Meet Candice Brokenshire Buchan | Designer, Maker, Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Candice Brokenshire Buchan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Candice, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
When we imagine something in balance, we can conjure up this idea of something weighted equally, and somewhere along our journey we might have been told that’s a state that we ought to pursue. I actually think it’s much more about prioritizing what’s important and cultivating the ability to keep checking in with yourself to see what’s working/not working. When you run your own business or have a creative pursuit, it’s easy to get into a flow and zone everything else out, and if you remain healthy and get the bills paid doing that, great. We do however need to check that our choices and behavior is working for the other people in our lives – especially those we live with. Our creative zone can become someone else’s burden, especially around chores, or if there’s is a lack of understanding about who is contributing what to any shared situation. It can be helpful to make that priority list together and again monitor and make tweaks as you go. To someone on the outside of your life, your choices might not look like balance at all, it might look a bit chaotic, but if you’re thriving, keep doing you.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I create with wool. I primarily wet felt the wool, but I also spin it, and crochet with the spun yarn. Plus, I make color with natural dyes. For those of us in the fiber arts it’s a pretty exciting time of year as sheep are being sheared and we’re able to buy our fleeces for the year – I have a handful of breeds that I love to work with and given I have a couple of commissions that I need to complete, I’m on the lookout for some raw wool with a lot of potential.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I live in Laguna Beach so while there’s a fair amount of choice of places to go, we do have our favorite spots. For food we’d definitely be going to 242 Fusion Sushi, Ahba, Sirena Grill, and for a special evening probably Broadway by Amar Santana. One night we’d get a take out from Thai Bros – best local Thai!! And of course there will be beach trips – there are 7-miles of coastline and 30 beaches/coves and they all have something different to offer, if there is a beach picnic in our itinerary we’d go to Treasure Island/Goff’s beach and we’d probably drive up PCH to Crystal Cove to walk the miles of beach over there, and grab a sundowner at the Beachcomber – a diner right on the sand.

And if it’s the Summer, then of course it’s festival time in Laguna. We’d go to the Sawdust Festival where I show my work. Here they can wander around and look at the work of approx. 180 artists and makers, grab a beer and listen to the bands across the three stages.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My partner and husband, Marc Buchan. Plus my work completely relies on the relentless work of farmers, fiber producers, the sheep, silk moths, the craftspeople that make the tools I work with, mother nature and the growers and foragers who help natural dyers like me get access to seeds and dye stuffs that don’t grow in our immediate environment. And importantly, all of the educators that provide constant resources.  Particular shout out to @botanicalcolors @dogwooddyer @fibershed @claudyjongstra @sashaduerr and Catherine Ellis & Joy Boutrup

Website: www.feltandnaturaldye.com

Instagram: candice.b