Growing a Passion into a Successful Business
Squidly Designs is a New Mexico-based art business created by Jennifer Hernandez, featuring whimsical designs inspired by animals, nature, and her Mexican heritage. Jennifer began Squidly Designs as a passion project in 2017, creating art prints, stickers, rings, and necklaces. With the support of her husband, Kevin, and a rapidly growing local following, Squidly Designs expanded its offerings. They began selling at artist markets, where their popularity helped grow their brand and product lines. Initially focused on prints and stickers, they soon added tote bags, mugs, earrings, greeting cards, coasters, t-shirts, and enamel pins to meet demand. Thanks to strong support from the local community, they proudly opened their first brick-and-mortar location in 2021.
Collaborating with Squidly Designs to Create an Unforgettable Store
In 2021, Jennifer and Kevin found the perfect location for their new storefront along Central Ave, a well-traveled route. Jennifer, a skilled graphic designer and artist with over nine years of experience, envisioned a captivating exterior to draw in passing traffic. After seeing my Alchemy Wellness mural, Jennifer felt I was the right fit to bring her storefront vision to life. Excited to partner with another woman-owned art business, I collaborated with Jennifer to create a unique design that would reflect Squidly Designs’ playful style. To maintain consistency with their brand, we integrated squid and ocean themes, and Jennifer requested a bold robot motif, inspired by my robot designs. Together, we landed on a robot squid mural—a design sure to turn heads.
Creating the Custom Robot Squid Mural Design
The mural’s unique shape, with windows, doors, and walls within a brick frame, required creative planning to draw visitors toward the entrance. Working with this backward “L” shape, I sketched out the mural design to find the best placement for the robot squid, tilting the figure slightly to fit the wall shape. Initially, designing symmetrical tentacles proved challenging with the wall’s layout. By angling the squid and adjusting the composition, I achieved a dynamic layout that allowed the tentacles to flow naturally along the wall. For the color scheme, I chose colors that reflected Squidly Designs’ existing palette, ensuring consistency with the shop’s brand. When I presented the concept to Jennifer and Kevin, they were thrilled with the bright and bold mural design and ready to bring it to life.
Painting the Robot Squid Mural with Precision
To ensure accuracy, I began by transferring the design to the primed wall using a projector, which helped create a proportional stencil outline of the robot squid. I painted the mural in color phases, and once the colors were in place, a new challenge arose: painting the black outline. Precision was critical in this phase, as any noticeable inconsistency could affect the entire design’s cohesion. Through meticulous attention to detail, I crafted the outline to ensure the mural looked polished and perfect from every angle.
The Impact of the Robot Squid Mural and Future Collaborations
The vibrant, bold robot squid mural helped establish the storefront as an unforgettable gift shop destination. Since its completion, the mural has drawn in visitors, tourists, and locals alike, creating a unique and eye-catching storefront that stands out. The business has hosted several “Squidly Fest” events, featuring local artists and vendors, with massive turnouts and record-breaking sales days. Many people enjoy taking photos with the mural, enhancing its reach through social media.
Since the mural’s completion, my partnership with Squidly Designs has continued to grow. The shop now stocks several of my art prints, stickers, enamel pins, and greeting cards. We’ve also collaborated on several projects, including storefront signage and an additional series of robot squid designs for merchandise. For their one-year anniversary, I created new designs for t-shirts, tote bags, stickers, and postcards to mark the occasion.
As I continue my mural work in Atlanta, GA, I’m excited to bring the same creative energy and commitment to local businesses. I look forward to helping more unique brands stand out with distinctive, memorable murals.
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