With the release of the iPhone 4S in white we have received an overwhelming number of requests to bring back the Bamboo Bezel.  Its true, the bamboo bezel option looks much better than the black bezel on a white iPhone.  We always try to listen to what our customers are saying and do our best to fulfill their wishes.  

To commemorate the launch of the iPhone 4S we are bringing the bamboo bezel back at a special price starting at $69!  I do really think it looks great on the white iPhone.  I hope you do too! 

Tomorrow is the big announcement on the new iPhone(s).  We at Grove have been following the rumors for months.  Blogs such as TUAW and MacRumors are great for keeping up on the latest.  Unlike the iPhone4 which had the infamous Gizmodo leak (Apple engineer leaves a prototype at a bar), Apple has been able to keep their latest plans relatively leak-free, thus shrouding the latest iPhone release in mystery.  

Much of the confusion results from new case designs which have been popping up in China showing a slightly tapered tear drop design.  Some case makers feel confident enough about that direction that they have been manufacturing these cases for weeks, believing it to be the "iPhone 5".  However, there have been no reliable reports of any of these being made in the supply chain fueling theories that the next iPhone will be an "iPhone 4s" which is identical to the iPhone 4 on the outside but upgraded inside, similar to the iPhone 3/iPhone 3GS.  

Most media publications are going back and forth on whether it will be a completely new "iPhone 5" released or just an upgraded iPhone 4.  We at Grove are ready for either scenario to develop a new case as soon as possible.  By doing all the design/prototyping/production ourselves right here in our workshop in Portland, Oregon, we can be quicker and much more nimble than the big corporations to develop new products.  No need to fly to China. ;)  

Introducing Grove Bamboo Backs for MacBooks! Instantly break the ice when you open your MacBook's display with a personalized cutout that subtly but unmistakably transforms your MacBook's logo to one of Grove's growing collection of 40+ quirky icons.

We're pleased to introduce a new design from long-time collaborator Damion Silver (iPhone, iPad). We got a chance to ask Damion for a bit of insight into his process...

Please give us a brief bio and description of your background as an artist.

I grew up in Connecticut and got into skateboarding when I was around 11. I always drew as a kid, was always into art and music. I took Intro To Design in IA Class in high school and that kind of set my path, screen printing shirts and selling them at contests and such. I started showing work in the early 90's in cafes and galleries, lots of photo work initially followed by more paintings.

What medium do you prefer to work in?

My latest work is collage and assemblage based, lots of found objects, paper goods and such. I mix my character totem-esq drawings in along with other words and doodles. I have been bringing back these faces I have been drawing forever. They are like little meditations on people and places. The work is always changing and evolving. I really enjoy working with a mixed bag of things. Old paper, spray paint, ball point pens, photo copy transfers, acrylics, then using some technology too. Laser etching and digital prints.

What's in your artists toolkit

A band saw, table saw, compound miter saw, wood glue, all kinds of paint, lots of found wood and signs, silk screens, boxes of paper, wood carving knives. My favorite new tool is a blow torch. Experimenting with that now. It's fun.

What's your work space like?

My space is now in the basement of my house. My wife says its a "man cave" but I like "studio."

Two large tables, full wood shop, screen printing turntable, piles of wood and records, empty beer bottles and lots of pieces in the works.

Can you walk us through your typical work day?

During the week I do the nine to five as a Design Director so that's alot of meetings, drawings and problem solving. After nine I get in the studio and work for a few hours. On the weekend it's me kicking it with my kid, hitting up flea markets in the good weather and when he naps I get in the studio and work. I guess I'm constantly trying to create things with my kid, at work or in the studio.

Who are some of your influences?

Artistically, Rauschenberg has always amazed me. Early 90's (Adam) Cost and Revs in NYC, and Dondi White. His work is just timeless.

Personally it would be my grandfather. He was the most influential person in my life. He was not an artist or anything. Just a solid guy. I still try to rise up and be like him. Miss ya Gramps!

Does music influence your work? If so, what are some of your favorites?

Oh for sure. It feeds the creative process. I have been blindly buying records as of late. Some new good stuff I've been listening to has been Mahavishnu Orchestra, Buddy Miles and Santana, Richard Pryor, Shuggie Otis. Hendrix will always be at the top. It all depends on the mood. Some Classic BDP, Primus, Iron Maiden. Lots of new metal like Priestess, Witch, Electric Wizard. I'm all over the place musically.

What would your dream project be?

A big public installation using objects and iconography from the surrounding area for a park or maybe a museum courtyard. That would be a great project, leaving something behind that outlasts me.

Finally, what advice would you give to a young artist?

Stay the course, have fun, experiment. Don't let people tell you what your work needs to be like, just do what feels good. If you are looking to show work in galleries find spaces where you respect the artists they show and reach out to them.

