A Foray Into Fabric - Artist Tamara Kate Serrao & the International Quilt Market

This past week I just published the schedule of the Trade Shows we will attend this year - The Moon from My Attic will report on these markets and exhibitions as Press. We welcome interviews with artists, agents, manufacturers and retailers from around the globe!

One trade show I really wanted to attend this year but couldn't was the International Quilt Market in Portland this past May. Unfortunately, it overlapped with Surtex. But one of my favorite artists, Tamara Kate Serrao, had her debut at the show and she has graciously agreed to share her exciting experience with us.

The Moon from My Attic: What new ventures have come about for you in licensing since our last blog post? I had just started licensing when we last chatted. Over that year I licensed six fabric collections to Jelly the Pug, an American children's clothing designer.

They even produced some swimsuits with the latest line.

And I licensed a few designs for medical scrubs.

The most exciting step for me has been signing a two-year contract with Michael Miller Fabrics. After we last spoke I designed a watercolor and pen-and-ink collection, Flight Patterns, for the 2012 (Fabric8) contest on Spoonflower.

While I didn't win the contest, that collection got me noticed by Michael Miller and within a few months I had my first two professional lines in the works: Flight Patterns and Les Monsieurs are shipping to stores as we speak.

TMFMA: Tell us about your debut at the quilt market! The International Quilt Market happens twice a year in the US. This past Spring it was in Portland, OR. If you love fabric like I do, this show is a must see! There is booth after booth after booth of fabrics, ranging from traditional to modern and everything in between. As it is a professional trade show geared toward the quilting market, independent fabric stores and manufacturers - bedding, children's clothing, etc, the emphasis is definitely on printed cotton fabrics. With a few exceptions, you won't find dressmaking or upholstery fabrics there.

There are also booths offering sewing patterns and kits and other related items. It was wonderful to be in such a creative environment with others who share my passion. Basically it's a place that international brick-and-mortar and online shops come to order fabrics for coming seasons. They are not shopping for designs, but rather finished goods.

Clockwise from top left: Mo Bedell, Skip Stone, Penguin & Fish, Amy Butler, Heather Bailey, Anna Maria Horner, Leah Duncan

TMFMA: What did you learn from it?  Meeting individuals in the industry was one of the most important aspects of attending the show for me. There was a steep learning curve involved in understanding the different roles (buyers, manufacturers, media, distributors, sales reps, designers) of attendees. I spent quite a bit of time talking with other designers, some industry veterans, some new to the field like I was, to better understand how everyone works. There is a range:

• There are some designers (like me) who have an exclusive contract. This eliminates any other printed fabric licensing opportunities but the upside is regular work without having to constantly be a salesperson … though you still have to pitch new ideas that can obviously be declined if they don't fit with what the fabric house wants at the time. Some designers shoot for one collection a year, some do one per quilt market (Spring and Fall) and some do more than that. You need to think of diversity if this is the route you choose. Your work will lose its impact if your style is pretty constant, and a fabric house won't want too many repetitive collections in a row.
  
  
• There are the designers who remain independent. They sign contracts for one, or perhaps two collections, but are not limited to working with one company. Attending Market would be important in this role, as one could shop around for a future fabric company with which to work. They also have the opportunity to pick up other licensing jobs in the fabric field, say a bedding line or a childrens clothing line.
  
  
• Then there are designers that don't attend the show. Just because one has a collection debuting at Quilt Market does not mean one has to be present. For some the expense is too great (factor in booth space, shipping costs, flights, hotels, etc). There isn't necessarily a monetary benefit to attending. After all, if one has a collection showing, the licensing deal has already been accomplished. For others who also exhibit at Surtex, the Spring market is not a possibility as they happen at the same time. Then there is the factor of when a designer gets their hands on fabric. Due to production times, sometimes (very often) the first few yards of fabric are couriered to a designer mere days or weeks before the show, leaving little time to prepare. There are some companies that encourage designers to be there (like Michael Miller) and there are others who do not. They prefer that their reps do all the selling and PR work.

I also learned that many designers in the field also have other business ventures. Some, like I mentioned, exhibit at Surtex looking for other diversified licensing opportunities. Many who want to focus on the fabric end of things also have lines of sewing patterns (clothing, quilts, accessories) with international distribution or embroidery patterns and kits. Some better known designers also make affiliate deals with major manufacturers (sewing machines, thread, etc). There are also those that have had related books published. One could also venture into woven items (rugs, ribbons, etc). I actually recently licensed some designs to a European ribbon manufacturer.

