Today, we have a guest post from MATS Alumni Linda Arandas who wrote to us to let us know how the ‘Creating Collections for Home Decor‘ class had helped her achieve a lifelong dream! So we asked her to share her success in today’s blog post.
A few weeks ago I was signed on by Abbey Road Fine Art Licensing (the fresh, artsy division of Penny Lane Publishing). MATS Home Decor really opened my eyes to the opportunities of art licensing in the lucrative home decor industry.
As a traditional artist (without Photoshop experience) I was hesitant to take the course, but I am very grateful that I took the leap of faith. I wasn’t flying alone on this journey…I was surrounded by a group of supportive fellow artists from around the world through the private Facebook group. We were all grateful to be taught by 2 of the leaders in the industry (Lilla & Margo).
Each week started with the “minis” …little drawing exercises that really helped to get my creativity flowing. We were given real-life trend boards to help steer us in the right direction.
My presentation skills were fine-tuned as I learned how to build fresh home decor collections and professional pieces for my portfolio. So much was covered in the course…a variety of substrates, finishing techniques, finishing notes and icons. It was intense…but I loved every moment.
MATS Home Decor was a growing season for me. It pushed me beyond my comfort zone. As an artist I believe that one should never stop learning. Taking this course and then participating in the Global Talent Search were 2 of the ways I nurtured my creativity in 2015. One of my favorite quotes from Lilla was “People buy your joy”. As I now begin my journey into the world of art licensing, it is my hope that my joy of creating shows in everything I do.
Linda Arandas is a mixed media artist from Pennsylvania. She loves to paint, art journal, collage and illustrate. Her love of lettering is often visible in her artwork. She is represented by
Abbey Road Fine Art***
Want to see this happen for your art?
What is home décor? It’s all the gorgeous and/or functional items in your house. It’s a booming market that needs tons of art, with over $60 billion in annual sales. Its massive growth is due in part to the popularity of home design TV shows, Pinterest, and Instagram, and stylish online retailers like One Kings Lane and Dot&Bo.
Art directors NEED your great art!
Our next live e-course, Make Art That Sells: Creating Collections for Home Décor starts January 25th and teaches you everything you need to know to create killer presentations with your art. Registration is open and we look forward to seeing your gorgeous designs.
Thanks for sharing such a valuable info!