03/26/2021
Happy Feature Friday everyone! I love this project so much. It gives me a chance to sit down with some pretty impressive people and talk to them about their art and businesses. Today I want to introduce to you, in the small chance you don’t know them, Kate and Aaron Derman and their business, Prayers of Nature . Recently I got to visit them at their shop/studio in Wilton, NH and chat. Kate and I went to school together, but I had never met Aaron in person. The two of them have stellar personalities and it was so neat to hear the story of how Prayers of Nature started.
The story starts with Aaron’s mother, Linda. Linda was an amazing artist and enjoyed many different forms of art. One of her favorite things was to grow flowers and photograph them to create colorful and breathtaking mandalas. Each seed she planted had intention to be featured in each design. Kate told me that she came across a box under Aaron’s bed that was filled with Linda’s mandalas.
I was absolutely amazed at this. The way they are so perfectly designed, I was shocked that they were not digital renderings, but made by hand. With Aaron’s permission Kate took the mandalas and began the project of transferring each one into digital files to be able to print them. They have an array of different prints, some being wall hangings, bags, clothing and many more accessories.
In addition to the flower mandalas, Aaron told me his mother had a kiln and one of her talents was copper enameling which he also started doing at a very young age. His exposure to her work and access to her resources made art second nature for Aaron. Aaron has been making copper enamel jewelry for many years. He is a fine artisan; his work is incredible.
Kate creates beautiful beadwork bezels for Aaron’s pendants and she also makes assorted beaded jewelry and intricate metal and wire wrapped crowns. Kate has another natural talent of encouraging people and she uses that in her work with content creation and supports local musicians through booking and promoting for several venues. Pre-Covid, Kate and Aaron did a lot of vending at many music shows and fairs all over the US; something they hope to get back to at some point someday.
Aaron told me his goal is for Prayers of Nature and his artwork to become his primary source of income. Currently he is a microphone design tech at Earthworks Audio and also does CAD renderings. His hope is also that Prayers of Nature would at some point be able to finance children’s education and art programs through a Prayers of Nature non-profit, as his mother was an art teacher and desired to see more available for the youth.
You can find their work on their website www.prayersofnature.com, Etsy https://www.etsy.com/shop/PrayersofNature, follow them on Instagram, Facebook, or visit their shop in Wilton during their open business hours.
Thank you to Aaron and Kate for your time with this interview. I really loved sitting with you and understanding more about the background of your business and of course enjoying your wonderful personalities. All the best luck and success to you!