Overall I would say that Quilt Market is a place to make connections and hopefully make an impact (promoting your collection and/or being noticed by a manufacturer, distributor, publisher …).

TMFMA: How did you make your decision to attend? Whether to attend the show or not was a tough decision. I wanted to better understand the market. I wanted to meet people in the industry and get an idea of how other designers make a living doing this. While I knew the sales reps would all show my fabrics to the buyers, I felt that having my own booth showcasing my collections, exhibiting specific items sewn with them, basically demonstrating my vision of how the fabrics could be used would be a plus and hopefully result in increased sales. The cost and logistics of sending a booth and larger pieces across the border (I am in Montreal) almost made me bow out, though. One has to factor all this into a decision and as I am new to the game, I still cannot gauge the cost effectiveness of my decision. I do feel, however, that I made an impact and I had numerous buyers stop at my booth that then made a b-line toward the reps to place an order.

TMFMA: What tips can you give to textile designers who want to follow their passion in the quilt industry? The most important things in my mind are:

1. Find your voice: design the world through your own eyes. Don't try to imitate. Be original.
   
2. Do the work. Unless you are really lucky, opportunities come most readily when you keep at something. I designed on Spoonflower solidly for over a year, entering almost every weekly contest, and bit-by-bit I started to get noticed. One thing led to another, and I am truly happy with where it has brought me.
   
3. Enter contests. There are more and more great contests coming about, from Fabric8, to Repeated by Printed Bolt to Connecting Threads to name just a few, that give designers wonderful opportunities to make their mark in the fabric world.
   
4. When you feel your work is strong enough and you have a few great collections to show, just do it. Be confident in your work and start contacting fabric companies (most have specific guidelines for submissions on their websites, so that takes out the guesswork). And finally – should you sign a fabric contract and plan to attend Quilt Market, have a plan in mind of an additional venture you could take there with you. You will already be in front of buyers and other important industry members, so pack your bags and go make the most of it!

Website: www.kayajoydesigns.com

Blog: www.kayajoydesigns.com/category/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TamaraKateDesign

Bright Colors, Fabrics and Quilting Design - Artist Cara Gulati

I've started to test print some tear-sheets for my new collections that I will present at Surtex this May - I am testing for colors and size, depending on the artwork. Some fabric repeats, for example, make more sense when presented in a larger format. The paper I am using is premium presentation matte. Colors are very key to presentations and getting the right hues is important, especially when you work on coordinated pieces. Unfortunately it requires lots of ink and paper to get all the collections printed but I think it's still a necessary evil. I will also use a tablet at the show to show my designs in addition to the printed artwork, at least for my first year - both systems work well. Many artists just show digital images, no more paper or binder presentations, and they love it.

© Alex Colombo

Speaking of presentations, at a Christmas party with my local art licensing group in Berkeley I met designer and artist Cara Gulati. She designs very colorful quilts and travels the world, too. She knows what fabrics are good and what are not. I invited her to be our guest and talk about this popular world of textile design.

Cara says her career path is composed of many different jobs. "I am a designer, author, teacher, publisher and quilt artist. My background is in fashion design and merchandising." She currently lives in San Rafael, California with her part time dog Roxie whom she shares. "It’s a great arrangement because I travel so much. My house is also my studio space. I get to decorate it any way I want to. Every room is a different color!"

Radiant Suns - © Cara Gulati

She also adds: "I consider myself to be quite lucky to work in my field of choice. In order to do that I have to have my hands in many buckets, so to speak. I design and make large fiber art quilts and I design fabric. I write and publish books and patterns for quilters. I sell long-arm quilting machines for A1 Long Arm Machines - big industrial machines for stitching three quilt layers together. I travel the world to teach and lecture about my work. I also show my work in galleries."

Cara tells us about her techniques in quilting and sewing. "I am known for including curved seam piecing and freezer paper applique. For designing fabric and art quilts I use Adobe Illustrator and for publishing I use Adobe CS." She then continues, saying: "Fiber art is my first love right now. I am continuing to work on a series called 3-D Explosion, which involves designs that look like scrolls of paper rolling up and unrolling. The designs appear to have two sides. I create art quilts with these designs to hang on the wall."Fabric is her muse. Bright colors and sharp graphic designs catch her eye and send her mind into a frenzy of ideas. "It's even more interesting to me when the feel and the hand (the drape and weight of the fabric) are soft, smooth and heavy."

