artist interview - stephanie ryan...

Super talented Stephanie Ryan had been kind enough to share with us a bit about her work, what inspires, and how she landed her iconic florals onto a great product.  Enjoy, and thanks Stephanie!



"Through the use of simple shapes and thoughtful colors, I found that I could express a piece of myself through my art. Peaceful, serene, and beautiful are the colors that I use to express how I feel, and the simple uncomplicated shapes are the life that I am trying to obtain. It is my dream to reach people and soothe their hectic lives with quiet thoughts of inspiration."

"My journey began after a fire destroyed Little Souls, Inc. the doll company where I worked for 11 years. My time there was invaluable. I started as a doll maker and was steadily promoted from designer to buyer, to product manager. After the fire, I was faced with the fact that I had to start over and decided to go back to school. I studied graphic design at Moore College of Art in Philadelphia. My love for fabrics and pattern lead me to explore the textile design program and through the exploration of both of these majors my style was born.
I am now a freelance designer, specializing in tabletop, surface, and product design.
Life is very exciting these days.



what three to five words would you use to describe your work?
I would describe my work as whimsical, fresh and pretty with a dash of vintage modern thrown in.



 

what inspires you?
I am inspired by the shapes and colors found in nature. I don’t like to look at reference when I am painting my flowers, it is more intuitive. I love to mix beautiful muted colors and let my brush create the shapes. It is almost like meditating to me.



what was your first job?  when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?
My first job was working in a deli, but my first creative job was working for a doll company called Little Souls, Inc. I had to drop out of college for financial reasons and found the job as a doll maker for 5 bucks an hour and was thrilled! I think I always knew I wanted a career in art but had no idea how to pursue it. I had given up hope when I left college so, when I got the job I dug in deep, worked really hard and learned as much as I could about manufacturing and product development.



can you tell us a bit about how the Lenox deal came about?
I was at the right place at the right time. I have worked for Lenox for many years as a designer and freelancer and an opportunity came up and my art fit their needs. It was quite serendipitous and came at just the right time. I love when that happens.

what was the process like from concept to execution?
This was a different situation than usual. I was doing some concept work for them and was struggling for ideas so, I decided to use some of my existing artwork. The concept didn’t work for that job but was picked up at a sales meeting by one of their major retailers. The deal came from that sales meeting. I then took the art and proposed layouts for the different shapes and handed everything over to their production department to finish it up.



finish this sentence: I could eat...Massaman Curry...all day.

design books/blogs you can't live without:
It has been a while since I bought a design book because of blogs and the amazing resources available online. I do have some Tricia Guild books that I love, and I can’t live without my Artful Blogging Magazine.  As far as blogs …. oh, where do I begin? I love decor8, Creature Comforts, & Bloesem for design inspiration and Gathering Spriggs, Simply Hue, and Secrets of a Butterfly for a deeper level of inspiration. It is so hard to pick just a few, I am so inspired by my blogging friends and wish I had more time to interact with them because I value their work so much.

 







what do you do when you are not doing art?
I’m sorry, what is that? I am pretty obsessed with art these days, it takes up most of my time. Whatever time is left over I try to spend with my husband and our families. Art really fills every corner of my life... how lucky am I?



name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.
Oh gosh, just one thing? Well, I like to paint and wood burn in bed. I don’t know if that is shocking, but it drives my husband crazy. I’ve never had a mishap either.

finish this sentence: If I could time travel, I would arrive... right here, right now.



what's next?
This is a year of transition for me. I left my full-time job in November and am adjusting to my new freelance work life. I am also creating new art and developing my brand in the hopes of licensing my designs some day.



For more on Stephanie, check out her website www.stephanieryandesign.com.
Keep up with her blog www.smallsweetsteps.com, or pick up a sweet print at her Etsy shop www.etsy.com/stephanieryanart.

zero 2 Illo interview...

Hi everyone!  My apologies for the sporadic blogging lately.  This is usually a good sign that a show is coming up!  I am knee deep in prep, but will do my best to bring you some fun bits too!  :)  In case you missed it last week, be sure to swing by Zero 2 Illo and have a listen to an interview with me!  Thanks again to Jonathan Woodward for having me!  Here's to a great week all!

CHA - the view from another trade show first timer...

