About Jen
Jen Hewett is a printmaker, surface designer, and textile artist. Depending on how you look at it, artist is either Jen’s second or fifth career. With a degree in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley, she started her working life in education and educational nonprofits. She then briefly ran her own stationery business, took a few detours through business operations, human resources and consulting before becoming a full-time working artist (again). She partly credits the success of her experience running her own creative business to her non-linear (but always interesting) career path.
Even though she’s now decidedly a professional artist, Jen still keeps things interesting by engaging in many different types of projects. She works on personal projects just because she wants to. She runs a successful online shop through which she sells directly to her customers. She writes books. She licenses work to large and small manufacturers and retailers. She sometimes creates illustrations for very large companies.
Jen’s first book, Print, Pattern, Sew: Block Printing Basics + Simple Sewing Projects for an Inspired Wardrobe, was published by Roost Books in May 2018. Her second book, This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community and Connection, was published by Roost Books in November 2021. Her clients include Anthropologie, Cost Plus World Market, Moda Fabrics, Unilever, and Yelp. Her work has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Uppercase, and MSNBC. She also loves talking on podcasts about the very practical business aspects of being an artist, and the challenges (and opportunities) of being an artist of color in fairly undiverse industries.
Jen lives in the Hudson Valley with her rescue dog, Franny.
Literary Agent: Present Perfect
Want to know more? Check out some of these articles and interviews:
Online
Own Your Content: Jen Hewett on Letting Go of Perfection and Growing Multiple Skills to Enrich Her Creativity (April 2019)
Why Thank You, I Made It Myself: Interview with Jen Hewett: Surface Pattern Designer (April 2019)
Hello Giggles: For Jen Hewett, Becoming a Successful Artist of Color Meant Letting Go of Perfectionism (July 2018)
Design*Sponge: Q&A: Jen Hewett’s New Book, Print, Pattern, Sew (May 2018)
Medium: Jen is Black in America (February 2018)
Design*Sponge: A Printmaker’s Colorful 1909 Edwardian Flat in San Francisco (December 2015)
Etsy Sellers Blog: Inspiring Workspaces: Jen Hewett (November 2015)
Today Is Going to Be Awesome: Jen Hewett (March 2015)
San Francisco Chronicle: Confessions of a multiple-career personality (March 2011)
Talks
Craft: The Antidote to Perfectionism, Creative Mornings San Francisco (June 2018)
Podcast Interviews
Print Publications
Better Homes and Gardens: Block Party (August 2018)
PRINT Magazine: The Hollywood Issue: San Francisco (Volume 71, Issue 1, Spring 2017)
Diablo Magazine: You Really Need To Learn a Thing or Two (Volume 38, Issue 1, January 2017)
Anthology Magazine: Block by Block (Issue 20, Summer 2015)
Taproot Magazine: The Matilija Poppy, by Jen Hewett (Issue 14, June 2015)
UPPERCASE Magazine: Printmakers (Issue 25, April 2015)
Mabel Magazine: 7 Reasons Why You Should Know Designer + Printmaker Jen Hewett (June 2014)
San Francisco Chronicle: Stylemaker Spotlight: Prints Draw the Artist (April 2013)