A new Venture

For a while now, I've been toying with the idea of running my own vintage and artists' shop. Very original right? When I was a teen, I didn't know they existed, because I grew up in the Poconos, where the only place to get vintage was at the thrift store.

I had no idea.

Now, I run an artists' consignment shop, and I love what I do. I love the artists I work with, the people who shop there, and the mission of the store. But it's not my shop; it belongs to the college, so I've done my best to add my personal flair to the layout, the curating choices, the featured artist program. While everything I've done has made the store as great as it is, I sometimes wish I had one of my very own. Someday.

I'm starting a new adventure, to try to find some peace of mind, a compromise for the time being. I'll be starting an etsy shop for vintage and antique items, called Mutabor Vintage.

Mutabor, taken from my favorite book, Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse, loosely translates to: transformation into anything you please. I certainly find it fitting. There's nothing in the shop yet, but I plan to use my time off from work in the coming weeks to get it going. Perfect timing, yes? I'm missing the holiday shoppers, but that's okay. It's not about that.

Mutabor was also the title for a series of etchings (that may or may not be complete), which you can view through a link on the right....

Lastly, you can still find my prints, sculptures, and jewelry at kvanvliet.etsy.com.

Here's to happy vintage shopping, one of my favorite activities, only surpassed by art-making!