NYC Tourism, JNA Style!

May 8, 2019

Spring in New York City! What could be better? Maybe enjoying beautiful, fresh art from our 12 artists while you’re there??! Today, we’ve put together a little JNA-style guide for a trip to NYC!

Let’s start by seeing Jennifer Orkin Lewis’s bold florals after you enjoy the delightful flowers of Central Park!

Or, how about getting lost in the graphite lines of our new artist, Malin Gyllensvaan, to celebrate not getting lost in New York’s sensible grid layout?

Enjoy the winter wonderlands and clever art of Jill Howarth after doing some year-round holiday shopping in Little Italy at Christmas in New York!

Fall in love with Janna Krupinski’s whimsical creations like this incredible mer-cat, then meet some exciting aquatic life at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island.

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Now, I know what you think we’re going to recommend when you look at this amazingly graceful piece from our newest artist, Christine De Carvalho. Her florals and animals beckon to locations exotic and wild. Alas, there is no tiger at the Central Park Zoo! A trip to the American Museum of Natural History is in order. Lions, tigers, and bears at that one—oh, and flowers!

After visiting New York’s City’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, drop in and let Rae Ritchie’s enchanting scenes and repeats cast a spell on you!

Lauren Lowen’s cool-cat art will certainly be a primer for a visit to one of the hippest spots in town, the Chelsea Market. Don’t forget to bring your top-knot!

This one, we recommend first thing in the morning. Come by our booth, look at Miriam’s delightfully bright art long enough that it gives you a big energy boost (it won’t take long, I promise) and then hop on over to Hudson Yard to climb their brand new public masterpiece, Vessel!

Another new artists for JNA, Dylan Mierzwinski, creates deliciously fun ink and paint illustrations that are a perfect dessert after visiting Bemelmans Bar in the Upper East Side, where your eyes can feast on walls covered with fanciful illustrations by Ludwig Bemelmans, himself.

Find yourself in a fairyland of colors and graceful characters looking at Bee Brown’s gorgeous prints right before heading out to see a performance at the New York Ballet!

Rachel Grant’s invitation is clear: you must go to a Brooklyn Bakery! But first, indulge in a viewing of her fabulous birds, florals, seascapes and storefronts. Then, head on over to the Hot Bread Kitchen.

Finally, before you leave, you have got to check out Kelly Angelovic’s incredible work! Her powerful pro-woman pieces demand a visit to that gorgeous green lady, the Statue of Liberty, before your trip ends.

Jennifer Nelson Artists Made A Big Splash in The City By The Bay

October 9, 2018

Whew! What a terrific trip I had traveling to San Francisco for our first-ever West Coast trade show. The city was beautiful (and I have pictures to prove it) and the show was a big success. We will definitely be coming back to Blue Print San Francisco next fall!

I met up with other artists and agents at the Fort Mason Center to set up for Blue Print (special thanks to Katy Tanis who helped me so much with the booth). The show was three good days punctuated with eating super yummy foods. I loved meeting all of you (many for the first time) and celebrating our mutual love of art.

Our booth looked great. I got to hang out with my agent friends, Abby, Brenda and Paul (founder and mastermind behind Blue Print) and Patrick too!

The flight from Boston was 3,234 miles. I brought more than 90 pounds of artwork to the show, on foot. Quite a workout, but it was well worth it! :)

A very sweet client brought Jill Howarth’s latest book up from LA for us. It’s so satisfying to see the artist’s work out in the wild.

The setting was gorgeous, right next to the water. At one point I looked out the window of the hotel and saw a seal basking in the sun. We don’t get those in Boston!

The show was a huge success and we will definitely be there next autumn!

After three fun-but-exhausting days I had some time off. While in San Francisco I visited Alcatraz with my friend Brenda and hiked all around town.

I walked (just under 10 miles - and met not one but TWO corgis!) from Japantown to the Painted Ladies… down Haight Street to Market Street… to Lombard Street back down to the water… and back to the bayside, where a friend and Advice for Artist client, Shannon McNab, kindly drove me back to the airport.

I had a great time but it’s good to be back home. The succulents out west are so pretty, I brought one back to see if I can let it live in my studio. A little souvenir of my week in San Francisco.

Go West, JNA, Go West!

September 24, 2018

We are packing our bags, putting the final touches on the booth notions and sprinkling in some fairy dust for good measure! See you in San Francisco 2-4 October (Gallery 308 at Fort Mason Center). We get into high gear preparing for what will likely be our best show ever!

Here is a sneak peek at some of the great winter holiday art we will be featuring at Blue Print!

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And some of the gorgeous florals, animals and the loveliest beach scene you have ever seen making a debut too!

We even have special handmade gifts for our Blue Print buyers! Reserve your appointment time today! I cant wait to see you there! - Jennifer

The most wonderful time of the year!

April 19, 2018

Feel that excitement? It's spring trade show season! This is the time of year when we get into high gear preparing for two big back-to-back shows in New York City: Blue Print 1 and SURTEX. Even one day in the Big Apple means lots of things to do and people to see. This is SIX DAYS in the city so we're talking six times the energy and six times the fun! Portfolio books are arriving each week... the artists are busy putting the finishing touches on their prints... and we are making special handmade gifts for our buyers this year! Reserve your appointment time today!

Come see us 17-19 MAY at BLUE PRINT and 20-21 MAY at SURTEX (register in advance here). If you decide to come, make an appointment and I will set aside time especially for you! For more information on the busiest, most exciting time of the year, you can read about JNA at the shows.

Thanks for looking at our latest work. You can see more at the two big shows in New York, or simply let me know and I will put together a custom gallery on any subject or by the artist of your choice. Kindly, Jennifer

Jill Howarth’s stunning work, ready for review!

May 9, 2017

With BLUE PRINT + SURTEX just around the corner I want to share the artists' portfolio books! Jill Howath's lettering and gorgeous illustration promises to thrill! We are not booking appointments - want yours? Just ask! Enjoy - Jennifer

Lauren’s latest work ready for the New York shows!

May 8, 2017

With BLUE PRINT + SURTEX just around the corner I want to share the artists' portfolio books! Lauren Lowen rounds out another year of terrific work. Take a look! Want to see work before the show, just ask! Enjoy - Jennifer

Sweetness + cozy domestic bliss = Rachel Grant's portfolio book!

April 25, 2017

With BLUE PRINT + SURTEX just around the corner I want to share the artists' portfolio books! Rachel Grant brings it all home with her mesmerizing work - a first timer at the shows and she promises to delight! Want to see work before the show, just ask! Enjoy - Jennifer

Rae's terrific 2017 portfolio

April 19, 2017

You will just FLIP when you see Rae Ritchie's astonishing work in person! Come visit us at BLUE PRINT + SURTEX in May! To get a sneak peek, just ask! - Jennifer

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

February 13, 2016

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!

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).
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.
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).
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

Off to BLUEPRINT, with PRINTSOURCE close behind!

November 30, 2015

Whew, running a small business is loads of work! Good thing I LOVE it!

We are ready for BLUEPRINT! The prints are sorted and packed in pretty folios, the banners are ready to pop up, the forms are ready to be filled, the postcards are all tucked into Monika's beautiful ZÜCA bag. I even have a few giveaways for lucky clients! Hope to see you there!