“Va te faire enculer” or “go fuck yourself,” in French.
A Women’s Month StreamofConsciousness.
Oh, France. Just when we thought we couldn’t love you more…
You went and became the first country to enshrine women’s right to abortion, and you did it with a landslide vote (780-72)! Fuck yes. We hope the ghost of Roe V Wade haunts every US politician who thinks they (he) can relegate women and regress this country.
Chicago Tribune
We’re pretty into France’s way of protest in general. Just this last year, shitty agricultural laws pushed French farmers to dump manure and rotting produce outside a government administrative building and major supermarket chains as they took part in a protest against taxation, declining income and difficult work conditions. And it worked.
CBS News
Change is necessary, but it isn't always cute. The dystopian reality of The Handmaid’s Tale and 1984 are rapidly approaching.
We’re asking ourselves - what are we going to do about this?
This is one of the many reasons we are so grateful to work with She Should Run, an org committed to getting more women in US politics. And what’s more? Our wallpaper collection linked to this org is a collaboration with our friends at Bleu Cobalt, a textile studio out of Paris, France.
She Should Run is doing incredible things to get women curious about stepping into politics.
But what if working within the system isn’t for you? We get it. The pink pussy hats were cute and all but like, we think the French would agree it’s time to…
Happy Women’s Month, from our uteri to yours.
Xoxo,
The Babes of Black Crow
This girl is on fire.
No doubt major corporations are the main culprits trashing our planet for profit, but who’s to change the narrative - if not us? Mother Earth is on FIRE.
19B Production | Advocate Channel
That’s why we’re hot for organizations like Scientist Rebellion. The org brings together scientists, researchers, and academics who demand urgent action in the face of climate crisis.
They’re leaking confidential environmental reports, facilitating peaceful civil disobedience, and putting their freedom on the line in the name of a revolution.
The consequences of nonaction are devastating. It’s time to act with urgency.
Like, follow, donate - take action.
We did it again.
We hear it from designers all the time. They don’t have time for the industry’s lead times. They’re over sifting through a million emails each night. Material costs are going up while budgets are shrinking. Instead of charging for therapy, we came up with a solution.
Say hey to our Repeating Murals
All the Black Crow badassery, pre-designed to save you time.
1-2 week lead time.
SEDIMENT MIMOSA
Order online with your code.
PLEIN AIR
In support of the causes we care about.
CANDY FLOSS
Not only that - we’ve got TONS of designs with varying panel quantities and height options.
Because it turns out, size does matter. But you knew that.
Did we mention no minimums?
DROPPING NEXT WEEK!
Don’t worry. We still love custom!
Hot Custom Murals that Pair Well with Rosé.
Hot Custom Murals that Pair Well with rosé. Custom on custom on custom. Check out a few of our favorite custom mural projects! Did we say custom?
Custom on custom on custom. Check out a few of our favorite custom mural projects! Did we say custom?
Hello, Spring Rain. We’re living for this cool-toned custom mural backsplash with Space Harmony.
Fresh to death with Cuff Studio, using their very own Tide Sunset mural design for Fresh on Sunset.
You’re looking gorg, custom Watercolor mural created from a marble sample. For Joanna Parol Interior Design’s client powder. Featured in Interiors Mag. Install photo by Manolo Langis.
We love all the pieces of you! Many variations of our Greystone design, including our hero Luxe Mag mansion feature, and Kate Maloney Interior Design’s gallery wall featuring a different take on a custom mural.
Gallery photo by Michael J Lee.
What a view, Caliber Series 24! A custom colored ceiling mural co-created with Chansaerae Designs.
Install photo by Mary Pat Colins.
It’s really as easy as…
The Desert Oasis Show House
Huma Sulaiman loves herself some custom pieces, and you know how we love ourselves some custom projects! Together, we teamed up to create the perfect (read: badass) mural for Design Collaborative USA’s Desert Oasis Show House this past April.
One King’s Lane Blog
It started with tile samples from Huma’s team - an emerald green tone that she wanted to match using our Cuff Studio Terrazzo design in the office powder room. A few layouts, color modifications, and scale adjustments later - the final strike off was approved and we were in production creating the mural for install. We’re quick like that, yunno?
