Maine Maker Monday | Mel Andrel

What’s your business name and what do you do?

My name is Mel Andrel, I’m a graphic designer and mixed media artist. I primarily create stationery products, which I wholesale in stores across the world. I also design brand identities, merch, websites, packaging and paper goods for businesses of all sizes. My most recent focus has been working with brands in the food, beverage and hospitality space and with creative individuals on small projects like logos, illustrations, and paper goods.

How did you learn your craft?

I have been making things as long as I can remember. I have always enjoyed being by myself and creating transported me to my own little world where I felt safe during times when I didn’t always feel understood. I didn’t go to art school (I studied Cultural Anthropology at Drew University in New Jersey) and I credit a lot of creatives for inspiring me to pursue art as a career. I’ve taken a lot of classes and workshops, collaborated within my community, and have watched hours and hours of tutorials or artist’s content on Youtube. 

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

What I enjoy the most is connecting with people and the community I’ve built in Maine!!  I know most of my stockists by name and can probably tell you the city each is located in. I love that I’ve built a job for myself that will always be changing and challenging me. I think it’s really cool that I’ll always be learning and continuing to develop my style as an artist.

What do you enjoy least?

What I enjoy the least is that running a successful business involves a lot of math — and emails.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

I wish people knew that I say no often. No to the wrong client,  no to the wrong customer, no to going out when my body needs rest or my chronic illness is flaring up, no to opportunities I may not have the time for. Saying no and setting good boundaries is really hard but can feel really liberating and create so much space for joy. 

What’s one artist you look up to?

I’m not going to pick just one. Apologies to everyone on this thing that has followed the rules. Dusen Dusen, Leigh Ellexson, Lorien Stern, and Natasha-Elle Verify, are all huge influences for me in color and style! 

What do you do when you’re not creating?

I am quite literally always working but I’ve really been enjoying “junk journaling” lately. I collect a lot of design ephemera and packaging and stuff and it’s been fun to compile all of it into a place I can return to later. I am also currently a member at Handful Ceramic Studio in Portland- which is still technically creating, but I consider any form of art-making without monetization a personal win. You can usually find me at Smalls or Little Tandem, taking big walks around the West End, or moonlighting in midcoast whenever I have free time.

Night owl or early bird?

I am actually more of an afternoon person. I find myself really locking in on projects and my most energized self between like… 10 and 2. I really value my sleep schedule.

What's your favorite place in Maine?

Favorite place in Portland would be Micucci's — best selection of Italian pantry samples, and my favorite snacks & pickled things.

Maine Maker Monday | Sarah Madeira Day

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Sarah Madeira Day -  Artist

How did you learn your craft?

Natural instinct and many years of studying and family influence. I was very lucky to have an excellent K-12 public school art education, a very supportive family and I majored in Studio Art in college (BA). Painting/Drawing seem to be one of those crafts that you continue to learn each time you practice.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love working for myself, running a business and customer service. Being creative everyday is a big time bonus for me but, if I feel I have positively impacted someone else, that is a real win. 

What do you enjoy least?

When problems arise. I just bumped into a problem where my shopify system would not let customers complete their orders and I had no idea how to troubleshoot. I feel terribly when things don't operate smoothly for my clients.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

I've never loved one of my pieces and I feel like I am constantly learning, evolving and hoping for better. I play the comparison game all too often (which is not healthy, I would tell anyone else "you are great, just the way you are"). I consider myself a small business owner but not an artist and I'm hoping one day to find my footing where I feel comfortable enough to believe in the career I am practicing.

What’s one artist you look up to?

I have always loved Edward Hopper for his work on light and composition and Fairfield Porter for his exploration in color. 

What do you do when you’re not creating?

I'm a Mom. I never thought much about having children, I dreamed more about having a career. When we did have children I didn't realize how much I would like it. Not so much the parenting aspect, I am a rule follower but I do not like to be a rule enforcer, but the fact that you have two people you've made with the person you love so much and they sparkle with personalities that meld parts of both of you. They are so creative and definatant and kind and exactly who they want to be. It is something that really inspires me. I also like to run and bike, which I often do. l love to cook and clean (I know, who likes to clean but I strangely love it). I tend to like things that are difficult during the process but have very satisfying outcomes.

Night owl or early bird?

Neither? I love to sleep. I go to bed early (like 8:30-9) and wake up around 6. My husband is a very early bird who rises at 4 and thinks I'm a sleepyhead.

What's your favorite place in Maine?

My "hometown" of Mount Desert Island (I'm a Southwest Harbor girl but I think of the Island as a whole). I love the park, the ocean, the lakes, the mountains, the whole lot. I love the comradery of living in a place that thrives during the shiniest of seasons but strengthens during the hardest. It is a place that will always have my heart and I will continue to visit as long as I can. 

Maine Maker Monday | Veronica Perez

What’s your business name and what do you do?

verónica a. pérez and I am an artist, social and cultural worker. I create artwork from personal and community perspectives through building empathy and uplifting identities, using personal materials such as hair. The personal work is about a need to understand and remember the Puerto Rican identity through looking at my fathers’ forgotten and erased history. Colonization and US imperialism has ravaged not only the island but also the people and bodies. I use amorphous, drippy, hairy, and glittery materials to talk about this dark history but there are bright points throughout the sculptures that allude to this different way of being. Seeds need darkness to grow and I have been thinking about that a lot. Additionally, through my project braiding circles I use these workshops to engender empathy and understanding. At these workshops, I invite participants to braid banana fiber based hair and have open conversations about hair and how that has shaped their identity. I do this through explaining the project to people and asking them some questions about their hair such as ‘do you remember the last time someone brushed your hair’, and ‘do you have a memory of a favorite hairstyle and why?’ Then I extend the invitation further to the BIPOC participants only recording an oral hair story for inclusion in upcoming shows and events. The purpose of recording these stories is to preserve history and to show how BIPOC people have been systemically marginalized and oppressed through something as minute as hair. I should also add the caveat that I don’t think hair is minute - which is why I focus on using hair as a focal point in the work. 

