Meet the Mountain Messengers: Kingfisher & Magpie

Two new designs carrying messages of resilience, intuition, and reciprocity

Some designs arrive quickly, like a flash of color winging through your periphery. Others circle for months before landing with clarity. My new Mountain Messengers—the Kingfisher and the Magpie—were a little of both. They emerged from long walks along the Front Range, my lifelong love of birds, and the way certain winged beings seem to show up precisely when we need a reminder, a sign, or a nudge of intuition.

In many cultures, birds are the intermediaries—the ones who travel between realms, who speak the language of earth and sky. These two particular birds have always held powerful symbolism for me: the Kingfisher, a guardian of the waterways, and the Magpie, a keeper of memory, magic, and the thin space between the seen and unseen. Together, they felt like the perfect duo to inaugurate my Mountain Messenger series: art inspired by the beings who travel the spaces we often overlook, carrying messages we might otherwise miss.

The Kingfisher: Guardian of Water & Bringer of Clarity

The Kingfisher is a bird of precision—of knowing exactly when to act, when to wait, and when to dive. Across cultures, it represents intuition, clear vision, prosperity, and the healing power of water. In Celtic and pre-Celtic folklore, kingfishers were associated with calm seas and blessings on journeys. In other traditions, they symbolize peace, patience, and divine timing.

Water is the element of feeling, depth, and emotional intelligence—and the Kingfisher moves through it fearlessly. The design captures that moment of suspension right before the dive: wings lifted, attention sharp, a reminder that intuition often comes in stillness before movement.

The Magpie: Memory, Magic & Threshold-Keeping

Magpies are endlessly misunderstood—tricksters, collectors, storytellers, and in many cultures, bridges between worlds. They’re symbols of intelligence, vigilance, and the ability to recognize patterns in the chaos of life.

In Chinese mythology, magpies are joy-bringers. In Celtic lore, they’re guardians of the Otherworld. In Indigenous stories across North America, magpies are truth-tellers and keepers of narratives. I’ve always seen them as archivists of the landscape—the ones who notice everything.

This design captures the Magpie mid-call, perched between shadow and light, reminding us that sometimes the message isn’t comfortable…but it is honest.

Human-Made Art, One Stroke at a Time

Like all Earth Medicine Apparel designs, these two were created entirely by hand, drawn digitally on my Wacom Cintiq with custom-made brushes and no AI-generated shortcuts. Every feather, line, shadow, and gradient has intention behind it. These birds took hours of research, sketching, and careful study—because the beings we depict deserve that kind of reverence.

Both are printed using water-based inks, which soften beautifully into the fabric and offer a breathable, durable, and eco-responsible print that won’t crack or peel over time. Screenprinting is done right here in Colorado by an artist-run shop I trust deeply. When you wear these, you’re carrying a garment touched by real hands, real craft, and real care at every step.

The Garments: Made in the USA, Responsibly & Intentionally

The Mountain Messenger designs are printed on premium USA-made organic cotton shirts. These garments reflect values I feel good about standing behind:

🇺🇸100% USA-Made

From knitting to dyeing to finishing, Royal Apparel garments are produced entirely in the United States. That means safer working conditions, fair wages, transparency, and a significantly lower carbon footprint.

🌱 Sustainable Materials

Our supplier invests in organic cotton, recycled fibers, low-impact dyes, and energy-efficient production. Their Go Green initiative is aligned with the kind of textile future I want to see more of—one rooted in responsibility rather than extraction.

🤝 Social Responsibility

They prioritize ethical labor practices, waste reduction, and supply chain transparency—components that matter deeply to me as both a designer and a business founder. When you choose these shirts, you're choosing integrity in the apparel industry.

🎨 Screen Printed With Water-Based Ink

These designs breathe with the fabric—soft, non-toxic, and built for longevity, thanks to eco-friendly pigment systems and meticulous hand-screenprinting.

More Than a Shirt: Your Purchase Has Purpose

Every part of Earth Medicine Apparel is built with reciprocity in mind. That’s why 3% of profits from every purchase goes directly toward our impact partner, First Nations Development Institute. We believe business should be a way to create lateral networks of support.

When you buy a Mountain Messenger shirt from Earth Medicine Apparel Co., you’re supporting:

• A queer artist-owned business

• USA-made, ethically produced garments

• CO-based, artist-run printshops

• Organic and recycled textile supply value chains

• Conservation and community-based giving initiatives

That’s the power of community-driven commerce.

Two Birds, Two Messages—One Mountain Story

The Mountain Messengers represent a return to listening—to watching the land, paying attention to the beings around us, and remembering that the natural world is always speaking to us if we slow down enough to hear it. Whether you feel called to the clarity of the Kingfisher or the intuition of the Magpie, I hope these designs serve as reminders to trust the subtle signs that guide your path.

The Mountain is speaking.
The Messengers are on their way.