Terrazzo Emerald Design
Cuff Studio Collection
Color Matching
Tile samples from Huma’s team
Final Layout selection for the Desert Oasis Show House Office Powder
The 4,350-square-foot Indian Wells show house overflowed with Mid-Century Modern design and beautiful views of the valley. Designers, vendors and guests flowed throughout the house while live music played and hors d'oeuvres were served. We quite enjoyed the coconut mojitos. We also Lyft-ed home, not to worry.
Hugo Landa Photography & some BCS models
Upon entering the office, you were struck by Huma’s sleek and unique tactile design. Huma managed to strike a balance between classic Mid-Century design with modern finishes and touches. Details are not lost on her, and the office powder was no exception.
Chad Mellon Photography
Warm wood tones and metallic finishes perfectly complemented the mural’s dramatic presence, and the shower tiles’ cool emerald tone. Black countertops and plans added a bit of variety, and the statement mirror truly rounded out the space. The mural was a statement.
We loved talking to the guests about the mural process, and how yes, indeed, that is wallpaper. Custom products can seem daunting to people unfamiliar with the process - but we pride ourselves on simplifying the process for our clients and bringing unparalleled quality to their projects. And to their clients.
The Grand Opening party presented by Pirch was a smash, ending on a note of philanthropy as the show house raised thousands of dollars benefiting three charities in the area: FIND Food Bank, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Special Olympics SoCal. You know that spoke to us, as our Cuff Studio wallcoverings give back to Downtown Women’s Center and Planned Parenthood in LA. The event touched many lives directly, and indirectly, and we’re proud our work was part of it. It truly was as easy as Dream It, Design It, Install It (and drool over it.)
Creating a Rebellion w/ Academy of Art University, SF
The intention behind Rebellion is not only to create opportunity for the budding artists, but to reinforce the idea that the power of art is limitless. And fundamentally, that’s what we’ve created through this collection.
Krithika Sengo in the textile lab, Academy of Art University San Francisco.
Being seasoned in this industry can take you places. But, like most everything we do at Black Crow - we take a different perspective on “green” talent. We trust new designers, we give them a platform to create, and we invest in their art. This is the making of the Rebellion Collection: our annual collaboration with the fashion students of Academy of Art University, San Francisco.
The Rebellion Collection isn’t typical - it’s experimental, it starts off messy, and is constantly evolving. Perhaps that’s what makes it as fulfilling as it is. Academy of Art University alum and our founder Tracy’s goal is to “show these students that their ideas were just the beginning - you can keep pushing and really get experimental.”
We take the students’ physical and digital artwork, reverse engineer their manipulations, and push their art further. And after that? We turn their work into wallcoverings and pay them royalties. Their work is featured across the globe, spanning commercial and residential walls alike, in spaces where you’d expect to see seasoned, established artists’ work.
Students doing their thing in the Textile Lab.
Taking it a step further, we give back to Inner-City Arts through this collection, under our Rebel With a Cause Initiative. A portion of profits is donated to the organization’s mission to engage young people in the creative process in order to shape a society of creative, confident, and collaborative individuals. Inner-City Arts’ latest workshops have focused on self-expression, identity, and social justice - all causes we stand behind and are inspired by.
Reaching Inner-City Arts students as young as elementary age - the Rebellion Collection comes full circle - enabling the next generation to prop up the generation behind them.
The intention behind Rebellion is not only to create opportunity for the budding artists, but to reinforce the idea that the power of art is limitless. And fundamentally, that’s what we’ve created through this collection. We couldn’t be prouder. Read more about what inspires the students below. And stay tuned for the next roundup of genius, coming early May 2022!
MEET THE STUDENTS
“The evolution of art from not just being decorative to being functional and enhancing is powerful. ”
Mariane Taveres uses words like “immerse”, “captivate”, and “relate” to describe her work. Drawing and silk screening are the mediums she finds herself leaning into - but she welcomes new mediums and is excited to see her work take life as wallcoverings. Mariane seeks uncharted challenges - sharing with us that it’s both scary and rewarding to venture yourself into new environments. Something we loved to hear was how community support holds a place in Mariane’s experience as an artist. She’s created since she was a kid, and her family has supported her all along the way. We love a family support system. Mariane is seen here working on the Night Blossom custom mural design in Dolores Park, SF.