Jazzy Jewels - © Cara Gulati

Some of Cara's inspiration comes from other artists' work, world architecture, and books of patterns. Nature inspires her with colors. "In my home/studio almost every room is a different color," she comments. "My favorite room, the family room, has three different orange colors in it. The first two are tints, the last one is very saturated. It's decorated with art and an area rug in brilliant aqua/turquoise blues. I have art (mostly from other artists) hanging on every wall in my house. It's very uplifting to me."

She is currently working on a new show that runs between Thanksgiving and New Years. It's going to be a new series similar to 3-D Explosion. Quilts usually hang flat on walls like tapestries but she plans to attach them to stretched artist canvases so they hang like art that people are used to buying, "with the hope that my fiber art will be experienced in a different and yet familiar way," she concludes.

Any important tips you'd like to share in regards to designing quilts or fabric designs for quilts that will help new artists with their collections, I ask?

Neon Fireworks - © Cara Gulati

"Fabric companies that cater to the quilt market are looking for a story. Design collections that show and sell well usually have one main fabric that the rest of the line is designed around. Let's say you are doing a panel with a tree, some birds, flowers and grass. The important supporting fabrics would be made up of elements from your panel, such as the same flowers on one fabric and birds on another fabric. Then the next set of supporting fabrics would do well as all-over designs such as tone-on-tone grass or the pattern of the tree bark. Leaves would also be a good all over. Dots and stripes in the same colors are good supporters too."

What's next for Cara? "I am looking into doing more graphic design and possibly trying licensing in some different industries. The Home Decor market has always appealed to me, so I'll be looking seriously at that in the near future."

3D Party Explosion - © Cara Gulati

Find out more about Cara Gulati here: www.doodlepress.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cara.gulati

[Editor's note] All photography © Gregory Case: www.gregorycase.com

______________________________________

What It Means To Be A Textile Designer - Designer and Consultant Michelle Fifis

I have been working on some fabric collections for the upcoming Surtex show so this is a very timely editorial - many artists are interested in textile and surface design but don't know how to start or how to create collections for this particular sector of the industry. So I invited instructor Michelle Fifis, Textile Design Consultant​ and host of the popular blog Pattern Observer to share with us what it means to be a textile designer.

The Moon from My Attic: What do you do? I work with textile designers to improve the professionalism of their work and grow their businesses. Since launching Pattern Observer in 2010, I have helped hundreds of designers through my free training programs, e-courses and private coaching.

Consultant Michelle Fifis

I also work with manufacturers to develop textile design collections. Over the past ten years I have worked with clients such as Lucy Activewear, Columbia Sportswear, Jantzen Swimwear, Nike, P&B Textiles and Pottery Barn.

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? Design aesthetic is not an easy thing to teach and I find the challenge to be very exciting! The goal of my new course, The Ultimate Guide to Repeats, is to help fine artists learn how to modify their artwork so that it's more marketable in our industry. It is exciting to see artists enter the commercial design world and develop some of the most amazing patterns I have ever seen. They bring a sense of craftsmanship that is really lacking in our industry.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSC7hT9G0_U

TMFMA: What's your main source of inspiration? Artists. I have an innate drive to help artists achieve their dreams. There is nothing better than hearing from students who have gone on to sell their first print or landed their dream agent. This industry offers so many opportunities and I want to help more artists and designers earn a living from their craft.

TMFMA: Is there any particular project you are currently working on that is exciting? I am currently offering virtual workshops every few months which provide more interaction and community support for designers. This has been an exciting shift in my business and the response has been amazing! I am also developing a new mentorship program which will launch in April and collecting data for an industry-wide business report. There is not a great deal of data on the textile design industry and I hope that this report will help artists understand the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

TMFMA: Please tell us about your textile design experience. After receiving my BFA in Fashion Design from Stephens College and completing an internship with designer Zandra Rhodes, I launched a line of hand-painted handbags called Fifi Handbags (my nickname is Fifi!). The collection was sold in over 100 stores nationwide and was a blast to run, but a financial disaster! Feeling burnt out and ready for a change, I decided to move to Portland, Oregon in 2003.

