Mr. Punderful

When it comes to making puns, Sacramento native Ryan Morris wants you to know that he doesn't “carrot all,” to borrow a phrase from one of his pen-and-ink greeting cards available for sale in his Etsy shop (www.etsy.com/shop/ryanmorrisart, $3.50 each).

While there are some practical offerings—the “let's get hammered” card is a lovely alternative to a bland congratulations, and a drawing of a meat thermometer with the words “you're hot” is charming in a blunt way—the weirder ones are even more fun. It's unclear what occasion would call for a “trust tieself” card with a drawing of a necktie, or if there's someone out there that would actually end a relationship with a card that says “cassette me free,” but these peculiar offerings inspire the imagination. For instance, say your former rival from your AP English class back in high school gets an anonymous card out of the blue that says “You won't ever write that novel.” How fun is that?!

Beyond the wordplay, Morris dabbles in whimsical mixed-media pieces (a collage of a giant scuba diver's head surfacing in a wooded lake, an embroidered doily that says “My Anaconda Don't”) as well as more straightforward photography, like long-exposure shots of Sacramento spots such as A & P Liquors and Lumens Light + Living at night, and eerie black-and-white shots at a carnival. More can be found on his website at http://ryanmorrisart.wordpress.com.