Today, we’d like to introduce you to Aaryn Nutter.
Hi Aaryn, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
At 18, I moved from Northern Virginia to Los Angeles to study graphic design at Cal State LA.
After graduation, I found great work right away designing graphic tees as an apparel graphic artist, and shortly after, I discovered an incredible niche within the world of fashion: textile design. I absolutely fell in love with this art form and found it easy to transition from graphics to textiles within the local LA fashion job market.
After a few years of corporate work, I eventually started my own small textile studio and developed a great freelance portfolio. These were really fruitful years of seeing my work on various big-name labels, on runways, on red carpets, on TV shows, and in magazines. These years also pushed me to explore a variety of artistic mediums and visual styles, ultimately cultivating a deep personal affection for the medium of vividly bright watercolor inks. However, the self-employed years were not quite as lucrative, and after becoming a mom, I reentered the corporate fashion world. After another few years, we relocated to Charlotte, NC, to be closer to family.
With fewer corporate job opportunities locally, combined with a more relaxed pace of life compared to southern California, and quite truthfully expedited by a global pandemic, I eventually found my way back to entrepreneurship as a fine artist and lifestyle brand called Aaryn West. I spend my days creating watercolor paintings and designing a growing catalog of art prints and other beautiful, textile-driven goodies and gifts I sell online, at pop-up markets, and boutiques nationwide.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Each and every job I’ve had has presented its own unique benefits and challenges.
In the jobs where I was the most creative and successful, maybe I made less money and invested more time. In the jobs where I was the happiest socially and making great money, the work was fairly dull or, at worst, morally corrupt. In jobs where I was socially challenged and struggled to fit in, I tended to learn more technical skills and developed more ethics and grit.
It all led me to become the most fulfilled, authentic version of myself as an artist and business, yet still, these days bring new and unique challenges. I tend to see every turn in the road as an opportunity to celebrate the achievements I’ve made and grow from the overall experience.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe you can tell us more about your work next?
I am a self-taught watercolor artist known for my bright and inky watercolor illustrations. A twenty-year career creating graphics and textiles for the fashion industry has informed my optimistic approach to color and fueled my love of expressive, feminine florals.
I currently run an art-centered lifestyle brand called Aaryn West, selling art prints, paper goods, and other functional and giftable items, featuring my artwork online at pop-up markets and local boutiques here in Charlotte and nationally. Aaryn West products are bright and playful and are perfect for anyone looking to pop some color and joy into the home or office.
My work in fine art is more personal, reflecting the internalized maximalism of a neurodivergent mind. This work utilizes a more organic, intuitive approach to painting, leaning into the spontaneous and unpredictable nature of fluid watercolor inks to explore a more ambiguous realm of thoughts and emotions that words may fail to capture.
It gives me a chance to create a more lasting artistic impression outside of the disposable realm of functional artwork like notebooks and greeting cards.
Are any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
This might not be the most popular answer, but I’m increasingly interested in all topics related to health and human nature, or perhaps a less favorable way to call it might be ‘self-help.’
I’m not a big fan of fiction or anything true-crime; I like to keep it real and informative, but I also want to be inspired. I’ve been listening to podcasts on functional medicine for years. I tend toward books about yoga and consciousness.
Outside of medicine I love podcasts like Radiolab and The Moth, they inspire my love of humanity and provide a more nuanced glimpse of beauty and pain and our collective experience. Nearly all of my extracurricular interests align around the concept of understanding the world better and refining my path within it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aarynwest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aarynwest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AarynWestArt
Image Credits
Rico Marcelo, Moments by Miranda Lynn
