Browsing Tag

Carolyn Gavin

Maker Stories

Inside the Artist’s Studio
with Carolyn Gavin

February 6, 2018

Artist Carolyn Gavin and her puppy Eggroll, photos by Jen Coleman

If you deconstruct the most inspiring quotes throughout history, you’ll find that they all have a few things in common: great wordsmithing, flawless pacing, memorable messaging. So when I asked artist Carolyn Gavin what inspires her to illustrate quotes, I thought she might say she enjoyed experimenting with fonts in watercolor, or that wanted her art to honor influential leaders or her favorite musicians. I quickly learned that these assumptions were too surface level for an artist who uses color like Carolyn. When describing her design process for our “World is Full of Magic” print, she simply said, “it’s just a feeling. I knew that quote would need flowers.”

After visiting Carolyn’s home studio in downtown Toronto, it is evident that this beautiful, gentle approach to her art manifests in every aspect of her life. Where the average person sees words or objects, Carolyn envisions bouquets, nature, and exotic shapes. Every corner inside of the 120-year-old Victorian house that she shares with her husband, her daughter Lily, and their English Bulldog Eggroll, is drenched in her signature color palette. From the quaint garden that she maintains in her off time, to the walls decorated with bright patterns that would make Justina Blakeney pause, every detail embodies the same joy that we find so captivating about her prints.

Carolyn is an artist who truly lives the words penned by writer Khalil Gibran, “Work is love made visible.” As I made my way around her sun-drenched studio, it was hard to distinguish which of her projects would be defined as work or “play.” She approaches every opportunity to create as a chance to learn and explore. Whether it’s sharing watercolors with her enthusiastic Instagram followers, or experimenting with new graphic design techniques for a commissioned project. Her creative perspective is always evolving.  

Read on to discover how Carolyn finds inspiration in her travels, how she maintains balance between her family’s business and her own artistic goals, and why she believes that the world is always full of magic. 

Continue Reading…

The Uncommon Life

Something Special Happens When Two B Corps Join Forces

May 8, 2015

Editor’s note: Daniela De Marco is the Director of Marketing at ecojot, the folks that helped us bring you our exclusive City Prints by artist Carolyn Gavin. In this guest post, Daniela explains what it means to be a B Corp and how B Corps can work together to “B the Change” that they want to see in the world.

San Francisco City Print

First, you may be thinking what are B Corps? “B Corps are certified by the non-profit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.” That means that B Corps are assessed for their impact on the environment, workers, customers, community and governance. When we here at ecojot joined the Certified B Corporation community in 2011 we knew that we weren’t just validating our good business practices. We were spreading the word to inspire other businesses and people to follow the lead in redefining success in business.

B Corp

As a B Corp we are rigorously assessed for our better businesses practices. Whether it’s ensuring we live up to our GIVE Program initiatives, making our products locally, keeping them green, or treating our employees respectfully. B Corporation is not just another certification to stamp on our products. Instead, it’s a movement for change, to make better choices when it comes to business, people, and our environment.

Best of all, special things happen when you’re a B Corp. We are automatically part of a movement that is changing the way business operates for the better. We get opportunities to discover and collaborate across nations with like-minded businesses that may not have been possible. With these collaborations we are spreading the word even further.

Check out the B Corp Anthem video to see what we mean:

When we met with the people at UncommonGoods we were over the moon excited for the opportunity to work together. Not only do we get to partner with an insanely well-known organization who can help grow our artist, Carolyn Gavin’s vision for our happy earth friendly ecojot brand, but they are a B Corp too! Meaning we share the same values to give you, our consumers, a product you’ll love, enjoy, and be proud of.
Carolyn St Lucia

Carolyn signing and giving out workbooks to the children of St. Lucia. A Rainforest of Learning trip hosted by OneWorld Schoolhouse Foundation that ecojot proudly supported in 2013 through the GIVE Program.

OneWorld Schoolhouse Foundatoin

The faces of the ecojot team together with OneWorld Schoolhouse as we packed over 100 boxes full of school supplies for the children of St. Lucia and Grenada.

SchoolBags for Kids in HaitiMark Gavin, Carolyn’s brother and co-founder of ecojot visited children in Haiti in 2012 and 2013 together with SchoolBags for Kids. Providing over 33,000 workbooks and over 20,000 pens.

Without further ado, this spring we exclusively launched City Print designs by our uber-talented artist Carolyn Gavin with fellow awesome B Corp UncommonGoods, who have gone over and beyond in working with us to create a set of beautiful thick stock, Portland made, sustainable wall prints that capture the colors and cultural of the cities.

Carolyn Gavin | City Prints

Carolyn’s process involves painting and hand lettering each landmark separately. She then combines them into a bright map-style design. Watch her in action as she listens to music by harpist Brandee Younger and paints San Francisco’s Japanese Tea Garden.

Whether you want to adorn your walls with the fresh sights of San Francisco, or the magic of Paris, find Carolyn’s ten popular cities here. To find other socially responsible businesses in your area and online, check out the B Corp Community.

Maker Stories

This Just In-spiration: Meet Carolyn Gavin

April 6, 2015

Our makers never fail to motivate us, encourage our creativity, and fill us with inspiration. So, when a new design enters our assortment, we’re always excited to learn more about the person behind the product.

What gets an artist going and keeps them creating is certainly worth sharing, and every great connection starts with a simple introduction. Meet Carolyn Gavin, the artist behind our new City Prints.

Carolyn Gavin | UncommonGoods

 Carolyn Gavin photo by Virginia Macdonald /Instagram

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
I knew at a very early age–maybe 3 or 4–that I wanted to be an artist. It just looked like a really cool something to do. I had watched my aunt do her
graphic design thing and I was instantly hooked! I watched as she drew, painted, cut and paste, and created beautiful images. From then on everything I did was fueled by my desire to create and the joy I felt in the process. I also come from a very creative family and we all seem to do something with the arts so its in my blood for sure.

What was the most exciting thing about becoming a professional artist?
Looking back, there have been many amazing milestones… here are 3:
1) Launching my family company Ecojot was incredibly exciting and very timely.
2) Getting signed by my fabulous agent Lilla Rogers Studios. I knew then that I had come a long way; not necessarily arrived but somewhere in-between.
3) Being able to actually earn a living from my design work. [It] is hugely possible to do if you have a great style and are willing to work like a “dog” to get there.

What does your typical day in the studio look like?
Paint, paper, brushes, computer, water, snacks, dog toys, bulldog, sunshine, and happiness.

Is there a trinket, talisman, or other inspirational object you keep near? If so, what is it and what does it mean to you?
My studio is filled with colorful things and stuff to inspire me. I have a sweet collection of precious stones which I keep close by plus a tin butterfly pin from my childhood and a tiny brass whale my daughter and husband found at a garage sale in Montreal.

City Prints by Carolyn Gavin | UncommonGoodsSan Francisco City Print by Carolyn Gavin

Imagine you just showed your work to a kindergartner for the first time. What do you think they would say?
“Mmm, colorful and good!”

What quote or mantra keeps you motivated?
I have a few, but I LOVE:
“The harder you work, the luckier you get.” – Gary Player
“The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple.” – Oscar Wilde
“Meet your needs and limit your wants.” – Gandhi

 

Buy Carolyn's Prints | UncommonGoods