The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day of the year, and a nod towards the colder months in the Northern Hemisphere. A time for hibernation and deep reflection. In support of that Regional Archive has teamed up with Kayo-Tea, Days Eye Ceramics, and Together Design Studio to offer a collection of items complimentary to this time and the practice of introspection.
In this edition, the act of introspection plays a role in the materiality and purpose of the collection. A personal journey through self-reflection, showing up as tangible supports for community reflection. A meaningful practice for the months in which hibernation is more prevalent. The collection encourages a deeper connection with self to provide impactful insights and opportunities for growth.
The Winter Solstice Edition includes:
SELF REFLECTION TEA
A custom blend of whole-leaf tea created in collaboration with Kayo-Tea. It embodies the act of introspection through it's choice of ingredients. All oriented towards warming the body and relaxing the soul.
Ingredients:
Balsam Fir - Added to represent the time of year. The fir adds a forest like taste and smell to the tea.
Catnip - Apparently not just for your furry friends. This herb is also added for is relaxing properties.
Mint - Soothing flavour that helps to calm stress and anxiety, and promote restful sleep, and the digestive system.
Lemon Balm - A type of mint and equally considered a calming herb. It has been added for flavour and for its mild sedative properties. Note it is less powerful than chamomile.
About Kayo-tea:
Mitigomin, the Algonquin word for an acorn from the red oak tree ; We are a green enterprise that values the environment, health, tradition and nature. Located on Algonquin territory, we have a love for all plants but specialize in herbs and native species. We sell 30+ different varieties of herbal teas that are grown organically in our gardens.
NAVEL GAZER MUG
Part mug, part bowl, part whatever you want it to be. The Navel Gazer Mug is an invitation to go inwards and sip up whatever flows out. We leave it to you to choose your path with it in hand.
Created in collaboration with Days Eye, the mug is made using a nerikomi technique, which involves stacking and cutting colored pieces of clay. In this instance, the clay has been tinted with a vibrant cobalt in different saturations to help create a duo-toned marbling. The result is a unique mug that embodies the mixing and mastery of its maker.
About Days Eye:
DAYS EYE is a line of hand made ceramics by Barrie, Ontario based artist Heather Long. Created using coil and slab building techniques, a softly pinched texture is left behind in Heather's work, highlighting human touch and the beauty in imperfection. Elements of nature and play inspire these unique sculptural and functional clay works.
Details:
Measurements: W - 5", Height - 3"
Process + Care: Each piece is hand built using stoneware. Since the items are created by hand, each is one of a kind in size, shape, and colour may vary slightly from piece to piece. Food safe glaze is used on the mug. Hand washing is recommended to give the mug the longest life possible.
GROUNDWORK POSTCARDS
This set of postcards was developed in collaboration with Together Design as a series of prompts to support you through four stages of introspection. Born out of a journey in to the woods for deep reflection, the resulting iconography and illustrations represent the four stages of self-reflection and what they feel like.
Use these postcards to capture your own process, as reminders of the groundwork needed for deeper observation and to share with loved ones. Display them in your home individually or as a collective, or keep them on your desk as visual inspiration, however they support or encourage you.
Icons Explained:
Centre-Dive
Finding centre in yourself - finding centre in the hot/dark/depths of the earth.
Experiment
Experimentation as self-collaboration; working with your past-present-future self; pushing out from the dark middle to see what takes form.
Trust
Finding space to trust what your experimentation has laid bare; trusting your own imagining, trusting the process.
Centre - Land
Bringing it back to home: showing, building, adjusting, finding space to recognize yourself in each space / stage / layer.
Details:
Size: 4" x 6"
Printing: Letterpress, by All Sorts Press
Paper: Mohawk Keaykolour - China White - 111 Cover Weight
About Together Design:
Together is an illustration and graphic design studio that believes in working towards better futures.
We exist at the meeting-place of illustration, graphic design, and equity work, and believe in the power of collaboration and community.
We believe that art & design can support fundamental change by engaging & energizing communities and creating visual spaces for everyone.
Together always creates from a space of equity, empathy, and thoughtfulness.
*Each edition comes with one of the items listed above.
Expected Delivery: December, 2022