Alex Sanso is one of the artists who launched herself with gusto into the SHOWSTOPPER tool, and also into her first trade show!  A few weeks ago she made her debut in a special section of CHA called the designer showcase.  She has been kind enough to stop by and share her experience with us!  BRAVO to Alex for jumping in with both feet!

Alex Sanso

After several years of dreaming of licensing my own art, I now have my first trade show exhibit experience in the history books. Now that the angst of “am I ready?” and “am I good enough?” is over, I ask myself, “what was I waiting for?”

I realized a few months ago that while reading blogs, forums, tweets and e-books about art licensing is extremely valuable (I do it constantly), there would never come a time when I’d say to myself, “I’m ready.” Despite my insecurities, I did manage to license three pieces of art to my first-ever licensee a few months ago. That was the boost I needed, so I decided this year was the year I’d exhibit in a show. The question was, which one? Surtex? Licensing Expo? Where did I fit?



This past January, I exhibited in the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) Winter Trade Show and Conference in Los Angeles...a show I’d never heard of, in an industry I had no experience in. Despite that, I realized that my art style could be a great fit for scrapbooking papers, ribbons, fabrics, stickers...all products represented at this show. But this show would take place a full four months before any show I had been considering up to that point, and I had just barely started creating my collections! Was I nuts? Could I be ready?

I found out that exhibitors at the CHA Trade Show are a mix of manufacturers and distributors of craft and hobby products and tools. Attendees are retailers, store buyers—the (mostly) women who use these products for scrapbooking, jewelry-making, quilting and other crafts for personal and professional use. There is also a “License & Design” section of booths in the show for artists who license their art to manufacturers. The price for a booth is reasonable compared to what you’ll pay for other major shows. However, deeper research revealed that there was an even more affordable option: the Designer Showcase.

This one-day event takes place in a separate room, a blistering walking distance from the main show floor. Designers get a small conference table (not a booth) on which to display their wares, then are banished from the room all day as the by-invitation-only attendees (press, art directors, exhibitors from the show floor) hopefully come, look at your art and leave a business card...or better yet, come back for the 2 hours in the evening when designers are present to meet and greet the attendees.  That’s right, prepare like mad, travel to LA and set up a table in a room for two hours of face time out of a 4-day show. I signed right up, of course!

The upshot...I made the most of my small, one-day, unmanned exhibit by making the presentation the best that I could—with a full catalog to flip through, a freestanding display and a slideshow running on my laptop. I also displayed some product that had been created from my art for a client—not from my collections, but a good showing of my style. I created postcards that I left on the table (which I had also been handing out for two days prior at the show as I met people), and left a place for people to fill in their information and drop their cards. By the time the whole event was over, I had a long list of contacts that I have spent the last couple of weeks following up with!

New contacts, great! But did I leave the show with any contracts in hand? No. I know that, besides having great art, success in this business is based on exposure, making connections and building relationships that are forged over time. In that sense, this show was a smashing success for me. I walked away with the confidence that this is the right move for my business and that I do have a place in the art licensing industry. I have a first-show experience behind me and can get on with it. I’ll be walking Surtex this May and plotting my next entrance onto the licensing stage. I guess I’d better get to work on more collections.

Artist and graphic designer Alex Sanso found her passion in creating art for product during her nine years as an artist at Walt Disney World, creating art and design for theme park merchandise such as stationery, home decor, games, textiles, apparel and more. As chief artopian at artopia creative, she brings that experience to her own art licensing collections...and still loves a great thrill ride!

artist interview - jessica durrant...

Um...yeah, it is possible that Jessica Durrant is secretly using me as her muse.  I mean, this is the way I actually see myself, don't you?  Ha!  Well a girl can dream right?  I stumbled upon the amazing work of Jessica Durrant this past year on Pingg.  Her work is so dreamy you really want to be that girl!  Now I am lucky enough to have first hand insight on this amazing artist not only through this interview, but live and in person. Jessica and I now live in the same city, and I must say she is every bit as lovely as the images she creates.  Enjoy, revel, dream. Once she has taken your breath away, don't forget to swing by her etsy shop for even more eye candy!

What three to five words would you use to describe your work?

Balanced, imaginative, flowing, elegant.



What inspires you?

So many things inspire my work: fashion design, urban scenery, Frank Gehry's architecture, Japanese fashion illustration-Ohgushi in particular, indie music, people, nature and things I see in everyday life.

