Who would you say has been the biggest influence on you as an artist?
I am motivated by the remarkable narratives and concepts of the work created by the Artists’ Louise Bourgeois, Gerard Richter, and Nari Ward.
The collective day to day push and response that I receive from my family, friends, supporters, and collectors to keep going Is really what continues to influence my work.
Where does your creative process originate?
My entire work process is an emotional response.
What was a major influence in your sculptural pursuit? The desire to create recognizable forms.
What project are you working on? I am balancing a few projects right now; priming work for exhibit, exploring new materials and collaborations, and completing a series of paintings that have been on the back burner for a couple of years.
What initially attracted you to textiles as a medium?
I was always drawn to the weavers at artisan shows. Not just the texture and colors but the mechanics fascinated me. It is a tactile art and has such a rich history not just in this country but throughout the world. It was an important part of the community in early societies. I decided to take a class which led to several more before I felt confident enough to purchase my own loom. Weaving is an organic art in that the loom is made from wood of trees grown from the earth, the fabrics are derived from wool from the animals and the end result provides fabric for rugs, clothing, household linens, etc. full circle.
What or who were your early influences and how has your life/upbringing influenced your work?
I grew up surrounded by fabric, my mother sewed. She made all of her clothes, my own and even that for my dolls (much of which I still have today). Her sewing table was tucked into an alcove in her bedroom and she allowed me to play amongst the bias tapes, spools of thread, cutting table and loads and loads of material bursting from her dresser. I told myself I would never have a room so cluttered with stuff when I grew up – well there it is – I grew up to have a room dedicated to weaving with a 300 pound floor loom and loads of fabric and tools for my craft all around.
Tell us a bit about your process
The process starts with deciding what I want to make and then choosing the fabric. I use reclaimed upholstery fabrics that otherwise would end up in the landfill. I also repurpose jeans. The fabric will tell me then what color to use for the warp (the vertical threads that go on the loom and weft (the horizontal threads that are hand thrown with a shuttle). You measure your warp threads, dress the loom and begin to weave. When done, you take your project off the loom and finish it off with sewing or braiding of the fringe. I follow the traditional style of rag weaving using upholstery fabric as the weft. You never know exactly what it will look like until you are finished. Many of my products are wearable or for the home like table runners, wine totes, purses, pillows, and belt bags.
What currently inspires you and which other artists do you admire and why?
I am currently exploring the early colonial craft of coverlet weaving and hoping to explore more in the next year. I love the history of the craft both from the woven item to the machinery it was produced on.
Tell us about a piece of work you have fond memories of and why?
I particularly like when the piece brings back memories for someone. I had made a simple wine tote but the fabric reminded the person of their own grandmother. She accidentally lost the bag but I still had fabric left and made another for her. She was thrilled and I was able to give her back the memory.
Meet Victoria, owner of TEXTILE, vintage+contemporary designers.
Please tell us about your journey to become a stylist and how did you first get into vintage clothing?
I have been a stylist for about ten years now. I have always loved clothing and putting outfits together. I was lucky enough to have a grandmother and mother who saved a lot of their favorite pieces from years past. I love wearing vintage pieces! I wanted to create a place where your favorite female designers and vintage collections could come mingle together. And that is how TEXTILE was born.
Where does your boutique name: Textile come from? How would you describe your boutique?
While trying to brainstorm a name for my first boutique, I was all over the place. It’s a daunting task to name something you’ve dreamt about for a lifetime! Fabrics and the tactile connection you have to an article of clothing is one of my favorite things. A lot of people choose an item of clothing to wear because it feels good. TEXTILE is an ode to fabrics and the creative process of fashion design.
What was the first piece you fell in love with?
My mothers wedding dress is the very first piece I fell in love with. It is this simple cream long sleeve column dress from 1975. The most beautiful figure hugging gown. I fell in love with this as a child and that sparked the vintage lover forever! I still have her dress today (preserved,) it’s the most important piece in my closet!
What’s in your own closet?
