An Art Licensing True Story - Artist Connie Publicover

I've done some amateur photography for many years and find it an incredibly diverse medium. Although I still have lots to learn, I enjoy experimenting with compositions, light and shadow, and the way photographs can evoke emotions. 

Inspirational indeed are the amazing photographs by Fine Art Photographer Connie Publicover. She lives in a small costal village in the beautiful province of Nova Scotia (Canada ) with her husband of 41 years. "I have always been interested in art and design. I'd been managing my own hair salon for over 20 years until health issues forced me to give it up – I was extremely ill and was not able to do much to fill my days, but by nature I was soon looking for something to fill my time.

Artist Connie Publicover

Photography provided me with the challenge I felt I was up for at the time; little did I know that it would turn into such great joy." Connie joined a few online photography clubs and rejoiced in every lesson she took. She met some amazing photographers whose work truly inspired her to want to do more than take snapshots. "I wanted to create something more but had no idea what that might be for several years."

Then came the photography lesson that sealed her fate ... she went out and photographed a dripping icicle! "I must have taken 50 shots of a dripping icicle hanging from my roof while standing on a chair on my patio before I finally captured the drop and rushed to my computer to get a better look at my masterpiece!"

© Connie Publicover

She was not happy with the results ... "my drop had a big dark spot in it; on closer inspection I learned it was a refraction of my back yard. I had seen refractions in still drops before but not in moving water. I couldn't find tutorials on the subject."  Connie spent about four years working with water drops before she was happy with the results. All other forms of photography fell by the way side for her as she worked with her obsession to capture the beauty mother nature has always known a water drop can hold.

"I find water drop photography to be extremely exciting as it allows me to see what the human eye is not fast enough to capture. These split milliseconds of beauty are mostly undiscovered and a true treasure to behold. I was inspired by this at a time in my life that I was needing to reinvent myself due to ill health." Connie truly enjoyed the challenge of trying to capture the beauty that can be found there.

© Connie Publicover

Art Licencing was something she knew very little about. In 2010 she attended the Surtex Show. "In my opinion Surtex is a must-go-to event. After walking the show and seeing all of the amazing work and showing my work to anyone who had the time, I left New York thinking that this was not something my work was well suited for," Connie said. All of the agents she had met, while they loved her work and told her to keep trying, did not know where they could licence her artwork; but she felt she needed an agent as she was not well enough informed to go it on her own.

A little over a year later she got a email from Michael Woodword with Out Of The Blue. "A phone call later and some serious checking and I decided to sign him as my agent. Things are at their very early stages for me in art licensing. I have signed a few licences for screen savers, prints and wall murals."

The bulk of her work is water drop photography, which is a very time consuming form of photography, she says. "I am self taught and thrive on working on new techniques to capture the beauty of the water drop."

© Connie Publicover

Connie also adds: "I would advise anyone who is interested in art licensing to walk the Surtex Show, it is a real eye-opener and can open many doors you did not know even existed. I believe it is important to keep one's work fresh so I keep trying new techniques."

She has also done some work for a designer who works with interior decorators on large Hotel projects and is looking forward to where that may lead her in the future.

"I find that the art world is a very large and exciting place and one never knows what new door will open."

More links about Connie's work:

http://www.snapsdrops.com

http://www.secondnature.com

http://www.magicmurals.com

From Fine Art to Licensing – Artist Sherri Buck Baldwin

I've been working on new color palettes to try out with my new collections – I was reading up about color psychology and the hidden meaning of colors in art in a couple of blogs to see if my memory was holding up as I studied this fascinating topic many years ago as part of an attachment to a course by the New York Institute of Photography. I had found it useful when applied to interior design as well as illustration.

I'm not sure yet how this will work in licensing but it's worth experimenting with the various concepts... But a sure thing is the beautiful art by artist Sherri Buck Baldwin that she kindly shares in this new interview.

Artist Sherri Buck Baldwin 

The Moon from My Attic: Please introduce yourself – I have been creating art for as long as I can remember. I earned a BFA degree with an emphasis in Fine Art Printmaking, letterpress and etching, from Illinois Wesleyan University. Reality struck with blinding force after graduation when I didn't know what to do to support myself. To pay the bills while I continued to draw and enter fine art shows I worked in an art supplies store, manufacturing, and as an illustrator for an ad agency, drawing nothing but furniture for their clients.

Ten years went by and I had increasingly frequent daydreams where the artwork I created in my home studio ended up on paper products and giftware items that earned royalties. I began to research the greeting card industry and discovered a small card company called Lang Graphics in my home state of Wisconsin. I submitted slides of my work (sound primitive?) and 4 of my images were accepted for Christmas cards in a new division called Main Street Press. Persistence began to pay off.