A few months after arriving in Portland I saw an ad in the newspaper (am I dating myself?!) for an assistant textile designer with Jantzen Swimwear. I applied and to my delight I was hired! I worked there for several years, designing a few original prints but mostly working on repeat patterns and colorways. This was a little frustrating because I wanted to create more original artwork, but looking back on it, it was wonderful training for the future.

After a few years I left to work at Columbia Sportswear, which was also a fantastic learning experience. While at Columbia I managed the women's print collection which averaged around 40 prints a season, developed high-level trend presentations, and fell in love with the concept of designing with the customer in mind. In 2010 I left the corporate design world to freelance and soon discovered a new passion: blogging and mentoring other designers through Pattern Observer.

TMFMA: What do manufacturers look for in a fabric/print collection? Manufacturers are looking for collections that their customer will find irresistible. A creative director may personally love your work, but if it is not right for the end-use consumer, the collection will not be a good investment.

© Michelle Fifis

The best way to know what trends or print styles a manufacturer is looking for is to research the end-use consumer. Find out which prints are currently selling well, how customers are using or wearing them and who they look to for inspiration. Combining this information with your artistic style is a recipe for success!

TMFMA: Some say trends are not important. What's your view about this topic as related to the textile industry? I think it is extremely important that textile designers have some sense of what trends are emerging or fading from the marketplace. Even if a designer creates prints for a market that is less trendy, knowing what colors and print styles are currently popular, or were popular, is so helpful. I can't imagine why a designer wouldn't want to have that knowledge!

TMFMA: Any important tips/tricks you can share or anything else you'd like to share as an artist/consultant? I encourage artists and designers to focus on the creative process and worry less about industry "rules" or standards. If your work is fresh and marketable, an agent is not going to care about the technical details. Focus on the artwork, experiment and enjoy the process. I give you permission!

Find out more about Michelle Fifis and her services here: http://patternobserver.com
_________________________

Persistence and Respect in Art Licensing - Artist Chris Chun

This has been a fun and exciting week for me, with a new licensing contract and sales from my online shops! I've also been working on expanding my existing collections and creating new art. And my website now has links to my social media (and soon my online shops) so people can find us. Promo and marketing are an essential tool for getting your business noticed and artist Natalie Timmons figured out a clever way to promote.

She was also very kind to include one of my tearsheets in her practical How to Create a Sale Sheet eGuide - you can directly download it for free from her website or from my Resources Page. It's a great tool for emerging artists and designers to use so thank you Natalie!

On this sweet note of art and licensing and other great tips for success in this field, please welcome Chris Chun, an amazing talented artist from Austalia.

Artist Chris Chun

THE MOON FROM MY ATTIC: Please introduce yourself. My name is Chris Chun and I am an Australian artist and designer currently living in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. I have been living here for the past 18 months and the area is home to a thriving community of artisans and craftspeople. It's very inspiring living here and the city has it’s own unique charm. I love the whole lifestyle here – the friendly people, thrice weekly massages, wonderful fresh food and the slower, more relaxed pace of life.

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? Being able to experiment and try new things. At the moment, I am working on some new art which combines my love of textiles so this is new and has lots of possibilities. I am also learning ceramics and printmaking again here (I haven't done this since high school) and I will be painting again for a couple of new exhibitions planned for next year.

© Chris Chun

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? I'm inspired by lots of different things – anything from films, magazines, childhood, food, museums, art exhibitions etc. But perhaps my greatest sources of inspiration are travel and the natural world around us. I like capturing fleeting moments of beauty whether it's a leaf from a tree or a bird eating from a dragonfruit or butterflies dancing above an orchid.

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? I use a wide variety of mixed media – acrylic, ink, gouache, wax, linocut, canvas, origami papers, embroidery, etc.

TMFMA: How long have you been doing art licensing? I've been licensing my artwork since 2005 to a select group of companies around the world. Prior to going out on my own, I worked in product development/ design and styling for bedding, pillows, homewares, fashion, etc. My first licensing contract was with a publishing company in the UK called the Art Group who saw some paintings from my first solo exhibition and wanted to license them onto greeting cards. I had funnily enough always loved and bought their cards so this was the beginning. The main reason I like licensing is that you can license the same image to manufacturers in many different product categories and you still get to keep copyright of your artwork.

