MAINE MAKER MONDAY | Brinn Flagg | Awen Recovery

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Awen Recovery - I’m the CEO and Founder of an online membership platform providing support to the loved ones of addicts.

How did you learn your craft?

I received my Executive MBA in 2018 and knew I wanted to start my own company. I started my company as an impacted loved one myself. When my sister got into recovery 9 years ago, I set out to learn all I could about addiction. I am now a counselor, coach and entrepreneur, using my lived experience to help others.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

I enjoy sharing my experiences with clients who feel most alone in this. It’s a normal part of being impacted by a loved one’s addiction and being able to relate and share things that resonate with clients is really rewarding. I also love the creative aspect of building something that doesn’t exist yet.

What do you enjoy least?

Entrepreneurship is sometimes really lonely. As a woman, I also don’t love that I have to prove myself way more than I perceive men starting companies have to.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

I still struggle to articulate and have others understand how scalable and impactful a business like this could be.

What’s one artist you look up to?

I also have a background in Fine Arts so aesthetics and brand mean so much to me. I love Hope Gangloff.

What do you do when you’re not at Awen?

I’m out training for marathons with my dog and friend Bridget, power lifting with my friend Allie, I’m supporting my recovery community at the PRCC and beyond, and working PT at Oxbow on the weekends! Painting when I can in my home office/studio. And eating. Always eating.

Night owl or early bird?

Early bird

What's your favorite place in Maine?

I went to the Lost Kitchen this year. I died.

MAINE MAKER MONDAY | Rebecca Perea-Kane | Thicket Jewelry

What’s your business name and what do you do?

• Thicket is a fine jewelry line made from castings of botanical samples and other natural objects using sustainable, recycled fine metals.

How did you learn your craft?

• I learned a lot about jewelry production as well as the business side of the industry from working in other designers' studios before I launched my own line. Along the way, I've also taken workshops and classes around particular skills and techniques. Plus a lot of experimentation.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

• Working in my studio on a quiet, sunny morning.

What do you enjoy least?

• Crawling around on my studio floor when I drop a tiny gold earring.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

• I begin each piece by taking a mold of the natural object so each one is a perfect replica, in solid fine metal, of that original thorn or seed pod or pebble.

What’s one artist you look up to?

• Erica Moody is a metalsmith up in Midcoast Maine who makes the most beautiful functional objects.

What do you do when you’re not at Thicket Jewelry?

• On the weekends I'm typically at the coffee-retail space I share with my partner, David, and his business Moonday Coffee. But right now when I'm not in my studio and not at the shop I'm spending a lot of time in our back yard working on a native plant garden.

Night owl or early bird?

• I'm up early but truthfully I wish I just didn't have to sleep because I like being up late too.

What's your favorite place in Maine?

• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. It's a magical place.

MAINE MAKER MONDAY | Melissa Lombardi | Twirl

What’s your business name and what do you do?

• Twirl. My team and I craft cute & custom ice creams at the Public Market in Monument Square.

How did you learn your craft?

• Trial and error + practice + many years working FOH in PWM. My biz started as a food truck in 2019 and the learning curve was steep!

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

• Chatting--everyone has something to say about ice cream-- a fond memory, a dream cream flavor suggestion, a confession they don't like cold food...:D

What do you enjoy least?

• It's messy and labor-intensive

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

• Every ice cream is made to order but we start with already made vanilla or chocolate--I compare it to ice cream-tending...

What’s one artist you look up to?

• I look up to my creative crafty maker friends, supporting themselves and doing their art--it's hard to pick just one!

What do you do when you’re not at Twirl?

• I am really into Aqua Fitness and I hope to start teaching soon, so I currently spend time away from Twirl in the pool (shout out @healthcoaches Stevens Square) and studying inertia, etc. for the certification.

Night owl or early bird?

• Whooooo, me? Night owl!

What's your favorite place in Maine?

• Any pal's backyard, wherever they live in Maine. I also love Thunderhole :D

MAINE MAKER MONDAY | Elizabeth Rzoska | Prairie Baking co

What’s your business name and what do you do?

• Prairie Baking Co. I make cakes and pastries for everyday events, wedding cakes, and occasionally some breakfast pastries for some cafes around town.

How did you learn your craft?