Jihyun Kim finds inspiration in traditional Korean wall paintings, but embraces experimentation - especially a good happy accident. Paint is Jihyun’s favorite medium, but she doesn’t limit herself to a brush. Instead she makes tools out of otherwise ordinary things - like tissues, fingers and even leaves to bring about the varied textures in her work. Hello, experimentation! Jihyun’s looking forward to developing her style further as a designer and seeing what new, fresh forms of art the next generation of artists will bring to the table. View Jihyun’s textile portfolio here.
Allen Lee considers his art his escape. Working in a non-creative industry by day, Allen shared with us that he turns to his craft as a means of finding inner peace. We feel that. Finding himself exploring art through a digital lens mainly - he leans into photography and digital software being his mediums of choice. Allen’s work is abstract, conceptualizing textiles out of everyday things like the ridges of a plastic water bottle or the vertical lines of a set of blinds. Diversity and depth in art, as well as the artist’s ongoing discovery, are what Allen most looks forward to in the future of art.
Krithika Sengo’s doodling as a kid matured into a preference for sketching, and since has developed into a number of mediums. Something Krithika said that spoke to us was, “The evolution of art from not just being decorative to being functional and enhancing is powerful.” Yes. Just, yes. She finds cinema to be inspirational, and intentionally highlights simplicity and imperfection in her work. One of Krithika’s latest projects was with SFMTA and SF Beautiful to redecorate the Muni buses of San Francisco with art. Go, click, fast to see her work for yourself here.
LET’S LINK UP
Check out the current Rebellion Collection
Learn more about Inner-City Arts & young LA creatives
Read about our Rebel With a Cause Initiative
Visit Academy of Art University San Francisco’s Fashion Department
A Statement Mural for Guilford Elementary Teachers' Lounge
Teachers have been through hell this past year and a half. While we all worked through these Unprecedented Times™,
teachers were the anchor so many kids needed and looked to for guidance and normalcy.
Guilford Elementary
Teachers’ Lounge before transformation
When Bonnie Ammon Interiors reached out to us asking if we would design a custom mural for Guilford Elementary School’s Teachers’ Lounge - we jumped at the opportunity to liven up a space for the staff through our art. The educators of Guilford Elementary primarily instruct low-income students, with fewer resources and privileges to navigate their adolescent years - let alone a pandemic. They absolutely deserved a space they loved.
AFTER
Featuring custom Mulberry Wine mural
Bonnie envisioned a purple-toned watercolor mural, blue and white furniture, and a touch of artwork that inspired. Our team took her vision and ran with it, using four different designs to create several layouts for her to choose from. Together, we narrowed it down to a custom Mulberry Wine mural - the perfect statement piece for the lounge.
Working with us at Black Crow Studios, Carpet Impressions & Fine Rugs, and Pillow Punk - together we created a space the teachers could recharge and find comfort in. Bonnie wrapped up the install just in time for the teachers’ return to work for the new school year. And our hearts are full at the teachers’ reactions to their new Guilford Elementary Teachers' Lounge.
Final Mulberry Wine Layout
“The teachers absolutely loved the room. The mural brings it to life.”
Cursing the Man w/ Dream Client Lauren van den Berg
Our client Lauren van den Berg hates Zoom meetings, champions the causes we care about, and takes Kahlua in her coffee.
She reached out to us back in April and it was love at first witty email.
Turbulent Sea custom mural for mega babe Lauren van den Berg
We love a woman who knows what she wants. And that was Turbulent Sea of our Watercolor Collection in her first home. Working between Toronto’s intermittent lockdowns, Lauren was able to snag us the measurements we needed and our team got to work creating the perfect custom mural to span the length of her joint living-dining room space.
A few layouts and comical emails later, the final design was selected, she took possession of the house, and Finer Edge Painting was on site ready for action. We were stoked to hear Finer Edge raved about the piece and how our instructions made for an easy and seamless mural install. The results were epic. Even little Connor and his teddy bear (monkey?) were impressed.
Final Turbulent Sea Layout
Lauren, you had us at “CURSE THE MAN.”
Thanks for being one of our favs and allowing us to bring this next-level dining room drama to your first home!
BCS X Friedrich Kunath X DTLA
…we preserved each paint stroke, ink layer and carving to the detail in the final digital print - recreating Friedrich’s artwork on an monumental scale.
