The Forge | A Story Told

As I entered “The Forge” I felt I was stumbling upon someone’s secret place. A place full of their favorite things, a place where they had hidden found treasures.  The walls were adorned with animal skins, aging metal, and ratty cloth; it was a salvage heaven.

This place was a man’s fortress, where he knew he could go and be vulnerable, where he would be comfortable to make mistakes and learn, where he would be courageous in experimenting, and where he could celebrate the creation of something he was proud of.

“The Forge” is where we found Mike in his niche. “The Forge” is where Mike has developed his craft.

Mike is an old friend, a loved father, and a successful businessman, but in the light of the fire burning inside the gas forger, he is an artist. Mike is a metal craftsman; He forms his art from steel rods and old rusting silver.

As he hammers and shapes metal, he let’s the pieces of material guide the vision for what he’s creating.

Mike says that he doesn’t always have a distinct idea for a piece,

He says,  “I pour a glass of scotch and I go down to ‘The Forge’ and look around.”

He likes to let his materials tell him what to do.
His shop is patina paradise, full of metal odds and ends that us by standards would have no idea what kind of use to put it to.

Mike is in love with aging steel, his eyes sparkle when he explains the texture and color of his ideal piece of ancient material– pitted and rough. He recycles metals into sculptures, furniture, and hardware; objects of depth and use, objects with a story and a history.

The majority of Mike’s tools are hand crafted; as I watched him work there was something so romantic about using a creation to create.

“The Forge” had aged nicely, the walls and dirt floor looked worn, but loved. As I stood analyzing Mike’s process, I got caught up in the mood of it all. The sounds of raging fire in the gas forger was organic and attractive in combination with the clings of steel on steel, being repeatedly hammered and formed into something new and original.

As Nathan adjusted his hasselblad camera according to light and composition, it was like jumping back and forth from past to present… Nathan’s craft complementing Mike’s craft. I felt oddly nostalgic, aching for the age when film cameras and innovative black smith work wasn’t as minoritized.

Mike pulled a red-hot steel rod out of the gas forger and quickly went to work on it. Racing against the time it took for the rod to cool…Heating, and shaping, reheating, and reshaping; creating. As he formed and twisted the rod, he held it up in front of him and said, “ I don’t know what it’s going to be yet.” He squinted into the tank of fire waiting for his utensil to be ready to rework. After texturizing the piece of steel with a meat tenderizer, he realized he created an object that was beautiful, he said, “This will become a piece of a something, of which I’m not sure yet.”

The excitement he received from creating a new object empowered and fomented him, inspiring him to continue.

There’s a unique sense of appreciation and fulfillment for such a bodily method of handiwork. Creation through a physical process provides an irreplaceable feeling.

Mike had a poster up on the wall that he had tailored to his liking; there he had written a handful of words on the surface of the paper that defined his motivation and sincerity. I read, “IDEAS + ENERGY = REAL WEALTH”

Mike works as a designer in an advertisement agency; Mike is a huntsman, a carpenter, a fisherman, and a blacksmith; through all of these things, Mike is an artist.

Photos by: Nathan Stracke, taken with a Hasselblad 500 c/m. 

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Lately, I've been extremely visually inspired.

 Here are some images and artwork that are feeding my hunger to create. 

Truly // Sarah

Give Away with Geo-Graphical Prints!

Today, I come bearing great news. I am excited to announce the first give away here on the blog… and I am even more excited to tell you who and what it’s all about.

My good friend, Barrett Hillenburg has recently produced a fantastic line of prints. His Geo-graphical prints had me at hello when he first shared them with me. He took a fresh spin on the traditional state prints to create a more personal and fun way of representing and owning your hometown.

Here is a little Q & A with Barrett to allow you guys a little insight into what the idea was behind the geo-graphical prints, as well as what sets these prints apart from the other state prints!

What inspired you to create this line of Prints?

The first Geo-Graphical print (Missouri) was created to spur some creative juices. I work a design job where I don't have absolute freedom of creativity - it's a lot of designing something someone else has already thought up. I sat down one day and created something I liked and I thought others would like them too. As I showed the prints to friends and family, it became obvious that people were interested in getting a copy for themselves.

What is the purpose behind Geo-Graphical Prints?

