Jen Panepinto is a professional graphic designer, a photographer, and now an AI artist. She has been a graphic designer for about 20 years and got into NFTs in 2021. She has a consulting business and is mostly working with breweries, designing their labels and boxes. She doesn’t drink, but has gotten some swag along the way!
Her inspiration to create comes from her grandfather, who was a hobbyist photographer. He documented his and his family’s lives. He always had cameras and film around. She also gets inspired by her husband, who is also an NFT artist. She said that there is always a drive to express herself through visuals. Which started when she took a photo class in high school and pinned her first images to the wall. That was when she realized that she could express her feelings visually instead of with words.
The strongest influence on her work comes from people she knows. Glass artist, Alan Glovsky made glass houses with copper inside of them. They created an ethereal feeling and those feelings are still with her. You can see that in some of her “Emo” series on Objkt.
She started dabbling in AI in April 2022 and has become thrilled with the results. She only uses mid-journey, the AI started affirming her feelings, and the Emo characters are the representation of those feelings.
I asked if being an NFT artist was creating a new revenue stream for her, and she answered that it’s more of an “extra cash” stream. And like so many other artists, she also collects art. I asked if she thought this was sustainable, and she said no, not in the long run. She believes NFT artists are the pioneers, and that right now they are supporting each other as the space evolves. She mentioned that being an NFT artist has given her confidence she didn’t know she had.
What would she like to see change in the NFT ecosystem? A shift away from the flipper mentality.
Her favorite color is dark blue and aquamarine.
Her favorite artists are Alan Glovsky and Karen Lamont, both glass artists.
Her favorite NFT artists are @r0bp, Ai Machina, PetraVoice, and many others.
I asked how she balances work, NFT creator, wife, motherhood, and having a social life. She responded that she is constantly re-prioritizing all day. She works from the moment she wakes up until she goes to sleep.
She is currently working on a new series that will incorporate all of her processes; photography, AI, and “working with her hands”.
The message she wants people to get from her work is for viewers to have a greater art appreciation. And hopefully, they will receive it positively.
Listen to the full podcast here!