Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Friday, December 20, 2013
Favorite Friend Friday: Artist, Jenny Vorwaller
It's been too long since we've featured a Favorite Friend--but we're ready to break the silence for such a talented and fascinating friend like artist, Jenny Vorwaller. We met Jenny by chance with her good friend Aran Goyoaga at our another Favorite Friend, Keli Faw's shop, Drygoods Design. We became fast friends and have come to regard her and her artwork as inspirational and stunning. Meet one of our favorite friends, Jenny:
Tell us a little bit about your artistic process--how long does it take you to complete a piece?
Paintings run together from each session I have with them - sometimes one will come together all at once, and others, well, they have had many lives. I tend to work on a few at a time, so that there’s never a lag--while one dries or needs some distance, another is in the forefront, on the easel. I don’t like to rush them, but give them all the attention they need. I paint every day, there's always music playing (as essential as brushes and canvas!) and I need absolute solitude and good light.
What would you say is your biggest inspiration when working?
My inspiration is found through so many things. I feel like a collector in this way--a packrat of ideas. The challenge is keeping it focused--there are so many things to say...painting is one endless, interesting problem that I get to solve.
You have a show up in Anthropologie right now! How long will it be up? Do you have any other exciting events coming up?
The show at Anthropologie went up at the beginning of November and will go down at the end of December! Just a week left! It's more than half sold out, and I feel so lucky! I’m very excited about new shows in the next year, which include Pioneer square Art Walk at 95 Yesler in February, a two woman show at my friend Aran’s studio in March with Laura Burkhart, and a month at Drygoods Design on Ballard Ave in April. We will see what else is in store!
What is your favorite piece that you have created and why?
Ah, this is easy. “Juana de Arco” is my favorite. She has her own history, which will have to remain a bit of a mystery, since narrating paintings is so difficult for me, but I'll try my best to explain. It came to be when I for really serious about painting everyday again. I had a traumatic stay in the hospital, after I gave birth to my now four year-and-a-half year old, and there was a moment where the doctors weren’t sure if I was going to make it...that’s when it all became clear. Everything has shifted since. Life is precious, there's only so much time, why wasn't I doing what I was meant to? I had always painted, kept a sketchbook, but not at the steady pace that I knew I wanted to. "Juana de Arco" is about a lot of things, it’s very feminist. It evokes the feeling of fighting for what you believe in, even when everyone around you is not on board. It's about not compromising your integrity to stay in line for the status quo. Sometimes doing what you are meant to, and being yourself, means that not everyone will accept it, but you will go out blazing. (Juana de Arco is “Joan or Arc” in Spanish).
"Juana de Arco" by Jenny Vorwaller. Photo by Moorea Seal
Which artists do you most admire?
Joan Mitchell, De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Richard Diebenkorn, Childe Hassam, John Singer Sargent, Cy Twombly...so many! I keep a pinboard of what I’m looking at here for reference. Pinterest has really surprised me in the way that it has become a standard tool in my studio practice. Who would've thought?
How do you balance home & family life and being an artist?
I need my structure of painting for a certain amount of hours a day, always first, then my time with my family and friends at the close of the day, when my mind is all spent and I've done all I can. Of course there are exceptions--planning things around my kids school hours, etc., but for the most part, this is my daily routine. I would say the greatest challenge as a female artist with children is that there is no real model to follow. Art History was written for and by men, mostly. When women chose to paint, they did so at the sacrifice of their choice to have a family, even getting married. But there also is an unexpected gift of freedom that comes from this challenge and that is doing what the artist has always done--and that is to forge my own path. I guess I could never be with someone who didn't understand my need to create, someone who didn't respect it, it's such a big part of me, and my husband saw and knew that part of me right away, so it's never been a question of balance, it's just what it is.
My family is what keeps my work balanced. I've been more focused as a result too--it's quality over quantity for studio time. Then when there are the off hours with family, I'm still thinking about it. Sometimes when I'm away for a few days, or even on a trip, I get a sense of mild panic--and every time, I'm impressed that not only the work is still there when I return to it, but it improves with a break. This is a good metaphor for the everyday experience of work some, be there for the family. I take a vacation from it everyday in a way, in the afternoons, and it's still there when I return the next time.
