Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo Venezio.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always enjoyed making different kinds of art like drawing, painting, writing, beading, and experimenting with jewelry. I also love reading and playing music. But none of that paid the bills, so I never took it too seriously outside of school and made sure I always had a “real” job.
I earned a degree in audio production and spent years working in audio engineering, production manufacturing, and technical coordination. I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of art and science.
I landed a job as an audio engineer working for someone I respected, it was a great fit, and the owner became my mentor. Then the company shut down after my mentor passed, and I felt it was best for me to go out on my own.
This art shop is my decision to take everything I have learned from my experiences over the years, combine it with the work ethic I maintained and skills I developed, and do it my way. I have lots of ideas and plans in the works for pieces that heavily align with my work background, and some that don’t.
I named this studio Failed Art because I’m a smart-ass. It’s a facetious comment on the devaluation of art in our society. Failure is built into the systems we live in, especially for artists. We’re told our time isn’t worth anything, our work has no value unless it can scale, go viral, or turn a profit, that if we’re not constantly succeeding on someone else’s terms then we’re doing it wrong, and it’s simply bullshit. Failure is also one of my favorite bands.
Anyways, why on earth did I choose to make bookmarks? I’m a book nerd, I have a book collection most would think impractical, but I don’t care. I’ve always liked to make my own bookmarks, so I thought it would be a great place to start small and work my way up to the more ambitious and expensive projects I’m planning.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Sales and visibility have been difficult. The value of social media ads are questionable, and Etsy didn’t work for me even with paid ads. So I stopped throwing time and money at platforms and started focusing on live markets where I actually sell. I was expecting the nonstop work from running a solo business, and it’s definitely hard to maintain a balance, but the brick wall that is the internet was a big disappointment. The economy is also terrible, so I often wonder what it would be like to start a business in a stable economic setting, but I’m doing my best to adjust to the current environments and find what works best.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make wood and resin functional art, I started with bookmarks then moved to glowing light boxes, and then some small batch key chains, and I decided to make some sun catchers since they look pretty in my booth and they ended up selling, so I keep making them in small batches.
I never intended to use resin, I started by cutting little clear pvc plastic pieces into the shapes I needed to fill the designs I cut into the wood. I was going to airbrush the colors onto the clear plastic, but it was extremely difficult and time consuming, so I turned to other options, and resin fit perfectly for my plan.
I’m known for my stained-glass effect with wood and resin and unique hand-drawn and hand-cut designs, glossy finishes, wood stains, and lots of colors. People also remember the name, it makes them laugh.
Right now I’m most proud of getting such a great response at live markets, it’s been very validating and encouraging. And actually making this happen to a point that a magazine was interested enough to ask me about it. Holy cow, I wasn’t expecting that.
I think what might set me apart is the stained-glass effect I use with wood and resin. I don’t do resin “pours” as far as I know, but I’m still learning about resin and woodworking as I go.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I don’t think so? Never done this before. Lemme know if you want more pics. If you’re in Austin, I’m at the Arboretum Food & Artisan Market every Saturday, I also offer a 10% discount at the market if you show your library card, and free local pickup if you order online. You can find my work anytime at failedartstudios.com.
Pricing:
- Wood and resin bookmarks: $25–$40
- Glow light boxes: $75–120
Contact Info:
- Website: https://failedartstudios.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/failedartstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/failedartstudios
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jvenezio/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@failedartstudios
