Good company takes many forms. Sometimes it's a conversation over tea. Sometimes it's an artist whose work I've admired for years. Sometimes it's a maker I met at a market and never forgot. Camino Botanica is built from these encounters.

For some time, I have been collecting names, stories, screen shots and business cards. Through my work as a photographer and filmmaker, I have had the privilege of working alongside artists, makers, farmers, designers and entrepreneurs – some whom I now hope to stock and promote in a new way. Others I've discovered while traveling, wandering through small shops, attending markets or simply falling down an internet rabbit hole and finding someone's work that stopped me in my tracks.

This initial collection is intentionally small—a glimpse of a much larger vision. It includes makers from here in New Mexico, as well as artists and artisans who represent places that have shaped me and continue to inspire me: Virginia, where I grew up; Peru and India, whose traditions and craftsmanship I deeply admire; and places I've stumbled upon while exploring, like the small town of La Conner, Washington, where this Spring I discovered and fell in love with the plant-based products of Handmade. La Conner.

A common thread connects nearly every maker you'll find here: a relationship with the natural world, specifically plants. All of these independent artisans remind us that the objects we live with are connected to places, materials, histories and hands.

As Camino Botanica grows, I plan to continue expanding this collection thoughtfully and slowly. Growth, like a garden, takes time.

The larger vision has always been about more than a shop. I imagine a place surrounded by gardens. A place where people linger over tea, browse books, attend workshops, meet makers, learn about plants and explore the connections between land, culture, craft and community. A place where thoughtfully made goods find their way into homes, become gifts for friends and family and are woven into the beauty of everyday life.

At its heart, Camino Botanica is also a place that supports independent artists, makers and small businesses. Commerce, when approached thoughtfully, is not separate from community—it helps sustain it. Every purchase is an exchange that allows creative people to continue their work, preserve traditions, support their families and contribute their gifts to the world. A thriving creative economy benefits us all, creating connections between those who make, those who gather and those who choose to bring these objects into their lives. Above all, it is a place that honors the people, traditions and landscapes that shape the things we make and the lives we build around them.

For now, this collection is a beginning—a first gathering of makers whose work reflects the values at the heart of Camino Botanica: beauty, connection, craftsmanship and a deep respect for the natural world.

Image: 

Marigold Handmade Linocut Print by Grace Gillespie, Bristol, England