Designing with Kids in Mind - Artist Bee Brown

The Moon from My Attic will be attending Surtex as press again this year. It has been our tradition for the past 4 years to run free promotional ads for exhibiting Artists; we'll start on Monday May 4th for the whole week.

At the show, we will be around to interview and to report on trends and the National Stationery Show.

Meanwhile I am very happy to publish this artist who will also be at Surtex this year. Her name is Bee Brown, a U.K based Illustrator who also has a blog at www.beebrown-hive.blogspot.co.uk.

Bee is trained as a graphic designer but has been lucky enough to work as a freelance Illustrator since leaving art school and has always had a small studio at home. "I'm also a mum to 2 energetic little boys, but I find balancing my creative and family life is a good combination for me," she says.

Bee shares with us more details about her life as an artist:

YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN/ART STYLE: I don't really have a favourite design style as such. Inspiration can be found from a variety of sources, but I do love to keep an eye out for what's new, fresh and exciting in the design world. I am very drawn to fun, strong, bold graphic images both from a pictorial and typographic point of view.

THE MAIN INSPIRATION BEHIND YOUR WORK: I love designing with kids in mind, so they are my inspiration. Its fun thinking of characters and ideas they might be drawn to to look at in books, wear on their clothes, hang on their walls and just generally have in their lives.

THREE (or less) KEY NOTES ON ART & LICENSING: I think I would have this to say to anyone wanting to work in art and licensing: Just keep going. Keep believing and keep making work. Follow your heart and work hard.

WHAT YOU REALLY LOVE, I.E. YOUR PASSION: My daily passions are simple: my boys, beautiful, strong colour palettes, drawing out ideas and being in the fresh air. Oh, and good food!

WHAT YOU DON'T REALLY LIKE: Things I'm not keen on - rainy, miserable days when I can't get outside and my electricity supply packing up!

A FAVORITE SOMETHING: My favourite something would have to be my Mac - oh, and my iPhone! I love technology.

A MEMORABLE EVENT IN YOUR LIFE: It's hard to pick a single, memorable event in my life, but one that stands out from a design perspective would have to be when my work was first accepted by the Association of Illustrators for their annual illustration event which at the time was called 'Images'. I had submitted some maps that I had illustrated for a children's book published by Harper Collins. Never in a million years did I think they would get through the stellar judging panel but they did! I remember reading the letter that came through the post and the subsequent shaking all over - my knees went to jelly! I was in complete shock! It was both a real honour and very exciting to see my work hang in the Royal College of Art in London, have it featured in the accompanying catalogue and then see it tour the country in the traveling exhibition.

A FUN MEMORY: A fun memory would have to be my honeymoon with my hubbie. We travelled to Bali.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD AS AN ARTIST: Before and just after I married, I used to teach drawing and graphic design at my then local art school. I'm naturally quite shy but I used to love it. It was so rewarding working with the students, watching them change and develop over the weeks and months and building those relationships. My husband and I then started to travel a bit with work and then when we moved to Paris in France, I had to say goodbye to that part of my life. I'm glad I had those opportunities to contribute and maybe I will again at some point in the future.

THE NEXT CHAPTER IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE: The next chapter in my creative life I hope will be the most fun yet ... the world of print and pattern! I have just been lucky enough to sign with the very amazing and super lovely U.S based agent Jennifer Nelson. I have my sights set on developing what I hope will be my very own recognizable style and brand of work, which I would love to see printed on array of different products and in children's books. I'm hoping that along with Jennifer's expert knowledge and help we will get there!

A HELPFUL TIP TO OTHER ARTISTS: Gosh, offering advice to other artists is so tricky! We are all so different but I think if I had to offer something it would be to try to always keep yourself fresh and to keep looking at the world with a sense of wonder and fun, just like when you were a child.

Bee is represented by Jennifer Nelson Artists.

Doing Exactly What You're Supposed to Do: Artist Shelley Brant

The holidays have been full of surprises! The new year has started full of promises for a wonderful and productive 2014.

