And then, as if stuck in Rabbit’s door and everyone’s given up hope, I budge.

Or rather, am nudged.

Someone reaches out with an opportunity and I’m reminded I contain multitudes! I’m a mom and an artist. A milk lady and a painter!

“She’s sailing straight out of the book! Quick! Turn the page!”

Some nudges from this maternity leave included two winter phone calls from magazine editors asking for an interview. I wish I could say these nudges weren’t all external but hey, I’m still evolving! Needless to say, the interest was encouraging.

I’m slowly and patiently re-entering my workspace and this just in: uninterrupted sleep makes a world of difference! Below I’m sharing the conversations that you can read online or snag a hard copy at your local bookstore or newsstand (I think those still exist?!)

And because last night was decidedly not a consecutive 8 hour night, hoping to share some ‘Table Talk’ summer favorites in a post soon. Is she returning to a somewhat regular rhythm?! Time will tell!

TLDR: If you too suffer from the rollercoaster of emotions that come along with pursuing art, owning a business, or just being a human, hi! Let’s be friends.

Midwest Living, Summer 2026 Issue

Thank you to Kelsey Shagemann for the thoughtful interview and the MWL team for coordinating such a creative photoshoot with some of my favorite studio tools. And thank you to everyone who gave so much love on their Instagram post!

Read online here.

Michigan Blue, Summer 2026 Issue

Thank you to Giuseppa Nadrowski for reaching out and patiently deciphering my rambling into something coherent!

Read online here.

Shop Available Work

Shop Prints

Artfully Walls is also running a 25% off sale this weekend. You can shop my AW print selection here.

I’ve missed you all! I want to let you know I’m joining 40+ presenters at the Northern Michigan Arts and Culture Summit May 14th and 15th. I’ll be hosting mentor sessions as well as a 90 minute Substack Workshop - partially the impetus for me finally hitting publish on today’s post! To learn more and register, click here. Please leave any questions in the comments.

Artist Dates

Have you heard of them?

For the uninitiated, ‘Artist Dates’ is a concept coined by Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way - a 12 week self-help book guiding readers to re-fill their creative well and unblock creative flow.1 Similar to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energy, we don’t have an endless supply of creative energy. We must nurture it!2

In Cameron’s words: “An artist date is a block of time, perhaps two hours weekly, especially set aside and committed to nurturing your creative consciousness, your inner artist.”

Looking back at my year thus far, I’ve found myself on several unintentional ‘Artist Dates’, and even some ‘Creative Clusters’3. They’ve really helped fuel my limited studio hours.

Today I’m sharing some of my own artist dates I went on in March that truly have me bursting at the seams to get back to the studio.

(1) Brick your phone.

Period. Safe to say that endless stream of toxic clutter glued to our hands is our biggest block to creativity! I find creative thoughts start to bubble up simply by disconnecting. I’d say this, or simply leaving your phone at home, is step one before embarking on any of the following.

(2) Take a Hike!

Ideally a new trailhead, or at least a trail you haven’t hiked this season.

(3) Start a Craft Club

Each month my girlfriends and I meet up for crafts + cocktails. March’s craft was embroidery and unanimously our favorite yet. Whenever I have a couple spare minutes I find myself reaching for my supplies. For more Craft Club inspo, I highly rec Jesse’s Substack, specifically this post here.

(4) Join a Book Club

As someone who struggles to both start and finish books, it’s the accountability kick in the pants I need to skip the show/scroll and hop in bed early. It certainly helped that we started the year with The Correspondent (again, a unanimous hit), and are now onto Strangers. I admittedly bought it for the cover but am staying for the salacity.

(5) Immerse yourself in the world of other artists’ creations

In early March, the founders of Floyd hosted the most inspiring dinner. It was an unlikely fusion of furniture, cross country skiing, design, and seafood, yet somehow made perfect sense?! It really stretched my brain to think about collaborating in new ways. What a privilege to attend! My friend Marissa encapsulated the experience perfectly in her Substack post here.

(6) Sweat it out.

That same weekend I had the pleasure of indulging in a 40 minute sauna session at Parcel and the sweat reset was real. Our local YMCA also has a sauna I’ve been meaning to take advantage of.

(7) Head to the Museum!

This was something I did with my kids and admittedly consisted more of serving snacks than viewing art, but consider this your reminder! View. Art. In. Person! It’s transformative! Art is NOT meant to be viewed on screens. We love the Dennos, which has free admission for kids this week.

(8) Flip through an art book.

I’ve recently been loving Fairfield Porter and Richard Diebenkorn. Bookmarking (no pun intended) this topic for a future post.

(9) Take a walk in your neighborhood.

One of my favorite places to walk is down the alleys of our neighborhood. Our landscape shifts so dramatically season to season and for whatever reason I love how the shapes and colors show up in these mundane spaces. It’s a great challenge to find novelty among familiarity. Bring a sketchbook, your film camera, or enjoy the freedom of foregoing documentation!

(10) Attend the Northern Michigan Arts + Culture Summit!

Coming up in May! A gathering of artists, arts administrators, performers, funders, educators, and creative thinkers sharing ideas, building relationships, and celebrating the role creativity plays in shaping our region. I’ll be hosting mentor sessions and a practical Substack workshop. I’m hoping to find time to join Lindy Bishop’s artist talk. Register here.

And now I leave you with - works in progress slowly but steadily fueled by all of the above.

Okay I realize most of those were not solo artist dates, but as a self proclaimed extroverted artist, they seemed to help me. Leave your artist date suggestions/tried & trues in the comments!

In 2023 my friend John Paul and his team joined me in the studio for a couple days of pure creative play. We filmed stock video footage for them and video content for me. It was a dreamy couple summer days.

We needed footage of me creating faster work, so without much thought or composition in mind, I began to quickly lay down loose figures across a 22x30 paper. That sketch lived in my studio for over a year, inspiring me and informing other projects, until finally this past summer, I finished it.

Figures from summers ‘23, ‘24 and ‘25 all live on that page, and truly resemble what I imagine my memories look like walking across my mind - in and out, blurry, overlapping, never a perfect iteration of the moment, almost always a rosier one.

