Hello April. You’re a tough one, you’re a beautiful one. At least where I am (in Sweden), one minute you’re the hope of spring, the next minute another snowstorm. You’re the month of my first child’s birth, and how I slogged through those last weeks of pregnancy, so heavy, so ready. You’re new life arriving, reviving. You’re the light returning.
Though we haven’t thrown off our winter coats and boots here yet, and we’re still waiting for the earth to explode with wildflowers, there are signs of spring are everywhere. It’s mostly the magic of light. I almost forgot how it warms, how it moves. Every year it feels like an utter miracle, even after all of my years here. The wonder of a Scandinavian spring is impossible to describe – it can only be experienced and requires having lived through the long, deep dark winter. Day after day, week after week, month after month with hardly any light at all, until I begin to lose hope of ever feeling the warmth of sun again, and then, wait, what is that glow? It almost hurts my eyes at first. And wow it feels amazing.
Now that the snow and ice have melted, we’re back to our regular Wyld treasure hunts. No flowers yet, but the stones are always with us. Even their tones seemed to have changed.
And for this Treasures post, I wanted to share some inspiration too. A few instagram accounts I absolutely love following and want to recommend!
First up, Vince Skelly (@vince.skelly). It’s no secret that I have a great love for raw organic materials. And a great interest in form – here’s my pinterest board dedicated to it. So when I discovered Vince Skelly’s work, I was blown away. He carves these monolithic wooden shapes from single discarded trees. They feel brand new and simultaneously from the beginning of time.
On a similar note, but with textiles and clay, I love following memòri (@memori.studio_). Their earthen pots and plant-dyed textiles are an inspiration. But more importantly, they are dedicated to two particular places – the craftsmanship and traditions, rituals and collective memory of those places. As they state in their manifesto, “Today, in a world of standardisation, disposable culture and consumerism, how could we shine a light on the artistry, on practices attentive to humans and nature, on rituals and savoir-faire that are sometimes forgotten or lost?”
One of my absolute favorite insta curators is @slow_roads – I want to live in their feed. Recently found the above photo of Bunny Mellon’s garden shed. And since I’m in the midst of garden planning, I plan to try to make some trellises like the ones on the right wall. I think they’ll look beautiful just hanging on the wall during those long winter months when all the plants disappear.
Another favorite is copito (@shopcopito). It’s hard to beat the combo of vintage + conscious handmade products. I started following her for her vintage style, but then couldn’t help but try her plant-dyed crayons made with local foraged pigments (they’re great!). And now she’s making these hand-dipped zig-zag beeswax candles too! Love.
That’s it for today. This was super fun to put together and reminds me of so many other makers and curators I want to feature here. So really hoping you enjoyed this? Let me know in the comments.
And if you have any recommendations for people to follow on Youtube, I need them!