Makers: Kelsey Wier of Foxhound Collection

The Makers series of posts highlights the artists that make the products we sell, a peek into their workspace and process as they create beautiful things. 

In this Makers post I'm delighted to introduce you to  Kelsey Wier, who makes the most delectable soy candles in her company "Foxhound Collection", based in Truro, Nova Scotia. We've been burning the Balsam and the Earl Grey here in the shop and they truly are divine.  I'm always interested to know more about the process and the person behind the pieces we carry here, so  I sent her a short list of questions about her art and her space and she very kindly sent back answers about her process along with some photos of her studio space.

 Jess: Tell us about your work space- do you have a dedicated studio or do you carve out space where you can when you need? What does it look like?

Kelsey: Just this past year I made the move to a studio space, it’s been nice to build the exact atmosphere I want to work in. A home away from home, a cozy reading nook with a comfy chair and a fragrance bar where those who come visit can shop and explore all the scents available. I have a large harvest table made locally, 10 feet long that is my desk/space for packing orders, labelling candles etc in the middle of the room. There’s a room attached to this where I pour, it’s lined with white tables and there’s a mountain of jars ready to be transformed.

Jess: what are your tools of the trade?

Kelsey:-Soy wax. Pure soy wax smells faintly floral on its own and it’s a dream to work with with this natural base.

-Fine fragrance oils, these are a blend of essential and synthetic oils. All the Foxhound scents are hand-blended in my studio, completely unique to my brand and my experiences in scent.

- My hands, every single candle is made with these two hands, hand-blended, poured, labelled and packed before it leaves the studio

Jess: Share a little about the process involved in your work

Kelsey: Over time I’ve been able to simplify and perfect the pouring process. I have a melter that melts 50lbs of wax at a time and it’s all a science from there. Specific ratios of wax to fragrance and at certain temperatures to get that perfect pour and scent throw that is fragrant but not overwhelming. The real process now is scent creation, blending to create something that is true-to-life.

Jess: Where do you look for inspiration?

Kesley: Everywhere, I definitely find myself taking note of scent more than ever. At every event, place visited, summer adventure. Each scent is created with a love of nostalgia. To me that means a couple things: 1. Specifically matching a scent that exists in life like Teakwood + Moss, representing a dewy woods in Spring. 2. Creating a scent that represents a feeling. Grapefruit + Fig was created for a love of Summer, that energizing care-free way of life.

 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 

You can find some of Kelsey's lovely candles here at the shop, and if you'd like to follow along on her maker adventure you can find her on instagram or catch up on her blog here.