© Chris Chun

TMFMA: What brought you to exhibit for the first time and how many shows have you exhibited in? I remember going to Surtex for the first time back in 2002 and thinking I could do this but it took some 5 years later before I took the plunge and first showed at Surtex. I have only exhibited twice in 2007 and 2008. Exhibiting at Surtex was key to getting me noticed in the USA and I met lots of wonderful people from these shows.

TMFMA: Do you work with an agent or do you represent yourself? I have an exclusive agent in Russia and someone in the USA, with whom I work with on a consultancy/ project basis. For the rest of the world, I represent myself.

TMFMA: Please give us your analysis of the market based on your own experience and contacts. I think worldwide the retail market is still tough at the moment. It can be quite frustrating being in art licensing as when things are tough, the buyers tend to be more conservative in their thinking about designs and colours etc. When really, the opposite should be true. People are not going to part with their money on something they've seen already before. They are more likely going to buy something that is new, fresh and makes them feel good.

Artist Chris Chun - Studio

TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field and that maybe want to exhibit in a show like Surtex? For a new artist living in the US and thinking about it, I think it is a great show to participate in. But it is expensive and it usually takes a couple of years exhibiting there to get noticed by buyers. I would personally go there first to see what it's all about before jumping in. At least then you can decide whether you would be happy showing your art to people in your own booth or you may prefer to go with an agent to represent you if this isn't your cup of tea.

© Chris Chun

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

It's all about YOU. Your art has to be authentic – I really believe that what you produce should come from the heart and have integrity. There are a lot of similar styles and looks out there. Ask yourself – what makes you stand out from the rest of the pack? What makes your art unique and special? It took me 5 years to find 'me' from when I first visited Surtex. The other important thing to remember is that your art has to be able to 'connect' with the end consumer so they want to buy it. We want them to buy a lot!

Be prepared to ride the rollercoaster! The thing I dislike about licensing is that there are no guarantees when it comes to getting your product out there – even if you have signed a contract. For example, you may have worked hard on designing a collection, your client has gone ahead and had samples made and it looks certain it is going to a store…then WHAM! The buyer at the store may have changed or the CEO has stepped in and decided it's not the right look. All that work for nothing.

In this business, you have to accept the fact that there may be other reasons why some things don't come to the market but it has nothing to do with your actual artwork. I think for many artists, this is the thing that is the killer. You put so much of yourself into your artwork and then to see it not go ahead can be crushing. Even though you may be business savvy, we're artists at the end of the day. It does hurt on an emotional level and it can take some people (including me) a long time to get those creative juices flowing again.

Slow Boat to China. You've probably heard this so many times already and I'm going to say it again - licensing is not a get quick rich money scheme. It takes time to build up a portfolio, meet the right manufacturers, time to get contracts signed, time to get products made and then time to hit the store shelves to get sales. You could be waiting up to 18 months before you see any royalties and upfront advances are unfortunately becoming rarer and rarer these days.

© Chris Chun

Lawyer Up. Please make sure you get a good IP lawyer to look over your contracts so you don't accidentally sign away your copyright or get locked into an agreement where you can't show your work to anyone else for 5 years. Believe you me, there are some horror stories out there.

Respect. Please show some respect for yourself, your artwork and for the other artists in this industry. This means not licensing your artwork to a company for something ridiculously low like 1% just because you are so excited to get your first deal etc. It not only devalues your artwork but it brings down all the hard work that the artists who have been doing this a long time before you have strived to get recognition for.

By selling yourself short, you are also saying to the art directors out there that they can get artwork really cheaply so why should they pay normal royalty rates for this? As artists, we have to stick together and ensure that our commensuration is fair.

The First Step.  There is a wealth of information out there about art licensing; how to get started, what is involved etc. Make sure you know what you're getting into before deciding this is for you. These websites may be helpful: Tara Reed, Maria Brophy, Joan Beiriger, Khristian A Howell, Smart Creative Women, Art of Licensing Group on LinkedIn.

© Chris Chun

Don't be a Copycat! Please don't copy anyone else's work. Whilst it is normal to be inspired by other artists, please make sure that this is all it is. Doing a version of someone else's work or changing it slightly is not acceptable either. You will be found out and you can kiss your licensing career and credibility good bye.

The Jackpot. Licensing can be very rewarding in terms of earning potential and seeing your products out there in the shops. I remember the first time I saw my designs in a store - I was so chuffed! My Mum was so happy, she told all the shop assistants that her son had designed this. How embarrassing especially when I was standing next to her! LOL! But you know what? It probably helped them sell the products more as they learnt about the story behind the design.