Below is a series of clips showcasing some of the making of ‘Summer Memories’.

The original has sold, but is available as an open edition print on my site and is included in the sale this weekend. Enjoy!

Director: John Paul Morris

shop studio sale

In all seriousness, Kate and her husband Chris are incredible supporters of mine that have become real life friends along the way. It’s also abundantly clear while watching, they’re simply incredibly supportive humans to so many people in their lives - truly designing their home with the utmost intention.

When it comes to getting dressed, Kate has become known for her colorful and confident style. I often admire her ability to create tension and contrast in an interesting way, while still keeping the look flattering. Her design choices with their home display that same chic yet spunky energy on a whole new scale and it’s a joy to see.

My favorite line that made us laugh out loud (and made me miss my friend):

“I really wanted a 1920s tudor home, so naturally we bought a 1960s split level.”

Relatable!

Below are a few stills from the day. You can watch the full video here. Enjoy!

Photography: Natalie Folchi

Design: Will + Blu Interiors

Well it’s official - the third child postpartum adrenaline that miraculously fueled me this summer has officially run dry. We are knee deep in the 4 month sleep regression. Transparently, I’ve lost motivation to do pretty much anything other than sleep and keep three tiny humans alive. As I type this, I can hear Dave muttering to himself in the kitchen “I need a half-day off”, to which I’d like to raise him a week - but all that to say - we feel behind on life.

I tell you this because I’ve decided to pause all paid subscriptions for this Substack. If you’re a paid subscriber, you won’t be charged while this newsletter is paused, and you’ll be refunded a pro-rated amount if you bought a year’s subscription. Feel free to email me if you have any questions.

I have a running drafts list I just can’t seem to get to, and a couple artist-mother interviews I’m excited to share, but for now I’m following my own advice - you can do anything, but not everything. This newsletter is mostly a fun creative outlet for me after all. The work I really need to prioritize is painting, oh, and parenting.

The gift of this being our third time around, is I know the sleepless nights are temporary, and this sweet stage is fleeting. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve really enjoyed the newborn phase. Don’t get me wrong, I love my babies, but I really need sleep. Like an unrealistic, un-interrupted, princess-status nine hours of sleep. My transition from 0-1 was both the coolest, and hardest thing in the world. That learning curve for first time parents is steep. And I can’t speak to having twins1, but when we had our second a mere 19 months later, it felt like the next closest thing. Two under two was a wild ride y’all. They’re the best of buds now and I wouldn’t have it any other way. All that to say, knowing this is our last, I’m trying my best to put whatever wisdom I have to work, and soak all three of them up.

If you’re a parent reading this in a similar sinking boat2, you’re not alone! I promise you, it will get easier. And then it will get harder again3. And so it goes.

some studio-keeping

Don’t get it twisted, this isn’t a cry for help! Thankfully, I’ve set myself up to financially weather a prolonged maternity leave. Dave covers for me many evenings and weekends to sneak in painting time (when energy permits), so when I have new work to share I’ll let you know.

I plan to share a new collection of prints later this month, and you can shop original work and a few extra calendars now available on my site. To any retailers reading this, I officially set up my Faire wholesale account4. And if you have any custom print, design, or licensing requests let me know. I’m always accepting art-work related inquiries!

I know fourth quarter is hustle season for businesses, but it has always felt counterintuitive to be go-go-go when nature (and my body!) is asking me to rest and reflect. I’m excited to brainstorm more about what I hope to cultivate through this newsletter and refuel creatively for future art projects.

Thank you for your patience and understanding! As always, if you have questions or suggestions, let me know.

Now to soak up this extra hour to do what everybody wants - watch Nobody Wants This sans electronics, with my dreamy husband, on the couch5.

X

Katherine

P.S.

It wouldn’t be November without me sharing my favorite playlist of the season. ‘Tis time to gather! Enjoy.

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5

Bang Voyage

Love in the Time of Nap Schedules

If you asked me which transition was harder, going from zero to one kid or one to two, I’d say this: Similar to the endless debate over whether being a “stay-at-home-mom” or a “working mom” is harder, the answer is simply neither. They’re both effing hard. It’s all hard. Why do we feel the need to compare…

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8 months ago · 61 likes · 38 comments · Elin Strong

Elin’s Newsletter is the highlight of my week. If you resonated with any part of this - you’ll dig her writing 10 fold.

The calm water must have inspired something in our children. They played peacefully our entire visit, graciously validating our quest to drive across the peninsula with three kids under 5.

There weren’t many other beach goers, but one woman approached me while nursing Alice. She’d been taking photos of the rocks, one of which James appeared in. She kindly asked if she could text it to me. You never know a stranger’s intentions while walking towards you with your shirt half off, so this was a welcome surprise!

While packing to leave, Dave very stereotypically dad-hauled our entire set-up on his back. Just when we were starting to lose steam on our party of 5 adventure, another Dad a decade or so ahead of us offered a generous “you’re doing great!”2 His kids were in college now and they had been watching us remembering the good ol’ days. A sweet reminder that these are the days.

After the beach, we obviously needed to indulge in some ice cream. We might not enjoy another melty cone until 2026?! We’ll take any excuse!

After eating, Dave took the big kids to the bathroom. I was sitting on a bench playing with Alice when a mom came up to me with her kids, warmly said “I’m an artist so I get to take your picture” and then snapped away before swapping numbers with me. A kismet meeting with another artist in the wild.

As my friend Anna told me, “it’s fun to see our own little worlds through the eyes of strangers.” And as a mom, I don’t think I’m alone in saying, photos of you with your kids - that you don’t have to ask for - are the very best gifts to receive. It says “I see you”, which really is all anyone wants, isn’t it?

All of these interactions offered a great spin on the “if you see something, say something” phrase. I think we could all use some more positive human interaction these days. I know Dave and I plan to pay it forward.

Now, was it the unexpected treat of August in October that prompted these random acts of kindness? I don’t think it hurt. I absolutely love fall in northern Michigan, but there’s no such thing as too many warm beach days.

