Becky Tregear Art shared this wonderful video of her father painting en plein air with his Scout Plein Air Box!

Becky also shared this very thoughtful review of her father’s watercolor Scout. I love hearing her perspective as she walks through and discovers the features of the Scout, after watching Walter’s walkthrough video. Enjoy!

“Margo is joined by Margaux Kent, Co-Founder of Peg and Awl. Margaux and her husband Walter created Peg and Awl without a plan but rather a fortunate pairing of two minds, different but in sync. Together with a team they create from olde things, treasures found and recovered from misfortune and neglect, relics of the unusual, the confused and the macabre, cut and pulled and built into wearable curiosities, inscribable keepsakes and usable, long-lasting treasures.” – View on Window Chats

Episode 121: Designing and Making Useful Treasures That Inspire Creative Living With Margaux Kent of Peg and Awl

Margo and I discuss discovery, poetry, and all sorts of making; we also talk about the beginnings of Peg and Awl, the importance of promoting oneself and keeping everything in house, and more. But listen for yourself! I do blather a lot, but, erm, practice shall improve the ongoingness in time!

Art Supplies by Uppercase Magazine
Find it here!

Uppercase Magazine’s Art Supplies book is full of delectable art supplies, art, and artists. We were delighted to be invited to be part of the fun and to be in such colourful company, including some long distance friends, makers of supplies we use and love, and others altogether new to us.

Jeannine gave each maker so many pages to share our most treasured creations and moments!

Greenleaf & Blueberry
Website

Jess’s paints are so satisfying! I love painting with them, and, from a maker’s perspective, I appreciate the way the paints fill the vessels so cleanly. They look even better when messy with use!

Jeanne Oliver
Website

Beam Paints
Website

I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Anong Beam on the telephone, as well as getting to know her through Instagram and her paints! Her exploratory process is incredibly inspiring, how I’d love to peek into her studio!

Viarco
Website

I enjoy Viarco’s water soluble graphite in many forms and always have a few pencils and a tin in my Sendak Artist Roll.

Kremer Pigments
Website

Walking into Kremer in NY years ago, changed my life! The film Turner introduced me to pigments on scales for paint making and I vaguely recall the paint making in The Rise and Fall of Silas Lapham. But walking into Kremer unlocked a reality that I was absolutely smitten with – and I’ve been making paints ever since! 

La Maison Du Pastel
Website

Watching their process of making on Instagram is mesmerizing and strangely, I want to visit and sink my teeth and being into the process. 

Musgrave Pencil Company
Website

The endless satisfaction of multiples!

Chalk Copenhagen
Website

Another scrumptious handmade pastel company. I better get to using mine up so I can try out others! 

It was such a treat to be featured in and on the cover of In Her Studio magazine! 

In Her Studio Summer 2022 Edition

Ever an Other, as it goes.

“From up here on the hill, it is easy to imagine I am somewhere other. I can travel backward and forward in time. I am not in suburbia. I am watching the barn being built – no, rebuilt – 200 years later. I am watching myself and my family, in the warm glow in the barn windows at night, pouring our experiences onto a page, a canvas. Another, other. Up here, I can clip and mow and sweat, and when I do, thoughts sprout and wither in abundance. I mowed some down as I removed the unwanted barberry, wisteria, and multiflora rose. I’ve hauled some away with bottles and dolls’ heads and plastic flower arrangements still tied in polyester strips from the ’50s and ’60s that have reigned for much too long in this woodland. But up here, my shoulders and my back have stretched and strengthened, and I’ve built towers of words and collected piles of ideas and have squirreled them away somewhere. The moving does me good. Up here, in our tiny wilderness, both I and the land are transformed. The place where I gather inspiration is just as important as the place where I sit down and turn the gatherings into something other.” 

Curious, and always with my rump toward the sky, I gather colour, and other treasures from the earth and transform it into gritty and delicious watercolour paints! 

I always love finding antique treasures for my art supplies in my studio. 

A view from the woodland, also, my favourite family portrait in the creek – though we are in need of a new one. Søren now stands above Walter and me!	This was my studio briefly. We are currenly in the process of transforming it into a showroom/gallery space! Read about our Barn Renovation process, here!

Photograph by Jackson’s Art Supplies

Sarah Dyer, one of my favorite picture book makers and illustrators, recently wrote a detailed and very informative review on our Sendak Artist Roll for the Jackson’s Art Supplies blog. She includes lots of photographs with her own art supplies, showing how she organizes them into her Sendak. It is a delight to see the Sendak well-loved, well-used, and from new perspectives. Read Sarah’s review here:

Peg and Awl Sendak Artist Roll Review by Sarah Dyer 
on Jackson’s Art Supplies

Related Blog Posts:

• The Sendak Artist Roll: A Walkthrough Video

Amy Voloshin, founder of Voloshin and PrintFresh, interviews Margaux Kent of Peg and Awl! 

