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People of Kennett Square–Virginia Mitchell

Meet Virginia, the winemaker at Galer estate Vineyard and Winery.

How did you get started in wine?

Almost 10 years ago, I started my first research project as an undergraduate student at Penn State University. As a freshman in college, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I did know that I loved and appreciated food, so I started in Food Science in the College of Agriculture. My research project involved working with a model wine solution (which I knew nothing about–all under the guidance of my professor), and at this point, I started reading more about wine. There was so much science involved, but I also loved the culture, history, art, and complexity involved in the making of wine. I participated in my first harvest in the Lake Erie region in the fall of 2011, and I’ve been working with wine ever since!

What do you look for when you make wine?

Winemakers have to make hundreds of decisions everyday when working with wine. My goal–to make an outstanding wine–is to understand every variable in the grape growing and winemaking process. Any change or decision can affect the final product. I have to think about the quality of the fruit and the growing season, the factors involved during fermentation, how the wine is handled during filtering and movements, and what wines would be best blended together. These factors will contribute to my specific style of winemaking. I’m a little bit of a minimalist when it comes to winemaking so I try to intervene only when necessary. However, I’m still very much a New World winemaker, since I don’t mind making vital manipulations that will ultimately make a better product. Since I’m also a professional winemaker, I also have to be realistic and make a nice quality product that our guests at the winery will enjoy!

What has surprised you about being a winemaker?

When I began my adventure in winemaking, I realized two things.
Winemaking is a very male dominated industry. There are only a handful of women winemakers in Pennsylvania. Although this number has been steadily increasing since I entered the wine industry.

As an extreme novice entering the industry, I had no idea the vastness of the subject. There are so many varieties of grapes, styles of winemaking, and wine growing regions. And after 10 years of working with wine, I still have a lot to learn. There is always developing scientific research and market trends, that as a New World Winemaker I need to stay on top of.

What is your favorite wine that you’ve made and what makes it your favorite?

My absolute favorite wine that I make is rosé. To make a rosé, I use robust, mature red grapes, but treat them as if they were white grapes throughout the process. It is always interesting to obtain floral, fruity, delicate flavors in the final wine. I always love the color as well. I was able to make a saignée method rosé for my wedding a few years ago. This was very special to me and my husband that we could give our family and friends something that was made by my own hands and hard work.

If you could drink wine anywhere, in any region or country, where would it be and why?

I can’t choose one place…Champagne in France; Shiraz in South Australia; Riesling in Germany; Cabernet Sauvignon in St. Helena, CA; Carmenere in Chile; and Viognier in VA…the list goes on.. I would love to visit every wine region in the world and explore their winemaking styles and varietals! There is always so much more to taste and so much more to learn when working with wine!

TAGS: portrait, story, vinyard, wine, winemaker, winery

People of Kennett Square–Michael Hall

July 24, 2017 art, artist, conductor, music

How did you get into music?

My father is an avid music lover, and as a young child we would listen to records of his favorite classical pieces. I think that is when I first got the music bug. I then began learning the piano, and my piano teacher during my high school years thought I might be interested in conducting. That was when I began to explore conducting opportunities, My first time on the podium was with an amateur orchestra, and I remember it being much harder than I thought it would be. How hard could it be to wave your arms, I thought! Nevertheless, the thrill of conducting an orchestra was undeniable, and I have been fortunate enough to have those opportunities ever since.

What do you find to be the most challenging part of being a conductor?

The joy of conducting is bringing a great work of art to life. The great irony is that on the one hand you make no sound at all, but on the other hand you are responsible for all that happens on the stage. One of the great challenges is to establish a musical chemistry with the orchestra such that collectively you produce a performance of the highest emotional and communicative power. This begins with a great amount of private score study, an ability to rehearse effectively often with only a few rehearsals, and then giving the orchestra the impetus and inspiration the music needs in performance.

What is one piece that you’ve always wanted to conduct? -And have you had that chance yet?

