A Real Passion for Pattern and Style: Artist Josephine Kimberling

A couple of months ago I was doing my usual market research and I happened to walk into a fancy stationery shop in Menlo Park, California, where I noticed some colorful paper products beautifully displayed on some shelves. The style looked very familiar so I picked them up and immediately recognized the logo and name: Josephine Kimberling! Her shapes and colors are different from many others artists; they are unique and sophisticated.

I thought that she would be so fun and inspirational to have as our guest here on The Moon from My Attic. She graciously accepted even though she is super busy!

Artist Josephine Kimberling

The Moon from My Attic: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your art? Yes, definitely! I spent 10 years working as a textile designer and color and print trend forecaster at Nordstrom, and through the years held roles of increasing responsibility up to managing their print studio. In between those 10 years, I worked at Hallmark Cards as a graphic designer for 2 years for their stationery and gift wrap lines. In 2008 I signed my first licensing deal with Robert Kaufman fabrics and slowly built my licensing business on the side and learned about the industry while working full-time.

I have always wanted to work for myself, so with 12 years of corporate experience under my belt I felt I had a good understanding of the industry and how to create commercial artwork, so in 2011 I left Nordstrom to work for myself full-time.

My artwork always begins with a sketch as I need to flesh out my ideas. I then either hand-draw or hand-paint my artwork and finish it digitally or create strictly digital work from my sketch. I specialize in creating modern-meets-vintage everyday surface pattern designs, with unique pattern mixing and on-trend color palettes for the feminine customer.

TMFMA: What is exciting about your creative work? After working in-house for many years and needing to flex my style to include a wide range of techniques and looks for a variety of customers, the most exciting thing for me is being able to create artwork in my own style and to see companies and consumers respond to it. I also very much enjoy the trend research process and putting together mood-boards and themes for me to create from.

TMFMA: Is there a person or thing that has influenced you in your artistic efforts? What inspires you? Since college, I've known that I wanted to work for myself; I just didn't know what it would look like or how I would make that happen. At first I thought I would have my own stationery line, but after printing 6,000 cards I realized that I was in way over my head and it sucked the passion out of me to think about finding a rep, investing loads of money, and everything else that needs to be done to be successful. Then I thought I'd do wedding invitations, as I was doing them left and right for friends; until I met a bridezilla and realized I didn't have the temperament for dealing with them nor did I want my days to be spent in frustrating stress. Thankfully I did all of this discovery work while still working full-time!

As I was building my career and working in-house, I was really inspired by seeing people like Amy Butler, Anahata Katkin, Catalina Estrada, Hanna Werning and other various illustrators and fabric designers getting work for their artistic style. It was then that I discovered licensing and it just clicked for me. My main passion has always been pattern and art and I absolutely love it on everything imaginable! When I realized that it was possible to create artwork and license it to a variety of companies for a variety of different product categories, I knew that was the avenue I needed to pursue. I am very inspired by so many things – fashion runways play a big part in my inspiration process, as does shopping and textiles.

I love vintage textile books as well as current books based on whatever new interest or idea I'm into at the time – be it creative or business focused. I'm inspired by learning a new artistic technique or getting a unique creative brief from a client. Pinterest can get me going for hours. Talking with my husband or a friend and getting their perspective really inspires me in new ways too. Just being present to life and soaking up all that is in your path (and to go off the beaten path) is a great way to stay fresh.

TMFMA: What project/s are you currently working on? In addition to doing commission work for clients, I am working away on adding new artwork to my portfolio. For the past few months I've been taking Lilla Rogers' class "Make Art That Sells" as well as Mati Rose's class "Daring Adventures in Paint." I also was a part of Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search. These classes have allowed me to dig deep and give myself permission to take the time to try new techniques and create fresh, exciting work.

TMFMA: Tell us of your experience as an art licensing artist. I've really enjoyed being a licensing artist and working with a variety of companies. It's very rewarding to finally, after 12 years of dreaming and searching for the right path, feel like I'm heading in the right direction. It's been exciting to be at the helm and work on building my own business – to be constantly learning and developing both in my business and creatively. There's so much to learn that it keeps me on my toes and keeps me very interested and invested, which I truly enjoy.