I first met Margaux when she dropped by our studio to try on a few dresses. She already had a few of our pieces from one of our mutually favorite Philly boutiques, Vagabond, and wanted to try on some of our new styles. We got to talking all things small business, creativity, and balancing it all with motherhood. She's a fascinating creative with such a distinct viewpoint. Her artwork and commitment to handmade goods is an inspiration to me, and I hope you enjoy learning more about her process. Also, if you are ever in Philadelphia be sure to stay at her gorgeous Airbnb*, which is so beautiful and an amazing escape in the city. - Amy Voloshin

Margaux, can you tell us a little about how you would describe your line Peg and Awl?

Peg and Awl is kind of a dream. The beginning of the story goes like this: “We used to make things for ourselves, and now we make them for everyone.” Peg and Awl came to be without a plan—just the want to make. It is a small business that thrives on discovery and meandering and curiosity. And on usefulness, craftsmanship, research, reflection, sustainability and longevity. It is a reaction to our disposable culture, and a connection to the past and the present. Peg and Awl is story and family. It is freedom and hard work. 

What did you study in school? 

Photography and Jewelry Design.

When did you start your line and what was your first product?

We started in 2010 with the Tub Caddy. For much of my life I threw splintery 2x4s across my tub and wrote and drew in the bath. When I met Walter—a woodworker—I asked if he could make me a better one. A year or so on, we were working on our Fishtown home with wood collected from 1800s buildings that were being torn down in the neighborhood. At that time people thanked us for hauling away their garbage and one company even parked a dumpster on our block for a week for us to pick until our heart’s content!

One day Walter went down to his basement woodshop, used some of the scrap antique wood and made a tub caddy. He climbed the stairs with his prize (my treasure!) in his hands. It was simple and useful and beautiful! We took photographs straight away and thus began Peg and Awl. 

The retail landscape is drastically different these days - I know I’ve seen you at tradeshows, do you currently sell to stores? Or do you do a lot of business through your online shop? 

We sell to some stores but have greatly reduced the amount since the days of the tradeshows—very intentionally. We have some really long, strong relationships that we love including the New York Public Library, Museum Shops, and Goop, and we partner with some incredible companies like Rishi Tea. Otherwise we sell mostly through our website! 

Where do you get your inspiration for new products? What does that design process look like?

From life! The process is different for each object. For example, the Sendak Artist Roll, our best-selling treasure currently, arose from my trip to Spain for an illustration class. When I returned, I designed the case I wished I'd had whilst traveling. Walter is currently working on a plein air box after a recent painting adventure in Italy! Because we use so many materials, each object emerges in a different way, but everything comes from a need. We put the objects to personal use first and make changes as we see the need until we are finally ready to share them with the world! 

Your line conjures up a feeling from the past which reminds me of antiques and life from long ago - has that always been an inspiration to you? What was your style like when you were younger, and how has your style evolved over time? 

I’ve always loved flea markets and abandoned houses and spent much time at both with my mom growing up! I love the effect that time has on an object, along with the stories they carry. Walter loves history and appreciates historic objects for their usefulness and quality. When we started Peg and Awl (and my first business, The Black Spot Books), we transformed antique objects and materials into new and useful objects. So the character and effects of time were in everything.

As we began to run out of antique materials (such as antique gunslings for our bag straps) we began searching for new materials with old-fashioned quality that don’t negatively impact our planet. These quests transformed our business, but not the quality of our work. We travelled to England to visit a 500-year-old leather factory and then to Pennsylvania (quite roundabout) to discover the company we currently work with. And we learned a LOT about leather.

We still use wood from old buildings for desk caddies and one of a kinds but have added sustainable domestic hardwood for kitchen items and furniture. We love for the things we make to reflect a timelessness both forward and back, but it is never our goal to merely replicate what was. 

What’s it like working with your spouse? How do you divide your responsibilities? Now under quarantine, are you both working at home together? 

We love working together and through the years have come to divide our responsibilities naturally to support our individual strengths. We do a lot of work from home now, and we are also spending more time with our boys—whom we homeschool already. Walter has taken to baking bread (so you may see some kitchen and bread objects come out of Peg and Awl soon!) and we’ve been making a lot of art together. Initially, I thought quarantine meant we’d have a little time to pause and ‘catch up’, but it turned into a busy time for us trying to keep the business alive!

Tintype by Giles Clement

What does a typical day look like for you?

Oh. Well, I am incredibly unorganized, and I have a go button that won’t turn off. No two days are the same. Only the beginnings and ends – when I am alone, and my family is sleeping – are ‘typical’. I rise at 7, make coffee and write and draw in my journal, I end most of my days drawing, and crawl into bed by midnight to read. 

The in-betweens are different daily, I do sit at my computer much more than I’d prefer! Some days I take photographs, others – lately – involve video. I spend a lot of time writing, responding to customers, and working on SEO. When businesses open, I cannot wait to go back to flea markets for inspiration and materials. I also design new treasures and work on our packaging and postcards. A lot of this is done with our small marketing team of 3! 

