With the end of the year approaching I’m a little nostalgic. I keep thinking about last month’s trip to New York City and the question asked of me over and over,” Why are you here?” At first I’d answer in my most practical Midwest way,” I’m on vacation! Yay!” but then realized what was really being asked: What was my purpose (as in aspirations and determinations)? And so this refreshingly grounding inquiry came home with me to Chicago and is still on my mind.

Three years ago I started this site and it’s grown slow and steady. Often I wish to progress Ashes & Milk faster, grow it bigger, include more artists and their work, photograph artwork in amazing ways like Ditte Isager, increase sales through more aggressive marketing and restock sold-out pieces for all of you wonderful people who write asking me for more. -Perhaps I will give you just that, minus the fast part. Please bare with me because the truth is, I’ve always taken life slow to savour its details and in turn can promise to stay true to what this project is all about.

With all this said, I’m really happy to introduce to you the newest addition to Ashes & Milk, Geoffrey Lilge who created a collection of hand-crafted Wood Serving Boards.

Above are a few of Geoffrey Lilge’s Walnut Serving Boards. Each piece is a unique functional object fashioned by hand from a single piece of wood.

The story behind the creation of these boards is sweet and born out of love. Geoffrey sought to find the perfect cutting and charcuterie boards to outfit his wife’s restaurant. After about 4 years of prototyping and restaurant testing he came up with these beautiful simple solid wood boards.

A sneak peak of Geoffrey’s warm and inviting studio.

[ Be sure to check out the entire colleciton of Geoffrey's Wood Serving Boards
at Ashes & Milk. ]

[ For those of you in Canada, see Geoffrey's boards in action at Culina and Highlands Kitchen Restaurant. ]

The moment I laid eyes on the work of Anya Jindrich my heart beat faster and I knew her jewelry would be a wonderful addition to Ashes & Milk. Her pieces are hand-carved and designed to bring out the natural quality of each type of unique wood. Reclaiming bits of wood from other artisans, Anya’s method of sourcing her materials embodies the idea that “a lot can be created from very little.”

With all that said, I am so happy to announce that Anya created a very small and magnificent collection of her wood jewelry especially for Ashes & Milk.

Above left, is a collection of  Arrow Necklaces made up of a variety of woods. On the right, is a sculptural piece called Ebony Crescent Necklace.

The beautiful Anya Jindrich is at work in her studio (photographs courtesy of Leslie Williamson).

Nikko I’d love to talk a little bit more about your process of creation and what influences you and your work. Would you mind sharing these things? Could you tell me where you source the wood that you use. Does each piece have a story behind its design?

Anya Since the pieces of wood that I use are small, I am able to use offcuts from other woodworkers. I received a box of tiny offcuts from my dad that is full of beautiful and unique pieces. I just look through the box for a piece that sticks out to me and then I try to come up with a shape that might compliment what already exists in the wood. For one commission the customer supplied me with lilac wood that he wanted his jewelry made out of. I also find inspiration and ideas through my husband. He is a guitar maker, and we share our little shop space. We enjoy exchanging ideas with each other. I guess what actually got me started making jewelry was a pair of earrings that he carved for me. I always received a lot of compliments when I wore them, so I decided to make another pair to sell.

A pair of Ebony Earrings in the making (photograph courtesy of Leslie Williamson).

Nikko You mentioned that you are going to school for furniture making. Would you show me a sneak peak of some of the work you are doing along these lines?

Anya I completed the nine month furniture program a little over a year ago. Currently I am focusing on making jewelry. I enjoy the creative and meaningful process of working with my hands. I use knives and files to carve and shape each individual piece.

Above left is a stool that Anya made by hand. I just love the detail of the joinery in the middle image. On the far right, Anya is carving out joinery by hand only (no electric router).

A special thank you to the exquisitely talented Leslie Williamson who so kindly gave me permission to use her photographs.

[ Check out the full collection of Anya's hand-carved wood jewelry at Ashes & Milk. ]

Ashes & Milk is offering a new relief print by Bryan Nash Gill called Matching Oak as well a digital archival print of Ash.

Above is a 17″ x 21″ print called Matching Oak. The print block was prepared from cutting a white oak timber longitudinally down the middle and through the center of the log’s pith. After cutting two, one inch and a half blocks, the sections where glued together to create a complete round.

Scratching his fingernails over every surface of the tree while pressing little by little with his fingertips, Bryan imprints the texture of the wood on the surface of the paper. I love that Bryan had to touch each tree-growth-ring in order to deposit its mark. The actual texture, pattern and diameter of this tree section is literally translated onto paper. Go here to see exactly how Bryan creates these prints.

Above is a digital archival print from the original relief print Ash. It is printed on 100% cotton Hahnemule Museum Etching paper, weight is 350 gsm, and is certified archival. This archival reproduction is approximately six inches smaller on all sides from the original.

[ Check out more of Bryan's relief prints at Ashes & Milk. ]

Last week I was surprised to be notified that Ashes & Milk was nominated for “Best Online Retailer” for Time Out Chicago’s 2011 Shopping Awards. I am totally flattered to be part of this fun contest and hope that you will vote for Ashes & Milk. You can vote right here. Thanks so much!

