ARTIST INTERVIEW: KATIE KELLY OF ARCHER + HARE

This month, DIME caught up with Katie Kelly of Archer + Hare to see what maker secrets she has up her sleeve. She still claims she’s new on the scene, but she’s a seasoned pro when it comes to accomplishing any project with her own two hands. Read on to learn more about this gem (sorry, we had to).
 

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WDDI: First of all, what’s the story behind the name “Archer + Hare"?

Katie Kelly: It's silly, really. The short version is that it is named for my daughter Nola and my husband Lou. Archer because Nola is a Sagittarius, and the symbol for them is the archer. Hare is because I call my husband rabbit. Bunny is a term of endearment I have used for the ones I love. Archer + Hare just jazzed it up a bit. I don't know if Nola + Lou holds the same magic. Haha.

Have you always been involved in creative things and making?

Yes! Always! I love the learning/creating process and trying to work things out on my own. I'm a total jack of all trades and master of none. I love cooking, painting, building and sewing. I will give most things a try - I might not be successful but I am and always have been happiest fully submerged in one project or another.

We know your Etsy shop is really new, yet you have a very specific product line. What made you immediately choose the amazing agates and crystals that you work with?

I wanted to make jewelry for a long time and always sort of dismissed it for some reason. Then after my daughter came, I made the switch to being a stay at home mom. It was really tough at first. She was 2 months premature and the first year of her life was really stressful and I felt like I completely forgot I ever did anything creative. But sometime after her first birthday the fog started to lift and something clicked - I was like, "I need to make things!"

I have always loved fossils, agate and crystals. Initially I chose to make things I wanted to wear myself. It never occurred to me to do otherwise. Everything I make I want to keep. They are all one of a kind, so it's easy to be like "well, I don't have one like this one." It's like giving away your treasures.

We saw your work at the Christmas Show last year and noticed that you make a big variety of other great products. Yet, the line in your Etsy shop if very curated. How do you think that helps your brand?

The Christmas show had a lot of the things I make for Nola and that we give as gifts when our friends have babies - bandit bibs, leather headbands and bows. It just made sense for that event to include the items in with the rest of my stuff (and clears out some of my vintage fabric hoard!).

My etsy shop is different in that I started out wanting to make one thing really well. When you are making so many items that are completely different things can get out of hand pretty easily and seem all over the place and I would like to avoid that. I have already shifted and added earrings to the mix, which I didn't plan on in the beginning. I hope I continue to change and grow into more skills that will let me add more items that fit. I would love to be able to make rings and prong settings so I hope metal-smith is my next step. I would also like to add some fun hair accessories to the shop. I never thought I would be drilling stones, so why not?

In addition to your fantastic work through Archer + Hare, you're also a hair dresser and mom to a very busy 2-year-old. With so much going on, what helps you stay motivated to work on your creative business?

Motivation is hard! I am a wife and mother first, and I wouldn't ever change that. So that means a lot of cups of coffee and nap time/after bedtime scrambling. On days when I absolutely have to get things done I try to get Nola involved so we don't both go crazy. For Christmas I got a new dremel tool and she got a work bench with tiny tools including a drill. She gets first dibs on all my broken stones and loves to "make necklaces". We make a good team!

“Everything I make I want to keep. They are all one of a kind, so it’s easy to be like, ‘Well, I don’t have one like this one.’ It’s like giving away your treasures.”

— Katie Kellie

How did you become involved with DIME?

I connected with Rachel on Instagram! I didn't really have any plans to grow very quickly but she was too wonderful to not link up with.  Every day I meet more local makers and feel so excited and humbled to be a part of the life that is being breathed into this little world!

If you’re not hanging out up at the DIME Store, what are you favorite places to be around town?

We love breakfast at Loco, bi-weekly trips to Denton thrift and the antique malls on 288 and 35(seriously, go y'all!).

Where can we shop your work?