I have quite the eclectic mix in my own closet. I wear vintage clothing almost everyday. I love pairing new contemporary pieces with vintage. That is what you will find at TEXTILE. A curated collection of vintage and also contemporary clothing! I love denim. Pairing denim with a cool vintage floral jacket or vintage lingerie is my go to.
Who are your style muses?
My style muse has always evolved and changed from year to year. But the women who have always had the most enviable style to me are Gwen Stefani and Kate Moss. Eclectic, sexy, and unique.
Meet Catherine, she is a Pianist, improviser, Steinway Artist.
Who or what inspired you to take up the piano, and pursue a career in music?
When I was 8, my parents bought me an 80 year old piano at a yard sale with a cracked soundboard. My dad who was good with woodworking repaired the soundboard and built me a piano bench. I played non-stop after that! I was a music minor in college when I discovered that I could improvise, and the music started coming in torrents after that. Even though I was performing classical and my original music in many solo concerts a year, it wasn’t until five years after graduation that I decided to leave my corporate job and pursue music full time. By that point I had released two albums and was performing throughout the region!
Who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?
Pianist George Winston, Cellist David Darling and his organization Music for People, and Pianist Dr. Robert Bedford.
Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?
River Flow, Maiden’s Voyage and I Dream About This World: The Wyeth Album.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
Learning to be self-aware enough to know when I need to practice and continually improve!
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
Purely by emotion, and a reflection of my state of being! I have found that some years I’m more melancholy and want simplicity and depth, others I’ve craved structure and light-heartedness, and others I seek a deep-dive into intellectual and technical challenge.
Meet Tara, Freelance writer, Communications coordinator at Historic Kennett Square.
What has influenced you as writer?
I was recently at an author reading where a college student asked for advice on overcoming writer’s block. After giving a few of the usual tips, this writer said, “And maybe you’ll have to live a little before you find your stories.” That resonated with me, as I’ve always been immersed in words—as a reader, student, editor, and writer—but only more recently have I found inspirational writer-mentors (through the MFA program at Rosemont College) who have helped me see how I can shape and tell the stories I’ve always wanted to write. So I would say everything I’ve experienced in 52 years has influenced me as a writer—particularly perhaps motherhood, nature, and a strong sense of place rooted in the places I’ve lived (New England, Ireland, and now Pennsylvania).
What do you think makes a good story?
Conflict, desire, and complicated characters—but also beautiful, lyrical language.
Can you tell us a little bit about your project with your grandfather’s lifelong diaries?
My grandfather kept a daily diary from the day he married in 1939 until the day before he died in 1989. He was a bank president, and so most entries log bank activity as well as weather data, births, deaths, and marriages. But the tidbits of personal reflection he recorded tell a deeper, richer story of our family and life in a small border community in northern Vermont over these decades of significant change. My MFA thesis is a collection of lyric essays exploring what gets passed down from generation to generation, and his diary entries operate as an authoritative outside voice in many of the pieces. I’ve also been surprised by how some of the apparently mundane data in his diaries—for instance, the weather—inform deeper threads of stories about people and place.
Do you have any suggestions to help people become a better writer?
I think I’d say tuning in to all five senses in varied life experiences. And lots of practice. Also—and having spent most of my career as an editor, I can’t stress this enough—taking time to let what you’ve written settle before going back to revise and trim every word that’s not serving a purpose. One of the best courses I took in my MFA program was on flash fiction. The discipline of having to write a story in 200, 100, or even 50 or fewer words helped me to see the bones of a story and taught me the power of deletion.
How long have you been living in Kennett Square? What do you love most about Kennett Square?
My husband Andrew and I moved here from Dublin with our two children in 2008. I especially love being able to walk most places, the creative people, synergy, and diversity of our community, the beautiful landscape, and the proximity to Philadelphia and New York City. I only wish it were a little closer to Boston, where our daughter now lives—and Dublin, where our son is studying!
Meet Jan, the founder of AHHAH–arts holding hand and hearts.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself ?
