NOMAD (part two, travelling with child)

I've never been to Europe. Let alone for a month with a toddler and art supplies. So when Will Canepa and Jen Dranttel-Canepa went to Iceland for a month last year with their son Sam, I knew they were, a bit, well... how do you say crazy and courageous in Icelandic?
When I heard of NOMAD, their latest art/travel venture pulling a 15 ft travel trailer full of handcrafted awesomness across the country with Sam, now 2, I knew they were.

all photos courtesy of NOMAD

While catching up with Jen about NOMAD (click here for details on their October 13 appearance in Bellingham), I had to pick her brain about being an artist, world traveler and mama.

She has wanderlust tattooed on her wrist and the instinct was nurtured early by her own family.  When her dad was in the air force, travel was just part of the culture. They continued traveling for pleasure when he retired. She says, "it was always part of the flavor of our family."

when he's with us he's home

On traveling with a little fella, Jen said it is actually a great time to do it. Sam doesn't have the same connection to place that we do yet, so as long as they are together, he is at home.

  "It doesn't matter where we are. It's mom and dad and Sam, eating peanut butter sandwiches and singing Beach Boys. It's pretty much the same, you do your thing; nap time, listening to favorite songs on a CD, reading a favorite book, it's just in an exotic local where the people around us are speaking a different language."

pick one thing, then nap

This child paced routine actually helped them not over extend themselves in Iceland. They didn't party all night in Reykjavik and then try to walk 85 museums the next day. The pace was laid back and manageable. "When you travel with a kid, you pick your one thing to do that day, then you go home and take a nap."

make friends

Sam also served as a goodwill ambassador in a foreign country. "He would just walk up to ladies and smile with his one dimple. After he broke the ice we could ask people for what we needed: to take a photo of them or borrow an embroidery hoop. He makes friends everywhere."

 

 engaging and distilling 

And while they are taking care of each other, pointing out construction sites and cows and train tracks out the car window, they are also making art. I wondered how their different styles fit into the routine of traveling as a family.

Will is like Sam, engaging with people right away, going out for a container of milk and coming home with six hours of video footage of someone he met at the store chanting epic Icelandic poetry. He connects socially and takes photos or videos. That's the filmmaker in him, creating and documenting in the moment.

Jen also takes photographs and soaks in their environment. But it isn't until she has returned home that she can really distill the experience and make her best work. Many of the products she created for NOMAD are quite literally a distillation of scents and sights from all her travels.

And Sam, he isn't as inclined to sit and make art yet, being a busy boy. But he likes to paint and would play at the easel for hours during their Iceland residency. He loves playing in the NOMAD trailer and serves as a great product tester/inspiration for their children's line.

Be inspired by their Iceland adventure here.
Like NOMAD on Facebook to keep up with their current adventures.

And then pack a sandwich, your camera and an extra diaper in your bag and get out into the world. If you are anything like Jen, it will be the most natural thing in the world.

NOMAD (part one, shopping)

Whether you are looking to feather your nest for autumn or planning a journey, NOMAD will inspire you to do it with style. 

All photos courtesy of NOMAD

NOMAD, the latest art and travel venture from  Will Canepa and Jen Dranttel-Canepa, will be parked at the Temple Bar October 13 from noon until late evening to quench the twin desires for adventure and home.

Will and Jen recently converted a 15 ft trailer into a mobile pop up shop. In addition to their own travel inspired products, Will and Jen have gathered a selection of goods from about 20 artists across the US. (moth and squirrel whales are part of their collection for classic kids.)

They drove NOMAD across the midwest to Chicago last month and are finally bringing it home to share with their Bellingham community for the first time. In addition to shopping in the trailer, the Temple Bar will be serving specials designed by Will and Jen. Experience happy hour all day, seasonal delights (like roasted apples with chantrelles and bacon) and a few flavors from the road.

When I talked with Jen last week I made her pick a few items to give us a flavor what is in the shop.

Favorite item created for NOMAD:
The fragrance collection.
Based on 4 cities, Jen blended essential oils in organic almond oil for concentrated scent. Each vial, suitable for men or women, comes packaged in a cloth bag with a photo of it's muse location for $35.