We just wrapped up a helluva collab with artist and creator Friedrich Kunath for a rad hotel project in DTLA with citizenM. Known for his portrayals of whimsical landscapes - Friedrich’s work is doused in paint strokes, ink layers upon ink layers, and intentional carvings. As artists ourselves, all we gotta say is - when commissioned to transform an artist’s work into a mural that is larger-than-life, you better do that shit justice ✔️
This project took multiple steps: receiving the oversized canvas from the artist, using our proprietary process that allows us to reproduce it digitally at an incredible scale and resolution, color correcting the entirety of the piece, and engineering it to the hotels’ elevations for the perfect custom fit. This is something we excel at - we know exactly our plan and we deliver at an unparalleled quality that fully represents and respects the artists’ process. Needless to say, they were in good hands.
Mr. Tez in-studio
As seen here, we preserved each paint stroke, ink layer and carving to the detail in the final digital print - recreating Friedrich’s artwork at a monumental scale. From receiving the artwork to shipping it back out to the artist, every part of our process was done with precision. We can’t wait to disclose the hotel so you all can go visit the gorgeous scenery yourself. It’s a guaranteed show stopper - Tez agrees.🎨🐶
Check out citizenM’s video montage of Friedrich's team painting on top of the mural to give it even more life. The pop-culture nodding, parallel universe leaning mural greets citizenM guests walking through the DTLA doors every day. We love it. And that banana knows what's up 🍌🌿
Our bitchin’ powder room mural featured in Interiors Mag
When a client calls with a badass pink powder room concept - you deliver.
Sharing her rendering and a simple pink and gray marble sample, we designed a big, bold, not-sorry custom mural for Joanna Parol Interior Design that perfectly captures the marble’s hues and complements the energy of the space. Check it out on page 89 of Interiors Magazine’s June/July edition.
Spanning three walls and the 5th wall, the design you see isn’t something you’ll find on our website, and is completely unique to Joanna’s project. When you come to our team of designers - we’re ready for your abstract concepts, unique visions and experimental projects. We have archives of design options at our fingertips for opportunities just like this.
Fast forward to today and Interiors Mag has featured the pink powder room magic in their current June+July issue. The powder room is complete with all-immersive pink tones, gray accents, and is entirely a vibe. A simple concept turned into a bitchin’ project thanks to a little collaboration and a lot of women power. That’s the shit we love.
“Always look on the pink side of life.” - Joanna Parol
See the Black Crow Studios X Joanna Parol Interior Design collab in Interiors Magazine June+July Issue, page 89.
Vionnet - Our Latest Collection
Drafting supplies from my year in Paris
A few years ago I really wanted to get back in touch with my fashion roots, I thought about starting to make clothes for myself to scratch that itch, but eventually I realized I just wanted to drape and play with fabric again - to explore and get inspired. I set the idea aside until mid 2019 when I started ordering yards and yards of fabric and decided to use empty stretcher bars instead of a dress form to start to create with. What would that do without a waist to or chest to give shape to the fabric? I really began working out the process while doing my artist residency at the @chateauorquevaux in France. I spent a month, not making what appeared to be progress, but it was - I was working out how to approach this idea, what was working and what wasn’t. Most of it wasn’t, but there is so much to learn in the failures of experimentation. Eventually I started making actual progress, started to have the ideas come to life - I looked at is sculpting with fabric. It is. I have these pieces hanging all over my house. Three dimensional pieces that are made, photographed and then translated to the flat print of wallpaper. That is also what is interesting about this collection - seeing the transformation from 3D to 2D. To see if we can keep the depth of the pieces. That transformation abstracts the original idea - takes it out of the literal and into the conceptual. Conceptual and experimental is where I like to live - it is what drives my creativity and I am doing my best work when I can find that place and stay there for a while. These designs are a big departure from our usual work and I hope you all enjoy them. As an artist, I am always looking to evolve and explore what is calling to me at the moment and letting that take me on a journey to a surprise destination.
One of the early experimental draping creations
“Forever a student of design, our founder tapped into her roots of fashion to create the Vionnet Collection. Inspired by Tracy’s time living in Paris and studying at Haute Couture School - Vionnet manipulates an assortment of textures into dramatic, epic scenery. By using draping techniques learned in her time as a student in Paris, the Vionnet Collection evokes a sense of indulgence without pretense by sculpting fabric as would be done in Parisienne Atelier. The collection brings experimental, dramatic artwork into the home or commercial space with an effortless, nearly tactile, monochromatic aesthetic.”
When I was 18 and had graduated high school in Garland, TX (suburbs of Dallas) I packed up and headed out to San Francisco for college. I earned a BFA at the Academy of Art University with a double major (I don’t think that is technically a thing, but I took all the courses for 2 majors) in Fashion Design and Textile Design.