To begin with, the new direction for this blog is included in the new logo title: "The Moon from My Attic ~ My Life as a Designer & Artist." I will publish more articles about design, photography, fine arts, illustration, DYI and crafting, as artists are working across multiple trades and more are now expanding their reach into other creative industries in addition to art licensing.

The show is on - Happy New Year everyone!!

Artist Shelley Brant

To start the new year with a bang, we interviewed artist Shelley Brant.

The Moon from My Attic: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your art? I'm currently operating a studio called Figgy Pudding Designs that provides whimsical digital artwork for products in the gift, craft, seasonal and home decor markets.

I grew up and attended college in Iowa, where I received a BA in fine art. I went on to wade through a variety of art related jobs like screen printing, paper printing, teaching and advertising until I landed a gig in Dallas, Texas illustrating digital embroidery designs. I worked there for over 12 years and have unofficially drawn every object under the sun. I did marker and colored pencil drawings in every theme and style imaginable and estimate that I produced over 24,000 4" by 4" designs during that time. Talk about honing your skills!

When I wasn’t drawing, I was crafting. Then one day I stumbled upon an ad for a product designer at Michael's corporate offices. It's as though I had been preparing for that job this whole time. I spent 4 years with Michael's and learned a ton about manufacturing, design and the business side of the craft industry.

I attended Surtex every year to help purchase artwork and in April of last year decided to take the plunge, resign from my position and show at Surtex myself. Figgy Pudding has become a culmination of all of the work, drawing, crafting and creating I've done over the years. I couldn't be happier with the direction it's headed and am super excited to wake up and get to work every day. I finally feel like I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to be doing.

TMFMA: What is exciting about your creative work? I'm steering the ship! If I feel like crafting one day, that's what I do; if I have a new drawing style I wanna try out, I do it. I have more ideas than time and being in control of my own schedule has allowed me to really put on the rocket boosters. Every day is different; that in itself is very exciting to me!

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool you create with? Everything I do for Figgy Pudding is done in Illustrator. As a product designer that has worked with a variety of purchased art, some good and some not so easy to work with, I want to supply clean vector art that's easy to alter and adjust to suit a number of different uses. I also love to paint and will forever be hot gluing, sewing, cutting, and crafting.

TMFMA: Tell us of a fun and creative project you're currently working on. I'm currently working with some overseas manufacturers. I help them understand trends and design for an American consumer. Art direction has always been a very daunting process to me because I feel as though design is such a subjective thing, who am I to say what's good or bad? I feel like I'm learning with every assignment and the research and development involved have been invaluable to my growth as a designer as a whole. Sometimes analyzing and researching colors and trends and new products feels like it takes too much time when you'd rather just get to drawing- but it's something you must do to make sellable art.

TMFMA: What's your art licensing experience and how do you like it so far? It's been great! There are so many resources and the community of people involved are so open to sharing experiences. You can plan and research all you want but until you start, you'll never know what you don't know. I've learned more in the last 8 months than I ever imagined I would.

TMFMA: What are your future aspirations and goals? I just want to enjoy every day. I want to be inspired and challenged and proud of what I produce. Wherever the road leads in order to do that is where I'll go.

Figgy Pudding will be showing at Surtex in May, booth #1015.

Shelley says, "Stop by and say hi!"

See more of Shelley's work at:

Website: www.figgypuddingdesigns.com

Blog: www.theimpatientpainter.blogspot.com

Sketchbooks and Drawing - Artist Marilyn MacGregor

As several eco-green and handmade craft trends got mentioned at Surtex, I pulled out a set of paintings I did sometime ago while I was experimenting with my acrylic colors on fine cork paper – a marvelous sustainable medium. To my surprise, the colors have been holding up pretty good over time so I think I'll try some new ones.

© 2012 Alex Colombo

I get inspired by many other types of art in addition to arts and crafts. The particular one I am about to show below is from artist Marilyn MacGregor. Her style is classic and vibrant at the same time, a very good combo!

