Dual Wield Studio is thrilled to have spoken with the owner and CEO of Briarwick Candles, Kate Glass, about the collection of scented candles inspired by the worlds of author Tamora Pierce.
First, let's talk in general if that's okay! How did you get started with making candles?
Quite honestly, I don’t remember exactly why I started. I wanted a hobby and I read constantly. I loved the idea of using candles to create atmosphere, so I thought it would be an interesting creative challenge to try and capture characters and places that don’t actually exist. I thought other people might like them too, so I started selling and here we are, six years later!
What do you find inspiring about Tamora Pierce's work in particular?
The women. She wrote about girls who rescue themselves, and that was particularly formative for me to have read when I was young. Tamora Pierce is one of the first fantasy authors that I ever read and loved, and I haven’t stopped reading since.
Were there any challenges to conceptualizing any of the characters?
I would say that it was challenging to conceptualize all of the characters, as there aren’t very many textual scent notes throughout the novels. I had to figure out the vibe of the characters and look into their storylines to find something that I felt would capture their essence. Probably the hardest was Numair, as he doesn’t have as many environmental cues that I could’ve looked into in his storyline.
For people who are just falling down the scented rabbit hole, is there one you'd recommend?
This one is tricky, because scent is such a deeply personal thing. I think if you think you’re not much of a scent person, take a moment to think about what smells you enjoy (e.g, floral, woodsy, spicy, musky, etc.). Then it can be easier for you to find candles that you enjoy! For the Tamora Pierce line specifically, I think that either our Tortall candle or our Alanna candle would be the best for introductory candle lovers who just love her books, as they are the most broad and overarching across the Tortall universe. However, if you’re just interested in more candles that you may like, we do offer a shop by scent option on our website so that you can find something you’ll love!
This collaboration couldn’t have happened without stunning artwork by Kaiti Infante, who illustrated all of the labels for this collection and is nothing short of a joy to work with. Their portfolio can be found here, in addition to Twitter and Instagram.
To see what exciting things are happening over at Briarwick, you can find them on Instagram and Facebook. And be sure to check out the entire Tortall collection here - you’ll want to stay tuned for what’s coming next.