Local Designer Makes Cards Inspired by Native Hawaiian Plants and Animals

Nature-inspired stationery from local designer Laurie Sumiye Studio.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF Laurie Sumiye

Cut, cut, cut. We hate to act out, but this scene needs some real work and you’re missing all your cues—when it comes to stationery, that is. Sad, generic greeting cards? Dates and appointments hastily scrawled on cocktail napkins? You need to spruce up your supporting cast of paper goods, STAT. Luckily, we’re here to redirect this production toward something stylish and useful that will really make the lights go on.

Enter Laurie Sumiye Studio, a small-business and design project from the eponymous documentary filmmaker. Sumiye’s started calling the shots from behind the camera, creating films about Native Hawaiian species and working with conservationists and scientists. What started off as an animation project for a piece turned into a series of Hawaiian bird illustrations, which Sumiye collected into a handy calendar. From there came her card sets, and now Sumiye even stocks totes, pillows and clothing decorated with her charming drawings of Hawaiian birds, flowers and trees.

Her latest piece? A 2017 calendar, launched this month at Red Pineapple. Sumiye looked seaward for her inspiration for this marine-animal-themed piece, which features her illustrations of vibrant fish, turtles, whales, monk seals and more. Sumiye’s timed this premiere to coincide with the Bishop Museum’s Northwest Hawaiian Islands exhibit, which will open in August. Look for her illustrations on cards and T-shirts at the museum’s Shop Pacifica, one of Sumiye’s first-ever retailers.

We have a feeling they’re going to make a great showing.