© Sherri Buck Baldwin - Oriole and Nasturtiums

TMFMA: How long have you been doing art licensing? After a year went by I was able to quit my day job at the ad agency and concentrate on artwork for Lang Graphics, creating Christmas cards and my first calendar. For the next 20 years I licensed my artwork exclusively with the Lang Companies for a variety of products and was consistently one of their top selling artists. By this time I had two children to raise and limited time to be creative so I was happy to work with one company. I left the Lang Companies when they went through bankruptcy proceedings in 2008. 

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? My high school art teacher was very inspirational by also being an award-winning children's book illustrator in addition to teaching. He constantly challenged me to improve my drawing skills and exposed me to the work of renowned illustrators like Arthur Rackham, N.C. Wyeth, and the Caldecott award winners. His best advice was to "draw what you know" and he was right.

© Sherri Buck Baldwin -Kitchen Herbs

TMFMA: What's your favorite medium or tool/s you create with? I work primarily in colored pencil, acrylic ink, and watercolor, but also enjoy soft pastels, mixed media collage, and relief printing. Every morning I look forward to commuting downstairs to my studio to work on one of several projects I have in progress.

One of my favorite subjects is birds of all kinds and I spend a lot of time photographing them for my reference files, being especially pleased when I capture them in flight. I like to layer my drawings of birds with subtle collage elements to emphasize their beautiful, delicate feathers and create a feeling of depth. Botanical illustration is another favorite and as a master gardener I have many subjects to choose from in my own gardens. For 2013 my Kitchen Herb Garden calendar, published by Andrews McMeel, has become the Field to Market calendar and I enjoyed painting scenes of bountiful produce from local farmer's markets. I also enjoy creating a new Santa Claus image each year as well as a variety of other suitable subjects for Christmas cards. 

© Sherri Buck Baldwin - Santa’s Garden Greens

TMFMA: Do you work with an agent or represent yourself? At this time I represent myself because I need to be knowledgeable about the licensing world, but that may change eventually. It is a challenge to find enough time to research companies, learn the necessary Photoshop skills, manage a website www.sherri-buck-baldwin.com and Facebook page...and keep on creating artwork.

TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field? In the same way that I believe far more in persistence than talent when it comes to being an artist, success in licensing comes from researching manufacturers and being persistent in showing your art. Read trade journals, join groups like the Art of Licensing on LinkedIn, and walk a trade show. I have found it to be very helpful to chat up the owner of retail shops that I admire because their opinions on trends and brands can be very helpful. Send jpegs to manufacturers where you think your art might fit in, but don't expect to get an answer right away - it could be weeks or months before you hear anything. And don't expect any feedback if your art isn't accepted. Cultivate a thick skin, patience, good time management skills, and belief in what you create. 

© Sherri Buck Baldwin - Goldfinches on Thistles TMFMA: Anything else that you'd like to share? In the current stage of my art career I continue to pursue licensing arrangements and nurture the relationships I have to date with Legacy Publishing, Andrews McMeel, and Leanin' Tree. I am also getting ready to produce a small range of paper products on my own. I'm working with a talented designer, Karen Ware Erickson, who was instrumental in Lang's phenomenal success with their lines of Christmas cards, calendars, boxes, and mugs. In addition to being a talented designer, she is also an excellent illustrator. Here is a link to an album of some of our collaborations (note by the editor: you can access this link only if you are logged into your own Facebook account). I enjoy being the creative director for a change and having a say in how my art is used. With continued persistence and a shot of luck I hope to strike a balance between licensing my art and producing products on my own. © Sherri Buck Baldwin - Sunflower Your comments are welcome. Please enter them  in the comment section below.

The Art of Photography in Licensing - Artist Dianne Woods

While working away at tweaking my new website and creating new collections, I've been learning more Photoshop shortcuts... vital to know in order to swiftly produce a series of designs and tearsheets for a deadline! 

And speaking of mastering tools like Photoshop, I invite you to read this great interview with artist Dianne Woods. She is a professional photographer and also creates beautiful images for licensing. Here's her story:

Artist Dianne Woods

TMFMA: Please introduce yourself – I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in photography from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Over the next 30 years I worked on location and in the studio shooting assignments for clients in the wine industry, design and advertising, manufacturing, and for publishers of books and magazines.

Today I live happily in Berkeley with my husband Brad and our tuxedo cat Sunny. Moving from one passion to another, I am retired from commercial photography and now devote my time to creating art for commercial applications. My client list includes companies in the stationery and giftware industries, wall art manufacturers and the music business.

