The Illustrator's Market: Jennifer Parker

How did you become an artist?

At the age of seven, I made my mom a gift for Christmas. I purged through a box of photos and began cutting, gluing and collaging the family pictures on a poster board. In high school, I continued making collages from magazine clippings and photos. I also enjoyed collecting and sending greeting cards to family and friends. In college, I worked at a gift boutique shop, which lead me to follow a career path in the gift industry.

Did you go to art school?

I attended California State University, Chico, and earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Visual Communications (Graphic Design).

Were there one or more influences in your becoming an artist?

Two artists made a significant impression on me when I was 19. Mary Engelbriet's inspirational quotes really resonated with me. I admired how brilliantly she told a story in her greeting cards. And I also fell in love with Nick Bantock's collage postcards and his Griffin & Sabine stories. People have told me that my designs tell a story, and I believe it was those two artists that influenced my work.

What inspires you now?

I’m inspired by all things Anthropolgie and Free People! Anything bold and exotic. I love details, ethnic textiles, weathered textures, nature elements, and a mix of unusual objects combined together to create a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

Is there anything you would like to share about your technique or style?

I use mostly ephemera [chromolithography printed material out of copyright], photos of textures, and painted backgrounds. And I work primarily in Photoshop, creating many layers in a single file to composite my final image.

What types of markets do you create images for?

My career and background has been primarily in the paper products industry. But I look forward to expanding my line into other product categories like home décor, fabric and tabletop.

Do you do other things regarding art, like teaching?

I provide design and consulting services to artists who would like help with branding, marketing, and preparing their portfolios for licensing.

Recently, I guided a group of nine amazing women in creating a mandala vision board. Through that heartfelt experience, I plan to offer a seasonal mandala vision board workshops in my studio starting this Fall.

Are there other creative interests that you persure?

World Travel has given me inspiration. I’ve photographed many different cultures, and find great beauty in light, color, shape, natural and unorchestrated arrangements.

In conjunction with travel, I enjoy the process of creating assemblages and mixed media with a Eastern Philosophy quality as I’ve deeply enjoyed my experiences in Asia, Nepal and India.

Recently, I’ve felt strongly compelled to learn monoprinting, bongo drumming, and tribal fusion belly dancing.