AUSTINTOWN — The first time Kevin Swadener crafted something using leather was when he made a braided handle for a wooden war hammer.
At the time, he didn’t think too much of it, but he knew he had a passion for swinging a hammer. Soon, Swadener found himself dabbling in some backyard blade smithing and wood burning (pyrography), but deep down inside, he felt like something was still missing.
“These skills had some carryover to leatherwork. One of the things I enjoy most about leathercraft is how simple it is. You don’t need a lot of room. You don’t need electricity besides light. A blade, a bludgeon and an awl can get a simple job done,” Swadener said.
Today, Swadener is a self-taught leather artisan behind Ashen Relics, which is his own line and brand of leather wares. Swadener said that some of the wares he has made include journals, grimoires, bookmarks, mini-journals, pouches, potion bottles, belts, planchettes, rune sets, bracelets, bracers, incense holders and altar pieces.
“My favorite things to make are bookmarks or altar pieces depicting mythological figures. What comes the most natural to me is leather tooling, which is hitting different tipped stamps with a maul to imprint onto the leather,” Swadener said.
Swadener said he uses vegetable-tanned leather from Tandy. He said he orders a certain “cut” (side, shoulder, belly, double shoulder, etc) based on the amount and thickness of leather needed for his project. He then maps out a design and cuts out the leather.
Swadener said if the piece calls for artwork / tooling, he will case the vegetable-tanned leather overnight by damping it with water and wrapping it in plastic wrap. He said this allows the leather fibers to take the stamps, cuts and tooling.
“I then use a swivel blade to cut out the main lines of an image into the leather. This splits the leather allowing for easier manipulation of depth. Shading and depth are created by hammering different tipped stamps, my most used stamp being a beveler. Some projects can take over 1,000 hammer strikes. After you are satisfied with your carving and tooling, you may add color to it with dyes and leather paints. These are then sealed with a finish.I often use an antique paste that seeps into the deep cuts and stamps, leaving more pronounced and bold lines. This can be sold as an art piece or bookmark, or it can be sewn and/or riveted onto a functional item like a book or pouch. The options are virtually endless. Most of my projects are finished by beveling the edges and hand burnishing them with a small piece of waxed canvas,” Swadener said.
Swadener has lived and worked in the Mahoning Valley his entire life and said he does not plan on changing that. Swadener is a 2006 graduate of Liberty High School and is an alumnus of Youngstown State University, where he studied theology.
Both sides of Swadener’s family were Italian immigrants to the Youngstown area. His great-grandfather worked in the steel mills and his mother’s family grew up in Brier Hill on the North Side. Swadener gravitated toward the artist lifestyle because he always had an interest in telling a story through a piece of art.
“I have always searched for ways to express myself through the arts. My first creative effort was with writing music. I really dove into physical art by making Elder Futhark Rune sets from ash wood. These were done using a pyrography pen. Once I sold my first item and felt the inherent joy that comes with sharing art, I was hooked. At many times, I felt scared, silly, and downright vulnerable, but the people I have met along this crafter’s journey have been endlessly supportive,” Swadener said.
For Swadener, the idea of Ashen Relics was conceived during the pandemic. Like many individuals during this time period, Swadener found himself reassessing life and coming up with creative alternatives. Swadener had a handful of leather from some prior projects and some basic tools to begin this creative venture.
“Cut by cut, stitch by stitch, hammer hit by hammer hit, I slowly started to see progress. In October 2021, I vended at Rebel Rescue Ranch (a non-profit 501 (c ) 3 organization that helps exotic and small domestic animals in need ) with four leather book covers. Since then, with the help of my wife, Angela, Ashen Relics has made over 500 items out of leather. The ‘Ashen Relics’ name is an ode to the ash trees that have fallen in our yard,” Swadener said.
Swadener is very passionate about religious iconography and is also inspired by antiquity. He is very influenced by religious relics, stained glass windows, ancient stone reliefs and alchemical drawings.
Swadener enjoys the works of Spanish Rococo romantic painter maker Francisco Jose Goya; the Czech Nouveau painter and illustrator, Alphonse Mucha; the French illustrator and graphic artist, Gustave Dore; and the Vajrayana practitioner, psychedelic visual artist, author and teacher, Alex Grey, who is well known for creating artwork for the band, Tool.
Swadener has had no formal training, but said he has had a lot of help, advice and inspiration along the way. He has always been fascinated with religion, ritual and mythology.
“I studied theology at Youngstown State University, which included a fair bit of biblical history. This introduced me to Mesopotamian art. Some of my favorite works are the Assyrian stone reliefs. My studies also introduced me to a variety of world mythologies. I took a strong liking to the Norse myths and pantheon and started reading the Eddas. This led to studying the pre-Viking Elder Futhark Runes, a Proto-Germanic alphabet. I would also credit the influx of Nordic imagery in popular media too. This includes Tolkien’s work. Leathercraft has been a part of human history since the beginning. It is an honor to continue this tradition. I also enjoy only using hand tools to make my wares,” Swadener said.
Ashen Relics has been a vendor at Youngstown Flea, YSU Summer Festival of the Arts, Artists of the Rust Belt, and the Ohio Viking Festival. For Swadener, the simple goal is to make a living being creative and continuously pushing himself to improve as an artist / crafter.
“I want to continue to be a part of the ever-growing Youngstown arts scene. I am hoping to have a few seminars to introduce newcomers to leathercraft. I would like to give a shout out to Dreadnought Leather and Master of None Leather, who are local leather workers who have helped me with material and tools. Toward the end of November, I will be having a show at Sarah’s Ceramic Studios in Austintown. If you enjoy ‘Dungeons & Dragons,’ you can find me playing with our group, Five Sided Die, on twitch every Friday,” Swadener said.
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