Congratulations to our three winners in this special giveaway to celebrate The Moon from My Attic's 4th birthday. The winners will also be featured on this blog in the upcoming months in a special interview!
Patrizia Vitrano won the two books!
By Artist and Author Ronnie Walter
The smartphone case goes to Ev Wesson!
Design by Alex Colombo
The three thank you cards go to Madeline Faiella!
Design by Alex Colombo
Thank you all who participated and for reading our blog. Keep tuned for more fun giveaways, special product reviews, and amazing stories from our art and licensing community!
As mentioned in last week's editorial, Ming and I visited many showrooms at the 2015 AmericasMart Atlanta, although we only saw a fraction of what's there. It'd have probably taken a whole month to go through all of them! While passing through we interviewed a couple of signing artists and noticed many interesting trends going on, some of which have been around for a while but some which seem to have the potential to branch out and develop more "new" directions.
ARTISTS AT THE MART
We met many fellow artists and took a few pictures to share with you all. Next time I will try to take more, although the lighting situation at the Mart and other meeting places is not in our favor, so I apologize if the images are not perfect.
Studio M had a great get-together with artists from around the country. It was so much fun to hang around with the very talented Ronnie Walter, artist, writer and agent for Two Town Studios and her husband Jim Marcotte, also a writer and agent.
Alex Colombo & Ronnie Walter at Studio M ~ Atlanta 2015
Ming and I had fun talking to artist Patti Gay of Two Can Art about her new product lines at the Mart. Patti did an artist signing with C & F Enterprises, featuring her Two Can Art coastal pillows she designed in collaboration with her son Noah, who is autistic.
Artist Patti Gay ~ Atlanta 2015, C & F Enterprises Signing Event
It was also a great pleasure to meet R.B. Hamilton, a self-taught artist who has won Best-in-Show and First-Place (in acrylic mediums) for his work in various art shows. His wife, interior designer Betsy Drake, has expanded his art to include pocketbooks, totes, towels, and designer pillows. Hamilton's original art, limited edition reproductions, designer pillows and pocketbooks can be seen in fine gift shops, home furnishing stores, and galleries throughout the United States.
Artist R.B. Hamilton painting at the AmericasMart Atlanta 2015
Artist & Interior Designer Betsy Drake
ATLANTA 2015 - TRENDS
Watercolors are a strong trend seen at Surtex last year and also in Atlanta this year. This is a style that goes well with just about all trends.
We have already seen the emergence of themes like woodland, forest animals, including owls, foxes, hedgehogs, and deer, but we heard people asking for "hunting, fishing & wildlife" several times, so this appears to be a branching out of the same trend: Nature, Earth, Organic.
Birds are still going very strong along with more and more colorful botanical, florals and gardens. Farmhouse has a strong appeal with elements like distressed wood, roosters, pigs, cows and bunnies. And don't forget the dogs, cats and other domestic animals, they are also in demand.
Consequently, the Rustic trend that started a while back, along with Primitive and Native Indian art appear to be stronger, although they are caught into the big mix of what is being called the "new Industrial Revolution" - the Makers Movement. I found a good definition for it:
"The maker movement, as we know, is the umbrella term for independent inventors, designers and tinkerers. A convergence of computer hackers and traditional artisans, the niche is established enough to have its own magazine, Make, as well as hands-on Maker Faires that are catnip for DIYers who used to toil in solitude. Makers tap into an American admiration for self-reliance and combine that with open-source learning, contemporary design and powerful personal technology like 3-D printers. The creations, born in cluttered local workshops and bedroom offices, stir the imaginations of consumers numbed by generic, mass-produced, made-in–China merchandise."
Industrial & Urban Chic featured lots of metal, wire, textures and grays or neutral colors. We saw some beautiful hand stitching & embroidered details and natural textures (variations of burlap, twine, bark and other similar materials). Below here you can see a new collection from Cathy Heck Studio featuring their new product line with Primitives by Kathy.
