Creative Humans - Cat Seto Ferme à Papier

Every now and then it happens that you come across a person that is the best type of lovely. Who welcomes you into their life for one hour of one particular day and that hour just happens to become the happiest, most relaxed, joyous and warm hour of your entire week. They are kind, so happy to chat, nothing is too much to ask or too silly to mention and they are just so very nice. That person in this instance was Cat Seto. I took a trip to Russian Hill, a picturesque suburb of San Francisco, to visit her studio/botique, Ferme à Papier. If I didn't already have enough reason to be happy that day (I was in San Fransico!) then meeting Cat and being at the Ferme à Papier studio really just topped it off. Cat is an illustrator, writer and business woman and a super successful one at that. I watched as Cat and her interns buzzed around the studio sorting and packaging and found myself gawking at every single one of Cat's French inspired designs. The whole Ferme à Papier line is inspired by Cat's trips to France. Cat spoke of her inspired travel ventures, her love for her little boy and gave suggestions for the best places to eat in the city (can you imagine my excitement!?).  That hour, the best of my week, went by way too fast. Thank goodness for the memory evoking power of photos and this little interview. Enjoy.

What projects are you currently working on?

Our studio is currently working on fulfilling orders with our retailers and researching for fun new products and designs for our new collections. And we are reaping the rewards of a year of collaboration with great folks at Chronicle Books where we have a Ferme journal, notecard set and sticker label set, and an equestrian inspired bedding collection with Land of Nod all releasing for fall.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

We have an open studio and I am inspired by the city, the community and the neighbors who interact with us on a daily basis. Ferme à Papier was inspired by a trip I took to Paris for the first time two years ago. I was quite a workaholic and never did much travel in the past, but now I see travel in a whole new purposeful light.

Why an illustrator/writer? I was drawing and scribbling and sketching before I could walk. I'd sneak a sketchpad onto my lap under the dinner table and when we went out to restaurants. This was always the most comfortable medium for me to express myself in.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, would you be so kind to share some of your favourite artists?

My music tastes are all over the map... quite schizophrenic and laughable, but I couldn't spend hours on the drawing board without my tunes :). From classical like Stravinsky's Firebird to Vintage French Pop such as Phoenix and Tahiti 80.

Do you have a morning ritual?

My son and I cuddle and eat breakfast together before I get him ready for school and drop him off. Then I work out... I'm somewhat religious about this and use that time to sweat and organize my day ahead. The rest is a hodge lodge of correspondence, phone and conference calls, checking in with the team, studio and boutique. I will eat or round errands in the latter part of my day if I know that I'm going to be designing late in the night (usually vampire hours of 1-4am).

What's your idea of a perfect Friday night?

A leisurely dinner with friends, catching up with my son... to be honest it's nice to just mellow out and relax after a long week!

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Greece has always been on my travel list. The Capri blue water would likely take my breath away.

Best piece of advice you've ever given or been given?

There's an Ira Glass video called "The Gap" that I have been sharing with my team and new interns. It's a super short video all about patience, honing your craft and being humble.

What's for dinner?

Hoisin string beans and codfish.

The best part about being a creative?

Expression and creativity are at the forefront of your daily missives.

The worst part? Balancing the business component which competes and quite often wins the "forefront" position!

Day or night? Night Old or new? Old mixed with New City or Country? City Coffee or Tea? Tea

What do you enjoy most about living in San Francisco?

The city is beautiful... you can be walking, driving, lost in your in world and then you lift your head up and see the expansive bay spill out from the city.

