Artist Spotlight - Jennifer L Nilsson

 

 

Tell us a bit about yourself
After drawing 10 pictures of Odie and Garfield and selling them for a shiny quarter a piece to my fellow 4th grade classmates, I knew right then and there, that art was the life for me!
I came from an creative family, with both my Father and paternal Grandmother who were artisans in their own rights, and had always had access to pretty much every medium and tool a budding artist could hope for. With the encouragement of my family, friends, and school teachers along the way, I continued drawing and painting until my late teens. By young adulthood I was raising babies and working full-time and part-time jobs outside the home to make ends meet and art was pushed aside. In 2006, I came back to art as a way to make a little extra "pocket money" but gained a following in such a short amount of time that I knew I needed to give it my full attention and in 2008, with my kiddos grown (but while caring for my sweet little niece) I dove into art as a career, learning all I could along the way. I've never had formal training outside the grade school and high school classroom, but I consider myself a life-long learner and have been blessed with many mentors along the way.

Do you work in just one medium? 
My main mediums are watercolor and colored pencil.

What inspires you / where do you get inspiration from? 
I love anything bright, whimsical, and filled with fun! Sweet animal designs and holiday images are among my favorites to create. My main inspiration is just to pack as much fun as I can into a piece and make others smile when they see my work.

What are you working on now? 
As I work full-time now as a licensed artist, I generally have several projects going at one time, all in different themes and seasons! Currently I am working holiday fabric designs, religious jigsaw puzzles, and seasonal and inspirational garden flags. I never know where my day will take me, lol! Here are a few of my past projects that are still available:
"Think Positive" fabric collection created for Elizabeth's Studio, LLC: click here and a pencil-by-number kit created for Dimensions Brands: http://www.simplicity.com/owl-trio-pencil-by-number_73-91473/73-91473.html

Any great advice for our readers?
If I could give one piece of advice to other artists, it would be to stay true to YOUR style and YOUR creative thoughts. Don't try to be a better Mary Engelbreit, Sara Butcher, etc...be the very best YOU and embrace the artist that YOU were created to be. This will help your work to shine and attract others to it. There is someone out there looking ESPECIALLY for only what you can offer. Stand out, be an original, and embrace your uniqueness.

Anything else you would like to share with us? 
I just want to say that I feel so blessed to be able to create as a career. I so appreciate the time this allows me to spend with my family and to help meet our needs at the same time. I want to say THANK YOU to my wonderful hubby who is my biggest supporter and #1 fan, and a thank you to God for granting me the abilities to provide for my loved ones in such a fun and fulfilling way!

Are you an early riser? or night owl? 
Early riser... with an 8 week old puppy and a growing farm, I don't have much of a choice, lol, but I love this life and am always excited to start a brand new day...with much coffee, of course ;)

What is your favorite food? 
Oh, that is tricky... I love pizza, adore greasy cheeseburgers, but lately have been hooked on Apple Pie LÄRABARs...go figure.

You can find Jennifer: Website: http://www.JenniferLNilssonArt.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLNilssonArtist
To view Jennifer's current portfolio of artwork available for licensing, please visit her page on Art Licensing Intl.  http://artlicensing.com/content/jennifer-nilsson

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email: info@anngraphics.com

THANKS for stopping by! - make my day and follow this blog :-D