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Artist of the Week: Priscilla Weidlein

Posted by Megan Cochran · March 20, 2020

"... pay attention to what brings you into the present moment, and practice cultivating that."

Presenting our Kindred Artists of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!

This week we are featuring Priscilla Weidlein, an illustrator, wife and dog-mom who takes some of our favorite feelings and turns them into shareable works of art via her line of gorgeous greeting cards. Read all about her process below and inspiration in her interview below and then go ahead and fall right in love with her work just as quickly as we did.

Who are you?

I’m Priscilla Weidlein, a visual artist based in Providence, Rhode Island.

What do you do?

I paint watercolor portraits of people and their pets - and am accepting commissions! I also have a greeting card line and create illustrations for editorials and companies that I believe in. When I am not working in the studio, a lot of my free time is spent walking in the park with my dog and my husband.

Who/what inspires you?

I am inspired by nature, particularly flowers, and the light that emanates from all things.

What is your favorite moment in the process?

Presently the most enjoyable part of my process is filling bold, dense color into the lines of my pencil drawings. I like balancing intricate line work with bold color; it creates a rhythm, a dance.

What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium?

Well, I welcome stillness. By cultivating stillness in my studio, by way of meditation, I am able to be present with the subject in front of me. Working thus becomes an extension of the meditation. It is in periods of presence that I can create work that feels truly authentic to my being. Each person accomplishes this uniquely, so if I were to spin this into a piece of advice, I’d say pay attention to what brings you into the present moment, and practice cultivating that.

What is next?

Good question. In these uncertain times, a lot is up in the air about the months ahead. But what I do know for sure is that I am starting a flower study project, where every week I will paint a new flower. I do not know what will become of it, but I am so looking forward to inviting this joyful subject into my weekly studio practice.

Cat's Pajamas Card at thekindredpostshop.com

Moment With You Card at thekindredpostshop.com

See more of her work here!

Social Distance is Social Justice: An Updated Statement on Closing the Store

Posted by Megan Cochran · March 17, 2020

An updated statement:

We appreciate the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) taking swift action re: COVID-19 to encourage social distance on a broad, institutional level. Although post offices are categorized as essential services, we are a *contract* post office and have been granted an exemption. Effective tomorrow, we are following CBJ’s closure of schools and other public facilities by closing our physical shop to walk-in customers through March 30. The four federal post offices located across Juneau remain open and we truly appreciate their service.

It’s hard to close the store. Our whole jam is about connecting and being together in real life. We strive to be a neighborhood gathering space. And like others, we're a small, local business, so we rely heavily on foot traffic to support our work and our staff and our families. But we know that it requires widespread commitment to flatten the curve and that it is the most vulnerable and most disenfranchised who will suffer the most if we do not. We’ll say it again: Social distance is social justice right now - it's a personal practice that represents community solidarity and community care. We love you, but we love ALL of you, and closing our physical space is our commitment to being the best neighbor we can be.

That being said, we continue to be open online 24/7! To encourage you to shop from home instead of in-person, we are offering 20% off all online purchases, free shipping throughout Alaska, and curbside pickup in Juneau. We hope that the same things that brought you to Kindred Post before (a mental health break, celebrating a friend’s birthday, assembling a care package, supporting artists, etc!) can remain true for you now and that we can find healthy alternatives for you to stay cleverly connected with the ones you love.

Thank you to those who have been shopping online and buying gift certificates already. It means a lot! And it helps support our team, who will continue to be creatively on the clock despite store closure for as long as we possibly can. I’ve (Christy NaMee Eriksen, owner) taken a pay cut to ensure this.

We may be distant but we’re feeling closer than ever to everyone. As always, take good care of yourself and take good care of each other.

Love,
Team KP

A message to our community regarding COVID-19

Posted by Megan Cochran · March 17, 2020

Dear community:

As you know, we care about you A LOT. We are taking the COVID-19 pandemic very seriously and we want to minimize the risk to our community as best we can. As a post office, we are categorized as an essential service and have been mandated to remain open. As such, we are keeping a close eye on CDC, WHO, and local agency recommendations to ensure our practices are in line with the good of our public health.

Things are changing daily, but at this moment we are on a strict and frequent surface sanitization schedule and you’ll see our team wearing gloves. We disabled signatures on our ipads so customers do not need to touch them. We have cancelled all upcoming public events.

