Join us for FIELD + SUPPLY This Weekend

The Hudson Company + Field & Supply

The Hudson Company is proud to be a partner of the Field + Supply Modern Makers Craft Fair.

Field + Supply began in 2014, as a modern interpretation of a traditional arts and crafts fair.  It consists of a carefully curated selection of makers highlighting goods, old and new, from a variety of studios and workshops representing a wide range of crafts. 

This multi-day experience has grown to include delicious food and drinks from the area, along with hands-on activities as well as live music.  

This year, we've moved just around the bend to the newly refurbished Hashbrouck House in Stone Ridge, NY where we'll be able to accommodate even more makers and additional workshops. In addition, there are opportunities to enjoy cocktail parties, private dinners, a biscuit breakfast from the Hotel's new restaurant Butterfield's and a rousing celebration Saturday night to meet the makers! 

We hope you can join us over Columbus Day weekend, October 7th, 8th, and 9th at Hasbrouck House for a truly incredible gathering. Look forward to seeing you there!

*Note: All F+S guests should park at The Stone Ridge Orchard,  right around the corner from Hasbrouck House at 3012 NY-213, Stone Ridge, NY 12484. Shuttle service will be available to and from Hasbrouck House from the Orchard. There will be NO PARKING available at Hasbrouck House.

See a full list of Field + Supply exhibitors here and buy your single day or weekend tickets here.

The Hudson Company + Ashley Seil Smith

New York based artist Ashley Seil Smith

“I like the warmth and texture inherent in the Reclaimed Heart Pine flooring, there’s a lot of character and line variation within the grain, which I think complements the line work in my drawings.”

— Ashley Seil Smith

The artist at work.

The Hudson Company + Ashley Seil Smith

Ashley Seil Smith is an artist based in Manhattan, New York with a studio in the lower Hudson Valley.  She has a background in cultural anthropology but earned an MFA in Illustration as Visual Essay from the School of Visual Arts.  In 2012 she cofounded The Period Store and eventually sold it in 2015 to focus on editorial illustration, fine art, and teaching. Ashley's commercial clients include Google, Case Agency, Forbes, Oyster Books, Isthmus, and various academic journals and nonprofits. The artist lives, and often works, in Manhattan, but escapes to the Hudson River and her studio near Bear Mountain whenever she can. In addition to freelance, commissioned, and fine art work, Ashley teaches art to a variety of ages around Manhattan with Scribble Art Workshop.

The Hudson Company first discovered Ashley's work via her inspiring Instagram feed which is, like her work, full of whimsical observations of both the natural and built environments. It would be easy to peruse Ashley's work - particularly her pen and ink drawings and ethnographic prints - and see it as simplistic. But we think that it is precisely this deceptive simplicity that is so intriguing about Ashley's work. In our opinion, there is a timeless, reflective beauty in her (often small scale) drawings as well as an exotic mystique to her prints and graphic design work.

This summer we reached out to Ashley and asked her to allow us into her creative process. Along with the insights below, Ashley was also kind enough to create a custom mood board for us, using Reclaimed Heart Pine [Original Face] as her backdrop. 

5 Questions with Artist Ashley Seil Smith

Tell us about the tools that you've included in your mood board, what's their origin story? 

I enjoy collecting older tools that can actually be used in my art practice.  Some of them were picked up at antique stores across the United States (particularly along the Hudson River Valley, where my studio is), others I inherited from my grandma, who dabbled in art and was a wildly creative person.  A lot of older tools were designed beautifully, simply, and with quality material, so using them is an esthetic and practical as well.  My rulers are my favorite tools - natural material with interesting designs and stories to tell.

How do you use mood boards in your work? What role do they play in your creative process?

Mood boards keep things concise - I believe "good" mood boards have some parameters - a limit on how much you can add, so it forces you to think through what really inspires you and why.  So much of creativity is about making decisions, and a mood board helps you identify specific things you like or aim for in your own work.

I always keep a small collection of images on a folder in my desktop, and these act as a general mood board for my work, which spans across many mediums.  They are images that I truly love and that inspire me in some way, whether it's the color palette, technique, concept, or the way the image makes me feel.  I go through my little desktop mood board about once a month and always end up editing something out and adding other things that I like better.