I was always way better at the textile design part of school - pattern making was like a foreign language I always struggled to understand. I could get through it, but it always took me longer than everyone else.
Because I took all the extra classes it took 5 years to complete my degree and just before my last year I was given a scholarship to spend a year abroad in Paris studying at l’ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. It was taught fully in French and is the school associated with the federation that oversees the Haute Couture fashion industry. Basically the school was created with the intention of feeding the design students into the Haute Couture houses in Paris, so we would leave with the skills to work at that level.
I showed up speaking a little bit of French - conversational - quickly I realized I was in way over my head as far as understanding the assignments and keeping up when I didn’t have the same education as the students there. For example, I had a knitwear class. I had done knitwear before and was familiar with “hand knitting” with a carriage. This was hand knitting with 2 needles and the assignment given was design a piece of knitwear and knit it. Ummmm…..
I have a million stories from that year in Paris and I will share them over time, but where this ties back to the new collection is the draping class I took - Moulage.
It was so hard to learn when my French was not strong. I had definitely never learned the terms used in a fashion design curriculum , but the was so fun and challenging, I loved that class even when I could not keep up at all!! I’ve learned over the years that I deeply enjoy being dropped into challenging situations and being forced outside of my comofort zone. Over time I have started to feel at ease living outside of my comfort zone. Draping was kind of free, you could manipulate the fabric and let it lead you to an idea. Flat pattern making was taking your idea and engineering the pattern to creat the garment in your head from a blank piece of paper. They were opposite in the approach to constructing a garment. Draping offered a way to explore and create new things you would not have imagined on your own, this has always been part of my artistic DNA experimenting and letting that lead you to something new.
One of my final designs
New Cuffhome Colorways!
We are knee deep in working on the newest Cuffhome Collection that will be filled with some great new murals and a bunch of by the roll options. While that is in development we decided to update all our existing designs with new colorways! You will see, not only, our long time designs Unfinished and Brushstrokes, but our more recent murals all available in these new colors!
Since we can’t show you the new designs just yet - enjoy these new colorways. If you want samples of any of these designs shoot us an email at info@blackcrowstudios.com and we will get them out to you right away!
Introducing LILAC, MIMOSA, MOBY DICK, SEA GLASS, AND QUARTZ
LILAC - Pictured: Tide, Unfinished, Sediment, and Terrazzo
MIMOSA - Pictured: Terrazzo, Rift, and Tide
MOBY DICK - Pictured: Tide, Terrazzo, Unfinished, Brushstrokes
SEAGLASS - Pictured: Rift, Tide, Sediment, and Terrazzo
Black Lives Matter — This is a long one.
If you follow us on instagram (@blackcrowstudios) then it is not a surprise to see this post.
You know where I stand and where this company stands. I am, and BCS is, firmly anti-racist and in full support of Black Lives Matter. This shouldn’t even have to be said - it is fucking 2020 - this shouldn’t be a topic up for discussion.
I am not posting this to prove that I am woke. I am posting this because I know I have a platform and it is my responsibility to use it to effect change.
I know that we, as a society, have left racism up to black people and all POC in our country to fix with justifications of, I’m not involved - it doesn’t happen to me so how can I speak about it? It is such a big problem systemically how can I help, etc.?
It hit me recently that this is not their fight to fight - this is our responsibility to fix. The system is built for us - we need to TEAR IT THE FUCK DOWN, BURN IT TO THE GROUND AND REBUILD IT SO IT WORKS FOR EVERYONE EQUALLY!
Written by @banksy on IG
The power of my platform hit me on Black Out Tuesday - a day when we were posting a black square to show solidarity with the Black Community and to allow black voices to be seen and not lost in the sea of posts. Well as I scrolled through my feed I saw almost nothing but black squares and all of us liking each others black squares - like good job - a self congratulatory “look at what we can do! We aren’t the problem!” {eye roll}. It was, in one sense, nice to see pretty much everyone participating and stating their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, but on the other hand it was sad to see that there were no black voices in my feed, or none that I saw that day. Most of that lack of diversity is directly from our industry, but also based on the stupid algorithms. Seeing that so clearly in my feed I used my platform to share posts from people of color so they would be seen by the people in my feed who probably, just like me, were not seeing them. I had that plan already in place, but it wasn’t so blatantly clear how much that was needed until I was scrolling through my feed. Wasn’t that the point? To use our platforms to lift other people and voices up. This is how we can use the privilege we were born with to be real allies in this battle and to lift others up.
