We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Angie Nordstrum. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Angie below.

Alright, Angie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always known I am an artist. When I was in high school I sewed all of my clothes, I took every art class I could find and I spent my time away from school sewing, dyeing fabric and making art.

I enrolled in college as an Apparel Design student where I studied in the home economics college. I was also able to study at the London College of Fashion where I learned millinery and footwear design.

There was never a doubt in my mind that I would pursue an artistic path.

Angie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I got my start professionally as a furniture painter for a local object ‘d art furniture company. This was a dream job for me at the time. We worked out of an industrial warehouse space where the furniture was built on one side and hand painted on the other. I spent my entire workday painting illustrations on wood. This is where I learned how to mix colors, how to vary brush strokes and work within a specific color palette.

When I moved to Colorado I put my Apparel Design degree to work for a local clothing designer. I had the opportunity to design garments, create illustrations for screen prints and surface pattern design. This is also where I started to learn graphic design and digital art. This was at the time when all of our hand drawn illustrations had to be converted to digital files. I loved learning this process and quickly became obsessed with learning digital art programs.

Next, I worked for a large grocery chain as an artist and graphic designer. This is where I learned how to paint on a wide variety of surfaces, how to hand letter and illustrate with speed and precision and how to create large scale art installations. When operations at this company shifted, many of the creatives jobs like mine were eliminated. This is when I knew it was time for me to branch out on my own.

I started Angie Nordstrum Design in 2016 providing graphic design and decor services to restaurants and retailers. Over the years my business has evolved. I have designed and installed decor for restaurants around the county, I have coordinated large scale community craft events, created dozens of logos and brand packages and led art workshops out of the country.

Most recently, I have sewn custom garments for clients, launched several painting collections, and have been commissioned to paint murals and windows all over the Front Range. I am a Curator for The Turquoise Iris Journal.

Two of the problems I enjoy solving for clients the most are visual branding and murals. I love working with clients and help them bring their vision to life. Designing logos, branding packages and murals all involve collaboration with clients, what they want and how to most effectively communicate their brand or concept. These projects are like puzzles of creativity, requiring me as the designer to take all the separate elements and ideas and form them into a cohesive design. I love this process.

My brand is built from my heart. I believe in always delivering my best quality work, employing bespoke design techniques, communicating well with my clients and exceeding client expectations.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I would love to see more affordable places for artists to use to create. Where I live, real estate prices are high and studio spaces for artists to rent are exorbitant. Yet, I see so many unoccupied retail and office spaces in town. So many office buildings have been unoccupied since 2020, so many people now work from home. I would love to see some of these spaces available to artists for studios.

Imagine these dull, lifeless empty office buildings converted into colorful, creative spaces where artists can have their own private studio spaces. I envision offices with high ceilings and abundant natural light converted into vibrant art studios. Office lobby and atriums could be turned into thriving community spaces for gathering and showing art. I would love to see more communities doing something like this.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe we all have creative gifts. Every single one of us. Artists tap in to that very special place of creativity, that place where ideas germinate, where colors and textures and patterns collide and breathe life into seeds of creativity. Everything is art when you choose to look at life this way. I love living in this space.

And I love sharing experiences with other people to show them how to tap into their creativity. Faces light up when students try a new technique, lay down marks in an unexpected way, mix a new color, create something they never expected they could make. It is extremely rewarding to see this process unfold for others.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.angienordstrum.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angienordstrumdesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angienordstrumdesign