How did you learn your craft?

I learned my craft thru trial and error. There’s a lot of what I do that’s learning textile or sculpting techniques - but then turning them on their heads to create and make something completely new. 

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love working alongside community members to find out their stories and personal perspectives. I enjoy how through artmaking and conversation - there is a place that is opened up for people to access lost memories and builds trust so that we can talk about these issues of oppression and how we can be there for each other to lift each other up. 

What do you enjoy least?

Grant writing! There are so many fantastic artists out there and limited funds. Grant writing is arduous and take a lot of unpaid work. I really hope that this changes one day and people start to see that artists are contributing members of society through the beauty and cultural inquiries that they make for society. 

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

The labor that goes into each piece. 

What’s one artist you look up to?

Doris Salcedo. She is a Colombian artist who creates monumental structures and statements about the horrors her people have faced through the oppressive government. She shows compassion and understanding through these visual pieces and creates spaces for learning and understanding through what she calls social sculpture which is the possibility of giving form to society through art. Salcedo discusses the vacant feeling of placing a sculpture on a pedestal for the sake of its sheer form. A social sculpture opens the conversation to include “knowledge greater than oneself.” The sculpture becomes the meeting place for the work and the viewer to unfold. Salcedo says, “To place the invisible experience of marginal people in space is to find a place to write, to develop life. So there is no way of isolating living experiences from spatial experiences.”

What do you do when you’re not creating?

I love hanging out with my daughter, aimlessly scrolling TikTok, walking my dog Pryor, and watching horror movies. 

Night owl or early bird?

Night owl. It feels like the world is mine and anything’s possible while people slumber. 

What's your favorite place in Maine?

Crescent beach! 

Maine Maker Monday | Jessica Gandolf

What’s your business name and what do you do?

My name is Jessica Gandolf.  I’m an artist. I make oil paintings on panel that use pattern and color to represent the different kinds of energy that flow into and out of our bodies. When parts of the figure emerge, they might be embodying weightlessness, gravity, or inertia.  My studio practice consists more of asking questions than illustrating ideas; How can sensations of compression and constriction or ease and freedom be communicated through paint? How does the body function as a shelter for the spirit? How can a painting act as a container for feelings and emotions?

How did you learn your craft?

I went to a public arts high school in New York City. I was an art major at Oberlin College, and I spent a year in Paris painting the figure in an atelier and printing in a studio with artists from around the world.  I got an MFA from Brooklyn College.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love oil paint, and I love the process of decision-making that leads me to create something that I never could have guessed.  I love the surprise.

What do you enjoy least?

I don’t love writing about my work which is necessary for the business side of things. And I don’t love self-promotion which is also necessary.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

That a painting is the result of what can be a fairly wobbly, challenging road.

What’s one artist you look up to?

I admire Katherine Bradford for her magnificent paintings, her work ethic and for how generously she participates in the art community both here in Mainer and in New York.  She is very supportive in word and deed to other artists. 

What do you do when you’re not creating?

I do a lot of yoga.  The practice informs my paintings. And I love spending time with my husband and kids.

Night owl or early bird?

Early bird 1,000%

What's your favorite place in Maine?

The beach at Ocean Park.

Maine Maker Monday | Krista Cole | Sur Lie | Gather | Catface Cafe

What’s your business name and what do you do?
I'm the owner and directors of operations and marketing for Sur Lie, Gather and co-owner of Catface Cafe

How did you learn your craft?
Trial and error!  I was a nurse for 11 years and went to graduate school for business.  I had an opportunity to partner at Sur Lie ten years ago, and now I am the sole proprietor.  Most of what I learned has come from the experiences I've had managing restaurants for the last ten years.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
The people!  I enjoy leading teams of people.  I love bringing people together around a common vision and goal.  

What do you enjoy least?
The constant stress and worry that goes into managing businesses and people.  

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?
It's not as glamorous as it seems.  People think owning three restaurants sounds really cool, but in reality it takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice.  

What’s one artist you look up to?
Ilma Lopez is a chef owner and a mentor that I look up to.

What do you do when you’re not at one of your restaurant?
I don't cook!

Night owl or early bird?
Early bird for sure.

What's your favorite place in Maine?
Mt. Desert Island

Maine Maker Monday | Dorienne Lewin | Salud

What’s your business name and what do you do?

My business name is Salud Portland, I am the owner of a fitness studio on Marginal way where we offer a wide variety of fitness classes such as Pilates, Barre, Strength, Trampoline, Yoga, Rolling and more.

How did you learn your craft?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Modern dance and since then I have continued my education through certifications as a personal trainer, yoga, Pilates, barre, and rebounder.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love teaching and I love moving to music. My teaching feels like a dance. Seeing students enjoy moving their bodies is inspiring. Movement is not only about physical health, but also mental and emotional health.

What do you enjoy least?

I really can’t come up with anything that I don’t like. I guess the only thing is when I’m tired (I have 4 kids). When I am tired though and I get up and move my body I always feel better!

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

Something people don’t know about me is that I am a Quaker. I believe in community, and I bring that to my business.

What’s one artist you look up to?

The Alvin Ailey dance company has always been an inspiration for me to watch. Beautiful, strong movement that tells a story.

What do you do when you’re not in the studio?

When I’m not in the studio I am raising my 4 kids, they are 13, 11, 8 and 6. To match the 4 kids we also just got our 4th cat. In the summer we spend a lot of time on Vinalhaven, swimming in the quarries, on the water, and hanging out with family.

Night owl or early bird?

Night owl but if night owl means 7pm-9pm after the house is quieter that’s what I mean.

What's your favorite place in Maine?

Favorite place in Maine is on Vinalhaven. My husband and I got married on a point by the water, a very special place that makes my heart happy.

Maine Maker Monday | Morgan Mitchell | Mitchell and Co.

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Mitchell & Co. Studio is a is a working art studio, shop and creative gathering space nestled in the belly of a vintage firehouse building in Boothbay Maine, on Wabanaki land. I am a creatress, designer and flowcilitator. My work is about connecting with the healing and enjoyable qualities of the creative process, seeking to cultivate creations and conditions that inspire and reconnect us with a sense of wonder and courage. 

