Drawn to Art that Evokes Emotions - Artist Monika Forsberg

There are 19 days left before Surtex and most exhibiting artists are preparing their last collections and hoping to have everything done in time.

This week I am pleased to feature artist Monika Forsberg, represented by Jennifer Nelson Artists, who will also attend the show this May.

Monika is a mom to 2 boys living in London but is originally from the north of Sweden. "I always loved drawing and making things. I worked as a photographer, illustrator, animator, writer and artist over the past 20 years and in-between worked in bars and cafes as well as tutoring at a university and being a mum. Right now I'm working full time as an illustrator," she shares.

She is drawn to art that evokes emotions. "Being a Swede I tend to favour melancholy and sadness inducing feelings, the dark side of the moon...but having lived half my life in the UK I also love things that makes me laugh, the silliness of things and the jolly oopsy daisy idiosyncratic mentality of the Brits."

© Monika Forsberg

I then asked:

THE MAIN INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WORK: I am curious by nature, I love listening to stories and making stories up and I love escaping into my own head. Drawing is like making your own low budget version of life with some extravagant insane seasonings of fantasy. I think my inspiration comes from all aspects of everyday life.

THREE (or less) KEY NOTES ON ART & LICENSING: I do a lot of commission work and when working on briefs a lot of the time I find that I sometimes have time and space to do some of my own work that then will be licensed. It's about experimenting and rejuvenating and indulging myself and letting go of a "this will sell..." mentality.

© Monika Forsberg

It may not be profitable in the short term but I found long term it's a very good approach. Do what you love. I don't love churning out a thousand florals that look the same - in fact that's why I moved away from animation, to have more freedom. Even if all those florals would license immediately, I would be so fed up drawing them that I'd have to take 6 months off and become a ski instructor or something instead for awhile.

I found the work I license the most are the quirky "weird" stuff that I had a great time doing and the stuff I made trying to follow the guidelines on how to find a recipe for licensing success are so watered down and drab that no one wants to touch it. So, stick to your guns. Be yourself. Have fun. But also be open to see how to make your work more exciting by watching, learning ,and experimenting.

WHAT YOU REALLY LOVE, I.E. YOUR PASSION: My kids, the beaches of my hometown, hotels, my boyfriend, drawing, laughing, sleeping, swimming. Not necessarily in that order. And coffee. And watermelon. And going to the cinema. Daydreaming.

© Monika Forsberg

WHAT YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE: Money grabbing mentality, Skype and un-kindness.

A FAVORITE SOMETHING: My friend Danny, a comic book author and I have been going winter swimming for the past 4 years and it's the best. You get a thrill from the icy, near freezing water and she is the best of company. You feel alive and all troubles dissipate with that combination of things. So all of you, find a Danny girl, a freezing cold lake, jump in and you will feel great!

A MEMORABLE EVENT IN YOUR LIFE: Going to the BAFTA's was very memorable. I was nominated for best short film and I took my friend Danny (the comic book artist) along. We got all glammed up by professional make up artists and walked on the red carpets with film stars and celebrities and drank too much tequila and then we took the night bus home because we were too frugal to get a taxi. I loved that. To belong to all and everything and nothing. By the way, I didn't win the BAFTA but that wasn't really that important.

© Monika Forsberg

A FUN MEMORY: Going to the Clermont-Ferrand film festival with my eldest son who was only 4 at the time. We stayed in a hotel, played pin ball in cafes, watched loads of films and ate chips with mayonnaise. And it was raging winter and we'd come there in our summer clothes. It was cold. It was great fun.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD AS AN ARTIST: The lines are often blurred as an artists. I donate art for charity auctions and give up time for volunteering and give advice to people needing something they think I can give. I've learnt over the years that you have to sometimes just say no. Just because I work from home and manage my own time I do need time to work and my family is my main priority.