My life has been a winding road full of many wonderful twists and turns that have all lead me to AHHAH. I grew up in Nashville and was going to major in psychology but was invited to act in a summer theatre program my senior year and was hooked and changed my major to theatre. I was a professional actress in NYC for 18 years, even was in a a horror film, Mad Man where I get axed in the chest and my head shot off (that always grabs the attention of youth in detention when I share that tidbit). I have a BA degree in Theatre and a Master’s in Education, my thesis was “Does and Arts Infused Curriculum enhance the academic success of children labeled “at risk”?” I have two children, Ian who is 35 and a lawyer in Norristown, and Caitlin who is 31, an artist, dancer and the most amazing mother of my 2 year old grandson in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We moved to Unionville 25 years ago. I started a ‘Science Alive’ program at Unionville Elementary school when it was a K-3 school when my daughter was in 1st grade and then was hired to bring the program to Chadds Ford Elementary. After getting my Master in Education, I moved on up to Patton Middle School and taught English, Science, Life Management Skills and assisted the after school drama program. My husband had worked at the World Trade Center in NYC. I had always said when my children were grown and I was a grandmother I would go back to acting. After 9/11 I realized that if you have a dream, you can’t put it on a shelf and say “one day” but pursue it now. I finished that school year and once again pursued acting this time in Philadelphia. My first day not teaching, I was cast in a show “Snow is Falling” with Philadelphia Young Playwrights. During the rehearsals, when they found out that I had been a teacher, I was asked to be a teaching artist teaching playwriting with children in inner city schools in Philadelphia. A truly AHHAH moment. I was a teaching artist for both PYP and the Philadelphia Theatre Company for 8 years.
I also lead the drama program with the Philadelphia Senior Center across the street from Suzanne Roberts Theatre and was a member of CAAN- Creative Arts and Aging Network. I was part of the planning committee for a town hall meeting at World Live Cafe in 2002 of the importance of professional arts programming with seniors that was a nationwide movement to get funding for professional senior arts programming. The theme of the town hall meeting was think globally but act locally.
2. When and why did you start AHHAH?
I started an intergenerational program called Hands Across the Ages which combined senior citizens at the Kennett Senior Center and teenagers at the Garage to share their stories and break down the walls between the generations. The teens came to the senior center after school for workshops where we used theatre techniques to build connections. The next year the seniors went to the high school as part of an after school program. I brought this program to Philadelphia Theatre Company as part of their “Philly Reality” program. I worked with the Philadelphia Senior Center and the World Communications Charter School which was across the street. Fall of 2012 they picked the issue of bullying in school and that we need more arts education not more guards with guns. The piece they wrote together was, “I AM LIVING”. December 12 was the Sandy Hook killing. I AM LIVING was performed to a packed audience at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre. At the talk back after the performance, young and old shared having been either bullied or being a bully, not realizing the impact of words to hurt a person and became advocates to stop bullying. Three weeks later I found out that three of the inner city schools where I was teaching were closing and three weeks after than I found out that funding for the arts of the other inner city schools was being cut. I said to the director of education at PTC that if the government does not believe that children in poverty deserve an arts education and are just going to funnel them into the prison system, then we need to bring our programs to the children in the juvenile justice system. The education director said they didn’t go there and I said, ” I guess I have to open my own organization that does.” I quit my job. I get up early in the morning 4 am to meditate ( that’s when my husband starts snoring and I felt it was better to get up and meditate instead of tossing and turning with a pillow over my ears or his head!) and journal. The day after I quit I journaled and asked “Ok what do I do now, and as if channelled my hand wrote, AHHAH. I wrote what does AHHAH stand for and I wrote Arts Holding Hands and Hearts. I closed my journal and said to myself, “I guess that’s my new organization.”