There are so many pieces that are thrilling to conduct, some I have gotten the chance to and others that I haven’t. One of my career highlights was conducting Mahler’s 2nd Symphony. It is work that in Mahler’s words ‘encompasses the whole world’. It expresses the full range of emotions that we as human beings experience. The music also requires a very large orchestra, chorus and vocal soloists. The power and the tenderness in the work are compelling. It takes one on a emotional journey that stays with you long after the performance.

What are you listening to in your car (ipod, etc) right now?

When I am in the car on my own, I most often listen to sports radio. When my fiance is with me, we will sometimes listen to 80’s stations. I don’t usually listen to classical music unless it is pieces I am working on. Every now and then, however, I will go on a stretch of listening to classical pieces that I do not know to broaden my knowledge of the repertoire.

What do you think about Kennett Square?

From the minute I came to Kennett Square for my audition, I was taken by the beauty and quaintness of the region. That was almost 4 years ago. My family and I enjoy walking on State St, browsing the shops and enjoying a coffee or a bite to eat at the Market. In fact, we recently moved into the borough and are thrilled. It is an honor to be the Music Director of the Kennett Symphony and to work with these very talented professional musicians. If you haven’t enjoyed a concert of the Kennett Symphony, I invite you to come and enjoy one of our many concerts.

TAGS: artist, conductor, interview, kennettsquare, music, orchestra, people, PeopleofKSQ, story

People of Kennett Square–Natale Caccamo

May 9, 2017 art, artist, Kennett Square, people, photographer, Story, Uncategorized

Meet Nat– a fine art photographer in Kennett Square. 1.Tell us a little bit about you?

I am originally from Brooklyn N.Y. We moved a lot when I was a kid which always made me feel like an outsider. I think that helped me to be a keen and objective observer of my surroundings which has served me well when I hold a camera up to my eye. After spending many years on the F Train to Manhattan where I worked as a commercial photographer, my wife and I decided it was time to make a change. We set our sights on the Brandywine Valley and ultimately ended up here in Kennett Square, where we raise our two daughters. My day job is in the Exhibitions department at Winterthur Museum in nearby Wilmington. When I’m not at work I spend just about every minute making or thinking about making images. It’s an obsession really. I can’t not do it.

2.How did you get into photography?

I was very visual when I was a child. This might sound strange but I would arrange images of my surroundings in my head in ways that would aesthetically please me. During my middle-school years I received as a gift my first 35mm camera, a Nikon FM. It gave me the opportunity to get those images out of my head and into an actual photograph . When I got to high school I really immersed myself in the craft of photography. I spent every minute I could in the darkroom. The obsession became so great that I would accidentally cut classes because I’d lose track of time trying to get that perfect print. After graduating high school I attended a very intensive photography school and quickly landed an assistant’s job in the studio of a small advertising agency in NYC. I started out like most assistants do—sweeping the studio, developing film, painting sets, and changing the cat litter. I soon worked my way up to staff photographer, doing mostly still life work for catalogs and ads for big name clients in the NY giftware and toy industry. As a way to escape the monotony of photographing merchandise I started to shoot people. I fell in love with portraiture and it’s what I love to do most now.

3. What’s your favorite subject?

My daughters, without question. They are the most expressive, generous, and patient people. If I ran out of anything else to photograph, I’d be very happy to photograph them everyday. I’m not sure how they’d feel about that though.

4. What do you think about film vs digital?

I’m kind of two minds about this. Film will always be special to me. Artistically speaking there’s a certain soulful quality and warmth about film as well as the tactile aspect of the materials that’s very exciting to me. I like how it forces you to slow down—to be more thoughtful, more deliberate. I attended an alternative process workshop last year that reinvigorated my interest in making old-school, hand-crafted images. However, compared to digital sensors, film can be limiting in terms of speed, color temperature, workflow, and that sort of thing. Not to mention the cost factor of film and development. Despite all that there seems to be a resurgence of film in the marketplace at the moment. I’m not sure if it’s nostalgia or a real honest-to-goodness backlash to our overly digitized world. Time will tell but what I do feel very strongly about is whichever medium best expresses your artistic vision is the right medium to use.