Featured works at the studio currently include original hand painted and printed garments, black and white photographs by Robert Mitchell, and an ever-evolving series of artist pop-ups, creative flow circles, and creative community events that center innovation, rest, and connection.

How did you learn your craft?

I am learning something new everyday. While I have no formal art training (I studied Sociology and language at Goucher College in Maryland), I have been making things with my mind and hands for as long as I can remember. I have been lucky to work alongside some brilliant creatives and craftspeople who have taught me not only how to make, but how to think for myself, how to establish my own orientation to creativity and invention and how to trust my creative instincts. I am a very process-oriented creatress. I work in many different mediums — I write poems, learn new languages, make photographs with expired film, write letters, doodle, podcast, paint, print, sketch, sing, compose ambient soundscapes, pour over art books at the library, garden, dance, onewheel, gather with friends to invent a meal or wander in the woods in search of the perfect patch of morning light.. and then I rest. Creative input, creative output, and creative stay put. This is how I learn and integrate my crafts. 

I work circularly, allowing the creative current to move from one thing to another, each influence informing the final piece. I hope to remain tenaciously curious until the day I die. 

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The process, the twists and turns. I love gathering the materials I have on hand and allowing myself time and space to play, to be curious, to make a mess. I love being covered in ink and blasting music. I love watching something emerge, the simple sweetness of sculpting an idea into physical form. I love sharing my creations with the world and knowing they are imbued with deep care and wishes for their highest good. 

What do you enjoy least?

Bookkeeping, and social media, I think. My body doesn't love screens so I really need to pace myself with my use of technology. 

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

My work is a deeply spiritual process, I look at it as peace work. I believe everyone is creative and that due to the real stresses of life and cultural expectations, we can feel distanced from this original life force energy. I believe that reconnecting to that spirit of creativity can help us become more supple, less divided, more compassionate, playful and gentle with ourselves and each other. 

I think of creating wearable art pieces as visual prayer, a wish in motion. I do not come from any organized religion, but my work is rooted in a broader understanding of energy and vibration and created with your highest good in mind. Art, like everything, carries a vibration. Wearing art gives an opportunity to be close to the creative current and hopefully remind you that it lives within you too. Not everyone has a house with walls that can hold canvases and photos, but everyone has a body and I love creating pieces that can be enjoyed at the DMV or at the Louvre. 

What’s one artist you look up to?

So hard to just pick one. To me, creativity is an ever-unfolding collaboration with an infinite number of influences. Some of these influences are people, and some are inanimate like the way the afternoon light drizzles its way across the floor in the afternoon at the studio. I really look up to Friday Kahlo and the way she worked with her physical pain to alchemize it into beauty and activism.

What do you do when you’re not making?

As little as possible, as well as enjoying quality time with dear people that I cherish. The normal comings and goings of life responsibility of course, but I really cherish time to daydream and rest. Simplicity and community have been my greatest medicine in many ways, that and the icy ocean. Along with my amazing husband Andrei, and many other Little Dippers, as we call ourselves, we dip into the ocean everyday year round. 

Night owl or early bird?

Neither, I guess. I sleep as much as my body asks for, the best that I can manage. I've navigated a chronic illness for years and prioritize rest and tender care for my body, whenever possible.  

What's your favorite place in Maine?

Monhegan island on the cliffs. 

Maine Maker Monday | Annika Earley

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Annika Earley, I'm an artist and occasional curator. 

How did you learn your craft?

I went to school for art but was also raised by very artistic parents who always encouraged us to do creative things whether it was art, music, theater, or just imaginative play. It's really been something I've been practicing for as long as I can remember. 

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The really boring and tedious parts of my work are the most fun to me. My works on paper include a lot of repetitive patterning and I love working on something like that for hours. It's gratifying. 

What do you enjoy least?

Trying to figure out the instagram algorithm. It's maddening. 

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

My work is intentionally funny or odd at first glance, and there's a lot of visual reference to fairy tales or folklore to draw the viewer in. I think viewers often think my work is more about witchy things than it actually is...which is fine. For me that is all metaphor. My work is really about dealing with the tension of being a person and a parent and how those two identities don't always fit in one body. 

What’s one artist you look up to?

Oh boy. Just one!? I really love Catherine Clinger. She was my advisor in grad school and her devotion to and love for art and art making is really aspirational. I could listen to her talk about printmaking, or Romanticism, or femme anger in popular culture, etc... all day long. There are so many more artists; it's hard to name just one. 

What do you do when you’re not creating?

I love reading horror and mystery books, baking, playing legos with my kid, learning to cook real meals (instead of my habitual what-can-I-eat-right-out-of-the-fridge), and taking my sweet old dog for her daily therapy walks. 

Night owl or early bird?

Night owl by heart, early bird by circumstance. I have a toddler and his schedule pretty much sets mine. When I'm at residencies, I usually work from 10am to 2am and like that rhythm best. 

What's your favorite place in Maine? (can be a restaurant, bar, park, beach, etc :) )
I really love the Lompoc in Bar Harbor, a sweet restaurant and bar run by two sisters, Meg and Leah Kelly. I spent a lot of (too much?) time there in my early 20's and I also met my husband there. Delicious food, beautiful patio, and lovely people. It's perfect. 

Maine Maker Monday | Halie Landry | Ritual Maine

What’s your business name and what do you do?

My business name is Ritual Maine! I am a Hallowell based crystal shop and esthetics studio. I also run the Ritual Market - which is an eclectic, high vibe vendor market based in the Kennebec Valley.

How did you learn your craft?