3. Can you share some stories from AHHAH programs?
I teach 6 am yoga at Yoga Secrets in Kennett. That morning after teaching I asked, Can anyone get me into the prisons legally. There was a new person in class who said she was a parole officer and said I need to talk to Carrie Avery and Joe Frankenstein at the Chester County Youth Center. I said,”Is this a horror film joke, Carrie and Frankenstein! It wasn’t. I met with Carrie and Joe and a week later I started a weekly trauma sensitive yoga class. Three months later we started a creative writing program. That was in 2013. The first writing program was with girls in the shelter for homeless and abused girls at CCYC. There were 4 girls, all from Coatesville. The first girl who shared was Sarena, who wrote, “I am the daughter of a teenage mother who was the daughter of a teenage mother who was the daughter of a teenage mother with no father in sight.” The next girl who shared wrote about being raped at 12 by her uncle while her mother was in the room and the baby crying that stopped him from taking her again but she forgave him because she knew that she would be in prison in her heart if she didn’t forgive. I knew then that AHHAH had to make Coatesville our base to see how we could stop the youth from Coatesville entering the juvenile justice system. Our first grant was a 21st Century Learning Center grant and we facilitated trauma sensitive yoga and after school playwriting classes with students at Scott Middle School in 2014. We then found out that children in kindergarten were being suspended in Coatesville. We knew if we were going to be more than a bandaide we needed to reach families with children 0-5. We started a Family Story Time Yoga program for children 2-5 with a caregiver at the Coatesville Library. One of the mothers in our first class, mother was a teacher in Early Start a program with Head Start. She introduced us to the director of Coatesville Head Start and we facilitated Storytime Yoga for free to 5 Head Start classes in Coatesville. 2019 AHHAH brings our Storytime Yoga program to over 400 children in Chester County. In my research of why so many children in poverty enter the juvenile justice system I found statistics that children in poverty are exposed to 30 MILLION words less by the time they are five than children in a middle class or more affluent household. 2015 was the City of Coatesville’s 100 anniversary. I spearheaded a “PULL” (Pop Up Lending Library) Campaign to get 100 both indoor and outdoor PULL Stations throughout Coatesville. 2018 the Longwood Rotary gave AHHAH $1500 for materials to build 10 PULL Stations in Kennett Square. The Kennett Square community embraced the PULL Campaign. AHHAH partnered with the Kennett Library and the Kennett Culture and Arts group in identifying locations, artists, and collection of books.
How did you find yourself in the art world and decide to stay?
My passion has always orbited around art. As I child, I started drawing and was encouraged to do so by my mother (who is an artist!) I excelled at art in high school, entering and placing in competitions, and studied studio art and art history at Connecticut College. After graduating, I moved to Philadelphia and attended Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where I continued to suss out what I’m trying to do with my art. As an adult, I continue to pursue artistic endeavors while also engaging the community. I write an art column for Chadds Ford Live and Chester County Press called Mixed Media, and have been enjoying that since November. I still create my own work, and sell my cards at worKS, as well as participate in community art events. I recently established a Pop Up Arts committee dedicated to uplifting the arts in the Kennett area through Pop Up Events. It seems that, no matter where I go, art follows me and I’m realizing that’s not a coincidence.
What are you working on right now? How did the project come to you?
Right now I’m working on a few paintings for the Evening of The Arts. I’m looking to expand into some more fauvist styles of painting. I have also just learned how to frame my own work, so I’m practicing that as well.
We also have a Pop UP Art event in Kennett Square on June 1st so, stay tuned for more info!
Why did you decide to move to Kennett square?
I am originally from the area. After living in dense metropolitan areas for 10 years, I was ready to slow down a little bit and recalibrate, and that landed me back in Kennett which has been a really fantastic thing for me. I work for the Kennett Township, and participate in community events in the borough as well. I love this community!
What do you like most about Kennett Square?
I love how Kennett has grown into itself in the past ten years. It’s changed from a sleepy agricultural town, to a lively community full of artists and entrepreneurs with big ideas. There will always be a part of the community that will long for the past, and challenge ingenuity, but overall, I see Kennett as receptive to change while still respecting its roots, and that’s one of the most attractive things about this town.
Meet David, the owner of Unionville Saddle. David is a fashion designer, after living in New York for a decade he is bring his love of custom garment making back to here.
