Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Torrey.
Lara, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I am a wife, mama to 3 boys, full-time student, and macrame artist. I taught myself how to macrame about ten years back after purchasing a vintage Macrame book from the 60s. I was a single mom at the time and needed a creative outlet, and I quickly fell in love with the therapy I got out of Macrame. I decided to start my own brand Macramama, and I started selling my plant hangers to friends, coworkers, on Etsy, and at local artisan markets. At the time, macrame was a craft of the past and due to the lack of interest or knowledge about the art from customers, decided macrame was more of a therapeutic hobby instead of something I should try to make a lucrative business. Flash forward to 2016, I was pregnant with my third son and was let go from my career in the action sports industry. I decided to dive back into Macrame for the therapeutic aspect and at the same time decided to give the local vendor markets a whirl since Macrame and all things fiber art have been trending over the past few years. Those markets were really successful, I networked and quickly picked up a few retail shops around Southern CA and decided to pursue Macramama full time. I now have my product in retail locations all over the United States and keep myself really busy with teaching others how to Macrame.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a macrame artist and love to incorporate wood into my fiber art as well. I pretty much make it all when it comes to macrame and love getting outside of my box with custom orders. Some of the more popular items that I make are macrame plant hangs, wall hang, large custom wedding backdrops, pacifier clips and my macrame swings – Lots and Lots of swings! My macrame space is in my garage, and I typically work late into the night after my boys are in bed. I created a space in my garage that is often messy, but it’s my happy place, and I can go out there, turn up my music and create. My Dad is a carpenter, and we use his workshop for all things wood. I like to keep my macrame clean, simple and timeless so that it can vibe in anyone’s space. I work hard to keep my art authentic and organic. I find inspiration from and appreciate what other macrame artists can do with the exact same knot and create and use it in a completely different way – it’s pretty crazy how the creative mind works!
Have things improved for artists? What should cities do to empower artists?
I’ve witnessed the rise in the appreciation for handmade goods over the past few years. There are now so many local vendor markets and dedicated local maker brick and mortar shops that allow customers to connect with the makers themselves. With the advances in these markets, retail shops and social media – I think its a lot easier for artists to connect with customers. When initially starting my Macrame business, There was one vendor market in all of Orange County, Instagram didn’t exist, and Facebook was more for connecting with friends and family. Having the handmade trend be much more prominent now, I believe it is easier for makers and artist to thrive.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I utilize Instagram to market my upcoming workshops, pop up shops and show off my work, please follow along @macramama. I have a small offering of product for sale in my Etsy shop and on Houzz. In San Diego, some of the retailers that carry Macramama are Vignettes in Ocean Beach, Craftmossphere in Little Italy, Barrels and Branches in Encinitas and Roam in South Oceanside. Also, I have several regular venues where I teach Macrame including North Park Beer Co. in North Park, Barrels and Branches in Encinitas and En Concordia in Point Loma.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Macramama
- Email: macramama@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/macramama
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MacramamaMacrame/
Image Credit:
Swings – LondonLightPhotography, Pampas Grass Wedding Arch – Kimcvillaphotography Hexagon Wedding Arch – Embldn
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