There are so many places to go for inspiration these days, where do you go to get inspired?

I like going to places that set my aesthetic standard pretty high, and since I live in Manhattan, I have the opportunity to visit museums fairly often - the Met, MoMA, or Museum of Natural History are some favorites.  If an art exhibit inspires me I always buy the exhibit catalogue, so I have a nice collection of art books started and I refer to them when I'm in a rut.

Other than museums, I also turn to creative sources I trust, like The Great Discontent, and I see a lot of wonderful work on Instagram and Pinterest.  Pinterest, in particular, is great when I'm doing initial research for a project.  And, like many artists, I find a great deal of inspiration in nature. If I'm not working, I'm likely walking outside with my dogs or out for a trail run or hike around Inwood Hill Park.

What can you tell us about the drawing you included in your mood board: was that an original for this mood board or something you created separately? 

This particular ink drawing was done at the beginning of the year and was inspired by Yosemite National Park. I find myself drawing a lot of scenes from places I love or that inspire me. As you can tell, I enjoy the simplicity of pen and ink as well, it's a simple medium that's good for travel, so a lot of my ink drawings are done on location.

Why did you chose this particular Hudson Company flooring as the background for mood board?

I like the warmth and texture inherent in the Reclaimed Heart Pine flooring, there's a lot of character and line variation within the grain, which I think complements the line work in my drawings. I'm a big fan of Hudson Company flooring - you manage to cover all parts of the spectrum, from rustic to modern to classic and beyond.  Natural textures paired with modern design inspire me, which is one of the reasons I started following Hudson Company on various social medium platforms. 

You can learn more about Ashley's work on her website and you can follow her creative journey on Instagram. All above photos are taken from Ashley's website or Instagram feed. All mood board photos by Gentl and Hyers. 

Learn more about Reclaimed Heart Pine [Original Face] here. 

Mood board by Ashley Seil Smith for The Hudson Company

The Hudson Company + Amanda Jane Jones

Define Magazine, founded by designer Amanda Jane Jones

“Define came out of what felt like a need. There were so many artists that I collaborate with who talked about wanting more opportunities to create work just for the sake of creating.”

— Amanda Jane Jones

The designer at home.

A peak inside Define Magazine.

The Hudson Company + Amanda Jane Jones

Amanda Jane Jones is a award-winning, freelance graphic designer and art director based in Chicago, IL but currently living with her family in Geneva, Switzerland. During her career, Amanda has collaborated with a variety of creative brands, including VSCO, Solly Baby, Kinfolk Magazine (as co-founder), and Artifact Uprising. Amanda's current passion project is the elegant new creative quarterly, Define Magazine.

When we asked Amanda to create a custom mood board for our ongoing series of creative collaborations, we knew it would be be a gorgeous, minimalist's meditation on color and simplicity. In this, we certainly weren't disappointed. But it's the story behind the items that Amanda chose to feature in her mood board that are especially fascinating: photos of her children, Pantone color swatches, and skipping stones from the shores of Lake Michigan.

Here is the story behind Amanda's lovely mood board for The Hudson Company...

5 Questions with Amanda Jane Jones

Tell us about the items included in your mood board, what's their origin story? Why did you select them for this mood board?

I'm always looking for calming influences in my life and strive for my home to be minimal, quiet, simple and calming. And since we live just a quick walk away from Lake Michigan (where I vacationed as a child with my family) I often take my children there throughout the year. The colors of the lake have always inspired me. Every time I visit the lake, I come home with at least one rock that we keep in jars on our bookshelves. The homes along Lake Michigan - especially in the Glen Arbor area - have always inspired me as well, with their white-washed wood exteriors. The Lake brings back peaceful, happy, calm memories. If the kids (or I) are ever grumpy or in a slump of some sort, the Lake is the first place we visit - the wind coming off of Lake Michigan seems to cure all. 

How do you use mood boards in your professional work? What role do they play in your creative process?

I utilize a lot of mood boards in my work. It's a huge part of my design process. I start with brainstorming, looking through my collection of books to get ideas. I also have an inspiration wall at home that I love to cover with ephemera I've collected from my travels or received from friends.