You can find my babies at Dime Handmade, on etsy (archerplushare) and on Instagram (archerplushare)! I love social media and how it has become part of our everyday lives. If you haven't joined Instagram and you are making something you would like to be seen, you are missing out! It is a truly great tool to share glimpses of your daily life and connect with some incredibly talented people while also directing people to etsy. I do a lot of flash sales on there also which are a great way to snag some of my items before they go to etsy and usually for a discount!

Do you have any advice for aspiring makers?

Find one thing you like to make, make it well and expand from there. Don't let fear keep you from beginning something and don't let stress keep you from slowing down. You are the boss!

MAKER SPACE ARTIST FEATURE: SARAH WESTRUP

Interview by Maker Space  

Photo by Sarah Westrup 

Maker Space is excited to be teaming up with We Denton Do It each month to feature a maker from the community.  Our first interview is with Sarah Westrup, fiber artists and educator.  Sarah’s work is beautiful and tends to conjure up the peaceful feeling one might get while exploring a remote West Texas desert.  Read on to learn about her process and why a creative community is essential to her work.

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What kind of work do you make?

Primarily I work as a fibers artist, which means I utilize textile making and embellishment processes into my art work and combine them into sculptural objects. Currently, my favorite process is natural dyes. Natural dyeing is an interesting way to incorporate symbol and narrative into something as abstract as color.

What drew you to that form of art?

I was drawn to fibers because of the textures. I took up knitting, embroidery, and sewing at 16 and from them on I was hooked to the feel, look, and meditative qualities of fiber work.

Mini Alter  

Photo by Sarah Westrup

Santa Maria  

Photo by Sarah Westrup

From where do you draw inspiration for your creative process?

My inspiration comes from exploring the symbolic meanings of plants that are native to my South Texas heritage, environment, and diet such as black beans, avocado pits, prickly pear, and hibiscus flowers for color inspiration. My work strives to explore my own sentiments about the Rio Grande Valley region and my Mexican- American identity.

What brought you to Denton?

I came to Denton so I could go to school at the University of North Texas. I saw an undergrad’s artwork featured in Fiber Arts magazine and thought to myself that I should totally go to school here. UNT is also only one of two universities in the Texas that has a Fibers Department.

Has living in Denton influenced your work?

The folks of Denton are very supportive and nurturing to what I do. Many collaborations and workshops have came out of knowing other great artists that are living here. I don’t think my art work would be the same without living in Denton.

Religious Notions 

Photo by  Sarah Westrup

What is your studio space like?

Haha, my studio space looks like my living room. I utilize my small coffee table and the floor as my workspace as well as the kitchen for dyeing. Oil and Cotton also serves as my community studio space. I am able to recycle many of their donated fabrics and leathers for my own work. Oil and Cotton also was sweet to donate a small table loom to my home studio.

What are the most important tools that you use in your making process?

My most important tools are pots, strainers, plant materials, stoves, fabric, needles, thread, and hammers plus so many more things.

Photo by  Beth Wise 

Tell us about Sunbeam Operations.  What it is and what made you start that business?

Sunbeam Operations is my small business, which puts on workshops and demonstrations on natural dyes. I started the business because I saw a desire for natural dye education that wasn’t being fulfilled. I had only been experimenting with natural dyes for about a year, but I thought that at least I could share what I know with others and start from there. I have led demonstrations at the Dallas Museum of Art, the Perot, the Denton Community Market, Oil and Cotton, and Cardo’s Farm Project. My hope is that people are inspired by the colors they see and want to adopt the process for their own art and craft works. I always try to get other artists to think about leading their own workshops, because it’s important to share ideas and processes. It’s not about how much you know, it’s about being organized and generous about what you do know.   

What interests you about incorporating education into what you do creatively?

In 2009 I went to the Penland School of Crafts for my first time and since then have been fascinated with community workshop based learning. The type of environment where folks work together and share their art making experience really fosters creativity, collaboration, and artistic self-confidence. Incorporating education into my own art functions as a way for others to experience something new and take it into their own hands.

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Maker Space is a forthcoming collaborative creative space started by Heather Gregory and Tristan Bynum in the heart of Denton. Maker Space works to bring together artists and creatives from different backgrounds and mediums by providing access to the space, tools, resources and creative community they need in order to thrive in Denton.