What was your first job?  When/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

My first job in the art field was at my University's art gallery. Being surrounded by artwork for a job was such an inspiring and fun thing to do. I love how being in a museum or gallery ignites conversation and thought.  I knew I always wanted to keep art in my life, whether it be working on the arts administrative side of things, teaching art courses, or selling my own work. After graduating and moving from Phoenix, to Philly to now Atlanta, I've been able to dabble in a little of each of those fields. I always knew as a kid, that I wanted to grow up and sell my artwork.

Finish this sentence.  I could eat___________ all day.

I could eat bread and cheese all day.

Design books/blogs you can't live without

I love Advanced Fashion Drawing by Bill Donovoan, and my favorite fashion blog is leblogdebetty.com.  She's the prettiest French girl who puts together awesome outfits, stuff I want to paint.

What do you do when you are not doing art?

I enjoy spending time outdoors, walking my boston terrier Chloe. I also love to travel, any chance I can go to Europe I take it. I find so much inspiration every time I have gone there.

Name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.

I grew up in Las Vegas, but was not raised in a casino.

Finish this sentence.  If I could time travel, I would arrive...

I would arrive in Rome during the Roman Empire age. I would die to see the Colosseum and the Roman Forum at its height.
What's next?

Keep on creating!

artist interview - jessica swift (the artist formerly known as jessica gonacha)...

Today we are checking in with the fab Jessica Swift (the artist formerly known as Jessica Gonacha)! She let's us in on her colorful, quirky, and sometimes morbid imagination.  And imagination is something that is never in short supply for Jess!  Her illustrations and fun patterns are sure to brighten your day!  On top of all her talent, I am lucky enough to call her friend!  :D

what three to five words would you use to describe your work?

playful, colorful, youthful, quirky, fun

what inspires you?

Nature mostly. And fashion! I get really inspired when I'm out walking through my neighborhood-- I get my best ideas when I'm walking. I can find inspiration all over the place, really: a color combination on a sign, the shape of a leaf, something I read in a book.... I'm always on the lookout!

what was your first job?  when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

Ha ha, I was a piano duster. I'm not kidding! I worked at Swalley's Music in Boulder, CO when I was 15, and my only duty was to dust the pianos. It was excellent. Luckily I eventually acquired other duties. :) I first knew that I wanted a career in art when I was about 4 years old and I told my parents I wanted to be an artist. The next time I knew was when I was 23, I got into my first juried art show, quit my waitressing job, did smashingly well at the show, and didn't look back. From that moment forward I was making my living as a working artist.

finish this sentence.  I could eat ___ all day.

grapes

design books/blogs you can't live without

Blogs: Print & Pattern, Design Seeds (my new fave!), Geninne's Art Blog

Design books: Olle Eksell, Japanese/Indian/Islamic pattern books, 4000 Flower & Plant Motifs: A Sourcebook, Like I Give a Frock,20th Century Pattern Design

what do you do when you are not doing art?

Sleep! And spend time with my husband, read books, cook, go to the gym, walk around my neighborhood, watch movies, play with my 2 cats....

name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.

I never learned to read. (Ha ha- TOTALLY kidding-- that's a Wayne's World reference! I can read. Really. I'm actually quite smart.) So, one shocking thing: I have an intensely morbid imagination. Like, I always picture bad things happening. For example, I'll be cutting some vegetables, and I imagine slicing my fingers off by accident. Or I'll be walking up a flight of stairs and imagine tripping on a step, falling on my face, and knocking my front teeth out. Things like this pop into my head all the time! It's very weird. It happens to my sister, too. But I'm a happy person, I swear!

finish this sentence.  If I could time travel, I would arrive...

In Impressionist France to hang out with Claude Monet, Mary Cassatt, Paul Gauguin, and all the other brilliant artists of the time. The first place I'd go would be Monet's garden, straight to the bridge in this painting:http://uofugeron.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/monet-japanese-bridge.jpg

what's next?

Surtex!! I'll be exhibiting at Surtex (just like Khristian!) from May 16-18, 2010, so hopefully after that I'll be working on some cool projects with some cool companies and people. Other than that, I have some products in the works that I can't share yet, but rest assured that they are going to be awesome. They'll be available on my website in the next few months. Stay tuned!

