Central & Gus
JR de la Paz Stone Crab Portrait Study
JR de la Paz Stone Crab Portrait Study
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JR de la Paz Stone Crab spent the day before the game harvesting and macerating coastal indigo, making a bright salmon-pink paste, which would surely be visible even to those in the nosebleed seats. Carefully emblazoning the number 21 on his shell, he waited a few minutes for it to dry before tucking himself into bed early, knowing full well his excitement would impede sleep anyway.
Soon enough, the sun was up. Junior eagerly scurried onto the field, ready to play. "Baseball is beautiful” he thought, "Governed not by a clock, it perfectly encapsulates the idea of an August afternoon, boundless and languid. Yet, at the same time, it so eloquently mirrors the pushes and pulls of society”.
Two outs into the seventh inning, a booming crack reverberates through the bleachers, delivering the ball well beyond the field and halfway into the neighbouring village, finally leaving a good solid ding in the chocolate-coloured Alcan of the third house beyond Waveland Avenue. The crowd went silent in awe. At that moment, for that batter, who was only even standing in that box by pure love of the game and a rather large miracle, everything was awash with the notion of freedom and possibility. The team stood stunned.
JR, eyes still gazing yonder, realized that this, this is what baseball is about. Not the jersey; not the score; not even the kids on the corner, mitts out, hoping to catch the fly. It is about simply steping up to the plate.
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Portrait Study, 8x10”, 9x12”, or 11x14" in protective cello. Each Portrait Study is accompanied by a whimsical tale of the animal featured. Entirely collectible, the stories intertwine, creating a much-loved community of characters. We print on a luxurious 318 gsm, 100% cotton paper. Soft and durable, this paper showcases crisp detail and vibrant colour.
We donate a portion of gross sales to animal welfare.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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They are — and that's one of the things that makes Central & Gus so unique. Every character lives in the same universe. They know each other, reference each other, cross paths at the switchboard, in the woods, at the patisserie, on the road. Collecting them is a little like reading a novel one chapter at a time — except each chapter fits on your wall or popped in the post for a stamp to someone you love.
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We spent a long time on this. Every Central & Gus illustration is hand-drawn in pencil — and so we are eternally inspired by the classic #2, enrobed in that particular shade of yellow. For that, we call it Ticonderoga Harvest. Studies on colour and emotion find that people associate this shade with joy — which felt exactly right. It also nods, quietly, to our farm roots, everything that grows out of the land, and also to a less tangible but just as important creative harvest. The envelope is not an afterthought. It is part of the story.
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They are extraordinary gifts — and we say that not as a boast but as something we hear constantly from our retail partners and customers. A Central & Gus card is not a card you send and forget. It is a card the recipient reads, re-reads, frames, or keeps in a drawer to return to. The story on the back transforms it from a greeting into a small, meaningful object. We have heard from one customer who had special date-day trips with his young daughter, each time choosing one special card for her coveted collection. The goldenrod envelope alone tends to stop people in their tracks. Another, a fiance purchased the entire set for his partner, a reminder of a day they spotted them in a shop and giggled while reading the stories aloud. These are not cards. They are moments, saved.
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Wholeheartedly yes — and the characters seem to know instinctively which age they are speaking to. Children are drawn to the illustrations, the names, the animals. Adults read the stories and find themselves unexpectedly moved. We regularly hear from customers who frame them in nurseries and living rooms alike, who give them to grandparents and grandchildren in the same gesture. The world of Central & Gus does not have an age. It has a sensibility — and that sensibility tends to recognise itself across generations.
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Yes — and we love that you asked. We offer curated collections and themed bundles. Our Open Water & Coastal set, our Woodland & Hedgerow set, our Wetland & Waterway, or our Start Your Collection bundle are all wonderful entry points. And for those that just wantall of themat once, The Whole Gang brings every character home together at a saving. Bundles make particularly wonderful gifts — there is something about receiving a community of characters at once that feels genuinely special.
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We do — and this is at the heart of everything we do. A portion of every gross sale goes directly to animal welfare. The characters you collect are not just whimsical illustrations — they are advocates. Every purchase is a small act of care for the natural world and the creatures in it. We are deeply grateful for every order that makes this possible.