It’s funny - whenever someone asks me how I got into what I do I always tell them my business ventures have always felt like they lead to one another. I grew up in an extremely small town on the Northern border of Maine called Madawaska. I knew early on that I wanted to explore what else Maine had to offer - and after high school I actually was a practicing makeup artist and wanted to go full time with my business, so I enrolled in esthetics school at Aveda in Augusta. Through school I fell in love with everything about esthetics and holistic skincare, and knew I wanted to open my own studio. In 2020 that did happen - but then the pandemic hit and I wasn’t able to take clients, so I looked for other avenues. This lead to the launch of my first online shop that year - selling crystals, local handmade products, skincare, etc. Crystal sales really took off, so much so I felt I needed separate social media for just the crystal ventures. Post-pandemic I also felt like there wasn’t many opportunities in central maine for business to share their products with customers in person, so I took things into my own hands and hosted our first market in 2021!

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The connection and community. So many of my closest friends have come from running my business and the markets. 

What do you enjoy least?

The pressure to be present with my business online. It’s an unfortunate reality of online sales and creating a brand on social media. While I would never trade my online community for anything, it can be incredibly exhausting to feel chained to my laptop and phone. Instagram has an unforgiving algorithm that really can force some business owners into burnout trying to keep up.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

That I care so deeply. Every project I’ve ever taken on has been so personal to me. It’s a blessing and a curse to feel so strongly, but I do accredit a lot of my success to it. 

What’s one artist you look up to?

Jess Weymouth! I met her through her streams (I am a bit of a video game nerd) and she also is a watercolor and illustration artist. It has been inspiring to see her essentially run multiple businesses that while are so different - compliment each other. 

What do you do when you’re not making?

Reading, spending time with my husband and son, playing video games, listening to music, or thinking about what I should be working on haha.

Night owl or early bird?

Night owl but early bird by force - my son’s internal alarm clock gets the whole family up around 5:45-6 every morning!

What's your favorite place in Maine?

Definitely my family’s property up in Allagash, Maine. No service so I’m forced to disconnect - and me and my husband got married there in 2022 so it holds extra meaning!

Maine Maker Monday | Melissa Gabes | BlakQuail Productions

What’s your business name and what do you do?
Our name is BlakQuail Productions and we are a Women & Minority owned Creative Production company - specializing in Video & Photography. We create videos for brands focusing on beauty and storytelling.

How did you learn your craft?
I learned film editing the old fashioned way. I started in the vault room working the tape decks (just aged myself there) learning all there was to know about the mechanics of it all. I worked my way up to assistant editor and about 8 years ago I became an editor. I’ve worked on everything from big budget superbowl commercials to small business campaigns to documentaries and television shows. I feel like editing and film making in general is a lot of learning on the job. There’s always something new being created, new trends, new styles. The beauty of this industry is that originality really pays off and you have the freedom to express yourself through your work.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Being creative! I love working with beautiful footage and weaving the imagery into a  story. Meeting new people and collaborating to make a video the best it can be. Bouncing ideas off of each other and trying it is such an exciting part of the process. I’ve literally jumped up for joy before because something we tried ‘just for the hell of it’ came out so sick!

What do you enjoy least?
Genuinely. Not being busy. I’m sure as a creative yourself you understand the urge to just go out there and make more stuff!

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?
That we want to create to uplift the small businesses, communities and organizations that have a story to be told. Everyone has a gift they give to this world and so many have had to overcome so much to be able to share it. It is through knowledge that we feel empowered and through understanding that we can develop empathy.

What do you do when you’re not creating?
Spending time with my family. Being a mom has helped me connect to my inner child in so many ways. I’ve always had a playful personality so it’s been really fun letting that side of me shine.

Night owl or early bird?
Neither. I need all the sleep I can get!

What's your favorite place in Maine?
So far, Monhegan Island. A peaceful little mass of land off the coast of Maine where you feel like you’re far away in another country. We go there every year for our anniversary and will be spending an entire weekend there this year.

Maine Maker Monday | Ashley O'Brion and Christina Wnek | Cee and She

What’s your business name and what do you do?
We’re an artist duo, Ashley O’Brion and Christina Wnek, working collaboratively as cee and she studio. We create sculptural ceramic vessels and small batch wares.

How did you learn your craft?
We’ve come into our ceramic practice mid-life and mid-career, as a graphic designer and commercial photographer respectively.
While both contracting for a local college, we enrolled in a community ceramics class together. Clay captivated us and fulfilled a profound longing - offering us tactile expression that our digital tools couldn’t satisfy.

As we continued to hone our skills and work together in that college basement studio, we dreamed of our own collaborative studio space. In 2021, we moved into a shared studio space in the Dana Warp Mill in Westbrook and launched cee and she.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Playing with clay is visceral and cathartic joy and a welcome change to creating on screens. There's nothing that can compare, really.

What do you enjoy least?
There's never enough time, is that always the answer? We squeeze our studio time in between jobs and families and it's just never enough.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?
Our work has sought to echo the natural world that surrounds us. Maine’s rocks and barnacles, lichen and bone - elements of our local landscape - inform our materials, knowledge, and inspiration.

We've created natural glazes made from seaweed, moss and fern and Maine-foraged wild clay.

What’s one artist you look up to?
Alison Hildreth. In 2023, we were commissioned to create The Speedwell Prize, given by Speedwell Contemporary for a lifetime achievement in the arts that was presented to Hildreth that year. We were inspired by her commitment to her practice in a time that wasn't the most accommodating to women and mothers who pursued something outside of family life. And she was both a woman and mother who did that, and did it exceedingly well. At her retrospective event, when she was asked how often she considered the viewer of her work, she replied, "Never. The work is for me. It's what I'm working out." That has lingered with us.

Another artist and researcher that wildly inspires us is Bonnie Hvillum of Natural Materials Studio. Using only natural, circular, biodegradable components, her Copenhagen-based creative design studio undergoes in-depth research with clients to turn what would be waste into living, breathing materials that respond to their environment. We took a course with her called "Natural Materials in Ceramics" which inspired our natural materials glaze research.

What do you do when you’re not creating?
You can find us either with our families (Christina has two kiddos and I (Ash) have three!) or photographing or designing. In the sliver of time that may exist outside of that we try and swim all year long- you may catch us plunging at Ferry Beach in January.