Tell us about your inspiration for Define Magazine: where did the concept come from and what inspired you to create this publication?

Define came out of what felt like a need. There were so many artists that I collaborate with who talked about wanting more opportunities to create work just for the sake of creating. It's hard to make time for personal work amid the day to day of creating for clients - so it was born out of an idea to create a space for artists to feel free to create for the sake of creating.

From my own experience, I know that artists hunger to work on projects uninhibited by the client filter and we jump at a chance to collaborate with other artists on a global scale—to make something beautiful and thought-provoking. The basis of Define is simple: each issue focuses on a single word defined by a unique set of artists through various mediums. 

So far it's been exciting to see artists explore the same theme through different perspectives. We hope it's a magazine that resonates with both artists and art lovers, so that we are able to accumulate a collection of definitions that create a beautiful anthology to be enjoyed and re-defined for years to come

Are there specific places that you turn when you need fresh ideas or inspiration? Particular books, other creative people, blogs, etc.?

When I'm in a design slump, I always go for a walk. Fresh air is always a quick fix. Also, books - both old and new. I don't think you can ever have too many books. Oh, and I love Maira Kalman - she's an endless inspiration to me.

Why did you chose this particular Hudson Company flooring as the background for mood board?

With Select Harvest Ash [Neva Finish], I love how white it is - the color is just perfect. Again, there's something calming about this kind of floor and so I'm naturally drawn to the tone and fell of Neva. At home, we recently painted our kitchen floor white and I love how it's brightened our space.

You can learn more about Amanda Jane's work on her website and you will certainly want to follow her on Instagram as well. Here you can learn more about Define Magazine. All mood board photos by Gentl and Hyers. 

Learn more about Select Harvest [Neva Finish] here. 

Custom mood board by designer Amanda Jane Jones for The Hudson Company, featuring Select Harvest Ash [Neva Finish] flooring.

The Hudson Company + FAIR at Collective Design Fair 2016

FAIR Showroom, NYC.

The FAIR exhibit space at Collective Design Fair 2016.

the right balance of artistry and thoughtfulness

The designer behind FAIR is New Yorker Brad Ford. 

Back in October, 2014, Ford organized a modern makers craft fair in upstate New York called Field + Supply. The focus of that fair was on modern, elevated craftsmanship showcasing artisans from the Hudson Valley area as well as makers who work in New York City and Brooklyn. FAIR is an extension of that concept and is now a permanent showroom at the New York Design Center. It is more edited and elevated than the original event upstate, but the focus remains on high-end, handcrafted design and craft. Many of the same designers who showed their work at Field + Supply are represented at FAIR and several of them are craftspeople that Ford has worked with over the years on his own high-end design projects.

With FAIR, Ford's emphasis is on the people behind the products, “I have established relationships with a lot of these artists and know how beautifully executed their workmanship is. They have the right balance of artistry and thoughtfulness so there’s a timelessness to their work which I think has a lot of value. For me, their work should be considered future heirlooms that will last for generations.”

THE HUDSON COMPANY & FAIR

Whether he is collecting bespoke furniture, lighting, textiles, or ceramic objects for the FAIR showroom, Ford's has established an aesthetic that fits well with The Hudson Company's own design values.

So, we were proud to collaborate with Brad for this year's Collective Design Fair in NYC. As a part of FAIR's exhibit space at CDF, Ford incorporated Hudson Company Select Harvest White Oak [French Cut, Bare Finish] flooring, as a contrast to the glossy white concrete of the event space flooring.The end result was an exhibit space that felt warm, clean, welcoming, and modern - all adjectives that clearly describe what FAIR is all about. 

Click here to learn more about Hudson Company Select Harvest White Oak [French Cut, Bare Finish] or contact us for a quote for your next design project. 

Hudson Company Select Harvest White Oak [French Cut, Bare Finish] floors used by designer Brad Ford at Collective Design Fair 2016.

Interior design by Brad Ford.

Designer Brad Ford.

