It’s BIG Announcement time again!

We’re just bursting with joy to announce that we have added another amazingly talented artist to our roster. Please join me in welcoming Rae Ritchie to Jennifer Nelson Artists!

Rae started out just about 10 years ago, designing fashion accessories for women and kids. Although she liked doing creative work for major retailers, it was creating prints and graphics for her products that made her feel most alive.

Since Rae was always painting on the side anyway, she decided to take the next step and shift her focus to fabric design and illustration for greeting cards, stationery, gifts and apparel. And we’re glad she did!

These watercolor and gouache illustrations are created in a sunny little room in Rae’s home, at what must be the tiniest desk in Minneapolis. How can such big art come from such a small desk? That’s where Rae’s enormous talent comes in!

Inspired by the lushness of nature, classic children's books and old photographs, Rae lives with her husband and their cat Sméagol. 

To see some of Rae’s gorgeous illustration work, visit our site here.

Jennifer's Inspirational Retreat

My whole life I have wanted to live somewhere other than New York and Rhode Island. But it hasn't happened... yet. This summer I decided to just pack up my supplies, rent an Airbnb, get on a plane, stay for 3 weeks, and see what happens. It was a wonderful change of pace.

I spent my time on Vashon Island which is a ferry ride from Seattle. This was my view from the deck of my house and from the work table I set up in front of a big glass window. Different, yes!

The first day I was nervous. I had a stomach ache because of it, but as I adjusted to the situation I felt myself relaxing. It just so happened that a few jobs got delayed which meant I really had time to explore the island, see new things and play around with painting. I've been wandering the roads and the beach, collecting wildflowers and rocks and seeds... so many little bits that inspire me. My eyes are open wider.

There are really nice houses there, cute cottages, gardens that are out of this world, and amazing views. I took lots of pictures so I can refer to them later for reference. I also have done a lot of plein air painting which I don't get to do very often.

I  painted many loose, slightly abstracted watercolors in a cheap sketchbook just to get going. For me, if I work in a very quick way, without regard for the final outcome, I can find new ideas and directions. Even here I still have times where I have no idea what I want to paint, what is inspiring me. But I took a walk along the beach, or a hike in the woods. Or go to a cute cafe and sit for tea. These small mindful things are so necessary to the creative process and sometimes in the business of everyday life I forget to take time for myself.

Also, I've met the most wonderful, warm, kind people here! And been invited over to so many incredible homes. With all the stuff going on in the world right now it's such a pleasure to turn off the news and just enjoy simple, beautiful, generous humanity. Best, Jennifer

Miriam's delightful work for Auzou!

Last year I was so fortunate to work on a super lovely project with French publisher Auzou. I got to illustrate a card game with cats and dogs, called "Mistigri, de chats et chiens."

I has been such a cute project to work on, and it was a great pleasure and experience to be working with this client too. In English the game is also known as "Old Maid" and in the Netherlands it used to be called "Zwarte Piet." The game contains playing cards with pairs of dogs and cats.

This is how it works: The cards are equally distributed to each player. The moment a player makes a pair in their hands, they discard them immediately onto the table. Each player is trying to get rid of his or her cards as fast as possible. In the end there is only one player left, holding the unmatched card (the Old Maid). That player has lost the game and is the "old maid."

Of course you can also turn the rules around, making the one who ends up with the odd card the winner. The whole experience of the game will change that way.

I am a cat lover, rather than a dog lover. But if I would ever have a dog I think it would be a long curly haired dachshund. I've always loved these little pretty doggies. They are my favorite. A childhood friend of mine used to have two (one of them long haired), and I was crazy about them. I really couldn't leave this doggy out of the game, so the dachshund became part of the card deck, and I gave her a pencil and sketchbook to draw butterflies with.

Later when the art director was naming the animals, she asked me if she had permission to name the dachshund after me, because she thought it would suit the character. I felt very flattered and agreed. So now the dachshund is called Miriam.

Here are some photos that I made of the game. The quality is so nice. And the box itself is really special too. I was thrilled when I opened the package. You can pull out the inside box from the lid if you pull the ribbon. And the colors of the cards are vibrant and pretty.

If you'd like to see more illustrations you can also visit my portfolio page.

The game is available on French Amazon . Please note that the instructions will be French. Enjoy! Miriam

BLUE PRINT is just around the corner!

