About
I have always been intrigued by Celtic knots. Even at a young age, I was enthralled with the intricate, interweaving patterns presented in various contexts, from ancient stonework and Insular illuminated manuscripts, to the plethora of modern day interpretations and integrations. From the simplest of styles to the most ornate, I find almost any Celtic knot absolutely fascinating, especially when the pattern symbolizes something in nature or relates to profound spiritual concepts.
I can remember truly becoming aware of how awesome Celtic knots are when I was in the 7th or 8th grade and I had found a nifty pewter triquetra amulet in a shop at Cottonwood Mall on the West side of Albuquerque. It had a rough matte finish and a leather cord, though new, possessed an air of antiquity and I was inclined to learn more about it. Thus, I started reading about the ancient Celts and the evolution of Celtic art and symbolism through the millennia. One of my favorite notions in relation to Celtic knots concerns how the individually interwoven and unbroken cords represent the interconnectedness of all things, whether in the physical realm or the spiritual, and in between.
As a father of five, a software developer by trade, a musician by hobby, and a backyard gardener by ancestral drive, I've kept a full schedule over the past couple of decades. It's been quite a while since I've had much time to dedicate toward drawing and designing. I've never been all that prolific as a visual artist, but I've had a few stints of inspiration here and there that have yielded pieces that I will always treasure. One such stint in early 2007 lead me to try my hand at creating some original patterns in the Celtic knot style, or at least similarly so.
By 2008, I thought it would be a good idea to trying printing graphic t-shirts featuring some of my designs to sell online or at local events. I started the process of scanning my drawings and separating the individual cords into layers in Photoshop so I could play with a variety of color and style combinations. I thank my father for introducing me to Photoshop during my early years, and for the Elements CD that allowed me to experiment with my designs. I doubt I would've been able to afford my own copy at that point in my life.
Alas, the work I did during that period of time was destined to sit idle, and much of it unfinished, as the forces of life presented other opportunities. My time as a fast food restaurant manager had come to an end as I broke into the world of being my own boss. Working as a contractor in web development quickly evolved into developing mobile apps. My devotion to that work and to my growing family left no time for my designs, other than to serve as my wallpaper on my phone and iPad.
Fast forward eleven years to 2019, when one of my best childhood friends, with whom I also had just started working with, saw the Fire Colour iteration of the `Morning Star Fire` Celtic Knot on my phone's wallpaper. He liked it so much that he ended up getting it tattooed on his upper arm. I hadn't really shared my work with many people up to that point, so it was encouraging for him to display such enthusiasm for the piece. It got me to start thinking about revisiting my work and trying to share it with the world. In early 2020, I managed to set aside some time to try moving the project forward by creating my Printful account and generating product templates using some newly finalized iterations. A busy life continued to limit progress, but it was ultimately the question of what to call my online store that stumped me and squashed whatever momentum I had at the time.
Over the course of 2021 and 2022, something happened that further encouraged and inspired me. My son dedicated himself headlong into launching his own clothing brand, Vivere, using his own designs and by working day and night to do his own screen printing. He started out in his mother's garage before quitting his job towards the end of 2021, and has since had to relocate three times in order to make room for his inventory and his operation. Since high school, he's demonstrated a knack for internet and social media marketing, and I'm immensely proud to see what he's accomplished. Each of his four other siblings have worked for him and learned different aspects of the business, and it's awesome to see them working together and having a great time doing it. Witnessing my son's success with his brand helped me believe that it was worth giving it a shot myself. The possibility of collaborating with him and his team in the future is also an exciting thought.