Night owl or early bird?
Christina is a night owl and I'm (Ash) an early bird.

What's your favorite place in Maine?
There's a summer cabin that Christina rents on Panther Pond every summer and I'd have to say is our shared favorite place in Maine. And second to that, I'd say the Panther Run swimming hole in Raymond. 

Maine Maker Monday | Julia Arredondo

What’s your business name and what do you do?

I've had a few businesses over the years, mostly print related (Vice Versa Press, Curandera Press) and I'm now trying to navigate whether or not to start a new brand in Maine called Future Juju. My dream is to release seasonal paper goods (sort of like Rifle Paper but weirder) and my screen printing and letterrpess background make it possible for me to do that without breaking the bank. I've been printing for years, but in a chaotic way - so my next move is to bring some stability to my seasonal goods practice. As a sole proprietor and artist, Julia Arredondo, I make the majority of my living from zines and exhibitions. Artist grants and honoraria play a big part in the sustainability of my creative career - but I also have a full-time job at USM. 

How did you learn your craft?

I went to art school at the Maryland Institute College of Art and majored in printmaking, so much of my craft technique was acquired there. However, I also grew up in my Mom's office and used copy machines, typewriters, and early Apple computers as play toys. I've always enjoyed design and duplication, and working in community printshops around the country has helped me hone my skill and understand my creative capacity.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I find it completely satisfying to take an idea and make it into a physical object. Having the capacity and skillset to do that, mostly on my own, is an amazing experience. It's borderline magical. I also find the ritual of screen printing to be very calming and grounding for me. It's my favorite creative process, hands-down. 

What do you enjoy least?

The toughest part about my practice is that I've been transient for about a decade and my practice involves making stuff. So, storing my work and carrying my work across the country constantly is hard...and expensive. I'm hoping to lay low here in Maine for a while because I want to be around all of my work, and I find that consistency serves my practice well. I've got enough experience to last me a lifetime after being on the road for so long. 

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

I've got about two decades of work under my belt. Designs, fine art pieces, show fliers, zines - and because of my transient lifestyle - I don't feel that a lot of my earlier work was documented very well. I wish that the breadth of my work was better known.

What’s one artist you look up to?

Cody Hudson. Cody is a Midwest-based artist and he blends his graphic design practice with his fine art practice so seamlessly and in a way that feels business-savvy without feeling icky. He collaborates with big brands too, and that's something I'd love to get into. 

What do you do when you’re not printing?

When I'm not printing, I'm usually fiddling around with unfinished works of art trying to bring resolution to them. Otherwise, I'm probably cleaning house, hanging out, and trying to finish all of the half-read books on my nightstand. 

Night owl or early bird?

Early bird. Great question.

What's your favorite place in Maine? (can be a restaurant, bar, park, beach, etc :)

South Solon Meeting House, Solon, Maine

Maine Maker Monday | Raquel Miller

What’s your business name and what do you do?

From day to day, I introduce myself as Raquel, but as a business I go by Raquel P Miller. Raquel P Miller is how I sign all of my work, and embodies all the parts of me that I want to share as an artist. Primarily through painting, I am exploring my emotions, memories, grief, longings, and dreams and finding ways to communicate as I discover my own visual vocabulary. Most importantly, I want to ‘feel’ and express the unexpressed through art making. I’m longing to communicate through my work and longing for my work to communicate back to me. In that process, I want my work to allow space for a viewer to be able to feel and respond, to question, to confront, to dream, too. My art practice is at the core of my business, but it requires a lot of admin work like maintaining my website, photographing and editing all of my work, organization, emails, applications, research, and learning.

How did you learn your craft?

I like to consider my childhood years when I was coloring and drawing on the floor as the beginning. Those moments were where I learned to love creating and found comfort from the act of it alone, where it became so much a part of me that I never really had to question it since. But more officially, I received a minor in Studio Art with a concentration in Painting and Drawing from the University of Southern Maine, where I was involved in foundational painting classes. After college, I continued to learn and pursue my art on my own, so part of me resonates with the label of being self taught, for the non-traditional ways I have continued to learn outside of an academic setting. I’ve participated in classes with New York City Crit Club, attended a workshop at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts where I participated in a workshop led by Daniel Minter, and currently take classes at Mill Pond Ceramics with Emily Armstrong. I learn a lot by engaging with the world around me, slowing down, observing unnoticed moments, by reading, and viewing other work, and seeing art in the everyday moments.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The ability to express myself and communicate. Creating something tangible by engaging with myself, my heart, and my mind that I can then hold in my hands or run my fingers across. Creating something sacred.

What do you enjoy least?

Something I struggle with is how to engage on social media as an artist. Sharing art and discovering artists through social media is really incredible if you think about it, but when the feeling that posting outweighs the process and practice is where I start to dislike it. It’s important that I share in a way that feels healthy to me and uplifts my creativity and practice. To balance this, in 2021, I started to write a monthly newsletter and that has been a really healthy shift for me.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

I try very hard to give validity to each piece I make. I try to see something in each painting or drawing I make because I believe they all add up, creating context for my past, present and future work. This act allows me to combat the part of me that wants to aim towards a concept of “perfection.” If I am too critical of each piece, then my mind towards my work, my practice, and myself starts to become so critical that I don’t see the value in any of it. Suddenly, I don’t want to share it at all. And so I figure, if I share *mostly* everything, I am sharing myself, sharing imperfection, and the journey in my artistic practice, rather than the perfectly curated, selected piece of work that doesn’t give life to the process of how I got there through making everything else. That’s also why my website shares so much of what I make.

What’s one artist you look up to?

Some artists whose works or words or stories that have given me strength in my practice would be Ruth Asawa, Ana Mendieta, Josephine Halvorsen, and Lois Dodd.

What do you do when you’re not creating?

I love reading and checking books out at my local library. I like to write–mainly in my journal, but also creatively, and will attempt a poem every now and then. In 2022, I graduated from the Maine Master Naturalist Program so I love birding, admiring ferns and wildflowers, and looking at trees. I still consider myself an amateur, but I do volunteer by leading Tree Walks in downtown environments like Biddeford and Westbrook. I also really love to go on a walk, drink coffee, eat pastries, swim, and kayak.