On that note, I missed my annual release of an art calendar last year, but it’s back this year! Pre-orders will open this Thursday at 10 am est. If these summer moments can inspire a fraction of the warmth we witnessed on October 5th, I’ll consider it a success. Sharing a preview here:

Shop Available Art

Shop Prints

I’ll send an email this Thursday with a link to order, along with more details. If you’re a retailer looking to place a wholesale order, please email hello@katherinecorden.com.

Here’s to spreading more warmth and kindness in the days ahead! Maybe it’s stopping to take that photo or share some encouraging words. It makes a bigger difference than you realize. Heck, it might lead to a newsletter sharing about it and hitting send to 3,000 people!

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Over the past couple years, I’ve been interviewed about my process and the mural has been mentioned in several local publications1. The Northern Express article reminded me of this fun fact:

In a fitting twist, Corden was listening to an audiobook during the project: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. For those who haven’t read it, the novel is set on a northern Michigan cherry farm and references the very land and water that Corden was looking out over every day.

“It was crazy because I was literally standing on scaffolding at the base of Old Mission Peninsula while I’m listening to Meryl Streep talk about cherry picking on her [character’s] family’s cherry farm on the peninsula,” she recalls. “They’re driving back and forth between Old Mission Peninsula and Interlochen and they’re performing and it’s about the arts. I was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m living in this book!”

Only recently though did I document the process from start to finish.

In celebration of the Traverse City Arts Commission’s Mural Fest this month, I was invited by the curators at the Alluvion to participate in an install featuring my process.

Below is the statement I wrote to accompany the installation, followed by some notes on the art business side of the project (budget, paint colors, etc!) I’m happy to answer additional questions in the comments.

Bryant Park Mural Process

I love painting figures. In every attempt to capture the ever changing poses and body shapes there’s something to learn. They’re the perfect subject to practice weight, movement, light and shadow. I’m particularly interested in the light and shadow elements. I often simplify my subjects into values and then use that study to inform a new color palette.

It’s not surprising then, that I often paint the beach. Yes, the beach is a wonderful escape for both recreation and relaxation. The beach is also the perfect setting to study the human figure. Nearly nude subjects are aplenty, creating their own sort of still life composition - with some standing, some sitting, some sprawled out fast asleep. The sand collects the loveliest wonky shadow forms in its dips and grooves. And of course, the sun! Our natural light source. The surfaces reflecting light and hidden by shadows create limitless shapes to experiment with color.

Nevertheless, my work is still representational, and I’ve never imagined it translating to a mural. But when I saw the call for art at Bryant Park, the opportunity felt kismet. I immediately envisioned one of my beach scapes wrapped around the building. I imagined taking a perspective that appears as though you’re looking through it - a zoomed in lens showcasing the enjoyment happening down by the waters edge - an invitation to join.

I was thrilled when I landed the job. My family and I live just a few blocks away and we feel lucky to have the beach (and Bardon’s ice cream) within walking distance. It’s our go-to spot for spontaneous beach hangs with friends and neighbors.

I took this into account when creating my reference images. I wanted to include the local community that frequents Bryant Park so it felt just as special for them as it did for me. In June of 2023 I sent out my own call - for beach models. Friends, followers, and families met me at the park to enjoy a morning on the bay while I snapped pictures. They donned sun hats (great shade makers), tossed beach toys (pops of color), and shook out striped towels (movement and patterns galore).

I then started the creation process.

The first order of business was accurately measuring and photographing the building. The long rectangular side is roughly 7.5’x 35’, and the trapezoid shaped sides are 14’ at their highest and 24’ wide to give you an idea of scale. I then uploaded the site photos to the Procreate app on my iPad. I outlined all the structures, including windows and utility boxes, erased the background image, and laid down a square grid scaled to 1’x1’ for future application on the building.

I then sifted through my photos, picking out a diverse collection of poses and objects to scatter across the walls. This phase was a bit of a puzzle - moving figures around until the composition felt satisfying.

And then the biggest puzzle of all was creating a color scheme. I wanted to choose complementary colors to the surrounding nature while also bringing interest to the building. I knew in order to efficiently cover the square footage I needed to simplify my palette. I limited myself to 20 colors and repurposed them frequently (I ended up using less, slightly simplifying the palette and composition while painting.) For instance, a ‘persimmon’ sun kissed shoulder could also be the sun hitting the wooden arm of a beach chair, and the shadow on a sunhat. The ‘orchid’ shadows hitting the sand could also be someone’s cool skin tones shaded under an umbrella. I carefully arranged the palette so colors too similar in value were never sitting next to each other. That way, from a distance, the image would still be clear for people driving by.

Once the city primed the building and I had my final color sketch, I started the onsite work. I first roughly painted the sand, water and sky as much as possible to establish my background. I then used sidewalk chalk to grid out 1’x1’ squares. The one silver lining of painting on brick is the straight lines help with grid accuracy. I then zoomed in on my sketch and outlined in chalk each small half inch square into a 1’x1’ square. I drew several squares at a time, and then painted that section before starting more squares.

I enlisted some help from my husband and parents to paint larger areas of color. My toddlers applied some paint, and even my studio landlord helped. He generously lent me scaffolding for the 14’ walls, and helped finish painting part of the sky.

2025 was the first full summer the mural was up to enjoy all season long. The feedback has been incredibly positive and generous. I hope the care taken to beautify this building inspires visitors to similarly take care of the park and shoreline

It’s been an honor for ‘Our Neighborhood Spot’ to join my portfolio of work, and more so, a true privilege to contribute to our local community through creative placemaking.

Traverse City, thank you for having me.

I never imagined my work extending to the public art space, but this project has really expanded my mindset for this career. I learned a lot! So I’m sharing some learnings and FAQs below:

What paint colors did you use?

I used all pre-mixed colors in an exterior paint finish from Sherwin Williams. All the paint colors I used are linked here.

What was your budget/reimbursement?