With all that being said, I do find it to be a challenging industry and stressful at times. It's definitely a roller-coaster industry and not for the faint of heart! The most uncomfortable thing for me, of course, is not having the steady paycheck every two weeks. I don't know if I'll ever get used to that. So it instills a bit of fear in me constantly which drives and pushes me to keep pressing on. Thankfully the excitement of opening a box of samples, creating artwork that you are so excited about, and working with fabulous clients really makes all the hard work and effort worthwhile.

TMFMA: Any important tips and tricks you can share or anything else you'd like to share? I see a lot of artists who want to quit their day job and jump into licensing – which if you are ready can be a great decision to make! However, I think it's important to do your homework to determine if licensing is the right path for you, and if it is, if it is the right time in your life.

For example, if you need to earn a certain amount of money to keep your family going and your bills paid, it's very important to be realistic about how much you will earn in licensing, about how to have opportunities for multiple streams of income set up, about how to create connections for freelance work, and about how to save up a cushion that you can fall back on, since with licensing you won't see a paycheck for at least about a year. Planning can really put you in a great position to set you up for success. I don't think many artists think about the practical things sometimes, as they are so distracted by following their heart. I do believe that saying "Businesses don't plan to fail, they fail because they do not plan."

Other tips I'd give is that if you are an artist interested in licensing, learn as much as you can about the industry. Take classes. Hire a coach. Show your work and get feedback from true industry professionals, agents, coaches, etc. whose opinions are valid – not just to other artists or friends and family. Take that advice and actually apply it. Shop. A LOT. It will help you understand what is commercial and what companies are choosing to put on their products.

Be original. Don't look at another artist and pine after their style and try to be like them. You have a unique voice and talent – be your beautiful self! Figure out what makes you uniquely you and what you can bring to the table that is different. Spend time developing your style and pushing yourself to creatively grow. Get a job in the industry and learn the ropes from the inside.

Have A LOT of patience and perseverance. Work (really, really, really) hard.

TMFMA: What are your future aspirations and goals? I've only been licensing my work for close to two and a half years, so I'm still learning and growing and discovering what's possible and what's realistic. I do know that I would like to continue to grow and expand my art licensing business and artistic style. To create loads of new artwork that is exciting to me and that can offer something to the marketplace. To be able to work with and service companies in new categories and continue to license with the amazing companies I've had the pleasure of working with so far.

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Find out more about Josephine and her work at:

Website: www.josephinekimberling.com

Blog: www.josephinekimberling.com/blog

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JosephineKimberling

Creativity, Unique Art and Color: An Inspirational Interview with DENY Designs

It's now time to start preparing for the Surtex show in May. This includes creating lots of new collections, ads, a press release and promo kit, booth design, and submitting art and making appointments with potential clients. All very exciting but lots of work ahead!

To help keep myself inspired, I invited Kimberly Nyhus of DENY Designs whom I met at the Atalanta Gift show this past January to tell us about what she does and how she keeps motivated.

© Arcturus | DENY Designs

The Moon from My Attic: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your company. What do you do? We're a husband and wife team who bring different talents to the table when it comes to DENY Designs. As it's been said, Dustin is the brain and I am the heart. Dustin, with a background in Industrial Design, oversees the entire business from product development and finances to our resellers. I, previously in Event Planning and Television Production, manage PR and Marketing for the company while also ensuring that the vision of the brand is being implemented. Together, it's a perfect pairing.

Based in Denver, Colorado, DENY Designs is a modern, think-outside-the-box home furnishings company. DENY empowers its customers to transform dull, everyday household accessories into fun and original statement pieces by adding a personal image or selecting artwork from the DENY Art Gallery. With each purchase from the Gallery, our team of talented artists earn part of the proceeds, enabling DENY to support art communities all over the world while also spreading the creative love!

© Heather Dutton | DENY Designs

TMFMA: What drives you personally in your job? What inspires you? In this industry, it's critical to stay one step ahead of the trends. Dustin and I are always on the hunt for design inspiration and we find it in almost everything we do. Creativity, home design, unique art and COLOR are what inspire us most.