To encourage you to shop from home instead of in-person, we are offering 20% off all online purchases, free shipping throughout Alaska, and curbside pickup in Juneau. We hope that the same things that brought you to Kindred Post before (a mental health break, celebrating a friend’s birthday, assembling a care package, supporting artists, etc!) can remain true for you now and that we can find healthy alternatives for you to stay creatively connected with the ones you love. We have some games and ideas that we’ll be posting on FB and IG in the coming days; come digitally hang out with us.

Lastly, a word about social responsibility. If we were not categorized as an essential service, we would close the store. Social isolation is social justice right now - it's a personal practice that represents community solidarity and community care. Flattening the curve will take widespread commitment. We're a small business, so we hate to say this .... but please don't come to the physical Kindred Post unless you have to. Even if you don't show symptoms, you may still be carrying and transmitting the virus to more vulnerable members of our community. We love you, but we love ALL of you, and we want to do our part to keep contact low.

Know that we are thinking of you and wanting the best for everyone. Let's keep our distance, but stay connected. Take care of yourself and take care of each other.

Love,

Team KP

Artist of the Week: Macy Possenti

Posted by Megan Cochran · March 13, 2020

"I want the little guy to win for a change. That’s why you’ll see my prints focusing on the cow moose or the bare birch branches; they deserve a time to shine as well."

Macy Possenti of Printworthy

Presenting our Kindred Artists of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!

This week we are featuring Macy Possenti of Printworthy! Macy is a fan of bringing it back to the basics. Her Alaskan roots influence all of her screen-printed creations; ranging from tea towels to waterproof decals and even apparel. Her cards and decals are a favorite here at Kindred Post and we love them even more knowing who and where they come from. Read all about Macy and her work below!

Who are you?

My name is Macy Possenti and I am a weekend printmaking warrior. During the week, I am a Marketing Director with a federal agency, but when the weekend comes along, it’s full on printmaking mode.

I grew up in Interior Alaska, with a family that has always made the most of their lives in the last frontier. Whether it was camping or fishing, berry picking or boating, there was always an adventure in store. I’ve taken these visions of my childhood, as well as new ones I’ve made along the way, and simplified them to their most basic form. Maybe it’s the fact that I enjoy minimalism, or maybe it’s the fact that I am horrible at drawing, but I find comfort in reducing an image or an idea into a completely raw and fundamental form, which is why I find printmaking so appealing.

What do you do?

I currently focus my art towards screen printing, with a side of lino block printing. For screen printing, I start by hand drawing my ideas and transferring them to the computer for manipulation. Once ready, the images are transferred to the screens to be hand-printed, one by one, onto various mediums. When I first started out, I printed on hand-sewn linen towels. I’ve since grown to print greeting cards, apparel, and accessories. One thing that is so great about screen printing, is that you are practically unlimited on what you can print!

While I haven’t done much lino block printing as of late, it is still my passion. Breaking down an image into color blocks, then moving a sharp blade through warm linoleum, layer by layer, color by color to ultimately create your very own, unique image from hand is completely satisfying.

Who/what inspires you?

The simple things in an Alaskan life inspire me. I grow tired of seeing the state’s superlatives (no offense to the bull moose, eagles, and bears of the world) plastered on every t shirt, coffee mug, or postcard. I want the little guy to win for a change. That’s why you’ll see my prints focusing on the cow moose or the bare birch branches; they deserve a time to shine as well.

What is your favorite moment in the process?

The repetitive action of running the squeegee across the screen is by far my favorite part of the screen printing process; it’s almost meditative. When printing batches of cards that can run into the thousands, repeating the same motion over and over again gets you out of your own head and allows you to focus on what it is you're doing.

What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium?

This is less of a piece of advice for fellow artists and more for buyers: A printmaker’s print is an original. One major misconception within the retail world is that printmakers’ work are replicas since we are able to print multiples of the same image. This just isn't true; a printmaker’s work is an original. Each print is unique, as it is run through the press or the screen individually, even to make a high-count edition. Most print blocks and screens have a lifespan on them, so once a print run is over, that’s the end.

What is next?

I’m ready for some more inspiration! My agenda for this summer includes trips to the Brooks Range where I can sketch mountain peaks, taiga, and tundra. And I can’t wait to get down to the coast for some saltwater fishing.

