Our featured artist for this week is
Nicola Joyner of
nJoy
Art. I immediately fell in love with Nicola’s art when I spotted some of her
paintings for children in her
Etsy shop. The pictures were so lovely and cheerful
I couldn’t help but smile when I looked at them. Her vibrant palette produces
paintings that will brighten up any child’s room. My curiosity was piqued; I
just had to find out more about the woman behind the beautiful pictures.
Hi Nicola, can you
tell us about the part of the world you’re in and what you do?
I moved to southern Maine after graduating [from] college. It
was a big change from my childhood home in the Cayman Islands, but both places
have a unique beauty and are wonderful places to raise a family. I consider
both my home and try to get back to Grand Cayman at least once a year. I’m
really lucky to have family to visit in paradise, especially during the bitter
Maine winters.
I am a freelance graphic designer... and artist.
How did you get into
graphic design and painting?
I started college as a business major and quickly realized that it
wasn’t for me. I always loved art but because I lacked confidence in my
artistic ability I opted to get my degree in Graphic Design and Advertising
rather than in Fine Arts. Looking back I wish I had gone to art school and
added on the graphic design, but hindsight is 20/20.
 |
A painting a budding
astronomer/alien seeker would love to have
|
What inspired you to do paintings for children?
My daughters are the main inspiration for my children's art. I remember when I was pregnant and trying to decorate the nursery (and then later my oldest’s ‘big girl’ room) there were a lot of really cute things in the stores, but I had seen it all before. I wanted my kids to have something original that wouldn't be in all their friends’ rooms as well. I ended up just painting murals in both rooms. But that's when I realized that there was probably a market for original art for kids’ rooms. When I finally listed a few nursery paintings on Etsy, nJoy Art For Kids quickly became my bestselling category.
What is your
workspace like? Can you describe it to us please?
My work space is a disaster zone! Tubes of paint and stacks of canvas
are scattered about, sketches pinned to the walls, unfinished paintings
everywhere... I would like to say it‘s a product of my having to work in fits
and spurts, but I have a feeling that even when the kids are both in school it
will still look this way :) It’s the one spot in the house where clutter
doesn‘t get to me.
 |
| Nicola’s studio—it’s not really as messy as she
thinks, is it? |
Do you find it a challenge being a work-at-home mother? How do you maintain the balance between work and home life?
My kids come first; I guess there really isn’t balance because they win out every time! When they are both in school I think it will be easier to focus on my work and treat it like a real day job. At present, I squeeze in what I can at nights and between the play dates and dance classes. I left my job as an art director at a mid-sized greeting card company 7 years ago just after my first daughter was born. My husband and I knew it would mean sacrifices to make it on one salary, but not having to put our baby in day care was worth it. My youngest is 5 now and will start school this fall so I have been gearing up to make nJoy Art a full-time business by then. I like not having a morning commute, and hope that I won’t have to go back to an office again. Perhaps with the help of Etsy I won’t have to.
What is a normal work day like
for you?
This year I’ve started to promote nJoy Art at lot more, so my days start with a
round at the computer, returning e-mail, checking Etsy stats and teams,
updating Twitter and Facebook, etc. When you have no advertising budget these
sites are a life saver and are the source of much of the traffic to nJoy Art.
My little one has preschool three mornings a week--that time is dedicated to
painting. Being fresh in the mornings I like to start new pieces then, my other
dedicated painting time is at night after the kids have gone to bed. It can be
hard at the end of the day, but I can at least paint finishing touches even
when I am a bit too tired to be really creative. I check in to my networking
sites periodically throughout the day. Thanks to the iPhone I always have Etsy
and e-mail in my pocket!
 |
| Pictures that bring a ray of sunshine into your
life |
Where do you get inspiration for your
paintings?
My kids, their cousins and their friends... If they are into it, I put it in
the idea bank for a painting. For the non-kids art I look to trends for ideas
and basically paint what I like.
 |
A series of paintings
for ‘grownups’—hmm, I think these would look good in my dining room.
|
Your Etsy shop has been a success. What do
you attribute this success to?
The power of positive thinking! Once I finally I pushed my doubts aside and
decided I wanted to this for the rest of my life, things began to take off.
Sure, I’ve had to work for it, but setting my goals high and then visualizing
them being achieved is what I think has gotten me this far. I have a long way
to go, but I have my eye on the prize and I am reaching for it with all I‘ve
got!
What sort of marketing do you do for your products? Do you do trade
shows, put up advertisements, etc.?
I plan to do trade shows next year. It's expensive to travel with a
family of four and not possible to leave them behind either. I want to be ready
and prepared with a lot to offer when I do go. Right now I am networking online
as much as I can and relying heavily on word of mouth. I don't really have the
budget for much paid advertising but when a low cost opportunity arises I
sometimes give it a shot, mostly Facebook giveaways or Etsy team catalogues. I
might try an art show this year. I did a couple craft fairs a while back but
they were not the right market for my art; I think I was overpriced or perhaps
in the wrong locations.
What are your plans and goals for this year and how do you see your business in
five years’ time?
This year I hope to hit 200 sales on Etsy and get my art licensed with at
least two more companies. If I am still working nJoy Art full time in 5 years I
will consider myself successful! By then I hope to have written and illustrated
my own children’s book as well. It will be about a frog and a turtle who are
best friends... It’s been brewing for years!
Well, I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more of Nicola’s art in
the years to come. She has the talent, vision and dedication, plus the right
networking skills to succeed. And that book about a frog and turtle besties
sounds very promising indeed—I’m sure it will be filled with many beautiful
illustrations!