© Dianne Woods

TMFMA: What's exciting about your creative work? I am particularly intrigued by the process by which an image moves from mere idea to something tangible and ready for licensing to a manufacturer. For example, last year my agent suggested I develop a collection combining two themes that sell well in the licensing industry and are of artistic interest to me – cats and flowers. I immersed myself in the idea and when I came up for air we had 20 new images that had not existed just weeks before. We called the collection "Felines & Floral" and Kimberly (my agent) placed them with a calendar company almost immediately.

In another example, I have a client on the east coast who manufactures wall-art for the home décor industry. She contacts me frequently with requests for art with specific themes. She might send me an email saying, "I need two pieces with poppies" to which I respond, "OK -- give me two days and I'll send jpgs for your approval." There is something endlessly fascinating and exciting to me about the path from envisioning an idea to a tangible result.

© Dianne Woods

TMFMA: Who or what has inspired you in your art? My late mother was my original source of inspiration for my attraction to art and photography; she graduated from the Parsons School of Design in New York in the early 1940s. While she exchanged a career in commercial art to become a wife and mother, her personal history as an artist and her interest in art as an avocation in later years served as a model and paved the way for me.

I am inspired in my art by beautiful things to look at; great design; color usage and relationships; imagery that stirs emotions; and - at the top of my list - the quality of light. I notice its source and direction; how it draws shape and renders texture; and what feelings it evokes. In real life, as in art, I'm habitually alive to and inspired by the quality of the light.

© Dianne Woods

TMFMA: How long have you been doing art licensing? I signed my first contract three years ago with a greeting card company - which is a great place for an artist interested in licensing to get started. If you would like to explore the potential in the greeting card industry, I recommend Kate Harper's blog. There you will find a comprehensive list of greeting card publishers and their submission guidelines.

Over the course of my career, I have taken classes and workshops to stay on top of my game. It was in one of these classes that I became acquainted with a painting program. From the minute I booted the software I felt I was in the zone. 

I was delighted to find my years of experience as a photographer translated directly into the new medium. The learning curve was steep, but once I had a grasp of the software concepts, I was off and painting. While creating imagery is its own reward, the additional challenge and reward of selling my art adds to the satisfaction of working in this industry. 

© Dianne Woods

TMFMA: Do you work with an agent or do you represent yourself? I signed with Kimberly Montgomery of Montage Licensing last year. In the three years I've been in the industry Kimberly is my second agent.

This partnership has been beneficial to me in many ways. Working as a team, brainstorming on everything from business development to fine tuning imagery, I feel less isolated and have acquired a broader understanding of the industry and my place in it.

It's the agent's responsibility to negotiate the licensing contract. If an agent stays current with the players, politics and changes in the industry, they have a better sense of what to ask for in a contract, when to ask for more, and when to be satisfied with what is being offered. That's not to say that an artist can't negotiate a contract on their own behalf; they certainly can, and many do. I simply notice that I'm more comfortable leaving the negotiation of a contract to someone with more experience than I have.

© Dianne Woods

The keys to a successful working relationship with an agent are first and foremost: find a good fit. After that, be your creative self; work hard; never, ever miss a deadline; and give your agent the support they need to promote you.

And here's the best part: with each potential client Kimberly pursues and each new contract we sign, my work gets stronger; I feel more focused, and I'm having more fun!

TMFMA: In your view, what's a key/most important quality to develop as a licensing artist in order to succeed in this design field? Have the emotional wherewithal to hear requests for changes to your art and the technical skill to execute them promptly. If your art is rejected, and it will be, don't take it personally. Rejection is not necessarily a statement about the quality of your work – it's more likely a statement about market trends. Art licensing is a business. Be persistent.

© Dianne Woods

TMFMA: What advice would you give other artists that are considering the art licensing field? A topic frequently explored on artist and licensing blogs is the tendency for artists to become isolated. While solitude can be a great contributor to the creative process, it can also make you a little loopy.

My solution has been to join a group here in the San Francisco Bay Area. We meet once a month to discuss the industry, review portfolios, give and listen to feedback, get inspired, vent frustrations, hear guest speakers, swap technical tips, and just generally be connected and enjoy each other's company.

© Dianne Woods

Being a member of "Bay Area Licensing Artists" has been the antidote to isolation for me. I'm sure I wouldn't be enjoying art licensing as much if it were not for this group of creative people, all of whom I count as friends. I cannot recommend enough being connected with a group of licensing artists on a regular basis.

Your comments to this post 

are welcome!