The ultimate purpose behind Geo-Graphical Prints is to connect with people. When people purchase a print and hang it on their wall, they are inviting our artwork into their home, their work, their lives. It's a special thing to be able to connect with people through something like that. 

Every person, no matter where they come from, has an enormous sense of pride about their hometown or home state. That is the beauty of these prints - everyone can use one in their home. There isn't a specific demographic, gender, age or type of person that these prints are for. They are for all. 

I love how the Prints are so unique and specific and that they give info into a bit about that location. Tell us a little bit about why you decided to include that on the prints!

The little small details are my favorite part of these prints. The prints are clean and simple, but offer such a great look into that specific location. The small details about the locations, such as the demonym, area code and exact location offer details about that location that not many people may know. When I create these prints, I try to find the most iconic elements of that location for the small images each print contains; it's such a fun way to represent the different locations. Probably my favorite part of the prints is the nickname at the bottom. Each location has such a unique nickname that provides some small insight into that location.

I really love these prints and can’t wait to get them up in my home!

To enter the giveaway you must follow through with these two things:

-Follow @geographprints on Instagram.

-Comment on this post with the city/state/country and color combination you would want to have in your home or office!

You can find the Geo-graphical prints etsy shop here: Geo-Graphical.com

Loving Local | Kendra Miller

Hello friends! Today I am starting a new series called "Loving Local". I was inspired to start this because of all the lovely creativity I am surrounded by here in my little town. I have so many creative friends and awesome places that inspire me locally that I want to share about... although sometimes it is fun to keep them to myself, I feel like I should let you all see what I get to be inspired by on a regular basis!

This is the precious and talented Kendra Miller. She's 26; during the day she works at a local bank, at night she is an artist.

I have been crazy for her work ever since I saw it. I first stumbled upon some of her watercolors and acrylics in a local vintage shop. Eventually, we ended up having mutual friends and attended a craft night together. I was able to find her on Etsy and Instagram. After figuring out her bank was near the Starbucks I worked at, we had a couple shy chattings when I made her coffee as she rushed off to work for the day. A couple months later, I asked her to do a commissioned project I had been dreaming up to gift my boyfriend for Valentine's Day, we were head over hills for what she produced... since then, it's been love. (hehe)

Kendra is the perfect gal for my first subject of Loving Local. She is so enthusiastic, creative, and welcoming. She opened up her place and let me take a handful of pictures of her beautiful creative space she's made in her little home just north of mid town Springfield. There she lives with her sweet hubby and a giant playful Great Dane/Black Lab pup named Kingsley.

Kendra began creating art in High school when she was diagnosed with bone cancer and had to go through a lot of treatment and therapy. This prevented her from work for quite some time so she started making greeting cards and selling them to the nurses at St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis. From there she kept going and her art work evolved into what is now in her Etsy shop. She never attended school for art, which she finds freeing because she doesn't have any rules to follow.

Kendra's grandmother Jean Myers was an amazing artist and has always been her greatest inspiration. She traveled all over the globe and taught Tole Painting workshops and published several books with her patterns. Kendra said, "When she passed away I ended up with most of her art stuff, including her chair that she spent all those years painting in. This is a daily 

encouragement to me to keep working hard and good things will follow."

She surprised me with this adorable Floral Mountain upon my visit! Oh my goodness!! 

Kendra draws inspiration from everywhere. She lists, "Films, music, other artists, even weather and seasons. It’s never really the same thing every time so that is why I always carry a sketchbook with me wherever I go.  Also, I have a really great group of friends and a husband who really say the best things and sometimes I create stuff  inspired from their antics."

When I asked Kendra how she would describe her artwork she said, "Whimsical, kind of silly, and bright. I love cheerful things so the majority of the time I am creating something to reflect that. " I adore Kendra's work, often times it makes me giggle... and love that! She is able to include such personality in her artwork.

Kendra has been a huge inspiration to me. She reminds me to be consistent with creativity even if you're not sharing it with someone. She has also helped me branch out with the ways I express myself and explore more into sketching and painting.

This girl is where it's at! Check out her fun work on Etsy ( http://www.etsy.com/people/kwanalee ) and follow her on Instagram (@kwanalee) to be inspired by her too. Thanks for reading!

Truly // Sarah 

Q & A

I’ve recently come to know & love Scottish Illustrator (based in Brooklyn, NY) Katy Small. Her work is a vast inspiration for my self. She illustrates the most lovely, dainty pieces. Her photo collaborations are phenomenal and one of my favorite things she produces, along with her new Bespoke Stationery that is absolutely novel.