Jessica Swift (formerly Jessica Gonacha) is a full-time artist, illustrator, and pattern designer in Atlanta, GA. She is addicted to unusual color combinations and is inspired by rainy days. Jessica went to Ithaca College in upstate New York, where she earned a BFA in painting, and she dreams of one day owning a houseboat in Amsterdam. Growing up in Boulder, CO, Jessica's passion for color and pattern was kindled when she was just a wee girl, and she nurtured that love by decorating every surface she could find. She does the same thing today, just a more grown up version!

Where to find Jess...

My website

My etsy shop

A list of shops that carry my work

Twitter

Facebook

Flickr

artist interview - abigail borg!...

Today we are having a chat with wildly talented designer Abigail Borg. Since winning the new designer of the year award over in the UK las year, her intricate gorgeous florals have their way onto wallpaper, cushions (soon), and even into the famed Liberty of London.  Let's find out what inspires her, and what's coming up next.

I am a surface pattern designer / illustrator based in England, currently shifting between Birmingham and Manchester. I set up on my own at the beginning of 2009 and haven’t looked back since. I have a great interest in producing intricate, hand drawn illustrations which I then combine with my love for interior decoration, pattern, archival designs, etc. My debut collection of wallpapers, ‘Peonies, Lilies and Other Pretties’ was launched in summer 2009, winning me the ‘New Designer of the Year’ award, as well as one of the designs being shortlisted by Elle Decoration for ‘Best Surface Design 2009’ at the British Design Awards. Liberty of London became my first stockist, and I now have various distributors around the world.

I’m currently working on new designs (being sampled as we speak!) for wallpapers, as well as cushions which will be launched this summer. I also work as a freelance illustrator with recent clients including Johnson & Johnson and Laura Ashley Home.

what three to five words would you use to describe your work?

Hand-drawn. Colour. Pattern.

what inspires you?

Anything colourful, hand drawn, fun, not generic looking and someone who is prepared to take risks in their work. Anyone who is told they can’t do something a certain way and do it, well, I also like.

what was your first job?  when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

My very first job was working in a sweet shop aged 15 for £2.50 an hour. Luckily I liked art and making things from a very early age, so knew I wouldn’t be weighing bags of sweets all my life. I used to paint my family and friends pictures, decorate flower pots – that sort of thing when I was about 8. I then took art and graphic design at school, and never looked back from there really.

finish this sentence.  I could eat ____all day.

Jaffa Cakes

design books/blogs you can't live without

No books in particular, just anything to do with botanical/organic prints and illustrations - especially archival ones, and anything to do with vintage textile design. The V&A always have good books, as well as some of the books from the British Transport Museum. Blogs I like looking at recently are Katy Elliott – nice documentation of an old house restoration plus lots of posts on textiles/wallpapers. Also The Snail and The Cyclops – Lots of vintage prints and illustrations blogged about, really nice.

what do you do when you are not doing art?

Oh lots of things – Cooking (mostly cakes and puddings, mind), drinking tea, lots of different tea – I am English after all, nothing a nice brew can’t fix. Going to vintage/craft fairs, museums/galleries, seeing friends – dancing, chattering, swimming, gym-ing it (not so much). I am also in a constant battle of growing out / cutting back in a fringe, it’s a vicious cycle that I see no end to.

name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.

I’m working on new designs that don’t have a single flower in them.

finish this sentence.  If I could time travel, I would arrive...

On the 28^th October 2009, just before I dropped my external hard drive on the floor and lost quite a bit of work.

what's next?

New designs, new products this summer. More commission pieces, new stockists and a move into a larger studio space.

artist interview - kristina sostarko of inaluxe...

I stumbled upon this fabulous work by Kristina Sostarko of Inaluxe and just had to know more!  She's been kind enough to chat for a bit!  Be sure to stop by her blog and fab etsy shop too!



My name's Kristina Sostarko, and I'm the artist behind inaluxe. I have a blog www.inaluxe.blogspot.com and an online store www.inaluxe.etsy.com where you can come and visit me. I live in Melbourne, Australia with my partner Jase, and our little fox-dog Kibi.

what three to five words would you use to describe your work?