Bold, Whimsical and Colorful Designs - Interview with Creative Director Mary Beth Freet

© 2012 Alex Colombo The last couple of weeks have been so fun and busy but also full of nice but unexpected turns of events ... I am now represented by Montage Licensing, a wonderful licensing agency owned by long-term successul licensing artist Kimberly Montgomery – I always planned to represent myself but this great deal came about and I am happy to have signed up with her! Additionally, I finished my new website, which is now up and running; if you wish to take a peek you can find it here, at AlexColombo.com. It is just about the perfect time to have one to display my first set of everyday/florals and holidays collections! More coming soon...! And in tune with the world of art licensing, agents, artists and inspirational designs, here is a fun and full-of-good news interview with Mary Beth Freet. Artist & Creative Director Mary Beth Freet The Moon from My Attic: Please introduce yourself - Hello, my name is Mary Beth Freet and I am the Creative Director of Pink Light Design, DBA Pink Chandelier. You can see our current products that are licensed on our blog. TMFMA: Can you please tell us your story in art licensing? I began my journey in art licensing when I first exhibited at Surtex in 2009. It was an amazing experience! My goal was to become the next Lilla Rogers Studio! I had walked Surtex the year before and was so blown away by their artist's designs and I wanted to do something similar. In December of 2008 I started Pink Light and work diligently for the next five months to be ready to showcase my designs at Surtex in May.  I went with the intention of learning as I went and I took every opportunity to learn from experience, my clients, and my peers. In the past few years PInk Light has grown quickly and I now represent over 12 artists from around the world. Pink Light's style is bold, graphic, whimsical, and colorful. In 2010 I launched "Pink Chandelier" which is a more sophisticated take on our fun designs.  © Pink Light Design TMFMA: As a designer, what are the challenges in this current market? How do you meet them? The challenges from my perspective is finding great artists who have time to really create great pieces throughout the year. Also, patience is very important in the licensing world. It can sometimes be a year or so before a design will be chosen. But if you have patience, it can definitely be worth it.  TMFMA: As an art licensing agent, how do you find a new artist? Do you go by referrals or do you go through websites, portfolios, blogs or on-line shops? Or do prefer to meet them in person at licensing shows? What do you look for? © Pink Light Desi I find most of my artists through the print and pattern blog. I typically will do a call for designs and then I go through all of them to find artists who will fit our style. Furthermore, I look for artists who have a large portfolio of great designs. This can be a difficult process because an artist may have one or two really great pieces and it's hard to really get a feeling for their depth and talent. I also look for artists who have experience in the mass market because in the licensing business it is important that the artwork be sellable across a wide range of products and age ranges. I find that artists who do have this "mass market" experience, those who have worked in-house for retailers, understand the process and design needs and are much more successful in designing collections and understanding client requests for custom work.  © Pink Light Design TMFMA: Do you employ POD (Print on Demand) or other online sites to license your art or do you only work with traditional manufacturers? I aim to work mostly with traditional manufacturers at this point.  TMFMA: What's you view of the current market and trends? I feel like the current market is great. I started my business in what others viewed as a "down economy" but I don't share this point of view. I believe that you can do anything that you set your mind to, regardless of what others prefer to believe. Therefore, the market is always full of possibilities. There are always people who will need great designs and as long as you can offer a service that will bring your clients success, it's a win-win situation.  © Pink Light Design Regarding trends, the biggest thing that I am seeing now is that people want an experience and an overall "feeling" with their designs. In the same way that customers love a unique store experience or a great vacation, or the feel of a beautiful fabric or textured paper, they want that same feeling with their designs. Create artwork that will take them away, if just for a moment.  TMFMA: How do you see the future of licensing? With just a few years in, I see it as a personal learning experience. The great thing about licensing is that there really are no rules. At the same time, artists need to educate themselves and understand their value in order to be really successful in the licensing business. Artists need to offer something fresh and new that manufacturers cannot get from an in-house artists or purchase outright at a trade show. Therefore, it can be a challenging task but well worth the effort and journey if you bring your passion for art and business with you!  © Pink Light Design TMFMA: Can you share your current design projects? We have so many designs that are out there right now. Take a look at our blog to see some of our artist's work. Our fabrics can be found through Robert Kaufman. We have stationery products launching at Target in March and April and will be available year round. These are under the Pink Chandelier brand and they are AMAZING!! Stay tuned for more info. We have designs licensed with Design Design that are in Papyrus stores. We have scrapbook artwork with Studio G for Valentines Day that will be available at Walmart Stores. We have cell phone cases through Uncommon that are in Apple Stores worldwide. We had many gift bags and gift boxes in Target for the holidays just to name a few.  © Pink Light Design TMFMA: What are some of your upcoming licensing projects? We work with numerous manufacturers and are continually meeting new clients at trade shows. We will show at The Licensing Expo in Las Vegas in June for the first time and plan to move into more character licensing in the next year. Off the top of my head...in 2012...Angela Nickeas has folders and notebooks coming out for Back to School product with Class Act. Diana Skylacos has a paper tableware collection launching with Design Design. Lucy Sturgess, Jen Da Silva and Angela Brumby have fabric collections launching with Studio e fabrics. Mary Beth Freet has notebooks, folders, binders launching with Class Act to be in Target and Walmart stores. Nina Seven has a scrapbook collection with Momenta, paper tableware with Unique Industries, and fabric with Robert Kaufman. Elizabeth Caldwell has a fabric collection with Robert Kaufman. Jane Dixon and Mary Beth Freet have planners to be launched with Andrews McMeel.  © Pink Light Design Various artists have greeting cards licensed with Design Design. Jennifer Cepeda has a scrapbooking collection to launch with Momenta. Elizabeth Caldwell and Jen Da Silva have wall decals that will launch with Roommates Peel and Stick. Jen Da Silva, Angela Nickeas and Mary Beth Freet have wall art that will launch with Oopsy Daisy. Mary Beth Freet has a fabric collection that will launch with Robert Kaufman. It will be a FUN YEAR!!!!  TMFMA: What advice can you give to new artists to help them learn and do art licensing? Don't be afraid to ask questions. People are always willing to help. Have a big portfolio. You cannot expect to keep sending out the same designs and get them picked up. Clients want fresh, fresh, fresh, new, new, new. Take classes and learn as you go. Get experience working with buyers in some capacity. This will help you understand the process. Oftentimes, decisions are made that have little to do with your artwork. Buyers have to take so many things into consideration. Understanding WHAT they are looking for and what other factors they have to consider will 100% make a difference in what you bring to the market. Make mistakes and learn from them. Most of all, follow your heart and have fun!  Your comments are welcome.

