LouPaper

Hello! I’m Louise Neumann- professional doodler and owner of the LouPaper shop. As well as being the creator, printing specialist and customer service adviser, I am most importantly tummy-tickler-in-chief to my two trusty studio assistants- Felix the German Shepherd and Nessie the Mighty Mystery-dog. They nap while I work- it’s all about balance you see.

Originally from England, I currently reside in the Deep American South with my husband Forrest, our aforementioned fluffy charges, and a swiftly growing baby-bump. I consider my life a charmed one, based on good food, inspiring travels, friends, family and a shameless addiction to the Great British Baking Show.

So let’s go way back. I’ll try to keep this snappy. It all started with me winning an art competition at school where I drew a really mediocre sheep at the pivotal age of 8. It was the taste of success that got the ball rolling, and a lifetime or so later, I found myself in the idyllic coastal town of Falmouth, as a shy and clueless 20 year old Illustration student doing the whole university thing and also my own laundry. Shocker. After awkwardly navigating those three years of advanced education, my degree led me into the world of freelance illustration, while my appetite for donuts and road trips lured me straight to America. It was my destiny.

Back in art school I would draw everything from the toast I ate for breakfast, to the Empire State building on a trip to NYC, and everything in between. Apart from owning a better toaster these days, not too much has changed. I still eat a lot of toast and draw a lot of buildings.

As I became a little more practiced in the professional world of clients and deadlines, I realized I needed to stay motivated by exploring my own creative interests as well. For a time, I thought I might sew all my artwork, but I mainly just became my own accidental pin-cushion. I moved onto a printing press, where I ruined a lot of my clothes and threw prayers up skyward, because I needed guidance here! Slowly but surely, I returned to my early roots and found my calling. Who would have guessed it would be marker pens! If only my 8 year old and 25 year old selves could’ve had a good chat, we’d have saved some time. Once we’d figured that out, it was full steam ahead, fast-forward a few short years, and LouPaper burst out on to the Etsy scene in 2012, with about two greetings cards and a wooden bathroom sign. Ah but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

The inspiration behind Loupaper comes from my natural curiosity about the world around me- and my desire to soak up the details of my experiences, followed by the compulsion to document all of those things. My artworks and paper products feature food and gardens and travel and cocktails, because these are the themes that can enrich a life or brighten a day. It’s the things that make me happy. Let’s be happy.

Each product in the LouPaper shop is an indulgent little celebration of the things that make life lovely. A colorful garden, a plate of pastries, or a sense of pride in the place we live- or a happy reminder of somewhere have visited and loved! I bring an honest enthusiasm to LouPaper, and I hope that, in turn, translates to a smile on the face of my customers.

These days, LouPaper has a growing wholesale and customer base, an expanding collection of themes and products. The positive feedback I get from my customers is just about the best thing since sliced bread. We’ve come a long way together! Thank you so much for being on this journey with me. I am loving every minute!