Once again, the persistence of my procrastination astonishes me. Another two months has passed without a website update. I can't remember what I was doing in November, but December has been busy. I made an escape to California to gather with family for a couple days before we all then flew away to beloved Kauai. Everyone had a nice, warm week of Mele Kalikimaka and a great big refill of ALOHA.

I've never been one for making New Year's resolutions, but now that I've reached a certain milestone in my life, resolving to make some changes doesn't seem like such a bad idea. At the risk of sounding totally unoriginal, I think I'll focus on a healthier and more productive lifestyle. If I can remember to always stretch first, I think I can manage it.

​On the business end of things, I've got some plans and I've got some fantasies. Here's hoping I can bend some of the latter into the former category. I'll be starting the year with some new cards, t-shirts, and whatever else, featuring happy little scenes like the ones shown above. (Happy. Beach. Sun.) Fabric design will still be a major focus, because who knows, maybe this year someone will see the potential of MadTropic beachwear, and the wheels of industry may begin to turn.

So here's to hoping the new year brings happy little improvements or great waves of good fortune and that every heart be filled with aloha.

​Stay warm & be cool.

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since last spring! I guess I'm just that easily distracted. I goofed off most of the summer, waiting for new inspiration that never really came. But I'm back at my desk now, every day, working on some new designs and rethinking some old ideas. I'll be trying to work with a more limited or focused color palette and finding ways to maintain a more disciplined work plan. To begin this new effort, I created the new logo you see at the top of the page. It's lighter, breezier, and for me, evokes endless possibilities and wide open horizons. Also there's a beach and a wave, which just makes me happy. So watch this space for exciting new stuff, and as always...
​Stay Warm & Be Cool.

It's time for me to get back to the islands and find some inspiration for some new creations. I'll be exploring The Big Island, relaxing on Kauai and just soaking up that Aloha Spirit. Before I go, I've been trying to catch up on some neglected work.  I recently uploaded a few designs to the Redbubble shop - some new, some older, some refurbished & remodeled. I'll be adding to the Zazzle shop soon too. New fabrics will be available hopefully in about a month from my Spoonflower shop page. I'm feeling some really great things coming later this summer. Gotta go now. Gotta pack and catch that plane tomorrow. If you follow @TheMadTropic on Twitter you'll be seeing some photos of my travels over the next 2 weeks. Let me know if you have any creative design or Hawaii travel suggestions. Aloha & Mahalo!
Stay warm & be cool.

Ding dong, the winter's dead! It's officially SPRINGTIME here in the northern hemisphere and that means it's time to wake from my winter slumber and get some things moving again. Among the new stuff for the new season are a growing variety of leggings. Fun, colorful leggings for running, yoga, lounging, or whatever it is you do. The styles pictured above and more are now available at the MadTropic Zazzle shop. I'm beginning to upload many of the same designs to the MadTropic Redbubble shop too, but that's going slowly because I'm just that lazy. Among the other various items available on Redbubble are some nice phone cases for those of you who own an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy. Why not dress up that phone for summer? A little MadTropic color can always put you in that tropical island mood. 

Two months have already passed since the last Beach update. Time seems kind of meaningless, though, in the midst of a northern winter. I've been hibernating, fighting off (or coping with) the usual seasonal depression that usually sets in after the leaves are off the trees. Sleeping, playing video games, trying not to get too fat and generally just being lazy is how I'm passing time this year. I occasionally have an idea for a new design or pattern and play around with it for awhile, until the computer lures me away to some new podcast or game or twitter rabbit hole. I did actually manage to post some new things on Zazzle and Redbubble, and added a few more patterns to Spoonflower, so I guess I'm not a total loser. Anyway, as the days get longer and the unseasonably warm temperatures rise even further, I'll get a bit more serious about getting back to work. Until then, here's a peek at a few doodles, old and new, that I've been tinkering with.

   Do you call it 'gift wrap' or 'wrapping paper' ? I guess I always called it wrapping paper, but somehow I've started using the other term lately. "Gift wrap" just kind of sounds happier.
   Anyway, Did you know that all MadTropic designs on Spoonflower are available as wrapping paper? It's not just fabric, you know. They do wallpaper too. Maybe you don't need crazy, tropical wallpaper right now, or ever, but I'd bet there are going to be some gifts exchanging hands in the coming weeks that would look great if they were packaged in bright, bold MadTropic patterns. I've just added a bunch of wacky new designs to the menu there, so take a look when you've got a moment.
   Both wrapping paper and other colorful MadTropic gifts are available on the MadTropic Zazzle shop page, and more gifts at the Redbubble shop too. I've been pretty lazy about updating the inventory on the latter two, but rest assured, there is always new stuff washing ashore on all the little islands of the MadTropic. Just keep your eyes on the horizon.
   Stay warm and be cool!

I always have a list of things that I need to make or do to try to move this MadTropic thing forward. Usually when I try to focus on one, two or three more become evident and I get distracted or led down a path chasing a lesser priority. Trying to secure a foundation for the brand is like catching a cloud in a butterfly net. What is MadTropic??? Well, I finally sat down and focused on a simple little project - drawing an Aloha shirt template image. Now I have a nice little mannequin to display my pattern designs on and give them a real context. Just an hour of drawing, shaping, cutting and shifting on the computer screen and suddenly, I can see my vision so much more clearly. The dream of MadTropic has always been a future collection of Hawaiian shirts. Beyond that, other kinds of beachwear would be fun. Bikinis and boardshorts perhaps? For now I'll keep drawing little leaves and flowers & stuff, trying to put them all together in happy little patterns. Check out the MadTropic Spoonflower shop if you're interested in buying some fabric to make your own shirts or shorts. Gift wrap and wallpaper is also available. I'm glad I finally finished that little project. 
     Stay warm & be cool. 

  So I finally got the new website up and running. It looks nice and clean for the moment. I hope I don't clutter it up like I did the last one. I'll try not to. 
  After a very enjoyable Summer and a few nice opening weeks of Fall, it is high time I get back to some serious surface pattern design creation. Those MadTropic Aloha shirts aren't going to design themselves, you know. But lately I've had such a strong urge to fly off to Kauai for a week or two to scout around for inspiration and just generally get a big refill of Aloha. My tanks are almost empty and winter is just around the corner. Hmmm... Maybe I will. Just one dose of that sweet, sweet Hawaiian air and I could stay happy 'til springtime blooms again. I'll let you know.
  'Til next time, stay warm and be cool.