Sometimes when you don’t know what to do with life, you’ve gotta consult the tarot cards to guide you into your future. Other times, you just want them to justify you getting chips and guac and pizza. After all, it’s as the prophecy of the cards foretold. And that’s why we’ve been diggin’ the art of Sage Aune and her Artist Shop, “Sage Pizza”.
This new kid on the block has combined mysticism, the best of foods, and dank pop-culture nods in perfect harmony on her Instagram and in her Artist Shop. And with a unique style that brings to mind the work of artists like Tuesday Bassen, she’s well on her way to becoming a go-to name.
We talked to Sage about her designs, asked her our foodie future, and talked to her about getting started in the world of illustration and design. Check out what she had to say!
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Tell us a little bit about yourself! Where are you from? What do you do? What’s your favorite kind of pizza?
I am an illustrator and graphic designer from Phoenix, Arizona! And I used to work in a pizza place so I had to try all of them, naturally hehe.I literally can’t choose just one! If I could narrow them down, I would pick buffalo chicken, ham and pineapple, and just plain ole pepperoni :)
I read that you originally wanted to design greeting cards! When did you decide to get more into graphic design and apparel design?
I started making cards for friends and family for all occasions as soon as I could draw, so it became a dream of mine to make them for a living. It wasn’t until I discovered sites like Threadless where I could place my art onto products that I could see how fun it could be! I love seeing my designs come to life, especially when I see strangers from all over the world using them too! It’s an amazing feeling :)
What inspires your designs?
I’m inspired by simple things that bring me happiness every day, whether it’s iced coffee, old denim jackets, or Drake ;) I’m inspired by artists like Tuesday Bassen, Robin Eisenberg, and Wesley Bird to name a few. They kick ass at what they do and it’s so awesome to see how their art influences our generation.
I love your Artist Shop! What made you decide to open one?
I had heard of Threadless from time to time so I finally checked out the website and I was blown away by the amount of awesome artists on here! I love that there are constant design challenges too, which is great for getting you out of a creative rut and receiving feedback.
How long have you been selling your work on apparel and products, and how did you pick the designs to put in your Shop?
I only just started selling my art about a year and a half ago. It was a huge leap of faith because I had never displayed my art for strangers to see online! I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback I’d gotten after a few months of trying it out. It has motivated me to push my designs further and provided the
confidence I was lacking to show my work.
I love your tarot card designs! Have you ever gotten a tarot reading done?
Thank you! I’ve never done it and I am DYING to get one done. There’s so much speculation around having your future read to you because it could be a scary
thing! However, the more time I spend making these tarot cards, the more I want to do it.
Let’s say I pull a Beer, Pizza, and a Guac tarot card – what do those cards say about my life? What should I do?
Haha! I would say that you’re obviously rad and you should go treat yo’self toall three. Whether you want to have all at the same time is up to you! No judgement.
You’re so fresh into your design career and already have such a unique style! What are some of your art and design goals?
Thank you! Honestly it changes all the time. I would just be happy if I could live off of creating art that I love to make and never have to work a 9-5 job EVER again. It definitely took some trial and error to see what designs worked
on certain products for sure! I usually start by adding my designs on all of the products and analyze the mock-ups based on if it would be something I personally would use.
What’s your advice to fellow artists just breaking into the scene?
I would say don’t be afraid of criticism. That was the advice I was given when I started and that has stuck with me. I value what others suggest to me and take every opinion into consideration. At the end of the day, create whatever makes you happy. If you are passionate about what you do, success will follow :)