• I attended culinary school after getting my B.A. in studio art. I like to think my art background helps me a lot when decorating cakes. I have worked at a number of bakeries and restaurants, picking up various skills along the way for the past 13 years. For cakes specifically, I worked at Bittersweet pastry shop in Chicago and Sweet Heather Anne in Ann Arbor - both of these businesses have a very high standard for quality and appearance for their cakes (as well as the other things that they make). Learning from them was definitely instrumental to my current style of cake decorating.

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

• I enjoy being able to be a part of peoples' celebrations, my first real year of doing this was 2020 and helping people celebrate at that time felt very special. I also really enjoy being able to source the ingredients that I want to use as well as the flowers for decorating cakes. It's great being able to go to the farmer's market to shop for the business, it really feels like a community there.

What do you enjoy least?

• Probably general time management and always feeling like there's more to do no matter what. This comes along with the freedom to make all the business decisions, which is in itself great. Also, wedding cake delivery is one of the more nerve wracking things to do on a regular basis.

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

• For this business specifically, I am the only person, emailing, invoicing, baking, assembling and decorating all of the desserts and cakes. I think people tend to forget that a lot of small businesses are just one person, even if we have a professional looking website and good social media presence. As much as we try to have everything under control, we are still human and we do make mistakes/fall behind on tasks every once in a while. 

What’s one artist you look up to?

• Not to be too on the nose with the prairie/flower theme but there is a Detroit, Michigan (my home state) painter that mostly paints large-scale murals of flowers called Ouizi (Louise Jones). The murals are so dynamic, beautiful and look so wonderful in the urban environment.

What do you do when you’re not at Prairie Baking Co.? 

• We opened a bar in the same space that my bakery is, so I am mostly there. Otherwise, I enjoy hanging out with my husband and our cat and dog, going for walks, drawing, getting a beer at a brewery and gardening. 

What's your favorite place in Maine?

• I would say Two Lights State Park, I used to go more often than I am currently able to but I need to start making the time again. I've spotted whales feeding there in late summer, it's magical.

Night owl or early bird?

• I'm not sure if I'm either, I do feel my most productive in the morning but also love sleeping in. I have worked jobs that have had me work very early (3 am) and late. I generally prefer a morning start and having my evenings to wind down. 

Maine Maker Monday | Regan bell | Maine Photo Works

What’s your business name and what do you do?

• My business name is Maine Photo Works and I provide high-quality inkjet printing services to the southern Maine area and beyond. The kind of printing I do is also commonly referred to as giclee or archival pigment printing. I focus primarily on working with artists and photographers, but I also work quite a bit with folks in the community printing snapshots, digitizing family archives, and restoring old photographs.

How did you learn your craft?

• How I got here is a pretty 50/50 mix of formal training and being self-taught. I earned my BFA in photography from Maine College of Art, so what I learned there provided a spectacular foundation. First and foremost, how to make a good print! A lot of the other aspects of the business–like scanning and reproducing works of art, restoring old photographs, and actually printing the work of others–were self-taught. Google is my friend! Failure is my best friend! (I’ve thrown out a lot of prints).

What do you enjoy most about what you do?

• I really, really, like the challenge. Most days! Not only is there a challenge in that I am handling many different kinds of media–so almost every order needs its own specific handling–but each client is completely different in what they expect out of that final product. So, I really like to get to know my clients and make them as happy as I can. My artists and photographers are really the ones that help me hone my craft, though. Complete perfection is not possible, but it feels so darn good to get close to a reproduction. It’s such a beautiful relationship to have with another maker!

What do you enjoy least?

• What I enjoy the least about what I do is most definitely the technology! A lot of people expect me to be very techy, but I’ve never been the gearhead type when it comes to my own photography. That kind of stuff just doesn’t excite me. I’d rather talk about how you are making something extraordinary happen with an ordinary piece of equipment! However, in this business, it’s extremely important to not only know your equipment well but to upgrade it consistently. So, I’ve got a couple techy friends who I call on when it’s time for an upgrade!

What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

• It’s a lot harder to make a good “copy” of something than you might think. Even with all the right equipment and a fully color-managed system, it’s my eye and a lot of test prints that make for a good print. There’s nothing automatic about it!

What’s one artist you look up to?