Good Luck!

---

You can find out more about Chris and his art here:

Website: www.chrischun.com

Blog: www.chrischun.com/blog.html

The Elegance of Textile Design: Laura Foster Nicholson

Perhaps this coming week I will sign my first contract for licensing... I'm thrilled at the prospect of this next great progression into this amazing market labyrinth and feel very excited that this possibility will actually happen and that some of my efforts will finally pay off! Crossing my fingers...

But dreams aside, let's talk textile licensing with our wonderful guest and artist Laura Foster Nicholson. After receiving a BFA and an MFA, she set off to develop her career as a fine artist making hand woven tapestries. She built a strong career, exhibited internationally, won prizes and grants, and got published. When she finally felt she could branch out ("it takes real focus to do that!" Laura says), she decided she really wanted to design woven textiles and explore the jacquard loom.

That interest has led Laura through interior design textiles to designing her own line of jacquard ribbons, and then to branch out into woven, embroidered and printed textiles for home furnishings companies. "It is all fun" - she says. "The fine art keeps me grounded and is the deep wellspring of rich ideas and the design work grows out of that and lightens it up to share with a wider audience."

LFN Textiles for Renaissance Ribbons, summer 2011
(courtesy RR)

TMFMA: What brought you to art in the first place? I’ve been involved in fine art & sewing since I was a child, I always knew I would be a fine artist. I majored in "fiber" in art school – the arty version of textiles – and never looked back. I am first and foremost a weaver of one-off, narrative tapestries. I enjoy designing textiles for industry as it is another way to make textiles and a different set of ideas to work with.

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? I balance my career between fine gallery art and textile design, which includes designing a line of ribbons for Renaissance Ribbons, and I design household textiles under license with Crate & Barrel and Land of Nod. I love working with those companies and like figuring out how my distinct style can work with theirs.

I really enjoy working with museums to produce either textile designs or small runs of handmade items for them and am designing right now for the shop at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. This particular relationship came about because I had done an extensive series of tapestries about the vegetable garden there years ago, and I went to them and suggested we work together on products. Work like this gives me the opportunity to look into stories I am interested in and make or design something in response. The clients I work with tend to be curious, collaborative, and respectful of my position as a fine artist as well as a designer and craftsperson.

LFN Textiles for Monticello: table linens and china plates, 2011-2012
(courtesy Monticello)

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? I love to weave and to sew. The knowledge of these skills helps in designing textile items, and I adore materials, so I can bring a tactile appreciation to designed product.

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? William Morris has always been an influence as a designer who saw the total designed environment. I also took my MFA at Cranbrook, another “total environment” designed by Eliel Saarinen and furnished with textiles designed and made by his wife, Loja Saarinen.

TMFMA: How long have you been doing art licensing? I began pursuing licensing in the mid-90's with high end interior textiles companies and landed a contract with Jack Lenor Larsen. I had published some work wherein I had upholstered chairs with hand woven tapestry fabric, and Jack called me and invited me to collaborate with him. It was thrilling working with a master like him and seeing the direction he took my designs, which were all based on my handwoven tapestries. The downside was that I was frustrated when many of our developments were killed (Larsen was purchased by Cowtan & Tout while I was working with them) and all of this beautiful sampling came to naught – we did get one beautiful drapery fabric out. After that I tried for some time to design fabrics and get them produced myself – had I known the investment required I doubt I would have even tried! – and that segued into the ribbon business.

LFN Textiles for Crate & Barrel: Zak wool rug, 2012
(courtesy C&B)

I started LFN Textiles Artist's Ribbons around 2002 and designed, arranged manufactured, marketed, packaged and shipped etc etc. I was relieved when Renaissance Ribbons offered to buy my inventory and take over the business, leaving me free to design under license and work with them – they are wonderful collaborators. About that time I was approached by a buyer at Crate & Barrel who had found my ribbons and thought my style was a good fit, and that really gave me a boost in terms of two solid licensing partners. I love having designs out there with my mark on them, it makes my work and vision available to people who love my artwork but can't afford it. And it also allows for whimsy and lightheartedness and uses styles that would simply not work in my weavings. But it is important for me to balance both worlds – the intimate and personal world of my art with the polished and outward looking realm of design.

