Featured Artist: Stacia Krause Stojanoff

What is your Background?

I'm a doodler. When I was younger I doodled on my school notebooks with hearts, flowers and bugs along with decorative lettering. Upon hearing a cool word or phrase, I would capture it visually with a quick sketch. I never studied art as a youngster aside from the mandatory art class in high school. We lived in the country and I explored my creative side through sewing, photography, woodworking and crafts.

When it was time to leave the nest and go to college, I studied Fashion Merchandising and Apparel Design at Montana State. After working 2 years in the field, I knew that the apparel industry was not for me. The money wasn't there and the stress was overwhelming. I decided to make a career change by leaving textiles and learning computer and business skills. I worked as an administrative assistant and accountant for eight years. During that time I discovered a ceramics studio and started painting ceramic plates in my spare time. This small demiurgic outlet led me down the academic path once more and I went back to school to learn illustration, graphic design and web publishing.

I'm now a freelance illustrator and graphic designer working from my home studio I call Espial Design. I have done many identity and logo projects for small businesses while I work on my real passion, illustrating. When things are slow, I keep myself busy with creative projects. Currently, I've written and am now illustrating my first children's book for early readers.

What is your Technique?

I'm a very tactile person and am fascinated by texture. I find inspiration for my artwork through textures and words. For me, words create strong visual associations that I express through a variety of techniques, including paper and digital collage. I cut, paste, scan and assemble. It's like putting a puzzle together and making order out of chaos. After my image is constructed, I add digital effects like shadows and lighting for a completed piece.

What is your involvement with the Guild?

I've been a member for several years, paying my dues and keeping the Guild's Handbook of Pricing & Ethical Guidelines close at hand. Recently, I read the Guild News and found an article that inspired me to attend the Steering Committee meetings and join the Luncheon Committee. I am currently assisting Marty Sconduto at the Gordon Biersch luncheon events. The open communication with others in my field is invaluable as are the friendships that are developing along the way.

Do you have a favorite client story?

My first client experience after school was a real eye opener. Even though the contract, proposal, and design went smoothly, I felt used up in the months to follow. I was over accommodating, above and beyond the contractual terms. After finalizing the project, requests for resized images, color changes, and new file formats continued to surface. I felt obligated to keep my client happy, but as the months progressed, I realized I had put in many hours for free! The last request was 16 months after the project had been finalized. The client was expecting more free service because I never established appropriate boundaries. However, after reading the Guild News and the Guidelines Handbook I was able to understand when enough is enough. What did I learn? I learned to value myself and my work. I told my client that I'd be happy to work with her but a new contract and fee needed to be discussed first. It felt great to get back in the driver's seat.

Anything else?

My artwork is currently installed at the Saratoga Library's art wall. It was a juried exhibit and my work was selected for the months of March and April. This is my first show and I'm very excited to share my illustrations with the community. Cheers!

All artwork © 2005 Stacia K. Stojanoff. Not to be used without permission.