The way Tammy Wenderlich would describe her life is "organized chaos." She is the owner and artist at Desert Bird Mercantile, a home goods gift store in Old Town. Tammy is always busy creating new designs and items for her shop after retiring from software engineering 10 years ago.
“I knew that I would always leave that job early and be creative because I was always creative as a child,” Tammy said.
She began with sewing, but didn’t want to make objects out of ready-made fabric. Instead, she began painting on fabric and turning that custom fabric into cushions.
“The cushions that I was selling at markets were popular, but it wasn't sustainable as a business if I wanted to make a living at it,” Tammy said. “It occurred to me that I could use my computer skills.”
Those skills got put to good use as she began creating textiles with her own designs. Tammy begins on paper using a wide variety of tools including acrylics, watercolors and chalk.
“I call that art day, where I get in the zone and I have my giant workbench at home cleared off and I'm just making prints and I’m out of my head,” she said.
After that, she chooses the prints that catch her eye and scans them into her computer. The prints then get turned into patterns, which are printed on fabric that is made into cushions, clothing, tote bags, wall art and so much more.
Tammy is also a children’s book author, with a series of ABC books based on states. Those books are illustrated with Tammy’s sketches.
“I make sketches and then I'll scan the sketch into my graphic design software,” she said. “Instead of filling the shapes of the animals with solid color, I can use the repeating patterns.”
Her designs are available to buy at Desert Bird Mercantile in Old Town. A second location in Corrales also features her work, but is also the storefront for her husband Neal’s woodworkings. His furniture is in the style of the American Arts and Crafts movement with a modern twist.
Photo Credit: Desert Bird Mercantile
Whether it’s furniture or textiles, New Mexico can be seen in both of their works.
“I am inspired by the New Mexico high desert. I'm inspired by the vibrant culture that we have here, I'm inspired by the whimsical animals and plant life that we have here,” Tammy said. “The New Mexico landscape, that's my happy place.”
