When perusing Slow Loris’ massive selection of T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, and hats, it becomes very clear very quickly that Jessica Lynch, the artist behind all the designs, finds inspiration in the Pacific Northwest’s unique beauty.
On one shirt, deep blue stripes of ocean waves disguise fish and orcas below a mountainous horizon. On another, called Nature Walk, an array of blackberries, bees, oyster shells, and bird feathers—perhaps the contents of a child’s pocket after a stroll through the woods—are displayed in a Rorschach-like pattern. There’s a shirt showcasing a backpacking tortoise and another with a dog sitting by a campfire. There really is a Slow Loris shirt for everyone! And they’re all designed, printed, and shipped from the family-run studio on Washington’s Guemes Island.
Slow Loris won’t be popping up at any holiday markets this year, but you can find a selection of designs at REI stores or buy online at SlowLoris.com—they’re even having a big sale November 23-27 (Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday).
Do you have a favorite place to go and be outside in Washington?
I love the little island I live on and there is a special place here called Dogwoods, where dogs can run free on trails and their humans can meander behind them taking in the gorgeous trees and mushroom-filled trails. It’s around three miles of forestland trails and it’s a family favorite location we end up at almost daily, rain or shine, with our two pups.
It can be hard to get outside this time of year, though—it’s so damp and cold and gray. But there’s still a lot of beauty! Do you have any tips for folks who might have the tendency to hole up until April?
Just this week, after picking my daughter up from school, it was rainy and windy and, even though she didn’t want to because of this, we stopped at the island park to stand in the hundreds of leaves as they were blowing off the huge maple trees. It was really quite beautiful. We were alone in a big field, in a cyclone of leaves. She ran around trying to catch them before they hit the ground. After we left the park, my 7-year-old said, “That it was the best day ever.” I don’t have any tips, but cold weather has always made me feel alive, so I like to be in it. It’s fun to be out walking in a storm on the beach and then come home and get cozy and warm.
I am so glad you have a slug shirt! I feel that slugs are underappreciated. I love them, but some people hate them. Where do you fall on the slug spectrum?
I love slugs! They are so weird and fun to draw. I have many slug stories, like the time my friend Alex and I took our shoes off and walked barefoot down a forest trail covered in brown, black, yellow, and green spotted banana slugs. They were everywhere. We stood side by side, closed our eyes—we made this randomly up on a dare—holding onto the same broom handle across us so we walked together, and whoever squished a slug with their barefoot and made a sound lost. No slugs were harmed, but it was quite funny and gross.