Jennifer Nelson Artists, will be exhibiting at the upcoming Blue Print Surface Design and Print Show in New York City on August 8-10th, 2016. 

Artwork left to right: Bee Brown, Anisa Makhoul, Miriam Bos, Jennifer Orkin Lewis, Jill McDonald, Jill Howarth and Lauren Lowen.

“Blue Print is a very important show for us, since it focuses exactly on what we do,” said Jennifer Nelson from her Boston-area office. “Meeting with companies in these industries is essential to our business.”

Creating, licensing and selling art for surface design and print products is at the core of their operation at Jennifer Nelson Artists. Representing seven top illustrators, JNA specializes in a quirky, feminine look that is popular on all sorts of goods from greeting cards to dish towels. “We know that our customers will be at Blue Print and we look forward to seeing them again and showing off some of our artists’ latest work.” 

Launched in January of 2015, Jennifer Nelson Artists already boasts a roster of top illustrators: Anisa Makhoul, Bee Brown, Jennifer Orkin Lewis,Jill Howarth, Jill McDonald, Lauren Lowen, and introducing Miriam Bos! 

Jennifer Nelson Artists is a Boston-based illustration agency representing talented artists whose work is available for licensing, purchasing as well as commissions. JNA can be reached at (781) 643-2002, on Instagram or by email.

 

SHOW DATES:
August 8-10, 2016

SHOW TIMES:
Monday, August 8th - 9:00-6:00
Tuesday, August 9th- 9:00-6:00
Wednesday, August 10th- 9:00-6:00

LOCATION: 
404 Tenth Avenue
(between 32nd and 33rd Streets)
New York, NY 10001

Welcome Miriam Bos!

I love my job for many reasons: The fun of seeing fresh new artwork come in, the sense of pride when we meet a new client who wants to work with us, the satisfaction of a job well done.

But the absolute best-est part of the job is welcoming a new artist to the fold! Today I would like to introduce – Ta-daa! – Miriam Bos!

If ever there was an artist who fit right in with our talent group it’s Miriam. Take a look at these samples of her work and see if you don’t agree.

Come see Miriam and all the JNA artists' fantastic work at BLUE PRINT!
8-10 AUGUST in NYC!

Miriam lives in The Netherlands where I was lucky enough to live a long time ago. Her last name “Bos,” pronounced close to our english "boss," and is Dutch for “forest.” She and her husband love the woods and take bicycle trips to explore the area around their city of Apeldoorn. You can sense her love of nature when you see her gorgeous renderings of plants and animals.

Starting out as a children’s illustrator, Miriam jumped into surface and pattern design a few years ago and hasn’t looked back. She already has two fabric design collections to her name with many more to come, I’m sure.

Miriam has a quirky style mixing both traditional and digital techniques. The result is sheer delight! Please join me in welcoming Miriam Bos to Jennifer Nelson Artists!

As always, if you would like us to put together a custom gallery request, just ask! Send an email, or follow our daily posts on Instagram. Kindly, Jennifer

Attention world: Jill Howarth is here!

We’re pleased as can be to announce that a charming new illustrator has joined us here at Jennifer Nelson Artists. Just take one look at Jill Howarth’s work and you’ll see why.

Jill Howarth has a background in children’s design for the toy industry, and you can see she has a real knack for it. There’s a palpable joy to her work along with that child-like sense of wonder that makes her illustrations perfect for a wide array of products. Now that Jill Howarth is on board I’m eager to start making deals for greeting cards, wrapping paper, bedding, and so much more.

One in a series of Old Maid Cards

Join me in welcoming Jill Howarth to the fold! You may have noticed that I’m using her full name rather than just “Jill.” That’s because we already have the amazing Jill McDonald working with this small agency and I want to avoid confusion. It’s like a first grade class that has four Jennifers and everyone is called by her first and last name. (Actually, we have two Jennifers here, too!)

Although the name’s the same, both of our Jills and all of our other artists create artwork that’s delightfully different and equally great. Each illustrator has a unique vision that sets her apart and brings sheer joy to every project.

Who will be the first to commission a piece of gorgeous illustration from Jill Howarth, or to license one of her lovely existing works? Will it be you? Contact me to see more! - Jennifer

Jennifer on Print & Pattern!

As always we are just DELIGHTED to be on Print & Pattern! Marie ran a lovely feature on Jennifer Orkin Lewis this week! Enjoy! - (the other) Jennifer!