I would be such an eccentric hermit, overly-dedicated to my work at all hours of the day if it weren't for my family to keep me balanced. I don't mean that in a industriously positive way, I mean that the pull of small children's needs gives me breathing room from the hold that painting holds over me. It keeps me healthy, and in check with what I need to be doing. There's such a stereotype that artists are sloppy, disorganized, aren't good with money, and unreliable. This probably goes for most creatives, but it's absolutely essential to be concerned with the practical when you become a serious artist with a capital A and even more if you are female painter with children. We have all the odds against us, so we need to make for the best supportive environment as possible--and that doesn't just happen on its own.
I remember this breakthrough when I was first pregnant. Suddenly I was aware that I needed to slow down, to take a nap, to eat better, because my baby needed it. I finally gave myself permission because this little person who was completely dependent on me for everything gave me no choice. But would I have done that before for myself? Not really. It took having a family and that massive sense of responsibility towards this new life, to really treasure mine in a whole new way.
If you could have any "dream job" (excluding what you do now) what would it be?
Producing/shooting music videos. So magical! To illustrate the way music makes me feel! I do this with painting now, in a big way, but to take it to a level with a camera, that's almost a scary amount of control that you dictate the experience of sound for other people. I see multimedia art in my future...
If you could have one celebrity buy a piece of your work, who would it be? Diane Keaton.
If you could only eat at one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be? Too hard! I love s'mores cookies from Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery...but everyday would be death by chocolate!
You're stuck on a desert island--which book do you want to have?
Whatever my new book club has chosen that month--I like to get it read early!
If you could live in any other location, where would that be?
I would fly south back to Buenos Aires for winter, but just for a few months, I love it here in Seattle.
What do you do for fun?
I love going out to eat with friends, reading, biking, cooking, and in the summer, gardening and kayaking. I'm always up for roadtrips and travels... my list of museums I have yet to see is so long - hoping to cross some of them off in the next few years!
Photos via Jenny Vorwaller unless otherwise indicated.
Tell us a little bit about your artistic process--how long does it take you to complete a piece?
Paintings run together from each session I have with them - sometimes one will come together all at once, and others, well, they have had many lives. I tend to work on a few at a time, so that there’s never a lag--while one dries or needs some distance, another is in the forefront, on the easel. I don’t like to rush them, but give them all the attention they need. I paint every day, there's always music playing (as essential as brushes and canvas!) and I need absolute solitude and good light.
What would you say is your biggest inspiration when working?
My inspiration is found through so many things. I feel like a collector in this way--a packrat of ideas. The challenge is keeping it focused--there are so many things to say...painting is one endless, interesting problem that I get to solve.
You have a show up in Anthropologie right now! How long will it be up? Do you have any other exciting events coming up?
The show at Anthropologie went up at the beginning of November and will go down at the end of December! Just a week left! It's more than half sold out, and I feel so lucky! I’m very excited about new shows in the next year, which include Pioneer square Art Walk at 95 Yesler in February, a two woman show at my friend Aran’s studio in March with Laura Burkhart, and a month at Drygoods Design on Ballard Ave in April. We will see what else is in store!
What is your favorite piece that you have created and why?
Ah, this is easy. “Juana de Arco” is my favorite. She has her own history, which will have to remain a bit of a mystery, since narrating paintings is so difficult for me, but I'll try my best to explain. It came to be when I for really serious about painting everyday again. I had a traumatic stay in the hospital, after I gave birth to my now four year-and-a-half year old, and there was a moment where the doctors weren’t sure if I was going to make it...that’s when it all became clear. Everything has shifted since. Life is precious, there's only so much time, why wasn't I doing what I was meant to? I had always painted, kept a sketchbook, but not at the steady pace that I knew I wanted to. "Juana de Arco" is about a lot of things, it’s very feminist. It evokes the feeling of fighting for what you believe in, even when everyone around you is not on board. It's about not compromising your integrity to stay in line for the status quo. Sometimes doing what you are meant to, and being yourself, means that not everyone will accept it, but you will go out blazing. (Juana de Arco is “Joan or Arc” in Spanish).
