Life & Work with Sean and Lacy Wallace

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean and Lacy Wallace. Them and their team share their story with us below:

Despite Garland House Studio being comprised of two separate artists with two individual styles and strengths, our “stories” are very similar. Both of us grew up in Kalamazoo, graduating from Kalamazoo Central High School before pursuing a secondary education in art at Kendall College of Art & Design. Upon graduation from KCAD, Sean was able to find work locally as a children’s book illustrator while working as a cook/bartender and then custom framer. Meanwhile, Lacy stubbornly refused to leave her internship at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and eventually worked her way into an exhibit technician position while teaching art classes through public summer programs. Lacy later moved on to commission work, including set design at a local escape room, and is currently focused on creating fine art and establishing our business as artists. 

While all of these positions provided creative outlets, it eventually became obvious that we were not going to feel settled into a career until we carved a niche for ourselves to create on a full-time basis. So that’s what we’re doing! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think anybody trying to bully their way into the creative industry through sheer effort is going to endure a set of similar challenges. How do we make our work stand out? How do we get the word out that we are making an attempt to turn our passion into our livelihood? How do we do this while working full time, relocating our lives, and starting a family? Our focus has been on creating work featuring our personality, humor, and enthusiasm for what we’re doing in hopes that our love of sharing art with others will be infectious. We both have overcome some tremendous obstacles with mental health and grieving. We have also been extremely fortunate in that upon returning to the Kalamazoo community, we have met a group of amazing local artists who are very welcoming, not to mention opportunities like this interview that will allow us to hopefully get our name out there a bit more. 

So, while the obstacles are daily and not necessarily unique, we have been pleasantly surprised by the support we’ve received by both family and loved ones, as well as that by complete strangers. It certainly helps keep us going when the struggles start to feel overwhelming. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
This is kind of a tricky question because, as a duo, we are kind of hard to pin down. It seems to be increasingly normal for artists to be more specialized these days, which makes sense from a professional standpoint. We seem to struggle, however, with staying in one lane. Our joint foundational studies cover a pretty broad range of technical skills, ranging from drawing, painting, printmaking, graphic design, traditional and digital photography, ceramics, etched glass, and textiles. Oftentimes a single project will encompass a variety of these skills, and these days frequently using digital tools for what we consider to be a pretty full range of creative potential. 

It is very motivating for us to have the freedom to pursue our own interests creatively because they are always evolving as we discover new tools and techniques and draw inspiration from a wide range of sources. The strong foundational background that we have allows us to accommodate a pretty wide spectrum of commission requests. I think that both of us have a soft spot for what most people would consider “kooky” requests (such as painting a glittery prison cell for a unicorn in an escape room). 

Some recent works that I’d consider unique would include a floor mural in a local historical home that was catered to fit the architectural style in both color and design and the introduction of our new custom etched glass by creating a mountain-themed glass panel for a storm door. Another fun recent project in my framing profession included a faux museum display for fossilized dinosaur teeth. Anything unorthodox or original is likely to draw our attention. 

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Professionally, I wouldn’t consider ourselves chronic risk-takers; most of the decisions pertaining to our business are well-considered, researched, and include contingencies. Combined with the arrival of our first-born, Finnegan, earlier this year makes it far more important to make sure we don’t overreach. That being said, this has been our goal for over a decade, and while electing to radically change our lives during a period of great personal upheaval may be considered a risk, it also feels long overdue. 

Creatively, however, is a different story. In that realm, reckless abandon is far preferable to remaining stagnant, and it is not uncommon for projects to be completely ruined on a whim or hours sacrificed to a new technique we’re curious to try. Some of these efforts have eventually led to very interesting results, and some…have not. Either way, I doubt that aspect of our curiosity and willingness to explore will ever change. 

Pricing:

• One thing that is important to us is making our art accessible to anybody who is interested, so most of our non-commissioned works are available at multiple price points: Stickers, prints, and originals generally range between $15-$25. Custom projects can range upwards of $100-$1200.

Contact Info:

• Website: garlandhousestudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garlandhousestudio/