One of my favorite things about artist Kia Neill is her consistent ability to create something extraordinary out of nothing. Her experimental techniques using unorthodox materials like reclaimed CDs to more conventional art materials like graphite or paint always amaze me.

Today I am excited to show you a new collection of esoteric paintings by Kia Neill called Residual Forms.

Above left is Residual Form 1 and right is Residual Form 25.

Nikko How did you come up with these pieces (the idea/process)?

Kia Actually, these evolved out of my previous graphite series of drawings, for which I repeatedly drew very thin graphite lines in succession to one another until form and imagery slowly developed. These works often looked sort of topographic. I was trying to think of how I could develop the process behind these drawings in another way.

Polypropylene paper is a synthetic paper, a plastic, and it reacts quite differently than other common papers as it doesn’t absorb wet medium, rather paint and ink have to dry in order to be set. So I planned to make puddles of thinned down ink on this paper and when one puddle was dry I would create another on top so to slowly layer and develop a series of rings from the dried puddles. However when I went in the studio to experiment with this, I thought, “I don’t have time for puddles to dry! How can I speed this up?” And so I thought of using a hairdryer to speed evaporation, but then of course the hairdryer started to move the puddles around. Something I didn’t think about but totally loved!

Using a hairdryer essentially as a paintbrush is pretty crazy and very unpredictable. It took me a while of just playing to see what kind of marks I could make and also what kind of compositions were most successful, but I still barely have control over the medium. The lack of predictability and control is actually an important factor for me though. I like to make discoveries while producing my work and to compromise with the medium in creating new forms. I do have to say that when making this work, it takes a lot of concentration and I have to be 100% present otherwise I just end up with a splatter painting!

Nikko Were you inspired by anything? I know you said that you’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors and traveling lately.

Kia I am heavily inspired from nature, biology, geology, archeology, the way people collect artifacts and the way nature is depicted in souvenirs and home decor.

With these drawings in particular, when I was experimenting and trying to determine what forms and compositions were successful and why, I was most happy with the drawings that felt like a figure of some sort, such as an amoeba, a mollusk body, a microscopic organism, etc. I’ve been looking a lot at sea creatures lately, and I’ve also been producing a series of sculptures that simulate oyster shells and bits of coral. I like the relationship of the drawings possibly depicting what type of fictional life forms could have inhabited my faux shells.

Also, while I was on a residency in the mountains of Colorado this past winter, I noticed a similarity between the mountain landscape with all the patterns and shapes of the dark tree lines, ski trails, snow capped peaks, clouds rolling through town, the roof tops of buildings, roads, lakes, etc, and the various shapes and textures I was creating in my drawings. I found this very exiting because I am also interested in the idea of a form that can function as a figure and as landscape. Perhaps this interest developed out of my fascination with coral has led to this, as what is coral? Plant? Animal? Rock?

{ To see more of Kia Neill’s paintings, please visit Ashes & Milk. }

In the lower right corner is one of pieces we offer at Ashes & Milk called Pierres Graphiques by artist Yoran Morvant.

Ashes & Milk had a wonderful feature in July Issue of I HEART Magazine, a new publication about trends, travel, music and fashion. A special thank you goes out to journalist, Lucille Béziers for the press.

Now that I have a little family of my own, I value even more so the passing of traditions from one generation to the next. My son Isaac is only a little over a year old but I hope he will enjoy making things with his hands like his mama.

On this note, I want to share with you a beautiful example of traditions taught and passed down to the next generation. The Tajika family has been producing handcrafted scissors and shears in Japan for over four generations. Each piece is hand forged and sharpened using traditional methods.

We are quite proud to be able to offer a collection of scissors and shears by Tajika Haruo Ironworks at Ashes & Milk.

Above right sits Haruo the 3rd working back to back with his son Daisuke, who is the 4th generation to carry on the legacy of Tajika Haruo Ironworks.

Each piece is made by hand through a very time consuming process. Above a metal blade is tempered by heat and shaped with a hammer.

The wooden handle of this hammer is gorgeously worn to fit the hand of the artist.

Sparks fly as Daisuke Tajika sharpens a scissor blade.

Haruo meticulously inspects each pair of shears.

{ You can order your very own pair of Japanese scissors through Ashes & Milk. }

While reading a new blog The Boo and the Boy, I stumbled across this creative way to place an organic rug or wall hanging. I am in love with the placement of this textured wool piece that is draped over a gigantic ottoman big enough for the whole family to lounge on. The idea has got me thinking about new ways to display the work of Ashley Helvey. I think her pieces could go beyond the wall or floor and move onto an ottoman or even a couch.

The above image is from Ikea Family Live

Above Ashley Helvey is creating a Wool Felted Rug. You can see more of her textiles and read about how she creates each piece at Ashes & Milk right here.

The day after the catastrophe hit Japan I received a package of hand forged iron sissors from Tajika Haruo Ironworks. I have to say the timing was eerily uncanny and has left me with a strange feeling all together.

My heart goes out to my favorite place in whole world and to all it’s people.

Above is artist Daisuke Tajika in his workshop. -We hope you and your family are okay.

In honor of Valentine’s Day, we’re offering a special price on the much loved print, Locust by Bryan Nash Gill. Through February 14 – March 14, this piece will be priced at $400 which is half off the original price of $800. Bryan created Locust exclusively for Ashes & Milk as a limited edition and there are only a few prints left.