Air plants cannot live on air alone. They need lots of water. But, give them too much water, and they’ll die. Before we can water air plants, we need to understand where they come from.
Air plants have aerial roots to help hold them onto whatever surface they call home- like trees, or even power lines! In their native habitats across the Southern U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America, air plants get what they need from high humidity and plentiful rainfall. No soil needed. In climates where it's not as humid (like Oregon) we make up for the lack of humidity by soaking or misting as needed.
For the tabletop, air plants can simply be snuggled into a favorite bowl or even a collection of shells as a centerpiece. Our ceramic wall planters are the perfect way to showcase air plants and add three dimensional greenery to an existing gallery wall.
A little while ago, I realized I wanted to capture the style and feeling of Carter + Rose in cozy, two dimension. I enlisted the help of my friend and fellow artist, Drew Garza, to help me brainstorm how to translate my 3D store and art into a 2D image that felt connected and like it really fit into the aesthetic of Carter + Rose. After lots of back and forth, we settled on a beautiful image, designed in two color ways, that I love and truly represents the C+R vibe. Although we used a snake in the imagery, we wanted to make sure that the snake felt inviting and warm, and was surrounded by plants. We also added a full moon, or shining sun (depending on how you look at it), to give the image a sense of timelessness.
I sent the final image in two color ways off to get woven into a luscious 100% organic cotton blanket in Mineola, New York. It's perfect on a couch, in the park for a picnic, or to cuddle with while reading in bed. We also decided to print these images as archival art prints (18" x 24"), using a local Portland print shop, Brown's Printing. Although so different, I love how these images translated onto both the woven cotton and the paper. And honestly, I don't know which color combo I love more- I vacillate back and forth between the two.
Honestly, what I love most about our new Carter + Rose blankets and art posters, is how well they compliment our other products. With Spring right around the corner, these new additions to the C+R lineup are beautiful ways to brighten up a room after spring cleaning. There are also ways to bing the C+R aesthetic outside... Imagine a picnic with ceramic plates and handblown glasses! I actually just redid my kid's room, and used the poster as an accent in a gallery wall (more on that later)!
Many of the artists I met asked me: Why did you and your brother both end up so creative? I chatted with Mark about this question. And this is what we concluded...
We grew up in a creative home. Our dad was a builder, and we had full reign in his shop full of saws, hammers, nails and hot glue. Our aunt also had a painting studio in Seattle and we would often visit her and be surrounded by quirky, amazing artists.
Because we grew up surrounded by creative people, because we had access to experiment and were able to make a mess, and because we learned that messing up is just part of the process, we grew up imagining living our lives as creative people.
So now, as adults, we both have found our personal creative niches. Yes, they are very different, but they are both grounded in envisioning projects, implementing ideas and creating a process for success in the arts.
Somewhere between Kindergarten hot glue and opening Carter + Rose, I became the creative person I am today. I have become an expert in the world of handmade, and love the new relationships and connections that have come from living and breathing Carter + Rose.
After being in Prague, I left wanting to temporarily make something completely the opposite of what I do right not. I envisioned a big installation- something less functional than a wall planter, and less adorable than a snake. I dreamed of something that is not permanent, is a bit messy, and perhaps even a collaboration... The wheels are turning, and I'm excited to see where it goes.