5.Where do you get your inspiration?

That’s the kind of question I could answer for days! I like finding the extraordinary in what would otherwise be considered very ordinary subject matter. I look for the beauty in the imperfection of things. Also, since I was very young, I’ve been quite fascinated and maybe even obsessed with the passage of time. I like fleeting moments. The moments between moments. I’m not sure if it necessarily comes through in all my work, but it is always on my mind.

6.A photographer who inspires you

When it comes to the great iconic figures of photography, Irving Penn has probably had the greatest influence on me, especially when I was a younger photographer. He blurred the lines between art and craft. He treated street trash with the same care and attention to detail as he would the finest examples of haute couture. What I love most about Penn is how he focused in equal measure on the dignity and humanity of his portrait subjects, whether they were artists, celebrities, common workers, or indigenous peoples.

Having said that though, I’d regret not adding that in the past few years I’ve become friends with several like-minded photographers, some who I’ve only met through social media, who are generous, supportive, and constructive. Photographers who create and share amazing, meaningful, and very personal work. Work presented without ego. Work that inspires conversation and exploration. That kind of inspiration is hard to beat.

To learn more about Nat’s work check his instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalecaccamo/

People of Kennett Square–Ellen Catanzaro

November 23, 2016 abstract, art, artist, interior design, interview, painter, painting, people, Story

Ellen is an artist who works with designers and their clients to create custom art.

What is your earliest memory of creating art?

My first memory of creating art was when I was in Kindergarten. I don’t remember the details, but I made a little cat sculpture out of (and this is going to date me) the little wax bottles that had colored sugar water in them…like little soda bottles…Well, I formed a little cat out of the wax, and I remember my teacher, Miss Kathy, put it on display and made a big deal about it to my mother.

Why did you choose acrylic as your medium?

When I first started painting, my children were little. I needed a medium that dried quick, cleaned up easily, and did not smell toxic. Now that they are older, and I have more time, maybe I will experiment with other media.

What is your creative process like?

There are two different versions of my creative process…but, since I paint on wood, they both start with a trip to the Home Depot. I pick out a nice piece of Birch plywood, have it cut to size, then purchase 1 x 1’s to build out a frame. There is glueing, nailing and sanding that follows! Then I get to work!

When I paint for the sake of creating…anything can inspire me…a photo, the sky, my pets, even just a color I see that day can trigger the creative process. I try to have canvases built….but if I don’t….I must make a run to the Home Depot…I build…and then I immerse myself in the painting. Nothing else gets done, and the world could be falling apart around me…I continue on. I really never know what I will create…I have a bit of an idea…but am always surprised when I am done.

When I am painting for a client…the process is a bit different. There is at least one, if not multiple conversations with the client (and their interior decorator if they are using one). I go to their home with some paintings I already have, so they can get a better feel for my style, and to determine size, color likes, dislikes…etc. I like get to know them (my paintings are like my babies…I want to make sure they are in good homes!). Once in their home, I get a sense of their style….do they want an abstract, more of a landscape….anything else that inspires them….what colors will work with their decor…etc. Once we decide on all that…..I make a trip to the Home Depot…and the process begins!!!

What’s been your greatest artistic success?

I consider every time someone says they love my work, to be a great artistic success!

Do you ever experience creative blocks?

Yes! I find that if I think too much about how the piece should look…I hit a wall. When I just let me gut guide me, I am always pleasantly surprised!

You can check Ellen’s work here: http://www.houzz.com/projects/1805959/ellen-catanzaro-custom-art

People of Kennett Square– Stan Smokler

September 8, 2016 art, artist, kennettsquare, people, sculptor, sculpture, Story, Uncategorized

“Stan Smokler’s steel sculptures recall the visual wit and cunning assemblages of Picasso and Gonzalez, as well as the American voices of David Smith and Richard Stankiewicz.”–http://www.stansmokler.com

Did you upbringing influence your work?

I am from the Bronx, New York and I believe that the fast pace combined with my learning experience of my youth influenced my work…the use of material / recycled was always at my disposal.

