At Travel Patterns, we have a high value for celebrating, encouraging, and showcasing small businesses. Yes, we do this because we are a small business, but also because we believe in the importance of championing people who make the brave decisions to take heart and take flight with their dreams! Also, our team is also continuously inspired and encouraged by the courage & creativity, we have seen in entrepreneurs who are showing up every day, just like us! We know from experience that running a small business isn’t just about a product or a service, but it is also about the story of a person and their family, the legacy of a craft, and the furthering of a passion. This is why we decided that we were going to do our part to showcase some of the small business (both near and far!) that inspire us and tell the story of the people who created them.

Today we are introducing you to Karin of Karin Bell Art. Karin is a linocut printmaker in Huntsville, AL and we are big fans of her amazing prints. We love following her Instagram as she share her printmaking creative process. Another one of our favorite things about Karin is how much she supports her local (and worldwide) maker community. We know that you are going to love learning more about Karin so keep reading!

Welcome Karin! Tell us about yourself:

KARIN: Hey everyone! I am a full-time architect and project manager moonlighting as a printmaker. I’ve been creative in many ways as long as I can remember, but nothing ever felt like “my” medium. After the rigor of passing my licensing exams, I found printmaking by chance after seeing an artist on Instagram experiment with it. It became a way to reclaim my creative voice and “get my hands dirty” after long days spent on the computer with my nose in paperwork.

I operate out of the home I share with my husband and three kitties. We like to try new places to eat, walk through Old Town Huntsville, and travel when we can - my husband and I, not the cats!

How did you get your idea or concept for your business?

KARIN: I truly just set out to find a creative outlet for myself. I use a printmaking technique called linocut, which involves the carving of a sheet of linoleum using variously sized gouges. Printmaking ink is applied to the block with a soft rubber roller, called a brayer, and then pressed to paper with a printing press, which applies even pressure to the block and paper. The places that were carved away do not receive ink, which is why this technique is sometimes called relief printing. Linocutting has been very therapeutic for me because I’m actually carving into something with tools and it feels very natural and analog.

Once I began the technique, I wondered what my voice would be, and the resounding answer was centered around my Christian faith. I wanted to create work that expressed deep ideas that were rooted in faith but were applicable to all people. I’m interested in the “fringe” area - a place where kitschy, feel-good Christian expressions and symbolisms give way to honest feelings and real struggles. I love the idea that someone from any background could look at my work and receive a completely different connection than the next person.

What is unique about you that you have incorporated into your business

KARIN: Because I do this in addition to my full-time office job, I create in small batches and have a personal rule that I am not allowed to use digital methods in any part of my process. I draw everything by hand, do everything by hand. This helps separate this practice from the rest of my computer heavy life.

What is a risk you have taken in your business and was it worth it?

KARIN: This sounds really silly but when I first got interest in people buying my work about a year ago, I invested in a large quantity of rigid packing envelopes and cellophane sleeves for my prints. It seemed like a huge order and possibly a big waste, but I did it anyway. And I’m happy to say that I’m nearing the bottom of the pile!

How do you celebrate wins in your business?

KARIN: I could probably be healthier about this, but right now I celebrate by investing in new materials, tools, papers, and other media I’ve been wanting to experiment with! Creativity is my reward after a hard day or week.What do you love about being female entrepreneurs?

What do you love about being a female entrepreneur?

KARIN: I really love the community, especially as a printmaker. We are a very supportive and uncompetitive niche in the art world, and I love we all happily share our knowledge and experience.

How do you engage your local community in your business?

KARIN: Since I started this journey right before COVID reached the US, my local community really became my family, friends, and my Instagram community. I’d like to possibly do a few shows here in town, but I’m also very excited to announce that I was just juried into Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment! So stay tuned for a brick-and-mortar studio possibly next year!

Take Heart. Take Flight.

Our motto - Take Heart. Take Flight. - calls us to courageously search for who we were meant to be, to break free of the fears holding us back, and to boldly pursue the daring adventure set before us. How are you living this motto in your business & life?

KARIN: For a long time, I was afraid to explore my creative desires because I’m an architect and it’s a very demanding job and I was afraid of the two battling for my time. But I keep creating. I’ve decided that it doesn’t matter where this goes or who likes it or buys it. It just matters that I keep excavating my thoughts and idea and endeavor to share them with the world.