What sparked your interest in fashion?
Growing up I always had an interest in fashion, I remember reading GQ or sketching what my favorite pop stars’ were wearing but I was always more interested in fine arts. I grew up painting and drawing and didn’t begin to sew until I was a senior in high school. I really got interested in fashion when I went to Parsons School of Design in NYC. While I was studying I realized that fashion was a way to communicate concepts while exploring traditional construction techniques and making people feel amazing.
What is your brand philosophy?
My brand philosophy revolves around the concept of Your Body Infinite Options. Studying and working in the fashion industry for a decade opened my eyes to some major flaws in the current fashion system. From not providing adequate sizing in stores to crippling runway and production costs I have decided to approach the business in a much different way by creating single pieces specifically to a client’s needs. I believe that clients are looking for something that is made just for them, in the past women would have clothes made for them by dressmakers, working one on one to create something completely original and with a perfect fit for them. My goal is to make every client feel at home while working with them to create pieces that will flatter every part of them, last, and look modern for years to come.
How do you describe your fashion and style?
I like when there is a mix of minimal clean lines and rawness, I love when frayed edges contrast the perfect fit. There always needs to be a balance comfort and elegance, weight and lightness, color and texture.
What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?
Currently, I am working with the concept of my transition from a city life in NYC to life in Unionville. I have always used personal experience in life as my inspiration for my collections and this transition has been the most shocking and rewarding process of my life.
Talk us through the process of creating a garment. How long does it normally take to create a dress? what’s the procedure like?
Making a garment can take anywhere up to a year, particularly for bridal gowns. The process always begins with a conversation, what do you need, when do you need it, what will the function be? Then I will show a client some fabrics that may work with what they need and we begin to sketch. Once a design is selected I drape the piece, make a pattern, fit a muslin, and order the final fabric. Once the pattern is corrected I cut the garment in final fabric, sew it, and fit the final piece. Depending on how complicated the garment is it may need more fittings to get the correct the fit.
Meet Robin, the owner of Brandywine Botanicals. ” Robin’s experience in floral design contributes to an appreciation of artistic balance. She has always had an interest in unique fragrances and has spent the last several years researching products and learning about ingredients sourced from around the world. “–http://www.brandywinebotanicals.com
How did you become a perfumer?
I seem to change careers like most people change jobs and a natural fragrance business brings me full circle to my first job as a floral designer. Both floral and fragrance design are creative outlets that are based on design principles; they are a wonderful blend of art and science. One of the shops I worked at had a large garden center where it was easy to learn about plants, their care and their fragrance. I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for a while and the plants are amazing. There were rosemary shrubs and lemon trees growing in the yard and nonstop color all around me. Gardening was, and still is, a joy.
Perfume is a blend of art and science. Years as a critical care respiratory therapist required a background in science to understand our bodies and therapies used to treat injury and illness. This ties into the chemistry aspect of fragrance. We smell essential oils because they evaporate and that rate of evaporation is based on the size of the molecules and how they interact. Fragrance has an effect on our mood and often has therapeutic properties, something I am learning about through aromatherapy training. Experience in the corporate world comes in handy for running a small business. Anyone who is a small business owner understands that you wear multiple hats and often do it all.
So how did I become a perfumer? Blending essential oils and their beautiful scents was a hobby that grew after taking a single aromatherapy workshop. That workshop was followed by training with a very successful natural perfumer in Rhode Island. The last several years have been spent trying different blends, learning about the essential oils and enjoying an olfactory trip around the world.
Do you have a particular style or approach to creating fragrances?
