Today we’d like to introduce you to Jack Muldowney.
Jack, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
After arriving in Chicago 10 years ago with a suitcase and no job, I got to work freelancing – small side design projects here and there. After getting hired by a few small graphic design studios in town, my side projects kept growing, until one fateful summer weekend when I crunched some numbers and had delved into some self-reflection then decided to make the leap into full-time freelance. I split time growing my own client base and doing some intermittent contract work with larger agencies. Over time, I focused solely on growing my own business, and now have been running my design practice (Studio Malt) full-time since 2012, most recently out of a studio space in West Town. From the days of filling sketchbooks as a kid, to hand cutting and laying out gig posters in my college dorm room to now, it’s been a really interesting and always entertaining path. And I’m still learning more and more about every aspect of it all, each day…
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I primarily focus on identity, print and packaging efforts for clients of all sizes – ranging from small start-ups in the food and beverage industry to large non-profits and educational institutions. And as with all of my clients, I try to weave in project-specific illustration whenever it’s possible. That can be anything from a small thumbnail illustration for a brochure to a full piece that spans a 12-pack of beer or even a wall mural. My hope is always to create something unique, timeless and approachable, utilizing a variety of media. The fun is always in the process; I’m able to explore several techniques like pen and ink drawings, screen-printing, letterpress, linoleum wood-cuts, digital illustration, photography… And that’s just scratching the surface!
How do you think about success, as an artist, and what do quality do you feel is most helpful?
Success as an artist is something I think can only really be internalized. Getting into exhibits and publications is great (and often times a necessary way of self-promotion, or a ‘hey, I’m here, too’ for peers), but I honestly think just being able to tick a self-initiated project off your list is the best and most successful feeling there is. While my graphic design business is very much a client-driven, problem solving endeavor that can measure its success by sales and numbers, my personal projects are the ones that balance me out and keep me fresh creatively. I get just as much out of an illustration that might make $0.00 that I did because it’s been on my mind for months, as I do with a print that sells out at the neighborhood boutique. It’s all gratifying.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
People can stay up to speed on my current design and illustration projects via my website, studiomalt.com – as well as via my side projects like thehopreview.com & (soon-to-launch) localegoods.com, the latter of which will focus on several city-pride-centric pieces.
Contact Info:
- Address: 325 N. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60612 - Website: studiomalt.com
- Email: hello@studiomalt.com
- Instagram: @studiomalt
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/studiomalt/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/studiomalt
- Other: https://thehopreview.com
Image Credit:
Photography by Laura Davis of Charming Studios & Mikey Litchfield of Potluck Creative.
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