Art Archive Featured Artist: Nan Coffey

Left Photograph by John Schultz

Meet Nan Coffey. With a cup of espresso and headphones on, Nan creates bright and playful pictures from her San Diego beach home. Her colorful designs, from Doc Martens to hundreds of square feet of canvases, are inspired by punk and ska music shows. Nan's stylized aesthetic graces galleries from San Diego to Las Vegas and has attracted the attention of corporate fans like Google and Tender Greens.

We spoke with Nan about how she built her corporate commission work and how she built a strong social media presence.

Want to see more of Nan's work? Sign In .

YOU HAVE A VERY DIFFERENT/REcognizable STYLE. DID THIS HAPPEN OVER TIME OR DID YOU TAKE THE BRUSH FOR THE FIRST TIME?

A bit of both, I think. If you look at my old work and even my childhood drawings, you will see that they have a lot of the same images, the same characters, etc. I think that over time and with repeated practice, art has become something that it is today. I don't remember when I started drawing disparate characters, but I've been doing it for as long as I can remember. The idea that these characters aren't connected themselves, but are always trying to connect with other characters... I guess I've always done that. I'm just doing it on a much larger scale now.

YOUR ART IS VERY COLORED AND PLAYABLE. DOES THIS REFLECT YOUR PERSONALITY? WHAT INSPIRES/INSPIRES YOUR STYLE?

I guess it depends on the day and my mood. I doubt that someone who paints sunny images is always sunny inside all the time, but I have a generally positive outlook on things and I think that shows up quite often in my work. I also think that in less sunny times, when I'm looking for answers and a more positive view of the world, my art has a therapeutic effect, helping me find the path to my goal. I am greatly inspired by my family, my friends, my life experiences and mostly music. Music has always been a big part of my life. I remember my first cassette: Ian and Dean's Dead Man Curve. I liked this tape. Still do. My parents gave it to me when I was 5 years old. I know that it was because of this cassette, listening to it again and again, that I developed a huge love for bands.

In fact, most of my best memories are related to music. For example, I was in the front row at Arco Arena during David Bowie's Sound and Vision tour. I almost got crushed to death. That was great. And the first time I was in Fillmore, I saw the Dead Milkmen. And when I finally saw the Beastie Boys, it was at the Hollywood Bowl. I mean, I could go on and on. But the best times are small shows. I grew up in a city where people like me have nothing to do, so my friends and I drank a ton of beer and went to punk and ska concerts in other cities. All the time. As much as we could afford. It is the camaraderie of this kind of show that has always had a huge impact on my work, and all the memories of the past and present continue to inspire my ideas and my work.

Right photo of John Schultz

IS THERE SOMETHING UNIQUE IN YOUR STUDIO SPACE OR CREATIVE PROCESS?

I don't draw vertically. Is always. I paint flat - no matter the size. It's not that I can't draw on an easel like most artists, but that I just don't like doing it. And for my big works, I roll huge pieces of canvas across the studio floor, put on my headphones and just do it. I like it when I draw what's going on around me, but I also like being in my head. It's kind of hard to explain. But I'll turn on the TV, turn the volume down, put on my headphones, and turn up the music all the way. I don't know why I do it. It's just how I work. Plus I drink a lot of espresso. Many.

Left Photograph by John Schultz

In addition to the canvas, you have turned chairs, tables and even DOC MARTENS into works of art. DO YOU DIFFICULT TO DRAW ON 3D OBJECTS?

Not really. Some objects are much easier to color than others, but I don't mind the challenge. I am a perfectionist and it takes a long time for my work to look the way it is. When I draw objects, it obviously takes longer to draw them than a canvas, but I've found that the more objects I draw and the more complex those objects are, the faster I get other work done. . So I go back and forth a lot - I draw a "regular" size canvas, then an object, then a huge canvas, then a small canvas, and so on. This back and forth method seems to make me faster and faster every day.

YOU HAVE AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF CORPORATE CLIENTS INCLUDING GOOGLE AND TENDER GREENS RESTAURANTS. HOW DID YOU GET THE FIRST CORPORATE CLIENT AND HOW IS THIS EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CUSTOM WORKS?

My first corporate client was Google. I did a private commission for my brother-in-law who works at Google (it was a set of 24 original Android drawings that were given to members of the Android team) and they went very well, so one order led to others on Google. In fact, everything was quite organic, and I was very lucky. I meet people in the most random way, and one thing leads to another, and orders just happen. I don't often do private commissions, so I can't tell you exactly how it's different and if it's different - I just draw what I want to draw, put it out into the world and see what happens.

Photo by John Schultz

YOU HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE ON SOCIAL NETWORKS. HOW USING SOCIAL NETWORKS HELP YOU FIND NEW FANS/BUYERS AND STAY CONNECTED WITH CURRENT FANS. ANY TIPS FOR OTHER ARTISTS ON USING SOCIAL NETWORKS?

I'm really the last person to ask about social media. My husband Josh created all my accounts and had to get me to use each one. I just want to draw. But when you make the decision to present your work to the world, you need to start somewhere, and social media has proven to be a great way to connect with people. It took Josh probably about 2 years to get me to agree to a Facebook art page. To put it mildly, I didn't want to. No real reason, I just didn't want to. But in March, I finally gave in, and to be honest, he was right all along – the response was so positive and I “met” so many amazing new people from all over the world who seem to really enjoy my work. So my advice to other artists, if you haven't already, is to set up your social media and just start showing off your work.

HOW DID YOU PARTICIPATE IN CHARITABLE ASSOCIATIONS AS THE HOUSE OF RONALD MACDONALD? Aside from the reward, did you find it useful for your art business?

Many years ago I did a project with the Ronald McDonald House. I don't really even remember how it happened, but I drew all these Halloween pumpkins for them to decorate one of their places and it turned out really well - the kids and their families ended up loving them so much they asked if they could to start taking them home. So, of course, we all said yes, so I did as much as I could in the allotted time. Hearing how happy something as simple as a painted pumpkin made someone who might have needed that little spark on their day was pretty helpful, and isn't that what it's all about?

Photo by John Schultz

DO YOU WISH SOMEONE TOLD YOU ABOUT A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST WHEN YOU STARTED?

Even before I started, I knew that I had chosen a path that would not be easy, so I think I was actually ready for this long and difficult and sometimes very stressful journey. But what's wrong with life, really? I'm still trying to figure things out on my own, so I'm not the best person to ask for advice. But I can say this: one thing that really surprised me is how often I get asked why I do it. It's really, really weird - people regularly ask me what it's for, why are you drawing it, why did you do it, who is it for... Especially with the big jobs I do. Many people seem to find it difficult to understand that self-satisfaction and the desire to create something can be a driving factor in someone's life. Maybe it's not the money, but the art. That maybe there really are people who just want to do something cool and show it to people, just to do it. Just to see if they can. Just to see how it will look. So I think be prepared for people to ask questions like this because it's going to be a LOT.

Want to get started on social media like Nan? Verify