Maker: Dolan Geiman
Based in: Chicago, Ill.
Price range: $32 and higher
Website: Dolangeiman.com

Dolan Geiman understood the benefits of commercial art from an early age.

“When I was in high school I needed money to take my date to a fancy restaurant in rural Virginia, aka Olive Garden, so I had to make some fast cash,” says the mixed media artist. “I made T-shirts to sell but also helped people with their art projects, You know, drawing pictures of frogs intestines for biology class and sculpting epic civil war battles out of salted dough for history class. Most of the teachers knew I was doing everyone’s creative work but no one said anything. The kids at my school paid pretty well which meant my date could enjoy her endless salad and bread sticks. In college I took a screen printing class and made more T-shirts and posters to sell, a business idea I eventually returned to after college when I started my own clothing line called Rescued Clothing.”

Thanks to his success, which includes commissioned work for national retail chains, Geiman now enjoys endless salad and bread sticks himself. Select pieces of Geiman’s fine art prints on wood and paper are available at Homespun.

Dolan Geiman Fun Facts: I love insects and am a total nature nerd. Throw three bugs at me and I will instantly identify them. Well, at least two of them. I was also in the school choir and love to sing, bluegrass music especially. One might say I am a jack of all trades because I also like to write and will occasionally be found doing odd little jigs and folk dances in the studio. That dancing part is totally not true. But everything else is legit. Also, I have a profound love for my homeland, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. I have no tattoos and my favorite author is Richard Brautigan. And, last but not least, I can make a handful of bird calls with my voice. My best call is the goldfinch. Call me sometime and I will do it for you.