Well, I mean, mostly Maria because I trust her vision. Her vision is very similar to mine in a sense. We both love that old-world aesthetic. And I've never done a tapestry-style thing. So I was like, “Yeah, cool.” Is that something different? A hundred percent. 

Overall, I tried not to pull from one single one too much. I was trying to find something that looked completely unique. Pretty much every element I built, I did so with inspiration from a different tapestry. 

The early 16th century French tapestry  Time  was probably my main source of inspiration, from studying how the threads and colors were woven to perspectives used and subjects (particularly flora and fauna).

Another major source was Roman frescos rather than tapestries. I love the ancient, worn look that is arguably more beautiful with age and I wanted to pull on this feeling. I drew on several different frescos, but this one from  The House of the Golden Bracelet   in Pompeii is the main one I drew energy from.

The idea for the three maidens came from looking through Italian Renaissance sources, particularly the  The Theological Virtues: Faith, Charity, Hope .

It wasn't the original source for my idea, as it happened fairly organically, but after seeing parallels between my tapestry and  Botticelli's Primavera  I leaned into it, particularly with floral motifs. Fun fact, the North Way Studio’s logo is actually inspired by a dress pattern in  Botticelli's Pallas and the Centaur  so it seemed fitting to continue drawing inspiration from him!

Another final source of inspiration was actually  the Black Family Tapestry  from Harry Potter! Maria had mentioned it as something she loved and, while I didn't use the designs in it, I loved the moody magical vibes. So I tried to incorporate some of that same feeling.

I listened to a lot of Lord of the Rings background music while I was on this (laughs).

Yeah. I had the Shire at night. I had the Rivendell music going. And I'm sketching these towering trees. I liked the idea of a journey because for me The North Way Studio, the name itself, speaks of this magical journey. 

I wanted to straddle that line between fantasy and the European old world vibe. I wanted to build it in a way that would be a foundation point for the world of The North Way Studio. I wanted people to feel that sense of romance, story and intrigue of, “What's going on here?”

Oh, 100%. I regularly take inspiration from a piece of furniture or something, like there's a motif on it that I want to incorporate. Or the color used or whatever, you know, and vice versa. I see it all the time, artists taking different interpretations. And I think that's the beautiful thing about it is an artist doesn't have to use canvas. They can use clay or whatever they get their hands on.

Yeah. I've just kind of got to the point where I think my job as an artist is more about telling my truth, my experience, as best as I can. You know, seeing something and telling it as truthfully as I can. Because that's where people connect and resonate. When we like a piece it’s because it really resonates with us. It has a certain element of truth to it, because we can all identify with it. When you produce pieces en masse, when you stop putting yourself into your artwork, I think that's when people stop connecting to it.

Yes. I got diagnosed with PTSD in the military. It was a little bit different being diagnosed then, but whichever the case, my experience in the military irrevocably created new neural pathways in my brain. So I'm just really good at finding danger at everything, and a lot of it's actually quite illogical. It's gotten worse as a mother, so art for me is a way to sit down and focus the brain and bypass those less than helpful neuropathways. It's a way to calm my brain and it’s self care. It's also a way to say the things I'm either not brave enough to say or don't know the words to say.

I guess more sociologically speaking, there is a fine art genre. And we all have kind of culturally agreed upon a definition of what that is: what's included and what's not included. Like, you know how Ikea art is not fine art. It’s a social construct to help us categorize. But, I think it's a bit broader. I say, I feel like I'm waffling, but that truth you can really connect to, and it's something unique and it says something beautiful and worthwhile. That's really what it comes down to for me personally. 

I'd say don't let social convention hold you back. There's so much that's shouted at people who are interested in art: you have to get a fine art degree; you have to go through all these steps. But to be honest, from my experience, that's all B.S. Just start. It's really about connecting to yourself and listening to what you feel is right and what you want to express and just start doing it. Fine art is really the technique, the honing of the craft. That’s what makes the old masters, masters. They spent so much time learning their craft, understanding their materials, and that's not something that's really done in universities now that I've seen. It's that technical striving for that technical mastery that I think really adds to fine art. So, yeah, ultimately, I would say to people: keep practicing. Be curious about your materials. Be curious about being better and striving for it. And who cares what everybody else thinks!

The last ring was inspired by  The Rosslyn Chapel , which I used to live next to and draw endless inspiration from. I wear this ring when I am creating something important, tapping into deep wells of creative inspiration, and moments that are pivotal to me. I even purposely wore it for the birth of my daughter, who's middle name is Roslynn, spelled slightly differently to accommodate her grandmother's middle name!