When Nell Ballard first struck out on her own, she didn’t have a business plan, nor were her expectations very high. The jeweler of nine years (and mother of three small children) figured she would “make extra money for groceries” … Continue reading →

“CLASSIC” is one of those adjectives that gets used so much in fashion copywriting that it almost loses its meaning: how else can items as trendy as shorty rompers or Crocs get described as classic? Heather Stilin of the small … Continue reading →

I first encountered the work of David Allen at one of June LaCombe’s sculpture exhibitions on her farm in Pownal. As I approached the piece I could appreciate how skillfully and exquisitely the granite had been cut, shaped, and polished. … Continue reading →

Not every artist has an origin story, but Tim Christensen does. The year was 1998, and the former poetry major had just been laid off from his job selling law textbooks. “I knew I wasn’t cut out for the corporate … Continue reading →

“It’s not magic,” says David Johansen, who is perhaps better known by his online persona, Neon Dave. “I have a pet peeve with that word. I get why people want to call this magical because it’s cool, but everything we … Continue reading →

The artist stands on a piece of plywood in the middle of the frame. It’s night, and the lighting is fluorescent, turning the walls of the gallery a sickly yellow. Shadows on the wall reveal the presence of a crowd: … Continue reading →

Allie Norman just wanted to design a beer label. The designer had moved to Portland—a mecca for craft brew enthusiasts—after spending time working and traveling abroad. Although she had studied graphic design in college and had been working as an … Continue reading →

When people hear that Courtney Norod is a painter, most of them assume she means fine art or perhaps murals for kids’ bedrooms or faux finishes—something of that type. They don’t expect her to be a housepainter. “It’s a very … Continue reading →

Shopping for my toddler daughter is hard. So much of the children’s clothing available is extremely gendered, with hot pink sparkles and crown patterns on the “girls” clothes and trucks, footballs, and monsters covering the “boys” clothes. I’m always looking … Continue reading →

Lucky Platt was at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts when she met her wolf. She had been thinking about them for a bit, mulling over ideas about these “hairy creatures” she had been making. Sometimes, she would paint bears, which … Continue reading →