LFN Textile - Garden Floral Rugs

TMFMA: What brought you to exhibit for the first time and how many shows have you exhibited in - if any? I haven't exhibited at any licensing shows. I still do it all myself, though I am considering finding an agent who would take my work to shows.

TMFMA: Do you work with an agent or do you represent yourself? I represent myself. I think if I want to expand much further I might need to get an agent. I tried to work with one but I found it really restrictive as he told me exactly what he wanted, what colors, what was marketable. I am too old to follow orders like that!

TMFMA: How does one go about getting licensing deals? What's the "protocol" if any? I try to target potential clients with whom I have something in common. I have a great interest in gardens and in historic textiles, so botanical gardens and museums are natural niches for me. The market is quite a bit smaller, but you can build loyal relationships with clients in this way and it is immensely satisfying.

LFN Textiles for Renaissance Ribbons,
Spring 2012 satin jacquard ribbons
(photo Courtesy Renaissance Ribbons) 

TMFMA: What do you suggest new artists do to present themselves to the world of licensing for the first time? Be sure of your style, understand the application (it DOES matter whether it is going on a mug or on a textile), and be willing to be flexible enough to work with people easily but not so much that you lose your identity – unless you have no personal investment in yourself as an artist and only want the money.

TMFMA: Please give us your analysis of the market based on your own experience and contacts. Well, since I began in earnest in 2006 with two companies, one market – household textiles – has contracted and gotten more restricted in the chances they are willing to take, while my designed line of ribbons has expanded rapidly and sales are up.

TMFMA: In your view, what was of major interest to manufacturers this year? In my area, hand-drawing seems to be the request I hear over & over.

Hand woven brocaded tapestry by Laura Foster Nicholson,
Purple Loosestrife, 2007

TMFMA: What do you think the main trends are for 2012-2013? My clients are asking for more hand-drawn work, maybe pen & ink or watercolor washes. It is certainly a reaction to all of the vector-drawn, computerized design out there. In terms of color, I always look ahead to seek out colors I have not seen around for a long time and anticipate color trending in that way. Purple, for example, which came back full strength last year, now yellows, particularly those leaning towards chartreuse.

TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field? Take it with a lot of salt.  You must know your strengths and not try to be everything for every client, yet your work needs to respond to some trending.

LFN Textiles for Land of Nod:  Bedding set, 2011-2012

Find the trends you have sympathy with, which suit your personal strengths, and go for them. I don't go after fashion, for example, as I have always vastly preferred home decor fabrics.  You can develop a range of styles and techniques within your found niche. Dare to be different enough to attract attention, but don't ever simply imitate styles which seem the most popular.

Surface and Textile Design in Licensing – Artist Carol Van Zandt

Back to work! And happy + prosperous 2012 to everyone!

This year is going to be a fun one for me. I am looking forward to posting my new website within a few weeks and with it, some of my new collections for licensing I've been working on for the past couple of months. With the website, I will be polishing up my Facebook page, and I'll expand my licensing blog to cover more ground with fabulous art licensing artists and their inspirational stories. And while doing all that, I will probably resume my illustration work for my second children's book ... I am even thinking of taking my little characters for a brand licensing adventure. I can't wait!

Artist Carol Van Zandt

Meantime, I am very pleased to start 2012 by sharing this first editorial of a series of articles about surface and textile design, which is a topic many artists are interested in. To help illustrate it, I invited my friend, artist Carol Van Zandt. She designs fabrics, paper, and any product or surface that needs art on it. "I come from a fine art background and was a contemporary painter for many years. I also spent many years in the business world, so art licensing is a great way to use all my skills" - Carol says.

She loves to draw and also do brush painting and watercolor. Carol says: "I have come to love working with Adobe Illustrator, because of the editability and ease in changing colors and scale. I render most of my designs in Illustrator, even if I have hand drawn them first. Though I learned how to use the pen tool very well initially, I almost never use it now as I am typically not looking for that ultra smooth graphic look, but more of a hand painted or drawn organic look. I use Photoshop if I am going to use my brush or watercolor paintings for a design."

© Carol Van Zandt

© Carol Van Zandt

Carol has just started in art licensing; in the summer of 2010, after finishing school, (The California School of Professional Fabric Design) she decided she wanted be an independent designer and create her own design collections for sale and license. Carol spent the next year developing her first collections and preparing for her debut at Surtex in May 2011. After Surtex she decided to spend the next year researching and focusing on the licensing market exclusively.