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SHOP AVAILABLE ART

Good news - there’s still a handful of Summer Studies available if you too want to hang onto the summer spirit a big longer! The imitable Ariane Anusbigian included this one on her wishlist, stating she’d put it in her bathroom to “invoke the summer vibes all year long,” which I might just have to do myself if it sticks around!

These two minis (11x14 when framed) are available separately, but I drew them together on the same sketchbook page before cutting them out. I love them side by side, stacked, above his & hers bedside tables or vanities, or styled with a totally different piece of art between them… the possibilities are endless! Would also be a very thoughtful anniversary or wedding gift.

SHOP AVAILABLE ART

Read more about the final collection here, and some early thoughts while beginning here.

As a reminder, you can modify your subscription at anytime in account settings by toggling notifications next to the sections you’re interested in.

HOME STUDIES 03

Welcome back to Table Talk! And to part II of our home reno before and after. This email would be way too long if I shared our entire second floor, so today I’m focusing on the two dormers we rebuilt. Looks like we’ll have a part III sooner than I thought!

If you’re interested in Part I (our first floor), you can read that here:

And I previously shared all our lighting selections (along with tips for placement/height/scale/material/shape etc) here:

Finally, you can shop all our home selections here. I may earn a small commission on any purchases made through my links at no extra cost to you. If you’re curious about something not listed let me know.

BEFORE and AFTER: Second Floor Dormers

Year Built: 1905

Year Purchased: 2019. Had previously been a long term rental.

The first purchases we made were all unglamorous: replace leaking garage roof, replace rotting basement windows, removing long neglected landscaping and removing asbestos(!). We then spent 5 years planning and saving for this part of the project (and currently saving for part II).

Year Renovated: Moved out November 2023, moved in September 2024.

Neighborhood: Downtown Traverse City. Our address doesn’t fall in the historic district, but many historic Victorians are down the street.

Total Square Footage: ~1300 sqft

Scope of Renovation: ~650 sqft, including living room, dining room, stairwell, two dormers, two bedrooms, full bath, hallway, in addition to new roof, new second floor siding, new windows in rooms that were renovated. The original footprint of the home has not yet been modified in any way.

Goals for Renovation (specifically second floor):

• Let original details/history of the home dictate design decisions when possible.

• Optimize square footage for growing family (add built in storage when possible).

• Raise ceiling height as much as possible (increased from 7’ to 8’).

• Set space up for future second floor addition (south facing window to eventually be doorway to primary bedroom).

• Reclaim or recreate original features (windows, doors, hardware) when possible to reinstate character.

• Keep future plans/lifestyle at the forefront of design decisions (i.e. minimize need to backtrack construction/make changes during future projects).

When I first started sharing the BTS on Instagram, I received so many messages from people asking ‘what are dormers?!’ Chances are, you’ve lived in a house with dormers at some point, you just didn’t know the term. The image below shows some common styles:

Dormers increase functional space on upper floors, while offering natural light and architectural interest. They’re also a more economical way to avoid or prolong an addition. In our case, we decided to rebuild a steep and narrow shed dormer, and a steep hip dormer, into two gabled dormers. Something to consider when choosing a dormer style is the scale and period of your house. Our roof is also gabled and we made sure not to exceed our current roofline so aesthetically, the changes look original.

Above are the plans we used - the red lines indicating roofline changes. The north bedroom is cut-off on the left side. Where the built-ins and bathroom are labeled used to all be one bedroom, and the west bedroom used to be a bathroom. Our current house ends at the south wall of the bathroom and built-ins. We hope to add the bed+bath over our current garage (aka future kitchen) one day!

If this description was clear as mud, hopefully these before, during + after photos and process details help clarify. And scroll to the bottom for a bonus color study. Hopefully you’re encouraged if attempting a similar project! Sending solidarity!

East Dormer/Stairway

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SHOP ART

I sought out compositions that offered interesting shapes - in both the positive and negative space. I hope they invite your eye to travel and the colors to sing.

Perhaps more a study of color than a study of summer, I aimed to simplify my subjects to a limited palette - finding harmony in unexpected pairings.

Inspired by the playful-ness of deckled edges and torn spirals, I decided to float the works over a natural mat - elevating the evidence of human touch and imperfection.

I chose light walnut for the frames - a natural material that will complement a wide variety of homes, while bringing out the warmth in the art.

*I left a handful of pieces unframed to accommodate a range of price points. Please note the listing descriptions - all framed works are titled accordingly.

I’m also ready to part with a handful of works I’ve held close for several years - including large sketches on paper and my favorite test palettes. I may use some palettes for patterns in the future, but I’m finally ready to bid farewell to the originals.

I hope you enjoy this collection as much as I’ve enjoyed creating it!

SHOP ART

P.S. Thanks to all that came to view the work in person at our open studio with Shed Wines last week! I loved connecting with you all. More to come. X

I’m so excited my friends Chloe and Joe Jensen, the owners of Shed Wines, will be joining us again for our Open Studio. And not just because I was sober growing a human for the better part of the last year. I love the complex, unique taste of their wines - the perfect refreshment for a late summer soirée. The best part is, because of their minimal intervention approach, I never wake-up with a headache! A true dream of a drink.

They say it best: “Shed Wine is created with delicious grapes from Leelanau Peninsula using the native yeast for spontaneous fermentation and leaving the wine unfined and unfiltered – producing an unadulterated Northern Michigan wine.”

The three of us actually all graduated from the same high school, and Chloe and I have known each other since middle school, when we met playing on the same travel soccer team and running together. It’s been so fun reconnecting since their move back to Michigan and watching them pursue this creative avenue alongside their growing family. For anyone less familiar with their journey, or just wanting to learn more about growing a wine business (with young children in tow!) I thought it would be fun to ask them a few questions.

They have great taste, in every sense of the word, and are definitely ones to know. Enjoy!

Name(s): Chloe & Joe Jensen

Occupation(s): Co-Owners of Shed Wine by night, Marketing Executive and Construction Business Owner by day

Who lives with you?:

Lillian (4.5 years old)

Eloie (1 years old)

Lake (8 years old)

Fishy (? years old)

K: Where have you lived/where do you live now?:

We lived in Los Angeles for almost 12 years. Shed Wine is named after the literal Shed in our Santa Monica backyard — where so many good times were had and where we decided to pursue this wild idea. Our wine is heavily influenced by our time spent in Santa Ynez valley, just two hours north of LA.

