The Making of a Bag

It All Started…Somewhere on a Beach

Feeling Sketch

Florals vs. Nautical

I had many ideas - sketchbooks full. And it was always a power struggle between the florals that I loved and the rugged, nautical, coastal place that I lived. I eventually chose both.

I wanted to paint like Georgia O’Keefe with her large, sultry florals. My first oil painting was inspired by her. I collected books written about her and acquired stacks of various cards that contained her work. She was New Mexico; I was Maine. And with that said, along came the lobsters.

And there were a lot of lobsters. So that is where I started, painting lobsters and other coastal or Maine inspired designs on pillows, table linens, shower curtains and then canvas bags. They were all hand painted. Not only did I paint the bags, I sewed them. There were many 3am mornings to keep up with the demand. I eventually hired a sewer to help since I could not keep up any longer.

The Beginning Designs

Screen Printed & Hand Painted on Canvas
Watercolored Red Lobster
Hand Painted Lobster, Crab and Anchor
Screen Printed & Hand Painted Lobster on Canvas Bag with Waxed Canvas Bottom
Screen Printed & Hand Painted Lobster Claw Clutch
Hand Painted Anchor on Canvas Bag
Hand Painted Starfish on Canvas Bag
Block Printed Mussel Shells on Canvas Bag
Screen Printed Scales on Linen with Navy Waxed Canvas Bottom ~ Weekender Bag
Screen Printed Bean Boots on Canvas with Black Waxed Canvas Bottom

<—Inspiration

Cue the Mermaids

The lobsters took on a life of their own and I honestly couldn’t paint enough of them. I started hand painting and then moved to screen painting with hand painted bodies; I loved the watercolor look. But I wanted something more and different, something that was reminiscent of the charcoals I created, something romantic. And that was the start of the mermaids…and I couldn’t paint enough of them.

I wanted to create a realistic painting on a piece of fabric. One that captured my charcoal and watercolor styles. My “En Pointe” mussel shell ballerina served as inspiration for shading and realistic style. To capture this as accurately as possible, I used an array of brushes but the smallest created the most detail and those were what I used most.

Making Mermaids

Hand Painted "Anchored Mermaid" on Linen Diaper Bag
Charcoal "Sea Gypsy" on a Nautical Chart
Hand Painted "Thinking Mermaid" on Linen
Watercolor "Kneeling Mermaid" Study
Screen Printed "Sea Gypsy" on Linen

Along Came the Leather

After hundreds and hundreds of hours hand painting designs, I was really burnt out. I wanted to do something completely different, something classic and uncomplicated. I have always loved a really good leather bag and started watching various sewing videos to learn the stitching. But I wanted to do something that would set my bags apart from the rest. And I decided on waxed canvas bottoms. Maine living is not always weather friendly - rain, sleet, snow and mud season. A waxed bottom just made good sense. It could be wiped down or lightly rinsed and it would get a worn leather-like look over time. It was also important that every bag be rugged and last the test of time. So I decided to use grommets with solid brass hooks with leather for the straps. Not only did they look good, they were functional and could withstand the weight of the most heaviest bag. The end result was a leather bag with a nautical flair. And the rest is history!

Rich, Beautiful Leather

The Weekender with Gray Waxed Canvas Bottom
Daytripper Tote with Screen Printed Botttom
Day Tripper Bags with Navy Waxed, Ticking & Hand Painted Stripes Bottoms
Two Toned Leather Bag
Leather Bucket Bag with Gold Screen Printed Bottom
Heavy Canvas Bag with Leather
Leather Clasp Clutch

Let’s Dig Into Florals

I have spent years cultivating my gardens. I have planned the blooms by seasons, by sunlight and color and most importantly, for inspiration for my patterns. There are lavenders, lilies, peonies, hydrangeas, herbs, succulent and the list trails on. I love the growing process, the colors that sweep across the spaces and the satisfaction of seeing them drawn onto patterns for my wallpapers, fabrics and bags. It is truly a creation from beginning to end ~ planting to growth to design to product. Throughout the Spring, Summer and early Fall, I spend quite a bit of time not only caring for the plants but photographing and sketching them. Birds, butterflies and bees quite often live and feed there so I capture them in photographs every chance I have.

I decided a couple of years ago to spend 1 year learning Adobe Illustrator to create repeating patterns. I took an intense course and spent hours practicing the process. The end goal was to create fabrics that I could use for the exterior and/or interior of bags and also create fabrics and wallpaper that could be sold on Spoonflower. In the fall of 2024, I created my first line of bags with several of my floral patterns. It was a long haul to get to that point.

Where would I like to see these designs other than bags? Children’s rooms and clothing, pajamas, powder rooms, bedrooms and bedding. The designs are whimsical, soft and romantic. But I’m still drawing and designing and my styles will continue to evolve. But I am keeping all of my options open.