Former Hallmark artist paves a new career, letter by letter

Laura Bolter’s favorite color is periwinkle: a pale blue shade that takes its name from the flower. A quick glance at the former Hallmark artist’s work shows that it’s not the only color she embraces.

Bolter, a Lenexa resident, often works in a bright palette for her own paintings, while she introduces a more muted range of colors when doing stationery work.

Today, Bolter is a successful freelance artist, specializing in lettering and stationery design. Bolter’s work appears on such popular websites as Minted, GreenVelope and Impress, and is sold in stores like Target. Bolter’s designs appear as customizable holiday cards, wedding invitations and baby announcements, as well as on gift wrap, bags, ornaments and stockings.

Being so visible surprises the self-described introvert. Yet the Brooklyn native wanted to be an artist from a young age.

“I don’t ever remember being anything else,” Bolter said. “I loved to color and was doodling for years and years and years. I took lots of art classes.”

Bolter’s journey to becoming a successful graphic artist had a few stops along the way. During her high school years, Bolter took a calligraphy class that led to an interesting experience.

“I got to paint backdrops for concerts at Mile High Stadium,” Bolter said. “I got to go backstage at several concerts including the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. It was super cool. It was an incredible experience to do that.”

Bolter began her college studies in graphic design and visual communication at Colorado State University where she met her husband, Boyd. A job move took the couple to the Kansas City area where Bolter finished her degree at the University of Kansas. There she took a liking to calligraphy and lettering. At KU, Bolter was part of a group of School of Design graphic designers who did the marketing for the performing arts center on campus.

“It was really a great portfolio builder and entry into business,” she said. “My senior year, I was the supervisor of the whole group and got to assign projects. That was very cool.”

A review of student portfolios by Hallmark artists landed Bolter a job in the company’s lettering department before she had graduated.

“I negotiated with KU to get credit for my last semester and they gave me all of my credits so I could graduate,” she said.

Bolter spent a total of five years with Hallmark, taking a break after the birth of her first daughter.

Over her career with the greeting card giant, Bolter also worked for its Shoebox line before going out on her own as a freelance artist. Much of Bolter’s earnings are based on royalties; she does custom artwork, as well. Bolter’s website features a cross-section of her stationery and lettering designs, as well as her paintings, including a line of Judaic art.

Bolter, who describes her work as whimsical, colorful and fun, said her journey as a freelance artist has flourished by connections she’s made along the way. Through a friend, Bolter designed a large illustration for Children’s Mercy Hospital and at the opening she met another artist, which led her to work for Gibson Greetings. Another artist friend pointed Bolter to Hasbro, where she got to design a game for the company.

“I kept finding various little opportunities along the way,” Bolter said. “As I worked with each of these places I would adapt my style to their needs. Once the world wide web started, it made it so much easier. That has really helped me to make a lot of new connections over the years.”

Bolter has embraced technology to create her artwork. Her primary tools are an Apple iPad and the Pro Create program.

“It has brushes that simulate everything from watercolor to oil paint, various inks, markers,” Bolter said. “You can create so much on it…. I bought my first Mac computer when I left Hallmark and dove right in and taught myself everything. It’s completely changed the way I work.”

Through her work with Minted, Bolter has connected with a number of independent artists designing wedding invitations. These designers have become Bolter’s tribe.

“There are a lot of women who were also doing the same thing I was and we all have become really good friends,” Bolter said. “For a long time my family would kid me about my virtual friends.”

Bolter and several of these women have met in person numerous times, developing strong friendships.

“It gave me the water cooler kind of talk that I didn’t have since Hallmark,” she said.

With a love for technology, Bolter now trains other artists how to use social media as a marketing tool for their work.

“I started doing creative process videos for Instagrams,” she said. “I would shoot video of myself doing video lettering...and I ended up with about 10,000 followers.” Minted had Bolter teach a class about doing process videos.

“I ended up teaching to 60 of my design heroes. I really enjoyed it,” said Bolter. “It shows you can do new things even when you are older and don’t think you can.”

As an artist, Bolter admits there are days she doesn’t know where her next inspiration will come from.

“There are times I have no ideas and I think I will never have another Christmas idea again,” Bolter said. “I wish I knew what really works (but) somehow it continues to.”

With more than three decades as a working artist, Bolter still finds tremendous meaning in her work.

”I can’t think of anything more satisfying than knowing that a person has either bought a painting or print to live with every day, or give the gift of my work,” Bolter said. “That is truly an honor.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Former Hallmark artist paves a new career, letter by letter."