Many of you have asked us when Mike Klay's popular design "two birds" will be available for our iPad 2 case, and the answer is now! His design has been a long time favorite on our bamboo iPhone 4 cases. The intricate branches look even better stretching across our leather iPad cover. Check out the short interview with Mike below and be sure to browse his other work at PowerSlideDesign.

Please give us a brief bio and description of your work.

I'm originally from San Jose, CA and currently reside in Seattle where it doesn't rain as often as people may think. I design and silk screen art prints and concert posters. My work consists of sleek patterns, rough textures and vector shapes without complicating things.  I also take on other freelance projects to keep things fresh.

What inspires you? 

The great outdoors.  Nothing gets the brain flowing more than open spaces with views.

What medium do you prefer to work in? 

I'm a vector man, Illustrator is my friend.  

What's in your artists toolkit?

A sketchbook, pencils, pens, a macbook & iMac, some emulsion, screens, ink & squeegees.

What's your work space like?

I print in my garage, pack tubes with prints in my basement, and draw everywhere else.

Can you walk us through your typical work day?

Not really.  Every day is different.  I do have a day job though, so that's pretty much the same Monday-Friday.

Who are some of your influences?

My fellow poster artists on gigposters.com.  Some of the most talented individuals creating art on the planet right now.

Does music influence your work? If so, what are some of your favorites?

As a seasoned concert poster artist, I usually ask myself just one question before starting on a design for a certain band. What does the music look like? If I follow this recipe, I usually end up creating something that works really well. 

Bloc Party w/Menomena (19" x 25" 3-Color Screenprint)

What piece/project are you most proud of and why?

It always ends up being my most current project or print.  I guess that's what keeps me going in a forward direction.

What would your dream project be?

Finishing my Music City series of prints.  4 out 12 completed.  After that, I can start thinking about something new.

"Electric Beat" from the Music City series (24" x 18" 2-Color Screenprint)

What's on the horizon?

Printing just got a little easier now that I bought a semi-automatic press.  Less trips to the massage therapist!

If you could have one super power, what would it be?

The ability to clone myself to do 2 things at once.

Finally, what advice would you give to a young artist?

Only create art if you're passionate about it.  Don't listen to anyone else, the only opinion that matters is your own.

   Apple products are so clean and shiny with perfect looking materials such as anodized aluminum and glass.  Pretty much when you take em out of the box for the first time they get damaged or scratched and we groan “arrrgggghh”.  They instantly degrade and slowly get worse and worse over time.  We buy cases for these products because we don’t want that to happen.  The Grove way of thinking is the total opposite where our products are made of natural imperfect materials and they are supposed to wear gracefully with time and get better, not worse!

Sven Palmowski has been part of Grove since the very beginning with his iconic design "birdland". Originally available on our bamboo iPhone cases, you can now decorate your iPad 2 with his design laser engraved into our magnetic leather cover. I've been following Sven's work for several years now after discovering his incredible t-shirt designs. He is one of the most prolific illustrators I know, make sure to checkout his full portfolio! Sven was kind enough to answer a quick interview, learn what inspires this ink master below.

Please give us a brief bio and description of your work?

I´m a German-born, Spain-based illustrator, I studied fine arts back in the nineties and I´m freelancing ever since. I would describe my work as linwework-based and a little bit Pop Surrealism-driven:)

What inspires you? 

Objects, old stuff, music, movies, even street art...

What medium do you prefer to work in? 

Pen, ink and Photoshop.

What's in your artists toolkit?

Pen, ink, Photoshop and coffee.

What's your work space like?

Pretty clean, bright and spacey, I´m not the messy kind of artist, actually I´m more the "bureaucratic" kind of artist.

Can you walk us through your typical work day?

Coffee, Pen, Ink, Photoshop, TV, bed.

Who are some of your influences?

Some German artists from the 1920s, George Grosz, Otto Dix, etc..., Dada, Francis Bacon maybe... some of the contemporary "Pop Surrealsm" illustrators...

Does music influence your work? If so, what are some of your favorites?

It does ...The Radio Dept, Andrew Bird, Crystal Castles, Dawes, Joy Division, Lykke Li, Modest Mouse, New Order, Sufjan Stevens, The Smiths, The Stranglers, etc, etc...

What piece/project are you most proud of and why?

While we are here at grove, "Birdland" is def. one of them.

What would your dream project be?

I´d like to do more Gig posters for bands I love...

What's on the horizon?

Summer! Sitting on a beach, on the horizon there are only a few boats and seagulls...

If you could have one super power, what would it be?

That is one popular question, haha:) 

...Being the "Questionator" of course...

Finally, what advice would you give to a young artist?

Does that mean I´m no longer being considered a young artist myself?

Haha, kidding, of course I´m not... 

Patience is important, I had to wait until I was 30 before I started to get real illustration jobs... so take it easy:)

Hooray! We are proud to announce that we shipped our first iPad 2 cases today right on schedule.  We've been working long and hard day and night to get these in your hands.  First ship day represents a "grand opening" of sorts if we were a brick and mortar store. 