Where do you get your inspiration ?

I was inspired by nature and its forms….the breathing and wrestling of the material.

What are your favorite sculptures you have made?

My work has always been with me… I do not have a favorite work… a process….from my early work; to work I plan and build today….

What are you working on now?

I am working on a figure that stands 8 feet tall…gears …lots of them….!!! lots of rust !!…. the movement will be a figure that billows and blows from the sides……..I am working on several works as I travel in time.

What do you like doing when you are not making sculptures?

And speaking about travel….that is the gift to either see new places / old places or read about places that make me wonder…I will research the place and begin a new work….

People of Kennett Square-Lele Galer

May 16, 2016 art, artist, life, painting, people, photography, portrait, Story

Meet Lele– the multi-talented artist. She is a painter, sculptor, writer. She also own and run a local winery Galer Estate Vineyard & Winery in Kennett Square.

How and when did you first become seriously interested in art?

I was raised around art and went to art museums and galleries since I could walk (that is the same for my children too). Studio art always came very naturally to me and I received a lot of attention for it, so I wasn’t very interested in it, but I was always serious about art history. I started college as a passionate art history major, until one day I had a conversation with a friend about Klimt, that made me rethink how I was learning about art… I had been dissecting and memorizing. All the over-intellectualization of the art had pulled me away from the ability to see..and I’d forgotten what had drawn me to art history it in the first place. I am very passionate about art history now, but it is personalized by knowing how to see and how to be moved to see in a new way. I still today read tons of art history books, but not to memorize the facts, but instead just to understand things better. The breadth and history and presence of artistic creativity is very exciting to me…it is a shared sizzling current that runs through everyone and through time.

I started a serious interest in art education and public art when my sons were little. I used my art ability to enable me to be in the schools with my children..and one thing led to another – I fell in love with working with the kids in the schools, all ages ranging from pre-school to high school. I found excitement and much joy in teaching art history or art appreciation as well as public art. I still run a big school art appreciation program that I love, but I shy away from public art now (after 60+ projects now in Seattle, Westchester NY and Chester County). Public art is a great thing when done with the right intentions. When people come together to make an art piece for their classroom, school, or community, it is fun and creative and pretty of course, but they like leaving a little piece of themselves in the artwork that they remember. This is part of giving back to the world around them. Very cool..and but also extremely time and labor intensive.

About 2005 I started running art shows, and began taking classes, just for me, to see if I still had any sort of a gift left. The combination of having art show deadlines and falling back in love with the medium, got me seriously interested in making art- really for the first time in my life.

What do you think is the most important influence in your painting?

No particular place, person or thing… I am influenced by looking -I am constantly looking at paintings and other pieces of art, including functional art such as furniture. When I am drawn to one, I try to figure out both how the artist does what they do, and what specifically draws me to a particular piece. “Looking” is a constant sifting through of visual edits, a lot goes in the discard pile, and the rest is organized and reshuffled for color, mood, something interesting, and relationships to things like time, history, my work or another artist’s work. The more I see, the more I learn about the art form and about why I am a painter. I am almost 55 and I still struggle with the idea of being an artist with a specific voice…what am I working towards in the art piece; where to edit and where to pile it on; there are always questions and challenges in every piece. I definitely would not paint or sculpt if there were no challenges. To have an original voice is both a difficult and an interesting journey.

In college, my end of the year art history paper had to be on a contemporary piece in the Hartford Museum, and I decided to pick something I absolutely hated just as a test to see if I would like it any better after I learned about it. I picked Franz Kline, who I thought was rubbish, and after working through it -he is one of my favorites. I definitely appreciate things more if there is a struggle involved.

I guess the biggest art influence was at Berkeley when an art teacher showed me how to bleed out a line and morph it into more painting than drawing. That was the first time I really painted (real painting, not filling with color), and I never went back to drawing after that. I also only did black and white, no color, until my mid-twenties. That is why my colors are so charged up now; I feel the need to punch them up to give me the same strength of feeling that I got from using black and white. I am trying to tone my color down now, but that is hard, which makes it interesting.. but toning it down is definitely not easy for me. I might go back to black and white.