Which artists do you most admire?
Joan Mitchell, De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Richard Diebenkorn, Childe Hassam, John Singer Sargent, Cy Twombly...so many! I keep a pinboard of what I’m looking at here for reference. Pinterest has really surprised me in the way that it has become a standard tool in my studio practice. Who would've thought?
How do you balance home & family life and being an artist?
I need my structure of painting for a certain amount of hours a day, always first, then my time with my family and friends at the close of the day, when my mind is all spent and I've done all I can. Of course there are exceptions--planning things around my kids school hours, etc., but for the most part, this is my daily routine. I would say the greatest challenge as a female artist with children is that there is no real model to follow. Art History was written for and by men, mostly. When women chose to paint, they did so at the sacrifice of their choice to have a family, even getting married. But there also is an unexpected gift of freedom that comes from this challenge and that is doing what the artist has always done--and that is to forge my own path. I guess I could never be with someone who didn't understand my need to create, someone who didn't respect it, it's such a big part of me, and my husband saw and knew that part of me right away, so it's never been a question of balance, it's just what it is.
My family is what keeps my work balanced. I've been more focused as a result too--it's quality over quantity for studio time. Then when there are the off hours with family, I'm still thinking about it. Sometimes when I'm away for a few days, or even on a trip, I get a sense of mild panic--and every time, I'm impressed that not only the work is still there when I return to it, but it improves with a break. This is a good metaphor for the everyday experience of work some, be there for the family. I take a vacation from it everyday in a way, in the afternoons, and it's still there when I return the next time.
I would be such an eccentric hermit, overly-dedicated to my work at all hours of the day if it weren't for my family to keep me balanced. I don't mean that in a industriously positive way, I mean that the pull of small children's needs gives me breathing room from the hold that painting holds over me. It keeps me healthy, and in check with what I need to be doing. There's such a stereotype that artists are sloppy, disorganized, aren't good with money, and unreliable. This probably goes for most creatives, but it's absolutely essential to be concerned with the practical when you become a serious artist with a capital A and even more if you are female painter with children. We have all the odds against us, so we need to make for the best supportive environment as possible--and that doesn't just happen on its own.
I remember this breakthrough when I was first pregnant. Suddenly I was aware that I needed to slow down, to take a nap, to eat better, because my baby needed it. I finally gave myself permission because this little person who was completely dependent on me for everything gave me no choice. But would I have done that before for myself? Not really. It took having a family and that massive sense of responsibility towards this new life, to really treasure mine in a whole new way.
If you could have any "dream job" (excluding what you do now) what would it be?
Producing/shooting music videos. So magical! To illustrate the way music makes me feel! I do this with painting now, in a big way, but to take it to a level with a camera, that's almost a scary amount of control that you dictate the experience of sound for other people. I see multimedia art in my future...
If you could have one celebrity buy a piece of your work, who would it be? Diane Keaton.
If you could only eat at one local restaurant for the rest of your life, what would it be? Too hard! I love s'mores cookies from Hot Cakes Molten Chocolate Cakery...but everyday would be death by chocolate!
You're stuck on a desert island--which book do you want to have?
Whatever my new book club has chosen that month--I like to get it read early!
If you could live in any other location, where would that be?
I would fly south back to Buenos Aires for winter, but just for a few months, I love it here in Seattle.
What do you do for fun?
I love going out to eat with friends, reading, biking, cooking, and in the summer, gardening and kayaking. I'm always up for roadtrips and travels... my list of museums I have yet to see is so long - hoping to cross some of them off in the next few years!
Photos via Jenny Vorwaller unless otherwise indicated.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Artist Spotlight: Sharon Montrose of The Animal Print Shop
I just ordered a print for myself for Christmas that I think I have been wanting for roughly four years. Finally, I decided to stop thinking about it and just order it! Why do we do that sometimes?? I ordered Sharon Montrose's Pheasant #2 from The Animal Print Shop. If you haven't had a chance to take a look at The Animal Print Shop--you better high-tail (no pun intended) it over there right now!