I asked Carol what a repeat is, as many artists have emailed me with that question: "Designs are put into repeat for many end markets, where you need a design to 'continue' and become a pattern. This is especially true for all types of fabrics and also for paper, but repeating patterns are used across most products, sometimes just as as a coordinating pattern to a central composition, but just as often as the main design. The pattern can still be a one way design or it can be a design meant to be viewed from any direction."

© Carol Van Zandt

Carol also adds: "Rather than having a central focal point like a piece of fine art, motifs, scenes and compositions are laid out in a matter so they can repeat themselves seamlessly. It can be a very simple pattern or a complex composition with many scenes or motifs that all flow into a repeating pattern. Any icon or motif can be put into a repeat by tossing it with more of the same icon or more variety of similar motifs, or it can be incorporated into a more complex pattern. Anything can be put into repeat."

So how many standard type of repeats are there? The main ones Carol uses are a square repeat or a half drop repeat – "but this gets into a long discussion and different people use different terminology and also different techniques", she says. It takes practice to do repeats well. There are many good resources on repeats.  One of the best is a new e-book called Repeat After Me by Claudia Brown & Jessie Whipple Vickery of Pattern People. 

ebook by Claudia Brown & Jessie Whipple Vickery of Pattern People

But techniques aside, how does one go about getting licensing deals in the textile licensing industry? Is there a "protocol?" What type of fabric design can be licensed? Carol says: "Many of the traditional textile end markets don't license artwork, they buy outright, mostly from design studios which focus on producing work for those markets, on trend. This includes apparel, bedding and other home furnishing fabrics. However, quilting cotton companies set up licensing arrangements with designers, and there are some other companies that license for textiles like kitchen textiles, rugs, or indoor and outdoor home products. Every company is different. If they license, I follow their instructions on how they want work to be submitted."

For new artists to present themselves to the world of licensing for the first time Carol suggests to pick one end market and research that first, find out what kind of art the companies use and in what format, and develop and format designs for presentation to that market. Then move on to another market. She says:" Be patient, as it can take a lot of time to land a licensing deal, and even longer before the product is actually produced and you start getting paid royalties."

© Carol Van Zandt

Carol also mentions that in selling and licensing one's art and design to any commercial market, manufacturers are best found by looking at products in stores or researching wholesale trade shows or trade magazines that cover those kinds of products.

"Pick a product category and try and figure out who the top five, ten or more companies are, where they are located, what kind of art they use, then find out one by one, if they license their art, buy their art outright, or design in house. The internet is your best friend," she says.  

Her advice to new artists going into art licensing: "Art licensing is not just a way to make money off your art. It's a business and you are licensing your art to the commercial market. Each end product is in a market all its own and works differently. In the end, it seems to work better to develop art in your own style for a particular market and end product rather than find end products where your art will fit. It may seem a subtle difference, but an art director at a company that makes a product is looking for the best designs for that product and likely the best designs have been created keeping that kind of product in mind. That doesn't mean that the same art can't be used for different products. As artists and designers it is easy for us to imagine our designs on a multitude of products, but you really need to try and look at it from the point of view of the manufacturer - what kind of art they have used in the past, what kind their competitors use, and then present a fresh way to represent their look keeping in mind current trends."

© Carol Van Zandt

Carol's excitement with her work is that it is creative work! She loves her studio time and loves the business aspect also, working with the manufacturers and art directors. It's a nice balance of studio work and business she says. She also spends time keeping up with what is going on in the design world which is invigorating for her – "I love that inspiration for surface design is so wide open and there are so many choices and directions to go. Compared to fine art, designing for the commercial market feels so much more expansive."

She concludes saying: "Art licensing is a business, and you are going into business with yourself if you go in this direction. As in any small business, it takes time to build it up, and you need to be able to fund your business until it really starts to work for you. If you are out of work and think you maybe should license some of your art that is just laying around to make some money, you are probably on the wrong track. Better to get some work that provides you some security and then be able to build up your art licensing portfolio and business on the side until you are ready to commit full time. And the fun part, make lots of art!"

website: www.carolvanzandt.com

blog: carolvanzandt.net

twitter: twitter.com/carolvanzandt

pinterest: pinterest.com/carolvanzandt

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carolvanzandt

facebook: www.facebook.com/CarolVanZandtDesign

Your comments are welcomed. Please enter them in the comment section below.