We left Los Angeles in 2020 and moved to Harbor Springs, Michigan to start Shed Wine and have our first daughter Lillian. Both babies’ (Shed and Lily) early years were spent Up North.

We now live in Grand Rapids, Michigan where we are lucky enough to have a few amazing natural wine shops and bars in our neighborhood. Plus Whole Foods and Madcap :)

K: How did your journey into winemaking begin? Was there a moment that made it feel inevitable or right?

J: As early as college, I was obsessed with learning as much as I could about wine styles and regions as a consumer. After graduating and finishing a completely unrelated internship, I had been interviewing at a few wine distributors in Michigan. Fate sent me chasing Chloe out to California instead of accepting an offer, and my career went a different direction. After falling in love with the Santa Ynez Valley and their numerous low intervention winemakers, I picked their brains a ton on their processes. I eventually just said “why can’t I just try making a wine at home in our shed for fun?”. My first wine was actually a pet nat and it was incredibly explosive, BUT tasted amazing (after the initial cleanup). I was so surprised that I was able to make a pet nat, that I instantly became hooked.

K: Michigan isn’t the first place people think of when it comes to wine. What’s unique or surprising about making wine here?

J: A large portion of what the average consumer knows about wine is driven by the supply side, which over time builds certain tastes and preferences. When California began competing with old world wines on the world stage, they obviously did so with the type of fruit they grew well in a mostly warmer climate. The best winemakers were either there already or relocated to be in America's wine Mecca. From there, the emerging popularity of wine critics drastically began to influence what types of wines were widely distributed and pushed onto bottle shop shelves. This often causes a disconnect between perceived quality, cost, and availability. I’m sure you all have a relative who celebrates Caymus’s anniversary wine. You can even see this in the natural wine world, when every one of our favorite and unique bottle shops posts the same new wines to hit their shelves.

However, now we are living in the tail end of the new world’s (mostly older generations) obsession with big, bold, hot and sweaty wines. Up and coming wine regions throughout America tried to emulate what California was doing, and a side by side tasting highlights exactly why you should produce to your region's strengths.

What’s special about Michigan’s wine regions is they lend themselves very well to growing and producing cool climate varietals, which have gained significant popularity amongst younger generations seeking more fun, fresh, and “crushable” wines. We’re perfectly situated in Michigan to ride the wave of an inevitable generational change in the consumer’s palette. Wineries like Stranger, Folklor, Modales, BOS, and Left Foot Charley (just to name a few) are already leading the charge. We’re just thrilled to be part of it.

K: I’m always so inspired by couples who work together. What has that experience looked like for you both logistically and emotionally? Is it more a divide and conquer approach? Collaborative approach? Both?

J: We like working together. It is hard because Shed is often the last thing we get to in a day and often not until 9pm at night. Chloe jokes that our fish gets more attention. I am the winemaker and handle any logistics that go along with making the wine and selling the wine (like licensing, distribution, etc.). Chloe manages all of the marketing of the wine and what it takes to get a product ready to be marketed (like positioning, copywriting, photoshoots, collaborations, etc). That said, we make most decisions together and are typically on the same page.

K: You have two adorable little girls! I’m always curious how other parents manage juggling life and work. What does a typical day look like for you?

J: Thank you! They really are the best. We are fortunate enough to have a full time nanny, Carly, who is with our family Monday - Thursday. Chloe tries not to work on Fridays and I like to get home about 3pm to spend time with my girls and kick off the weekend.

Everyday is still a juggle of schedules and making sure we both get time with the girls and each other. Chloe works from our home office so is able to eat lunch with them and put them down for naps. I try to get home by 5pm and be present until bedtime. We have a standing Thursday date night where we often talk about Shed for the first half. We’ll go to Good Good Good (awesome natural wine bar and shop) and talk wine for a couple hours, then go to Cafe Mamo and do our best not to talk about wine.

Lily and Eloie will always be our priority, but they’re often roped into the wine business whether that’s playing in the truck while I stack cases or coming with us to Chicago for Third Coast Soif.

K: I’ve always loved your labels and names. Can you share a bit about that creative process and collaboration?

C: Our wine labels and much of our branding is created by Paige Russel of Eloi. We’ve known Paige our whole lives and have had her art in our home since we first started living together. Paige makes beautiful scarves and bandanas out of construction paper cutouts. We license her art for each wine label. One of our favorite parts is creating a wine and then finding its match to one of Paige’s artworks. When we first started talking about starting a natural wine label (in the Shed of course) we knew for certain we wanted to work with Paige.

Each vintage is named after something Lily has said (on repeat). It’s been a really cool way to track the vintages alongside real life things like “remember when Lily wouldn’t stop talking about THE GUY?”, or “remember Lily’s first imaginary friend, MY FRIEND PAN?” We’ve got something really special launching later this year which will be the first thing named after Eloie to remember the vintage/year she was born.

As a parent of young children, I find Chloe and Joe’s creative approach to infusing their home life into their work life so inspiring. The story behind their labels and names is playful and unexpected, and honestly a great conversation starter for the next dinner party you’re headed to with a Shed Wine in tow.

For more Shed Head fun, follow along on Instagram. If you're unable to make it this Thursday, you can order for yourself on their site here. But hopefully we can share a glass together!

Until then! Cheers!

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I’m hosting an open studio show! As so much of my work is inspired by where I live, I love taking the opportunity to share it with my neighbors. Art is meant to be experienced in person, not on a screen. It’s straight up good for us. On a cellular level. I think we could all benefit from that right now.

And making art can have even more benefits than viewing it. Which is why I’m encouraging kids to bring up to 3 works to join the show! We’ll tape them to the halls in our studio space to extend the exhibit. They’re welcome to keep, trade or sell with friends!

