty epic for a variety of reasons but I won’t spoil the surprise for you yet. Music, beer, buds and bud make up his impressive portfolio and it’s clear to see why people love working with him. As part of that journey and exploration Brian has developed a style that is truly his own and unique, a monoline style that draws inspiration from hieroglyphics to give it a timeless feel with a modern interpretation. Doing more with less in a sense. We talk about folks using his work for tattoos, how he gets his clients, what it was like working with Phish (guilty here as I love that band and hearing about their process) and his appreciation for a good beer. This episode would have been perfectly framed in person both of us on a couch listening to a little Cornell ’77 or maybe my favorite Eyes from Without a Net. He has seen Panic way more than me and I have seen Phish more too, but it all made for an unspoken brotherhood in our love for music. While music is the soundtrack for him and his studio, he takes great pride in his craft and his ability to make each brand and project unique despite not depending on fancy tricks or extra layers. We discover his love of nature and animals and how they consistently appear in his works, which I love. From Minerva to Owls to Eagles and beyond the power of his work has a wonderful ability to do so much with so little, not to mention his comfort with empty space and framing of his work. All and all a great episode. We also talk about another CT Brewery, Hanging Hills and the work that he did with their relaunch and rebrand as well as Mocama too and their new labels. He’s a busy dude and we can’t wait to share this one with all of you.

This week’s featured artist is Heinous. We came to learn of him and his work through our good friend and 16oz Canvas alum, Beer Zombies. This episode is an example of hustle, appreciation and going for it during these tough times. A fellow Philly sports fan, we connected on numerous levels and not just the pain and agony that is the state of our favorite sports team. Through unexpected means he has found a niche in creating work for fans, custom pieces and an impressive list of brewery labels. This former touring musician became a wrestler and now has found his sweet spot as an artist. I have huge admiration for him and see a lot in common as he does whatever it takes to provide for his family and takes nothing for granted with this opportunity to bring people’s brands and visions to life with his work. A great episode of hard work and growth sprinkled in with wrestling and inspiration that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.

This week’s featured artist is S.Y. Espinal. We came to learn of her creativity and calling through the label collaboration with Bronx Brewery. When breweries promote and celebrate art and people it creates a positive experience that resonates with me and makes me want to learn more about all parties. We caught SYE on an IG Live with the brewery and knew that she would make a great guest. The episode is a great honest reflection of self and how we live our lives. We don’t have all the answers and putting ourselves out there as artists can be a lot for many. Her story is inspiring, honest and real. This project is really a catalyst to promote and support amazing humans from all around the world and tell their story. Each guest controls the narrative and allows it to go in a multitude of directions, so when someone like SYE opens themselves up as she does with her story and her art it is an opportunity to have a shared experience and perspective. With pride, she has built a community of folks who support each other and have added an additional layer to her message. Doing what’s right and being a good person is part of the universe that she is sharing with all of us. Her passion and fight is strong. It includes compiling a list of black-owned restaurants and industry location in the 5 Boroughs (over 250+) to support as a dynamic living public document is just one example. I felt an energy and don’t take the connections and perspective for granted. In a time that can be so draining and taxing on all of us (myself at times x 100), it is great and welcome to have genuine connections with strangers and share a moment. Almost all of the guests on the podcast are people I have never spoken to in person. Each interaction other than a short warm-up and a few emails is a shared moment of sharing, listening and learning. I look forward to sharing it with all of you.