Jennifer Noran, native of Kentucky, knew she was destined to be an artist at a very early age. Surrounded by a creative and supportive family, she grew up in a multigenerational environment where she was encouraged to be her own self and not conform to social norms. Even now, as an adult (a term she uses loosely) her Mom says she “dances to the beat of her own drum.”
She is a graduate of the 1994 class of The Art Academy of Cincinnati in Ohio and started her career with a 24 hour straight temporary job creating an animation for Presentation Graphics. The owners were so impressed by her tenacity they offered her a full-time job the next day! Eventually she moved on to Auto Trader Magazine and then tried her skills at online graphics for eCorporation and Travelago. Jennifer then found her home at the Legislative Research Commission where she is close to receiving her 25 years of service pin. Having a stable full-time graphic design job has enabled her to do what she is most passionate about – crafting, painting, costuming and drawing! Her main focuses are creating graphic design and costuming for Steampunk events such as Bourbon City Steam and Teslacon, and Queen City Steam, which she founded and owns. She is also enjoying illustrating books and is looking forward to her next one coming out which she will be writing with her boyfriend, Dustin.
Jennifer currently resides at her home in Lexington, Kentucky which she lovingly calls her sanctuary. It is full of years of collecting things like books, art, Star Wars, graphic novels, unusual tchotchkes, vinyl, art supplies and a plethora of plants (some of which are rescues from her local groceries “almost dead” floral clearance section). Her little sister Julia remarked recently that Jennifer’s house looks like, “a visual representation of what she imagines the inside of her sister’s head looks like” and Jennifer is extremely happy with that compliment.