Thoughts for the future: 

The mainstay of my future thoughts are the ones I hold presently: to pursue good health, strive to maintain creative expression and freedom, indulge through my friends and family...and seek out the best ice cream all over the world :)

Creative Humans - Taylor Bruce | Wildsam Field Guides

I met Taylor in his home town of Austin Texas, at the pop up Northern Grade market back at the start of summer. He was showcasing his brilliant, curated genius - Wildsam Field Guides. I had just driven from San Francisco, where I had relied entirely on the Wildsam Field Guide to get me around town. I had been obsessed with this little red book and its invaluable local knowledge the entire time (and leading up to) my visit to the city. The thought of even meeting its curator was nothing short of exciting. We didn't have long together, Taylor and I. He was busy with the market stall and I was on the final leg of a three week long cross country road trip, ready to get home. Although short, our meeting was still very full - we spoke of San Francisco, my obsession with his Field Guides and the German sausage that he had just bought from one of the the food trucks outside. He was also very keen to share the story of the next in line (now published) field guide, Detroit. The fourth addition to the first three city's - Austin, San Fran and Nashville. Full of local suggestions and recommended haunts, interviews, essays and hand-drawn maps, these unique little books are a true travelers gem. If you've already found the Wildsam Field Guides, you know exactly what I mean. If you haven't, get on it. These guides are gold.

What projects are you currently working on?

We just finished a print piece for BILLY REID and their annual shindig weekend in Florence, Alabama. It was a blast to collaborate on stories from their hometown. Also WC Handy's birthplace. I loved reading his autobiography. Now we're full-speed ahead on finishing our next city field guide, New Orleans. There may be no American city more perfect for us.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

Everywhere. Great writing to start. I love longform magazine writing. I love great short stories. I also find myself really kicking into creative gear when I'm at a tiny neighborhood cafe. Some place that's one of a kind and tucked away. Give me a window seat and a few hours and I'm in heaven.

Why field guides?

Because the world is wild, even cities. They have layers and layers of heritage and stories. And just passing along a list of stuff to do doesn't get deep into place.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, would you be so kind to share some of your favourite artists?

I love a band out of Austin called Balmorhea. Somehow they capture the Texas sound. They even record cicadas and natural elements and lace it into their songs. "All is Silent, All is Wild" is my favorite record.

Do you have a morning ritual?

I make a Chem-Ex of dark coffee, sit in a black Acapulco chair on my porch with my wife and watch our dog, Coop, sniff the yard.

What's your idea of a perfect Friday night?

A bourbon-ginger at home, then meeting a friends for a big dinner at Contigo, our favorite restaurant in Austin. Then go driving around the outskirts of the hill country with my windows down.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I've been craving Italy lately. Give me the keys to an old convertible and one month with no plans.

Best piece of advice you've ever given or been given?

Love your neighbor.

What's for dinner?

Shashito peppers on the grill. Breaded chicken over Parmesan pasta with squash. Scribe vino. (At least that was last night. So good.)

The best part about being a creative?

There's always something new and exciting down the road.

The worst part?

Sometimes finishing those things is pretty hard.

Day or night? Morning. Old or new? A little of both. City or Country? City. Unless you're talking desert southwest, then that. Coffee or Tea? Coffee.

What do you enjoy most about living in Austin?

Lots of shared swimming holes. And the queso.

Thoughts for the future:

Hopeful.

Creative Humans - Nathan Hayden

I have to be honest. Meeting Nathan Hayden was a complete and utter surprise. A very nice surprise, but not at all a planned one. When I turned up to his home in Santa Barbara, I arrived to meet and photograph his lovely fiancee and fellow artist, Hannah Vainstein. However, it really didn't take me all that long before I was also drawn into Nathan's work and talent. He quickly became one of the most interesting fellows I have ever had the pleasure of meeting (his fabulous answers below attest to that). I just had to photograph him as well. First it was a chat on the porch over a cup of tea, then it was into the studio where Nathan introduced me to his tiny hand drawn and poetry filled cards - the starting point and inspiration for his larger art works. It was then that I became completely and positively dazed by the massive piece of felt that Nathan was currently working on. Never had I seen such a meticulous and perfect hand drawn creation. I watched as Nathan took off his shoes, dipped his paintbrush into the ink and then begin working on the felt. So much detail, so much precision. The music was on and in between brush strokes, Nathan would burst into a moment of improvised dance, moving freely and smiling cheekily. I could have easily been transported back to the 70's - the psychedelic art and free momentary dance was a little piece of studio heaven. This is what I live for. To meet people and moments like this.