Courtesy of Cathy Heck Studio
Beaded art was featured by several showrooms, and although is not new, it's being interpreted in new ways.
Another strong trend that has been around for sometime is the Editorial, Sentiment & Inspirational art. This is coming out with more variations, in softer and perhaps more spiritual colors and quotes.
Courtesy of Midwest-CBK
Calligraphy and wedding styles with whites and creams are taking their spot in this market already full of ideas. Fresh and beautiful Paper Cutting art was found in several showrooms. Chalk art is still present although in the descending, it seems. Metallics are the new emerging colors.
Another trend spotted although not new to the market is the Blue Prints, Science & Math one. Very nice, with deep blues and other elements.
Courtesy of Certified International
Personal & Essential is a trend that comes from Europe. This general trend of very eclectic expressions of all sort features also some colorful Bohemian & Folk mixes. Mid Century is alive as well as contemporary art, with strong, vivid colors over neutrals.
Courtesy of Transpac
Travel & Places takes a spot in the trendy markets, with maps, scooters, bikes and famous cities or places.
And finally, the traditional Coastal is everywhere but with Mediterranean blues becoming prominent.
I am sure we missed some... we wish we had more time to spend with many more talented artists and creative manufacturers but we ran out of time. To the next AmericasMart Atlanta show!
~ oOo ~
AN INSPIRATIONAL VIDEO
I saw this video through one of my friend artists on a social media site. I thought to add it here at the end of this editorial as I found it very inspirational and encouraging for those artists who are just beginning in this free-lance & commercial art field.
I have recently started to create some exclusive artwork for the fabulous Minted online shop and my first challenge was met by a very unexpected but pleasant surprise - I was awarded one of the Editor's picks! My artwork can be purchased here.
My guest today is John Roman, an illustrator, author and educator at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston for the past 22 years. John has also written a very informative illustrated eBook called 50 Markets of Illustration, which will be launched in a special event by The Norman Rockwell Museum on January 31st, 2015.
I am thankful to John for featuring one of my licensed images in his book!
John is interested in illustrated maps of all types and technical topics such as linear perspective drawing. He is inspired by the honor and challenge of being a “professional” artist.
THE NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE: Continue on my present path.
SOMETHING HELPFUL TO ANOTHER ARTIST: Be “yourself” with your art. Unique. Original. True to your own visions...and don’t stoop to following any other artist’s path by copying or mimicking his/her technique or style.
This has been a wild, wild week, so many different things have happened, some not so pleasant but mostly fun and positive. One of them involves some of my artwork for the Japanese market. More to come on that soon!
The other cool happening was to find out more about another great community of creatives. Their work is not only fun and fresh, but I like their approach to their online business with a large platform of opportunities they offer to both new and veteran artists and their clients, too. I am talking about Minted.com!
Their purpose is, and I quote, "to uncover exceptional design from all over the world and bring this to savvy consumers who won't accept anything else."
They host a series of contests and other fun opportunities. They have a lot of great items for just about everyone - wedding invitations, business cards, Valentine's gifts, art and much more. They also have an adorable page for Baby Announcements!
And here is the scoop: designers receive a commission on their sales. To become featured on Minted, the artists go through a "Design Challenge." Basically, as long as the community at large and the customers like a design, it stays featured on Minted. For more detailed information, you can check out www.minted.com/design-challenge. This should answer most questions regarding their designer relationships.
What else? If you are up for a trendy and inspirational art challenge you might want to consider this one, a fabulous Minted and West Elm partnership! Their prizes are also fabulous. There are cash awards for the top 20 place finishers, as well as special West Elm and Editor's Picks awards! All winning designs will receive a commission on top of the cash prize, too!
It's been quite a month of post-Surtex follow-ups and recharging batteries - basically letting the experience of Surtex settle in while also enjoying a nice trip to Europe on some family business. This year, I'm feeling particularly refreshed with some new creative ideas, including increasing the focus of this blog to merge two of my loves - traveling to new places and uncovering the local artists and manufacturers there.
