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

Nick, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I went to art school, not business school. My entire life I felt overlooked and under-appreciated, and I felt like with art I could actually have a voice that mattered. However, I quickly realized that if I was going to make it as an artist I had to “force” the issue. I chose to make work that was big, bold, vibrant and loud. I wanted my artwork to scream at the viewer, demand their attention and force some sort of dialogue, whether you appreciate the work or not. This lead me to the world of large format printing, and then eventually vehicle wraps. I see vehicles as a massive canvas – a canvas that is not restrained by a gallery, gets tons of attention, and is as personal as a tattoo.

I found my medium of choice, but it wasn’t a straight line to get there in any way. I had to work super hard as an individual artist (choosing paint over food in some cases). I chose to work with tons of artists, networking between creative groups, building client relationships, and sparing no expense when it came to perfecting my art. I worked with print shops, building and enhancing their processes until it became apparent I needed to do it myself. I didn’t have a dime to my name, so I had to put everything on the line to start my own business, including selling my house.

I worked alone for about a year, doing every job and setting up every system until it became apparent I needed a big space and a proper team. Just as I was curious, innovative, and stubborn as an artist, I am the same way as a business owner. If I’m working on an art piece I focus on my story, efficiency, and exceeding expectations. In business I do the same sort of thing – I focus on my marketing, making things as efficient as possible, and delighting every customer that I have. To me it feels the same, so much so that I feel like my business is my most successful work of art. And from the outside looking in you might think that too – It’s basically a talented group of artists, working in a big beautiful art studio, making really epic graphics that are undeniably art.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a digital artist with a degree in Studio Arts and Art History from the University of Colorado, Boulder. I worked for years as a starving artist, learning how to print my work large scale, and mix and match painting into the process. At first I would to go to local print ships and ask them if they could print my artwork large scale, but they were never able to do what I wanted to see. Their colors and print quality were horrendous, and their frustrations with me got to the point where they actually asked me if I wanted to give it a try. So I would clean, calibrate and profile their printers, fixing them entirely, just so that I could have a great print for my artwork.

This lead me to the world of large format printing, vehicle wraps, and eventually art cars. I now own Pureblind Wraps and Graphics, a print shop & design studio in Denver that designs, prints and installs every type of graphic that you can think of. We specialize in original illustrative designs for individuals and companies of all shapes and sizes. While most design teams can barely get your phone number right, we not only do full service branding we actually illustrate new original art works. And everything that we do is made large scale, or in vector format, so that we can ensure a perfect print every time. To say things another way, we are art nerds who are obsessed with quality and value. We want to produce the best product, at a fair price, doing things that no other shop can do. I’m proud to say that we won best Vehicle Wrap Shop in Colorado in 2023 and 2024 and recently made the Colorado Top 200 list of privately owned companies.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I had a rough go in College. The way that I transferred schools and programs meant I had to take three years of courses in two. To make matters worse, my teachers really didn’t like me. I was playing with digital art, mixing it with traditional media, and pushing the boundaries of what students had done at the time. In general, they didn’t understand me and didn’t have a structure in place that awarded curiosity, only conformity.

On top of that I broke my ankle really badly one semester, and had three different surgeries on my gut during another. The anesthesiologist during one of my surgeries stole the fentanyl he was supposed to give me, used it on himself, then gave me a saline solution with the same needle. That gave me a bloodstream infection that nearly killed me.

All of that to say, I felt like the entire world was against me. After graduating I decided that no matter what, no matter the cost, I would have an art studio in Denver and prove everyone wrong. Five months after graduating I had a studio in Downtown Denver, and after years of obsessively working, collaborating, marketing myself, and pushing boundaries I was able to do the impossible – make a living off of making art.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Growing up my Dad always told me “If you’re not going to do something right, then don’t do anything at all.” As simple as that sounds, it’s lead me in every decision that I make as a business owner. I tend to overachieve, not just with my creative work but in the way that I communicate with my clients, how I market my company, how I post on social media, how I pay my bills and how I do my taxes. Everything. And if I can’t do something at a high level, I don’t do it.

The way that I see it, if you’re always doing outstanding work, and being super warm and helpful with everyone you interact with, there’s never going to be a reason for them to be upset with you. If you’re doing great work while charging a fair price, by default you’re offering the most value that any potential client could receive. Everyone at Pureblind has the same attitude, and that has lead to a stellar reputation with nearly every client that has walked through our doors. People love the experience of working with us, because we genuinely won’t settle for anything less. We do things the right way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pureblind.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pureblind/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pureblind
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@pureblind

Image Credits

Pureblind / Devyn Salazar