What projects are you currently working on?

I work in multiple mediums but for me it’s all part of one ongoing project.  I dance for an hour a day to induce visions and from those visions I make pictures, objects and installations. I have an ongoing series of large-scale wall drawings. I just finished a 23 x 18 foot ink drawing on the back wall of CB1 Gallery in Los Angeles called, How the Medicine Sees and another that covers all the walls of the entrance at UCSB’s AD & A Museum called Shaman of the North, Shaman of the South.  These large pieces pull viewers into a space and give them an atmospheric jolt.

I’m also contributing some very small drawings to the show at CB 1 from an ongoing series I call the cards.  As an installation artist, scale shift is important to me when I think about the construction of a space.  I often think of my very large and very small-scale drawings as gestures of infinity.

The other drawings that I am currently working on are made by applying ink to industrial felt.  These pieces add another texture to the work and possess a certain haptic quality that I associate with the handmade.  In addition I have also started a clay project for which I am making objects that I look like a combination of geometric shapes found in ancient currency, alphabets and architecture combined with organic forms found in nature.  I am not sure what I will do with these yet.  Right now I am just playing.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

A: My surroundings and daily activities, especially music and dancing, but gardening, hiking, sex, reading and napping are some of my other favorite ways to induce visions.

Why a visual artist?

I’ve had a very strong drive to make images/objects since I was very young. Spending the first eight years of my life living with my family in log cabin built by my father in rural West Virginia, I began early explorations of drawing and woodcarving and developed interests in the naturally occurring forms and patterns I encountered while playing in the woods.  These early influences and childhood experiences played a huge part in shaping me into the maker I have become.

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, would you be so kind to share some of your favorite artists? 

Yes.  As I mentioned above music is a major fuel for the dancing and the work.  I don’t think what I would make would exist without music and my favorite artists would be a long list.  I’m all over the map. Lately I’ve been listening to Swans and Death Grips for late night intensity, Parquet Courts, War on Drugs, Thee Oh Sees and Future Islands for irresistible indie pop/rock, William Onyeabor and Todd Terje for uncontrollable dancing and couple of compilations, one of Haitian big band music called Haitii Direct and another of 60’s Tropicalia called Bossa Nova for summertime-porchtime dancing and chilling.

Do you have a morning ritual?

Black tea with lots of milk in my favorite mug.

What's your idea of a perfect Friday night?

On the porch with friends.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I’ve been really curious about Mexico City, Tokyo (and rural Japan).  We have a friend in Rio that we really want to visit, and I last time I was in Berlin we had a really good time, I’d love to go back.

Best piece of advice you've ever given or been given?

That’s a tossup.  Here is a list that comes to mind:

If you can’t do someone a good turn, don’t do them a bad one… Similar to the golden rule, seems like a good way to live.

Surround yourself in light and be careful what energy you follow are two pieces advice that are quite abstract, but I think of them as basic ways of protecting yourself energetically.

Buddha brain that shit!  Supposedly it’s human nature to be more likely remember bad things that have happened than good things.  Supposedly it’s also more likely for positive things to happen in the future/present if you have more positive memories.  Apparently Buddha became conscious of this and every time he found himself recalling something negative about a relationship he would try switch to memories about the good times.  So, if your friends are bugging the shit out of you and it’s causing you to remember all the ills they have ever unleashed upon you, try thinking about all the good times you’ve had together and see if you can’t turn the day around.  Basically, think positive…Did I just write an intro to a self help book?

What's for dinner?

Chips and home made guacamole. The avocados are a powerful reason to live in California.

The best part about being a creative?

