The Woody Mug —Second Edition, crafted by well-known artist Woody Miller — who carved one of our giant tikis welcoming guests to Wilfred’s Lounge — has created a second mug just for us, a replica of his tiki carving which is a “mash-up of my own style, the Wilfred’s logo, and an old Barney West style.” Barney West is a legendary carver who lived and worked in the Bay Area in the 1960s, the golden age of midcentury Polynesian Pop. He had a famous roadside studio and shop called Tiki Junction.
These mugs are limited, handmade and hand-glazed by Woody. Only 100 were made. Comes with a Wilfred’s Lounge Coaster & Swizzle Stick Set.
This second edition is finished with aquamarine touches, reminiscent of wide open blue skies & waters, a companion to the first edition finished in fiery orange hues.
• Artist: Woody Miller
• Capacity: 20-ounces
• Dimensions: Approximately 3 1/4 ” wide, 7 1/5” tall
• Material: Ceramic, dishwasher & food safe
• Release year: 2023
“The ceramics I create are meant to be used, so fill it up with your favorite drink and enjoy the tropical vibes!” — Woody Miller
Please note: These Tiki mugs are hand painted and fired. Minor color variations are possible, and capacity may vary slightly.
About Woody Miller
Since his art school days in San Francisco, Woody Miller has weaved through many disciplines and creative styles to where he is today. Inspired by the carvings, rituals, and aesthetics of Pacific Island artwork and patterns, Woody creates ceramic vessels, carvings, and paintings honoring traditional tribal art with a modern, West Coast California infusion.
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH ARTIST WOODY MILLER
Q: How long was the creation process from concept to mug release party?
A: The creation took me a while. I wasn’t doing larger quantities of mugs at the time so it was probably 6-8 months of working before the mug was released.
Q: What inspired you in creating the mug design?
A: When I was thinking of what to carve for the giant tiki, I wanted to reference Barney West, a carver who lived and worked in the area in the 1960s. He had a roadside shop called Tiki Junction and provided many carvings for Trader Vic’s and other local Bay Area bars and restaurants at the time. So the tiki I carved — referred to as ‘Willy’ in our house — was inspired by one of Barney West’s designs. It seemed natural to base the mug on the carving, and my wife said “of course you need to make it lean like the carving!”
Q: Tell us about your artistic process.
A: Generally I have several ideas/sketches I use and lots of inspiration around when doing a design. Sometimes the client wants a specific idea, sometimes it’s a collaboration to come up with a mug design. Once the design is worked out, I sculpt the mug, then make molds, produce the mugs, and finally glaze them. It takes several months, sometimes a year, to complete. So it’s always a satisfying and fun time to do a mug release!
Q: Why did you choose the blue this time? Is there a name for the blue?
A: For the second glaze on this mug, I wanted something that matched colors that are seen around Wilfred’s Lounge, and this blue felt very integral to the feel of the bar. The river that runs alongside, the big blue skies, and of course the ocean that is evoked all throughout Wildfred’s! The first orange glaze seemed a fun homage to the fire, excitement, and the logo tiki, so for the second glaze I wanted to bring a different feeling.
Q: Tell us more about your original tiki carving.
There is no specific type of tiki this relates to, but more a mash-up of my own style, the Wilfred’s logo, and an old Barney West style. The other large tiki is a Ku, carved by Billy Crud and finished off by me, so I wanted a different type of carving for the other tiki. I feel the design works well as a mug and the curve adds a super fun dimension.
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