Marilyn and I started in this licensing adventure pretty much around the same time without knowing each other at all, but eventually we ended up in the same agency, Montage Licensing. We've been having a good time playing newbies together.

Artist Marilyn MacGregor

The Moon from My Attic: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your art? My art always begins with drawing, whether it's for illustration, licensing, or works on paper that I show in galleries. I love to draw and have always kept sketchbooks. My habit of drawing is the basis not only for the way I do art but also the way I see the world – I love the connections and details that hide in plain sight. 

TMFMA: What is exciting about your creative work? My style is very loose and spontaneous – I think the most exciting thing is that it is so fresh and unforced. It took a while to develop my own trust in the process I use, and avoiding fussing over a drawing to make it 'perfect.' I value the life in my work rather than a stiffer sort of perfection.

© Marilyn MacGregor - Wild Cats Calendar Collection

TMFMA: Is there a person or thing that has influenced you in your artistic efforts? What inspires you? My hefty inventory of sketchbooks, especially from my travels, is a great source of inspiration and ideas. The sketchbooks recall to me so many interesting places and people. I've spent a lot of time in Paris so many of my drawings keep the beauty and pleasure of that favorite place fresh in my mind. I'm also a teacher and art historian so I often find ways to incorporate ideas from art history. As for people, my father was an early influence – he was the one who urged me to draw all the time. We used to go on sketching day trips together - a nice memory.

© Marilyn MacGregor - Fleur Collection

TMFMA: Tell us of your experience as an art licensing artist. I spent quite a few years as an illustrator in New York, working for various publishers and magazines. I then moved to California and started teaching, particularly studio art and art history in high schools. I'm back on the East Coast now (in Philadelphia) and am new to art licensing. The work feels very familiar to me as a long-time illustrator, but I'm learning and exploring the field. I’m grateful to have an agent, Kimberly Montgomery of Montage Licensing, with extensive experience as both an artist and agent. Her help is invaluable. I'm also very grateful to be meeting and connecting with so many other licensing artists, starting with you, Alex! I love the sense of community I'm finding among licensing designers and artists. I've been at the last two Surtex shows, first just walking, and then this year as an artist with Montage Licensing. I saw so much great work, got tons of ideas, and met so many great people!

© Marilyn MacGregor - Cupcake Collection

TMFMA: What project are you currently working on and what's exciting about it?

I'm presently working on some follow up requests from Surtex, a mix of sketchbook-like drawings and more composed designs. It's all exciting – I love it when Kimberly says, "what about this? Can you do something with this idea?" - I like the challenge of trying something new!

© Marilyn MacGregor - Baby Collection

TMFMA: What are your future aspirations and goals as an artist? I hope and intend to keep developing a strong portfolio of designs and illustrations and building a reputation and client base for my particular style. I am a believer in the on-line possibilities for artist entrepreneurs so I maintain Esty and Spoonflower shops – I can sell work directly but they also function as labs for ideas. I also intend to continue showing my work in galleries and writing about art – reviews, articles and a weekly blog about art and art history. It seems like a lot of plates spinning sometimes, but I feel that each aspect informs all the others.

© Marilyn MacGregor - Cook Collection

TMFMA: Any important tips and tricks you'd like to share about art licensing? The most important thing is to feel comfortable and confident with your own style, rather than changing to chase after a particular market. Also, don't be afraid to experiment and teach yourself – I've found Photoshop, for instance, to be an amazingly elastic resource that rewards time spent figuring our what you can do with it for your particular needs.

Find Marilyn here:

mmacgregordesign.com

etsy.com/shop/MacGregorArt

spoonflower.com/profiles/macdesign

artsmarttalk.com/artsmartsblog.html

An Art Licensing True Story - Artist Tamara Serrao

I am learning how to show my artwork on product mock-ups by using Illustrator or Photoshop. It makes a big difference to see patterns and colors applied to potential merchandise. It also makes me feel I've reached the end of a creative cycle. It's a good feeling, like the process has come full circle - although it is also sparking new ideas that are exciting to pursue!

