BEHIND THE ARTIST: JESS MILLER
Bagnet is so excited to announce its first artist collaboration, featuring a limited edition collection of 10 gorgeous Bagnets! Shop the Jess Miller Collection here.
ABOUT JESS MILLER
Jess Miller is a Los Angeles based Graphic Designer and Illustrator. Her style is infused with bright pops of color and layered textures, inspired by nature, retro artwork, and vintage package design. Her style is best described as playful, bold, colorful with a vintage twist. Jess specializes in flat lay illustrations, surface pattern designs, and hand lettering. When she’s not creating art, Jess enjoys hiking and camping and spending time with her husband and daughter. Check out Jess Miller's Instagram here.
JESS MILLER Q&A
Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?
"I always enjoyed creating art at a young age, taking various art classes throughout my childhood. I graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Graphic Design. I spent about a decade doing not so creative work for large corporations. It wasn't until a few years ago that I started drawing and pursuing my passion for illustration. Now I draw full time as a freelance illustrator."
Do you think your background or experiences influence your work? If so, can you tell us about that?
"Absolutely! In college we had to complete two years of painting, drawing and sculpture before even touching a computer. Even though my work is mostly digital today, I always start with a pencil and paper. The classic skills I learned are a foundation for the art I create today."
Who are your biggest artistic influences? Where do you find inspiration?
"So many talented artists and designers! A few of my favorites include Tad Carpenter, Lauren Hom, and Jessica Hische. They are all super talented and successful with their own respective styles. I find most of my inspiration from nature, modern art, vintage packaging, and other artists."
How do you want your art to make people feel?
"I'm a very light hearted person and I like to inject color and humor into my art! My style can best be described as colorful, bold, busy, playful, with a modern twist. I hope it brings a smile to people's faces."
What motivates you to create?
"A big motivator is the art community I formed through social media. There are so many talented artists that create challenges like "Draw This in Your Style" and Inktober or Drawcember. It's a great way to create art outside of your comfort zone and to meet other like minded artists."
How does art affect other areas of your life?
"I'm also a mother so it's always rewarding to see my daughter color or create a craft. It's also so enjoyable creating something together with her."
What do you think makes your art different from other artists’?
"I've been described as having the style, personality, and drive to really make it as an illustrator. I think confidence and personality are definitely key in differentiating my art from other artists. Also a willingness to adapt and evolve over time."
What has been your biggest success as an artist? Your biggest challenge?
"I've had a lot of success this year, big and small. My biggest success as an artist is letting go of my full time design job and pursuing my passion to be a full time freelance illustrator. This is also my biggest challenge! I feel completely free and creative working for myself but also a little scared. You don't have the security of a paycheck every week so you have to take extra steps to market yourself, make long lasting client connections, and keep the creative juices flowing."
Can you describe your process from concept to final piece?
"My process always starts out with a sketch using pencil and paper. I like it better than digitally sketching. It's much more organic and allows me to better "brain dump" my ideas. From there I create tighter digital sketches on my iPad. I always share black and white sketches with clients so they aren't influenced by color. Once selections are made, I move on to color exploration. I usually research color trends and palettes and present the collection to the client so everything is cohesive upon delivery. From there, I make final tweaks until both parties are satisfied with the final pieces."
What are you most excited about with this new collection of Bagnets?
"I concepted and illustrated the art over a year ago so I'm most excited to finally see the actual Bagnet designs in person and so excited to try them out myself!"
What made you want to work with Kelley on this new Bagnet line?
"I was so excited to work with Kelley on this new line. I love how the Bagnet Company is female owned and operated. Kelley told me it was the first time Bagnet collaborated with an artist in creating a collection so I'm thrilled to be a part of it. I also really enjoyed creating physical products, a bit different from the digital 2-D illustrations I typically create."
What was your favorite part of creating this new line? Favorite design?
"My favorite part of creating the new line was the concepting and sketching phase. I had a lot of ideas and Kelley let me run wild with creative freedom. My favorite design is the Flutter design. The black, pink, and yellow colors are so bold and graphic and really represent my personal style. I also love the Wild Cat design. I was born in the year of the tiger and have an affinity for big cats--I definitely wanted to include a fierce cat in the collection."
WATCH THE LAUNCH WITH JESS MILLER
Watch the Q&A with Founder & CEO Kelley Daring about collaborating with artist Jess Miller here!