Surtex 2011 - Exhibiting Artist Melissa Ybarra, Iza Pearl Design

The Iza Pearl Design booth was one of the most interesting and bright ones at Surtex this year. It was so fun to see!  It was also a pleasure to meet and talk to both Melissa and her husband – They did a wonderful job setting up the booth and Melissa's art is so lovely and fresh, you can't help it but notice it and smile :)

In my view, Surtex is still a fabulous show - as I mentioned in my earlier editorial, art licensing is full of opportunities and this particular show is where an artist should start exhibiting based on what I've seen so far.  Melissa's interview will illustrate this point even more. Her enthusiasm for what she does is so contagious that you might find yourself exhibiting at Surtex 2012!

Licensing artist Melissa Ybarra

The Moon from My Attic: Please introduce yourself - Hello! My name is Melissa Ybarra and I am a graphic and textile designer based in Dallas, Texas. Part-time, I am a designer in the marketing department at JCPenney, and the rest of my time, I spend freelancing.  I recently launched my surface and graphic design studio, Iza Pearl Design, and made my debut at Surtex in May 2011.

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work?  To have the opportunity to play with colors, text, lines, shapes, and texture is so exciting to me. It's such a blessing to be able to do what I love and to visually communicate and interpret the world around me. It's most exciting to think that my work has the possibility to invoke happiness, playfulness, and inspiration for others.

 TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? Nothing beats a number two pencil and paper. I'm a doodler, and tend to pick up a pencil and draw while I'm waiting for a file to save, talking on the phone, or during staff meetings. I then usually take those doodles into the computer and expand on them in Illustrator.  I do, though, love to break out the paints, paper, markers, glue, and trusty exacto and get a little messy now and then.

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? Wow, that's a tough one...probably should have asked who hasn't inspired my art. First and foremost, my aunt, Shelly Meridith-Delice, who is a fantastic and established artist in the children's industry, probably has been my greatest inspiration. She's taught me to look at things creatively and how to bring fun, whimsy, and playful qualities to my designs. I spent my summers growing up in her design studio where I was exposed to so many artistic, wonderful and creative people who have all shaped my art in some way---the oh, so talented Jenny Faw, the legendary artist James Rizzi, illustrator extraordinaire Jeff Shelly, her brother, my uncle, the design-wiz Ross Meridith, uber-talented Don Carney and the creative genius Kemper Johnson. 

So much inspiration comes from my family, which is filled with wonderful artists, crafters and creative thinkers. We're not necessarily an intellectual bunch, but give us some paint, glue, fabric, sticks, leaves, rubber bands, crochet hooks, thread, and a piece of sheet metal and we'll make something so intriguing, useful, and beautiful you'll never take your eyes off.

© Melissa Ybarra - Iza Pearl

TMFMA: Did you do any art licensing prior to you exhibiting at Surtex 2011? No...Surtex was my first shot at breaking into the licensing arena.

TMFMA: What brought you to exhibit for the first time at Surtex 2011? Although I love my job at JCPenney, I was looking for something that provided a little more creativity and would allow me to create my own art. My artist aunt, Shelly Meridith-Delice, encouraged me to come out and walk the floor at Surtex with her. After walking the floor, I thought how incredibly exciting, rewarding, and wonderful it would be to exhibit.  So, nervous and questioning if my art was good enough to be at that level, I took the leap (after lots of encouragement from my family and a pep talk from my husband and sister!!).

© Melissa Ybarra - Iza Pearl

TMFMA: What were your expectations for this show? I really went to Surtex with the attitude that it's about the journey, and not the destination. For me, it was just about the experience. I wasn't expecting to necessarily be signing contracts and wheeling and dealing; more, I was hoping to network with manufacturers, make some solid contacts, learn about the art and licensing industry, and to meet and see so many artists that I'm a fan of and follow.

TMFMA: What did you do to prepare for the show e.g. did you do pre-show seminars, trade magazine reading, blog reading, other?  Walking the show floor was so immensely helpful. It really helped me to grasp what to expect. I also Googled Surtex constantly, hit the image tab, looked at the various booth designs, and read blog after blog of artists who exhibit and are currently in the licensing world. I listened to Tara Reed's webinar with Paul Brent, and really gained a lot of valuable information. I also found the pre-show webinars offered by Surtex and the staff to very, very help.

TMFMA: How would you describe this first experience with an art licensing show? Incredible, fun, and well worth it! I met so very many wonderful folks and learned so much. From the show, I have had two contracts come to fruition, one with a fabric company, the other with a stationary and gift company, which has been so very exciting.