I got a chance to know Katy on a deeper level through a little Q & A and was excited to dig into where all this beauty and creativity stems from.  Here is a little bit about this lovely soul.

Describe your childhood & where you grew up, how did it attribute to where you are now in your creative profession? “I lived in Edinburgh, Scotland until I was ten; it is a small and very beautiful city. I think that the winding, cobblestone streets and rising gothic castle in the midst of the city crept in and cemented a lifelong tendency towards the old and the melancholy. It is a special city because it is very green, with lovely museums surrounded by the sea, woodland and beautiful gardens. We moved to a little village in the Scottish Borders when I was ten and lived in a ramshackle house surrounded by a wild, sprawling garden. There was magical woodland, rivers, wildflowers and purple hills all around. Of course, it was Scotland, so it was rainy and grey 90% of the time which meant a lot of indoor time reading and playing make believe, too…I grew up with three little brothers, so a lot of our time was spent playing make believe together; we were always making dens, putting on plays and generally living in a world of our imaginations. We would spend our weekends taking trips to museums and botanical gardens; places that still inspire my work today.”

Is there anyone significant in your life that has shaped you? “My mum is such a creative person, and was always encouraging me to tell stories in my homework assignments, to think in a magical way. My dad would take me to the ballet and music recitals from a young age. They both encouraged me to draw, act in plays and learn the piano.... all things that shaped my creativity. Growing up in a small village also installed in me a very strong sense of ambition; to travel, to do great things and to 'escape'. 

I was never "good at art" at school, and was going to study acting or English. My first love was the school art star and he really opened me up to the possibility of art, to the insatiable need to create. He took me to foreign movies, interesting exhibitions and we would draw together. He stirred something in me that is still growing. Also, when I was 16 I finally got an art teacher Mrs. McCann, who told me I was good at drawing. I had never heard that before, and that was the beginning of it all, really. A little love and support is like magic!”

What inspired you to be an illustrator? “So many things! The decision to study illustration, specifically, really came from my desire to work with words and stories. It seemed like a good way to combine my love of literature with my desire to draw.”

What inspires your illustrations? “So many things! I love the flicker of excitement right at the beginning; the hazy outlines of inspiration that you can’t even squint to see but feel so real and exhilarating. I love clutching to the coattails of that feeling, starting to research & draw in a world that doesn’t quite exist yet. It can come from a book, an exhibition, a movie or just the light upon a bended bloom. I am forever inspired by the representation of women; their portraits, their stories and the historic role that florals play in the telling.”

How do you explain your artistic style? “Bittersweet, dreamy, poetic. Stories told in layers of winding botanicals, paper petals and regimented patterns. Studies of women whose wild, steely eyes flicker under the groomed beauty of strict gardens. Untamed vines of paper hair cascade upon ladylike lace. Fragile blooms clutch neat wildflowers and gaze from iron frames unto the creeping wilderness...”

Are there any other things that you like to do creatively, besides illustrating? “I enjoy clothes and fashion, and assist my talented friend Ariel Dearie with floral design. I collaborate with a lot of lovely people on different projects so end up doing many different creative things from set design and styling to flower arranging and window dressing. The variety is what I love about what I do.”

What was the main inspiration/thoughts behind your new Bespoke Stationery? “I love when someone comes to me with their own story, their own favorite flowers and colors and I get to be part of designing something which is truly made for them. It is lovely to feel like I can bring some joy, and help to make an event feel really special. I have always loved pretty paper, letters and cards and I think that receiving beautiful mementos in the mail is one of life's loveliest pleasures. Wedding invites are the most popular request, but I also do personalized holiday cards, thank you notes, custom portraits for gifts, event stationery....anything on paper really!”

What do you hope your creations do for your clients? "It really depends. If it is a wedding invite I hope to honor a special moment and time and create a treasured memento, if it is an illustration job I hope to bring a sense of grace and joy into unexpected settings. In my personal work, I hope to stir a little emotion, to suggest a story and, hopefully, to bring a little beauty into someone's day."

Katy's work is beyond magnificent. Give her a visit and check out her full portfolio and the rest of her new Bespoke Stationery!

Truly // Sarah