Jen Johnson is a freelance artist, specializing in toy prototype painting & costuming, miniatures, and more.
JEN MAKES COOL STUFF...
What sets me apart as a freelance artist and fabricator is my wide-ranging skill set. From setting a miniature zipper in an inch-high vinyl boot, to relief sculpting a full-size Art Deco mural out of blue foam, to creating an entire fantasy world within a few square feet, my work encompasses an assortment of talents.
For over eleven years, I was a full-time window-coordinator at the flagship Lord & Taylor store in Manhattan where my props and display designs were an integral part of their year round windows. The world-renowned fantastical holiday windows were an especially good opportunity to showcase our studio’s abilities, and were always highly praised for their detail and complexity. This training ground gave me an opportunity to routinely take projects from design inception all the way to installed final products. This practice also gave me the unusual ability to excel in a broad range of creative areas including design, sculpting, painting, scaled costuming and display composition.
Since leaving Lord & Taylor in 2009 to focus on freelance opportunities, I’ve broadened my skill set and enjoyed taking on a variety of new projects. I have many years of experience in toy prototyping for companies such as DC Comics, Sideshow Collectibles, Mezco Toyz, Jakks, Just Play, Wicked Cool Toys and Jazwares, among others. I also have many years experience in showroom, trade show set-ups, photo-shoot styling, and various merchandising displays for Carlisle clothing, Lion Brand Yarn, DKNY Jeans, Nike, & 32 Degrees, to name a few. As the wide array of pieces in my portfolio will attest, I can be relied upon for creative and beautiful work. My specialty is small scale, particularly sewing and painting, but I’m also comfortable and fluent in larger scale formats.
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts from SUNY Purchase College, and a long history of making cool stuff; some of which has been praised on TV, online, and in print.
Please contact me with any questions, job opportunities, and possible collaborations… or just to say hello!
Client List
Toy Prototyping (Painting/Costuming/Sculpting):
Display:
What others say
"A rare and multi-faceted talent! I originally commissioned Jen to create prototype super-hero costumes for several 1:6 scale action figures and the results were flawless. Additionally, she was able to deliver sculpted accessories for the same set of figures – demonstrating two completely different skill sets. Her Lord & Taylor window designs were among the most original and sophisticated in New York City – demonstrating her artistic ability and proving that no job is too large or challenging for her. I look forward to working with Jen on many future projects!"
-- Ed Bolkus, Creative Director
"I had the opportunity to meet Jen while she was in the process of selecting portfolio works to showcase her abounding imagination and technical skills as an artist. While we discussed a potential project I was most impressed with her easy disposition yet confident approach in expressing clear opinions along with creative concepts."
–Murphy Fogelnest, Art Director, Murphy Fogelnest Design
"Jen is amazing! She balances creativity with dependability. She has been free-lancing for me for about a year, styling showrooms in Manhattan and Connecticut. She has a great eye and is an invaluable part of my team. Her work ethic is outstanding-- always flexible no matter what the demands. I would highly recommend Jen for anyone in need of a creative and reliable person.
--George Brescia, georgeBstyle
"Jennifer and I have worked together over the last 10 years both in a corporate situation-- the Window Display Dept. at Lord & Taylor-- and as freelancers, and I am still always impressed with her ability to work as both a creative individual and a strong team member, equally well, in either environment.
Jen is a highly skilled, multi-talented artist and is a master of fine handwork and exquisite detail evident in her sculpture, painting and needle art. She excels at creative problem solving and meets each new challenge by presenting original ideas and perfecting new techniques to achieve outstanding results. Never giving in to pressure, she meets the most demanding deadlines with a focused and uncompromising professionalism."
--Bobbie Smyth-Fitzgerald; Fashion Director of Windows
"I was Jennifer's creative director at Lord and Taylor for eleven years, and remember that I hired her immediately after seeing some of her work. She had made two tiny stuffed animals with such detail that I knew on the spot that she was creative, talented, and patient enough to execute elaborate designs. She spent many years creating wonderful sets and was always able to execute high quality work with the most amazing attention to detail. Jennifer is a real pro!"
--Manoel Renha; Vice President of Visual Merchandising, Windows, and Special Events
"I worked with Jennifer through the special events department at Lord & Taylor for about ten years and was fortunate to work directly with her in the Window department for 5 of those years. She is passionate about her work, and it shows in every detail --from the elaborate costumes she makes by hand, to her sculpting of unique figures, to the snowflake sugar cookies she made for the holiday windows that looked good enough to eat. She is not only wonderfully talented but charming, and a pleasure to work with."
--Nicole Moragne, Special Events Coordinator