Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gina Levantini. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

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

I’ve dreamed of being a working artist ever since I was a little kid! I don’t remember an exact moment but I do remember being in middle school, making little punk rock monster necklaces (each wearing their own band tee) to sell in an Etsy shop. Whatever strange art fixation I was on at the moment got listed into that Etsy shop.

I was so excited about the idea of people enjoying my art so much that they would pay for it to be a part of their life! I still feel the exact same way today, despite the scale being dramatically different. I feel incredibly lucky that my art has reached more people than middle school me would have ever thought possible.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I primarily work in watercolor painting and relief printing. I’ve been casually selling my art for well over a decade, beginning when I was 13 or so. Like many other people, 2020 really shook up my life. I decided to focus on my art more and begin my business, Fern In The Forest.

I began turning my paintings into a few postcard and greeting card designs. Interest grew and I started vending at my local farmer’s market. Now a little over 2 years later I have many full stationery collections, I vend at large art markets, and my products are sold in 60 stores across the US! Also in this time I began offering my illustration services for commercial work! I’ve been lucky enough to work with non profits, musicians, and local businesses. It’s been a lot of fun to see how my business has organically grown over the years.

My art represents everything that I love. My greatest joys are cooking, traveling, gardening, and spending time in nature. I’ve prioritized travel in my life, whether that’s long distance backpacking (I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the Camino de Santiago, and a bit of the Arizona Trail) or international travel. My gratitude for this and for the beautiful nature around me is the inspiration for all of my art. It’s so wonderful to watch people connect so strongly with that!

I’m proud to say that I’ve made a continual effort to keep my business as low waste as possible. Removing plastic use and using recycled materials feels like a no-brainer when my art is centered around nature!

Have you ever had to pivot?

As I mentioned earlier, 2020 changed so many of our lives. It definitely led to many changes in mine. I was working as a baker but decided it wasn’t the safest place to work during COVID. I was living very remotely in North Cascades National Park and there weren’t many options for work there. I picked up odd jobs, like working in a local orchard, for the summer but then decided it was time to move and rejoin the world a bit. I packed up my life and moved to San Juan Island, a gorgeous island off of Washington, to be closer to my partner‘s family.

I had to decide whether I was going to keep with the food service route or if I was going to really invest in myself and go for my art business. I’m so proud of past me for taking that leap because everything that has come since has been a dream.

I feel like ever since starting my business I’m constantly pivoting! You have to be very adaptable and open minded to surprises, as a business owner.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Totally! I wish that I had always known about litebox.info and the Graphic Artists Guild Handbook. When doing commercial work, it’s incredibly hard to come up with your rates. These two resources have been very helpful in pricing my work well and learning my “worth”.

Contact Info:

• Website: FernIntheForest.etsy.com
• Instagram: @fern.in.the.forest
• Facebook: Facebook.com/artbyglev
• Other: Wholesale catalog: FernInTheForest.faire.com

Image Credits
Chase Anderson (image #1, photo of me)