Artist Tamara Serrao uses Illustrator for her beautiful work. Here is her story: "I have loved just about every form of visual creativity for as long as I can remember. I was raised in a very creative family. My mother sews, embroiders, quilts and hooks rugs, my father is a genius technical draftsman and my sisters paint, make jewelry and knit."

© Tamara Serrano-Ed Garn and 1st Aid

She would like to think she has inherited a generous amount of each of their creative energies, she says. She studied Weaving, Graphic Design and Art History at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design back when computers were barely being used to teach graphics, "so I am definitely self-taught where computer graphics is concerned," Tamara adds.

She has a day job designing packaging, catalogues and such for a Canadian manufacturing company, Mano Verde. They design horticultural kits for the gift industry. As the chief designer for the company, Tamara has a lot of creative freedom, but her work there is definitely limited by the parameters of the job. "In the past year, however, I have discovered spoonflower.com and I can easily say that fabric design has become a passion. As I have always loved fabric, this should have been a no-brainer, yet it took me all these years to finally get there," Tamara says.

© Tamara Serrano-Pansy and Capucine

"The texture of the fabric brings more to so many designs than simply printing them on paper. I love seeing my work on fabric, and then turning it into a garment, cushion, bag or wall hanging. The human tactile connection we have with fabric, the interaction with it, is so rich," she concludes.

Tamara has made it a goal to attempt to enter as many weekly design contests on spoonflower.com as she possibly can (and have won a few of them), in order to exercise her creativity and to get her name out there." As a result, my work was noticed by a children’s clothing designer with whom I have signed a licensing deal for a few upcoming seasons’ fabric designs."

© Tamara Serrano-Up and Up and Away

Tamara also says: "I try not to get stuck in a rut with my designing. While there is certainly a common thread that runs through most of my work, I try to push my own boundaries. Having spent my youth in the Caribbean plays a large part in my design aesthetic. I am hugely inspired by nature, colour and pattern." Pattern is such a stimulus. Pattern in the urban landscape, traditional patterns, pattern in nature, modern minimalist pattern… Tamara loves it all –  "While I greatly admire simplicity, it can be a real struggle for me. I adore embellishment and often get carried away with excessive detail."

Art that is Pretty Darn Cute – Artist Laurel Nathanson

If you had asked me a month ago what a flag is, I'd have said they were things that fly above governmental institutions or the United Nations. Now, though, I know they are also a large industry that caters to homeowners and cover a large number of subjects - and thus are a great potential market for art licensing. In fact, I've put together nearly a dozen new flag designs myself in the last two weeks!

Artist Laurel Nathanson

On another art licensing note, artist Laurel Nathanson shares with us her story today - she grew up in Los Angeles and moved to Oakland to go to art school many years ago, and now Oakland is her home, forever and ever.

"In college and grad school I studied jewelry and metalsmithing and I currently teach this and more at an amazing high school in San Francisco. When I am not at school, I am working on my fine art, my new business called Lolo's Laboratory, and on my soon to be career as a surface designer." She also explains her style and themes – "my art has always been very whimsical, wacky and heavily influenced by youth culture such as graffiti, comics, vintage toys, games and patterns.

© Laurel Nathanson

My work is pretty darn cute, but with a bit of an edge. No matter what materials I am working in, I think my work is very unified by my colorful and distinct style."

After 20 years of being a craftsperson and very hands on and material driven, she has found a new love and obsession…Adobe Illustrator! "For my surface design I start with a pen line drawing which I scan and open in Illustrator. From there the possibilities are endless!"  In a million years she never thought she would be generating art on a computer, but Illustrator has changed her life. Laurel says: "How one element can be tweaked and altered in endless configurations and possibilities is so amazing and exciting. Being able to combine the hand drawing with the computer is so fun and satisfying."

