Summer Glow

Gouache is an opaque, water-based paint that combines the fluidity of watercolor with the boldness of acrylic or oil paint. It consists of pigment, water, and a binding agent (usually gum arabic), with added chalk or white pigment to enhance its opacity. Gouache is popular among illustrators, designers, and fine artists for its rich color payoff, ease of use, and adaptability across different styles and techniques. Rotofugi Designer Toy Store & Gallery, established in July 2004, is located on the border of Chicago's Lincoln Park and Lakeview neighborhoods in a beautiful vintage building. Since opening, Rotofugi has grown to become one of the world's premier sellers of designer toys from artists all over the world. Rotofugi features a diverse selection of vinyl figures, capsule toys, plush and more from both eastern and western designers. The adjoining Rotofugi Gallery features monthly art exhibits by a range of both local and nationally known artists. Beginning in late 2007 Rotofugi partnered with Chicago based product development specialist Squibbles Ink to begin producing artist-designed figures by the talented designers located in their home town. Click here for more information on Squibbles Ink + Rotofugi projects. Rotofugi is owned and operated by husband and wife duo Kirby and Whitney Kerr. You can find the couple in and around the store on most days. They love to talk about toys and art. Born in Portland, Oregon, Jesse LeDoux worked for many years as an art director for Seattle-based Sub Pop Records where he created iconic album and poster artwork for such artists as the Shins ('Best album packaging' Grammy nominee for Chutes Too Narrow), Iron and Wine and Death Cab for Cutie before leaving in 2004 to focus on his client-based and personal work at LeDouxville. Parallel to working on commercial illustration and collaborative projects for such clients as Nike, Kidrobot, Giro, Penguin UK, Rome Snowboards and Target, he has exhibited internationally. His work was included in the Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial (2007) and an installation at the University of Maryland (2008). A large-scale mural of his work can currently be seen in downtown Denver, Colorado. He currently lives and works in Seattle, WA. Use of liquid ink as a material to create art, typically by applying it to a surface like paper with a pen or brush, allowing artists to produce drawings, paintings, or calligraphy by utilizing its fluidity and color properties to form images or text; essentially, it's a versatile tool for creating artwork through the application of colored liquid