TMFMA: What's the average time for prepare a full collection and how many did you create for the Surtex show 2011?  From what I've learned, a collection consists of 6-8 designs that hang well together. Depending on your style and technique (computer generated or hand) the time it takes to prepare one can vary tremendously. For me, I found that I would really crank out designs then hit a creative road block. So then, I would switch over to working on my booth design, website, or marketing materials to give me a bit of a break.  Total, I spent 5 months designing and building my website, business cards, press kit, logo, booth design, as well as the 51 individual designs, 8 collections I took to sell and license.

© Melissa Ybarra - Iza Pearl

TMFMA: Please give your analysis of the market based on your own experience and that of any other artists you met at the show.  Since it was my first year exhibiting, I really don't have anything to compare it to. I felt like there was a good energy there and both manufacturers and artists were excited.

TMFMA: At Surtex an artist can both sell and seek art license opportunities.  How do you decide what to sell and what to license? I'm still trying to figure this one out--I guess you sort of get a feel for which of your designs have a strong application across several industries and product lines. Those are the ones I've chosen to license.

TMFMA: In your view, what was of major interest to manufacturers this year? It's hard to tell. There truly is a market for every style of art – whether it's traditional, edgy or whismical. It's just a matter of making the right connection between company and artist.

TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field and that want to exhibit in a show like Surtex? If at all possible, walk the show floor the year before, utilize the many free resources out there on Surtex and Art Licensing (just simply Google both), take advantage of all the free marketing opportunities offered through Surtex, don't leave your booth design to the last minute because presentation is important....and finally, hold your nose and jump!!

Thanks so much for featuring me on your fabulous blog! I hope to see you at Surtex next year!

 ~ ~ ~

You might also like other art licensing related articles:

THE ART LICENSING PAGE 

ART LICENSING - THE SURTEX AND LICENSING INTERNATIONAL EXPO SHOWS

SURTEX 2011 - EXHIBITING ARTIST NIKOLE BATISTA

Surtex 2011 - Exhibiting Artist Nikole Batista

As mentioned in my previous editorial on Surtex/NSS and LIMA shows, I will be publishing a series of exclusive interviews with emerging and established artists whom I met at Surtex 2011. 

With a fresh and exciting view of art licensing, let's welcome new exhibiting Surtex artist Nikole Batista from NYC!

Artist Nikole Batista

The Moon from My Attic: Please introduce yourself.  Hi!  My name is Nikole Batista.  I am a textile designer in NYC and I just recently launched my own line of surface designs and illustrations for licensing.  Feel free to visit my website and blog.

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? The most rewarding part of what I do is actually seeing someone wearing one of my designs and/or using a product with my artwork.  The second best thing is seeing it in stores!

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? I love to draw with crayons and markers – it makes me feel like a kid all over again.  I also love to play with tissue paper, glazing and collage as a way to explore texture.

© Nikole Batista

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? I used to work in a restaurant that covered their tables with butcher paper so that kids could draw on them while waiting for their food.  I have a whole bin at home of my favorites – I think it’s the best place to go when I’m feeling stuck. 

I also love the work of Eric Carle.  I love the techniques that he developed and the simplicity with which he employs them. 

TMFMA: Did you do any art licensing prior to you exhibiting at Surtex 2011?  In the year leading up to Surtex 2011, I started to build a relationship with and create artwork for Stupell Industries, a supplier of handcrafted decorative accessories based in Rhode Island.  Some of those pieces are now actually on sale in Home Goods! Working with a single, quality supplier while prepping for Surtex was a nice entry point into the world of licensing.

TMFMA: What brought you to exhibit for the first time at Surtex 2011? I first learned about licensing in early 2010 while freelancing.  Right away, I was attracted to licensing as an artist trying to figure out how to do what I love to do and still make a decent living.  After researching how licensing works and looking at what kind of art was out there already, I thought, "I can totally do that..."

TMFMA: What were your expectations for this show?  Trade shows are definitely not about signing contracts.  I went with the intentions of establishing my presence within the licensing community, and introducing myself to manufacturers, suppliers and other artists at the show.  I met so many wonderful people! It’s important to be patient while starting out in licensing, so my focus was on presenting myself and my work as professionally as possible.

© Nikole Batista

TMFMA: What did you do to prepare for the show e.g. did you do pre-show seminars, trade magazine reading, blog reading, other?  I did a ton of research to prep for Surtex – I read whatever I could get my eyes on!

In addition to participating in as many free webinars as my schedule allowed, I read Licensing Art 101, by Michael Woodward to learn about the industry and general business practices.  I purchased e-books from Tara Reed and Khristian A. Howell.  Both are successful, licensed artists and veterans of Surtex.  Holli Conger also wrote some really helpful blog posts about exhibiting.

The key is to find what has worked for people in the past, and to do it again in your own way.

