Studio Notes

This week’s letter was written at the Dot Cafe in Ames, Iowa on September 3rd, 2026. Listen to the audio for expanded randomness or read the substack transcript if you find my handwriting tricky.

Print of Stargazer Now Available

The original painting has sold and the 8x10 print is now available exclusively online.

Next Week in Ames, Iowa

Friday, Sept 11, 2026: Zine Club + Zine Distro Open Hours Every 4th Friday from 4-7pm, coming up next week. Free and open to the public. Supplies included. More info about that here.

Want to get a letter from my studio to you nearly every week + access to the digital archive of zines & patterns? Sign up for a paid subscription today!

Already a paid subscriber? Thank you! There will be a new download in the archive later this week. I’ll start up a chat for it once it’s added.

If you’d like to reply, please feel free to comment or send a handwritten reply to: 138 Main Street, Ames, Iowa 50010. Letters received are always a bright spot. Let me know if I can share it online, otherwise I will default to it being a private correspondence.

Until Next Time,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s Letter was written August 2, 2026.

* Original White Fawn Lily Painting SOLD

* Prints are now available.

* Learn more about the Whiterock Conservancy 2026 Residency & see all the artwork it inspred.

* See this and the rest of the handwritten letters from my studio to you.

* See the full botanical series.

* Purchase Originals & Prints

Passing through Central Iowa?

See my work in person at my tea shop & gallery Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa).

Join me for Zine Club most 2nd Fridays of the Month in my downtown studio (138 Main Street, above Little Woods) from 4-7pm. RSVP for August Club to reserve a seat, no registration required for stopping by to check out the distro and say “Hello”.

Come stitch with me! Mending at the Octagon most 4th Thursday of each month from 5:30 - 8:00pm. RSVP to reserve a seat. $5 suggested donation for mending tutoring/assistance, free to attend and co-mend with us! All textile arts welcome.

Until Next Time!

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

Prints and Original Painting Available

Save the Date

mending @ the Octagon

* Thursday, May 28, 2026

* 5:30 PM 6:30 PM

Join me for the ongoing monthly mending social at the Octagon Center for the arts. Bring your project and a favorite beverage to enjoy. View Event →

Roach Motel Zine Club

* Friday, June 5, 2026

* 4:00 PM 7:00 PM

Grab a tea from Little Woods and head up to my studio to make your own political zine! Get inspired by the Roach Motel Zine Distro & Reading Library, then dive into an afternoon of cutting, pasting, and professing your love. Bring your scraps—and come solo or with friends! The zine distro and reading room will be open during zine club. View Event →

Art Walk + Debut of Backyard Botanicals: Whiterock

* Thursday, June 11, 2026

* 5:00 PM 8:00 PM (Private Preview 1:00 - 5:00 PM)

View Event →

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s Letter was written August 27, 2025.

End Notes

* Original Goldenrod Painting & Open Edition Prints are now available.

* Read the residency report from last year’s Lakeside Lab Residency.

* Send me a letter: Kristin M Roach, 138 Main Street, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA.

* See this and the rest of the handwritten letters from my studio to you.

* See the full backyard botanical series.

* Purchase Originals & Prints

Passing through Central Iowa?

See my work in person at my tea shop & gallery Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa). Save the date for October 11 & 12th. I’ll be hosting the Ames Community Arts Council at the tea bar for the Ames Area Studio Tour & exhibiting all the backyard botanical paintings. Currently only about half are on display.

My big challenge over the next month is to finish my greeting card collection for the series and get prints of all the paintings made—no small feat! I’m almost done with reprinting all the sold out 8x10, now on to laying out and getting all the cards printed. Wish me luck!

NOTE about Monthly Mending at the Octagon Center for the Arts

The mending meeting is still happening the 4th thursday of each month, but I will not be able to attend in August in September because…

I’ve been accepted into the Iowa DNR Field to Fork program this summer and am learning archery! I didn’t get a choice about timing, they were like - you are in, show up on these dates. Okay, will do. I’ll be back in mending action in the fall.

Sincerely,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

View the more of the Waxing & Waning series in my portfolio.

* Enjoy the Craft Leftovers’ digital archive — a paid subscriber thanks!

* Purchase Originals & Prints

* Send me a letter: Kristin M Roach, 138 Main Street, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA.

Passing through Central Iowa?

See my work in person at my tea shop & gallery Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa) OR Now - August 9th my work is part of a group exhibit called Elusive Balance.

