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

Heather , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I am 100% self taught in leatherwork. I believe all the training I had previous in mediums, such as fibers, metalwork , bookbinding and ceramics, were integral in me being able to forge a solo path and gain the skills needed for leatherwork. In hindsight, in person classes at an art/folk/craft school would definitely been an easier route! I think the most essential skills in leatherwork are an insane attention to the smallest details, precise measuring, and impeccable hand sewing. As always for artists, and definitely for me the biggest obstacle often faced in gaining more skills was and is money.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

So I took quite the rambling path to the world of leatherwork. Being an artsy kid lead me to Maryland Institute, College of Art where I received a degree in fibers. From there I worked at a pottery studio while apprenticing a jeweler all the while taking classes in welding, fine metalwork, bookbinding, Kente weaving, and natural dyeing to name a few. I feel like leather was the next natural material to work with, as it combined virtually all the ways I liked to work creatively. I started with simple leather jewelry while I learned the techniques necessary to move on to bigger and more involved projects like bags and wallets. I’ve honed my skills to a place I feel competent in creating small and large bags, wallets of all sizes and more intricate tooled jewelry. One of the things that sets me apart is my use of color and print along with careful prominent hand stitching. I am proud of my ability to have used the influence of a long career as life long artist constantly learning and as a professional garden designer, always paying attention to color and texture, and how I applied that unique sensibility to my craft.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Most recently I have decided to change direction from my career as a professional gardener/designer to pursuing this craft as close to full time as possible. The physicality of working in gardens and landscapes has taken its toll on my body, and I needed to find a way to continue to be creative and surrounded by color and beauty. The move to being a full time artist has been hard yet natural. Though I will never stop gardening completely, the shift to a new creative path feels right.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I’d love to see society understand the passion, struggle and hard work that goes into living a creative life as valid, worthy and of value . And it is because of this commitment to mastery that handmade goods of all kinds often cost more than mass produced items. The love put into well crafted products is worthy of a fair wage in this disposable world.

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