Artist Profile: Nadia Fairlamb

Hawaii-based artist Nadia Fairlamb, owner of The Mermaid’s Mirror, presents her handmade collection and speaks about her creative business.

What in your background has influenced your current body of work?

I grew up in a military family so I spent my childhood in Europe and Australia. I was enamored with the decorative arts found all over Europe. When I earned my BFA in Sculptural Ceramics from Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas, I also minored in Archaeology and Botany. Because of my love for anthropology and archaeology and art, I got jobs working as a technical illustrator of archaeological artifacts during and after college. Several years after college, I owned a bakery where I learned essential skills necessary to run a high-volume production facility. During that time, I also trained to become dance and yoga teacher.

My work is influenced by all of that. I make functional and decorative mirrors, many of them with plays on blending universal symbols that are about the inherent connection of all things, which I experience regularly in meditation and dance.

Tell us about your technique and what makes it unusual.

I use a jigsaw to cut the images from the wood I work with. I aim to use my jigsaw like others would use a pencil or paintbrush to creates lines and shapes. Like some kinds of calligraphy, even Zen calligraphy, in which a single line or stroke is used to create a work or shape or symbol, I use my jigsaw to cut a shape with as little repletion as possible.

How have you sold your work so far, and what are your plans for the future?

I began selling my work in Hawaii at local farmers markets. After a few years of developing my style, I found out about larger art sales events from friends and other crafters. After a few years of improving my craft and technique, I started selling at the larger art fairs and juried shows and then created a website.

After another few years of further improvement and online business/art courses to improve my sales and marketing skills, I got invited to sell at some local stores and galleries, and then my art became a full-time job. Six years later, I now sell several pieces a year at a local gallery, am carried by Nordstrom, and over half of my income comes from custom/commissioned projects.

At the beginning of 2017, I became one of 20 recipients of the Clark Hulings Business Accelerator Program for emerging artists. Right now, I am creating a new website with better sales features, have approached a new local gallery, am researching new ways to wholesale and retail my work, and I have bi-annual art openings at my studio gallery. I am working on improving my style and technique more now so that I can work directly with art collectors, art consultants, and interior designers. I also have plans to show my work on the mainland and get gallery representation on the west coast.