Tough one to answer. I think I better draw from what others have said as well as how I see it - although I don't really think about the work in these terms, so it's a fascinating question. I guess bold, graphic, flow, whimsical, and pop are all relevant.

what inspires you?

The maddening need to change, fix, make better, improve, and explore. It's what drives me, and gets me out of bed in the morning. Primarily, this is what inspires me. On a more tangible level, architecture, music, people, textures, colour, pattern, the everyday. Everything from animals, and their behaviour, to a large old broken down shed in the country, or perhaps it's a wild 1970's velvet sofa in orange and turquoise stripes, etc.

what was your first job?  when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

My first job was working in a young women's refuge. It was such an amazing experience, and while it did not fulfil my creative vision at the time, it did help me to learn alot about my self, and others. It gave me certain skills, and awareness about the world around me. I loved it. I knew I wanted to be an artist when I was 8 years old. I would sit and draw all day, everyday. Birds, horses, and I recall I had a huge thing for the tv show "I Dream Of Jeanie" and I would just draw her constantly.

finish this sentence.  I could eat ______ all day.

peaches.

design books/blogs you can't live without

This is a can of worms. A nice can, but nevertheless, a hard one to control, and answer without giving you a giant essay on the topic. ha!  It changes for me all the time. I don't really have one favourite blog, or book. At the moment I am working through some of my bird reference books, and learning more about particular birds, and not just painting them. It adds something to the work for me: their habitats, personalities, quirks, etc are all omnipresent and part of what inspires the pieces.

what do you do when you are not doing art?

Is there such a thing? I'm usually thinking about it, or not thinking about  it. At the moment, I am doing the art full time.

name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.

I like death metal? I don't know, but that's one thing people tend to get surprised about. I don't really know if there is something that really would shock others, and well, there probably is, but some things are better left not shared! :)

finish this sentence.  If I could time travel, I would arrive...

right here. No time like the present - as they say.

what's next?

Lots and lots of thing I hope! I'm just about to start a new range of giclee prints on canvas, and I'm working on textiles for homewares at the moment. These are the two most significant changes happening right now. See where the journey leads, and keep exploring.

my art licensing story + small break...

The wonderful artist and art licensing coach Tara Reed has asked us to share our art licensing story.  Who knew shooting a little video would be so much fun?!  Thanks for the push Tara!  Want to see more stories? They are available on Tara's blog.

Leaving you with my story this week as I head to Austin!  I am ready for a week full of friends, a wedding, and a bit of inspiration shopping too.

artist interview - inkling prints...

SWOON!!  We have all fallen in love with etsy great Inkling Prints.  Designer Kiran was kind enough to give us the scoop on what inspires her, where she's been, and where she going...

Hi, I'm Kiran and I started Inkling Prints in July last year. I used to spend time doodling in my sketch books, not knowing what to do with my doodles. Then one day, I was browsing through Amazon and I came across a book by Lotta Jansdotter. I ordered it immediately! It arrived one beautiful spring morning. I was sat on the sofa, by the window, with the sun streaming in and I was totally inspired to create my own hand printed items. After months of researching and experimenting with different paints and fabrics, I finally opened my Etsy shop in November 2009.

what three to five words would you use to describe your work?
bold, colourful, simple

what inspires you?
I was born and lived in Singapore til 5 years ago when I moved to England. The colours, the vibrancy, the intricacy and detail that you find in almost everything there has inspired me. After moving to England, I realised I was also very much drawn to nature. I love looking at all the different flowers, plants and trees. And then waiting eagerly in winter for spring when everything is fresh, green and colourful again.
what was your first job? when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?
My first job was as a graphic/product designer at a shop designing stationary for children. We had a little office at the back of the shop and I designed all sorts of things from posters to t-shirts to trimmers to hang on walls. It was good fun as I also got to meet my young customers sometimes.
My late dad used to draw with me. He very much encouraged and supported me throughout art school, staying up late with me to finish off projects, encouraging me and believing that I could do it.

finish this sentence. I could eat___ all day.
waffles with ice-cream

design books/blogs you can't live without
Books: Lotta Jansdotter -  How to Print with Anything and Lena Corwin - Printing by Hand
Blogs: http://jezzeblog.blogspot.com/ and http://camillaengman.blogspot.com/

what do you do when you are not doing art?
I'm running around the house chasing my 2 year old daughter Jill, with my one hand pulling my hair out, the other hand trying to grab her and screaming 'Nooooo!!', all at the the same time and finally tripping over the dog and falling.

