Artist crafts leather pillows

Hard work, ingenuity, and some good old fashioned moxy are the ingredients needed to begin a business. Business sense and customers keep it moving forward. Nancy Wilson of GWN Brand has the complete package, and it's wrapped up like a pillow. A soft, one-of-a-kind, leather pillow.

Wilson is the artist and craftsman behind a line of leather pillows found exclusively in Sisters. Each one is hand-sewn, with artistic details of hand-cut leather fringe, antler buttons and photos of local wildlife.

What started as a longing for a beautiful leather pillow to enhance her own home soon turned into disappointment over the pricing of the products that were on the market. That then turned into a zeal to create her own piece of leather art.

"My first pillow is still my favorite," she said. "The deerhide I put this great elk photo on was just too beautiful to cut into straight sides so I left it as it. It's hand stitched with leather stitching onto the face of the cow hide pillow on two, almost three full sides and then the leather trails off down the pillow."

That was the winter of 2008. With her new found passion, she proceeded to make Christmas gifts for her family, to their delight.

Surprised by her own creativity and artistic talent, Wilson gives the credit to God.

"I didn't know I could do this," she said. "It just fell into place. I want to give the profits to help others, like the meals ministry I work in at Calvary Chapel in Bend."

Wilson helps operate Ultimate Garage Floors with her husband, Gary. Gary makes up the other part of the GWN Brand. With each of their businesses, the GWN Brand stands for doing it right. The quality of materials, the prep work, the attention to detail, and the desire to have extremely satisfied clients is part of who they are.

The hides Wilson uses are acquired locally, as well as the antler tips she some times uses as fasteners. It's a common practice for Wilson to stop along the road to capture one of the many stunning sights we get to see in our area, deer and horses grazing.

Wilson tenderly holds in her hands a picture of "Bob," a fawn she knows from around her home. The picture is on cream-colored supple leather that she carries with her in her purse. Doing custom work using photos of a client's favorite horse or dog or cow is another avenue Wilson would love to pursue.

"Making a product that is real and is not mass produced makes me feel good, making a product for a customer that they have a part in, that they love, well that would be really special," she said.

Currently, Wilson is dreaming up ways to incorporate furs into her creations.

"I have a contact in Alaska with some gorgeous furs," she said. "I can see some great new designs using bits of fur on my pillows but I will only buy ethically harvested furs."

Wilson has finished up a new design of leather shawls. They are rustic and real and look fabulous on Wilson in jeans and heels.

You can purchase a GWN Brand pillow through Antler Arts on Cascade Avenue or by calling the GWN Brand offices at 771-1364. Contac [email protected]