© Laurel Nathanson

And what about art licensing?  Laurel says: "I learned about art licensing around two years ago from a friend who suggested I get into the field. I had never even heard of art licensing, but I researched it and joined a wonderful group in Berkeley where everybody shared so much info and insights. I pretty much knew immediately that this was my destiny!"

A European Art Licensing Market - Artist Helz Cuppleditch

I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday season so far! I just came back from a short trip to Milan, Italy where I visited family and did some brief market research to see what's going on there. Bright colors, especially red, are everywhere in accessories, fashion and Home, and not just because of the holidays. It was refreshing to see!

And for those European followers interested in art licensing, there are two main 2012 trade shows to explore: the Brand Licensing Europe in London and the Bologna Licensing Trade Fair in Bologna, Italy which is the only trade event in Italy dedicated to the business of subsidiary rights, with the participation of the main Italian and International licensors and licensing agencies. The licensing show takes place at the same time as the so sought after Bologna Children's Book Fair. So if you're also an illustrator you might want to see both!

In the spirit of European art and shows, and as a warm wish to a happy new year to come, I'd like to introduce you today to a wonderful illustrator and licensing artist from the UK, Helz Cuppleditch. 

Artist Helz Cuppleditch

TMFMA: Please introduce yourself – I am Helz Cuppleditch, an illustrator based on the south coast of England. I've been licensing my work for about 8 years, for various products including paper craft, greetings cards, gift wrap, gift bags, packaging, calendars, fabrics and stationery. In the summer of 2011 I was invited to join the Board of The Association of Illustrators, the only UK non-profit organization to advance and protect illustrators and promote professional standards. As well as illustrating, I volunteer at local schools running illustration workshops, which stemmed from when my daughter was at primary school!

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? In lots of ways I am living the dream! I'm able to work from my studio at home, so being Mum as well as running my business is whole heartedly satisfying. I get really excited when a new brief comes in from a client and love being able to transfer their brief into sketches and final artwork; then wait to see how the client's team uses their skills to create the final products. Being able to use my experience to help and mentor other people through the AOI or on a personal level is also very fulfilling for me.

© Helz Cuppleditch

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? I work mainly with gouache, because I love the intensity of the colors. Every now and again I wish I had more skill with art programs on the computer so I could use the "undo" button when things aren't quite right!

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? I love happy art, or art that has that feel-good factor. Three of my great influences are women, not just because I adore their art, but I believe they had great business skills and instinctively knew what to create for the markets of their time: Mabel Lucie Attwell, Beatrix Potter and Mary Blair. I can't leave out my daughter as an inspiration. Throughout her childhood, she has noticed the little things around us, colors in the leaves, insects, shells and twigs in the shape of love hearts. This awareness re-ignited the child within me that is transferred through my art.

TMFMA: Tell us about your experience in art licensing? Initially I didn't realize that art licensing was so big. That sounds very naïve, but I started out licensing my work for greetings cards. Then, it hit me that my work could be used for other products. So I investigated and educated myself about this wonderful world of licensing. A lot of my work is still used for greetings cards, but I also create collections for other manufacturers and products. A big leap forward for me was in 2009 when I was commissioned for a paper craft collection, and fortunately it was a really successful line here in Europe. This has led to other manufacturers licensing my illustrations for other surfaces. In October 2011 I took a booth at Brand Licensing Europe. This is the UK's only trade event where the "decision making" licensees go to do business with all the big brand names, in addition to visiting the "Art and Design Licensing" section for little people like myself! It was an amazing experience, nerve-wracking to promote to people directly, but well worth the time and financial investment.

© Helz Cuppleditch

TMFMA: Tell us about your experience in illustration? I have worked on a few illustration projects over the years, including some advertising agency work for global brands. As much as I enjoyed the work, my whimsical and feminine style was pretty limited in the traditional illustration markets of advertising and editorial, which is why I explored the art licensing business. Here in the UK very few illustrators have investigated the possibilities of art licensing, but for me it was a really positive investment of my time and energy. 

TMFMA: Do you work with an agent or do you represent yourself? I self represent in the UK and Suzanne Cruise at Cruise Creative is my rep in the USA.

