Today we’d like to introduce you to Marian Nixon.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Marian. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Most artists will agree – there’s nothing better than making something out of nothing. (Well, almost nothing, anyway.) There’s something magically rewarding about getting an idea, putting it on a surface, and seeing it come to life. I loved it when I was a kid, and 57 years in, I still love it.
My story is: I grew up in the 1970s, surrounded by Saul Steinberg prints and Merrimekko “unpaintings” on my home’s walls. I was always encouraged to be an artist and knew that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up. But, I had zero clues how to go from a magic-marker drawing kid to an actual make-a-living sort of artist. It took me years on winding roads of jobs to get where I am now – a full-time artist/surface designer/product maker.
The major “aha” moment came on a fluke in the mid/late 1990s, when I just happened to hear about the Surtex Show (an annual trade show for surface/pattern designers). Walking the show the first time, my eyes nearly popped out of my head. There were aisles and aisles of booths – 100s of people like me, displaying their patterns/paintings/works of art. All sorts of companies walked this show (the only one like it, back in the day), in search of art for their products like linens, wall decor, paper goods of all kinds, etc… I knew this was the place for me. The next year I bit the super-expensive bullet, bought a booth, and there’s where I started to license my work to companies for greeting cards, book covers, stationery, ceramic mugs, photo albums/boxes, journals, datebooks, gift bags, etc…
Thanks in large part to technology, the art licensing world has gotten increasingly popular. In the past few years, while I’ve kept up the licensing gig, I’ve also expanded into selling hand-made products online. There are so many opportunities to sell work to people worldwide, thanks to social media, print-on-demand sites, along with Amazon and Etsy. It’s still a thrill for me to sell a wood sign or a set of handmade cards to someone I don’t know! My latest adventure is learning to use power tools and saws, so I can make even more detailed hand-made products.
Has it been a smooth road?
So many challenges!! The art licensing world is tough. It’s gotten super competitive now that anyone with a computer can be (or think they are!) a designer. The economy’s well-being (or not-so-well-being) can make or break a career. And with any business, you can (and I have) run into unethical people or companies. There are very few laws protecting artists, and when you work with overseas companies – well, you just hope you’re involved with a kosher company that pays you as promised.
One of the hardest parts about being an artist is getting people (individuals and companies) to understand that art has VALUE. It’s not about how long it takes to make a piece. If you want to see me cringe, ask me to donate my “work” in exchange for “exposure.” Artists don’t need exposure; they need to be paid for their work. That’s a giant challenge in this business. I even had a network television station contact me this summer to do work for a major sports team – in exchange for exposure. It’s quite disheartening. So – yes, there have been and continue to be bumps in the road.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company consists of two parts. One is art licensing, where in exchange for a fee, I allow companies to use my art on their products. One of my favorite clients hired me to design photo albums and boxes, and they ended up on the endcaps in Target stores nationwide. I’m jealous of my own self for that gig.
The other part is the online selling part. I design and sell wall decals, prints of my art, hand-painted sets of personalized cards, wood signs (new this month!!), “What Would Doggie Do?” t-shirts and monogrammed blank sketchbooks. I mainly sell through Etsy, but I also have my own site, and my t-shirts and sketchbooks are on Amazon. And finally, I am a vendor for HomeGoods, where I sell my city/skyline/sports prints.
My style is what I call “playfully sophisticated.” It’s colorful and whimsical. I do lots of watercolor patterns, collages, and lately digital paintings. I specialize in happy art, which sounds weird until you look at it. then it makes sense.
I’m most proud of finding my own way through this business. I had no clue this world existed, and I’ve just had to figure the whole thing out as I went. Fortunately, as much as I LOVE making art, I also like the business end of working with clients. Some artists don’t like the business side, and that can be limiting.
What sets me apart is my style of art – I just make what I like. I don’t follow any rules or trends. It may not be for everyone, but people seem to respond well to it, and that makes me happy.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Chicago is a fantastic city for artists – but these days, it’s a smidge on the expensive side for an artist who doesn’t have a side gig to help pay the rent. I would LOVE to see old malls or unused retail space turned into creative workshop spaces. How cool would it be to have corporate sponsors fund giant spaces with equipment for sewing and wood-working and metal-smithing (is that what it’s called?) and ceramic studios and painters’ studios? Artists could teach school kids (another sad part about Chicago – do any schools offer art or shop classes anymore?) in exchange for studio space. A huge win-win for everyone.
So – that’s what I would improve: More affordable artist-friendly work areas, and more art education/opportunities for city kids.
Pricing:
- Prints $35-$45
- Wall Decals $32-$58
- Handmade Wood Signs $75
- “What Would Doggie Do?” T-shirts $20
- Draw & Write & Plan & Create Monogrammed Sketchbooks $9
- Hand-painted, Customized Card Sets $22
Contact Info:
- Website: mariannixon.com
- Phone: 7739872910
- Email: https://www.mariannixon.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariannixon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariansdecals
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NixonMarian
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MarianNixon
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
