Pretty {much} Art started when I {Stephanie, the daughter/designer} graduated from college with a BFA in graphic design in 2008. Looking for a way to stay creative during the long process of searching for a “real job” {during a recession, no less} led to getting creative on the computer. I used the skills I learned in school to make “digital art", creating art prints and stationery. From there, my mom and I opened our Etsy shop and started selling our work at craft shows in the fall of that year. While our original line started out as digital illustrations, over time it developed into the quote prints and vinyl pieces that you see today.
From the start of Pretty {much} Art, Theresa {the mother/crafter} has been the one who takes the designs from the computer to the finished product. She does all the printing and framing. Theresa also takes her daughter's designs and applies the artwork to tile coasters and magnets. Everything she makes is carefully crafted, because she's a perfectionist like that. She makes Pretty {much} Art more than pretty art. Pretty {much} Art is functional home decor, and more!
you can call us Pretty
You may be wondering where the name Pretty {much} Art comes from. In 2008, a relatively new website called Etsy was gaining popularity and we decided to take a crack at it. But before we could start listing our artwork, we needed a name. A few weeks after we started to put my designs into production, we had a family friend come over to look at our work. If you are unfamiliar with our original line before the burlap quotes, we made illustrative art that was hand-drawn and then scanned into and colored in on the computer. I hope that gives you a visual for the following conversation.
Family Friend: “So what do you call this stuff?” Note: It was called “digital art”, but digital art wasn’t really a well-known thing back then.
Stephanie: “What do you mean, ‘what do I call it’? I don’t know.”
Family Friend: “What is it?”
Stephanie: “I guess it’s art. Pretty much. It’s pretty much art.”
And the Heavens opened and a choir of angles sang Hallelujah Chorus and a light bulb turned on over our heads. All of the “aha moment” things happened at once. We had our name.
so, what's our deal?
our work
Our work features some classic {and some quirky} quotes. Our prints are stylishly designed and printed on burlap for a rustic look, or canvas for a softer, cleaner look. We love the farmhouse style with a contemporary twist. Modern, rustic and a little unconventional describes our completely handmade, unique decor. With quotes from our favorite movies, songs, TV shows and books, there's something for everyone!
Speaking of quotes, you may be asking yourself where our sayings come from. We pride ourselves on choosing quotes that we love and feel a personal connection with.
When we launched this line, we didn't want to necessarily use quotes that you could buy at any ol' home decor store {which is why you'll never find “Live, Laugh, Love” in our shop — not that there's anything wrong with that quote!} We also pride ourselves on being pop-culture junkies {yes, that's a thing to be proud of — ask anyone who's ever won a trivia contest}. Our quotes come from songs that have gotten us through hard times, books that have taken us on life-changing journeys, musicals that have embarrassingly made us sob-cry happy tears as the lights come up, and movies that can't help but put a smile on our faces, even after the twentieth viewing.
adventures in vinyl
In 2017, in an effort to decorate my newly purchased home, I started to explore cut-vinyl pieces. Our vinyl artwork is digitally designed and cut on our at-home cutter. The vinyl is then applied to floating glass frames. We use all up-cycled, vintage frames and windows. This means each and every piece is truly unique. Unfortunately, due to the difficulty of shipping glass, we don't offer the vinyl signs in our online shop. If you're interested in purchasing a custom vinyl work, please contact us. Or visit our “where to find us” section to see where you can buy these pieces in person.
meet the team
Daughter, creative thinker, cat mom. I'm a graphic designer by day {at a local print shop} and well, a graphic designer by night as well. My hobbies include; reading, discovering new music, watching movies, Netflix and falling asleep on my couch, going for long(ish) walks, occasional yoga, waving at dogs, browsing Tumblr for inspirational quotes and cat pictures, scrolling through Pinterest for healthy recipes while eating pizza, and designing awesome stuff! I'm typically quiet until you get to know me, but give me twenty minutes and I'll tell you all about the greatest moment of my life - the time I met {my future husband, probably} Jake Gyllenhaal.
- stephanie
Wife, and mother to two fur babies. Oh, and to two real kids as well. Pretty {much} Art doesn't totally pay the bills, so by day I'm an office manager at a dental office. In the evenings I delve into my true passion, crafting up a storm! My hobbies include taking long(ish) walks with my daughter, singing along to show-tunes {I can sing the last three or so words to any line in Hamilton!}, visiting my son in Minneapolis, planning trips, watching the Packers while laying on the couch with my eyes closed {I'm listening!} and acting as Stephanie's manager in this business {and in most aspects of her life}.
- theresa