© Helz Cuppleditch

TMFMA: What do you suggest new artists do to present themselves to the world of licensing for the first time? In my opinion the most important thing is to educate yourself with the business side of art licensing; understand the terminology, copyright, what to expect in contractual agreements, how to keep accounts etc. Then if you are suddenly hit with interest from clients, you feel confident that you can deal with them professionally and speak the same language. When promoting your designs to clients, it can be a winner or loser depending on how well you display your work, so think about what that client will want to use your design on. Tailor the promotional material to that client, so the client can visualize your designs on their products. Having a collection of designs gives more impact for a client, rather than just one or two designs. Also, having designs that will be suitable for various surfaces or products will benefit you; designs that can be transferred onto circles, squares, rectangles and borders.

© Helz Cuppleditch

And, promoting yourself to clients is paramount in illustrating. These clients get hundreds of promotional materials every week, so make your promo stand out from the crowd and promote yourself several times each year. Your style might not be needed for months or years, but if you've kept on top of promotions, your work will be lodged in the commissioner's filing drawer or brain when they need it!

TMFMA: Please give us your analysis of the market based on your own experience and contacts. The current markets are definitely hard, not just for newcomers, but also for established artists, illustrators and designers. We are competing at a higher level now than ever before, and have to be aware of trends and technology in order to keep on top. I am no technical expert, but even in the last few months have had to learn skills that a few years ago were reserved for graphic designers. We all hear the news regarding retailers and publishing suffering at the moment, but there are new areas opening up for design. As commercial artists, we have to keep our minds open to new technology and the possibilities these offer for commerce, in particular new media. With regard to art licensing, certainly here in the UK publishers and manufacturers are looking for the next new character or collection that will connect with consumers through retail sales. Brand building and brand licensing is competitive but it is still a viable and growing market.

© Helz Cuppleditch

TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing and illustration fields? Join some illustration and/or art licensing groups and on-line forums. People are really great at knowledge sharing! Educate yourself through publications, blogs and by speaking to other illustrators or designers. I think you have to have equal amounts of business acumen and design skill to be successful as a commercial artist, but you still have to be prepared for rejections. That can be hard at first; we're showing the world our creative soul and can take it personally if we get knocked. Every businessman/woman gets rejections, from plumbers to architects, and we are no different as commercial artists!

TMFMA: Any other useful info that you'd like to share about art licensing and illustration? I would definitely recommend joining a trade organization. These lobby the governments regarding copyright issues, and most importantly have a wealth of knowledge available for their members. Not only are these organizations there to support the individuals, they are there to help protect our rights (copyright and intellectual property rights) today and for the future of the industries. The more members these organizations have, the louder our voice is on important issues at government level. It also helps us keep up to date with news that could have an impact on our livelihoods. 

© Helz Cuppleditch

Website: www.helzbelzart.com

Blog: www.helzbelzart.blogspot.com

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

A Christmas Licensing Special - Artist Wendy Edelson

© 2011 - Alex Colombo

Christmas is around the corner and brings with it a message of peace and hope for a prosperous new year ahead. To help me fully illustrate the spirit of this holidays season I invited a special guest, artist Wendy Edelson, to share her story with us.

I asked Wendy what kind of projects she is working on and she said: "Somehow, all my projects are about Christmas, the Holidays and snow! Sometimes I feel like the Christmas Illustrator...I never really thought about going in that direction...it seems to have chosen me."

Artist Wendy Edelson

She also added: "Right now I'm working on the illustrations for two children's books and I have two licensing projects on my drawing board, as well. One book is about 'The Christmas Truce,' the incredible spontaneous cease-fire that occurred along the Western Front on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 1914, during WW1.

This project required an amazing research into a subject I knew virtually nothing about and is really different from so much of what I have been doing recently. It's been really challenging and interesting drawing German and British soldiers, trenches...all the details of 1914 accurately! A lot harder than painting bunnies!"

