A Letter-Perfect Business
Grace Connell says her business is portraiture and weddings. But as you see, it is so much more.
In her youth, she was strongly influenced by her father. He encouraged Grace to appreciate architecture, paintings, and the small details in life, and this background contributes to her engaging artwork.
After graduating from Trinity College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Grace went to work for Random House Publishing, doing editorial and production work for Fodor’s Travel Guide. While she enjoyed working in New York City, she continued to hone her artistic skills. Specifically, she was trained in Spencerian calligraphy by an engraver from Tiffany & Co. and became hooked on the precision and beauty of lettering.
She arrived hours before the door opened to get a front-row seat and the opportunity to personally meet Martha. And it worked! The very next day she received a call to appear on a wedding segment on Martha’s show. It was Grace’s first TV appearance, and the segment later appeared on Martha’s Best of Wedding DVD.
Grace said her Martha moment propelled her business to another level. Locally, she became a star in the upscale wedding business, and customers clamored for her artistic services. She says that even 15 years later, customers were telling her how they remembered her on that one TV segment.
Grace was also influenced by an artist friend who made products for the travel industry, putting her artwork on bags, pouches, and backpacks that were sold at luxury stores. Since she had always loved to draw, Grace began to apply simple but detailed images to fun paper products. You can see her gift tags, bottle tags, and notecards on her website, graceconnelldesigns.com.
When you look at her drawings, you might be amazed at the level of detail in each image. Grace elevates everyday objects like flowers, food, and even the humble golf ball with incredible, precise artistic marks making them appear refined and lifelike.
After a monthlong trip to Japan, she returned home to Connecticut with a strong yearning to do something on her own. While weighing her options, she saw a help wanted ad posted by a high-end stationery store in Greenwich, Connecticut. She was hired to use her calligraphic skills to address envelopes for weddings and social events, and that job gave Grace an excellent opportunity to learn about paper stock, fonts, and everything wedding.
Within a short time, she launched her business, Grace Connell Designs, specializing in corporate and wedding materials. When her husband told her about a CBS Working Women’s Luncheon at the Rainbow Room in New York featuring Martha Stewart, Grace knew she had to be there.
In recent years, Grace has sold many of her products both on her website and at art shows, as well as wholesale to shops and resorts. This opened another avenue for her, as she cultivated the large resort business. Often, a resort will commission her to draw a portrait of its resort or a local landmark and then make products with the bespoke image to sell in its gift shop.
In addition to being an incredible artist, Grace is also an excellent businessperson. She has grown her company by being willing to try new projects. Her mantra is, “Never say no!”
Grace understands she is a commercial artist, creating art for a customer she needs to understand. She works diligently to build relationships with her customers and strives to do everything she can to give them amazing products for all of life’s celebrations!