Night owl or early bird?

Night owl at heart. But I am trying to embrace early bird life when I can.

What's your favorite place in Maine?

East Point Sanctuary in Biddeford Pool. That, and Timber Point Trail.

Maine Maker Monday | Becca Garibaldi | Find & Seak Pottery

What’s your business name and what do you do?

My business is Find&Seak Pottery and I am a potter who primarily focuses on functional pottery or pottery that you can utilize in your day-to-day life.

How did you learn your craft?

I first learned pottery back in high school where I began handbuilding. My art teacher would give me separate projects to do outside of class and egged me on to continue this art. At the time I didn’t take it too seriously and put my attention elsewhere. In college I minored in studio art with an emphasis in ceramics. This is where I first learned how to use the wheel and a gas kiln which changed the game for me. Working on the wheel was so challenging and yet so captivating. After college I lived in a small town in NH where I continued my practice more independently at a local studio. Once I moved to Portland, ME I immediately signed up for sessions at Portland Pottery Studio where I spent almost 5 years extending my lessons there. It wasn’t until this past year that I decided to embark on a more independent journey on finding my own pottery studio. I was led to the Dana Warp Mill Building by several different artists and their studios and I finally found “the one”. I’m currently located in the mill building and share a space with 3 other artists here.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The fluidity within it all and the ability to express myself. Art is such a dance. It’s a form of self-expression, freedom, and creativity. There is no right or wrong way to make art, only your way. Working on the wheel with clay to me has become more of a meditation. It’s taught me patience and perseverance. It’s also taught me how beautiful imperfection can be and the beauty that can come out of imperfection.

What do you enjoy least?

Hmm, I’d say learning the science and math behind it all. I’m no scientist and have very little interest in learning the science behind the glazes, clay, or the firings. Instead, I just want to create. I’d say I’m impatient because I just want to get my hands dirty!

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

The love and care that goes into each piece but I trust that this can be felt within each body of work. I also wish people knew how much work it all takes! Pottery is no easy task. There are many steps that go into making each piece from wedging, to throwing, to trimming, to bisquing, to glazing, to glaze firing, and then to sanding. That’s a whole lot and that’s also a whole lot of my time. I love what I do and I wouldn’t choose any other passion project but damn can it be time-consuming.

What’s one artist you look up to?

The first person that comes to mind for me is Willa Wirth Jewelry. Willa’s designs speak so much to me and make me feel beautiful and spiritually embraced. Her silver adornings allow my more feminine and spiritual side to come out and allow me to feel dressed up simply. Also, her connection to her buyers is expansive as she always presents herself authentically and enthusiastically mirroring her love for the work that she does. Lastly, her studio location is on Munjoy Hill, can you find a better location?!

What do you do when you’re not creating?

I manage and event coordinate at Root Wild Kombucha full-time. I love bringing people and communities together! This is something that also lights me up and I fully embrace having multiple facets of my life lighting me up. Outside of these things I love going on long walks and exploring new places outdoors with my dog Pai as well as finding some of the best spots in town to eat and drink :)

Night owl or early bird?

Definitely an early bird. Don’t get me wrong I love to dance and have nights out with my friends but I prefer to be in bed before midnight please & thank you.

What's your favorite place in Maine?

Wow, there’s so many! Honestly, the Eastern Promenade probably takes the cake. I live on the East End and I work on the East End, this is my community hub! I love being able to walk to work and run into people I know and being able to have one of the best scenic views in Portland less than 5 minutes from my doorstep. Having so much natural beauty and community so close to home brings me so much joy.

Maine Maker Monday | Shelby Goldsmith

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Shelby Goldsmith, which yes is my real name! I am a metalsmith & jewelry artist, as well as a death doula.

How did you learn your craft?

I attended Maine College of Art, intending to major in photography, and took Metalsmithing 101 as an elective for fun. That semester I ended up spending all of my time in the studio, stubbornly determined to master my struggle with soldering, and neglecting my photography work. I eventually chose Metalsmithing & Jewelry as my major because of that pull, even though I had far less experience or success in it.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The making process: sourcing stones, designing, metalsmithing. I love getting lost in a meticulous or meditative process, like sawing out shapes or hand making chain.

What do you enjoy least?

The business side of things: pricing, marketing, selling, bookkeeping.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

The inspiration behind it. My X motif is derived from the 1932 Scarface. In the film, every time someone gets whacked, a cinematic X motif appears. I’m influenced by Memento Mori (remember death) jewelry, but wanted to subvert the traditional symbolism of skulls. An X is a more versatile symbol, and serves as a departure point from which to design from, as I can endlessly multiply and manipulate the shape.

What’s one artist you look up to?

The Pope of Trash himself... John Waters. I’ve watched all of his films, read all of his books, and seen him perform live twice. I think he is a true artist in the purest sense, and a living breathing work of art himself.

What do you do when you’re not making jewelry?

Making literally anything else! Over the last year I have become obsessed with making pottery. I also love to knit, weave, refinish furniture, and tackling home renovation projects. I have an insatiable appetite for thrifting and antiquing.

Night owl or early bird?

Early bird.

What's your favorite place in Maine?

My house. I’m a homebody.

Maine Maker Monday | Sarah Fredricks | Goldie Jewelry

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Goldie Jewelry. I am a self-taught artist & metalsmith by trade but also love dabbling in other mediums

How did you learn your craft?

I traveled to Spain 12 years ago and was inspired by the natural , organic elements of the lifestyle, clothing and jewelry. I came home ( California ) at the time, and took my first metalsmithing class.

I bought some tools , and eagerly taught myself new techniques along the way . I have continued enrolling myself in courses to learn new techniques , but the best way to learn is through trial, mistake and error!