When the visions come through me.  It’s a privilege to receive visions and be able to bring them into this reality as images/objects and I’m grateful to have the chance to do it.

The worst part?

The magic moments make it all worthwhile, but it’s an immense amount of work and can be terribly physically and mentally fatiguing.

Day or night? Night.

Old or new? New to me.

City or Country? I’ve seen beauty and desolation in both, but I from deep in the country.

Coffee or Tea? Tea

What do you enjoy most about living in Santa Barbara?

As I mentioned before, I dance one hour each day to induce visions from which I make my work. The surrounding landscape has always been very influential to the visions I conjure, so that is what drew me here.  It’s nestled between the ocean and the mountains so the lay of the land changes quite quickly, providing me with a lot of visual information to synthesize and make images/objects from.

Thoughts for the future:

Onward and upward. I’m remembering all of the good times I’ve had with high hopes that there are more to come.

Creative Humans - Hannah Vainstein

While travelling through Santa Barbara in June, I was lucky enough to stop into the most charming carriage house that is home to the brilliant Hannah Vainstein, her fiance Nathan and their deliciously creative way of life. Hannah is a visual artist, dancer, and curator of an all round virtual salon/studio/boutique/blog - The Lower Lodge.In the autumn and winter Hannah makes beeswax candles and holds workshops.  In the spring, she focuses on textiles, sewing, and fiber arts such as carting wool, spinning, felting and weaving. In the summer, it's all about ceramics and painting. Hannah also has a carefully selected and beautifully presented vintage and hand crafted boutique, selling men's and women's apparel, select home wares and locally made health and beauty products. I think this is what I found so alluring and natural about Hannah. She is so attuned to her surroundings, gravitates towards the motion of seasons, shows versatility as she dabbles simultaneously in many a talent and the best bit, she loves tea. As soon as I stepped into her beautiful, warm, welcoming home, Hannah offered me tea. English breakfast with milk and honey. I adored her. Instantly. She introduced me to her cats, showed me around her and Nathan's studio/salon/botique (I wanted everything, but with restraint only managed to go home with some of Hannah's hand made bees wax candles and some natural deodorant), spoke fondly about her new found love for bromeliad's and swiftly selected an old record to play which then prompted a mini dance party in her living room. I left floating. I wanted her life. Some people are just a joy to meet. Hannah's talent, beauty, kindness and lifestyle stayed in my mind long after I left her home. She has inspired me. Read on, you'll understand why.

What projects are you currently working on?

I have several projects that I’m working on at the moment!

One of my biggest projects is The Lower Lodge: Artist Salon, Studio, and Boutique which I have been running since 2010.    The Lower Lodge has several components to it.  First, it’s mine and my partner, Nathan’s studio.  Second, it’s an artist Salon.  I host a variety of different classes at The LL, medicine making from local plants, to gemstone essences, pickling, natural plant dyes and watercolor paint making.  I also have film nights and musical events.  Emphasizing an integrated sustainable lifestyle, The Lower Lodge has a seasonal making component.  In the autumn and winter I make beeswax candles, knit, and weave.  In the spring I sew and work on textile printing. Then, in the summer I do ceramics and paint. In the boutique we sell these atelier items as well as specialty art and craft supplies for people to make their own goods.  The boutique includes a carefully curated selection of vintage clothes and home wares and in addition to that, I sell hand crafted natural health care and beauty products.

Nathan and I are also a dance duo called Crumblebaby and the Mistress of Cosmic Crisp and we throw a dance party called Happy Club.  People ask us what kind of dancing we do and Nathan always says “The kind of dancing that makes shit happen.”  In addition to that I have another project called Squeeze Magazine which I hope to be launching this year, it’s a body centered health and sex magazine.