It feels fitting sharing this collection with young people, as it was born from new rhythms in our life while parenting 2 young children (and growing our third). The paintings are smaller (easier to complete in brief studio visits) and several are colored pencil on paper (easier to complete alongside my kids - the materials easier to pick up and set down).

Leading up to the 21st I’ll share more details on the collection, including an interview featuring my friends behind Shed Wines, who’ll be pouring three new wines for us! They too have clever ways of integrating their kids into their work - stay tuned!

Leave any questions in the comments! We hope to see you there!

P.S. Today’s post is lengthy! To read this entire email, head to your browser or the Substack app.

Welcome to Table Talk, a casual convo held the first Sunday of each month where I share BTS of my experience as a working artist + mom of 3 under 5.

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When shifting careers from working as a PT to working for myself, all I wanted was to hear it was possible - and how to make it happen. I sought education via courses, mentors, books, podcasts, you name it. I still subscribe to Hillary Kerr’s ‘Second Life Podcast’ - I find second (and third and fourth!) acts so inspiring. These kinds of stories fueled my motivation to keep burning the candle at both ends - a real privilege your 20s grant you!

Like everything on the internet, the stories attracting the most attention are high stakes, sexy and bold. Though from what I can tell, the spectacle of an “overnight success” is more often the result of working overtime overnight, just not broadcasted.

The people I found most encouraging were the relatable ones. The slow burn career pivots that weren’t clean cut. Today I hope to contribute to that archive of stories. Not a millennial millionaire story, but an honest look at how I slowly transitioned out of healthcare and into art full-time while achieving my own version of success (pin that for a future post).

And to be clear - I didn’t set out to leave the physical therapy profession from the get go - I think it’s a great career! My husband is a PT, and so are many of my friends. I couldn’t be a bigger advocate for the value they offer. I’m so grateful to have that knowledge of the human body and how to care for myself and others. It also turned out to have many unforeseen benefits (further explained below) that facilitated the smooth transition. But given the opportunity to work as an artist or PT, my heart chooses art every time.

So without further ado, here is a timeline starting in 2016, sharing some events that moved my career forward and exactly how I leveraged my work schedule.

2016:

• Spring:

  • Graduate PT school in Chicago. I’d been offered a job at my last clinical rotation, but had to wait to pass the boards before I could start.

• Summer:

  • Live at parent’s house while studying/waiting for test results. I used my mom’s old brushes to paint for fun in my free time.

  • Start an instagram to share my work. Started receiving commission requests.

  • Buy a Squarespace domain in July to start an online portfolio.

  • Show/sell work for the first time at Betsie Bay Furniture in Frankfort, Mi.

• Fall:

  • Move back to Chicago to start work.

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SHOP SALE

For everyone who has already purchased, thank you for directly supporting my maternity leave! The next sale won’t be until 2026.

• Everything is 20% off - including Frame TV Bundles

• Free folded card included with all orders

• All discounts automatically applied at checkout

If you have additional styling/framing/sizing/what-have-you questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email hello@katherinecorden.com - I’m more than happy to help!

SHOP SALE

PRINT SALE

Welcome to Table Talk, a casual convo held the first Sunday of each month where I share BTS of my experience as a working artist + mom of 3 under 5.

If you prefer only studio updates, modify your subscription in your account settings by toggling notifications to OFF next to Table Talk.

ESSENTIALISM

The disciplined pursuit of less

The above graphic is taken from one of my all time favorite business books - Essentialism by Greg McKeown (oldie but goodie podcast ep here). I picked it up when starting my business, but I’ve since found the lessons apply to all areas of life. From parenting, to shopping, to designing our home - it’s simply a more economical approach to living. He teaches the disciplined pursuit of less - fewer, better things - giving you back more time for creative freedom, and to live your life the way you want.

The main take-away is that you can do anything, but not everything. Where you spend your energy, is how you spend your life. The graphic below is the perfect illustration.

Which brings me to today’s topic… Outsourcing! It’s not the blanket answer to becoming an essentialist, but it gets you a lot closer. Below I’m sharing everything I outsource and why, my rolodex of contacts, and some homework to consider!

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SHOP 20% OFF PRINTS

COME SALE AWAY

As part of my maternity leave plan, and to celebrate baby Alice’s arrival(!) I’m having a print sale!

I recommend you shop on a desktop to best view prints. They’re in rows of three and I intentionally placed them near pieces I think are interesting trios. Perhaps this will help anyone overwhelmed by the choices!

Some quick housekeeping:

• Everything is 20% off - including Frame TV Bundles

• Free folded card included with all orders

• All discounts automatically applied at checkout

• Sale ends Monday at midnight EST

• I typically only offer sales once at the start of each year, so this is a special bonus! And considering the many warm weather subjects that show up in my work, it feels timely.

If you have additional styling/framing/sizing/what-have-you questions, don’t hesitate to leave a comment or email hello@katherinecorden.com - I’m more than happy to help!

SHOP SALE

MICHIGAN STOCKISTS

Add these pin-worthy stops to your google maps

I often get asked this time of year from summer vacationers where they can see my work in person. Here’s where you can find me (featuring a new selection of all women owned shops now carrying my cards + worth a visit!)

SAWYER

• Out There - a hip wine bar I discovered via our mutual friends at Farm Club (try the beer the two collaborated on, on tap!) Our new stop to and from Chicago, though I bet we’ll want to extend our stay.

TRAVERSE CITY

• My Studio: You can always email me at hello@katherinecorden.com to schedule an in-person studio visit. I have lots of pieces I’ve been working on to prepare for an August show (more on that soon!)

• Bryant Park: My beach mural lives here

• Farm Club: Allison and Sara are the best. You must stop at FC at least once during your trip, and I wouldn’t fault you for going back for more. Their tempura fried garlic scapes are currently living rent free in my mind. My card packs are in the market, and I also always have a large original piece on view behind the counter.

LELAND

• Leelanau Goods: a little jewel box of a store found within a historic shanty at the top of fishtown. Laura carries many of my favorite ethically made clothing brands (Donni and Bobo Choses to name a few)! Her curation is *chef’s kiss*. Make sure to grab a sandwich at The Village Cheese Shanty down the hill for lunch after you shop.

