Victoria Chapman, also known as Vicki or Tori, is an artist of many trades. Her experience in several areas makes her versatile and adaptable as an artist and business person. Victoria works as a graphic and web designer, illustrator, hand crafter (with many types of products), costume designer, photographer and musician.
As an illustrator, Victoria works in multiple mediums, both digital and tradition, but favors watercolors the most. As a graphic designer, she works on many projects including logo design, print design and web design. Victoria is technically skilled in building web sites using XHTML and CSS, but also uses a creative eye to execute the presentation. As a hand crafter and seamstress, Victoria explores many areas and is always trying to learn new skills. Currently, she creates jewelry, costumes, herbal heat packs, costume accessories, plush pillows, hand-drawn batik clothing, art prints and magnets and whatever else may come to mind at the time.
A graduate of the University of Connecticut, Victoria holds a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in illustration. Prior to graduation in 2004, Victoria worked as a student graphic and web designer for four years at UConn’s Web Development Lab. In 2002, she first created Weyakin Designs, while still a student. Weyakin Designs began with some illustrated greeting cards, custom tattoo designs and some odd-job graphic design work.
After graduation in 2004, Victoria moved to the Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts. Since then, she has worked both as a freelancer, contractor and employee in graphic and web design jobs. For two and half years, Victoria worked as a contracted graphic and web designer for Positronic Design in Holyoke, MA. Following that, she worked for nearly three years as a web designer at Tortus Technologies in West Springfield, MA. At both jobs, Victoria has done work for both local and national businesses, creating logos, print collateral and web sites and occasionally photography and illustration work. She has worked in conjunction with programmers who worked with PHP, Ruby on Rails, Mason and ePerl. Since January of 2010, Victoria has been working as a freelancer and contractor on a variety of projects.
As an artist and crafter, Victoria runs two online shops. Her original Weyakin Designs shop features items of a whimsical and fantasy-like nature ranging from art prints to full-length velvet cloaks. Two of her top items sold in this shop include faerie style elven head circlets and herbal microwaveable hot/cold packs. Earlier this year, Victoria opened a second shop called Web Design Weirdos. As a web designer and crafter, she thought it would be fun to combine the world of tech geeks with hand crafts. Victoria occasionally does craft shows and events in the Western Massachusetts area.
Victoria and her husband David live in the woods of Franklin County. As musicians, the two are working together on a new music project. Victoria plays keyboards, percussion, hammered dulcimer, Native American flutes and sings. Victoria and David are also working to turn their home into a sustainable homestead with an avid interest in permaculture. Victoria is a vegan, a lover of nature, enjoys cooking and has a slight obsession with wolves. She is also an advanced Reiki practitioner and does volunteer work for Cancer Connection in Florence, MA.
