Etsy Photo Shoot

We have been busy with the Etsy shop (Yay!) and have talked several times about sprucing up the shop's photos. 

Well... we finally did it! We got our acts together last week and braved the 85 degree heatwave to capture a bit of a tan and some still-life style pics of the custom bridal & baby paper goods that Kara designs.

Here's a sneak peek, but don't stop there. Please check it out: Dottie Dakota Etsy Shop

Cheers
~k&n

Meet Your Makers {Part II}

Afternoon! Want to finish off my (Nicole) style inspirations today and to keep you interested I'm including more photos. I'll gladly appease the masses! Plus it's fun to share nuggets of my past.

Earning my Bachelors of Fine Arts was tough, but so worth it! 

A two hour time difference combined with exhaustion of being 2000 miles from home caused me to oversleep my very first art class. I ran to the other end of campus in a panic. And of course my prof was the head of the Art Department. Lucky me. 

He was gracious that day, but the following quarter said I had to take my talent more seriously before I could enroll in more art classes. 

I quit farting around and thinking of art as "just fun", reentered the Art Department and declared my major with an emphasis in Studio Arts. 

The above self-portrait from Junior year was a defining moment. I had compared myself to others for too long. Envied their skills. Their perspective. Thought I had less to offer.

On the day that photo was taken, I became artist. A creator with my own perspective.

 For my Senior Show (above) I presented 'Reverie of Home' created over months of planning and two hundred+ hours of cutting, gluing, holding, breaking, re-gluing and re-holding balsa. It's a love-hate relationship. 

My parents flew in for opening night. I had a new haircut and BAD bangs. But otherwise it was surreal. The new head of the department, who months before seemed doubtful that I could pull it all together, told my dad he was pleasantly surprised and pleased with my final work. 

It was an indescribably proud moment to have a fellow installation artist acknowledge my efforts.

My friends and family considered me a "world traveler" because I went to college in...  Seattle, but I actually became one when I study abroad in Spain.

Based out of Salamanca, I took classes at the University founded in 1134, traveled to neighboring cities & Portugal on the weekends and fell in love with the cathedrals, history and orange slushies.

Prior to visiting Spain I gladly settled for and adored silver, but thirty days changed everything. Cathedrals adorned with centuries old stained glass. Arched soaring stone ceilings. Ornate baroque retablos of gold. Now I've got it bad for gold. And that's expensive!

My eyes are continually taking in new inspirations, so my style is constantly evolving. But I love that I can still look to certain periods in my life and experiences that continue to hold strong influences upon my unique taste!

That sums it up for me. Check in soon for Kara's inspiration post.

Best wishes for your weekend!

~k&n

Meet Your Makers!

Good Evening! As we kick off a push to regularly post and keep you in the loop, we can hear birds chirpin' outside open windows, which takes me (Nicole) back to spring days as a kid in Indiana. 

Those memories gave us the idea to start things off by sharing what has influenced our personal styles & tastes. So today I am going to give you a peak {part 1} into my influences and Kara's feature will follow next week. 

Thanks for joinin' with us on this new adventure!

Marsh Road Bridge in good ole' Indiana

This photo includes 3 of my style influences: nature, old/antique and sentimental.

Nature: 
I grew up in the sticks with little to do: movies, bonfires or DQ (still love M&M blizzards!). Summers with my 3 bros had adventures in woods, cornfields and the Big Ditch. 

By default, nature became a primary inspiration, but it stuck and the comments about the branches & tumbleweeds hanging in my house never cease.

   

Old/antique: 
Being raised on a chicken farm (not in, just on), people naturally gifted us anything with a chicken on it. My mom went with it and adorned the kitchen with all sorts of treasures from egg scales to mason jars. So now, I am drawn to anything old.

I have pulled too many u-turns to save a “treasure” from rain, dust and coyote urine and then lovingly cleaned out mouse turds and spider webs. I may need counseling. Hmm.

Sentimental: 
Heading to Seattle for college almost made me... a hoarder. When I graduated, there was a thrift store streak where I'd go weak in the knees for anything that reminded me of my childhood (or anything avocado green). 

Fortunately, my 50 cent impulse buys of grotesque things ended when I realized dusting loads of clutter was more stressful than the fond memories associated with those items.

I'd like to think my parents saw talent in my drawing above, but I'm positive love trumps talent at age 9, so it hung in the kitchen for YEARS! 

I included this photo to emphasis the appreciation I have for artwork that showcases a handmade quality (notice the food stains- bah). 

I am a perfectionist, but there's something in me that time and time again is most drawn to work that isn't perfect because it's made by human hands. It reveals character. It breathes. It's perfect in its imperfection (oh Wabi-Sabi).

I'll wrap up my style influences on the next post, so check in tomorrow! 

What would you point to as the big influences on your personal style? Do you see your style evolving? 


We would love to hear from you!

~k&n