• Without a doubt, the artist I look up to the most is Michie O’Day. Michie is a client of Maine Photo Works who has become a dear friend of mine. She’s a very talented painter who got her start when she bailed on her career in retail management, moved to Stonington, and started making oil paintings at the age of 30. Her mentorship has meant the world to me over the years.

What do you do when you’re not at Maine Photo Works?

• I spend a lot of my days off in central Maine with my extended family eating good food, taking pictures of my grandparents, and playing The Game of Joker (a marbles game my paternal grandparents are obsessed with). When I am not there, I am most often out for a walk with my dog or on a bike ride with my partner Chris. I am also always taking pictures with my film camera (and then rarely making time to scan or edit them!). 

Night owl or early bird?

• When I can, I absolutely love going to bed at 9 PM. If you see me out in public after 8 PM, I really, really want to be there!

What's your favorite place in Maine?

• Right now, there’s a special little swimming hole in the Carrabassett River that really has my heart. Literally, though, any body of water will do! I grew up on a ‘lil lake in a tiny town in Maine and spent most of my summers in the water. Anywhere I’m swimming feels like home! 

MAINE MAKER MONDAY | Jessica Webb | Photographer

What’s your business name and what do you do?

Hi, I'm Jess Webb.  I'm a brand and product photographer located in South Portland, Maine
How did you learn your craft?

I started my career in photojournalism and loved telling stories of my community through the camera. After freelancing for a few papers in San Francisco, CA I moved to Portland, Maine. It’s here where I started to work in the world of product photography. 
What do you enjoy most about what you do?

The creativity. I love how there is not (usually) one right way to do things. Helping a brand bring its products to life through photography is magical to me. It's like being on the movie set. I can see all the behind-the-scenes aspects but the consumer only sees what I capture through the lens. 
What do you enjoy least?

Paperwork. Forever and always. 
What’s one thing you wish people knew about your work?

There is a lot of planning involved before a photoshoot. I like to make sure I prepare my clients for everything and map out every photo with any and all props needed. This takes LOTS of time, but once we get to shoot day it’s nice to focus on the task at hand, photography!
What’s one artist you look up to?

The first artist that comes to mind is Imogen Cunningham. She was a photographer based in SF and was known for her photography of botanicals. Irving Penn is another artist, whose work I look through for inspiration frequently. His portrait work is fantastic.
What do you do when you’re not photographing products?

I'm a mom and wife, so when I'm not working I'm with them. Dinner time is our sacred time where we all sit down together for one meal. I make something every night and try to involve the kids (they are 1 and 6) as much as possible. We also love hiking or hanging out at one of the many beaches we have over here. 

Night owl or early bird?

It's currently 12:30AM as I'm writing this so I am fully a night owl. 
What's your favorite place in Maine?

Higgins beach. I love how deep the beach can get and watching the surfers. It makes me feel like I'm back in SF. 

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If you made it to the end, thank you! Next up is Regan Bell from Maine Photo Works! See you next Monday.

My Friday Five | Portland, Maine Product Photographer

Hi there, Jess here. Hope your Friday is going well. It’s been a busy week over here in Portland, but we snuck in a few morning beach trips and maybe one or two trips to some donut shops.

• What I’ve been cooking: Pesto Pasta! It’s the perfect summer pasta and the kids love it. I don’t really use a recipe anymore but I’m sure the NYT has a great one to reference.

• What I bought: If you plan on being outside with food this summer might I suggest you get yourself some nets to cover your food. They are the best, these fold up when not in use which comes in very handy.

• What I’ve been eyeing: I’ve always been a fan of Raven Roxanne and I think I might be ready to pull the plug on one of her pieces.

• What I’ve been reading: Yellowface, was my recent read I couldn’t put down. I was feeling a void after reading Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and this definitely helped. Worth a read!

• What I’ve been listening to: Men I Trust is on constant repeat over here and I’m ready for a new album. Really liked the Ring of Past release!

  I hope you all enjoy your week! I’m currently putting together some pricing sheets for my brand photography work. If you or anyone you know is looking reach out! I’d love to work with some new brands, and I give discounts to customers who book more than one session.

My Friday Five | Music Photography

Hi There! It’s been a while. I have some photos to share from covering a few hours at All Roads Music Festival in Belfast, Maine.

My Friday Five | Lifestyle and Commercial Photographer Portland, Maine

Happy Friday! Here are a few things from this week.