Savannah- what she's been wearing the most. vetiver, violet and tobacco notes
Nevada City- a perfect autumn spiciness. clove, cedar and saffron.
Reykjavik- goes on clean and cold with black pine and sea moss, then warms on your skin with lovely anise.
NoLa -the most feminine of this series. rose, wormwood and black tea.

Favorite item from another crafter:
Jen is most excited to bring the work of Peg and Awl to Bellingham. Sourcing heirloom quality and reclaimed materials,  Peg and Awl makes a charming range of dry goods. NOMAD features several waxed canvas bags and chalkboard tablets.

If you can't make it downtown October 13, NOMAD will be the artist in residence at the Temple Bar in December. Look forward to more unique shopping along with a fashion show, video installations from their travels and songs about leaving town and coming home.

Be sure to like NOMAD on Facebook so you can catch them when they roll into your neighborhood.

mutant family

Steeb's been organizing an amazing art show with over 45 artists making pieces about superheroes. He's become Super Coach, encouraging people to make awesome work. I've been his trusty side kick, making food, editing emails and letting him sleep in a little when he is at the studio until 4am. Along with all the artist wrangling, we made our own art for the show. Even franklin.

After almost four years of struggle with how to be a parent and an artist, it kind of feels like we are figuring it out. At least for a half an hour (that I documented!) we were a creative family all together making art in our studio, supporting each other and having fun.

Getting to this point has involved a lot of mutations. Letting go of what we should do and be and look like, how our schedules ought to run. It means our family doesn't look like the average family. (But honestly these days, what does an average family look like?) It means we work odd hours and don't travel or go on dates very often. We work weekends and always have some project in the living room as well as in the studio.

And the studio itself is hardly a retreat from family life, though Steeb and I create most of our work in solitude. When we need to, we pack snacks and trains and I will listen to scratchy stories on a fisher price record player if that buys me 5 more minutes of work with Franklin hanging out. There are glass jars that used to hold buttons and piles of buttons scattered in random corners. Piled everywhere are toys and dust bunnies and sketchbooks and black threads. And it suits me just fine.

I wouldn't necessarily recomend our choices to anyone else. But there is comfort in peeking into someone else's world. To see that there are so many wonderful ways to live a life, to see what is possible. Even with a family.

Come see our mutant family October 4 at make.shift gallery for the opening of MUtants R Us.

and for more inspiration and updates (and a free shipping code!)

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

I am interested in (check all that apply)

• sales and events
• crafty and green living inspiration
• future classes

3 simple tricks to take good enough photos

I am pleased to announce I was just accepted into the winter Urban Craft Uprising in Seattle December 7 & 8. This is my seventh holiday show with them, but I never take it as a given that I will be chosen. I know there are a ton of talented crafters who apply every year. Amazing artists not only from around the northwest, but across the country apply to be a part of this indie craft fair.

Whether applying to craft fairs or trying to sell online, image is king. This was one of my photos I submitted. My photos aren't professional, but here are some tricks I've picked up along the way that make my pictures good enough to get into shows. 

1: natural light. I cannot regulate light super well inside, so I try to take most of my photos outside on a slightly overcast day.

2. neutral background. The worn wood of our shed adds nice texture without any distraction.

3. simple clothes that add to the story of the product. The denim gives a feeling of autumn and a classic, rustic vibe that I wanted to play up, without being more interesting than the hats.

bonus pointer for working with kids: Franklin is barefoot and wearing a batman cape during this photo shoot. By throwing the denim jacket on top, he has a unified look with Steeb and his commercial shirt/cape doesn't compete with the handmade element of the hats. He sometimes gets upset when I ask him to change his clothes for a photoshoot (or any reason, really) but by just adding something over his chosen outfit, we were both satisfied.


Deep gratitude to Steeb and Franklin for being my super models. And thanks to Marie Forleo and my B-School training for keeping me on my game. The B-School assignments helped me write some great answers to the brief essay questions that were a new part of the application.