A Market Place for Independent Design - Minted.com

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!

© 2013 Alessandra Colombo

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!

© Griffinbell Paper Co. for Minted.com - Card

© Lori Wemple for Minted.com - Card

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.

© Snow & Ivy for Minted.com - Journal Cover

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!

© Susie Allen for Minted.com - Journal Cover

Find out more about Minted at Minted.com and Minted.com/blog. You can also follow them on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter!

Atlanta Gift & Home Furnishings Market 2013 - Show Recap and News

I am sitting on the floor at home pawing through a stack of impeccably designed trade magazines, directories and promotional pieces while pondering about all that happened at the fabulous Atlanta Gift and Home Furnishings show this past weekend. It's been a wild but amazing 3-day ride!

Amongst many firm shakes of hands, courteous presentations and vivacious chats, I kept hearing the word "trend." It's becoming trendy to talk about trends.

Courtesy of Design Design Inc. - From Their Catalog: Trends

By whatever mechanisms, trends are present. Artists set trends by capturing images and patterns artistically. Manufacturers do, too, through product choices, materials and quality of execution. Retailers try to capture trends through the products they offer to consumers and how they display and market them. And, finally, it is the consumers cumulative actions that actually set them.

I think it's best to look at this whole notion of trends in a relative way - your way. I try to discern trends for inspiration and for getting a pulse about other views and cultures; I don't necessarily have to follow them. I follow what I like and believe in. For example, there is an outdoor living trend that showed up everywhere at the Atlanta show, even on the huge electronic billboard in the lobby. I love this trend and started embracing it last year in my collections, because the outdoors has always been a big part of my life.

While outdoor living is an example of a trend that is developing more momentum, an example of a trend that is more of a classic style is coastal and seaside. Recently, I met a pelican at a local wharf. He ended up in one of my seaside collections and has now become a half celeb through a JellyBean rug! (By the way, the pelican's name is Gabriel...) Is he part of a trend? I don't think so. But he's a nice dude and it so happens that he does fit into the coastal trend.

Courtesy of Design Design Inc. - From Their Catalog: Handmade

Set or follow trends that are suitable to your creative process, similar to how Design Design Inc. created these cool inspirational boards for their catalogs. We had the great pleasure of meeting their Art Directors and Chief Marketing Officer at the show and had one of the best conversations of the whole weekend. Such nice people and what quality work! They get it. By the way, they also provide a very detailed artist submission guideline. How much better could it get?!

There are many other companies that offer such collaborative offers. So yes, trends are all of us as a whole, our families and pets, friends, sharing circles, close co-workers, and our houses and what's in them. Classic, vintage, retro, modern, transitional or traditional. As I see it, the challenge of a licensing artist and the real value of a show like Atlanta is to help you better see where all those collective interests and ideas are headed, and thus how to adapt and interpret them in your art to improve your manufacturing partner's chances of success.

© Courtesy of Demdaco

All together the world of art, design and products is really one big cohesive whole that is made up of multiple people and views. I think this is the key concept I was reminded of at the Atlanta show. It was fun. It was thrilling. It was friendly and positive. It was so productive for us as it was for the majority of the people we spoke to. It included collaborative insights and a source of unexpected friendships. We'll definitely be going again next year!

Here are some more cool photos we were able to take with the blessing of the exhibiting manufacturers. We didn't have time to see every single showroom or meet each of the exhibitors and artists at the show, but we picked these to talk about because we thought they would be of broad interest to this audience, not because they are the most important or the best of the show.

© Courtesy of Demdaco

The Atlanta Gift Show is one of high-quality merchandise. The displays were bright, cheerful and tastefully displayed throughout the market floors. We spotted several that were retro/vintage inspired, with the red and blue popular color combos as a fun alternative to more traditional holiday colors. You can see them in the photos from the Demdaco and Enesco showrooms.

As mentioned above, trends and themes such as gardens, eco-green, indoor-outdoor living were very prominent throughout the show.

© Courtesy of Enesco

There is continued growing interest in this natural, nomadic, primitive, explorative direction as represented through visuals, words, scents, colors and other senses, talked about at the 2012 Surtex show. It's a mix of concepts. The themes are pretty much the same, but reinterpreted by artists in partnership with their manufacturers, retailers and their respective niche of consumers.

Walking through the floors was exhausting but most of the displays were very inviting and always colorful, some peaceful, with classic outdoor elements dressed up with whimsical images, shapes and/or inspirational phrases meant to uplift the spirits. We saw many little birds, owls, cardinals, butterflies, frogs, bugs, florals of all sorts and hues. Mixed media designs with enchanting themes, graphics, geometrics, natural materials, and vintage backgrounds were also abundant. What a mix!