The Moon from My Attic Presents:
In this spirit, I'm going to start including a periodic feature on the blog we're calling "Art on the Road," where we'll try to meet artists in their own studios! To kick off this new series, we had the honor, privilege, and joy to meet and interview Cathy Heck in her studio in Austin, Texas!
Artist Cathy Heck in her Studio
It was a great experience - not only did we get to explore her creative vision and talk technique, we also got to really get to know each other and chat about life over lovely tea! And, like tasty icing on the most beautiful of cakes, we also got to tour her studio - and what a studio! The way she has set it up is like a mixture of the most creative environment you can imagine while also having a highly organized workflow - all with to-die-for indirect natural lighting and a stunning view overlooking downtown Austin.
Austin, Texas
Of course, it wasn't always so - she started her art career studying under a fabulous art professor who encouraged her to "use as much paper as you need" which gave her the permission to practice practice practice, such that now she can quickly sketch almost anything from any angle and in any position, literally from right out of her head. It has also resulted in her unique, highly recognizable hand, which is at once joyful, playful, and utterly charming.
Cathy Heck Studio
From there she ventured to New York, where she spent several years as an Art Director and gained extensive insight into the other side of the art and illustration world, working with artists and further developing her own craft.
As a result, she gained a wealth of experience and insight into how products are developed, marketed, and sold to retailers and eventually the end consumer. After making the leap to art licensing many years ago, her creative team has grown to include her husband and daughters - it truly has become a family affair!
Since she got her start in the art licensing industry when it was still in its early days, she has a great perspective on the changes in the industry as well as in the consumer marketplace. Consumer expectations have evolved and have become more personal as well as less static. As an example, she related how a good selling design might sell for five or more years in those early days, while now even a very popular design may last only a couple of seasons.
But perhaps the most surprising and enjoyable aspect of our visit was the opportunity to talk not just about the mechanical aspects of the creative process and the techniques she uses to create her art, but also about what it means to create art from the perspective of the head AND the heart. It was thrilling to explore how we surface our passion and purpose for doing what we do as well as analyzing and critiquing our work, ourselves, and the world around us in the process.
Vision, creative work, and joy - in many ways that sums up our visit!
As I juggle after show follow-ups with art submissions and new art requests, is fun to write articles for this community and allow some creative breaks. It's a good thing that I enjoy writing as much as I like creating art!
Paul, Martha and I at the show
I am also delighted to hang around with wonderful and inspiring people and artists. This Surtex has been very fun and we had such a wonderful time with many artists and friends: Cathy Heck and her family, Ronnie Walter, Stephanie Ryan, Sue Zipkin, Paul Brent and our new but unforgettable corner booth neighbors Martha Collins and her sister Betsy, Gina Martin and Kelly Portfolio. Many other amazing artists and friends came by to say hi or to doodle. I apologize for not taking a picture or spending enough time with you all but I want to thank you for stopping by and connecting up with us!
OTHER AFTER-SURTEX BLOG POSTS
It's my advice to newbies and veterans to read up on more than just one or two after-show posts as it helps understand more about the show from different perspectives. I tried to capture all of them below (posted in random sequence), however there are so many that I am sure I missed some - not out of dislike, just lack of time to search for all of them.
This year we again provided a doodle board in our booth for visiting artists. What a fun and beautiful parade! Some really felt the pressure of creating a doodle right then and there but I think that, despite it all, they did a fab job. A special thank you goes out to Kim Hawes, the brave starter of the 2014 board! This year we had the idea of providing 3 colors for our Doodle Board to make the artwork more lively and fun! Hopefully, we captured all the names of those who left a cute doodle on our board, but if I missed anyone, please contact me right away and I will add you to the list.
