Monday, January 9, 2012

Guest Blogger: Jeanie Nelson, Founder of The Paper Nut

Please welcome our guest blogger for the week, Jeanie Nelson. She is a business owner and an all around creative gal. She has a bunch of great ideas to share this week so be sure to check back each day. There will be a giveaway Friday too! Here she is...


I am a designer and mother living in Spokane Valley. In 2008 I launched my own art and stationery line, The Paper Nut (visit my website, etsy page, or blog). As a professional graphic designer, I’ve worked for a number of designer firms and have a BFA in graphic design from Brigham Young University. I also interned at Kate Spade (my original intent was eventually pursue fashion…but I fell in love with graphics instead). I left 9-5 work at firms so I could become an at-home mom, which was a great excuse to switch over to the kind of design I prefer. My work is a spin off of mid-century art and design, with a lot of influence from textiles, folk art, and the work of my contemporaries.

My business has grown slowly (I haven’t spent a penny on advertising). I’ve spent a lot of energy wishing I had more time to spend on The Paper Nut (I’m a committed full-time mom of two little girls). However, I now recognize this slow-paced beginning as an enlightening foundation for my career, setting a course that is far more meaningful than it would have been.

Right now I’m focused on giclée art prints, but I’m working on putting out more greeting cards, expanding my wholesale clientele, and doing commissioned work for larger companies (wrapping paper, packaging design, etc). While I never want to go back to working for a traditional design firm, I still love creating and branding collateral for private clients.





For today’s post, I thought it might be fun to answer a question I often hear in relation to my art: What is giclée?

The word “Giclée” was created in the early 1990’s to describe fine art digital prints made on ink-jet printers. It’s a wonderful new medium for many artists who want to make exact replicas of their work with no set-up charges (you can print 1 or 100 and the cost per piece is the same). I love the inkjet process because I can print on thick, texture art paper and achieve eye-popping color saturation akin to the neon poster paints of silkscreening. This medium, along with the wonderful world of Etsy, has made it possible for The Paper Nut to even exist. I have had virtually no money to invest, but I am able to roll my business along like a little snowball and let it build off its own momentum. Above are a few of my current giclée pieces.

7 comments:

Anya said...

Beautiful work, Jeanie! Best of luck to you and "The Paper Nut".

Diana Waite said...

this is amazingly GORGEOUS work!

Diana said...

I love, love, love the alphabet poster. Now i just need a frame! And, I'm hanging it in my kitchen (but that's just so I can look at it a lot and show it off)

Emilie said...

I adore Jeanie and her work. I MUST have that ballet print.

To. Die. For.

Rebecca said...

I love it all! My daughter is begging for the ballet print.

Dessi Price said...

These are amazing Jeanie and you are a fabulous designer! Keep up the good work :)

Mommy Sauri~ said...

Thank you for being here. Your art above is beautiful.

Mommy Sauri~
http://casadesauri.blogspot.com

 

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