I have to say I was really disappointed in a lot of what I saw on IG. I looked at my fellow wallcovering companies and saw a huge lack of support, or a lack of speaking out, acknowledgment and amplification of other voices. A single post, a basic simple supportive caption. We have gotten away with that for far too long. There is one in particular that has a huge social media platform - far bigger than mine - and yet they basically said nothing of significance. They have people looking to them and listening and they chose not to say anything and to not use that platform to lift others - which was really shocking to me. They will have the excuse to say “I was staying silent so others could be heard”, but as I have stated, not using your platform to help the cause is hurting the cause, because we need to use our privilege and platform to AMPLIFY those voices we are not seeing and hearing in our daily lives. Instead they are choosing to not get involved. They are choosing to leave it on others to deal with. I don’t think that is acceptable at this time and especially not with this issue. I believe if you have a platform and you support the cause, then you use that platform - who cares who it pisses off.
WE HAVE TO DO BETTER!! WE HAVE TO SPEAK UP AND DEMAND MORE DIVERSITY IN THIS INDUSTRY!
I have always struggled with the fact that this industry as a whole (generalizing) doesn’t really stand up for much. It feels like people only want to look at “pretty” and not the ugliness of the world - we don’t acknowledge it and sure as hell don’t comment on it, especially not through our business platforms. It has always sat poorly with me.
I don’t expect everyone to speak out as much as I have, but I expect more than what I saw from many companies. This goes for many brands, one single post and back to business as usual, some didn’t acknowledge any of this at all - NOTHING. I don’t understand how it is possible to stay silent on these issues. We should all be outraged - and I think we all are - but have a fucking spine and stand up for this shit publicly.
Every single time I posted about Black Lives Matter I lost followers on IG. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. That is fine - they can go - I am not going to be afraid of using my voice to speak out on things I deeply care about and believe in. I use the platform of my business because it has the real reach that I do not individually. If this pisses people off or makes them uncomfortable, so be it. What I hope with my outspokenness and using the reach of my business does, is to show other people and brands that it is ok to speak out. I hope it inspires others be open and real about what they believe in and fight for it - using whatever means they have.
It is no longer acceptable for businesses to stay silent when they have the power to effect change, in our industry, and as a whole.
Take care of yourselves and BURN THE SYSTEM DOWN AND KEEP FUCKING FIGHTING!!
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
COVID-19 Update
This is a quick update on what is going on with us at this time.
As of Friday March 20th the entire state of California is under a Shelter in Place mandate until April 19th (as of now, possibly longer).
Our original plan had been to move whatever work that could be done remotely to be done from home and minimal in studio time for running our production. Now that this mandate is in place all our suppliers are also closed and so all production of orders has been stopped.
We are moving fully to work from home. We will still be able to answer emails, get quotes out, and we can even do most of the design process we go through with clients from home as well. We just can’t move anything into production at this time. So we are still here ready to work with you!!
The next few days might be a little rocky as we try to get all of us up and running, so bear with us if we respond a bit slower than normal.
In all honesty there probably won’t be a ton of orders needing to move forward during this time anyway since the entire world is in this same situation. So we are going to spend our time updating our existing collections, prepping new collections that are in the pipeline, and working on new ideas.
I am embracing the excitement of having time to work on new ideas so that I don’t dwell on the fear of how long this will last and what the future will look like as we come out of this.
To everyone out there - stay inside, stay safe, and stay healthy! We will get through this together.
xoxo
Tracy
Chateau d’Orquevaux
I wrote this while on the plane to Paris. If you catch my IG stories you may have seen that I am staying in a small village’ in rural France for an artist residency. I will be spending an entire month living in a Chateau in the French countryside with a group of artists doing the thing I never seem to have the time to do - experiment with new mediums of art. As Black Crow Studio grows each year, I strive to develop new ideas, keep my clients happy, while making sure the business is running smoothly. What often gets pushed aside is time to experiment artistically and develop my ideas.
So that is my plan - to experiment - to try to develop an idea I’ve been wanting to work on for the last year. It is a totally different idea than I have ever done before and in all honesty I have no idea if it will even work out, but I think this is the place and opportunity to go for it.
