Lauren Minco
Shop: www.laurenminco.com
Blog: adventuresofminco.blogspot.com

Tell us about yourself.

My name is Lauren Minco, and I am a 24 year old artist / illustrator living in Providence, Rhode Island. I live with my boyfriend (Leon) and we both graduated from the Illustration Department The Rhode Island School of Design. However, we attended at different times, so it was just a weird stroke of fate that we ended up together! He was raised with cats, I was raised with dogs, and we love animals even if we feel right now we can’t properly take care of one in our apartment. We have a houseplant named “Mark” after the friend who gave it to us. Yup.

What do you make?

I make paintings and drawings that I sell on their own or use for products such as notebooks, prints, cards, etc.

What inspires you & what is your creative process?

I’m influenced by comics, storybooks, folk art, graffiti, and pop culture. Most stuff that I do sort of just happens or pops in my head. I’m lucky that my personal imagery seems to come easily to me. The small paintings offered in my Etsy shop are made out of scrap materials leftover from my professional projects, and I enjoy just messing around with new colors and not worrying too much about what will happen. Ironically, these experiments usually end up inspiring me AGAIN once I jump back to my “real” work.

Where is your studio and how has it evolved? What is your plan for it in the future?

My studio is basically a drafting table in our office since I don’t work terribly big. Leon has a whole room as his studio since he does large oil paintings, and eventually I have some old canvases from my RISD days that I would love to tackle again and see what happens. No big plans for my table. I just wish I was cleaner and Leon does, too!

What tools & equipment do you use?

Acryla Gouache! I use an acrylic/ gouache hybrid (gouache is like a thick watercolor that can be opaque) on silkscreen paper and think it’s wonderful. I also at times use ink depending on the project.

What else do you do? Is this your full time gig?

Art is my full time job. I am really blessed that my family was supportive about my decision to become an artist. I do freelance Illustration (just finished a project for Mudpuppy in New York which will premiere at the big gift show in August) and I show my work at galleries across the country. I also enjoying teaching and I work with RISD Continuing Education year round (including their great Pre-College program for teens) and have joined the Illustration faculty at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA. I might be teaching at Mass Art in Boston this Fall, but nothing is finalized just yet.

What do you hope to get out of this, what are your goals?

I’m an artist and an entrepreneur so I have always been inspired by companies like Kid Robot and Paul Frank who have turned their art into something more, something BIG. I tell people that I’m first a businesswoman and that’s very true. Making art into business is something I’m constantly thinking about, and I would love to grab the potential on my art and take it to the next level, whether it’s with my own store or other companies like I’ve been doing currently.

How do you promote yourself?

Great question. With my illustration profession I make mailers at www.gotptint.com (try it! So much cheaper that other companies!) and send them to art directors at magazines, companies, etc. I get these names online, sometimes from other illustrators, and also from books such as The Artist’s & Graphic Designer’s Market. This book has sections on art fairs, galleries, book publishers, magazines, everything! Sometimes I have to go to New York and make appointments with art directors, too, which is very exciting and fun. At sales I always have my mailers out so people can find me later, and I’ve found that being involved in your artistic community is a great way to get your name out there.

Any tips for fellow crafters/artists?

Think BIG. Ask questions. I just attended a great lecture panel at Brown University that was featuring business/entrepreneur types. One of them said that you should have a plan for your business, and that plan should not only thrill you, but it should SCARE you, and I think he’s right. Big dreams involve risks and you shouldn’t be afraid to take them.