We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emma Kosanke. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emma below.

Emma, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

It all started from the time I was a toddler. My mom repeatedly tells the story of how when I was 3 or 4, I grabbed some permanent markers and decided to color the wall. What sounds like a funny anecdote of my childhood was actually a huge clue that I always had a creative itch. Life went on and I went to a middle and high school that didn’t really have art classes, so I took watercolor painting classes every Saturday morning for a few years. Then life got busy and before I knew it I was having to decide what I wanted to do for college. I chose to study Interior Design because it felt like a good fit for my artistic side but I probably wouldn’t end up a starving artist. Fast forward and it’s my senior year of college. I just completed my first internship over the summer and I was so depressed. I had just spent three years studying and preparing myself for a career as a commercial designer and it turns out, I kind of hated it. Not so much the design, but the day-to-day activities of sitting in meetings, making phone calls with reps, and sitting in front of a computer for 8-9 hours a day. I have always been more of a hands on type of person and the idea of creating something on a screen and not ever helping to physically make it come to life was very sad to me. I graduated college that year and resigned myself to another internship until I could find a full-time position. Once again, I was miserable every day. After that internship, I went back to working at a retail job until I could figure out what I wanted to do. Then covid hit and that was the moment I thought to myself, “it’s now or never”. During college I took several printmaking classes, at first to complete some studio credits, and then because I loved it so much. At that point, it was too late to switch majors or even fit a second minor in, but the passion for blockprinting was always there. So when it felt like my life was at a tipping point, I dove headfirst into starting my own printmaking business, White Pine Print Shop. It has been a constant rollercoaster navigating the business world and art world at the same time, but I’m so glad I made the decision. Although I don’t make art full-time yet, I always have a creative outlet and something that makes me excited to work.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I call myself a printmaker, but sometimes I think artist is a better term. Although printmaking is the core of what I do, I’m always incorporating other types of art into my work, such as painting and woodworking. I started out just making traditional relief prints you could hang on a wall. Over time I’ve added many more products to my shop from t-shirts and coasters to greeting cards and journals. I want art to be accessible to everyone and incorporating some more functional items allows for that.

Every print I create starts out with an inspiration, whether that’s a scene I’ve come across in travels or things that surround me in Minnesota, mainly images of nature and animals. Once a design is sketched out, I transfer that image onto my carving medium, which can be linoleum, rubber, or MDF, a wood composite. I then use sharp chisels to carve out the image so that only the parts I want to be printed stay raised up. That finished block is then inked up and transferred onto paper, wood, fabric, or any other material I’m printing on. Every block varies for how long it may take me to carve; some take 30 minutes, others can take up to 60 hours. As with most artists, it’s easy to spend all this time on one piece of art and not be thrilled with the outcome, it’s just the perfectionism coming out. But what brings me the most joy is having a customer feel connected with a specific piece. When someone stops in their tracks and says, “I love it”, that’s when I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing in life.

I recently started making my own wood frames for all my wall art prints, and it is one of the most challenging things I’ve done, but also the most rewarding. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that my dad is a huge help in this undertaking. Together we have learned how to take a simple piece of wood and turn it into something that really expresses the aesthetic I strive for in my work. I’ve always loved the idea of a completely handmade product from start to finish. Someday my goal is to be able to make my own paper that I print my own art on that sits in a frame I made with my own two hands.

My goal with White Pine Print Shop is to create art that brings joy into people’s homes. I want them to be reminded of nature’s beauty that surrounds them everywhere or relaxing times they’ve enjoyed outdoors. This little shop isn’t just a job for me, it’s my passion and the thing I pour my heart and soul into. If my work can show even a fraction of that, I’d be very happy.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I feel that society can best support artists simply by providing the time and space to showcase their work. There are niche pockets of organizations that already do this with gallery exhibitions and art festivals. But I would love if a company far removed from the art world, like an engineering company for example, invited artists in for lunch and learn events where employees could understand more about different types of art and the work it takes to make it. I think the world could benefit from a little more collaboration between different ways of thinking and processing.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I think the biggest thing driving me in my art is the idea that I don’t ever want to lose this spark again. Certain times in my life, I didn’t nourish my creative side frequently enough and it had a visible impact on my mental health. During those times, I just didn’t feel fully myself. I don’t want to ever deny my creative side and let an important part of who I am be forgotten or ignored. This keeps me going even when I’m overwhelmed with everything else in life and don’t want to find the time to work on a print for a couple hours. But as soon as I do sit down at the table in my studio, everything feels alright with the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.whitepineprintshop.com
• Instagram: @whitepineprintshop
• Facebook: White Pine Print Shop, LLC
• Other: Email: whitepineprintshop@gmail.com

Image Credits
Breana Winnes