Talking Memories, Painting, and our Collaboration with Kristin Texeira
Last February we had the absolute pleasure of collaborating with our good friend Kristin Texeira on one of a kind hand-painted and letterpress printed cards that help preserve memory.
In her work, Kristin uses color to preserve memories and pay homage to people and places. In our work, we use letters to illuminate and preserve the magic of every day. With this collaboration of colors and letters, we wanted to encourage our customers to take note of their memories and use them as a means to stay connected. We made the edge of each card perforated so that the front artwork may be separated from the interior card. This way you can hang the artwork on the wall and keep the handwritten message tucked away for safe keeping and reflection.
In honor of the upcoming holidays, a time ripe for the creation of new memories and reminiscing on old memories, we chatted with Kristin about her work painting memories. Read on below.
We know you can always be found carrying your sketchbook. What kind of things do you keep, write, attach to your sketchbook?
I’ve been carrying a sketchbook around with me for as long as I can remember. As a kid it was something more to occupy time. When I got older, my sketchbooks became a means of collecting data, ideas, or memories. Keeping one allows me to gather information for paintings. For example, I’ll note a song that is playing at a particular moment or dialogue from strangers. Sometimes I gather flower petals or flatten candy wrappers and glue them to pages. I collect anything that helps provide proof of being there. It’s a comfort having a sketchbook with me at all times, knowing if something I want to remember comes up, I can capture it immediately.
You love to catalog and paint memories. How do you catalog your memories?
My work is inspired by interactions with people and place. I collect conversations during dinner parties or at coffee shops. I take myself out of my routine as often as possible to exercise my observation skills. I’ll take the train to somewhere I’ve never been without a phone or a book or music to allow for no distractions. I collect the colors of moments and often mix them in my mind, noting sounds and shapes in my sketchbook and bring them back to the studio to paint.
How do you choose which memories to paint? Are they all positive memories?
I try my best to only share positive memories. Some are funny. Some are very soft and vague. But, it is helpful to paint some sad ones too. It’s all a balance. The beautiful moments shine more when they are next to the ugly ones.
What was your process for our collaboration?
The Bob Dylan quote about memory that you chose is a positive reminder to take care of memories. So, I worked with colors that seemed to possess the same positive spirit.
We've talked and it seems like you are really interested in the future of memory maps. Why do you do memory maps? What do you like about them? How do you see your memory map work expanding?
Memory maps are my way of documenting places. The colors and shapes come from specific walks or floor plans of homes. The process of painting is like retracing steps; walking down old hallways, taking turns down roads I haven’t visited in a while. Through lines and shapes I am able to show where I was and what was around me. It’s like pieces of a puzzle paying homage to the past.
I’m beginning to reach outward for other people’s memories. I’d like my paintings to act as a service for others. I’m always amazed at the positive response to paintings concerning my own memories so, I’d like to be able to help other people remember theirs. If someone has to sell their childhood home or wants to preserve an adventure in a far away land I can help provide proof through color for others.
A final one for us, what do you do to slow down?
I try to wake up early to allow myself to be slow in the morning. I’ll free-write, read, put something in the mail, or take a walk around a neighborhood I’ve never visited. The rest of the day is a race. But, if I get up before 8 I can allow myself a few hours to be boring.