© Courtesy of Demdaco

Two terms seem to be growing in interest: "boho" and "gypsy." We also noticed many industrial elements, like heavy metal objects mixed in with vintage/farm elements and inspirational concepts and words. Word art and fancy calligraphy are still big, either hand painted, hand drawn or typed, with chalk, pen, brush or simply pencil. Jute, burlap, cord, felt, and other craft materials are also coming to the market in a strong way. The home design and home products showrooms were full of them, from lampshades to chairs, accessories and wall art - even Christmas ornaments!

Dimensional art was also popular with colorful cards, gifts and accessories. Many Christmas fantasy themes were presented with sleek polar bears and regal foxes, or the more everyday themes such as farm life with roosters and pigs, or ponds with hoppy frogs and dragonflies; cute raccoons and hedgehogs are joining the already crowded parade in their debut to the consumer world. And of course family dogs and cats are still pretty much everywhere along with horses and deer. If there isn't a trend in there you can relate to, then you should take up knitting! Which, by the way, is also a trend!

© Courtesy of Vietri

As the Atlanta Mart logo says, this show is for international wholesalers. Many of them do not license art. They have in-house design teams or occasionally hire freelancers. Some of them are distributors only so they don't license directly but work with manufacturers and their exclusive artists. Some of them are a company umbrella representing artisans from other countries. People attending the show come from all over the world, including Europe, Asia, and South America, although most are from the U.S. As a result, while you do see a global market it is still mostly domestically-oriented. We got to chat a bit with the National Sales manager for Vietri - their showroom was breathtaking. The collection shown here is by Italian artist Giovanni De Simone but they include over 40 different Italian manufacturers in their product offerings. It was so inspirational to look at!

What else? We met with many manufacturers and introduced The Moon from My Attic to them, although were pleasantly surprised to find out that many were already regular readers. There is an increasing excitement about this collaboration between artists and companies, about what we are doing to help bridge the two ends of the product development process and create more collaborative partnerships. We have discovered that manufacturers are noticing artists through this blog and vice versa. We are happy about this new evolution. In upcoming months we will surprise you with more special referrals, editorials and promotions!

We got to meet some great artists who we'd previously only met via email or Facebook. What a treat! We wished we had more time to see everyone who expressed interest in connecting up at the market; more trade shows are on the horizon, with Surtex 2013 being our next stop. We'll be exhibiting there at Booth 446! So we are sure we'll connect with many of you who also have a booth or just want to walk the show.

Magnet Works Flag - © Alex Colombo

In summary, the whole show was an amusing and very productive one for us, in addition to getting to know the market a bit better and meeting very nice and friendly people. Etiquette is an important part of how to navigate such a show, with respect to many who are working really hard at this business. All people we talked to had a positive and encouraging result from the show. We also had a chance to see some of my art on products, which was really fun. We hope more will come!

As a final note on the Atlanta show, I think it's a fantastic experience for licensing artists for doing market research; it gives you greater insight into art, products and how the product development-wholesale-retail-consumer business operates.

I am sure other show participants can add to my observations so feel free to comment on this article. I invite you to also read other licensing and trade blogs about the show so as to get multiple views. For me, seeing the whole chain of production at work re-enforced my main purpose: partnering to make the world a better place through art!

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Are You Organized for Art Licensing? An Interview with Artist Carolyn Gavin

This past week I listened in to a great free webinar by Teliha Draheim of Image West Design on how to sell commercial art. And I also got to participate in a local art licensing meeting which shared artwork reviews and other useful ideas. My next couple of months will be very busy completing my portfolio and basic collections that I will then present to the group for the January meeting critique - very exciting!

This week I'd like to introduce an artist from Canada who has been very busy creating art for licensing and her own wholesale stationary business. 

The Moon from My Attic: Please introduce yourself. Hello, I'm Carolyn Gavin. I'm the principal designer for ecojot. We're based out of Toronto, Canada and create gorgeous stationery using 100% recycled materials only. We also have a donation program where we donate books and pencils to kids in need around the world. We have just been to Haiti for a week where we gave away 22,000 workbooks, as part of the schoolbag - the schoolbag on Facebook. An amazing, rewarding and emotionally grueling trip for my partners who went. 

Artist Carolyn Gavin with her bulldog Ziggy

I also have an agent Lilla Rogers and she handles all my freelance and licensing projects.

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? I get to create exactly what I want (generally) and see it printed on our stationery. It's great when I see someone using one of our books.

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? I grew up in a hot country with lots of color, texture and pattern around me. I think that is what's in my soul and is reflected in my work. Nowdays I try and travel as much as I can and experience other cultures which influence my work. I love central America - the exotic colors and patterns from Belize, Guatamala and Mexico. I love African fabrics and Indian patterns and colors.