I look forward to attending an intensive stone setting workshop later this month at Haystack. I feel like it is going to do so much for my creativity and skillset on a whole new level.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

Working with my hands! Manipulating metal and having something tactile is so therapeutic. The end goal is in sight , but the process of working with metal and ALL the tools that come along with it is so fun! And yes, there are thousands of jewelry making tools, it’s insane !

What do you enjoy least?

It’s a double edged sword , but feeling overwhelmed in the busy seasons ( summer and holidays). I love the slow nature of making jewelry, but sometimes when it’s during my busy seasons , it’s more about putting your head down and getting it done. Also, I am a one woman show , so being in my studio full time can be isolating . My dog Eddie is my best friend , and companion so he accompanies me to my studio often, and that makes me smile.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

That jewelry making is often a step by step and messy process. For example, my hand carved rings take multiple steps to complete, and with that time and energy. From carving to casting , to finishing. The steps make a lot of mess in the process. You will see a shiny piece of jewelry in a case or at a makers market , but many don’t appreciate the steps it takes to get there .

What’s one artist you look up to?

I love Emilie Shapiro’s work. She is out of NYC, and she’s the artist I learned the lost wax carving process from. She started a “learn to carve a ring” at home series during the pandemic, and I couldn’t get enough of them.

It’s the technique of jewelry making I have really come to love and strive to better in my skill set . Her work is organic, raw & real and I respect her for sharing her knowledge with the world!

What do you do when you’re not making jewelry?

Well, Goldie “Jewelry & Goods” is called so because the “Goods” part represents my love for Vintage and Secondhand . I started a second hand shop during the pandemic with foraged and found treasures . I love the thrill of finding something unique that no one else has, and can tell a story beyond our knowledge.

I also love cooking colorful & nourishing meals. I have a background in Yoga & Ayurveda , so I’m a health nut and love learning about nutrition and spirituality.

I also love the simple pleasures like adventures with my dog & partner Julian. We love hiking , exploring new restaurants and going to the beach. Simple is Splendid.

Night owl or early bird?

Nothing like the peace and quiet of early mornings with a cup of coffee and a good book!

What's your favorite place in Maine?

That’s tough! There are so many amazing places in Portland . I love walks at the Evergreen Cemetery, eating everything at LB Kitchen, beach days at Pine Point & taking my dog to the Eastern Prom.

Maine Maker Monday | Coco McCracken

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Coco McCracken. I’m a writer of memoir and nonfiction, mostly around the subject of race, and identity, and growing up as a pop-culture-obsessed, half-Chinese-Canadian teen (and well, middle-aged adult).

How did you learn your craft?

What felt like endless days/years of living through various heartbreaks. Then, journaling about it. And then, reading 100s of books about it. Oh, and also watching 1000+ hours of films about it too. Seriously, if a movie or a book isn’t a little bit sad, it’s probably not for me. Heartbreak will always be my favorite thing to write, read about, and watch.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love being able to take life’s messy moments and transform them into something better than the core memory itself. Like, if I had a terrible family vacation that ended in tears, I wonder — why did things go that way? Is there a lesson there? Is there something beautiful and meaningful I can transform this into? Everything hard has laughter in it, so many light things can also contain darkness. Classifying moments, people or memories as just “bad” or “good” seems like a missed lesson in life.

What do you enjoy least?

Toss up between reality tv, Taylor Swift, and sundried tomatoes.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

That while it’s an important theme, my work isn’t only about identity or being Asian American (which technically, I am Asian Canadian). I wish BIPOC writers weren’t always expected to have to do the hard work of addressing and deconstructing our very existence. Can we just be the girls next door? The bar flies? The race car drivers? 

What’s one artist you look up to?

My brother, Kyle Yip is a visual artist in Toronto. His art is out of this world on so many levels. Against all the odds that we faced as kids, and the lingering ripple effects of that difficult life, his work continues to be such a priority for him. I am in awe of what he produces. His style, execution, and mission are unparalleled. 

What do you do when you’re not making art?

Probably thinking about my family. And then thinking about all the books I want to read. And then thinking about wanting to do the following hobbies I wish I had more time for: surfing, stained glass, clay shooting, fly-fishing, hiking.

Night owl or early bird?

Night owl by preference, early bird by circumstance (I have an 9 month and 4 year old)

What's your favorite place in Maine?

A toss up between sunset on the west-facing shores of Mooselookmeguntic Lake, the J’s Oyster bar with a martini and giant bowl of scampi, or our pickup truck with the whole family in it, ready to hit a road we haven’t traveled on yet.

Want to read Coco’s work?

You can find Coco’s book here and her newsletter here!

Maine Maker Monday | Celine Daubresse | Move Wild Studio

What’s your business name and what do you do?

I am the founder of Move Wild Studio teaching yoga & fitness classes in the “Wild”.  Whether it be outdoor classes on the Eastern Promenade, collaborations with local businesses, (coffee shops, breweries, distilleries, & plant shops) or yoga on the home turf (Go Sea Dogs & Maine Mariners) -  I bring together our community of “Wild Ones” to move and connect with this special place we call home!

I also work 1:1 with clients for Personal training at my home studio. Tailoring sessions to their individual “nonscale victory” goals. 

How did you learn your craft?

I have a BFA in Theater Performance and was working as an actor in NY.  The pandemic caused me to hit the “reset” button on multiple aspects of my life.  After my first yoga class in 2020, something really clicked for me, doing wonders for my anxiety.  I wanted to learn more.  

I then did my 200 HR  Yoga Teacher training in Portugal along with certifications- NASM/AFAA  Fitness Instructor & Pre/Postnatal Performance Training Specialist. 

It's so special to be able to blend my creativity from my acting background with an emphasis on movement for mental health.  

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love helping people feel strong and confident in their body. It is such a gift to be able to move.   I truly believe when we connect our breath to our bodies and express ourselves through movement-  confidence & creativity shines & we are the best version of ourselves. Helping others gain that confidence in themselves gives me so much joy! 

I also love bringing the community together.  I always say making adult friends is really hard. It is really special to create a space where everyone is encouraged to show up just as they are, move individually in a way that feels good for them, and meet fellow “Wild Ones” in this awesome community.    

