Introducing a new collaborative series between Jan at Scoutie Girl and I... Collabo! We'll be featuring interviews with artists who work together on collaborative projects- one artist will be featured here, and the other over at Scoutie Girl with our interviews posted at the same time. Neato huh? Yeah, it's Jan's idea, I can't take any credit for it ;)
First up, we have a collaboration between artist Shanna Murray and stationery designer, Pistachio Press who worked together to create a beautiful limited edition card set. Read Shanna's interview about the project and her thoughts on collaboration below and afterward, head to Scoutie Girl to see what Rachael from Pistachio Press has to say!
Shanna Murray:
Which came first: the idea or the partnership? Who approached whom?
Rachael and I became fast friends after meeting through
Second Storie
Indie Market. It was clear early on that we had much in common. We
decided after countless conversations about design, letterpress, and our
mutual wish to spend more of our time making in the company of others that
it would be great to do just that. We were motivated to
collaborate on a
piece we could show under our shared tent at the Renegade Craft Fair. We
knew through conversation that what we were looking for in the experience
was something equally shared all the way through. Rachael had been wanting
to spend more time on design than she had been and I had been wanting to
gain more letterpress experience. It was an easy fit for both of us.
What is the nature of your collaboration?
Ours was an equal collaboration in that we came up with the concept
together, we sat side by side creating the designs, and shared equally in
the printing so all expenses and revenue have been divided equally.
How did you coordinate the project work and determine who would do what?
From the beginning we truly had the same vision for
our collaboration.
Rachael and I had both been thinking about working on a more abstract
project than was the norm for either of us. We sat down at my kitchen
table and went about creating the designs for our series of cards. I'd
work on one element and then send it over to Rachael's computer and vice
versa until we had a complete set of designs. We decided on design
elements and colors very easily, due to sharing a similar design sense.
The only thing I did differently from Rachael was throw a ball for my dog
here and there to keep him occupied while we worked. Actually, I take that
back. I think Rachael threw the ball too! The designs were all created in
one afternoon. The remainder of the collaboration would go much the same
way, sharing the work evenly through the printing and packaging process.
Is the collabo ongoing or was it a one-and-done deal?
Our
card series was a limited edition collaboration. We don't have any
specific plans at this time. However, now that we share a studio we talk
almost daily about design and projects we'd love to tackle. We work so
well together, it would be great to start a new collaborative project. I'm
sure we will at some point, when our individual work loads slow down a
bit.
What made you want to partner your art with someone else’s?
I often thought, while working in my attic studio, that it would be nice
to share ideas and process with another artist. Work days were often quite
lonely and I longed for creative comradery. Upon seeing the outcome of
some really great collaborations by other artists online I thought I would
really enjoy taking on a joint project. The more Rachael and I shared what
sort of design we were drawn to and what sort of work we wanted to create
it seemed a very natural fit to set to work on something together.
Do you work with other artists to create collaborative pieces?
My primary collaborative endeavor is my partnership with calligrapher
Betsy Dunlap,
Hello Handmade Paperie. I'm also looking forward to
collaborating with ceramic artist Vicki Hartman, a dear friend of mine,
later this year.
Do you have any suggestions for other artists who are considering a
collaborative project?
Keep communication open to ensure that you are on the same page throughout
the project. Be sure to be clear about who's responsible for the different
tasks and financial commitments that go into bringing a collaboration to
life and be sure that you can commit to the time and/or finances it takes
to execute those tasks. Talk over as many "what ifs" as you can think of
and arrive at an answer together. Enjoy the process!
If you could work with any other artist to create a piece together
(famous and/or deceased included), who would it be and what would you
make?
Gosh that's a broad pool to choose from! Let's start with famous and work
our way down the list...
In dreamland it would be beyond beyond to collaborate with
Maira Kalman. I
have such respect and admiration for her work. While my head is still in
the clouds, another dreamland collaboration would be with
Andrew Bird,
ditto the respect and admiration.
I often think how wonderful it would be to collaborate on a piece with my
mom and grandmother, they were both very creative women. If they were
still alive today this would be at the top of my list.
Other artists and creatives I'd love to collaborate with include
Hannah
Huffman,
Molly Wizenberg,
Betsy Carr, and my sweetheart
Chuck Eblacker.
I'm very intrigued by the idea of collaborating with people who work in
mediums quite different from those I work in daily. I am fascinated by the
idea of creating a bridge between disciplines that you wouldn't
automatically expect to be paired together. As far as what I'd make I
think I'll keep that a secret for now! I have plans in the works to
collaborate with at least two of these wonderful people in the future!
Thanks Shanna! Awesome to hear how you and Rachael worked together, and I can't wait to see all your other projects unfold!