Artist of the Week: Em & Dave Lang

Posted by Megan Cochran · March 06, 2020

Presenting our Kindred Artists of the Week series! We are big fans of all the artists we work with and we are so excited to share their stories!

This week we are featuring the dynamic duo responsible for High Tide Tattoo here in Juneau, Dave and Em Lang! These two are phenomenal artists and we are so lucky to be collaborating with them on our new Local Threads apparel collection. We began planning this project back in 2019 and it has reached the final stages, launching TODAY. They will be here tonight, 4:30 - 7, to sign your new Local Threads shirts and sweatshirts. Read on to see what they're all about!

"If you truly love what you’re doing not only are you going to be working hard to make it work, you’re going to be working hard BECAUSE you love what you’re doing."

Who are you?
Em Lang, local angry girl.

What do you do?
I’m a tattoo artist, weenie wrangler, bonus mom and all around swell gal.

Who/what inspires you?
Wild animals, bank roll, and womxn supporting womxn.

What is your favorite moment in the process?
I enjoy being able to sit down and draw without intention, and seeing what spills out. A lot of times when I’m generating design ideas I don’t where I am going with it, but a few minutes of doodling and shapes start to build... I get into a groove where I can see an image materializing and that feeling is incredible. A lot of what I do in my career is very specific and structured- often times directed entirely by non-artists and when I get the opportunity to just draw freely, it’s always a gift. I love that I live a life that affords me the time and support to hone my craft.

What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium?
You always hear the phrase “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”- honestly, to me, that’s complete garbage advice. If you truly love what you’re doing not only are you going to be working hard to make it work, you’re going to be working hard BECAUSE you love what you’re doing. If it’s starting to feel easy, it’s time to push harder. Complacency is a killer.

What is next?
Oh boy- my husband Huk Yuunsk and I have a lot on our collective plates this year. We are organizing a big tattoo event in Metlaktala with some fellow tattooers to raise money for the local Boys & Girls club, I’m very excited about it. There are some projects coming up I can’t quite talk about yet... but individually, one of my big shows this year will be a solo exhibit at the Juneau-Douglas city museum called “Spit Shade”. Spit Shade will feature works done entirely with spit shading, a watercolor technique typically used to paint tattoo flash. So if tattoos and painting with spit peaks your interest, you can catch that in December 2020 at the Juneau-Douglas Museum.

"...Establishing a language and dialog in professional tattooing that brings more understanding to both sides about a living tradition, not a relic of the past."

Who are you?
Huk Yuunsk di waayu, Lukwil Tsimshianu, łgu Gidiganeetsu ada kumshuwamk. Gitsbutwada di ptegu. Dzünüü ligi Tlingit anii di waatgu ada dzogu. David Roger Lang di waam kumsuwamk. My name is Huk Yuunsk, I’m Tsmsyen and Tlingit and euro white mutt mix. I am of the Killerwhale Clan. Juneau, which is Tlingit land, is where I was born and live today. My English name is David Roger Lang.

What do you do?
llustration, tattooing and fine art with study and emphasis on my culture and language.

Who/what inspires you?
Em Lang. First and foremost. Sigoop Price, Gamaas Bolton, Mike and Mique’l Dangeli, Johon and Tia Atkinson, and all the native artists and language learners in my social media feed. Keep bangin! In tattooing, Bert Grimm, Ed Hardy, Rudy Fritsch, Fillip Leu, Tim Lehi and all of Atlas Tattoo in Portland, Oregon. They do it right.

What is your favorite moment in the process?
The time right after you put it down. You had your face in it so long, you can’t see it for a whole, just parts you’re working on. Then you sleep and look at it and you can see it again as a whole with fresh eyes. I feel like that’s when you really see what you’ve made.

What is a trick of your trade or a piece of advice for artists in your medium?
Travel, read, and stop working long enough to recharge and appreciate it.

What is next?
Establishing a language and dialog in professional tattooing that brings more understanding to both sides about a living tradition, not a relic of the past. The people and culture are the lifeblood of our expression and art, so acknowledging the standards set and working respectfully within them will help build a language and understanding that will supersede “cultural appropriation” arguments and sensitivities.

Carrier Kids Tee at thekindredpostshop.com

Carrier Crewneck Sweatshirt at thekindredpostshop.com

You can shop the entire Local Threads collection here!