• What I’m listening to: The new Sunset Rubdown and if you’re in NYC/Philly they will be there soon and you should absolutely go see them live. I got to see them on my birthday here in Portland and it was a fantastic show!

• What I’m watching: There is so much to watch right now! New Ted Lasson is at the top of my list.

• What I’m buying: I’ve been wanting some new rings lately and I bought this ring sizer to help me with my online shopping habit.

• What I’m reading: I just finished Daisy Jones and The Six. I know I’m late to the game, but it was a really good read. Perfect for vacation and now I’m ready to watch the show!

• What I’m cooking: Anything citrus right now. This Orange Snack Cake was on heavy rotation last year.

My Friday Five | Lifestyle and Commercial Photographer Portland, Maine

Happy Friday! Here are a few things from this week.

• What I’m listening to: The new Feist release. It’s good!

• What I’m watching: The new season of Party Down. I loved the original seasons, and the new episodes hold up!

• What I’m buying: We are going to be traveling next week to warmer weather and I bought this Boden swimsuit to try out.

• What I’m reading: How to build your own brand

• What I’m cooking: This super yummy tangerine sorbet and great for kiddos!

My Friday Five | Lifestyle and Commercial Photographer Portland, Maine

• Portland News! Sheena Ernest is going to be coming to Portland one day a month to do brows. If you are needing of brow shaping (like me) Sheena is the person to go to! Head over to Nomadic Goat’s website to book your appt. I think she only has one more spot in March open.

• What I’m listening to: I’m late to the game (such is the life of a mom), but I’m loving Weyes Blood album And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow.

• What I’m buying: Tower28 Mascara is good!

• What I’m reading: 10 Surprising Tips for Parents of Young Children

• I’m going to be going to the Bahamas in the next few weeks. J. Crew Factory is still having a sale and I snagged this dress for the occasion.

My Friday Five | Lifestyle and Commercial photographer Portland, Maine

1. All Roads Music Festival: The 7th Annual All Roads Music Festival, set will be taking place on May 19 + 20, 2023 in beautiful Belfast, Maine. This “two-day festival and celebration of indie music that brings some of the finest emerging musicians under one banner in a city known for its passionate support of the arts and locally grown creative talent. The festival features performances in a variety of genres including indie rock, folk, pop, bluegrass, and indie folk musicians, as well as performers from related contemporary genres such as alternative country, punk and hiphop.” I plan to go!

2. Seasonal Depression: I don’t know about you, but I am feeling the affects of this years winter blues. I thought this was a good read.

3. Spring Sales! So. Many. Sales. Everyone is anticipating spring, so I hope you are out there taking advantage of the number of sales out there. Some of my favs are Rhodes, The RealReal, and Mango.

4. Things I’m looking forward to this weekend! The family and I are headed up to Rockland to visit our friends who recently bought a house up there. I haven’t been up there in a few years and I’m excited to visit them and see what’s new. Any and all recommendations are welcome! I’m also looking forward to the Siblings Bakery pop-up at Onggi!

5. House Refresher: I’ve been replacing art throughout our house and making a few updates. I’m working with a few customers right now getting some of my pieces printed and would love to help anyone else with adding a little more art to their homes! You can find them on my site.

Fine Art Prints | Lifestyle and commercial photographer

Happy Monday! I can almost feel spring in the air and with that I’m starting to get new art on the walls. I’ve been working with a few people printing my fine art photographs for their spring home refreshers.

I’d love to work with you if you’d like to add some big custom pieces for your home! You can find some of my work on the site.

My Friday Five | Lifestyle and Commercial Photographer Portland, Maine

Hi there!

It’s been a while. I had baby #2, we like to call him Silas, in June and have been taking time with my family as we figure out how to be a family of 4. Happy to report that Victor LOVES being a big brother and seeing them together is as adorable as you’d imagine.

In an effort to get out of my mom rut and get back into my photo world. I’m going to start sharing my Friday 5, which are things that I’ve read, listened to, bought, desire to buy, and maybe places i’m going. So yes, basically a little spark notes version of what has been in my head for the week.

