Meet Em of Westminster CO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Em

Hi Em, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Even as a very young child, I wanted to make art. My mom let me make paintings and draw, sew clothes for my dolls, and make oven-bake clay creations for hours. After briefly exploring fashion design, I landed on fine arts in college. It was at Kansas State University that I took my first printmaking class where I fell in love with the medium. I was wowed by my excellent professors, the incredible facilities, as well as my wildly talented fellow students. I eventually decided to move to Denver in 2021 to chase my dream of becoming a working artist. I was able to begin making art again after an 8-year break in August 2024. I started going to Art Gym, a membership-based shared workspace off Colfax in Denver, where I can pull prints. I go to Art Gym a few times a month to print my work and talk shop with many other Denver based artists. Being a small part of such a wide art community has been so inspiring that I’ve been able to recommit myself to my Etsy shop and posting on social media regularly.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wish I could say I was an excellent student in college, but fraught relationships, a full work schedule, the struggle to understand my gender and trans identity, and deteriorating mental health had an impact on my academics. Though I managed to graduate, I wish I could have applied to shows, attended conferences, and generally put more time and energy into my degree. After graduation, I was totally spent and exhausted. I spent several years in my college town recovering. I sought a diagnosis for my mental health, though it would still be years before I was properly medicated. I began seeking professional help again after a few years and having access to meds helped me sleep and work regularly. I finally got out of relationships that didn’t serve me, which gave me time and energy to commit to making art. I began a new relationship with a longtime friend, that I’ve found incredibly nourishing and stable (after a string of unhealthy relationships since high school). I can now dedicate more time and energy to my work than ever before.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make relief prints, typically wood block prints. I carve out the negative space using chisels, leaving behind the positive space to be inked and printed onto paper.
I am known for imaginative and creepy characters, taking illustrative scenes and subjects and creating an uncanny valley piece.
I’m most proud of pushing myself hard. I have two other jobs and I print and carve in my off time, also making time to sew and sculpt. I’m proud of making work that humanizes the monstrous, work that disturbs.
I make clay and mixed media creatures, hand-carved woodblock prints, vintage fabric and custom clothing confections, and other fantastical creations. My work is inspired by folk and fairy tales, the mythic and the mundane, the monstrous and the grotesque. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art from Kansas State University. Find more of my work on Instagram @goblin_noggin and at GoblinNoggin on Etsy.

What matters most to you?
I want to make an emotional connection with the viewer. I consider myself a success if and when I make an impact on somebody.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: goblin_noggin
• Other: https://goblinnoggin.etsy.com/