© Carolyn Gavin

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? I've recently gone back to painting again which I love and started off doing – I use gouache and acrylics mainly. I also like pen and ink. Digital is also what I know and have been using for a long time. Programs like Illustrator and Photoshop are quite amazing!

TMFMA: Can you share a favorite technique you routinely use in your art work? I paint, then scan in and then combine paint with digital. I like the look.

TMFMA: How long have you been doing art licensing? I was lucky enough to get signed by Lilla Rogers Studio more than 3 years ago. She takes only a few submissions a year, so I feel special that way. This has enabled me to create incredible fabric and scrapbooking collections as well as editorials and one of my favourites...packaging design. I also like the fact that the designs are used on other materials besides paper.

© Carolyn Gavin

It was totally by chance that I hooked up with my agent. As they say timing is everything. I happened to meet her at Surtex while I was doing the National Stationery Show. I had no portfolio but just an ecojot catalogue (I guess that's a portfolio of sorts). Anyhow, the timing was obviously right and she signed me up right away after that show. She also must have felt that my look was right for her at the time. I felt REALLY lucky to be signed by Lilla – I guess it could have happened the traditional way where I would have sent her my work. I must say I hadn't even considered an agent at that point. I had been working in the gift and design industry for over 20 years, so I guess I had reached a point where my work was ready for market even though I didn't know it or consciously seek out ways of expanding it. 

© Carolyn Gavin

Lilla Rogers Studio gets over 1000 submissions a year, so in doing that you really have to stand out and have something special and something that strikes a cord for them. Something they NEED at the time. They have nearly 40 artists signed with them and each one seems to offer something unique to the fold.

© Carolyn Gavin

Before signing with me, I had an interview with Lilla where she asked me all kinds of questions. One that comes to mind is, "are you organized?" I think this is extremely important in that there is a lot to do besides designing great art. Labeling, saving correctly, billing, communicating with clients, getting files ready for shows and so on.

And I don't think it's a question of how many pieces you need to submit to an agent. I think it's based on the quality, the style, the uniqueness, the saleability and then a sense of who you are and if they can build a relationship with you. It's kind of like a family in a way and Lilla is the mother ship!

TMFMA: Please give us your analysis of the market based on your own experience and contacts. I think it's extremely tough right now, so we have diversified our North American base and now sell to Mexico, Scandinavia and Australia.

Your comments are welcomed. Please enter them 

in the comment section below.

A Professional Approach to a New Design Field: Art Licensing

There are many approaches you can take when entering into a new design field, or any field for that matter. One can go about doing it in any old way and end up with a result - though it may not be the result you intend. I have been pondering about that for myself and I've concluded that a professional approach to any endeavor is the best way to go. Why not win at it? But more importantly, what does it mean to take a professional approach? Indeed, what does it mean to be a professional? A great example for me is how artist Regina Chiu has decided to approach art licensing. She shares her views on what it means to approach a new endeavor in a professional way in this very informative interview.

The Moon from My Attic: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your art? First, I want to thank you for featuring me in a post for your site. I feel honored to be included among the other established and successful artists and designers you have interviewed.

© Regina Chiu - BB&B

I started off as a fine art painter in school. When I moved to NYC after graduation, I wasn’t sure what I would do. I had a nice job working in a high end poster gallery called Poster Originals, Ltd. On Madison Ave. for a few years. They printed posters for the National Gallery, MOMA, as well as printed limited edition silk screens and posters of major artists like Willem DeKooning, Will Barnet, Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Indiana just to name a few. I became very good at recognizing specific artists' work on site and it's also where I fell in love with Wolf Kahn – well, his paintings, anyway.  

© Regina Chiu - Stark Carpet

After that I landed a job at Stark Carpet, a custom carpet and rug manufacturer to the trade. I knew less than nothing about design, but I could paint. The Art Director who hired me told me, "I can teach you about design, but I can't teach you how to paint. That you already know how to do, the rest is easy." I eventually became one of the more requested artists to design the more complicated custom Aubussons and Savonneries. I did other types of wovens for the home interior market for several years, but I was getting bored and needed a new challenge.

I eventually became the Art Director at PTS America, a dinnerware manufacturer selling the brands 222 Fifth, Westbury Court and Coventry.  The job eventually morphed into an 'on contract' position that allowed me to work from home.  I've created dinnerware for Home Goods, Target, TJ Maxx, Ross Simons and Macy's.  I’ve had my designs in Pier 1, Bloomingdales, Bed Bath & Beyond, Horchow and Z Gallerie. 

© Regina Chiu - Home Goods

I've also had the good fortune of creating art for Crane & Co. for stationery and desktop collections. While working at PTS I completed the Botanical Illustration Certificate program at the New York Botanical Gardens some years ago. This has had a huge influence on my fine art, but also improved my skill level immensely.

