0 Cart
Added to Cart
    You have items in your cart
    You have 1 item in your cart
      Total
      Artist Spotlight - Chloey Cavanaugh

      Artist Spotlight - Chloey Cavanaugh

      Who are you? What do you do? 

      My name is Chloey Cavanaugh - I was born in Sitka, AK, and raised in Juneau, AK, and I am a child of the Was'ineidi Tax'Hit, Eagle Wolf clan in Kake, Alaska. I run an indigenous LGBTQ+ owned business based out of Juneau, AK, called Black and White Raven Company, named after my grandfather Archie Cavanaugh. 

      What do you do? 

      Shoot, okay. I am a graphic artist who sells apparel and does art stuff, but my business also works with community-minded individuals on logo design and website design. I have also been fortunate to work with The Tlingit Culture, Language, and Literacy (TCLL) Program, teaching graphic design. 

      Who/what inspires you? 

      I had this 9-year-old kid approach me and say, " Hi, Chloey! you taught my design class at Harborview." She then talked to me about her recent designs from my graphic design class. That inspires me. Our youth are the future - seeing them talk about what they are creating, finding, and building upon the pride they feel in themselves inspires me to do more, give back, and remember what it was like to be a child growing up in Southeast and what that means to me as an adult. 

      What is your favorite moment in the process?

      I love that moment at the start of the process when all these ideas feel like they will burst out of me. All these bundled-up emotions that are sometimes happy, sad, mad, or eager for change get to burst out, and I see them visually. I also enjoy the end of the process is also a favorite of mine - when I get to share them with the world and see who feels what I feel too - and it opens up these conversations or shared experiences. 

      What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium(s)? 

      Ask questions, create with others, uplift one another, and trust in who you are. People will have perceptions of what your art means and ways it should change or grow - but at the end of the day, take it all with a grain of salt. Your art should be something YOU are happy with - the rest is just a perk. In a world full of preferences, Coffee drinkers, tea fanatics, and soda pop drinkers - you can't be everyone's favorite cup of coffee. 

      What's coming up? 

      I work as a Design & Marketing Manager for Áak’w Rock, a biennial three-day Indigenous music festival from September 21 - 23 in Juneau, AK. Tickets are for sale right now at: https://jahc.na.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/14435

      Where can we find you?

      https://www.blackandwhiteravencompany.com/s/shop

      Artist Spotlight - Harper Joy Gunn

      Artist Spotlight - Harper Joy Gunn

      Who are you? What do you do?

      Through her training as an architect, Harper Gunn developed her art style with attention to detail. She is inspired by tattoo art, tarot design, and the natural world - the bugs, birds, and plants - around her. In her time away from making art, Harper helps design rural hospitals and clinics across the country. 

      Who/what inspires you? 

      I take most of my inspiration for the subject of my work from the natural world and the landscapes that I love. I am especially inspired by time I have spent with family in the high deserts of northern New Mexico. In terms of style I have always loved tattoo art and the way that imagery can become a language.

      What is your favorite moment in the process?

      One of my favorite parts of my process is spending time sketching and working through a design or idea. I love being able to think visually and process through my thoughts. The other part of my process I love is when I am finally able to put down a finished piece and can really see it as a piece of art. That moment makes me realize that all the work I put in has been worth it. 

      What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium? 

      The best advice I've received from other artists is to create all the time and without the pressure to share. I think having the freedom to explore completely without feeling critique from other people has been very freeing to me and helps me to not take anything for granted. 

      What’s next?

      I view making art as a practice and so I am excited to keep working and creating and seeing what comes to me to explore next. Right now I am working on a series of acrylic paintings and I am really enjoying how it feels to work on canvas as opposed to on a screen. 

      Where can we find you? (Social pages, classes/workshops, clubs, etc.)

      You can find me on instagram at @harperjoygunn!

      Artist of the Week: Permafrost Beards

      Artist of the Week: Permafrost Beards

      " We didn't care for what was out there and there wasn’t really much available in 2017 when we opened up here so we decided to try and fix that."

      Presenting our Kindred Artists of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!

      This week we are featuring Permafrost Beards, a family and veteran owned-and-operated beard care company based out of Fairbanks, Alaska. Nick and Courtney Adkins started Permafrost Beards in 2017 after they realized that the beard care products they wanted just weren't out there. As resourceful Alaskans, they decided to make their own, and the rest is history. Read more about them below!

      Who are you and what do you do?

      We are Permafrost Beards and we make certified Made In Alaska beard care products.

      Permafrost Beards is owned and operated by my wife and me. I am an Army veteran that retired with over 22 years of service, first as an aircraft mechanic and then as a Chinook helicopter pilot.

      Who/what inspires you?

      My daughter, Bean, says “We just wanted beard balm that wasn’t greasy!” 

