Shannon was born and raised in Pensacola, FL and now lives in Long Beach, CA. FK chats to her about her USA based label, sass&peril
Tell us a bit about your design label and what we can expect to discover.
My label is called sass&peril and I am a Graphic Designer with my own line of hand screen printed art, stationery, home goods, clothing, and more.
How long have you been creating for, and what inspired you to start your label?
I’ve been creative as far back as I can remember. I was a very imaginative child and spent a lot of time drawing, performing, running around and generally driving my family crazy I am sure!
What inspired me to start my own label was a desire to make beautiful hand-screened art and accessories for the home and office. I am a big fan of both modern and vintage design but with a playful twist. I like that my products appeal to both kids and kids at heart!
What is your background and what lead you to where you are today?
While pursuing my Graphic Design degree I took some fine arts classes including screen printing and fell in love with the process. Screen printing is the perfect companion to Graphic Design because you can take a design from concept to completion and print on many surfaces and materials. Upon graduation I worked in the apparel industry for many years as an in-house Graphic Designer, which was exciting but draining with long hours and super tight deadlines. It can be very difficult to have to churn out hundreds of designs season after season while keeping fresh and not burning out. After 6+ years in the corporate world, I took the leap to pursue my business and take on more freelance clients and I’ve never been happier! Busy, but happy!
What materials do you like working with and what are your ‘tools of the trade’?
I couldn’t work without my MacBook Pro, Wacom tablet, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Designing the print is one thing, producing it requires a few extra supplies and equipment such as an exposure unit, screens, inks, emulsion, and squeegees. I’m also very fond of my Canon Rebel XS.
What inspires your work, and where do you like to head for constant inspiration?
When in search of inspiration, I’ll make a trip to a bookstore, a vintage shop, a boutique, an art store, or a museum. Sometimes even a simple bike ride or run can help to clear the mind. Online, I love image bookmarking sites such as Pinterest and FFFFound and Flickr for visual inspiration. I also blog-hop to discover new finds.
Lastly, what do you love most about what you do and where do you hope to take your work in the future?
I absolutely love designing and producing my own art. I also love the freedom it affords me when it comes to the content matter. Being my own ‘creative director’ allows me to work under my own constraints and deadlines. My successes are mine along with my failures! I would love to grow the business by expanding upon my product offering and landing more wholesale accounts as well as more freelance design clients. I envision the studio being two-fold: a Graphic Design studio that offers creative services and a product line of expertly designed goods. I love Jonathan Adler’s story and how he has turned his passion for pottery making into a successful multi-faceted brand. At the end of the day if I can support myself and my family by making art & design I’d have a fulfilled existence!
www.sassandperil.com