TMFMA: Tell us a little about your selection process. We are always looking for brilliant art to showcase on denydesigns.com! Each month, DENY receives hundreds of artist submissions. With that many submissions, it's critical that we find the perfect match for our customers. We have several different sets of eyes that view each artist's work. At the end of the day, we're looking for three different things:

1. Is the artist unique in his/her own right? Out of respect for our current artists, we prefer to select new art that is different from our existing art collections. We're looking for something that is truly different from what we already offer our customers.
2. Does the artwork represent the DENY brand? We're a modern site showcasing various types of art but we always want to make sure that it's art that we can stand behind as a company.
3. Will the art translate well to our product line? There are so many artists whose pieces we love, but sometimes they just won't translate well to our product offerings. It's incredibly important that the image quality is top notch.

© Valentina Ramos | DENY Designs

TMFMA: What makes for a great art collection? Great art is in the eye of the beholder. Just like in spouses, there truly is a piece out there for everyone! What we really love to see are fresh ideas that stir something inside of you. Art is a feeling that invokes an excitement…the moment you say to yourself, "I have to have this." That's how you know you've found something great.

TMFMA: What are some of your favorite design trends right now? We're loving the bright and bold colors that are being used in home décor right now. People are taking big risks in their design choices and the payoff is huge. It lends well to a vibrant and inviting space. Also, pattern mixing and matching. In the past, you'd mix a standard solid with a print. Now, you can mix pattern with another pattern and it works brilliantly.

© Belle13 | DENY Designs

TMFMA: What's your largest product category? Our shower curtains have been very well received. We're turning one of the most boring rooms in the house into the life of the party!

TMFMA: What’s on the horizon for your company? 2012 was a year of quality control. We spent the whole year ensuring that our fabrics and product line were up to the highest standards. 2013 will be a year of product development. We intend to launch several new collections so that eventually you'll be able to outfit your entire home with DENY Designs' creations.

And our biggest goal? Creating more awareness of art communities from all over the world and sharing our findings with our customers.

A Global Collection - The Sisters Gulassa

© Sisters Gulassa

In a recent radio interview I expressed some personal views about trends and colors as a designer and licensing artist. I mentioned colors such as red and blue being a strong trend, as well as colorful geometrics with Asian influence and African motif trends with a twist of modern, specifically Moroccan influenced.

Here you'll find images that perfectly illustrate my points on colors, styles and trends designed by two stylish and trendy designers and artists, the Sisters Gulassa.

I met both Cyrille and Lise Gulassa at Surtex - I found them through their very colorful and unique press kit.

Sisters Gulassa is a design house offering an array of creative services centered around their love of mixing color and patterns. Their single goal for all their clients: "to WOW your customers!" With that in mind, they offer custom collections, creative direction, color, trend boards all aimed at capturing imagination!

Cyrille and Lise collaborate across continents to unite behind their namesake label, known for its exuberant prints and unique mixes. With backgrounds in fashion, art and advertising, including Design Directors for Levi Strauss & Co. and Saatchi & Saatchi, they have also lived, worked and exhibited their art, design and fashion internationally.

As avid travelers, they take much of their inspiration from their journeys; from native folk art to modern art, to the unique color palette of a place. Their work is inspired by looking backwards and forwards, combining the past and present to create unique prints.

While at Surtex this past May they launched their new Global collections: an exciting series of vibrant designs in their trademark pattern mix. Their motto: "let's travel together! We would love to talk to you about our projects and see how we can add the allure and delight you desire!"

Some of their clients are: GAP, Old Navy, Target, Converse, Paper Chase, and Clinique to name just a few.

Find Cyrille and Lise Gulassa at: www.sistersgulassa.com

More of their artwork:

© Sisters Gulassa

Fun, Inspirational, Trendy - Artist Jane Foster

This is the first of a new series of short editorials about artists and their fun, inspirational and trendy work.

Artist Jane Foster started her handmade business as she wanted to have a career change from teaching to spend time with her daughter. She loves creating designs to then print onto fabric which is then made into something, whether it be a toy or cushion. She does everything from home. She gets inspired by Scandinavian designs from the 60s and 70s, such as early Marimekko or the ceramic designs of Marianne Westmann." My style is bold, happy and hopefully fun! My images are mostly flowers and animals - I've been lucky to have been spotted by a few companies who I then sold the license to use and publish my work. These were The Art Group and Clothkits, both of whom I still work for."

"My tip to other artists would be - it's important to always produce work you like yourself without trying to guess at what might sell or what others might like!"

In the future, she'd love to design fabric and home wares for Ikea and Marimekko, such as mugs, trays, storage jars, and so on. Jane has also a great Etsy store!