BARBARA SOULE
B Hive Designs was inspired in the summer of 2006 after the birth of my second child. I knew that I wanted to stay at home with him during his babyhood, but I also knew that I might go stir crazy without a project at task. After taking a silk screening class, I was inspired to draw a few designs & print them. It was so much fun, and the images always looked even better in print. So I did a little research, bought a few supplies & started selling my tees with surprising success.
I was raised in Santa Barbara, CA & lived in San Francisco for many years while attending UC Berkeley. I earned a BA in Native American Studies, a decision based on my Navajo heritage.
While growing up, I was unaware of the distinct cultural differences between my parents, my father being Caucasian & my mother Navajo. But as a young adult I realized that being raised in a multicultural household influenced my perception of the world. My husband always laughs when I call myself a minority (because I look more like my Caucasian Father), but I rarely ever meet anyone of Navajo decent unless I am visiting my family in New Mexico. I think that my background has shaped my idea of beautiful, & the design choices that I make. As you will notice in my work, I am stongly influenced by the natural world around me.
I currently live in Portland Oregon with my beautiful husband, 2 little boys, 2 dogs, & a few fish. We are a very active family who love spending time outdoors, and who appreciate every sunny day.....it's a must in Oregon. I am lucky to have a studio in the backyard of our home, which has a large picture window that overlooks my children's play area. During the Summer we are in our backyard everyday, but 8 months out of the year I look longingly out my kitchen window at my studio, hoping for a little free time when I can lock myself away in a room full of beautiful fabrics, paints, papers, and bits of the world to play with.
The goal of my business is to be creative and promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle for my children. All of my baby & kid’s tees are 100% Organic Cotton, printed with Eco-Friendly water based ink, and are made in the USA. All adult tees are either made in the USA sweatshop free, are oganic cotton, or are conventional cotton made by manufacturers who comply with strict fair labor principles. The totes are made from recycled cotton, manufactured fair wage, fair labor. I am also an avid recycler, and only purchase paper that is 100% post consumer content for my business purposes.
I hope you enjoy my little creations, and that they are inspired ideas for you and your family!