I like a girl who collects jeans, married to a nerdy guy (like me), lives in San Clemente (I lived there for a few cherish years) and her name is Stacy. Stacy Rajab, is a modern linocut printmaker, her design business is Retro Modern Art, quality, eye-catching, and attainable art. Linocut is a printmaking technique that requires the artist to hand cut a design into linoleum, creating a relief surface, and roll or press the ink surface to paper. The intricate process is then printed on 100% treeless paper.

Stacy’s handmade artwork would be adorable on a child’s wall or to liven up any wall space in your home.

Stunning in a simple frame and adorable stranded on string with a clothes pin.

This is one of my favorites or this one , for my favorite yoga teacher (she knows I am talking about her)

Q&A with Stacy

1. When did you start your Etsy shop? 

Creating is in my blood. My dad is a jeweler working in gold and diamonds, mostly. The family business was something I grew up being apart of.  Every day after school, my mom would pick me up and we would go to my dad’s shop.  On holidays, specifically Christmas time, we would spend 14 -16 hours a day working on the custom orders and helping customers. With his shop, everything is custom and word-of-mouth. I learned how to carve carvings for casting gold and how to polish, and most importantly how to make the customer happy. Fast forward many years and many attempts of my dad for me to take over his business, a neighbor asked me to carve a dog for her into a lino block for printing. Well it was natural and so easy for me. I immediately changed my shop around from modern acrylic paintings (which I still do, occasionally) to hand-carved linocut prints.

2. How would you describe your collection?

My collection of linocut prints is a modern, edgy, and youthful collection. Each print is printed on hand-torn 100% treeless paper. Although it is modern, it is organic in design. Every design comes from my drawing onto the linocut, carefully carving with a knife the design, then inking the linocut and hand-pulling prints.

3. Describe a typical day in your life?

My typical day is honestly crazy. I am up early tending to my three children, Sophia 6, Marcus, almost 5, and Claudia, 3. Walks through the neighborhood or at the beach are not uncommon, followed by a visit to a park, playing with neighbors, and running a muck. Throw in trying to spend a free moment with my husband, doing laundry, and relentlessly picking up toys, and my day flies by before I know it. It’s only after the kids go to sleep am I able to carve designs and hand print each one in any color I can possibly mix up.

4. What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

I love to travel, read and garden, and mostly I love to spend time with my kids and husband.

5. What inspires you?

I am inspired by bright colors, modern decor, handmade paper, a blank piece of white paper for which I can create something on like a blank pallet, and glass of wine.  I also am inspired by cities, specifically the hustle and bustle and the noise, good friends, and my mom.

6. What is your favorite thing in your closet?

I love jeans. I collect them. Really, I do.

Visit Retro Modern Art:

www.etsy.com/retromodernart
www.retromodernprojects.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/retromodern
www.pinterest.com/retromodern

When Stacy is not designing and printmaking she teaches an online college class and is a mother to three beautiful children: Sophia, Marcus, and Claudia. Here are a few snippets of her life.

Details of her work and her impressive collection of denim!

Thank you Stacy! It was a pleasure to have you on The Sunday Sparkle! xo to you and your family!