Life & Work with Emma Kosanke

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Kosanke.

Hi Emma, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
White Pine Print Shop started as an idea during college that was briefly explored on Etsy while I was in school. I was majoring in Interior Design and taking Printmaking classes for studio credit. That’s when I fell in love with how tactile and creative the printmaking process is. Life got busy and the business idea was put on the back burner while I spent time in the world of commercial interior design. After a while, I discovered I was not made for a desk job and felt something was missing in regards to my creativity.

After taking some time away from interior design to work at a retail store, I truly figured out what it was I wanted to do. I wanted to become an artist. Deep down, I had always been one in one way or another, but to step out and call myself a professional artist seemed laughable. But once covid struck and the world slowed down, I decided it was now or never that I was going to see if this thing could work. So in January of 2021, I took a leap of faith, quit my full-time job, found a flexible part-time job, and started creating. This past year has been one of many ups and downs, both professionally and personally, but I’ve learned so much and couldn’t be happier with the decision I made.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This year has been one unlike any other I hope to experience again. Among the typical issues arising from what I’m sure future generations will call ‘The Covid Years’, I’ve been taking control of my mental health through the ups and downs of anxiety and depression. While dealing with that, my mom was diagnosed with Triple Negative breast cancer in the Spring. Nobody ever wants to see a loved one go through that journey, but to have it happen during a year that already seemed turned on its head, was another story. Through multiple surgeries and many months of chemotherapy, I struggled to push past all the fear and sadness to really focus on my own business. Some days it felt impossible just getting out of bed. But thanks to the wonderful support of those around me, I’ve made it through and can happily say that my mom is done with treatment and recovering. The year may not have looked pretty, but through it all many positive things did happen for me and my business.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I specialize in traditional relief printmaking. This is often referred to as woodcuts, lino cuts, or blockprinting. The process involves using tools called gouges to carve out designs into a material, such as wood, linoleum, or rubber. That material is then inked up using a rubber roller, or brayer, and hand-pressed onto paper. There are so many techniques and tools and processes to achieve a relief print, but over time I’ve found what works best for me in my home studio. One of the fun things about being a printmaker is that it’s not a very common art form in most areas, so I’m able to teach many people about what it is I make and explain that no, I do not just print images off of a printer, which is something I’m asked a lot. Each print is handmade and has slight imperfections that add to the identifying characteristics of a relief print.

Saying out loud that I’m proud of something I did has always been hard for me, but I’ve learned there’s no shame in taking pride in something you put your whole self into. And that’s exactly what I did this year. I stepped outside my comfort zone and did things for the first time ever. I participated in my first juried art festival and felt tremendous accomplishment from that success. Imposter Syndrome took over big time when I applied for it, but to see the acceptance email was very validating and made it that much easier to confidently tell people I’m an artist when they ask what I do for a living. I pushed myself to create new products that could’ve been a huge of waste of time, but paid off. I am proud of a couple prints I made that were challenging, whether that was because of the detail in it and the time it took to carve or the amount of layers that took extra planning to make sure all the blocks lined up and produced the desired effect. Pulling the first print of a piece that frustrated me and seeing it come out better than I ever imagined, those are the moments when I know I’m right where I’m supposed to be.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
If you ask me, I’d say I’m not a risk-taker. But if you ask those around me, they might disagree. I’ve always been someone who when I believe wholeheartedly in something, takes the leap and dives right in without fully thinking it through. To me. it’s just because I’m passionate about the things I’m passionate about. But I’ve discovered that not everyone thinks or acts that way. From my perspective, I don’t feel I’ve taken many risks throughout this year, outside of the first big one, which was quitting a stable full-time job to see if life as an artist was even possible.

While I’m nowhere near buying an extravagant mansion, I’m happy with the risk I took knowing it would take a few years to get this up and running to the point that I could make art full-time. I think I’m more willing to take a risk in these early stages of my business because I really don’t have much to lose yet. That may change down the road, but for now, I’m open to taking a risk here and there and seeing what pays off.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.whitepineprintshop.com
• Instagram: @whitepineprintshop

Image Credits
Breana Winnes
Emma Kosanke