I feel like a little kid again on these big ship days. Can't wait for you guys to see our newest creation! Thanks for being so patient and supporting artisan made products.  -Ken

Were really stoked about our fit system for our iPad 2 case.  Joe and I have been tinkering with iPad concepts for a year and kept an eye on what is out there and what people are looking for.  We found that there were many complaints about iPads falling out of some cases, mostly due to designs which rely on rubber corner pads.  I'm not sure but I'm suspecting the rubber compressed over time and no longer had the friction that it once had.  

We wanted to come up with a system that was A) foolproof: iPad would never ever fall out accidentally and B) easy to get in and out and C) looks good (ya know- thats how we roll). Now, its not as easy as you think to fulfill both criteria since they tend to counteract each other. Also, I don't like designs where you can see some kind of mechanism that holds your iPad in place- I'm more for "magical" (to borrow the word from Apple) systems where you cant really see how its done but its just done.  

After much trial and error we came up with an elegant solution which we call our "pressure fit design".  Basically it relies on compression but when the iPad is in the case its locked underneath a lip, meaning that it cannot fall out even if you "etch a sketch" it.  Hard to explain, best to watch the video!  By the way we do all the video work ourselves.  Joe made the video and I'm the hand model. DIY baby!  -Ken

We're excited to announce two new iPad 2 accessories to join our handcrafted bamboo iPhone4 cases. Our iPad 2 case merges a bamboo back and a customizable leather smart cover and is now available for pre-order. The cover is made of American vegetable tanned leather and incorporates magnets which automatically wake the iPad 2 when it is opened and puts it to sleep when closed. 

Panels of bamboo veneer give the leather cover structure and allow you to prop the iPad 2 up for typing or viewing. The cover has a soft Ultrasuede lining to help keep the iPad's screen clean and free of fingerprints. 

For added style, we offer laser engraving on the case's leather cover. You can select from a constantly expanding artist series featuring fresh and original artwork from around the world, or get hands-on and upload your own custom art. We'll also be offering a lighter natural leather color which will have great contrast when engraved allowing you to upload even black and white photos. 

Here at Grove, we're stoked about our new product and are sweating the smallest of details. We want to blow your mind with the quality and design of our new iPad 2 case. 

Checkout this sick character-creator iPhone App from Grove artist Add Fuel to the Fire. Mix and match the top/middle/bottom parts to create your own creature. Share your creation on the Grove Facebook wall and the creature with the most likes by February 15th 5PM PST will win Diogo's "Flipside" bamboo iPhone4 case.

"PLANET FIRE allows you to create, save and share images with the artwork of Diogo Machado (add fuel to the fire), whilst rocking to the beats of Dj Ride. All this thanks to the magical development skills of André Assalino." <<< Click to download >>>

We just received our copy of Graphics Alive 2 here at Grove HQ and are stoked that our product is a featured project! Graphics Alive is a diverse collection of design projects ranging from iphone cases to architecture. They featured Grove artist Flavio Melchiorre's, case design. Checkout more information about Flavio and his design here. We're honored to be a part of this wonderfully curated collection. 

More about Graphics Alive 2: "Graphics envelope us as we go about our daily lives and act almost as a living medium through which we define and extend our personas. From the clothes we wear to the walls we sleep within to the accessories and household items we use, graphics are adaptable elements that are fully integrated with our lives, Graphics Alive urges the reader to ponder this omnipresence of graphics around us.
From big to small this book surveys a wide spectrum of projects encompassing all design discipline.
Contributors include: Chillichilly, eBoy, fuseproject, House Industries, Jeremyville, Klaus Happaniemi, Naughtyfish, Rinzen, Viagrafik, Zedz and many more."

- Joe

We'd like to thank everyone for their patience and support this year! We've done our best to reduce lead times while constantly improving the quality of our product. As we are no longer guaranteeing new case orders in time for Christmas, we'd like to offer a special gift with all gift card purchases. We designed a bamboo holiday card which transforms into a 3D ornament to place on your desk or mantle. Checkout the stop motion animation we made below! 

Happy Holidays! 

-Joe

Thank you to everyone who braved the rain to support us at our open house!  We had a great turnout and I feel it was a smashing success.  

It was really great meeting our fans and answering whatever questions they may have.  Many people were mesmerized by the laser demo.  Every now and then, even I will stop and think... the laser is so freaking cool!

Looked like people of all ages were enjoying the show!

Makes me feel fortunate that we have enough supporters (you guys) to keep us all employed, having fun making your stuff.  Cant wait for the next one!

-Ken

Come meet the Grove Team at our semi-annual open house. We will have product on display, exciting new collaborations, prizes and promotions, lots of pictures and videos, and free beer! The rest of the building is full of artists and designers too so its always been a fun event overall. Hope to see ya there!   -Ken