A Milwaukee Home Tour

My heart skipped a beat when I saw this home tour of Milwaukeeans Scott Johnson and Maureen Post featured on the blog, Home Again (follow the link for more photos HERE). It's a nice change of pace to see a home that is actually lived in and is unique to the couple living there. I'm getting tired of flipping through the pages of Decor and House Beautiful, myself. So I"m excited to see a project/blog right in my own backyard. Three cheers for their awesome home tours! And maybe someday (when I actually pick up all the laundry baskets in my living room) my home might look blogworthy, too.

MKE Locals: Marisa Seguin

photo: Brett Stenson
Marisa lives in Milwaukee and makes wonderful illustrations. Originally from Vancouver, Marisa attended MIAD and now works in Milwaukee as an illustrator. I originally fell in love with her collection of illustrated city maps that she sells in her Etsy store. Aren't the colors great?! She's a true joy! - I've been working with her over the past months on a very, VERY exciting project that I'll announce next week! Check out her website to see more. And her blog, too!

MKE locals: Marie of Rose and Anchor

Today we're talking with Milwaukee local and artist, Marie from Rose and Anchor as part of our MKE locals series. Marie makes beautiful vintage inspired brass jewelry she sells at small boutiques across the midwest (including Sparrow Collective in Bay View) as well as on Etsy. For the month of April, she's offering a 20% discount (use discount code APRIL20) for her Etsy shoppers.

Where do you find inspiration in Milwaukee?
I think one of the biggest inspirations for me has always been Lake Michigan. In the early days, it was the subject of photos I sold, and in the present it's more about everything that comes to mind in the nautical and historical sense of it all, if that makes sense. Too elaborate a little bit - I started out in the fall of 2009 while I was pregnant with my son, as a photography shop - I was known as Blue Balloon back then. I was stocked full of dreamy photos and stationery of Lake Michigan and landscapes, then I began dabbling in photo jewelry, which eventually evolved into what it is today. We live a few blocks away in Bay View, so the lake sometimes feels like a second home - we visit some point of it's shores nearly every day. I really began feeling a disconnect between the name Blue Balloon and the pieces in my shop over the past year and a half. It began bothering me enough that I finally took the big step and began rebranding as Rose & Anchor a few months ago. It's a name I'm really happy with, and was inspired in part by that beautiful body of water to our east. All that remains of the earlier days as Blue Balloon are a few photo lockets featuring Lake Michigan - they will remain in the shop always for sentimental reasons, and because of their popularity. In a way, they are like my shop's anchor. Which didn't really occur to me until writing it down just now...

How would you describe your style?
I think nostalgic, rustic, and feminine are the big ones that come immediately for me. I use a lot of old stock, or vintage findings whenever I can. Also a lot of earthy stones that I like to mix with brass. If something is made of newish materials, I try and still give it that old feel. I've also heard modern, earthy, minimal, simple, and romantic from other. I'd agree I'm a mix of all of the above.

What are you currently digging?
Recently I've been really enjoying everything my Vancouver pal and jewelry designer, Sarah, has been creating for her shop, Camp + Quarry. Also, fellow Milwaukeean, Little Ocean - I am in love with everything she makes, but especially her baby and kiddo designs. Other favorites lately include the handmade wooden sunglasses from Tumbleweeds, beautiful crocheted doily blankets from Goodknits, and Bookhou - I've got one of her waxed canvas bags, but she keeps putting out new designs and I've been admiring them all from afar. I could probably go on forever on this, because there is so much to love in the creative and handmade world, so I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks so much for including me in your series!

all photos courtesy of Rose and Anchor

MKE locals: Cassandra Smith

left photo via Michael Goelzer, right photo via Cassandra Smith
Art can be found in the most unusual places.  Having grown up in northern Wisconsin and having gone to MIAD for sculpture design, Cassandra Smith merged the two.  Part of Cassandra's work is doing large scale sculptures with taxidermy deer and fish, but where Cassandra is really leaving her mark is with the decorated mule deer antlers she finds and delicately handpaints.  You can find them for sale in her Etsy store, MadebyCassandraSmith.  I'm quite fascinated with her work for its beauty and simplicity.  So, I contacted Cassandra to find out more with a mini interview for the blog.

Where does the inspiration for your art come from?  I have been working with decorating found objects since I was at MIAD getting my degree in sculpture.  I had mainly been doing these really large-scale installations and at a certain point I realized I was only making 1 - 2 pieces of art a year, because they took so long.  I wanted to start making smaller, quicker works and that is where the antlers came from.  Plus they are humanely sourced (deer shed their antlers naturally every year) which makes me feel okay about using as many as I can get my hands on.  The patterns I use are inspired a lot by different ethnic patterns, mainly Native American and Eastern European styles.

How would you describe your personal style? As far as fashion, I usually feel pretty out of touch with what is fashionable. In general I buy new clothes about twice a year and then just wear the same look over and over.  But I do try and get modern pieces of jewelry, mostly from Etsy sellers, to make my outfits more interesting.  As far as decor, I am lucky to have a boyfriend who shares my love of ethnic folk art.  Our house is decorated with a collection of masks, tapestries and wooden animals from places like Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.  We love to collect objects from our travels.

What are some of your favorite things or places in Milwaukee? Anyone who knows me knows that I love eating, and specifically going out to eat.  So, just about any restaurant in the city would qualify as a place I love going, but in particular I love Royal India and the tofu sandwich at Banh Mi Nyu (both on 27th Street).  Also, I can never say no to Classic Slice or GTO.  In the summer I really love taking evening walks and wandering around the Bay View Community Garden critiquing/envying people's garden plots. 


photos via Cassandra Smith
Cassandra is no stranger to the Milwaukee art scene.  She also co-founded the art magazine, Fine Line.  Which, by the way, Issue Five is coming out in a few short weeks.  The release party for that issue will be March 31st at the Live Artist Studios on 1st and Oregon in the Fifth Ward.

MKE locals: Eric and Magill

Eric & Magill "You Make It So Good" from Liam Mitchell on Vimeo.

Check out the latest music video for Milwaukee-based Eric & Magill's song "You Make It So Good" and then tell me that's not every 7-year olds dream birthday cake. By the way, the kid in the video is pretty awesome.

Eric and Magill self-released their second album, Kick The Covers Vol. 1 on December 15 and have it up for free streaming and free download on their website. 88.9 FM has been playing the track, Baggage Claim a lot and I have a feeling the album might show up on a few Top Ten Lists this year.

MKE locals: Todd Fillingham

This beautiful woodwork comes from Milwaukeean, Todd Fillingham, a furniture designer and wood artist. The deck chair above was built from durable cedar and walnut and takes on a style common in boatmaking. Most of his work is custom-made, but he does have an Etsy shop where you can buy those salad tongs in the middle. They are so unique and I could see having those for a lifetime. Todd's work has been featured in design milk and designsponge, but it probably isn't long until his work gets quite popular.

Todd Fillingham website: http://www.fillingham.com/index.php
Todd Fillingham on Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/people/fillingham