The Hudson Company + Collective Design Fair 2016

THE HUDSON COMPANY + COLLECTIVE DESIGN FAIR

The Hudson Company is proud to support the 2016 Collective Design Fair. At this year's fair, you will find samplings of our very own Reclaimed Heart Pine [Chalk Finish] and Select Harvest White Oak [French Cut] being utilized in exhibits by two exciting creative forces: ASH NYC and FAIR (curated by Brad Ford ID).

Collective Design Fair 2016

Collective Design is dedicated to exploring the significance of design across creative disciplines and everyday life. Through its annual fair, Collective Design illuminates both the design process and the diversity of today’s material culture, originating a robust series of conversations and education programs to foster dialogue, encourage the exchange of ideas, and build a growing audience for collectible design.

The Collective Design fair is a commercial and educational platform featuring thoughtfully selected works from an international roster of established and emerging galleries. The fair has leveraged the city’s energy to become a vital part of New York’s cultural calendar, cultivating a spirit of discovery that appeals to both avid patrons and those new to collecting design.

Learn more about Collective Design Fair 2016 and get tickets here.

Interior Design by Brad Ford ID

Products and Design by FAIR

Sag Harbor Cottage, Design by ASH NYC (both images)

The Ming: Bryan Nash Gill + The Hudson Company

Artist Bryan Nash Gill working on 'The Ming' at The Hudson Company's Brooklyn Showroom, April 2013.

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‘The best art is simple, direct, and resonates without explanation. It is connected, simply, to the way things are.’ Curator and friend of the artist, Steven Holmes

Simple. Direct. Resonant. If there was ever an artist and craftsman whose work was powerful through its simplicity - it was prolific sculptor, painter, and printmaker Bryan Nash Gill (1961 - 2013).

For three days in April 2013, The Hudson Company was proud to collaborate with and host Bryan in our Brooklyn showroom, where he created the extraordinary ‘Ming’ duo-tone woodcut print. At sixteen feet in length, the ‘Ming’ became not only Bryan’s largest ever woodcut print, but also the last print he would make before his unexpected death in May of that year.

This unique collaboration was born after The Hudson Company acquired a hardwood beam originating from a temple from the Ming Dynasty of China (14th - 17th centuries). As long time admirers of Bryan’s work, we wondered what stories he might be able to draw out of such a venerable artifact; what history the grain and knots of the ancient beam could reveal?

With his signature passion for exploration, Bryan applied his creative process to the ‘Ming’ project with a childlike excitement. During those three days, Bryan described what drove him to continually experiment and develop his craft: ‘...it’s a process of discovery, a process of learning, a process of putting yourself on the edge and kind of having the courage to go forth and see what happens, and learn from the process.’

At the end of his three days of ‘discovery’ at The Hudson Company showroom, Bryan produced a large-scale print that is both beautiful and surprising. Far removed from its place and era and utility of origin, ‘The Ming’ shows us a new perspective on the patterns of life encapsulated in the lines and layers of wood. Like a massive fingerprint from a distant time and place, ‘The Ming,’ like all of Bryan’s woodcuts, draws viewers into the very heart of wood - past it’s surface and color and hardness - to the nucleus of it’s identity.

Steven Holmes describes the woodcuts of Bryan Nash Gill as a way to, ‘participate in historically anchored beauty,’ by understanding wood, ‘not as an object, but as a verb.’ Today, ‘The Ming’ hangs proudly in The Hudson Company showroom as a symbol of the new perspectives that can be gained from reimagining historical artifacts. It hangs as a tribute to our friend Bryan. It hangs as an example of beautiful craftsmanship and innovative vision. It hangs as a reminder of the resonance that comes from simple beauty found in the way things are.

Watch the video below to see Bryan at work on The Ming in The Hudson Company's Brooklyn Showroom, in April 2013.

'The Ming' [The Hudson Company + Artist Bryan Nash Gill] HD from The Hudson Company on Vimeo.

Renzo Piano On The Vision Behind The New Whitney Museum

In this short but insightful video for Architectural Record, architect Renzo Piano discusses his firm's creative problem-solving process and the importance of the structural 'spine' of the new Whitney Museum of American Art. 

Click here to learn more about The Hudson Company's collaboration with Renzo Piano Building Workshop for new The Whitney Museum in NYC.