At the moment I am working towards creating designs that I hope will land some licensing deals. I am also trying to pursue my own art and illustration work, separate from design.
 

TMFMA:  What is exciting about your creative work? I've always done some freelance work throughout the years, but recently it's become my full time job. Although it is a bit scary and daunting, especially when I look at all the talent that is out there, I can't help but feel excited about the possibilities. I am confident that my experience and skill level will get me where I want to go and I look forward to sitting down each morning and getting to work creating something new.
 

© Regina Chiu for TJ Maxx

TMFMA: Is there a person or thing that has influenced you in your artistic efforts? I have been drawing for as long as I can remember; a theme, I am sure, that is repeated amongst creative people. However, I remember winning a drawing contest in the third grade and having my drawing featured in the local paper – a star is born. Ok, maybe that is taking things a bit too far, but it certainly lit the fire. Equally, I will never forget the chance that David Setlow gave me at Stark Carpet when he hired me. I don't know what I would be doing now if he hadn’t taken a chance on me.

As for inspiration, I find it everywhere. No detail is too small or insignificant when it comes to design. It can be a painting, an ad in a magazine, a pattern I see in nature. I just never know what and when an idea will hit me so I try to keep a sketchbook with me to write down my ideas or make a quick sketch.  I found that when I wasn't as diligent about doing this I wasn't as creative or I would forget what I saw or the idea that I had.
 

© Regina Chiu - Crane & Co.

TMFMA: What project are you currently working on?  Project 'ME.' In other words, defining and developing a body of work that will hopefully lead to some licensing deals. While I am best known for my botanical illustrations, I don't have a look' per se. I am trying to figure out if it is better for me to be as diverse as I am or if having a certain look that is recognizable is best. I imagine for branding purposes, being recognized is a good thing, but I haven't decided if being a brand is what I want (It's so nice to dream).

I guess it would be fair to say I am also working on getting designs together for the NY Tabletop show in October. This is my comfort zone, so it feels like home (no pun intended) when I am creating for this category.
 

© Regina Chiu - Crane & Co.

TMFMA: Tell us of your experience as an aspiring art licensing artist. My experience in licensing comes from the licensee side of things. In dinnerware we licensed artists to do collections or licensed from Art Reps who had an artist we were interested in. Recently, I have been taking a lot of workshops and seminars on licensing from the artist perspective. Some copyright workshops on the side haven't hurt either!

I've only recently landed a very small license deal with Ann Scott Designs for a line of botanical stationery and have another pending license deal for the same. I'm not sure this field was so much a choice as a natural progression for me. As a designer who has been working in the industry for a long time, it was an untapped resource for me.  I know it's going to be a tough row to hoe, but I am up for the challenge.

© Regina Chiu - Ann Scott Designs

I haven't decided on trade shows yet. I am talking to a fellow designer about this so it is still an unknown. It is a huge investment so if I am going to do it, I want to be prepared with a sufficient amount of work.
 

TMFMA: What are your future aspirations and goals? I'm not much of a long term planner. I try to set reasonable short term goals; if something is too big or too far away, I become distracted or disinterested because it seems less attainable. At the moment the goal is putting together work for the NY Tabletop show in October while at the same time creating work for other surface design categories with the hope of landing a licensing deal.....or two....

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Below are more lovely images and links for Regina's designs and products. You can also find her on Linkedin and she has her own blog, too.

Regina's Target Damask has been in the top 10 best selling patterns 

for the last 3-4 years, holding the #1 spot several time. 

First two are Regina's

Early Bird from BB&B

First cupcake plate (the others are not hers)

Adirondack Christmas

Brief Tips & Tricks in Art Licensing

Here are more key tips & tricks I get from networking and in reading up about licensing from blogs or books. I'm sharing them as I go - again, these are not laws set in stone, just comments I thought could be helpful in some situations.

• The twice a year (January and July) Atlanta Gift Show at the Atlanta Gift Mart is apparently a great way to meet art licensing directors. They are willing to look at art if they have time. This is a friendly trade show where artists are welcomed. 

• In art licensing one important thing to understand is which market your art is suited for - CHA's buyers are all about craft & scrap-booking with some exceptions. Atlanta is for the gift industry, garden, pets, Christmas decorations, ceramic, home decor, rugs, and hardly any paper/stationery buyers. Paper and stationary are at Surtex, along with puzzles, fabric, gift bags, characters, etc. 

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If you have any additional or contrary tips that you'd like to share, please leave a comment! I'll share more tips and tricks that I uncover in the weeks to come. By the way, have you started on your portfolio or collections yet?