Flamingo Summer Window at our Divisadero Store

Hello, hello! This is Lexi (aka the lady always in the widow if you walk by the store often!) Technically we're in the final stretch of summer but it's San Francisco which means our sunshine time is just getting started! This past week has been especially hot in SF so I think it's perfect timing for this summer window post.

Last year was the first time I made a summer window for Rare Device. I made an assortment of Cactus Pinatas for the Noe Valley store (most of which now have forever-homes with a few very sweet customers!) This summer, I made two 5 ft tall flamingos as well as a few palm leaves for accents for our Divisadero store. I can't remember exactly what inspired the Flamingo theme, it's definitely an image that's seen fairly often, but I had a great time interpreting these birds in my own style. 

I started prepping for the window by making several flamingo drawings- some that ended up being fully rendered illustrations (I totally have a flamingo print at Rare Device now!)  This makes the process so much easier for me. Translating my illustrations into 3-Dimensional installation pieces is my go-to for window prep now. I've made at least 10 window installations for Rare Device, and the ones that came from my illustrations seem to be the most successful. 

I cut out the bodies of the flamingos from foam board and mod-podged watercolor paper on top so I had a really great toothy texture to paint on. The palms were essentially made the same way. I've developed a style that heavily focuses on color gradients, white line work, and pattern detail. Painting the details is my favorite!  

I really love how this window turned out and how supportive the whole Rare Device team is with my ideas! Also, I just launched my online shop (!!!) and if you're into my window work, you should check out some of my prints. 

Happy Summer, San Francisco!

Photos by Derek Macario and Lexi Martinez