We have finally caught up with some of our sleep deficit now that we're back from the show - we had a good one again this year. Actually, I think it was better than last year in that we received really good feedback on my newest art direction (watercolors and florals) from high-quality companies, although the show started off a bit slow. The traffic at the show seemed to pick up toward the end of the three days, the opposite of last year. So you never know what's going to happen until you do it! We suspect the absolutely glorious weather in New York on Sunday had something to do with it ;) It was most interesting to me how well our booth design worked out - as you know from earlier posts, artist Ming Platt exhibited with studio•Alex this year. She did wonderful and her collections were well received; it was an excellent debut! Our banners had to be well coordinated to show an overall integrated look - and it appears that we succeeded based on the many positive comments we received. While our styles are different, they are also very well coordinated - I guess great minds think alike!
Alex and Ming - Surtex 2014
Ming and I also collaborated on the booth decor and giveaways - the "Seed from Our Garden" packets were so fun to create and worked out perfectly to go along with our Natural Wonders and Garden theme, a colorful parade of possibilities. In a world of synthetic everything, I am trying to grow an eco-friendly business and encourage a more natural and healthy life for all!
This year I will keep my post short. The article I wrote last year pretty much still stands as written. This is our second show and we tried to improve our marketing and interaction with companies before and after the show, mostly to find out more about what they do and how they license.
2014 studio•Alex Surtex Booth
We also decided on a different type of desk this year, a low one rather than the bistro-height one we used last year. I liked it better. It gave more visibility and provided more visual space around it, plus it seemed more friendly to visitors in my opinion. We also used tablets in addition to our paper tear sheets. They both worked well. Next year we are planning to just do tablets as the available software has improved and we can track the design preferences of a client as they look over the images. I will still print tear sheets for the newest collections only - I so love the feel of paper!
A Few Brief Insights about the 2014 Show
Although Surtex happens every year towards the end of May, many manufacturers and art directors who attend the show are especially looking for seasonal work, like Christmas. They look for the traditional Santas, snowmen and Christmas colors. Thus, it's good to have a strong presence with winter collections if you are interested in that category of products. It will increase your booth traffic, too. Hand painted art, specifically watercolors, seems to be growing in demand judging from the comments I got from interested licensees and the art I saw on the floor. The NSS and the ICCF featured hand made and hand painted work as well. Hedgehogs seem to be trendy - I have been painting them for years and they are finally taking on. They are very European and incredibly adorable, and many years ago I happened to personally save a couple of them from a silly dog during a visit to my family in Italy, so I am more connected to them than owls (I personally don't have any in my collections...there are just too many already flying around out there in the licensing world, so to speak ;) I also have a popular hedgehog fabric on Spoonflower called Friendly Hedgehog and more to come soon! We actually met with one of the Spoonflower co-founders at the show, it was a great chat and I will post more about this topic later on.
Booth Detail with Welcome Sign and Hedgehog
There seemed to be an increased number of start-up businesses walking the show, mostly POD, who are entering the licensing arena...which also meant a fair amount of helping them understand how licensing works. My final tip post-show is: don't forget to listen to the upcoming Ask Paul Brent recap of the show, he does a great job each year and has many more insights to share!
~ Summary ~
The follow-ups are going to be fun this time around. I enjoyed talking to manufacturers who are looking for specific hand painted art so it will be a pleasure to continue create new collections in that direction! To celebrate our successful show adventure I created a special pillow for studio•Alex using a toile pattern from my new Alpine Woodland collection which drew a lot of interest at the show:
I will post Part II of the after-Surtex review soon which will feature our awesome, fun and talented booth neighbors and friends, plus the Artist Doodle Board which we had at the show that was graced by many talented artists who stopped by to reconnect. Meantime, a big hello from myself, Ming and Paul - viva studio•Alex!
On our way to set up for the show
On our way to the Javits Center...
Our "Selfie" - Paul, Ming and Alex taking a stroll along the High Line after getting set up!