© Wendy Edelson - Skater

"The other project is illustrating a picture book version of Over The River and Through the Woods." Wendy is just about finished with the drawings for the spreads and this project has been exactly in "my comfort zone," she says, "a dappled horse and sleigh, patterned clothing, animals, country scenes and SNOW!"

But she isn't done...Wendy has more in the works. She says: "As far as licensing, I'm currently working on a request for art from a possible new client, so this involves snowmen and I'm working on ideas for Holiday 2013 for my fabric line."

She continues telling me: "In the next day or two I will finally begin painting again! I have spent over a month drawing, drawing, drawing all these projects and, for me, the drawing is definitely the WORK!

© Wendy Edelson - GingerMan Puzzle

I wish elves could do the drawing while I sleep. All my work is traditionally created and the painting is the fun part...for me, painting is a blast...by the time I sit down to paint, all the decisions and details have been decided, the anatomy and pattern and design figured out and the painting, the playing with color is what all that work was for!"

Wendy's adventure in the art world all began innocently enough when she was two, drawing way across the unfolding landscape of America in the back of the family station wagon, moving from Manhattan to Los Angeles. "I arrived at our new home surrounded by orange and eucalyptus trees, forevermore in love with drawing, having made the decision to Be An Artist during my first road trip.

Fast forward a couple more years to me and my Mom at an ubiquitous shopping center. See me transfixed in front of the window of a small stationary and art supply store. I was mesmerized, gazing rapt, in awe of what had become a Shrine. There, front and center, was a complete set of Prismacolor Colored Pencils. Until this moment all I'd every drawn with was crayons and I'd painted with drippy poster paints...but these pencils were calling to my Soul.

© Wendy Edelson - Snowman Border

My Mom who had walked ahead of me, came back to where I stood and looked, in a hushed and reverent voice I whispered to her,'those are what REAL ARTISTS use!!!' How I knew about Prismacolors or knew that "Real Artists" used them, I have no idea. In a moment of Pure Parental Perfection my Mom grabbed my hand and bought them for me. My path was chosen and I set out upon it."

© Wendy Edelson - Greenery Pattern

"In the Velveteen Rabbit, a child's love forever transformed a stuffed toy into a Real Rabbit, likewise an early moment of pure faith and love opened wide a little girl's vision. Everyday my Dream and Desire is to create work that somehow allows me to go to bed at night feeling like a 'Real Artist'," Wendy added.

Wendy is a self taught artist; her plans for going to college were put aside when she decided to try working instead and left for New York with a big black portfolio at the age of 17. Wendy says: "My life has been almost all about the work, drawing and painting. Over the years I've moved several times, back and forth from New York and Vermont to the Pacific Northwest and back again; currently I'm living in the Pacific Northwest, planning another move back to the Northeast again, this time to stay. I've married, had a son, fallen in love with dogs and gardening, learned how to cook and speak Italian. In the rare times away from my drawing board I've traveled through Asia, Indonesia and Europe and lived in Mexico for 3 years."

What brought Wendy to create art in the first place? It had to be "that cross country trip in the station wagon," she says. "It just sort of poured out of me and I simply couldn't stop; it truly was more of a calling than a conscious decision."

© Wendy Edelson - CookieJar Print

What excites her is a challenge, an unfamiliar subject, an unfamiliar medium, a scary deadline, a new relationship with a new client, the unknown, flying without a net and color – "color always excites me" - she adds.

Watercolors are her favorite paint; she loves the transparency - "Lately I've begun to use acrylics, the Golden fluids, I love using them as a sort of base to layer watercolors over. If I paint an underpainting with them, say the patterned bark of trees, I can glaze layers of color over that and not worry about the pattern below dissolving at all. Glazing and layering coats of paint so that they seem to glow, that's what I love best but it can be very time consuming," she says.