© Monika Forsberg

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE: I will be exhibiting at Surtex with the Cloverly Art Collective in May and that'll be exciting. I'm working on some new products for the beautiful people of eeBoo which is very fun and not much like a "proper job." I really want to do more book work and so am playing about with some ideas. I also have ideas for larger scale pictures - we live in London where space is sparse so my work is very tiny to fit into little boxes and to not take up too much space. I think I need to do an exhibition to justify making LARGE pictures.!

A HELPFUL TIP TO OTHER ARTISTS: When drawing observe carefully and draw fast.

© Monika Forsberg

Designing with Kids in Mind - Artist Bee Brown

The Moon from My Attic will be attending Surtex as press again this year. It has been our tradition for the past 4 years to run free promotional ads for exhibiting Artists; we'll start on Monday May 4th for the whole week.

At the show, we will be around to interview and to report on trends and the National Stationery Show.

Meanwhile I am very happy to publish this artist who will also be at Surtex this year. Her name is Bee Brown, a U.K based Illustrator who also has a blog at www.beebrown-hive.blogspot.co.uk.

Bee is trained as a graphic designer but has been lucky enough to work as a freelance Illustrator since leaving art school and has always had a small studio at home. "I'm also a mum to 2 energetic little boys, but I find balancing my creative and family life is a good combination for me," she says.

Bee shares with us more details about her life as an artist:

YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN/ART STYLE: I don't really have a favourite design style as such. Inspiration can be found from a variety of sources, but I do love to keep an eye out for what's new, fresh and exciting in the design world. I am very drawn to fun, strong, bold graphic images both from a pictorial and typographic point of view.

THE MAIN INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WORK: I love designing with kids in mind, so they are my inspiration. Its fun thinking of characters and ideas they might be drawn to to look at in books, wear on their clothes, hang on their walls and just generally have in their lives.

THREE (or less) KEY NOTES ON ART & LICENSING: I think I would have this to say to anyone wanting to work in art and licensing: Just keep going. Keep believing and keep making work. Follow your heart and work hard.

WHAT YOU REALLY LOVE, I.E. YOUR PASSION: My daily passions are simple: my boys, beautiful, strong colour palettes, drawing out ideas and being in the fresh air. Oh, and good food!

WHAT YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE: Things I'm not keen on - rainy, miserable days when I can't get outside and my electricity supply packing up!

A FAVORITE SOMETHING: My favourite something would have to be my Mac - oh, and my iPhone! I love technology.

A MEMORABLE EVENT IN YOUR LIFE: It's hard to pick a single, memorable event in my life, but one that stands out from a design perspective would have to be when my work was first accepted by the Association of Illustrators for their annual illustration event which at the time was called 'Images'. I had submitted some maps that I had illustrated for a children's book published by Harper Collins. Never in a million years did I think they would get through the stellar judging panel but they did! I remember reading the letter that came through the post and the subsequent shaking all over - my knees went to jelly! I was in complete shock! It was both a real honour and very exciting to see my work hang in the Royal College of Art in London, have it featured in the accompanying catalogue and then see it tour the country in the traveling exhibition.

A FUN MEMORY: A fun memory would have to be my honeymoon with my hubbie. We travelled to Bali.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD AS AN ARTIST: Before and just after I married, I used to teach drawing and graphic design at my then local art school. I'm naturally quite shy but I used to love it. It was so rewarding working with the students, watching them change and develop over the weeks and months and building those relationships. My husband and I then started to travel a bit with work and then when we moved to Paris in France, I had to say goodbye to that part of my life. I'm glad I had those opportunities to contribute and maybe I will again at some point in the future.

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE: The next chapter in my creative life I hope will be the most fun yet ... the world of print and pattern! I have just been lucky enough to sign with the very amazing and super lovely U.S based agent Jennifer Nelson. I have my sights set on developing what I hope will be my very own recognizable style and brand of work, which I would love to see printed on array of different products and in children's books. I'm hoping that along with Jennifer's expert knowledge and help we will get there!

A HELPFUL TIP TO OTHER ARTISTS: Gosh, offering advice to other artists is so tricky! We are all so different but I think if I had to offer something it would be to try to always keep yourself fresh and to keep looking at the world with a sense of wonder and fun, just like when you were a child.