Lauren Lowen’s Blueprint Show Poster (And 4 Fun Facts About It!)

Hello! I am so happy to show the poster I designed for Blueprint’s third (yes, third!) show coming up this May 12-16 in New York City. Everyone at Jennifer Nelson Artists was honored to have one of us create it. Paul Turk, the show organizer and also awesome Big Cheese of Cinnamon Joe, gave me a lot of freedom. I designed two sketches which you can see here, and Paul selected the busy New York scene, which totally captures the energy of both the city and Blueprint.

I have always had a soft spot for posters. In fact, a common assignment I would give to my pre-college students was to do a mock poster for a favorite musician or band. They’re just so much fun! I love the chance to combine my lettering and illustration into a piece, so this project was perfect for me.  Luckily, the hand lettering contributed to the feeling Paul was going for- that handmade, raw kind of look that’s full of texture. He’s so on trend!

When designing a poster, it’s important to remember that the main function is all about communication. If the viewer can’t get the info they need almost instantly, it fails. When designing, I knew the exhibitor names and show information had to be clear and obvious. Of course, little Lauren Lowen just had to be ambitious and submit a really busy, colorful idea! But by making sure the lettering dominated first, I was able to have fun with everything else and it all came together. To help the message, I made sure to keep the Blueprint header design and color scheme it has had the last two shows. By keeping the same look and just doing a more hand done version, I kept the branding intact (I also kept the staggering blue and orange exhibitor names as a call back to previous posters). Since we wanted to hand letter the exhibitor names,  I used Myriad Pro as my “skeleton” in Photoshop and hand drew on top. I got a completely original font out of it that fits the poster, but this step made sure that the names were somewhat consistent and easier to read.

Here are 4 Fun facts about the poster you probably didn’t know!

1. The 615 on the taxi is a shout out to Nashville’s area code. I am based right outside Music City (and yes, my husband is a musician. I can play classical kazoo, thank you).
2. The mermaid was inspired by urban legends speculating what lurks underneath the streets of New York City. While most stories talk about huge abandoned pet alligators or radioactive rats, I decided it would be fun to have a more fantastical interpretation.
3.  Originally I wanted to draw Paul as the taxi driver, but I thought he might be shy about that idea. I have always loved Paul’s moustache, so the Walrus because a sort of avatar for him (the walrus is the moustache champ of the animal kingdom). I’m not saying Paul looks like a walrus, mind you. No. Also, this is a very handsome, classy Walrus. He’s well read and knows his fine wines (and drives a taxi, apparently).
4.  Paul and I have actually crossed paths before when I was an in-house designer at a large paper & gift company. It was always a good day when he would visit our art department!

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the process behind the Blueprint Show poster. Jennifer Nelson Artists will be there this May, so please say hello and schedule an appointment with us! - Lauren

Bee's Jolly Circus Growth Chart for Samsung

Hi Everyone! I was really thrilled to find some wonderful samples in the mail today of a wall chart that I created last summer. Their brief asked me to come up with some happy animal shapes having fun in a circus setting and positioned in a kind of fun 'animal stack' format.

I love drawing happy, colorful animals so this was a dream brief for me! 

The process was a very simple one: I started off by making some quick pencil sketches which once approved, were then scanned into Illustrator and coloured up. The lovely team of in-house designers finished off the file by placing in the measuring scale and voila!, we were done! Enjoy - Bee

Bee's tight sketches show the client what they can expect.

Here is a snippet of one of the first round of pencil sketches, a colour proof of the final finished growth chart and a photo of the packaged product, ready for retail

The irony of being too busy to write a blog...

There’s something ironic about writing a blog explaining how you’re too busy to write a blog. So be it!

The past few months have been ridiculously busy here. And that’s a good thing! But I miss having the time to chat with our clients and artists friends.

December is a busy month for most people, with holidays and shopping and family. For us, it’s even busier as we exhibited at our first trade show: Blue Print NYC. We had a great time being in New York City, meeting people in person we had only spoken with on the phone, and doing quite a bit of business right there at the show. Our wonderful artist Jennifer Orkin Lewis brought her watercolors and was painting portraits of attendees live and in-person. Such a cool experience! We broadcast some of it live on Periscope while posting photos to Instagram and Facebook right from the event. 

