Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Carland.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
People sometimes assume I started by loving maps, but really I started by loving places. Even as a kid, I was fascinated by architecture, cities, and the idea of exploring the world. As a kid, my “dream job” was to be a tour guide of the Egyptian ruins. But, unfortunately, travel wasn’t something I had much access to growing up, so I explored through books, maps, documentaries, and drawing.
That curiosity eventually led me to study both fine art and urban planning. After graduate school, I’ve spent years working in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry while continuing to build my art practice on the side. I realized that my favorite part of every project was understanding how people experience places emotionally, not just physically.
That’s what became Carland Cartography. I create hand-drawn artwork inspired by cities and neighborhoods that transforms maps into something much more personal. To me, they’re love letters to places that hold our memories, identities, and dreams. My work combines art, architecture, travel, and storytelling to help people reconnect with places that have shaped their lives.
Over the years, that passion has grown into a business with collectors across the country, corporate commissions, museum exhibitions, and opportunities in licensing and public art. Today, I’m focused on building Carland Cartography into a nationally recognized art and design studio that creates meaningful work at every scale, from pieces in someone’s home to large public installations that celebrate entire communities.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely has not been an easy road (haha, pun intended). Like most entrepreneurs, I’ve had to learn that being good at your craft doesn’t automatically mean people will find you.
For years, I’ve been balancing a full-time career while building Carland Cartography on nights and weekends. I could create the work, but I had to teach myself everything else – marketing, licensing, pricing, contracts, proposals, public speaking, and how to run a business. Every new opportunity required learning an entirely new skill.
One of the biggest challenges has been shifting from thinking like an artist to thinking like a business owner. It’s easy to believe that if you make something beautiful, people will naturally discover it. The reality is that you have to build relationships, tell your story, and actively create opportunities.
I’ve also learned that growth isn’t always linear. There have been periods where I’ve questioned whether I was on the right path, but looking back, every exhibition, every commission, every proposal (even the ones I didn’t win) helped refine both my work and my vision.
Today, I actually see those challenges as part of what makes my business stronger. They’ve pushed me to become not only a better artist, but a better entrepreneur, and they’ve helped me build a business that’s designed to grow for the long term rather than just chase short-term success.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I essentially create portraits, but not of people – of places. I create hand-drawn abstract maps that celebrate the places people love most. I often describe them as “love letters to cities.” While they begin with real geography, they’re transformed through color, texture, and composition into artworks that are less about navigation and more about memory, identity, and connection.
My background in both fine art and urban planning gives me a unique perspective. I’m fascinated by how cities function, but even more by how people experience them. Every neighborhood has a personality, every street has a story, and every place means something different depending on who you are. My goal is to capture that emotional connection rather than simply reproduce a map.
My work spans original artwork, corporate commissions, exhibitions, licensing, and public art. Whether it’s a collector remembering where they fell in love, a company celebrating the community it serves, or a city telling its own story, I want the work to help people see familiar places with fresh eyes.
What I’m most proud of is hearing people say, “That’s my neighborhood,” or “That place changed my life.” Those moments remind me that the artwork has become something much bigger than a map. It becomes a conversation about belonging, memory, and the places that shape our own life story.
I think what sets my work apart is that it exists at the intersection of art, architecture, urban design, and storytelling. It’s visually bold and highly detailed, but it’s also deeply personal. People aren’t just buying an image of a city, they’re investing in a piece of their own story. Stylistically, my work occupies a space that feels uniquely its own. It blends the precision of architectural drawings and city plans with the emotion of fine art. It is romantic yet bold, structured yet feminine. Every line is drawn by hand, giving the work a sense of craftsmanship and authenticity that reflects the human experience of a place rather than a computer-generated view of it.
What’s next?
I”m really excited about the direction the business is heading because I feel like I’m just getting started. Over the next few years, my goal is to grow Carland Cartography from a solo art practice into a nationally recognized art and design studio.
That means expanding in a few different ways. I want to continue creating original work for collectors while also increasing my focus on corporate commissions, public art, hospitality, and licensing partnerships. I love the idea that someone could encounter my work in their home, in a hotel lobby, at an airport, or as part of a public installation that becomes woven into the identity of a community.
I’m also creating a new series inspired by two of my favorite destinations – NYC and Miami. Travel has always been a huge source of inspiration for me, and I want the work to celebrate not only where I’ve been, but where I dream of going next.
More than anything, I’m excited about creating work that reaches more people and exists on a larger scale. Whether it’s a single artwork in someone’s living room or a permanent installation that thousands of people experience every day, my goal is the same: to make work that reminds people of the places that make their life story beautiful.
Pricing:
- Original Artwork: Available through direct commission, exhibitions, and select gallery partnerships. Pricing available upon request.
- Corporate & Commercial Licensing: Custom licensing for offices, hospitality, healthcare, higher education, mixed-use developments, environmental graphics, and branded spaces. Quotes are tailored to the scope of the project and intended usage.
- Wholesale: A curated collection of hand-drawn city prints is available for museum stores, galleries, boutiques, hotels, and design-forward retailers. Wholesale information is available upon request.
- Exhibitions & Public Art: Currently seeking opportunities for solo exhibitions, museum partnerships, artist residencies, public art commissions, and site-specific installations.
- Speaking & Collaborations: Available for artist talks, panel discussions, workshops, and creative collaborations focused on art, placemaking, travel, and urban design.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.carlandcartography.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlandcartography/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcarland/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@carlandcartography
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@carlandcartography