What do you enjoy least?

Having to wear ALL the hats, especially the admin ones.  

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

It’s not always sunshine and butterflies.  Running your own business is tough.  Incredible ups that also come with really challenging lows. The Wild Ones know I like to always keep it real real, but a reminder social media is just a small peek into people's lives.  

What’s one artist you look up to?

Going to sounds cheesy, but in truth my mom.  She has always been creative, but  it wasn't until retirement that she rediscovered her love of handmade ceramics and now makes incredible art. She’s taught me how to truly see the beauty in nature as well as that it is never too late to start something.  

What do you do when you’re not working through Move Wild?

I always say I'm happiest by water with the sunshine on my face.  So probably going on a wild adventure in nature (preferably along the coast) with my partner Nick or during the Maine winters, curled up reading a book by a fireplace. 

Night owl or early bird?

Early bird- those special quiet moments to myself before the craziness of the day begins is bliss! 

What's your favorite place in Maine?

I would say Kettle Cove is truly my happy place.  It was one of my first introductions to the Portland area and I immediately fell in love.  To have that special ocean experience so close to the city is just magic. One of my favorite outdoor spots to do yoga popups! 

Maine Maker Monday | TAMSYN BODWELL | Mill Pond Ceramics Studio

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Mill Pond Ceramics Studio. I also make ceramic work under my name. In January of 2020, I left the arts nonprofit I co-founded and ran for twelve years because my partner and I were preparing to move to Boston for his work. But then the pandemic changed our plans. I hadn’t worked with ceramics for years but I returned to them during that chaotic time and found that I had all this pent up creative energy. My search for a studio space closer to my home in Biddeford snowballed into founding a community clay studio in 2023 which is now 80 members strong and has between 60-100 students, depending on the time of the year.

How did you learn your craft?

I studied art in college years ago and focused on ceramics, but I was young and lacked the focus to dive into ceramics as a career path. For many years, I worked as a graphic designer, a nonprofit director, then more recently as a book designer, always with aspirations to return to ceramics some day.. Ironically, the silver lining of the pandemic for me was that it gave me time to pick up ceramics again. During the first year of the pandemic I was lucky to land an apprenticeship to learn slip casting. I also joined groups to learn more about atmospheric firings like raku and wood firings. Running a community studio Mill Pond Ceramics eats into my creative time now but I’m hiring help so I can focus on my own work.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

With my community studio, I’m inspired by the members and students who use the space I’ve made. We’ve got a really engaged, supportive community of makers. I love seeing the breakthroughs they make in their own practices. I enjoy building that community and making it possible for others to be able to create. In my own work, I enjoy the thrill of a piece just pulled from a glaze kiln, knowing I made it with my own hands. That feeling never gets old.

What do you enjoy least?

That’s hard. I like most everything I do. I guess I’d have to say developing content for social media. It’s much easier to consume than to create content!

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

That I actually make my own work! I’m more known, I think, as someone who supports artists by making spaces for them, which I do love and get great satisfaction from. But I think the pandemic caused a lot of creative people to reflect and reprioritize things in their lives. Carving out time to focus on my own craft is enormously important to me

What’s one artist you look up to?

I am really a big fan of Dame Lucy Rie, an Austrian-born Jewish potter who escaped to England in 1938. She was a studio potter at a time when most studio potters were men, and her work was considered cosmopolitan and innovative. I love her forms and surfaces. I’m also a big fan of German ceramicist Maria Kristofferson. Every time I scroll past her work on Instagram it stops me in my tracks. That’s two, sorry!

What do you do when you’re not creating art?

I spend time with my husband. Ride my vintage Bianchi road bike. Walk in the woods. Explore small towns. Swim in ponds and lakes. Read. Take naps!

Night owl or early bird?

Most definitely an early bird. It’s difficult to get me out past 8:00 p.m anymore unless I’m already out! I do my best thinking early, when it’s quiet. I feel robbed if I miss a sunrise, but I don’t care that much about sunsets.

What’s your favorite place in Maine?

Oh, that one is impossible! Maine is so beautiful. I really love Vinalhaven and would like to spend more time there. My husband’s family has a deep history there. But I also love Rockland for its vibrant arts community and great historic downtown.

Maine Maker Monday | Sara Kosicki | The Magic Sprout

What’s your business name and what do you do?

My business name is The Magic Sprout and I am a gardener with a focus on permaculture design and sustainable farming solutions!

How did you learn your craft?

I grew up working in the gardens with my grandmothers, aunt, and mom so I learned a lot through them! My formal education is in business and marketing but I decided to make a career switch in 2022 and make my hobby my work. Since then I’ve learned through online courses, trial and error, and some amazing mentors!

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I love watching people enjoy the gardens and planters I create! My goal has always been to use plants as a way to create a softer, more beautiful environment for people to gather or relax in. 

What do you enjoy least?

Mhmmm that’s a great question…. I certainly had to think about this a bit… I think a lot of people assume that the gardening/ landscape industry is sustainable simply because we work with plants but there are a lot of really unsustainable practices that have been super hard to break through and change. A big mission for my business is to show people how to do things differently and with a more ecological mindset, so taking the time to discover better solutions and change practices takes time and resources which can be really challenging at times.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

Working with and designing using living things is interesting because there is never really a “final product”… plants are always growing and gardens evolve over time which is a beautiful concept. So when I do things I’m always thinking about what it will be like in a year or two. This also means I really start to form a relationship with each individual garden or landscape because they all have their own quirks and variables!  

What’s one artist you look up to?

I don’t think I have one specifically because I tend to really appreciate the variety of art! I get excited when I see people creating super authentically because I can feel their passion through their work and it really inspires me!

What do you do when you’re not with plants?

Likely you can catch me on a hike or kayak paddle with my dog, Milo! We love to camp in all four seasons and just submerge ourselves in nature however we can! 

Night owl or early bird?

Interestingly enough, I’m a night owl in the summer and an early bird in the winter! So strange but that’s just the pattern I’ve fallen into!