LE Artisan Studio creates for a cause
Who knew stickers could speak such volumes?
Laura Elizabeth Mincey creates artwork with a purpose through her company, LE Artisan Studio.
Mincey operated her business part time until the pandemic’s onset in 2020, when she was furloughed and dove head first into her artwork. She was later called to return to work but was dissatisfied with the 9-to-5 lifestyle and left her job, completely dedicating herself full time to LE Artisan Studio, known for its wildlife-inspired stickers.
By 2021, she was reaching out to local gift shops in Florida, her home state, and created a product catalog, thus beginning her wholesaling journey.
Mincey, a current Georgia resident, is passionate about animals and wildlife, and she always wanted her career to positively impact them. In college, she initially looked to pursue veterinary studies or marine biology but ultimately opted for creativity over science when she realized she could create an impact via art.
LE Artisan Studio’s stickers feature whimsical, colorful illustrations of animals, often inspired by Florida’s wildlife scene. Some examples include manatees, hammerhead sharks and even snow monkeys.
Mincey’s playful approach to her art includes beautiful, watercolor-like drawings; some feature cheeky sayings while others showcase animals donning silly outfits. The company also expanded to offer apparel, pins, totes and even keychains, featuring laser-cut woodworking.
“I really liked doing the woodworking,” she said. “With the laser-cutter, I can cut out small designs and then transfer on from what is already made onto the wood. It’s fun to make. It feels like I’m crafting more, and it’s just a different change of pace from making stickers for the last couple of years.”
She started by selling to local gift shops and online. But as Mincey began receiving orders online, she noticed orders from faraway places such as Hawaii and even France, a sign of positive reach and growth. Additionally, Mincey wholesales to zoos and sells on Etsy.
LE Artisan Studio donates 10% of its profits to various conservations and partners with organizations to help promote such causes.
“With each [illustrated] animal, I want to help its real-life counterpart,” she said. “I also do volunteer work by making the artwork for organizations free of charge to promote their conservation efforts.”
Ultimately, Mincey aspires to become involved on a larger scale for the causes of wildlife, ocean and land conservation.
“I’d like to get more into content creation and working directly with conservations,” she said. “[I’d like to] work more with bigger organizations like wildlife, parks and zoos. Because if I can get more people to see what I share, I can have a bigger voice in the conservation community and share the work of the places that I support.”
LE Artisan Studio’s mission is to advocate for wildlife while giving back to the animals and people who care for them. Mincey hopes her products not only inspire people to educate themselves about the illustrated animals but also that her sweet, punny illustrations brighten their days.
“All the best-case scenarios are that they learn about the animal or the cause that I’ve illustrated, and then maybe take action in their own way, like either buying more sustainably or sharing conservation organizations on social media, donating, etc.,” she explained. “But if [nothing else], I would like them to get a smile or giggle out of it.”
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