It’s no secret that we love feathers – our sister brand Blue Soul Earth even has a feather in its logo and so, when we came across the work of Barloga Studios, we couldn’t be more excited. Not only does this wonderful father and son team “create” magic on handmade paper, but their style and design exudes talent, authenticity and quality. They also embrace nature and art in a creative way.
Above and below, some of our favorite feather offerings from Barloga Studios.
The above image shows how you can also opt to get a tri-age effect with any of their work. We love the effect!!
Because of our interest in feathers, Roy (part of the Dennis and Roy Barloga son and father team) sent us a couple of feather images on beautiful handmade paper to test out. And, if you’re not into feathers, they offer so many other options to choose from, broken out in a unique categorization of Earth, Sea, Land, Air, Animals and so on. From colorful butterflies and jellyfish to nautical knots, dragons, spoons and succulents, you’ll find something to entice you in their collection.
Above, some of their offerings “from the sea.” Below, you will get an idea of some of their work framed in a variety of different kind of options you can choose from.
One of the things we love about their offerings is that you can choose the type of paper, the size and how you would like to “frame it.” From more traditional framing options (under glass) to more simple accessories, they’ve got you covered. For example, you could choose a frameless leather or steel option — we went with a frameless wood option and even here, you have different colors to choose from as well. (see butterfly image below as one example)
This duo isn’t new to the artisan scene however. In fact, their work has been around for more than twenty years. Dennis is best known for his unmatched portfolio of color photographs that depict old world Europe. Roy initially specialized in infrared photographs and is best known for his series of “trilogies” that span a wide variety of subjects (see feathers above).
The process? They use a combination of handmade paper, film, wood and fabric in their creations. Of course their work has cultural connections as well. In Japan, they are known for their unique specialty paper and of course in the Himalayas, Nepalese artisans combine a traditional process of ancient papermaking with modern fashion and style.
They use handmade paper from the bark of the Daphne plant by women’s cooperatives in Nepal (bravo!!). The paper is handmade using a combination of local raw materials, simple technology and ancient skills. Although we have only experienced two pieces of their magical artwork so far, apparently each piece of paper is unique with slight variations in color, thickness, size and shape.
The quality and attention to detail behind their work is gratifying to say the least — we were thrilled with their finished “product” and have become huge fans of the creative magic they deliver. Distinctly one-of-a-kind, which is increasingly becoming harder to find, even in distant lands.
Based in northern California, you can learn more about their work on their website where you can also order handmade paper prints, images and framing accessories directly. As for our choices and what the combo looks like? Two thumbs up — we LOVE their work! Take a look.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