name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.
When I was young, I found a can in my dad's tools cupboard. It had a cute elephant on it. I went into the cupboard, shut the door, opened the can and found this yellow gooo in it. I sniffed it. Wow! I was caught by my parents and warned, never to sniff glue again. I was only 7. So, I wasn't punished. Maybe that's why my brain is slightly messed up now - I'm so totally disorganised! :P

finish this sentence. If I could time travel, I would arrive...
In the 1940's to meet my husband's grandmother Tirzah Ravilious, who was a brilliant artist. Her husband was a war artist and she had to cope with being a mum to 3 kids. But she also produced such beautiful art in her short lifetime. I'd like to know what inspired her.

what's next?
New designs. Prints on paper. New studio space. Hopefully, somewhere which will give me enough space to print and lots of space to store my products. In the meanwhile, I am trying to
concentrate on photographing all my work and also launching my own website.

artist interview - pawling print...

Janet & Trisha Snyder are the sister duo behind Pawling Print Studio.  These newcomers have burst onto the handmade scene with their gorgeous prints and patterns for the home.  The recent grads opened their etsy shop this past fall.  The inspiration for the studio name is drawn from their grandfather who shared his love of photography and painting when the two were young.

what three to five words would you use to describe your work?

Clean, Simple, Graphic

what inspires you?

Janet:  White space

Trisha:  Travel.  We lived in Singapore when we were younger and our parents took every opportunity we had to visit places they knew we'd never make it to once we moved back to the states.  I love the different smells and sounds.  I love people watching and busy marketplaces.  I love all of the time and skill that went into ornamenting old architecture and I love local handicrafts.

what was your first job?  when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

Janet:  I knew I wanted to be an artist after a brief stint as an engineering major in college.  My freshman chemistry course had me running to an art advisor.  I had many different jobs while I was in school, but haven’t snagged one since graduation in the current job market.  In many ways, I like to consider what I am doing right now my first job.   It is the first time I feel independent and responsible for what I am doing.

Trisha:  My first job was as an ice cream scooper at Andersen’s of Denmark and my first design job was as an intern architect at a small design/build firm in New Jersey.  Art actually scares me.  For me, I am the least creative when I have complete freedom.  I prefer the challenge of solving a very specific problem in a beautiful and efficient way, which is probably why I went to architecture school and why I love the Arts and Crafts movement so much.  I think I'm much better suited for design than for art.



finish this sentence.  I could eat___________ all day.

Janet:  I will eat a whole bag of Xochitl corn chips if there is salsa or guacamole present.

Trisha:  Tacos!!

design books/blogs you can't live without

The Grammar of Ornament by Owen Jones

of paper and things

simple + pretty

living with white

swissmiss

we love typography

what do you do when you are not doing art?

Janet:  Make lists.  My lists include everything from doing laundry to learning Spanish.

Trisha:  Clean.  I am Little Miss Tidy.

name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.

Janet:  I will eat and enjoy almost anything that is put in front of me (really, I challenge you), but recently discovered I don’t like watermelon.

Trisha:  I was in version 2.0 of the Great Singapore Workout, a government propaganda video to promote exercise.

finish this sentence.  If I could time travel, I would arrive...

Janet:  I like to think I would make a pretty awesome MGM dancer in a 1940s/50s musical.

Trisha:  I’d like to study under Anni Albers, but I'm about 60 years too late for that.

what's next?

Hopefully lots!  We are launching our linen line this month.  The first products that will be in the shop are handmade tea towels and throw pillows, with placemats and napkins to follow.  We just purchased a flash dryer to speed things up.  Heat setting all of our items is definitely the most time consuming and least fun part of our job right now.  We'd like to spend that time experimenting with color and new patterns instead!  We'd also like to expand our paper line to include blank journals, art prints, and wrapping paper.  And on the business side of things, we would like to pursue some wholesale orders and get our own website up and running.

artist interview - Malene of iram-inal designs...

Taking some time to chat today with one half of the design duo from iram-inal designs.  They create a wonderful range of jewelry including many eco friendly designs.  Their work is fresh, innovative, and just fun to wear!  Enjoy!

what three to five words would you use to describe your work?

stylish, chic, unique




what inspires you?