Can you talk a little bit about your first sculpture?

Wow. That was fun – talk about an electric current. I had never done 3-D, and decided to take the plunge at Stan Smokler’s workshop one summer. It was an instant pure jolt of fun that had no layers of experience tied to it. I was mesmerized by the details, the metal bits and making a thing that was fully round. The first piece was a column made of sinewy found bits that worked their way up to make a whole. It was heavy and it sold immediately. Most of my pieces are abstract combinations of “bound” and unbound” elements. I am drawn to the idea of energy all bundled up and the thrill of being freed. Right now I am trying to learn more about the medium, rather than just be expressive. That involves a lot more grinding and busy work and is less appealing to me than the spontaneity of creating a sculptural piece…but I owe it to the medium to learn more about it. The more I learn about working with steel, the better I can realize the ideas I have..I hope so anyhow. But grinding is a bore and chips away at the little individualistic bits that I like…just like me trying to tone down color in my paintings, I’m not sure tidying up my metal work and making the welds smooth is very “me”, but I am interested in figuring that out.

Do you work certain hours each day or only when you are inspired to work?

I only work when I have a show or commission that is two weeks away or less. I keep hoping that I will schedule art every day, but I don’t. Making art has to be exciting for me, or I will do something else that is. The deadline makes it more exciting and pushes me to finished works as opposed to a lot of exploratory scribbling.

You are painter, sculptor, writer, and also run a winery in Kennett Square, how do you balance work and life?

Well, I don’t know how to relax, so as long as I am busy doing interesting things, then I am very happy. My husband and sons help keep me balanced, and art helps to shake things up.

Check Lele’s work here: http://www.lelegaler.com/

People of Kennett Square–Hattie Weselyk

March 2, 2016 art, artist, beauty, business, Fashion, handmade, life, people, photography, portrait, Story, Uncategorized

Meet talented Hattie, from a ballerina to a sculptor. Now she is a self taught hand crafted jewelry designer in Kennett Square.

What did you do before you start jewelry design?

When I was 4 years old I began intensive training in ballet. I was pigeon-toed and the doctor advised my mother that ballet would help straighten my legs. I quickly ended up taking 10 classes a week and when I was 14, I was accepted into The School of American Ballet at Juilliard in New York City. After that, I was a principal ballerina with the Brandywine Ballet Company for 9 years and, later, danced with Opus 1 Contemporary of Philadelphia as well as guest performed with many theatres and other dance companies. I began teaching ballet in 2001 and only recently have had to cut back to one day a week as it’s all my growing jewelry schedule will allow. In my early twenties, I also modeled as a ballerina for a sculpture class and found myself eager to learn how to sculpt. I took a class and began sculpting, later exhibiting my bronze dancers locally in galleries and art exhibits.

What lead you to beginning to work with jewelry?

In 2006, I stopped dancing professionally and began my family. I enjoyed sculpture but it was expensive to have bronzed. But, without dance or sculpture, I found I still needed an artistic outlet. I picked up an instructional book on beading and wirewrapping at a local craft store and that night I think I made 30 pairs of earrings. I was hooked.

Where do you find your inspiration?

My inspiration comes from everything around me. I love to garden and often am inspired by nature and its beauty and movement. I am currently fascinated with ancient Egyptian artifacts and patinas. I typically don’t sketch out or plan my designs. I have a general idea or inspiration, start grabbing materials and get to work.

Who do you envision wearing your work? Do you think about this when you work on designs?

I strive to make jewelry that people want to wear. I try to make a variety that appeals to all ages and styles. I believe it is important to learn as many techniques as you can but that doesn’t mean you need to pull out all the stops in every single creation. I often find that the pieces people find the most appealing are the simplest.

The most meaningful piece of jewelry you own is?

My favorite piece is my ‘Wrapped in Lavender Cuff’. It was the most technically challenging piece I have ever made and, because of that, the most rewarding. It was a lengthy process but when I finished it, I remember feeling proud of myself.

