ZOE BLAIR

Zoe lives in Monticello, Florida, with her 4 Jack Russell terriers, on land she cultivates herself. Before Monticello, she lived in Orlando, and before that, in no particular order, she lived in Mexico City, Panama, Rio De Janiero, Washington, DC, Boulder, CO, and St. Petersberg, FL (growing up, her father was in the CIA). She wears jaw-dropping turquoise jewelry and designs bespoke handmade notebooks, binding them by hand, making her own decorative paper, and filling them with cyanotypes, watercolors and bits of prose. Zoe will be teaching wabi-sabi journal making in July. She is working on her first book. 

On travel: I’m driving out to see Robert Plant (and Saving Grace) in New Mexico in a few months. It’ll take a few days - nothing will stop me! That music is my childhood, my teens, everything. 

Current state of mind?

Positive.

If you could die and be reincarnated, what would you come back as?

A wolf. 

On matters of the heart

My ex-husband told me I had a wild heart when we got divorced. I guess I always have. So those were good parting words. I’ve had lots of freedom, and really am enjoying life. 

Depth of misery?

Living in a big city.

Physical attribute you like about yourself?

My eyes, I guess. I have my father’s Scottish drooping eyes.

Ideal picture of happiness?

Standing in the high desert, just breathing that rarefied air.

On treats:

I am a specialist in finding delicious things.

How did you learn to make these gorgeous books? 

I found a reference in a magazine back in the late 90’s and was enthralled by it. I realized there were workshops in Washington state once a year and all these artists were being brought in to teach. I had to go. So I went every year for several years, and had a lot of teaching from a lot of teachers.