Anna Bond’s line of whimsically illustrated greeting cards and stationery has made her Internet-famous, but even if she spends tons of time in New York, L.A. and Paris growing Rifle Paper Co.’s international reputation, she’s still a Winter Park girl at heart. Her shop is located in Hannibal Square, the cards are printed locally, and she even buys her art supplies at Sam Flax when she can. Her commitment to keeping it local continues this week, when she exhibits some of her hand-painted illustrations at the Art & History Museums – Maitland, where she’ll be the featured artist at their monthly art party, Culture & Cocktails.
“I really haven’t shown my work in a gallery setting like this before,” says Bond via email. (She’s in New York working on the brand’s catalog.) “I had a very small show as part of my local illustrator group, Giant Illustrators, a couple years ago. Other than that, most of the originals have never been shown before. I’m really excited to get a chance to have my work shown in a local setting like this.” – Jessica Bryce Young
Culture & Cocktails “The Art of Illustration” takes place 6 p.m. Friday, April 12, at the Germaine Marvel Building at the A&H – Maitland, with Anna Bond and the Cook Trio; admission is $5 and includes a cocktail ticket.
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Anna Bond
Rifle Paper Company, founded 2009
“I love Andy Warhol’s quote: ‘Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art.’”
WHAT DO YOU MAKE?
Stationery, paper goods, custom-designed cards and home accessories (Rifle’s wooden recipe boxes are especially coveted). Just added: iPhone covers.
WHEN DID YOU START?
“My husband Nathan and I launched Rifle Paper Co. in November 2009.”
FIRST PIECE YOU MADE FOR RIFLE?
“I made our ‘Ella’ thank-you card first. I made it to be my thank-you card after I got married and it ended up being the first card in the collection.”
TRAINED OR SELF-TAUGHT?
“A little of both.”
DAY JOB?
Not for a while: “My last job before starting Rifle Paper Co. was as an art director at Relevant magazine.”
EMPLOYEES, HELPERS OR ALL BY YOURSELF?
Rifle has 30 full-time employees.
TIME SPENT EACH WEEK? HAS THAT CHANGED SINCE YOU STARTED?
“I work about 80 hours a week. That’s probably a bit less than it was at the beginning.”
BIGGEST SURPRISE:
“The struggles of manufacturing and some of the day-to-day of running a business. It’s a lot of work.”
FUTURE GOALS:
Bond hopes to expand Rifle’s product line beyond paper and stationery. “We just launched iPhone cases and tin recipe boxes. I hope to get into more objects like that, as well as home goods such as textiles and wallpaper.”
INDISPENSABLE TOOL:
“A paint brush and my gouache paints … I buy my art supplies at Sam Flax whenever possible.”
LOCAL MAKER SHOUT-OUT:
Jason Gregory at Makr and Lauren Bradshaw of Walnut Animal Society.
DESIGN INSPIRATIONS:
Fans of Rifle’s lush floral designs won’t be surprised by this: “I’m continually inspired by nature, fashion, architecture … I love Brooklyn-based floral designer Amy Merrick’s work.” Bond recently collaborated with Merrick on a mysterious project that she calls “amazing and incredibly inspiring.”
CURRENT OBSESSIONS:
“I’ve been listening to a lot of Django Reinhardt, and the Avalanches. And I’ll eat out or drink a cocktail at Prato any night of the week if someone is buying!”
WHO BUYS RIFLE?
“I like to think we have a pretty wide range of customers who buy our products – anyone from girls in their 20s who shop at Anthropologie to moms and grandparents. Michelle Williams commissioned custom holiday stationery from us a couple years ago, which was pretty amazing.”
WHERE CAN ORLANDOANS BUY YOUR WORK?
“You can buy all of our products (as well as other gifts and books) in our studio shop … next to Dexter’s on Pennsylvania Avenue.” Bond will also be selling original works (gouache on watercolor paper) at the Culture & Cocktails event April 12.
