Meet the Maker: Shelley Hanmo Qian of Junonia Arts (& Giveaway!)

This past September, Longhand Pencils participated in the #IStandForGirls campaign, helping Kurandza to raise money to help girls attend school in Mozambique. As part of the Launch Team, I got to meet a fabulous group of leaders and makers, all passionate about education for girls.

An inspiring artist and business owner I got to meet was Shelley of Junonia Arts. Shelley specializes in paper collage art, made from recycled materials. I collaborated with Shelley for Longhand Pencils’ birthday month, and she agreed to answer a few of my burning Qs. (Plus, she made a one-of-a-kind pencil piece I’m giving away to one of you! See below.)

Everyone, meet Shelley!

Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Shelley Hanmo Qian (Last name pronounced as “Chan”). I am a professional pianist and music educator by training. Yet my love for paper art has been with me for a long time.

What got you into collage art?

For the past years, my Christmas tradition was to create handmade greeting cards from paper magazines for my friends and families. Many of them loved my cards and wanted me to share my art with more people. Last December, I decided it was time to open an Instagram account for my paper art. Therefore, “Junonia Arts” was born. 

What inspires you?

I love nature and what it offers. Plants, landscapes, animals, lakes, and oceans give me many inspirations. I often feel amazed at nature’s wonderful, magical, and powerful canvas.

Why is it important for you to use recycled material for your art?

As someone who believes in creating eco-friendly art, the nature-themed cards and artworks are something I would like to offer to many others. Creating art out of materials that are regularly thrown out is the core mission for Junonia Arts. I believe protecting our planet is a responsibility for everyone on a daily basis. I hope my art will bring joy and beauty to others while encouraging an eco-conscious spirit.

What has been one of your favorite pieces to work on?

In recent months, I have been working on numerous paper collage artworks. One of my favorites that I worked on was Kasee’s pencil art! I’ve never done a still life work focusing on pencils, and I wanted to make sure the theme stands out in the entire work, so there were pencil shaped stationery, pencils in cups, pencil wall art, etc. It was a fun experience to design and create the collage work. 

Find Shelley online at @junoniaarts and on her Etsy shop.

**Giveaway!**

I’ve partnered with Shelley to give away this custom, one-of-a-kind collage pencil art! To enter, visit this Instagram post! Ends 11/18/20, 8 p.m. CST. International. Winner contacted via IG DM.

Leave a Reply