      She isn’t wrong on that. We didn't care for what was out there and there wasn’t really much available in 2017 when we opened up here so we decided to try and fix that.

      After trying many recipes while searching for the right hold, sheen, scents, and still using all natural ingredients that would nourish both the beard and skin we created the current recipes and decided on the four main scents.

      What is your favorite moment in the process?

      Getting our “Spotted” and Permafrost Beards Beard Famous pictures from our awesome folks! What an honor that they not only like us/our products, but they are willing to take the time and share the experience with us.

      What is next?

      Take over the world, Pinky!

               

      See Permafrost Beards products on KindredPost.com!

      Artist of the Week: Sierra Estes

      Artist of the Week: Sierra Estes

      "I use ceramics to connect myself and others to the earth through the tactile and intimate experience of holding a coffee mug close, or serving a meal for your loved ones."

      Sierra Estes

      Presenting our Kindred Artists of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!

      This week we are featuring Sierra Estes of Estes Ceramics. Sierra is the creator of the most beloved mountain mugs. She credits a desire for connection in her work and we, as you may know, thrive on connection - with our community, with nature, with ourselves, you name it. Sierra has won our hearts and we bet she's gonna win yours too. Read all about her below!

      Who are you?
      I am Sierra Estes, the set of hands behind Estes Ceramics. My work uniform includes clay splatters and plenty of animal hair, and that makes me happy.

      What do you do?
      I am a potter. I make ceramics for everyday life, pottery that fits into the daily rituals we practice together, or on our own. I use ceramics to connect myself and others to the earth through the tactile and intimate experience of holding a coffee mug close, or serving a meal for your loved ones. 

      Who/what inspires you?
      The earth itself is my greatest inspiration. I believe that the earth is sacred, as a
      whole, and in parts. The dirt, grass, and trees are all rich and invaluable parts of
      our existence. I want to interact with the earth in as many ways as possible,
      being able to bring it into my daily life through my work is something I don’t feel
      worthy of but strive to honor in how I make ceramics.

      What is your favorite moment in the process?
      As the wheel slows down and the piece is almost ready, I use the side of my
      fingers or the long edge of a wooden rib to make a mark, maybe a subtle curve
      or a slight dent. That moment, when I’m most tuned into the piece and my hands
      and the clay have completed their ritual dance.

      What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium?
      Don’t rush anything. Clay holds endless possibilities, but you will still have to play
      by its rules. Take the time to really learn how clay works and lean into that in your
      processes.

      What is next?
      I have just made the transition into full-time self employment in the summer of
      2019, and that includes taking on more projects all at once. I am working on
      finding the best balance, routine, and processes to successfully do all of these
      things and still be a living, sleeping, eating human being. My next step in this
      process is to bring on an intern!

        

      Don't forget we are giving away one of these beautiful mugs on our Instagram and you can get them 20% off on our website right now!

      Artist of the Week: Priscilla Weidlein

      Artist of the Week: Priscilla Weidlein

      "... pay attention to what brings you into the present moment, and practice cultivating that."

      Priscilla Weidlein

      Presenting our Kindred Artists of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!

      This week we are featuring Priscilla Weidlein, an illustrator, wife and dog-mom who takes some of our favorite feelings and turns them into shareable works of art via her line of gorgeous greeting cards. Read all about her process below and inspiration in her interview below and then go ahead and fall right in love with her work just as quickly as we did. 

      Who are you?
      I’m Priscilla Weidlein, a visual artist based in Providence, Rhode Island. 

      What do you do?
      I paint watercolor portraits of people and their pets - and am accepting commissions! I also have a greeting card line and create illustrations for editorials and companies that I believe in. When I am not working in the studio, a lot of my free time is spent walking in the park with my dog and my husband. 

      Who/what inspires you?
      I am inspired by nature, particularly flowers, and the light that emanates from all things. 

      What is your favorite moment in the process?
      Presently the most enjoyable part of my process is filling bold, dense color into the lines of my pencil drawings. I like balancing intricate line work with bold color; it creates a rhythm, a dance. 
      What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium?
      Well, I welcome stillness. By cultivating stillness in my studio, by way of meditation, I am able to be present with the subject in front of me. Working thus becomes an extension of the meditation. It is in periods of presence that I can create work that feels truly authentic to my being. Each person accomplishes this uniquely, so if I were to spin this into a piece of advice, I’d say pay attention to what brings you into the present moment, and practice cultivating that. 

       
      What is next?
      Good question. In these uncertain times, a lot is up in the air about the months ahead. But what I do know for sure is that I am starting a flower study project, where every week I will paint a new flower. I do not know what will become of it, but I am so looking forward to inviting this joyful subject into my weekly studio practice.

          Cat's Pajamas Card at KindredPost.comMoment With You Card at KindredPost.com
      See more of her work here!