Avant-garde fashion and originality really inspire us to push the boundaries (at least a little) and create large, voluminous, inventive pieces that women can’t find in the mainstream.  Originally, we only used semiprecious stones in our work, and at that time, the inspiration was directly derived from the material, itself…. Now that we have an established customer base, we allow our customers – from the stylish, trendy “it” girl, to the older, stylish sophisticate - be the main influence in our work.

what was your first job?  when/how did you know you wanted a career in art?

My sister and I both have advanced educations.  I (Malene, the “inal” in iram-inal designs) obtained a Juris Doctorate (law degree) in 2003, while Mari (the “iram” in iram-inal) has a biology degree, and is very close to completing her requirements to earn a Doctorate of Chiropractic.  We both worked in various positions throughout the past five years, all in offices, and all requiring the traditional “office wear” of a suit.

Our want to start a career as jewelry designers happened organically.  While I was attending law school in upstate New York, I began to make jewelry as a way to stay connected to the creative side. Making jewelry was a quick, easy way to be creative and to immediately show off the fruits of my labor.  While working in Providence, RI after earning my degree, my mother started demanding large, voluminous semiprecious stone pieces from me and my sister.  Once her friends began to ask for custom pieces, a budding business was born.



your work is so modern and fresh - describe your design process?  Tell us about how you were inspired to use recycled materials.

Thank you for the compliment.  Throughout the past two years, we’ve gone more from an “artistic” line to a “fashion” line, and thereby follow the flow of the fashion season, creating two main collections a year.  Each collection has 5-6 different lines on which we focus.

I (Malene) have always been an avid recycler, freecycler and upcycler, and Mari has directly followed the path of our parents and lives her life in an organic, natural way, to the extent of growing her own food (a feat to which I aspire).  When we first started the business, we used semiprecious stones because that’s what we saw being sold in the market.

We realized that our solitary use of stones was in direct contravention of the way we were choosing to live our lives; we also simultaneously recognized that we could tap into an entirely new, fresh market of customers who choose to live their lives in a similar, “green” way.

We began to incorporate used, upcycled and “found” materials into our work, and some of these lines have become our most popular to date.  Our “green” line is made from recycled palm tree and Korean boxwood woods, which are turned into beads from remnants after furniture making.  Also, all of the woods come from FSC (Forest Steward Certified) forests, and the palm wood is only harvested from a certain part of the tree during specific portions of the year; this cutting schedule is to ensure that no tree is ever fully cut down, and the trees are allowed to regenerate.

We also now have a fabric line of necklaces made from upcyclced jersey cotton tee-shirts, and several lines that use old hardware materials as the base for the earrings, rings and pendants.  Although we still use some semiprecious stones to satisfy a portion of our client base, we will continue to strive to use more and more recycled materials in our lines for as long as we’re designing jewelry.

design books/blogs you can't live without

I love modish, Corridor 40 (for great Midwest fashion, where Mari and I are from), Refinery 29, décor8, and Making It Lovely.


what do you do when you are not doing art?

Honestly, our business is so new that I don’t have time to do anything but work on the business!  However, if my entrepreneur husband mandates (he also owns his own business), we’ll go to the movies or get a nice meal at a new restaurant in Atlanta, if time allows.

name one thing about you that would shock the outside world.


We love fashion, but both my sister and I are sci-fi geeks to the hilt!  Give us Star Trek (next gen), Battlestar Galatica (best show on tv, ever), Lost, V (watched the original mini-series, too), and anything that has a modern-take and commentary on today’s social constructs.


what city in the world best describes you?

Chicago.  It’s Midwestern (we were raised in St. Louis, MO), chic, sophisticated, large, and fashion-forward with nice people.  To us, it’s the best of all things a big city can provide (and there’s grass and trees! J).


what's next?


Gaining market share in stores West of the Mississippi (right now, we sell in boutiques in GA, TN, MO, IL, NY, FL, Washington D.C., and MI), and preparing our line to enter into the wholesale market.   Once we enter the “marketplace,” we expect large, rapid growth.  The hope is to one day see iram-inal jewelry in larger retailers, like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Henri Bendel.  We’ll continue to create great, large, voluminous, chic wear for bold women, and hope to see our designs on our customer base all over America and Internationally!