All of these outlets are part of my art practice, but I have more traditional components as well. At the moment I am working on a series of paintings called Metamorphosis: Down in the Dance Hole.  It’s a series of watercolor paintings informed by idea of Eden, sacred sites, Arabic geometry used in the Persian “paradise” gardens, botanical cultivation, natural landscapes, humans intervention and vernacular Moorish architecture.  Metamorphosis is a reference to Ovid’s narrative poem which includes the myth of Diana and her Nymphs who are spied on while bathing in the woods.  There is a famous Rembrandt painting which depicts the scene.

Where do you draw your creative inspiration from?

A lot of my inspiration comes from walking either in the neighborhoods I live in or in the mountains or at the beach.  We are lucky in Santa Barbara because we are nestled in such a magnificent natural settings.  I also read a lot. There are two books that are really informative to me right now.  One is an art theoretical/ historical book called Overlay by Lucy Lippard.  Published in 1983 his book looks at land art made in the ’60’s, ’70’s, 80‘s and discusses its relevance to prehistoric sites and symbols.  The other book is called Landscape Design: A cultural and Architectural history by Elizabeth Barlow Rodgers.  This book explores different cultural thoughts that dictates how different civilizations viewed their place in the landscape.  Santa Barbara has a Mediterranean climate and many of our building are influenced by Spanish architecture which are in turn influenced through Moorish architecture.  So I am very interested in how desert peoples cultivated plants and developed infrastructures for their societies, such as gathering water in cisterns and looking to these technologies for our own development.

Why a visual artist?

I’m a very visual person, shapes and colors are very important to me but I don’t consider myself purely a visual artist by any means.  My works take many forms.  There are a broad spectrum of material or mediums that I feel comfortable working in but there are some mediums, music for example, that I am at a complete loss as to how to approach. My sister can sing and write her own songs, I wouldn't even know where to begin!

Do you listen to music while you work? If so, would you be so kind to share some of your favorite artists?

I love listening to music while I work!  But to be honest sometimes I just zone out and I can have the same song on repeat and not even notice it.  Some of my go to musicians are Future Islands, Fleetwood Mac, and Devendre Banhart. I also love big band music.

Do you have a morning ritual? 

Rituals are an important part of my day and my art practice.  My morning ritual kind of switches around as I find the perfect routine.  But, if I were to get up really early to fit it all in, I would wake up and water the garden while oil pulling.  Then I would have my apple cider vinegar drink with honey and a tall glass of Kiefer.  Then I would go to my exercise, come home, and have a lovely breakfast with Nathan. If I did that, I would be pretty damn proud of myself.

What's your idea of a perfect Friday night?

I hate to go out on Friday night, I usually like to go out on Monday for some reason, but anyways, my ideal Friday night is to have friends come over and we all prepare a simple meal together.  I’m usually tired at the end of the week and don’t feel like cooking but I like to have friends over to eat, drink and relax.  I like to put on records, and sit on the porch, a time to unplug, and unwind.  It’s kind of become Shabbat, the Jewish Sabbath.  In Judaism, Shabbat starts on Friday night when there are three stars in the sky, I try to remember to look for the three stars.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, Japan, Rio, Berlin, ah, so many places!

Best piece of advice you've ever given or been given?

I have two things I keep in mind.  One, FAIL HARDER.  This means don’t just go with the status quo of what’s good enough.  The other is have perseverance. This is the ultimate creativity perhaps.  If something isn’t working, how can you do it differently?

What's for dinner?

Soup?

The best part about being a creative?

I can’t think of any other way of living.

The worst part?

There is never really any stability or time off.  One can always do more and there are usually so many things that need doing that I rarely have free time.  Sometimes I really need a vacation but that is almost more of a mental space than anything else.

Day or night? Day during the summer, night during the winter.

Old or new? Old

City or Country? Country

Coffee or Tea? Tea

What do you enjoy most about living in Santa Barbara?

Psychedelic sunsets on the beach.

Thoughts for the future:

One day I would like to build my own home out of waddle and daub that has a sustainable infrastructure of cisterns, reed beds, and turbine stoves.  Nathan will paint on our walls and we will make all the furnishings.  One day...