© Wendy Edelson - Expect

Her inspiration? When she was a child her father gave her books illustrated by Howard Pyle, pen and ink, black and white, which she says "inspired me enormously and definitely implanted a love of pattern and detail. My father was a sculptor, he carved wood and would carve horses, tired work horses and people from the trunks of trees. His studio was filled with those books of photographs of people and animals in motion and anatomy books. I wanted to be with my father so I would draw while he sculpted, and he wouldn't let me stop until he'd decided my drawing was correct. He'd say, 'the foreshortening in that foot is wrong, draw it again!' Sometimes I'd have to draw something twenty times; hard but great training. That still happens but now I have to be my father's voice."

Wendy is also an accomplished licensed artist and so I asked her about it. She has been formally licensing her art for about 7 years. Before that, as a commercial illustrator, she had images of hers re-used so that when she heard about "licensing” it sounded perfect and made a lot of sense to her.

© Wendy Edelson - Tossed Animals

She says: "One of the things I like about licensing is that it's a kind of vacation from the character driven illustration of children's books. In my books I have to create the characters consistently in various poses and moods. With my licensed art I can paint plants, flowers, objects, or animals and take a rest from the people. The two paths, licensing and children's books happily satisfy two different sides of what I love to do. Whenever I do a lot of one, I long to get back to the other."

Wendy is represented by an illustration agent and also a licensing agent. She also has quite a few "house accounts," clients she works with on her own. "I write lots of letters to publishers and clients that I would like to work with, and then, if we connect, continue either on my own or have them contact the proper agent. I'm pretty informal in my approach so I'm happy to have the expertise of agents in the business world." Wendy spends 7 days a week painting, she says.

"I guess what has already been said so many times, by so many other people that one should have as many collections as possible ready to go, and definitely a look, a recognizable style, a theme, something that sets them apart from everyone else", she suggests to newbies.

© Wendy Edelson - Snowman Bunny Border

She also adds: "My work is very personal, it's how I see. I see the world close up and I see in detail, rather than in graphic flat color and bold shapes. The recent trends seem to have been diametrically opposed to my style but I believe that one has to be true to one's own self, that if one's style is really different than what is currently popular one has a choice to make, to try to interpret the trend in one's particular hand or simply keep doing what feels true to one's self and hope that the pendulum swings back a bit. I think that there is a bit more movement towards traditional work and detail, I feel that change. I find that I am known for a very detailed illustration style and clients seek me out for that. Things have been quite tight in the market but they seem to be easing up a bit."

© Wendy Edelson - So many Bunnies Fabric

A couple of other tips she gives to us newbies are these: "One needs to be always looking, whenever one is in a store, anywhere and one sees something that resonates with them, their style; look to see who makes it, write it down and look them up on the Internet.

Just the other day, I saw really cute bowls with a snowman design filled with candy placed on the counters of my bank. My teller dumped all the candy out for me so I could write down the name of the manufacturer that was on the bottom of the bowl. Ideas and possible connections are everywhere! And, above all, be patient and willing to create MOUNTAINS of work for no immediate financial reward. One can easily work a year in advance so, especially in the beginning or during lean times, it can be a bit insecure financially. This makes it even more important that you love what you are doing, and that you have a recognizable look/style of your own."

© Wendy Edelson - Gabriel's Rhino

Wendy's take on trends is also very helpful. She says: "I think art licensing is always evolving, always changing, trends are, just that, trends, as soon as you notice a trend everywhere, it's probably too late to jump on the bandwagon. I find the best thing for me has been to create art that I love creating for myself, and hopefully that people who enjoy my work would enjoy this year, two years from now...indefinitely.

I illustrate books and create art for licensing, and I really only have one style. It's recognizable and the images for books are similar to the art I create for my fabric lines, for cards, for puzzles. I am working on tabletop and various decorative pieces for home and garden now and it is a fascinating process learning how to interpret my style for all these different items. I find I'm working 7 days a week at this point, but it's all fine. I feel truly fortunate and blessed to be able to have a foot in both the children's book and the art licensing worlds."

© Wendy Edelson - Scarf Stripe

www.wendyedelson.com

www.elevenlemons.blogspot.com 

I wish you all happy holidays!