Bee is represented by Jennifer Nelson Artists.

Don’t Be Afraid to Show Your Work - Artist Jennifer Orkin Lewis, aka August Wren

A few weeks ago I published an interview with a new art licensing agency called Jennifer Nelson Artists. I really liked their fresh and unique work so I decided to publish all the artists there, starting with the amazing Jennifer Orkin Lewis, aka August Wren. We share a passion for art and design but also for interviewing artists to help them connect to their communities. Jennifer's interviews can be found here on Riverarts.

Jennifer is an illustrator and painter and a RISD graduate in textile design. She lives in a pretty little village just a bit north of NYC on the Hudson River. For many years she was a stylist in fabric manufacturing companies and designed lines for lingerie, children's clothes, and sleepwear, she said. Jennifer bought lots of art from shows like Surtex and Printsource. She got to know all of the design studios, although she didn't paint at all herself in those years.

© Jennifer Orkin Lewis

"When my son was small I started painting for a design studio that sold to card companies. That was the beginning of starting my own business. I slowly phased out of my job and focused more on my own art. When my son was in high school I realized I would have an empty nest soon and that's when I made a strong decision to become an illustrator. I opened an Etsy store, took many classes, and painted and drew all the time. I started getting licensing and freelance work but it was a long path. The culmination so far is a book I illustrated last summer for Abrams books coming out April 7th. It's called Sitting in Bars with Cake."

YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN/ART STYLE: I have so many different styles that could be my favorite, I love Matisse and also American Folk art. I love roaming the Met to see ancient vases and tapestries. I can't leave out mid-century modern and vintage/flea market stuff. There is something inspiring to find in everything it's hard for me to choose just one. But I try to find that spark that speaks to me and create my own language.

© Jennifer Orkin Lewis

THE MAIN INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WORK: I find my inspiration everywhere, I particularly love painting flowers and people. But it's the little everyday thoughts and things that cross my path that make up most of my work. I will paint a bouquet of flowers or find some leaves from a walk on a trail, I visit a busy place and look at all the crowds, I see a beautiful teacup or a fancy sweater. I imagine an intricate piece of lace or a butterfly garden. All of these things inspire me to paint.

THREE (or less) KEY NOTES ON ART & LICENSING: This is my first year showing at Surtex. So far my advice is to start preparing early – create new art, your banners, a portfolio book. It's so much work and you don't want to be scrambling at the end. And don't be afraid to show your work.

WHAT YOU REALLY LOVE, I.E. YOUR PASSION: I really love ice cream. Black raspberry chip. That makes me very happy. The beach, traveling with my husband and son and sitting on my porch in the warm weather with the sun on my face for a mid afternoon break.

© Jennifer Orkin Lewis

WHAT YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE: I hate migraines and cold weather. A lot.

A FAVORITE SOMETHING: Speaking on the phone with my son who is in Florence for a semester.

A MEMORABLE EVENT IN YOUR LIFE: Having lunch on a rock in Northern Thailand with elephants bathing in the water beside us. And having my sketchbook featured in Uppercase magazine.

A FUN MEMORY: I had the most delicious peach I have ever eaten from a farm stand in Sicily on my honeymoon. It's been many years and I can still taste it; I've never had another peach that great. Another is on a trip to Paris. I stopped into the Notre Dame cathedral for a minute (for some reason there weren't many tourists) and a choir was singing Gregorian chants, filling the whole space with incredible sound. It was unforgettable.

© Jennifer Orkin Lewis

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD AS AN ARTIST: For the past 6 years I've been on the board of our local arts council Riverarts. I've created a blog where I interview artists to introduce them to our community. It's something that has been on the back burner for a little while but I mean to pick up again.

I've also started a sketchbook project where I paint for 30 minutes daily and post them on Instagram. I think and hope I have inspired many others to start their own daily practice. It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done.