The residency program at Chateaux d’Orquevaux offers the opportunity for me to disconnect from the stress of daily life and pursue my creative calling. I look forward to having the space to be creative and release myself from the hectic pace of my daily life. I relish the isolation and disconnection and the idea of living in the moment and taking in every drop of the experience, to store it deep in my soul and bring it back with me. And I yearn to be part of the diverse community of artists that the residency offers.
I am working on ideas for a new collection that harkens back to my fashion design background. When I was in college, studying fashion design and textile design, I won a scholarship to study for a year at L’ecole de le Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. It was an incredible and very difficult experience. The fact that this residency is coming up at a time when I am looking back at how to intertwine that experience in my current work was very fitting. I will be back in a country that set my soul on fire, using what I learned to breathe life into the creative process. I have never been more excited and more terrified about a collection. Will I ever be able to create something that matches (let alone exceeds) the vision of it I see in my mind??
One thing I have learned over the years is that I can trust my creativity and know that it will deliver for me if I give it the space it needs to grow and develop. I trust the process and all I have to do is get out of my own way - that can be the hard part.
I hope to return feeling rested, recharged and energized, ready to start a new, strong series of work form which my new collection will grow.
More photos below - click on the images to scroll through!
Organizations with Support with our $$$
As the Amazon Rainforest burns, I look out at the world and see chaos and uncertainty. I cannot sit back and do nothing. Creating an Instagram post about my outrage is not enough. I look at what I have the ability to do - which in all honesty feels completely insignificant in the grand scheme of what is happening in the world.
I previously wrote about Rebel with a Cause, my desire to make art while making a difference and my decision to dedicate each of my wallpaper collections to a different charity, donating 50% of my personal salary to specific causes that are near and dear to my heart.
This has been a long time in the making. I love the work that I do, but I want to make more of an impact on the world. I chose the charities because the work they do is deeply important to our society. The best contribution I can make is to donate some of the proceeds from my growing business to the following organizations:
If I stand up for what I truly believe in, I am hopeful the design industry will support me. I hope to prove that if a relatively small company like Black Crow Studios can give back, larger companies can do the same and make an even bigger impact. Plus, I feel that people want to know who and what are behind the products they purchase.
I hope my efforts will inspire the design industry to do more.
Rebel with a Cause - our giving back initiative - spans across every item Black Crow Studios creates. We will be releasing Limited Edition prints to benefit each charity, and also have some new collections in development right now that will be part of the cause.
Look for future posts that will highlight each of the charities and the collection with which they will be partnered.
We have also made donations on behalf of our friends and loved ones to:
Helping Hands for the Homeless
The Lupus Foundation
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
Alzheimer's Association
Dystopian Opulence has launched!
It all begins with an idea.
If you haven’t seen it yet - we launched our latest collection, Dystopian Opulence, a few weeks ago and the reaction has been huge!!
The idea for the collection started from minerals. I had done a mineral based collection, in partnership with someone, years ago. This was me revisiting what I had originally done and looking at it from a new viewpoint and using new materials and techniques. It was interesting to revisit a subject, but see it differently based on the growth I had done as an artist and a person.
The collection, while very vast in scope and style, starts pretty straight forward and then transitions into a darker interpretation. As an artist, I am always influenced by what is happening in the world. This collection is a manifestation of all the despair, frustration, and, sadness of where the world is going along with the beauty and majesty of the Earth and what She can create.
We have created a collection that pulls from nature and twists it with colors and textures of the digital interface we use to view “nature” (our phones). Using real minerals, collage, mixed media, and computer glitches, we explore a future that looks at our relationship with technology as we move towards a more digital life and leave behind our connection to nature.
The collection begins with beautiful minerals - created over millions of years—in interesting combinations and then progresses into a technology-driven view of nature.
I’ve never approached my collections as “what would make good wallpaper” I have always come at it from the stance of what feeling or mood am I trying to express. It all starts with the art - I don’t worry about what the end product will be, I just create and explore. I love the part of the process where we take the best ideas and then translate them to my favorite medium - mural style installations - it always blows me away how the scale can make such a huge impact on the design and the way you experience it.
With this collection I had my entire team working on designs along with me. I set the overall theme and mood for the collection and let them explore what that meant to them. Because we all have our own strengths and weaknesses I was able to pull the strongest ideas from each person and then we shaped those into a cohesive collection.