NORTHPORT

• The Find North: another expertly curated shop! You’ll find recognizable brands as well as small + local goods. One of her Clare V. Grande Fanny’s is on my list to shop in person - the perfect mom life, hands free bag.

BOYNE CITY

• Horton Bay General Store: The most charming historic general store and Inn. Grab all your beach needs here, and even book a stay. Don’t miss their summer events page here!

BAY CITY

• Elizabeth Charles Flower + Home: Debra’s flower arrangements are their own works of art! Stop in here to pick up your hostess gifts on your way to meet friends this summer.

Our baby girl Alice Gloria Bellisario arrived safely and swiftly on June 25th, conveniently on her namesake Great Grandma Gloria’s 85th birthday. We’re thrilled she’s here and we’re soaking her up.

A quick note to tell you I’m having a surprise print sale (aka maternity leave sale) starting this Thursday! The info will be in Thursday’s free July newsletter, and another paid Table Talk post lands in inboxes Sunday.

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HOME STUDIES 01

I’ve always loved art and design, as the two have much in common - colors, composition, balance, tension, scale… need I continue?! Before I believed PT was my most logical career choice (and subsequently rediscovered painting), I imagined studying architecture or design in some capacity. Something I love about design is how it forces you to consider function along with form. It’s like solving a puzzle and I find it incredibly satisfying. I’ve also heard (on Bradley Cooper’s episode of Armchair, if you care) people find a sort of comfort and control in designing and curating their homes, and I certainly resonate with that. Upon reflection, I think it’s one of several tools I use to calm my underlying anxieties.

This topic has a lot of potential for deep dives, but I thought it made sense to start with a before and after to lay some foundation for where we started and how it’s going. We hope to make this our forever home, and have many years decades full of projects in our future. Overtime I hope to share more of the process. I hope you find it quite relate-able!

I planned to share our entire reno before and after in this post, but it quickly became too long! So I’ll share the second floor in a future post. Substack tells me this email’s already too long, so you might need to click the “view entire message” prompt.

If you’re interested in reading a bit more, I previously shared all our lighting selections (along with tips for placement/height/scale/material/shape etc!) here:

BEFORE and AFTER: Living + Dining Room

Year Built: 1905

Year Purchased: 2019. Had previously been a long term rental.

I think this date is helpful to note. The first purchases we made for the house were all unglamorous: replace leaking garage roof, replace rotting basement windows, removing long neglected landscaping and removing asbestos(!). We then spent 5 years planning and saving for this part of the project.

Year Renovated: Moved out November 2023, moved in September 2024.

Neighborhood: Downtown Traverse City. Our address doesn’t fall in the historic district, but there are many historic Victorians down the street.

Total Square Footage: ~1300 sqft

Scope of Renovation: ~650 sqft, including living room, dining room, stairwell, two dormers, two bedrooms, full bath, hallway, in addition to new roof, new second floor siding, new windows in rooms that were renovated. The original footprint of the home has not yet been modified in any way.

Goals for Renovation (specifically living + dining room):

• Let original details/history of the home dictate design decisions when possible.

• Maximize space better for growing family (add built in storage when possible).

• Open up walls for improved flow of natural light, foot traffic and conversation, giving the illusion of more space.

• Replace tiled ceiling with tongue and groove paneling to reinstate character and draw the eye up/accentuate ceiling height.

• Reclaim or recreate original features (pine floors, molding, doors, hardware) as much as possible to reinstate character.

• Ensure this home can stand the test of time to be our forever home! I.e. quality design + materials, functional layout, sets us up for phase 2 (and 3 and 4…).

• Keep future plans at the forefront of design decisions (i.e. minimize need to backtrack construction/make changes during future projects).

Editor’s note: don’t be fooled, these photos do not represent the regular state of our home. Most were taken while our kids were at school, and all were taken pre-third child. Piles Mountains of toys, dishes + laundry not pictured.

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I really enjoyed Kate’s notes for these final two studies. Her approach to creating tension and contrast in a look is so similar to creating a compelling painting. What we find visually captivating interests me endlessly! Perhaps one of the many reasons I’m so drawn to personal style.

She also told me to snag that Gap set earlier this year and I can attest it is very good. I’ve been living in it my entire pregnancy.

Take it away, Kate!

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Kate’s Notes|Study 5

Printed Midi Dresses and Why Shoes Matter

My love of Dôen is clearly on display in all my looks but what I rely on the brand for most is printed maxi dresses. I always feel good in their prairie cotton dresses in the summer as they highlight my waist without feeling constrictive or hot.

I felt so inspired by Study 5’s initial simplicity but then realized while sourcing the look, it’s much more nuanced than it initially appears. The same can be said for this dress. A floral maxi dress is by no means new or innovative but done in softer tones with a stronger presence of green and yellow feels nuanced and relevant.

I talk about the importance of accessories all the time (they are what take clothes from an outfit to a look). Here is a great example of the concept. I could have easily paired the dress with a heel and called it a day but the soft blue jelly shoe and 90s inspired silver and black Ray-Ban sunglasses take it to a much funkier place. Think cool art mom (my personal goal).

In general, shoes are a great place to purposefully pause and brainstorm a more unexpected choice. That tension will level up your style (I very much recommend watching Allison Bernstein’s Wrong Shoe Theory video online).

Kate’s Notes|Study 6

The Set Every Girl Needs for Summer

Last but certainly not least, the summer set I live in. The painting is an inverse of my look, a play on the palette, but the stripes convey the cohesion. I have a painting of my own of Katherine’s with a woman solo on the beach with a striped towel so I felt a sense of familiarity when viewing this study.

I spent all last summer living in stripes. I was in the middle of a major move, leaving my home of the last twenty years to return to my hometown with my husband, three children and dog. We found a beautiful new home but it needed a size-able renovation. We lived a transient lifestyle for the entire summer which meant my wardrobe was largely packed up. I bought a striped set from the Gap somewhat pointlessly - I hadn’t ordered anything from the Gap in years and had zero confidence it would fit let alone be something I liked.