TMFMA: What's the average time to prepare a full collection and how many did you create for the Surtex show 2011? It depends entirely on the kind of work that you plan to show at Surtex.  It took me a full 8 months to prepare enough, and even then I wanted more time.

Numbers don’t matter, but the quality of your work does – especially if it’s your first show.  Chances are you won’t have a lot of manufacturers flipping through portfolios of your stuff.  Instead, focus on having enough work to build a solid booth presentation, something that communicates clearly what you’re all about as an artist and to really show off your strong points.

TMFMA: How would you describe this first experience with an art licensing show? It was an incredible accomplishment both professionally and creatively.  It was worth every penny and sleepless night.

© Nikole Batista

TMFMA: Please give your analysis of the market based on your own experience and that of any other artists you met at the show. I prefer to look at the marketplace as a space for collaboration and innovation, not necessarily competition.  There is plenty of room for new artists – especially if you have a unique perspective.

TMFMA: At Surtex an artist can both sell and seek art license opportunities.  How do you decide what to sell and what to license?  This is something I am still learning!  I think it has a lot to do with the type of product you want your art to be on in the end.  For example, if you are interested in creating apparel designs, you will most definitely be selling artwork rather than licensing it.  It’s just how the industry is set up.  But if you’re thinking stationary, or home goods, licensing is the place to go.  

TMFMA: In your view, what was of major interest to manufacturers this year? Every manufacturer is different – it depends entirely on their product, brand and who their buyers are.  It would be difficult and inaccurate to make a blanket statement about the direction of licensing overall. They were definitely looking for fresh work, though!

TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field and that want to exhibit in a show like Surtex? Research, research, research...and then commit to it.  Surtex is not something you should go half-way on. 

TMFMA: Any other useful info that you'd like to share about Surtex/art licensing?

Ask for help.  I recommend having at least one other person in your booth with you, so that there's always someone present.

Exhibiting at the booth is really only half of the work, too.  Be prepared to organize the contacts that you make during the show and follow up!

Art Licensing - The Surtex and Licensing International Expo Shows

I became interested in art licensing a couple of years ago after reading several blog articles about it. The more I read about it the more I thought it could be an interesting avenue for my designs and artwork. One valuable resource I came across was a book called Art Licensing 101, a well written introduction to the field by Michael Woodward.

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York, NY

In the meantime I did local fairs and sold to local stores; I also opened up a couple of on-line shops and happily sold my cards, stationary, children's books and prints. But at one point I really started asking myself whether I should seek other opportunities through licensing or go wholesale instead. After researching the wholesale world I kept being drawn back to art licensing. So I started networking a little and had some brief email conversations with artists Kate Harper and Patty Gay. They both suggested to at least read up on it and to go to an art licensing show – Surtex was a favorite.

I then joined LinkedIn and found very useful information about art licensing through professionals who have been working in this field for many years and have successfully made a mark in the business. My decision to walk the Surtex/National Stationary Show in New York, and the Licensing International Expo show in Las Vegas finally cleared up the big question for me: should I pursue art licensing or go wholesale?

Surtex/NSS shows

The answer was much clearer once I went through both shows and talked to a number of newly exhibiting artists as well as professional artists who've been exhibiting for many years. I am pretty convinced now that for me, some of my art is definitely worth putting forward for licensing - while other aspects of my art would be a better fit for producing myself and pursuing wholesale opportunities. Essentially, for me, the answer was why not both!

Another equally valuable aspect of walking the shows was that I was able to put my finger on the pulse of what is happening - what colors, subjects/themes, patterns, and styles are growing trends, where there was a lot of interest and energy, and who was setting those trends. Again, talking with artists and manufacturers and getting their insights and perspectives was priceless - although of course opinions vary (everything from that the whole field of art licensing is dying and doomed to that it is alive and healthy!) it was all still incredibly enriching for me to swim in the current for those few days and help me sort out my own thoughts.

Here's is a link to a very good blog interview with an Art Licensing Agent published Artsy Shark that brings home my point!

LIMA show, Las Vegas

In short, it seemed very clear after the shows that there are categories of art that can and should be licensed and some others that should be organized into a direct wholesale/retail business instead, especially after seeing the NSS next to Surtex.

This whole field of art licensing is rather complex and unique; although it offers huge opportunities, it needs to be worked like any new art form in order for an artist to get a grip on what to do. As many of the pros will tell you, it doesn't just happen overnight.

Just as importantly, though, was the opportunity at the shows to meet many fabulous artists. The ability to talk about and share stories and perspectives on art and the creativity that drives artists is always inspiring for me - and I'm going to share some of their views on art  and art licensing in the coming weeks. I hope and believe their experiences will be also very helpful to those who are considering to join in or have just started their own adventure :)