Exactly on year ago today, former Consumerist writer John Brownlee mocked these painted nails with words like:

“….It probably cost more than the sum total of those snack products to actually get that done. Also, we are entertained that in the vast array of soda pop brands, she had to get both Diet and regular Dr. Pepper.”

On November 9th of this year, the owner and painter of the nails, Janet Martin, contacted us:

“Hey idiots, just so you know…not only am I a National Award Winning Nail Artist, those are also MY fingernails which I HANDPAINTED myself….IT IS CALLED ART!! Some are less advantaged to recognize TALENT…normally those who are NOT TALENTED THEMSELVES. Just so you know what HANDPAINTED is …HANDPAINTED means..no airbrushing!!…everything painted with a brush….AND IT DIDN’T COST ME ANYTHING!! Feel free to email me with any other comments

– PISSED NAIL ARTIST”

We replied to Janet…

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“Thanks for visiting our humble blog. I guess the first questions is.. what’s the backstory? Why did you paint your nails in this way? It certainly must have taken a lot of time to get all the detail. Not only that, but to do both of your own nails. I can’t even tie my shoelace with my left hand! “

Janet replied:

“I’ve been doing nails since i was in 7th grade….I’m 27 now….I specialize in handpainted nail art ( I am also a contracted artist painting murals, as well as slate, landscapes, etc…)

My clients come to me with some VERY weird requests for me to paint on their nails….In the beauty industry this is not uncommon at all…I normally do my nails with something “off the wall”, and one day i decided to do “pop” nails, everyone thought they were stickers of course, and they got national attention….after running out of ideas on cartoons and such, i decided to just do everyday items….thats where the “snack” and “pop” nails came in, i have also done candy bar nails and bubblegum nails….for a girl working at McDonalds, i did McDonalds nails on her…

i have attached some of my other nail art so you could get an idea of all of this…..also here is a site where some of my nail art is featured..(i didn’t have many on my computer, but they are on this site).

I can’t even write my name with my left hand, but I can design my nails, it’s weird, but true….It takes a WHILE to do my own nails because of it though”

Thanks for clearing up the mystery, Janet. Hope you didn’t break an exquisitely hand brushed nail when you were pounding in that first rebuttal!

— BEN POPKEN