Closing Reception for Elusive Balance Group Exhibit

* 2:00PM – 5:00PM, August 9th, 2025

* Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, Iowa.

* «More Info Click Here»

Sincerely,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s Letter was written July 10, 2025.

* Original Purple Salvia and Prints are now available.

* Send me a letter: Kristin M Roach, 138 Main Street, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA.

* See this and the rest of the handwritten letters from my studio to you.

* See the full backyard botanical series.

* Purchase Originals & Prints

Passing through Central Iowa?

See my work in person at my tea shop & gallery Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa).

NOTE about Monthly Mending at the Octagon Center for the Arts

We will not be meeting in July (we all have outside obligations), and I will not be able to attend in August in September because…

I’ve been accepted into the Iowa DNR Field to Fork program this summer and am learning archery! I didn’t get a choice about timing, they were like - you are in, show up on these dates. Okay, will do. I’ll be back in mending action in the fall.

Sincerely,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s Letter was written June 26, 2025.

* Original Elder Berry Painting and Prints are now available.

* See this and the rest of the handwritten letters from my studio to you.

* See the full backyard botanical series.

* Purchase Originals & Prints

Passing through Central Iowa?

See my work in person at my tea shop & gallery Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa).

NOTE about Monthly Mending at the Octagon Center for the Arts

We will not be meeting in July (we all have outside obligations), and I will not be able to attend in August in September because…

I’ve been accepted into the Iowa DNR Field to Fork program this summer and am learning archery! I didn’t get a choice about timing, they were like - you are in, show up on these dates. Okay, will do. I’ll be back in mending action in the fall.

Sincerely,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s Letter was written June 12, 2025 while sitting river-side for a between-errands break.

* Original Elder Berry Painting and Prints are now available.

* See this and the rest of the handwritten letters from my studio to you.

* See the full backyard botanical series.

* Purchase Originals & Prints

The Two Books I Mentioned

Please note: not an affiliate link, just showing some love to my local bookstore

Iowa's Changing Wildlife by James J. Dinsmore & Stephen J. Dinsmore

Holy Ground by Catherine Coleman Flowers

Passing through Central Iowa?

See my work in person at my tea shop & gallery Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa) or come say hello in person at the Octagon Center for the Arts Mending Social — Usually the 4th Thursday of each month from 5:30 - 8pm, check the link for the specific date and time.

Sincerely,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s Letter is from early April when spring was not quite fully here, and features the story of painting Sumac in the depth of summer during a rain storm.

* Original Summer Sumac Painting and Prints are now available.

* See this and the rest of the handwritten letters from my studio to you.

* See the full backyard botanical series.

* Purchase Originals & Prints

Passing through Central Iowa?

See my work in person at my tea shop & gallery Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa) or come say hello in person at the Octagon Center for the Arts Mending Social — Usually the 4th Thursday of each month from 5:30 - 8pm, check the link for the specific date and time.

The Junk Mail Migration Descry Tapestry is on view at Mainframe Studios in Des Moines until May 28th — take a peek before we bring it back home to Ames for… Art Walk!

Don’t forget Downtown Ames Art Walk is Thursday, June 5th from 5-8pm (full list of participating artists and businesses here)— I’ll be opening up my 2nd floor studio/workspace and you can see all the botanical paintings and the Roach Motel Zine Distro in person.

Sincerely,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe

Coming up in May you can find me locally at Mainframe Studio in Des Moines’ first friday event from 5-8pm. My work is in the south atrium and I’ll be planting myself nearby to answer questions and say hello with folks who’d like to come say “Hi” and see the Junk Mail Migration Descrying Tapestry + a few paintings from the series.

End Notes

Today is a little different format, pages right from my sketchbook vs a notebook. Definitely checkout the images of drawings and collages.

The first page was written once I returned home and found Lucy (my kiddo) and Jason (my spouse) were sick with a combotron of strep and allergies. I soon fell pray to allergies as well. Thankfully no strep.

Click here for more details about the Junk Mail Migration Descrying Tapestry.

See all the Junk Mail Bird Paintings completed to date.

Read/Listen to the rest of the handwritten letters from my studio to you.

Purchase Originals & Prints

Passing through Central Iowa? See my work in person at Little Woods Herbal (136 Main Street, Ames, Iowa), come say hello in person at the Octagon Center for the Arts Mending Social, or stop by Mainframe for the May first Friday celebration.

Sincerely,

Kristin M Roach

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit kristinmroach.substack.com/subscribe