Hello Atelier

Growing up, Kevin Kidney knew that he was destined to live at Disneyland. Once he realized that people don't actually get to live there, he did the next best thing. He got a job there. In the art department Kevin had the opportunity to work on design projects large and small for the Disney company – everything from collectible enamel pins to parades. In this episode we talk about his work with Disney, how he found a community in the world of Tiki, and how giving back has become a large part of his business plan.

Fifty years ago, a trip to Scotland changed the life course of now iconic textile artist Kaffe Fassett. Then a painter, Kaffe was mesmerized by the heathered colors of Scottish yarn and taught himself how to knit on the train ride back to London. Since then he has immersed himself in the world of textiles and becoming renowned for his knitting, needlepoint and fabric designs. As an artist, he doesn’t just spend all his time in his studio. He also travels the globe teaching and encouraging his students in their own textile work. In this episode we chat with Kaffe about his work as a teacher, his unending drive to create, and those inspiring first years when Kaffe found his calling in textiles.

A chance meeting at a bus stop propelled textile artist Brandon Mably from a career in catering to his life as a designer known for his bold and graphic use of color. Brandon isn’t content just to create by himself, he also shares his colorful talent with the many students he teaches around the globe. As he puts it, he lives in a world of education and he wants his students to learn to create with color and confidence, just like he did. Listen in as we talk about Brandon’s first steps as an artist, his design process, and the most important thing he wants his students to take away from his workshops.

Ten years ago, while designing screenprints, Maiko Kuzunishi stumbled across a product that would change her business – a simple clock. Since then she has challenged herself to take clock design as far as she can, incorporating whimsical creatures and flowers with graphic lines to create stunning pieces of home art. In this episode we discuss how Maiko found her calling, her move from Japan to the United States and how she balances work, life and stillness.

In a small white building in the midst of the Hertfordshire countryside, best-selling author Freya North works studiously day after day, bringing life to her caravan of characters. Now with 14 novels to her name, North doesn't think of herself as creating the characters, but acting as an antennae through which fully formed stories flow. Listen in as we talk about North's creative process, the agony of writer's block, and the first book that ignited her love of reading.

This week we welcome Alanna DeRocchi to the show. Alanna has become known for her large-scale sculptural pieces of animals - walrus, hippos, even tapirs. But, an artist is always evolving and, in this episode, Alanna talks with us about finding her artistic voice and transitioning her vision - even if it means alienating some of her fans.

This week we welcome Melissa McCracken to Hello Atelier. Melissa paints songs. Specifically, she paints the colors that she sees while listening to songs. For Melissa has synesthesia, a neurological condition which, in her case, causes her to visualize colors when listening to music. Through her paintings, Melissa tries to share what she experiences – to grab that fleeting vision and commit it to canvas. Through her work, we non-synesthetes finally get a taste of the full musical experience.

Sally Jane Linville has a mission. She wants to bring a little bit of farm life into everyone's home. How? Through chickens, of course! And not just any chickens, but her fabulous fiber chicken footstools. These locally-sourced chickens balance the line between sculptural and functional art and are created by a community of artists throughout Kansas and Missouri, though the chickens themselves have found homes as far as China. Listen to Sally Jane's story and, who knows, maybe you will be adopting a City Girl Farm chicken for your own home!

Emily Reinhardt is a ceramicist better known by her online moniker, The Object Enthusiast. Emily's pottery is both beautiful and functional - a combination that caught the eye of the social media world where she became a burgeoning online influencer with over 100,000 Instagram followers. As business continues to grow, Emily is learning to juggle the demands of being a full-time artist with a need to learn and grow her art.

In this season finale of Hello Atelier, we sit down with legendary fashion designer Barbara Hulanicki. From 1964 to 1975, Barbara's store Biba was where those in the know in London - including the likes of Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Twiggy - went for the best clothes. Barbara didn't quit designing after Biba. In fact, an opportunity given to her by Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones reinvented her as a successful hotel interior designer. Today, Barbara's designs are still sought after, and she is endowing everything from wallpaper to t-shirts with her special Biba glamour.

A lot of people change majors in college. It's expected, right? But few life shifts are as extreme as Kim Eichler-Messmer's, who switched from a double engineering and Spanish major to art. Inspired by artists like Sonia Delaunay, Kim has pursued her passion through her work with textiles. In this episode of Hello Atelier, Kim talks to us about textiles, travel and taking time to step outside.

As a struggling freelance designer, have you ever wondered how it’s done? How did that artist come up with that popular product line, how did they get it in the stores, and why does it look so easy? Well, very few things that look easy are, and designer Tammy Smith tells us about her journey from hobby sketcher to full-time product designer.

This week on Hello Atelier, we submerge ourselves into the world of letterpress with our guest, Brady Vest of Hammerpress, as our guide. Brady was at the forefront of the resurgence of letterpress as a design and production technique. His early interest in an endangered art has led to a more than 20 year career in design.

In episode four of Hello Atelier, we sit down with designer, author, and free-motion quilter Angela Walters. Angela shares how she went from fast food manager to nationally-recognized quilter and designer. Listen in and find out why Angela says that she is the perfect example of how even a blind squirrel can find a nut.

Host Betsy Blodgett sits down with Gregory Kolsto: Artist, coffee roaster, and all-around inspirational dude. Gregory talks us through his travels, his business, his art and how he is creating a culture of blowing people's minds through coffee. When Gregory gave Oddly Correct, his roasting company, the tagline "Freaking Out Your Morning Cup", he meant it.

In this episode of Hello Atelier, host Betsy Blodgett talks with Jacquie Gering, who is a leader in the modern quilting movement. Jacquie has played a pivotal role in developing the Modern Quilt Guild to be an international organization, and is a powerful ambassador for the modern quilt aesthetic. Jacquie is the author of Quilting Modern: Techniques and Projects for Improvisational Quilts and her work has been featured in a number of other quilting books and sewing publications.

Host Betsy Blodgett speaks with Meredith Host, a ceramicist and full time studio potter. They discuss how Meredith’s love of horror movies has influenced her work and inspired a series she once called a playful penchant for the bizarre. Listen in to find out what is inspiring her work these days (hint: you can find it in your bathroom!) and her strategies for maintaining a thriving ceramics business.