Do you have a favorite jewelry designer that you admire?

I admire so many artists but I guess you could say my idol is jewelry artist, Jeanine Payer. She has recently closed her studio doors but I was fortunate to have been given a couple of her pieces and absolutely fell in love with the simplicity and feminine quality of her work. It remains an inspiration to me.

Check Hattie’s work here: Hattie Weselyk Jewelry

TAGS: designer, handcrafted, jewery, kennettsquare, pa, photography, portrait, story

People of Kennett Square–Carl Closs

January 25, 2016 artist, home, life, people, photography, portrait, Story

Meet Carl, “Carl is a former educator and business executive who has dedicated his retirement since 1997 toward helping children and adults discover the real George Washington. When you attend one of Carl’s highly entertaining presentations, you’ll realize his portrayal goes a lot deeper than simply dressing in a buff and blue uniform. Carl has spent countless hours poring through the General’s original writings. This allows him to communicate little known, instructive facts to audiences that range from elementary school classes and assemblies to business organizations and civic groups.”–www.gwashington.net

When and how you did you start portray George Washington?

In 1997 I took an early retirement at age 55, and decided to portray George Washington.

What the best part “be” George Washington?

As the :”Living Biographer” of George Washington, who exemplifies what it means to be an American, I can bring him to life for many people regardless of their age or education.

I heard you were invited as George Washington to a wedding, can you talk a little bit about that?

I have portrayed Washington at many wedding receptions with elan and decorum; it is always a special event for me as well as the wedding couple, to be a part in their most memorable day.

Is there anything people don’t know about George Washington?

There’s a great deal which most people don’t know about George Washington; I myself am still learning what an amazing American he was. That said, most people don’t know that he did not want to be President; he didn’t run for President; he belonged to no political party, and got all of the electoral votes. By stepping down after his second term as President he established what was known as the two term tradition which continued for over a century.

People Of Kennett Square–Beth Secor

November 30, 2015 art, artist, farm, life, painting, people, photography, portrait, Story

My daughter took a drawing and painting class at Y. After finished the classes, she showed me her paintings, I was amazed by her work and the way the teacher was teaching. I had a chance to meet the teacher–Beth, an artist who loves doing animals portraits and teaching art to children. I went to her house, she showed me all the fun things in her studio , and activities at the farm. I felt her love of animals , and passion for painting and teaching.

1.What’s your life like when you were a kid?

We had a Ton of fun,brought up on a 99 acre horse farm with horses and dogs and a lot of people.We worked hard on ponies and horses to re sell,or train for other people.My mother was a big hearted free spirit who stressed honesty and to treat other people the way you want to be treated.We got up early and worked hard,then got to do fun active activities all together with out many rules,but you gave it your all in spirit!

2.When and how did you start painting?

I always doodled and loved looking at Art…When I was 16,I had a serious back operation,they said no riding horses for a while!!!..That was my life,Mom said ..whow what are you going to do…I thought if she doesn’t know..it is up to me..I said I’m going to Art School,,,,where one door shuts another one opens!!!My Art has given me so much pleasure and others!!

3. Why do you like to paint animals?

I LOVE animals and feel I intrinsically..intuitively..connect to them,so to paint them enhances these feelings,plus it is a challenge!! I like being able to paint peoples animals so they have a piece of the love forever,it is such a deep feeling…I love painting them!!!!!!

4.What animal do you like most? why?

Horses and Dogs and Big lions….They are free,,atheletic and pick who they trust,then are very loyal..and the partnership grows!!

5.Can you talk a little bit about your last trip to Africa?

My last trip to Africa was magical,I did a lot of sketching..being outside in nature focusing on such beauty of the land the animals and my connection with them was surreal…I wrote in my book…I am revolving with the Universe..which was all beauty and possibility for me!!! I felt totally centered and as if the Dear Lord was whispering in my ear,I’m Proud of you Beth,I do well with those Real Feelings,,I can’t wait to go back!!!

