Hi! I’m Giesla, a multidisciplinary artist residing in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
My art journey began in kindergarten when I was asked the age-old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and my answer was "an artist." Thanks to my mom, I was a crafty, creative kid. I created my own comic strip, made friendship bracelets, played with polymer clay, and learned how to crochet. When the internet came into existence, I taught myself HTML and figured out how to create websites using images I created with Photoshop 2.0. My desire to work in a creative field lead me to study interior design and graphic design at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and I earned an Associate of Arts in Multimedia Design from Globe College in 2001.
In 2002 I founded Inkblots, an art business specializing in digitally created, inkjet-printed artwork and gifts. I showcased my work at art fairs across the Midwest and sold it through local retailers and galleries. As the methods of production evolved and I focused my efforts on only creating digital collages, Inkblots was no longer a good fit. In 2012, I rebranded under my own name.
Participating in art fairs is an incredible amount of work and eventually burnout found me. In 2016, I left art fairs behind and shifted into freelance graphic design work. As video and social media became more prevalent, I taught myself Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro to expand my skillset to include motion graphics and video editing. In 2024, I decided to finally pursue my longtime interest in projection mapping. I began teaching myself Madmapper and Blender and it's been incredibly fun.
When I’m not learning a new skill or creating art, you can find me calculating whether I can afford to buy yet another concert ticket, crocheting, reading, listening to podcasts, traveling (and pulling over quickly to photograph a vintage neon sign), or exploring the beauty of our natural world.
I love all things illuminated! For the Oogie Boogie Halloween Bash at Disneyland, I made this costume of Jerry from the Pixar movie Soul with EL wire.