Inspirational Botanical Art – Artist Karen Kluglein

I have been working on developing more ideas for art to be licensed and fine tuning my initial collections as a result of last week's review from my local art licensing group. If you don't have one in your area you might want to start one up, it's so fun and rewarding!

And for a new week of beautiful and inspirational art I invited artist Karen Kluglein for an interview. Her mother was a watercolorist and her father a woodworker, so she comes from an artistic background.

Artist Karen Kluglein

"People always ask if I learned how to paint from my mother but I did not", Karen says – "she painted at the kitchen table when my sister and I were in school and so I never saw her paint until she had her own studio later in life. Our work looks very similar both in subject and style and though I have worked hard to perfect it I have also been lucky."

Karen went to the School of Visual Arts for illustration and was freelance primarily in advertising and food packaging for about 20 years. When computers took over and illustration was no longer done by hand she eventually discovered botanical painting.

Karen's food packaging

She says: "I went to an American Society of Botanical Art Exhibition and knew that my work was a perfect fit. The ASBA has members from all over the world. It is a specialized art. Shows are judged for composition, scientific and color accuracy, detail, etc. Most people looking at the work would not see what judges would appreciate."

She has also received awards and recognition in the botanical painting field relatively quickly – "I am always trying to push myself a little further whether it is being keenly aware of composition or adding whimsy or depth to my paintings, as there is always something to strive for."

Botanical paintings by Karen

Karen adds: "I love working with watercolor. Soon after I began my botanical work I started painting on vellum which is animal skin. Having been a vegetarian for many years I try to make each painting the very best I can so the vellum is not going to waste and the painting will be treasured."

She also says she was lucky to have had the luxury of time to spend many hours drawing while in high school. They had an experimental program where they had a certain amount of free time each day. She was known to always be in the art room drawing and she knows this helped her drafting skills tremendously. Karin also had a professor while she attended Visual Arts, Marvin Mattelson, whose wife was her representative during her illustration years. He was her mentor.

© Karen Kluglain - Lilacs

"Right now I am working on some commissions for a woman who is creating a one of a kind book. She has chosen botanical artists working on vellum to contribute to her project. It is going to be very beautiful. I also teach at the New York Botanical Garden in Manhattan and on the eastern end of Long Island. I exhibit in the ASBA shows so my time is divided in a few different areas" – Karen says.

Karen does not yet have her art licensed. It is something she is interested in but would like to make sure she finds the right fit for her work. "Because it is so detailed and delicate I often think it would be suitable for fine china where it would not loose detail in the printing. I often feel my life has unfolded in phases and licensing may be the next phase for me!"

For more of Karen's beautiful artwork see her website.