Hello Friends,

A string of school closures, injuries, and an HVAC repair has kept me out of the studio for all of January and half of February, but I'm back, and excited to get back to work. In this newsletter I will:

• Reflect on the past year at the New South Pattern House.  I’ll share what I’m proud of, and reveal some of y’all’s favorites from 2025.
• Select a special focus you can expect to see in my work in 2026, and get y'all's input on which species to highlight. 
• Give you an update on my events schedule (spoiler alert- I’m taking a few months off!) and offer in-person studio visits. 

Katie 

Each year, I lay out a special focus for the year– something that I want to highlight in the work I create in the coming year. In past years, I’ve chosen things like “pollinators,” or “predators.” This year, I want to take a deeper dive into Migration Stories and I want y'all's help to do it. 

Above: I know one species I'll wait for excitedly this year is the Yellow Crowned Night Herons. 

Why? Many of our favorite native southeastern animals are actually migrants. We think of them as “ours,” but in truth we share them with larger global communities.  Here in our beautiful region, the passage of time can be marked not just with pages of a calendar, but also with the ebb and flow of incoming species.  The sweet song of the white throated sparrow as they arrive from Canada, the iconic Tundra Swans and Snow Geese dazzling the Carolina Coast, the exciting moment when you hear that first “buzzing” sound that tells you the Ruby Throated Hummingbirds are back in your yard. 

Above: Monarchs are famous for their migration, but there are many other southeastern butterflies that migrate as well, such as the Common Buckeye, Painted Lady, and many species of Skipper.

This year, I want to dive a little deeper in my understanding of some of our native part-time residents.  Where exactly are they coming from? What do they eat and how are our local ecosystems impacted by their arrival? Who do we share this species with? Who else loves them, and waits for them to return each year? 

To get started, I’ve compiled a list of potential species that I’m considering highlighting. I want y’all to click on this link and vote for your favorites. There are also fields for comments, so I want to hear from y'all: 

• Is there a species that's not on this list, but should be? 
• Do you have a personal connection to any of these species?
• Do you have a cherished memory of witnessing these animals in the wild?
• Do you have a favorite bird that returns to your feeders every year as they migrate through? Or a butterfly that always returns to your garden?
• Have you been traveling in another country and discovered one of our southeastern natives wintering there?
• Can you recommend the best place to observe one of the animals on this list?

After I hear from you, I'll start pulling together stories and use them to inform my work this year. Some of your suggestions will find their way into block prints and patterns, others may be shared via my blog or socials. The end result I hope, will be a sustained effort to highlight the fact that migration is natural, beautiful, and brings value to our communities and region. 

Above: Did y'all know that the White throated Sparrow migrates at night and some scientists believe they navigate using the stars? This super-chonk used the stars to find its way to my backyard, where it tried to form itself into a literal circle. 

NEW- In Studio Appointments! The #1 question I've been getting via email and socials this year is if folks can come to the studio and shop in person. I've done a few of these appointments and they are a really fun way to connect. If you'd like to sign up, here's when I have time slots available:   

• Saturday, February 28th- In-Studio Shopping Appointments- Time slots offered hourly between 10-2. Click here to reserve a slot. Note- Please sign up 24 hours in advance!
• Friday, March 6th- In-Studio Shopping Appointments- Time slots offered hourly between 10-2. Click here to reserve a slot. Note- Please sign up 24 hours in advance!
• Friday, March 20th- In-Studio Shopping Appointments- Time slots offered hourly between 10-2. Click here to reserve a slot. Note- Please sign up 24 hours in advance!
• Saturday, March 21st- In-Studio Shopping Appointments- Time slots offered hourly between 10-2. Click here to reserve a slot. Note- Please sign up 24 hours in advance!

April 25th- Spring Daze, Cary NC.  9-5 . Click here for more information

May 3rd- Spring Fling, Durham, NC. 10-3pm. Click here for more information. 

Here a Carolina Wren answers the question "What if a ping pong ball raised a judgmental eyebrow at you?"

Our most popular 13x19 print last year was "Kingfisher in Flight," shown here on the right. 

My creative focus for 2025 was "communities" and I think we really delivered.  We really wanted to connect with y'all in person as much as possible this year, and to that end we worked a whopping 56 market days in 2025- the most we've ever done in a single year. Looking back, we can see that working this many events is probably a recipe for burnout, and so in 2026, we're going to dial it back a bit--working fewer shows, but still making sure we're showing up for y'all in person. 

Most popular notecards: Eno River, Light

We also collaborated with a number of local (and national) non-profits. Here are a few examples of how we got involved: 

• Worked with the Durham Arts Council to create a limited edition design celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Centerfest.
• Responded to local flooding from Chantal with support for the Orange County arts Commission, and The Expedition School--donating artwork to fundraisers, helping with classroom cleanout, and creating NSPH care packages for staff. 
• Teamed up with my fellow artists and the Durham Craft Market to create a "market for the mountains" event, supporting ongoing Helene recovery so badly needed in WNC.
• Donated use of my artwork to Triangle Land Conservancy for event branding as part of their upcoming "Force for Nature" Gala. (Note: This event is happening this weekend and the silent auction is open now!)
• Raised over $5000 for endangered Red Wolves and was honored to have my work featured by the Center for Biological Diversity 

Above: My kids in their NSPH staff hats at Open Studio

A few personal highlights for me were seeing my kids take a leadership role with customers at my annual Open Studio event, and finally installing solar on our roof! Thanks for making 2025 a true year of community!

Above: Here you can see Ear Muffs striking a pose and looking disdainfully at me

Above: Here is how much I well up with pride, when I think of y'all letting my artwork be a part of your lives. 

Thank you for being part of the NSPH community! I hope you enjoyed seeing these gorgeously puffed-up birds, and reading about our upcoming year. I'll reach out next month with a print release and hopefully some migration stories to share! 

-Katie