Our Team
Kathy Burnside
Founder, Member
Kathy is a multi-talented artist who discovered bookbinding during the pandemic. Her love of bookbinding evolved into the art of "Junk Journaling." She loves teaching and promises you'll be hooked on journaling after attending a class.
Neysa Rojas
Founder, Member
Neysa discovered bookbinding at one of Kathy’s classes and got hooked. She enjoys Junk Journaling because it allows her to incorporate various artistic mediums into one creative space. She loves teaching and promises you'll be hooked too on junk journaling after attending a class.
Learn more about Kathy Burnside:
“My lifelong love for art began at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Though my career took a different path, art remained a constant in my life. I've explored various mediums, from pen and ink to bookbinding and collage. I have also explored the meditative art of Zentangle. My work has been exhibited at the Rockefeller Foundation, the Burlington Artist Gallery and the Kernodle Art Center. I’m passionate about sharing my artistic journey with others through workshops and collaborations. I currently teach workshops in bookbinding, junk journaling, collage creation, and more, inspiring a love for artistic expression in everyone I meet.
A lifelong love affair with art began for me as a student at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology. Though my career path took a turn, my artistic spirit wouldn't be contained, leading me to the Rockefeller Foundation. It was there that I held my first solo exhibition, showcasing my intricate pen and ink line art within their gallery.
Art has always been woven into the fabric of my life. Whether it was designing costumes and art projects for my children's school functions or pursuing an Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Arts and Imaging Technology at Lenoir Community College in eastern North Carolina, creativity has been a constant companion.
My journey continued as I later found myself in western North Carolina, where I currently reside. Embracing the challenges of the pandemic, I honed my skills by taking virtual courses in bookbinding. This period also saw me deepen my artistic practice, exploring the meditative art of Zentangle and mastering value techniques.
These newfound skills now fuel my passion for sharing art with others. Art isn't a hobby for me; it's the very essence of how I navigate life. My artistic journey has led to exhibitions at the Burlington Artist Gallery and the Kernodle Art Center, where I was honored with second place in an art contest.
In recent years, I've dedicated myself to sharing my passion with others through workshops in junk journaling, bookbinding, collage creation, and more. It's in these workshops that I've had the privilege of meeting incredibly talented individuals. One such encounter led me to meet my business partner and friend, Neysa Rojas, which has led to the formation of Blue Wagon Studios, where we're working together to combine our love of art and share it with a community of like-minded artists. I'm excited to continue exploring new creative avenues and inspiring others to do the same.”
Learn more about Neysa Rojas:
“I’ve always had a love for the arts and for creating. I enjoy painting, drawing, building and creating. My earliest works were mostly in collage, oil pastels and note card making all inspired by relationships gone bad and NYC living. Now I find myself intrigued by junk journaling where I can incorporate all my favorite mediums in one place. There’s something special about binding your heart felt work into a book. What inspires me to junk journal is that we create one of a kind books using book binding techniques that are slowly disappearing in our world of technology and mass production. I am also motivated to make my daughter a coming of age book with all the notes and cards I’ve collected for her since she was born.
I started pursuing an “art career” after I graduated college in 1997. I attended SVA for a semester where I took a Hallmark class and introductory courses in photoshop and illustrator. I realized then I was not a digital person but used those new skills in various marketing jobs. I did enjoy making cards using gouache, collage and doodle drawings. I focused on making cards with the emotions that most card companies at that time avoided. I went on to create some collage pieces for friends that were used for their professional use and continued to find my place in the art scene in NYC. I was fortunate enough to be part of a dynamic group, W.E.R.I.S.E., and had an opportunity to show some of my work with them at the A.I.R. Gallery in 2001. I also had some work hanging in the Xando Coffee Bar in the late 1990’s (that was cool back then) and participated with N.O.W. (National Organization for Women) making flyers and marketing materials.
I tried for a few more years to pursue art professionally but had to change directions in 2003. I went on to nursing school, actually graduated, worked as an ER nurse for 11 years, had a beautiful daughter, became a single parent and then moved to North Carolina in the height of Covid in 2020. Having deconstructed some of my daughter’s composition books during the pandemic, I found myself at a loss as to how to put them back together. That’s how I met Kathy Burnside and learned about the art of Junk Journaling and Book Binding. And so, the junk journal journey began here for me. Blue Wagon Studios was born in the summer of 2024 and now I’m learning business 101 and all about social media from my daughter. I hope I can inspire others to shift gears, make changes, and follow your hearts. Life is definitely not easy, but, I’ve learned it’s about living it the best you can. Just never know what God has in store for you!”