Introducing: “Magnolia Wind”

I have a hobby of making boots for musicians I love; it’s my small way of supporting music and musicians. The only thing I ever ask in return is: If they see me at a music festival, I’d like for them to remember my name and say hello. Sometimes I get casual friendships in return, sometimes I find real friends. I never have any expectations in this regard — public and stage personas can be different from real life. Few things are more exhausting than being forced to stay in character when you’re off-stage and I don’t ever want to expect that from anyone. I love seeing my boots on stage, I like casual friendships, and I value connecting with someone and finding a true friend, so any of those three options is satisfactory.

This pair of boots broke several rules. There are a whole lot of musicians out there I’d love to meet and befriend and I don’t typically make more than one pair per new friend. Even more importantly, I have a schedule. My wait time for boots is usually around eighteen months. It takes several months for me to finish current projects and get to a place where I can begin a new one. Spontaneously throwing an entire new boot into the schedule isn’t a disciplined habit.

But… this design was so strong in my head that I could not stop thinking about it. I finally decided that wasting inspiration — telling her to wait and come back in eighteen months — was dumb. Part of being an artist is providing a quiet and ready place for inspiration to arrive, but then it’s important to welcome her when she does! The design came to me during a Shawn Camp concert at the Station Inn. I’ve heard his song “Magnolia Wind” before, and I’ve even heard him sing it on stage, but something about that time was different. I completely disassociated — everyone else was hearing lyrics and music, and I was getting step by step instructions on a boot design.

The prompt for the design was Movement, and I attempted to create the feel of magnolia flowers and leaves drifting on the wind. One of my very favorites design techniques is asymmetry. Cowboy boot designs are almost always symmetrical, but I enjoy pursuing balance rather than symmetry. The fact that this design isn’t symmetrical makes me love it more, although it does make them more difficult to photograph.