brief introductions :: owl and mouse

I love Owl and Mouse. This small printing company in Missouri is adorable! I love that they make scarves now too! Rock on!

Can you describe yr art and process? Tell us a bit about yrself?

Owl+Mouse Textile Designs is a small printing company based in Kansas City, Missouri. All textiles are hand designed, dyed and printed in a cozy studio by Alice Youngblood and Cristin Llewellyn. Alice and Cristin work together as a duo to create unique designs for Owl+Mouse. They currently print shirts, but would like to explore different paths within the “fiber realm”. They met in 2005 as students in the Fiber Department at the Kansas City Art Institute. Alice, born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, was surrounded by her mother’s sewing and embroidery projects and always knew she wanted to be an artist! Cristin grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma in a family that embraced art. She loved drawing and began taking classes and participating in school art shows at the age of 6. Both currently create, explore, and live in Kansas City.

So – Can you just tell me a few things that inspire you and how you work – yr process?

We are both inspired by the natural world and various forms of art. Although we have separate design processes, we have found that our ideas and aesthetics usually end up going in a similar direction! Alice enjoys collecting an assortment of images from the Internet and books, and then she sketches and collages her own designs. Cristin usually works out ideas in her head then puts them to paper by drawing and piecing units together to form a complete design.

I want to know some things about what is it really like to be a working artist…the good and the bad? What are the three top things you wish you would have known before you started this art/etsy journey?

We have found that it is really hard jumping into the “art world” not having a client base or a reliable source of income. We both recently graduated from college and work various jobs to be able to survive and still make art! We have had to explore and discover our own way, transitioning from being individual artists to becoming production artists, and found that this path is filled with bumps and is not always so clear. It is easy to let fear hold you back from jumping into a new venture. Starting your own business can be scary, but we would not have been so afraid if only we’d known just how many artists and friends would appear out of the woodwork and help us get going and keep us on track.

For us, the best part of being working artists is being in the studio and working side by side in a creative and fun atmosphere. We have found a rhythm in the studio, and everything just comes together when we are working. Also, it has been wonderful to become a part of the Kansas City art community and Etsy. We have met so many new amazing people and artists. Seeing their reactions is what encourages and motivates us to keep moving forward.

What are yr five top blogs/shops/etc on web?
Who would you love to meet online?

sarahkraly.tumblr.com
Sarah is our amazing friend, talented photographer, and biggest fan. She plays a huge part in our company.

www.debbiebarrettjones.etsy.com
Debbie dyes and weaves the most beautiful textiles.

antlermag.com/blog
Great place to find inspiration and discover new talent.

elsita.typepad.com/allaboutpapercutting/
There are no words for this one!

http://creaturecomforts.typepad.com/my_weblog/
This one has cute and informational posts.

We would like to meet the girls from inkandspindle.com because they are a small business that prints textiles they seem sweet and full of knowledge!

Thank you so much! We love yr work!!!!

Check out Owl and Mouse!

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Please contact me at my blog or Etsy or email me at amytsharp (at) gmail (dot) com or twitter to give me scoop on cool things that you find or make! I want to hear from you!