SO WRONG. Not only is the fit superb, so is the quality. I literally wore that set 3-4 days of every week of the summer. I was sad to put it away last fall because it was so easy, so stylish and so comfortable.

When I saw the brand had returned this summer with 4 to 5 new color-ways of the same set, I pounced. The red and pink is so vibrant and screams wear me at the beach. I love it paired with the cream sunglasses, natural Felix hat and simple Birkenstock clogs.

Kate’s final notes and must haves: A Chore jacket for all seasons, Janessa Leone’s Felix bucket hat, Gap’s striped poplin shirt and boxer set.

Thank you for contributing to this series, Kate! Ever since learning of the ‘wrong shoe theory’ it lives rent free in my mind. And we’ll take a good high-low mix + Gap rec any day.

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And thank you for joining us at The Art Table! If you enjoyed this post, please consider liking, commenting + sharing. It really helps this newsletter and motivates me to keep sharing with you!

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NEW STATIONARY

NEW PAINTINGS

This may be overly ambitious of me with my due date quickly approaching, but I’m hoping to host an open studio later this summer to share these studies + more new work! If you live out of town, leave me a comment to share a week that works best. In the meantime, enjoy today’s post + stay tuned for the final edition dropping next Thursday.

Kate’s Notes|Study 3

Red, White and Blue and the Influence of Lakeshore Dressing

There’s a place in Fishtown in Leland I frequently watch the sunsets and this painting reminds me so much of those moments I’m left to wonder if Katherine has been to that same spot. It’s impossible to not feel and be swept up in the nostalgic summer aesthetic of Northern Michigan. Many of us that frequent the area have gone there our whole lives. When the 4th of July parade rolls around, I’m certain to have my parade look ready.

Outside of the summer holiday, I still find the natural pairing of lakeshore blue and red to be a potent one. Much like a red swimsuit delivers on the beach, a red sweater can add a nice pop to the blue and make the entire look feel nostalgic yet chic.

This old Dôen dress holds particular meaning as I bought it when I was 8 months pregnant with my youngest son and hung it in my closet for a year as motivation to wear it for his 1st birthday weekend. I love when memories of moments get tied to the clothes themselves and now I can’t look at this dress without thinking of how hard I worked to wear it.

Kate’s Notes|Study 4

My Uniform + The Necessity of a Chore Jacket

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Thank you for your patience as I sort out the rhythm of this series! You’re witnessing some creative testing in real time. I’ve enjoyed working with Kate so much I thought this topic might deserve it’s own section, so I’ve done just that: Wearing the Palette. If you know someone who might be a good fit to contribute in the future (maybe you!) drop their name in a comment.

The studies featured today were inspired by our summer living in Frankfort, Michigan last year. You’d be hard pressed to find a more idyllic place to spend months June through August than this small town. The inviting Main Street faces Betsie Bay - always speckled with sails and seagulls - and leads you to the sandy shores of Lake Michigan that, on a good year, will open up for beach walks miles long.

Something I’ve been thinking about is how to distill the atmosphere of a moment to it’s sensory core - color, light, and shape - while preserving it’s spirit. These studies are my exploration of this idea and perhaps the beginning of a slightly new direction in my work I’m stretching myself towards.

NEW PAINTINGS

NEW STATIONARY

I’ve found Kate’s interpretation of the paintings another avenue to further abstract this concept, modernize it, and bring it to life with a whole new twist. This collaboration has been a great reminder that in any creative field, it’s best to seek inspiration from adjacent art forms rather than pull from the same pool. When getting dressed has us uninspired/the algorithm has everyone looking the same, seeking art for style inspiration can offer such a fresh take!

Without further ado, please enjoy today’s edition of Wearing the Palette:

Kate’s Notes|Study 1

Turq + Lime and Katherine’s Donni influence

This study was the impetus for the entire project. I saw this painting and decided then and there I needed more turquoise and chartreuse green in my life… immediately. Shortly after my sourcing for the project started, Donni released their spring drop. Katherine has been telling me I must try Donni for almost a year so I set my alarm and scooped up the (now viral) linen track pant in lime.

To play up the boyish tone of the track pant, I paired them with an oversized blue button down and ribbed tank. The pop of blue and burgundy are inspired by the painting and bring so much depth to the look.

As everything was coming together, I kept feeling I wanted to capture the presence of brown in the painting without the outfit bordering chaotic. Finding the golden hued Guest in Residence sweater was cosmic - it was a fall color and massively marked down but works perfectly with my summer inspired look. And everyone who spends time in northern Michigan knows you can’t leave in the mornings or evenings without a sweater in hand.

Kate’s Notes|Study 2

Denim on Denim and the Felix Bucket Hat

This painting inspired by Lori (Katherine’s amazing mom) sitting at the shoreline is so similar to my own likeness I have a hard time remembering it’s NOT me in the painting. But the sense of self was something I leaned into for this second study’s look.

This outfit is something you’ll see me wearing all summer long at Lake Michigan. The Big Lake, as we call it, inspires my style palette endlessly. I used all the colors from the lakeshore and in Katherine’s painting to feel like I was in Leland again.

To keep the vibe fresh and current, I paired denim on denim - one way of non-verbally communicating you’re *aware* of fashion. I like to pair similar tones of denim so the overall look feels monochromatic and elevated. This COS denim button down is literally the best denim shirt I’ve ever had as it has so much drape.

The hat Lori is wearing in the painting is so dominant and I recognized it immediately. Both Katherine and I favor the brand Janessa Leone and the Felix Bucket Hat is one we both own. I’m not even embarrassed to admit I own it in all the colors it comes in and I’m never going to bother with another sun hat again. It’s SO flattering, SO comfortable, and SO versatile. Trust me on this. You need the Janessa Leone Felix Bucket Hat.

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Thanks Kate! This may be overly ambitious of me with my due date quickly approaching, but I’m hoping to have an open studio show later this summer to share these studies + more new work! In the meantime, stay tuned for edition 03 dropping next week!

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By Kate Lowman