Surtex 2014, Part III - The Beat Goes On!!

I think the worst part of Surtex is that so much beautiful art is on display and there is just so little time to take it all in!  So, get a head start by checking out these exhibitors and be sure to see them at the show!

Upcoming Special Art Licensing Editorial

We're going to take a short break from publishing interviews and other editorials on our artists around the globe because we're preparing a special manufacturer editorial for this week. I can't wait to share this amazing insight into the never-resting world of licensing! It's an exclusive interview with a manufacturer we really, really like ... don't miss it!

© alessandra colombo - holiday peace & love tree

We'll resume the posting of our artists' interviews and stories on December 17th - there are so many wonderful artists in the licensing community, we can't seem to stop being amazed. Our goal is to eventually  publish everyone - we usually look through Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc., and online shops and other design blogs like Print&Pattern - it's so fun to scroll through! And speaking of which, thanks Bowie Style for publishing my Holiday Peace and Love Tree collection!

An additional piece of news:  from time to time I will post freebies that can be download and used for non-commercial/personal use only please. The first set of giveaways are a set of fun everyday art type borders and labels for crafts projects or for snail mail. One of the patterns is a cute snail to seal your packages or envelopes. So if you like the design, go to the links below and print your own set. I use white self-adhesive sheets 8 1/2 x 11 I purchased from worldlabel.com and cut them out to fit the application I need. They work great!

"Sweet Fruits" labels

"Cute Garden" labels

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Tell Us a Story: Artist Cathi Mingus

Do you sense the excitement of new beginnings, new opportunities lying just ahead in the warm and bright days of this Autumn? I do! And look out for upcoming posts, full of new perspectives and helpful tips from manufacturers, agents, and artists from around the globe!!

To celebrate I decided to publish a new series of posts about stories behind artists' art pieces. My little plane with banner for example was inspired by a story of when I was a kid and I used to go to the beach for summer. Little planes would fly around over us, dropping down little promotional gifts or products for kids and moms and everyone would run around trying to catch them. It was a fun time!

Cathi Mingus and her daughter Tory

Today we share a story by artist Cathi Mingus. She tells us the story behind her paintings:

"I've been illustrating professionally for the last 15 years (mostly children's projects). I recently got back to my first love (painting) and started a site showcasing my 'vintage inspired art...with a twist.' I opened an Etsy site in February to showcase some of my pieces. Vintage photos and personal items are something I've always felt drawn to. When my mother passed she left me all the family photos and I began to pour through them. I found some old yearbooks with tattered pages and scribbled messages.

I loved looking at these faces of the past and wondering what type of life they lived. My first painting was a huge yearbook inspired painting with faces and names of her classmates from the 40's. I felt a special connection to each person I painted. I began to paint people from the past, using old photos as inspiration. Recently, I've been asked to paint some personal pieces for people of their loved ones (using old photos as reference).

My collection of images tells a story of people who were here before us. Maybe it's not so much the story the paintings tell, but evoking a feeling of wanting to know what their stories are. Working on these paintings is a wonderful break from my digital children's work. This work is very personal to me and I hope you will enjoy it."

Cathi Mingus, aka Catherine Louise: "My Mysterious Past".  

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Many other artists and illustrators have an online shop. Here are the links to some of their sites in case you want to buy their art, form up a group, or just chat with them:

Elizabeth Tipton: www.etsy.com/shop/ROSEWORX

Stephaine Ryan: www.etsy.com/shop/stephanieryanart

Praya: www.etsy.com/shop/PragyaK

Mindy Sommers: www.etsy.com/shop/digitalkiss

Heidi Rand: www.etsy.com/shop/GardenDelightsArts

Valerie Greeley: www.etsy.com/shop/acornmoon?ref=em

Marilyn MacGregor: www.etsy.com/shop/MacGregorArt

Nan Smith: www.etsy.com/shop/nansmithimages

Jennifer Parker: www.etsy.com/shop/jenparkerdesigns

Petra Kern: www.etsy.com/shop/PetraKern