I always wanted the pheasant because it is a unique piece that not many people would think to order, and it has a sweet connection to my family history. My dad hunts pheasants--we have it on holidays, wrapped in bacon! When I was growing up in England, you could sometimes glimpse these gorgeous Common Pheasants marching through the fens and flora. We had a beagle for a while (supposedly a bird dog) who ignored the pheasants, oddly. Perhaps she knew they belonged to the Queen (if you have kids and have not read them Danny the Champion of the World, now is the time that you order that book!).
Check out all of the beautiful animals at The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose (my nursery favorite is the baby porcupine!) Which animal is your favorite??
Images via The Animal Print Shop
I always wanted the pheasant because it is a unique piece that not many people would think to order, and it has a sweet connection to my family history. My dad hunts pheasants--we have it on holidays, wrapped in bacon! When I was growing up in England, you could sometimes glimpse these gorgeous Common Pheasants marching through the fens and flora. We had a beagle for a while (supposedly a bird dog) who ignored the pheasants, oddly. Perhaps she knew they belonged to the Queen (if you have kids and have not read them Danny the Champion of the World, now is the time that you order that book!).
Check out all of the beautiful animals at The Animal Print Shop by Sharon Montrose (my nursery favorite is the baby porcupine!) Which animal is your favorite??
Images via The Animal Print Shop
Monday, December 16, 2013
Assemble Kits in Boston!
We are proud to announce that our Assemble Crafting Kits and stamps can be found in two fantastic shops in Boston, Massachusetts! If you're in the area, definitely take a trip to Black Ink (Andie's old stomping ground!) and check out our needle-felting kits and Mr. Bradley Stemke polar bear stamps. This is one of the best places for holiday shopping in the city, and lucky for you--there are two locations!
Visit Black Ink:
101 Charles Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
-and-
5 Brattle Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
And, not to be outdone--under new ownership and reopened just in time for Christmas is Front on the waterfront! Front is currently carrying our Assemble hardcover bookbinding kits in all paper styles. Careful in here though! You'll probably walk out with lots of other "gifts" that you absolutely need for yourself and others.
Visit Front:
25 Channel Center Street #101
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
Go get em, kids! <--We said that in a Boston accent.
Visit Black Ink:
101 Charles Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02114
-and-
5 Brattle Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
And, not to be outdone--under new ownership and reopened just in time for Christmas is Front on the waterfront! Front is currently carrying our Assemble hardcover bookbinding kits in all paper styles. Careful in here though! You'll probably walk out with lots of other "gifts" that you absolutely need for yourself and others.
Visit Front:
25 Channel Center Street #101
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
Go get em, kids! <--We said that in a Boston accent.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Crafty Project: Painted Holiday Globe Ornaments
I have to say that my tree is usually a bit less traditional than most. I love fake white trees, twinkly white lights and a non-traditional color scheme. That being said, I can never find glass, globe ornaments that I like because they are usually silver, gold, blue, red or green. And those colors are great--but sometimes, you just want to mix it up. So, we decided to do a fun (and very easy!) project for creating your own Christmas bulb ornaments in any color. Super inexpensive, quick and easy enough to do during a free hour. Weee!
You will need:
• A package of inexpensive, plain glass bulb ornaments
• Acrylic craft paint in colors of your choice
• Dixie cups or several cut bottoms of old plastic bottles (for draining), small enough to hold the bulb
• A small amount of water if your paint is very thick
• Paper towels
First thing's first: pop off the top of your ornament and place to the side. (You won't want to lose those!) Then, squirt a small amount of the paint of your choice into the bulb and proceed to roll it back and forth in your hand to cover the glass. You can always add more paint.
After coating the entire inside of the bulb, place it in your dixie cup or half-bottle container and allow the excess paint to drip out. I let these sit for about 6-8 hours. After they sit in the drip containers for a while, remove the ornaments and set them securely on a paper towel to continue drying. I would recommend overnight, if not longer.