The concept for a fragrance can come from several directions but blending always starts in my mind. I may find a beautiful scent, like orange blossoms, try a new essential oil or simply read about a new ingredient or perfume that starts the creative process. The next step is similar to cooking. Just as you have an idea of what seasoning will work in a recipe, I consider what essential oils or botanicals will work together. For instance, will a blend need the spark of a little citrus? Perhaps a nice sandalwood as the base? Following design principles means using specific fragrance ‘notes’ together so you can smell a top note after applying the fragrance and experience a smooth transition to middle notes and the final base notes that last the longest for what is called the ‘dry down’. Then the fun really begins as I place a drop or two of each ingredient onto a test strip and try different combinations. Because natural fragrance does not contain preservatives or longer-lasting synthetic fragrance chemicals, it rarely lasts as long as a synthetic. The natural perfumer must carefully blend the fragrance notes and use essential oils that have fixative properties that help the overall blend last a bit longer. Creating a beautifully balanced blend is the artistry of natural fragrance.
Tell me about your favorite in the collection?
Almost Summer is a favorite because it was one of my first blends and it is a simple, beautiful orange blossom fragrance. It reminds me of driving along orange groves when the trees are in bloom. Everywhere you look you see the small white blossoms and their sweet, warm fragrance is carried by the breeze. It is a nice warm-weather fragrance and is uplifting during the colder months.
What projects are you currently working on and where do you want to take your business in the future?
This spring is a big turning point for Brandywine Botanicals. I will complete aromatherapy certification training in July and plan to offer an aromatherapy collection. This is likely to include a fragrant oil for massage or moisturizing and an aromatherapy spray that can be used to fragrance the home, linens and the skin. That is the beauty of natural ingredients: they can serve more than one purpose with less concern than something made from petroleum products as many home fragrances are. Certification also opens the door to starting a small practice where custom blends can be offered to those with a specific need. I work from my home studio so sell online and at local events but would like to find a small studio/retail space to offer fragrance, host workshops and support an aromatherapy practice. Location is challenging for a small business but I am always on the lookout for unique opportunities so stay tuned!
Meet Shannon, Mother of two beautiful girls, owner of Penny lane emporium.
Can you tell us about yourself?
I live in Chadds Ford with my two daughters, Lily & Quinn, and my husband, Rob. I grew up in Chadds Ford and we moved back a few years ago to raise our family here. I love this area so much. It holds a lot of personal history and happy memories and I’m so grateful we came back. I worked in corporate retail for 17 years, most recently at Urban Outfitters Inc, where I spent 14 years working in Merchandising in the Planning & Allocation department. I recently left my corporate career to venture out on my own and chase a life long dream of opening a retail shop. My family is my biggest Joy. I think good girlfriends and good wine are an essential part of life. I love to travel,
be silly with my kids and believe that life is truly what you make of it.
What made you want to open a children clothing store?
As I was exploring what I wanted to do with the next chapter of my career, I knew I wanted to open a local shop in the community. In the end, I put together the elements of what I believe I know best: Retail + Parents + Kids. I use my own daughters as inspiration and follow their lead on what they like in their personal lives. I like the fun, whimsical nature of children’s retail. I felt that was missing in Kennett Square and I wanted to bring something unique and fresh to the town.
Where did the name Penny Lane Emporium come from?
Penny Lane has a whimsical feel to it. To me, it feels like a warm and welcoming location, a place I would be curious to visit. Emporium also feels very fun and magical and helps communicate the variety of items we sell. Clothing, accessories, gifts, shoes, novelties, ice cream, etc.
What makes your store unique?
Penny Lane Emporium offers a engaging retail experience for parents and kids. I really wanted to create a space that kids would want to visit. As a parent, I am very familiar with the challenges of shopping with children. If I can engage the kids in the retail experience as well, it’s a win win for everyone. We have a small, but cheerful kid’s area with chalk board and coloring activities, a Little Free Library that serves as a community book exchange for kids, a Mouse Hunt riddle for kids to solve for a prize and of course, Mochi Ice Cream. I hope kids, as well as, parents will want to come back again and again.
What do you think about Kennett Square?
I have always loved Kennett Square and was really excited to become a local business owner in town. Little did I know how amazing it really is! The community feel of Kennett is fostered by the amazing merchants, business owners and borough government. Everyone has been supportive, helpful and welcoming to Penny Lane. It truly is a unique and wonderful place and I feel very fortunate to be fulfilling my dream in this community.