1. SMARTLESS: since we added another human to the Maine Webb clan we needed an extra bedroom. Thankfully, the way our house is set up it was relatively easy to add, especially when you have a father-in-law, who knows all things construction (Thanks for all the help Bill Webb!). I’ve been doing the painting and finishings in the new room, and this is where Smartless comes in! If you are not listening to the podcast yet please pop in your earbuds right now and take a listen. It’s like you are sitting next to Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and whoever their guest happens to be at the time eating dinner. The conversation is casual, sometimes insightful, and will definitely make you LOL while in-line at the grocery store.

2. Bedroom redesign: As I said above I’ve been painting and redesigning my bedroom and I’ve decided to go bold! I picked a sage green and I’ve really wanted to bring more rich colors into our home. I love our light and airy white walls. We have a smaller house and I want as much light to bounce around as possible, but I decided to make our bedroom this cozy haven and so far I’m liking it! Next up wallpapering the closets! You can see what I’m thinking on my Pinterest.

3. Galentines! While Valentines Day might be over, we will still be celebrating at Petelage! There are a few spots still open if you want to learn how to create a beautiful tablescape by Michelle. I will be photographing the work that you create like one of my still-life photos!

4. Holy Cannoli: I little while back I decided I need to start making some of the Italian sweet treats that I grew up with and are to find in the Portland area. I made my own cannolis on Sunday and they were a hit with the family!

5. Rihanna: I’m sure you saw Rihanna’s halftime show on Sunday. I was stunned to see her pregnant again! We were pregnant at the same time and I followed her for all the pregnancy outfit inspo (I didn’t wear anything she wore). Vogue published an article a few days after and I jumped right on it.

That’s it for this week! If you have any room inspiration or recipes you think I’d like send them over!

Valentine's Day Floral Workshop | Portland, Maine Commercial Photographer

I’m excited to share that I’ll be photographing a Valentine’s Day Floral styling workshop at Petalage on February 18, 2022!

Michelle “will walk through a modest tablescape vignette and discuss her thoughts on the curation of items, placement, & incorporation of flowers to get a professional and editorial capture of your beautiful floral work.”

You can find more details on her site.

Dead Gowns | Portland, Maine Music Photographer

I got the opportunity to photograph Geneviève Beaudoin of Dead Gowns at her EP release at SPACE in Portland, Maine.

six things for the Photographer Mama | Portland, Maine Commercial and Lifestyle Photographer

With Mother Day’s around the corner I wanted to share a few items that I have enjoyed!

Paris Magnum

One of my favorite coffee table books. I probably look through this one once to twice a week. I always seem to find something new.

Polaroid

I love my Polaroid! This one has flash, rechargeable batteries, and self-timer. It’s a fun little gadget to have around!

Flowers!

These flowers will last mom a lot longer than the ones that you buy from a florist. I love working with clients to work on the right size print as well as framing. Reach out!

Photo Session

Webb Photo specializes in wedding and family photography. Often moms are the ones taking the photos and rarely get in front of the camera. Book a session with Webb Photo and you’ll get mom in front of the camera with her littles.

Pelican Case

While I have less serious cases this is the one I use for my commercial and lifestyle shoots. It has a built-in roller making it easy to get around quickly with a lot of gear. I’ve used it to stand on, sit on, and at times a table for your kiddo when you need to edit photos and he needs an art project to keep his attention. :)

A Night out!

With the last two years being spent mostly at home I found inspiration from my immediate surroundings. I’m now ready for some new experiences! I’m ready to go to the symphony, to travel, and to see art up close and personal again. Inspiration fuels my work and I feel my creative brain changing with these experiences again!

(photo from a trip to Italy a few years ago)

Dooloop II | Commercial and Lifestyle Photographer Portland, Maine

More Dooloop commercial photography work from September 2021!

Dooloop | Commercial and Lifestyle Photographer Portland, Maine

Dooloop fun from September 2021!

Ferro and Fawn | Portland, Maine Commercial and Lifestyle Photographer

Hi there!

It’s been a long time. Life got busy in August with sessions and some travel. Then we found out we were pregnant in September. Hooray!

Here’s a shoot from last summer for Ferro and Fawn. It was aetherial picnic-themed shoot with Sheena Ernest on the makeup and Mary Moniker on styling. Jaylassa and Eliza were back to help bring these products to life!

This was done with Thank You Design Co.

Hope you enjoy them and they bring you some inspiration for the warm weather that is just around the corner in Maine!