Reader of the Week: Meagan Weber

This Mad City gal loves making art for High Tea

By Kirsten Kilponen
Published: March 2nd, 2009 | 12:00am

Wisconsin may be known for its cows and colossal cheese production (over 350 different varieties!), but it’s also home to Mad City graphic artist and origami-maker extraordinaire, Meagan Weber. The 27-year-old took the time to talk to us about slinging clay for magically beautiful teapots, and her endless amazement with Japanese packaging.

What made you decide to go to graphic design school? Have you always been in love with Typography and color wheels?

I did my first logo design when I was in fourth grade, so that should have been a clue to me as to what to do later. Before I knew it, I was a huge nerd for fonts, paper, and ink. Going to school for graphic arts was the only time I ever enjoyed school and got straight A's.

Where do you draw inspiration from for graphic design?

I think no matter what your medium, you draw your inspiration from whatever surrounds you –be it music, people, or just other design or art. I mean, design is everywhere. I [also] never cease to be amazed with Japanese packaging. The Japanese have a way of always making everything beautiful [and] that is just irresistible to me.

Teapots are beautiful functional art. How did you get into teapot making, and why don't you sell them?!

I took ceramics one semester for fun, which quickly became an obsession. One of my assignments was to make some sort of teapot, to which I think I responded with a sigh, “like why do I want to make a teapot? What am I, an old lady?” I have no upper body strength and can't throw large pieces of clay, so my teapot ended up being tiny. I loved it! I have somehow never sold a teapot because I can't part with them. When I do part with ceramics projects, they go to family as gifts because they mean too much to me.

You make cute origami animals that look way better than the cranes everyone would make in grade-school. How did you learn how to make them?

One thing I do for money currently is caption phone calls for the hearing impaired. I have a hard time sitting still in a cubicle, and I have some time in-between calls to do as I please as long as it's quiet. Much to my wallet's dismay, there's a great craft store across the street. I picked up a book one day and some paper and started making little animals. I leave them in the cubicles, and I sometimes watch people when they find a little origami giraffe and clap for joy. The trickiest design has been a tortoise, which I just can't seem to crack! I fill my origami fish sometimes with catnip and my kitty goes nuts with them.

Are there any origami gods that you know of that we should know about?

If you've got leftover flaps from your Netflix movies, you can go to netflixorigami.com and put them to use! Your friends will be impressed.

What do you like to do in your spare time and on the streets of Madison?

I make jewelry and other random items that I sell at Plan9Design.etsy.com I like to sample the diverse and tasty food selection of Madison's restaurants, my favorite being a Thai place called Sa Bai Thong. There is a charming teahouse and gallery called Macha Teahouse, which is just delightful for chilling out and collecting your thoughts on charming Monroe Street. We have an indoor botanical garden that is open year-round. I love to go there and snap photos of the tropical flowers and quails. It's like walking into a rainforest in the Midwest, and it [only] costs a dollar.

www.myspace.com/skrewcitychik