Tell us a bit about yourself name, location,
affiliations, personal stuff.
We are a cooperative, consisting of Michael Guthrie, Anika Easter and Terry Easter. Between the three of us, we are fine art painters, men’s and women’s clothing designers, writers, woodworkers, techies, travelers, teachers and volunteers. But we are all family.
We run Second Line Frames out of our backyard in Tampa, FL. Although we have never lived close enough to New Orleans to enjoy the world’s longest Po’ boys, famous live jazz, and 24-hour beignets on a regular basis, the culture is nonetheless in our blood, thanks to family that once lived there and the indelible nature of the city.
We are also people who feel pain thousands of miles away from its source. After seeing the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina continue to linger, and being inspired by the resilience of the residents who chose to rebuild, we decided to start Second Line Frames as a way to honor memories and symbolize the possibilities of starting over.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
Actually, we spend so much time making things, it leaves little left for much else! But the occasional intermission entertains such things as good books, long talks, deep thoughts, sweet dreams, dog parks, good company and Curb Your Enthusiasm reruns.
What first made you want to become an artist?
The moment we noted the distinction between artistic things and everything else. We wanted to do creative things. We had to do the rest. Not ones to ignore our pesky, nagging wants, we all realized pretty early on that we were meant to delve into some form of creative expression. It is certainly ever-evolving and different for each of us, but the same intrinsic desire to make stuff was there from the start.
When it comes to the frames, the true artists are the original residents who chose these bright, beautiful colors to paint their homes. And of course, Father Time and Mother Nature who weathered the wood. We are just repackaging it - giving wood that once meant home to someone the chance to be meaningful again to another.
Please describe your creative process how, when, materials, etc.
Each plank of wood is, in a sense, a limited edition piece, as there is only so much of each color we can collect. Then, each section of that has its own defining characteristics. Based on where the knots are, where the rusted nails happen to be or how long a piece measures, the design of the frame springs to mind quite naturally after studying a piece of wood for a while.
We each have our specialties to add to the efficiency of our assembly line. Anika is the primary visualizer, rough cutter and mosaic maker. Michael is the master o’ tools. In his hands, machinery is putty to his whims. Terry, the perfectionist, employs his eagle eyes to cut borders that fit so well glue feels irrelevant.
We also go through an extensive process to clean and seal the wood in preparation for its adoptive home. Details about our method can be found within our Shop Policies.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
One of the countless things Anika holds dear is not a personal possession, but a tiny lime-sized bird’s nest made entirely from a Yellow Lab’s undercoat, found in a family friend’s yard. Beak-made counts right?
Michael’s favorite handmade treasure is an intricate 130g silver link bracelet made by a friend in Bali.
Terry most values a handwritten letter from his father, Luke Easter.
Name your top five books, movies, songs/musical groups, and web sites besides Etsy.
BOOKS
Dreams from my Father
A Prayer for Owen Meany
Peace Like a River
Letters from a Nut
A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life
MOVIES
The Science of Sleep
The Edukators
Casablanca
Being There
Any old Western (that’s Terry’s)
SONGS/BANDS
Simone White
Nouvelle Vague
Zero Seven
Earth Wind and Fire
The O'Jays
The Doobie Brothers
WEBSITES
current
dailyom
huffingtonpost
pandora
pnola.org
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Don’t chase others’ perceptions of beauty. Trust the instinct that compels you to create and believe in what you are doing as an individual. There are so many amazing creations out there that sometimes it’s too easy to compare yourself to others. But Etsy is one marketplace where we’re all totally free to design as we please. So do your thing.
Also, join a group! It’s a built-in support system. They’re great for advice, encouragement, staying active and keeping current.
What are your favorite features on Etsy? What new features would you like to see?
What we love about Etsy is that it’s a true community of people who appreciate, support and promote each other’s work. It’s a happy place to be.
As a new feature, a built-in shipping calculator would be awesome. It would be super helpful to determine costs based on location.
How do you promote your work?
We have our frames in a few different shops and word of mouth still hasn’t gone out of style. We are lucky enough to have been unearthed by a savvier set of online promoters. Thank the web heavens for bloggers! We heart you very much.
In ten years I'd like to be...
Balancing time between our favorite countries, rollicking with herds of Golden Retrievers, stretching our yoga limits, surviving solely off vegan foods, furthering charitable causes and jaunting merrily around an enlivened, debris-free New Orleans. |