In January we were back in NYC for Printsource. Once again we had a booth and enjoyed meeting and greeting both artists and art buyers in a sometimes hectic but always friendly atmosphere. If you didn’t make it this time we’ll be back again in August. Send a note to say you’re coming so we can plan to meet there. It’s a terrific show for the surface texture industry.

We barely had time to catch our breath before we had to be in the air for a trip to Atlanta. (Less than 24 hours between getting home from Printsource and boarding a flight to Georgia. Yes, I managed to squeeze in a shower.) I met our amazing artist, Lauren Lowen there. The Atlanta Gift & Home Show is not only a wonderful show, but Atlanta is my home town. That meant spending quality time with my folks in between doing business at the show. It was fun, but exhausting. The very cool thing is that last year (the week before we hung out our shingle) - Lauren and I first met at this very show. JNA had no products, of course.... well, this year we are so pleased to say we have over 50!

With all that travel behind me, I have been working like mad on the mountain of follow-up. There are still calls and emails to return, and literally hundreds of inquiries to answer. But I’m not complaining! I love to be busy and I love my job.

I’ll blog again when I get a break. Meanwhile, feel free to get in touch when you need illustration for whatever project you have. I’m sure we can make you happy. – Jennifer

Jennifer Orkin Lewis is a Smart Creative Woman!

I am so happy to share Jennifer's interview with the multi-talented and infinitely fascinating, Monica Lee this week on her podcast, Smart Creative Women.

Jennifer Orkin Lewis (aka August Wren) at work in her studio.

Here is how Monica sums up the interview: 
"Jennifer is a hot new artist that has been around for some time.  After graduating from Rhode Island School of Design as a textile stylist designing prints for children’s clothing and lingerie, she raised her family, designed textiles and worked away. Fast forward several years she started a daily sketch book project that reignited her career in a huge way! I love her story and how she is such a hot ticket after working as an artist for the last 20 years (that’s pretty much the best kind of story).  Tune in and listen to  her journey,  it’s a refreshing one! Her  work is inspired by the everyday small things,  a bird in a tree, a garden, crowds of people, a beautiful table with luscious food and her clients (like Kate Spade home and Abrams Books!)  are eating up her style, her voice and her point of view. Can’t wait to see what she does next!"

I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. You can find August Wren at her widely-followed Instagram, 30 minute painting a day. Enjoy! - (the other) Jennifer

Welcome Jill McDonald!

What agent wouldn't be delighted to have the renowned Jill McDonald join their already stellar roster?  I am absolutely gleeful to represent Jill starting today!

Jill brings a portfolio rich with decades worth of stunning illustration. Her color palette and cut paper/paint work is striking and unique. I adore her lettering and the whimsy she finds in the very smallest detail of her work.

Jill's archive is crammed full with sugar-plum-wonderful Christmas illustrations, florals like you have never seen, and narrative composition that makes for the sweetest dreams. You'll notice that Jill also has a particular knack when designing for boys - a rarity in this corner of the market.

Oh, and did I mention - stunning florals for grown ups too?

Please join me in welcoming Jill to JNA. We are so very pleased to have her with us! To see Jill's brimming archive, just send me a request. Enjoy! - Jennifer

That "warm and fuzzy" feeling...

Of course, it’s always nice to get publicity and it helps generate awareness for our eight talented artists and the wonderful work they do. That’s a given.
 
More important is the satisfaction in being recognized by our peers in the industry. Knowing that all of our hard work building this agency over the past few months has not gone unnoticed gives us a great deal of pride, both personally and professionally. We’re feeling all warm and fuzzy inside to see these gorgeous spreads in such a prestigious magazine.

Perhaps the best part – the warmest and fuzziest aspect – is the validation of our approach to art, to business, and to life in general. We’re nice people, we work with wonderful clients, and our artists strive to do their best. What we have created here is more than an agency, it’s a community. Artists working with agents serving clients with the most beautiful artwork we can deliver. We truly feel that we’re making the world a better place, just by being here doing what we do.

The thing is, we’re all in this together. (You can take this to mean the licensing industry, the art world, or just being alive on Planet Earth in 2015.) 

A very happy me!

Next week, we add our 8th artist to the agency - and once again, I can barely contain myself! Tune in on Wednesday to help us celebrate!