As part of our Rebel with a Cause initiative we will be donating a portion of sales to environmental causes, we have to start protecting the Earth and dealing with the damage we are doing. I felt like this collection, being based on minerals, was best suited for supporting this issue.
At this time we will be donating to Sea Legacy and Natural Resources Defense Council.
You can read an interview I did with California Home + Design about this collection and the Rebel with a Cause initiative. Read it here!
A Rebel with a Cause
It all begins with an idea.
I’ve often struggled with the impact I make in the world. Making wallpaper doesn’t feel like enough. I work in a luxury industry that can, at times, feel very superficial - especially when I see so many people struggling just to pay their bills. When people are fleeing their homes to come to the US for safety, wallpaper design feels so insignificant in the greater scheme of things.
This has been weighing on me for years, but I didn’t know what to do about it. I asked myself how I could take what I am currently doing and leverage it into something that can do more for the world.
In 2017, I started working with the Caliber Foundation, a charity which funds gun buyback programs across the country, by donating 20% of the sales of my Caliber Wallpaper Collection and Art Prints to help get illegal guns off the street. It was liberating to discover I could make murals and fine art in a way that had a real impact, by contributing to a charity with a mission I truly believe in.
In 2019, I feel the strong urge to do even more. I feel pulled to become a Rebel with a Cause. Rebel with a Cause represents a new way for me to continue making art while also making a difference. By dedicating each of my wallpaper collections to a different charity, and donating up to 50% of my personal income from each sale, I feel that not only can I make a difference to the charities that I support, but also serve as an example to our industry encouraging others to take a stand for causes that matter to them.
Please look for our upcoming announcements describing the marriage among our existing collections, original limited edition prints, and causes that empower women, help the homeless, educate kids, aid immigrants, rescue animals, save the planet and offer hope to the addicted. I hope you will join me on this journey of giving back, making a difference, and creating not just a beautiful world but one that we can also be proud of.
Bold, new watercolor art prints
It all begins with an idea.
If you are familiar with our work then you have probably seen many of our watercolor murals, in magazines, online, instagram. If you are not familiar then please check out our installations page to see some incredible wall covering we have done for our clients over the years. The watercolor series was THE idea that made me start this company. I just knew it would be incredible, nothing like it existed at all at the time and I just knew it was a cool idea people would get as excited about as I did. What I envisioned in my mind is nowhere near as badass as the work we actually produce. It took awhile to really perfect the way we create the artwork and the way we reproduce it, but I think we have the best process in the industry. Being an artist, a textile designer, and a printing company (we do all our own printing in house) really gave me insight into all aspects to develop a great process all around. On top of that we are always adding new designs to the watercolor series. That is a way for us to show what is exciting to us, design and art wise, and the artistic direction, we as a studio, are headed in. It’s fun to refresh what is on our site and add new pieces, change it up, see what people are drawn to.
I think that is why that series has continued to be so popular. That it is always changing, developing, and growing and the artwork we have is so vast it allows us to really create a unique design for all our clients. What is on our website is just a small fraction of the work we have and the 1000’s of ways it can be used.
Way back in the day, before we had created all this artwork, clients would send us their paint colors and fabric swatches and we would paint brand new pieces based entirely for those projects. That is what lead to the large archive of artwork we have. That doesn’t happen much anymore since we have such a large selection at this point. (We can still do that, if and when needed.) Now we just create with no rules, direction, or guidelines to follow. We can live in a creative moment and see where it takes us and pull from that what feels fresh and exciting.
With that being said, we have recently added a lot of new pieces to the website, not only in our watercolor galleries, but we revamped our canvas shop and our fine art shop with all new pieces.
DOWNRUSH
LAVENDER SMOKE
The canvases are gorgeous and one of my favorite ways to add color and texture if you can’t do a full mural. You can find our canvas prints here. On top of that, I am really loving the saturated and bold new fine art prints that we are printing on high gloss premium photo paper. Check those out over here.
RIPTIDE A
GYPSY A
CAMEO A
And if you just want to cruise through the artwork on the site start here and then explore from there.
Here are a couple recent custom mural wall covering install images from our amazing clients, who take our artistic vision and implement it into their projects in the most jaw dropping ways. We look good because of you guys!
THUNDER | Designer: Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
GUNMETAL | Designer: Workflow Interiors
LAPIS WAVE | Designer: House of Honey