You can check Beth’s work here: http://www.bethsecor.com/

People of Kennett Square–Bri-Arden & James

July 22, 2015 art, artist, business, Fashion, handmade, leather, organic, people, photography, portrait, raw, Story, Style

I knew Bri through Instagram. I have been followed her on Instagram long time. She is the designer-maker and owner of Arden and James. I love her beautiful handcrafted bags. Finally I had a chance to do a photo shoot with her. I arrived her house, her younger son was sleeping, and the older boy was tired but won’t take a nap. He stayed with us whole time, during the photo shoot I saw how she balanced her work with kids. Her studio is stylish, bright and organized. She showed me her new work, and also the first bag she made. She is such a talented artist and wonderful mom.

Where did the name Arden & James come from?

Arden is a little utopian arts community in Delaware. It was designed to demonstrate the values of the Arts + Crafts movement at the turn of the century. Many artists, musicians, actors, and craftsmen live there. There are walking paths through the woods connecting all of the homes and shared community facilities. Such a dream. They have an annual Arden Fair, which is in its 108th year. As a kid, my grandparents’ house was closeby, and we would go to the Fair. It’s a magical place, and it has inspired me all my life.

James is my older son. I started the company when he was old enough to sit on his own and I got my hands back :). My husband is also a James. He is an artist as well – a musician.

What is your design process?

The materials themselves drive my process. I only use materials I love: organic woven linen, locally milled waxed canvas, vegetable tanned leather, and pure copper. I see a natural material that inspires me and then decide what I can make that would highlight its best qualities. It’s sort of a backwards design process – not how I was trained in design school! I think that good design allows the materials to be themselves.

I love getting feedback from customers and friends. When designing something as personal as a handbag, I have to know how people will use it. I want my bags to be a reliable wardrobe staple and hopefully an heirloom, so the details need to be just right.

What currently inspires you and which other artists do you admire and why?

Wharton Esherick. He was a sculptor and painter who resided in Paoli. His home and workshop are open to the public, and they are an endless source of inspiration for me. I hope to shoot my Fall lookbook there this year. It’s funny, but when I make something, I ask myself – would this look good at Wharton’s house? It’s a “handcrafted modern” look. His work has no straight lines. It is informed by the materials and has a perfect organic feel. It’s just too good to put into words – you gotta see it.

What would you most like to make that you haven’t made so far?

Clothing. My sister, Britt, is amazing with styling, colors, and patterns – so it would be a collaborative line where I could choose the materials. My dream is to work with her every day (and our dogs and kids).

How did your parents influence your career?

My parents always wanted us to do what made us happy. Just to be our true selves. My Dad was always working with wood, and my mom was a painter. My mom always said that I was an artist, and wanted me to pursue art as my career, but I never believed in myself enough to think that I could pull it off. After getting my degree in Industrial Design, I apprenticed for other artists, worked in food marketing, and organized community events to earn money. It wasn’t until after my mom passed away – five years ago – and I was pregnant with my first son, that I felt the drive to make things. I could feel my mom’s confidence in me pushing me along. Since then I am always inspired and can’t wait to make more. I feel that my mom is sending these things to me so that I can live my dream. Everything falls into place as long as I focus and do my best. People have responded so passionately to my work – and it’s so flattering – because it’s me being completely honest and putting my true self out there. My work is a reflection of me, and the relationships I have built from that are so authentic and rewarding.

You are busy mom for two boys, how do you balance your work and kids?

The balance day-to-day is so hard, but overall, things work out. I am always going from one thing to the next, running around like a crazy person. But that’s how I work best. I am at home with the boys, so my attention has to be on them first. My boys are 2 and 4, so we don’t have any schedule – I just work in my home workshop when I can – mostly in 10 minute bursts throughout the day (on a good day). I use my iPhone for everything. I am never able to sit at the computer. The boys would be jumping all over me! I plan my work so that I can do handwork such as weaving in the car (while James is driving :)) or outside with the kids while they play. When the kids are both in school things will be easier. I had never imagined my business would grow so quickly – but I’m so proud that it has! The challenge keeps growing, but I’m still hanging in there!

To learn more about Bri and her work go to the website:Arden and James