Today’s Wednesday Indie Artist Fixx interview is with Jennifer Hill of JHill Design. I am a real fan of Jennifer’s Places I Have Never Been series and I’m sure that you will love it as well. Learn more in my interview below.
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your work?
I went to the Massachusetts College of Art + Design and after graduating I worked for the beauty company Fresh where I designed their packaging and such. After a couple years my dad became ill and I needed to help take care of him so I left my full-time job and started freelancing, JHill Design grew from there.
Right now my design work revolves around my “Places I Have Never Been” line – which are pattern drawings of my imaginary vacations.
2. What’s your creative process like?
I keep a list of projects / places that I want to work on. For the “Places I’ve Never Been Series” I keep a tabbed sketchbook with collages of fashion/color and stories I want to remember. We have a google site that me and my assistant, Lizzie, are always pasting images and stories into. So we do it virtual and old school.
3. Share some of your inspirations.
I do a lot of inspiration hunting on ebay. I always find that when I am really stuck I will go to the Boston Public Library and just start going through books – that is one of my favorite things to do. Also, museums are so great for inspiration,I’m lucky that my studio is right near the ICA in Fort Point.
4. What blogs and mags do you like to read?
My fav blogs would be I Suwannee, Design Sponge, Inspiration Resource, My Marrakech, and the occasional trashy tabloid for good measure. I find a lot of color inspiration in Elle Magazine, Elle Decoration and Gourmet.
5. When you aren’t working on JHill Design stuff, what do you like to do?
Even though the collection is called “Places I Have Never Been”, I love to travel and try to as much as I can. My favorite trips from last year were Haiti, Morocco and Michigan . Also, If I’m not eating I’m planning my next delicious meal.
6. What’s the best and the worst about what you do
The best things about my job is that I get to make something that really resonates with people. I love taking people’s stories and turning them into our Personalized Prints or listening to the stories that a City Print remind people of.
The worst things are no steady pay check and in this economy that can be daunting… but it is worth it!
7. What’s new or in works for JHill Design?
Right now I am finishing up a Family Tree poster with illustrator Marisa Green, it will be out next month. As always working on new places – right now it is Iran, New Orleans, and Kansas.
I have been droolong over JHill Design prints for a looooong time. Reading more about the atrist’s creative process is totally inspiring! Didn’t realize you were in Boston, Jennifer. I <3 you even more! 🙂
Jennifer, it’s cool to hear you go to the BPL for inspiration–I do, too! This is a lovely interview. It’s good to know more about your process.