Another fun thing to try is mixing colors. If you want a more brushed look, fill the ornament with both colors of paint at the same time, leaving each enough room to drip out. If you want a more modern, color-blocked look, wait for one color to dry, then add the other color. I used the aqua and gray brushed texture. Fun!
After the paint is dry, pop the metal top back on the ornaments and then insert the metal hook rungs. You always want to place the metal top on before inserting the hook, because the metal pieces rungs can scratch the paint on the inside of the ornament. And there you have it! Hang them on your tree or give them away as gifts!
Friday, December 6, 2013
Holiday Gift Guide: Urban Craft Uprising
We will be loading in all of our goodies tomorrow for Urban Craft Uprising and we hope to see you there! To entice you our way--we wanted to show you a selection of our very favorite products/vendors who will be selling this weekend. Make your way over to the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and say hello! We miss your happy faces.
First column from top to bottom:
1. A favorite graphic pillow from Nell & Mary, $66
2. Don't forget the well-dressed man in your life: a blue and red plaid Bow Tie from Winslow, $45.
3. We love this Sticks & Squares Organic Knit Scarf by local favorite, Jessalin Beutler: $78
Second column from top to bottom:
4. The Durango necklaces by Son of a Sailor (I have the Bright Orange, and love it! -A)
5. For the artist in your life: gorgeous letterpressed sketchbooks from Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress!
6. One of our forever favorite design teams: Slide Sideways's Free and Easy Limited Edition print, $30
Third column from top to bottom:
7. Can't go wrong with handmade cosmetics: Herbivore Botanicals has created this lovely Charcoal Bamboo Soap: just $9 and oh so luscious.
8. Assemble always stocks illustrator Ryan Berkley, but we have none of these awesome new Limited Edition prints in stock! Love this Scout Kitten by Berkley Illustration, $50
9. Snuggle on the modern side with these Cowl Knits by Victory Garden Yarn, $65
We would love to see you there this weekend, and I'm sure all of the above artists and designers would too! Happy Holidays and shop small!
First column from top to bottom:
1. A favorite graphic pillow from Nell & Mary, $66
2. Don't forget the well-dressed man in your life: a blue and red plaid Bow Tie from Winslow, $45.
3. We love this Sticks & Squares Organic Knit Scarf by local favorite, Jessalin Beutler: $78
Second column from top to bottom:
4. The Durango necklaces by Son of a Sailor (I have the Bright Orange, and love it! -A)
5. For the artist in your life: gorgeous letterpressed sketchbooks from Bison Bookbinding & Letterpress!
6. One of our forever favorite design teams: Slide Sideways's Free and Easy Limited Edition print, $30
Third column from top to bottom:
7. Can't go wrong with handmade cosmetics: Herbivore Botanicals has created this lovely Charcoal Bamboo Soap: just $9 and oh so luscious.
8. Assemble always stocks illustrator Ryan Berkley, but we have none of these awesome new Limited Edition prints in stock! Love this Scout Kitten by Berkley Illustration, $50
9. Snuggle on the modern side with these Cowl Knits by Victory Garden Yarn, $65
We would love to see you there this weekend, and I'm sure all of the above artists and designers would too! Happy Holidays and shop small!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Urban Craft Uprising this Weekend!
Will you be joining us for an independent holiday shopping extravaganza this weekend? Urban Craft Uprising's Winter 2013 show will be held at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall (321 Mercer Street--right beneath the Ballet, and wheelchair accessible!) this Saturday and Sunday from 11am-5pm. Book signings, demos, plus lots of great vendors of independent design and craft will be there! Including us! We had lots of fun at the Summer show, but this one promises to be a holly jolly event to get you started for the December holidays!
Please join us, and try to be early because the first 100 fans in line each day at the Seattle Exhibition Center each day get a Free Swag Bag, so grab a latte and come on by!
Find us right underneath the huge, life-size Polar Bear, Mr. Bradley Stemke. See you there!
Please join us, and try to be early because the first 100 fans in line each day at the Seattle Exhibition Center each day get a Free Swag Bag, so grab a latte and come on by!
Find us right underneath the huge, life-size Polar Bear, Mr. Bradley Stemke. See you there!
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