The World of Matte Stephens

Heavily influenced by mid-century design (with a self-professed love of Charles and Ray Eames), it's easy to spot a painting by Portland, Oregon artist Matte Stephens. The muted colors. The cats in ties. The men with pipes. And the umbrellas. Lots of umbrellas. I've been a fan of Matte's blog for a few years now, and I eagerly await each new addition he makes to his stylized and whimsical world. What's more, I've enjoyed watching his work seep out into popular culture (most recently, in the background of ABC's Modern Family). Poke around on his site or his Flickr photostream. His work is also available for purchase here.