Finally, thank YOU for being part of this community. Your continued support is what keeps us going. Magazine articles like this one only confirm what we already know – we all have art in common and we’re overjoyed to have you here with us.

My fondest regards, Jennifer

Stamps by Monika Forsberg

As a member of Jennifer Nelson Artists I enjoy the work of the other illustrators but I don’t often get to see them or work with them. Here’s what happened when we had a rare chance to collaborate.

One night at dinner whilst doodling with some fellow artists, I  noticed that some of us have a tendency to fill up every available space in a drawing, while others (like me) tend to use a lot of negative space. So I thought I’d try switching it around and experimenting with adding art to every inch of the page.

I met Anisa Makhoul  my fellow artist at JNA for the very first time this summer. We met by the sea in Brighton when she was travelling around in Europe with her family. Anisa and I enjoyed a couple of days together and our sons Oslo and Reginald became friends, laughing, eating ice cream and getting up to mischief. I love Anisa's work, she is a fantastic girl and so funny. We had a blast and we said “We need to find a way to collaborate.”

What we came up with was to make stamps, because its a way to travel the world without getting on a plane. Being an illustrator gets rather lonely sometimes and projects like these are a brilliant way to communicate and spend time with like-minded people.

The first theme chosen was horses so I indulged in a bit of pony homage and drew some chubby horses. Then I got sidetracked into making motorcycles as my mind raced away with a made-up word association game. Horses - Horsepower - Motorbikes.

Anisa chose the second theme: love. I got off to a rocky start but then I started drawing little tiny Mexican tin hearts and soon... my love stamp was born. That’s the true story behind my new stamp art. Enjoy - Monika

Welcome Anisa Makhoul!

What can I say? I am simply overjoyed to announce Anisa Makhoul has joined us! Anisa has a talent like no other in the industry. Her quirky sensibility married with this cozy home style is simply irresistible to me and I hope to you as well!

You can see more of Anisa's work here and by requesting a private gallery of her work. Welcome, Anisa Makhoul, we are SO GLAD you are here! - Jennifer

Truck, Truck, Bus!

Tomorrow we will be hosting another great giveaway over on our Facebook page! Monika's amazing Truck + Bus game for eeBoo!

Pop on over to our contact page today to sign up for our mailing list! Contest begins tomorrow @ 10amEDT! Hope you win! - Jennifer

Happy Father's Day, Sports Fans!

To all you Dads (and other fans) out there, we salute you! Enjoy these amazing soccer stars from Monika!

You can even more of this tremendous collection here. Enjoy! - Jennifer

Victoria's expressive, lyrical work spins the world on a new axis.

This week, I am counting down the (2!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work.

Victoria is becoming world famous for her color palettes, her keen design eye and her expressive lyrical quality. (Victoria's work is like happiness in a bottle.) Our clients are working with her on children's bedding, growth charts, Christmas paper goods, and a line of gifts and bolts of fabric so dear you will swoon at first glance! I reckon, I am the luckiest agent in town! You can find Victoria (and me) @ Booth 518! Enjoy! - Jennifer

This last one is SPECIAL thanks to ALL of you who have supported us as we launched the agency, licensed or commissioned art and continue to make us feel so very welcome in this wonderful world of art!

Jennifer graces SURTEX 2015 with her sublime beauties.

This week, I am counting down the (3!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work. Hold on to your horses, Jennifer is a knock out.

I fell in love with Jennifer the instant I saw her work. Great painters are few and far between and this one is as special as they come. Jennifer's work evokes joy, delight and a unique perspective on this world.  I am so fortunate to receive a painting from her nearly every day. Can imagine a more lucky inbox? Jennifer is currently working on her second (self-authored) book, a commission for hope chests for 3 lucky CT girls, loads of cards, and repeats for children's clothing in Brazil. Keep your eye on Jennifer, she is flying to high places... and I am SO LUCKY to be along for the ride!  Come meet Jennifer and see her jaw-dropping work @ Booth #355 or contact me to see hundreds of her images in our archives.- (the other) Jennifer

Monika shines like no other at SURTEX 2015!

This week, I am counting down the (4!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work.

Wednesday is for Monika and her amazing perspective and brilliant color sensibility. Clients are licensing her work, with deals for high-end wall decor and cooli-o suitcase patterns! Once again, I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent her and let the light shine in! Come visit Monika @ Booth #355. Enjoy! - Jennifer