I’m fascinated by homeschooling; how did you make the decision to start? Now that so many families are homeschooling right now during quarantine, do you have any advice for starting out? How structured is your curriculum?

We’d been contemplating homeschooling since I was pregnant with Søren. Walter was homeschooled and his family stories always sounded so wonderful (he is one of twelve kiddos!). The things that matter to us – learning through art and exploration and travel – to name a few, cannot really happen in an institution. And these years are the VERY years we get to be so close with our boys! And every day after school, S+S were grumpy. Life was jammed into the space that remained after school, after homework, after work.

So, when Søren was going into 5th grade, and Silas into 2nd, we discovered Open Connections, a homeschooling co-op of sorts. After one visit, we made the quick decision to give it a go – and it has been wonderful. Of course, the pandemic changed this year a lot – we’ve since bought a camper and are going to tuck some good old road-schooling into our education. (Of course, education isn’t just for kids!)

Many of us are struggling right now to work and have children at home - how have you balanced the two? You are remarkably creative, how do you fit it all in? What advice would you share to those of us who are new to balancing work and homeschooling? 

I think our boys have a lot to do with our success. They are often as deep into projects as we are. Sometimes side by side, and other times I won’t see them for hours. But mostly I feel that it is really hard for me to keep a thread with so much going on. I love so many things and wish to jam so much in a day between work, boys, and art. So, yeah, I struggle with that too – all of the time! Who doesn’t?!

What does self care look like for you? What do you do to nourish yourself?

Oh dear. Herein lies my grey cloud. I love walking and yoga. I love reading and writing and drawing. And gardening. In a dream world I do all of this every day, and this is why my solitary ends of each day are so important to me! But I don’t get much of any. I squeeze in what I can in very small doses. And so it goes…

What’s your favorite way to exercise? 

I really REALLY enjoyed moving fieldstone around the 5 Acre Wood the first 2 weeks of quarantine! We have so much rock here! It felt very Sisyphean, but so do many things. And I sweat and I felt strong. And then I stopped. And now I am melting a little. I love kayaking and swimming and wandering in the woods. I love yoga. Getting lost altogether in a thing is my favourite. Not counting the minutes or the miles, just wandering.

Do you have a favorite article of clothing or accessory?

I have a very small closet (and I love this) so nearly everything is a favourite. Some clothing I’ve had for decades – including a Leonard Cohen T shirt that I got at a concert in 1993! Lately, I’ve been loving a black slip – the under layer of a Voloshin dress. I wear it gardening, hiking, swimming even, and a romper from Black Crane. I love gray – or rather black worn so much it fades to the perfect grey. 

What are your favorite spots for shopping and eating in Philly?

My goodness this question feels so unreal!

I love Suraya, Stock, Artist and Craftsman, and Vagabond (where I discovered Voloshin!)

Where can we purchase your items?

www.pegandawlbuilt.com !

*Note, January 2022: With the sale of our Philadelphia home (previously serving as an Airbnb), we were able to and embark on this new Barn Restoration Project.

Where Women Create magazine published a full story on Margaux and Peg and Awl this past Summer! Read the full story here.

Venturesome Overland wrote an excellent review of our Waxed Canvas Tote in their article Favorite Things: Peg and Awl Canvas Tote!

… I carry it everywhere – it goes to and from work with me and has already weathered several camping trips, where it came out none the worse for wear. A bit dusty, maybe, but nothing a damp rag won’t fix. I love that about this bag – it looks chic enough for me, is an excellent EDC, and is tough enough to not get destroyed from rough use. It was a big investment, but it was my fortieth birthday present to myself and it will last for years.

Peg and Awl says that the tote is “a blank slate waiting to be marked with the adventures and stories of use.” It’s already been in Botswana, Qatar, New York City, Portland, Or., and Missoula, Mt., carrying its own history and going on new adventures – collecting stories along the way.

Read the full article here!

Budget Travel featured our Hunter Satchel in their article What’s Your “Day Bag Personality”?

Carry It Crossbody
For years, I’ve been searching for a day bag to fit a book, a water bottle, over-ear headphones, and sunglasses, plus the wallet, organizational pouch, and lip balm that I always carry. It needs to be something big enough to hold it all without having to Tetris it in, but not so big that it weighs me down, and this no-frills satchel from Peg and Awl ticks all the boxes. Designed to carry the essentials and inspired by purpose-driven vintage bags like colonial-era satchels and the military map cases of World War II, the Hunter is made from sturdy, waterproof waxed canvas, with a brass rivets and studs for a modest flash of bling and a wide leather shoulder strap that stays put and doesn’t dig in. The interior pocket is just the right size for a wallet, keys, and a battery pack, and the main compartment is roomy enough for everything else. It's a utilitarian number with a few subtly clever details, from the smart placement that keeps the strap from twisting to a flap you can close with one hand (and a bit of dexterity).

Read the full article on Budget Travel.