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE: For the last two months I've been lucky enough to have a wonderful agent, Jennifer Nelson. She is smart, encouraging and lovely. I hope to up my whole game in the licensing world. I will be showing for the first time this year at Surtex (Booth 355) with a new collective I've joined called Cloverly with 3 other amazing artists.

A HELPFUL TIP TO OTHER ARTISTS: Be yourself. Look at other's work for inspiration but then close it down when you are doing your own. Don't worry about the final outcome during your creative playtime. That's where you discover the most about yourself.

© Jennifer Orkin Lewis

© Jennifer Orkin Lewis

A New Art Licensing Agency - Jennifer Nelson Artists

Life lately has been very busy and fun. My recent trips and adventures in the Southwest have inspired me to create new and unique collections. I can't wait to start painting again!

While taking a break from traveling and other design projects, I want to introduce you all to a new art licensing agency called Jennifer Nelson Artists. I am sure you've heard of it on other social media but I am happy to publish this exclusive interview with Agent Jennifer Nelson:

WHO YOU ARE, WHERE YOU ARE FROM AND WHAT YOU DO: I grew up in Atlanta, GA and went to school at the Pratt Institute in NYC. I live in Arlington, MA now. I've been a graphic designer (primarily books) for 25+ years and agent for nearly 4 years.

Agent Jennifer Nelson

I worked on some big accounts such as General Mills cereals, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated Kids and Nickelodeon. My work has been recognized by leading trade organizations and publications including American Institute of Graphic Arts, Association of Educational Publishers, Boston Book Builders Association, Creative Child Magazine, Communications Arts Magazine, Dr. Toy, Fat Brain Toy Award, HOW Magazine, International Book Award, Mom's Choice Award, Print Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, The Toy Book and has been awarded several Parent's Choice Awards.

YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN/ART STYLE: I like so many things but lately my focus is on painterly work, vector art, anything cheerful and colorful, and art combined with strong lettering. Ask me again next month and I'll likely name something else.

THE MAIN INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WORK/AGENCY: After years of working with illustration as a graphic designer I really wanted to get into the meat and potatoes of the art world.

Now I get to work directly with artists and that's satisfying on many levels.

WHAT YOU REALLY LOVE, I.E. YOUR PASSION: Since I was 5 years old I've loved art, color and design. And especially lettering. I'm passionate about lettering.

Right now I'm looking for another great letterer so please start getting your portfolios together and show me your work!

WHAT YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE: I really don't like agents who take advantage of illustrators. I'm striving to be the agent who is fair as well as successful, who has a personal approach and time for one-on-one with my artists as well as our clients.

A FAVORITE SOMETHING: My absolutely favorite is the work of these 5 artists! I mean it. Monika Forsberg's honest, direct color and design sensibility. Jennifer Orkin Lewis's sophisticated painterly approach. Bee Brown's fun, playful lettering. Lauren Lowen's whimsical wit and irreverent attitude. Victoria Johnson's eclectic technique, combining embroidery, painting and collage. All is this brings me immense joy.

A MEMORABLE EVENT IN YOUR LIFE: Aside from enormous pride in my teenage son and the support I get from my wonderful husband Baz, my most memorable event is actually very recent.

I honestly have to say that the January launch of Jennifer Nelson Artists was amazingly successful, beyond my wildest dreams. I feel very grateful to all who have come out of the woodwork with encouragement, well wishes and assignments!

A FUN MEMORY: I vividly remember the first time I saw a book of mine being printed back in 1992. The smell of the ink and watching the paper flying off the presses. It was thrilling.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD AS AN ARTIST/AGENCY: I'm proud of the fact that we're providing an alternative. Now art directors have another option for smart, beautiful illustrations.

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE: We will be at SURTEX 2015. The artists each have their own booth, as the agency just opened in January 2015 - but I will be there assisting the artists and meeting with clients.

We are looking forward to it very much. If you are going to be at the show and want to connect with me, send me a note beforehand and we will make a date!

A HELPFUL TIP TO OTHER ARTISTS: Remember to be true to yourself. Clients want to see your unique hand and the delight you take in your work. Your enthusiasm is contagious.