Using wood, brass, and paper, we create pieces to uphold traditions of a Jewish household. Our work is created by a small team of collaborators in Western North Carolina, and each piece is shipped out of our small workshop in Black Mountain.
Windthrow is the name I’ve given to my creative side. The term typically refers to trees swaying and at times, uprooted by powerful winds. Creativity is shaped by this dynamic tension of failure and growth, fueling what comes next.
est. 2013
Eddie Aaronson in Black Mountain, NC
photo by Michael Fitzpatrick Jr.
Eddie Aaronson
Artist & Designer
While calligraphy and drawing are passions of mine, I often gravitate towards working in three dimensions with wood. Creating Judaica has been a wonderful avenue to explore and hone my craft. Now, with over a decade of woodworking experience, I’m adding metal forms to my designs. I particularly love designing with walnut and brass, a dark wood and a soft metal. I’m captivated by the process loop of sketch, design, create, refine.
I work out of my studio in North Carolina. My partner, Becca, and I run the business together, collaborating with local artisans to craft our pieces.
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Shortly after graduating from Kutztown University (Pennsylvania) with a degree in Communication Design, Eddie moved to Asheville and founded Windthrow in 2013. In the decade to come, woodworking and calligraphy would be his primary focus; he learned invaluable skills as a craftsman at Brian Boggs Chairmakers and maintained a personal side business of painting and writing ketubot.
“During my time building chairs with Brian Bogss I learned how to sharpen the most incredible hand tools, and used them effectively. I befriended massive, pre-war machines, and had them complete complex tasks with extreme accuracy.” Learn more about his woodworking career here.
Eddie has also explored other forms of artistry over the years, such as etching. This black and white medium allows for extreme detail in high contrast. See his etchings here.
He lives and works in Black Mountain, North Carolina. Married to Becca, his business partner, this Windthrow team lives in a small home nestled among massive oak trees with their dog, Kai. In addition to art, Eddie is passionate about nature. He spends much of his Fall and Springs planting native trees & gardens.
Becca B. Aaronson
photo by Michael Fitzpatrick Jr.
Becca B. Aaronson
Operations
Becca runs Windthrow’s administration. She also works with couples on their ketubah, inlaying their unique text into the design.
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Becca enjoys living among the mountains. She plays and sings in the band, Riversong. She frequently visits the forest near her home, and loves the smell of moss and floating on her back in mountain water.
Originally from New Orleans, Becca grew up spending her summers in North Carolina, climbing rocks and paddling rivers at Camp Green Cove. She now returns to camp each summer to garden and visit swimming holes with campers. Becca is passionate about land stewardship as well as building gardens that support local ecology.
The rest of the Team
Steve Hamer creates the bulk of our Challah Boards, mezuzah blanks and helps immensely on custom projects from his workshop in Flat Rock, NC. Rocky & Nate with Dot Editions in North Asheville are the print masters and handle each Ketubot. Mike Cheadle who does all of our larger laser engraving works in Arden, NC and Merit Kyukendall, in Clyde, NC, takes care of any metal machining needs we have at Custom CNC.
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We’re working on a handful of projects here in Western North Carolina. We’re particularly excited about our West Asheville Garden Project, where we are landscaping a half acre, 5 house community yard with native, perennial plants & trees that support pollinators and wildlife. Learn more about gardening and how it makes a huge impact on saving our planet.
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Each month, we fund Dogwood Alliance (protecting southeastern forests), Mossy Earth (rewilding and protecting a wide range of ecosytems globally), Asheville Greenworks (creating a climate resilient future), RiverLink (protecting and restoring the health of our rivers), and Native Habitat Project (restoring & stewarding native ecosystems in the southeast)
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We source and craft our pieces locally in the Mountains of North Carolina, collaborating with artisans in our area. Our packaging is minimal and mindful, with help from Eco Enclose, No Issue, White Dragon Paper, and Sendle.
windthrowteam@gmail.com
We’ll respond when we are back from parental leave in November. If you don’t hear from us, check your spam folder.