We are so proud of our Make Art That Sells Alumni, that we are pleased to continue a series of spotlight interviews showcasing their successes and artwork. We also ask them to share how the MATS courses have helped them learn and grow. You can see more Alumni Success stories here
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Today, we have an interview with alumni Irene Lee. Irene has taken MATS Bootcamp and participated in the Global Talent Search.
Tell us a little about how you got started in art and design
It may sound cliche to say that I’ve always been into art, design and crafts. I grew up drawing all the time and crafting a ton. On my birthday, my mom would take me to the craft supply store and let me buy a bunch of pom poms and ribbon and whatever else I was into. I just kept drawing, painting and taking photos and in high school I learned the Adobe Creative Suite. I decided to major in graphic design at the University of Southern California. Each year I fall more and more in love with art and design and the ways they both can translate to any medium.
Lilla always says “People buy your joy.” What brings you joy?’
Lots of things! I love simple things like flowers, sunshine and classic fairytales. I also am so inspired by Disneyland and Disney and Pixar animated movies. I have a lot of creative friends and people I look up to, and seeing the work they put out brings me joy.
Which is your favorite market(s) to design for and why?
I love creating children’s content but also making things that I, a girly-girl in her 20’s, would like.
What are you working on currently?
My friends and I have a greeting card boutique called Love Notes which I create lettering pieces for stationery. I also am in a mermaid phase and I’m drawing a lot of mermaids just for fun. One of my dream is to have an illustration business and sell my work as prints, cards, etc so I’m always making lots and lots of work!
What are some of the key things you have learnt from the MATS experience?
I’m learning lots of things! I like the MATS assignments because they’re always about designing for markets and understanding what is popular and trending. It’s always good for me to remember that I’m creating work that not only pleases me but pleases larger audiences.
How have the classes helped your artwork evolve /grow?
I love the MATS community and everyone’s support. I think it’s important to keep creating art and making things, but it’s great that in the MATS class, you’re with a bunch of like-minded people. I love seeing what other classmates are producing and how everyone is so talented and unique. It inspires me to keep working and pushing myself.
Any aha moments during MATS you would like to share?
This may seem obvious, but learning to illustrate with an audience in mind is SO important! I have a design background, and I am always considering my audience when making designs. For some reason, when I illustrate, I don’t think about my audience as much. Maybe because illustration feels more like personal expression sometimes. This class taught me to remember that to be a successful illustrator, you need to be mindful of the trends and of the markets.
What are your key successes since taking a MATS class?
By doing these two assignments, I got over my fear of drawing people faces! I love drawing the figure, but I was always scared to draw faces, since they’re really difficult! But the first two assignments we got in this class required us to draw faces. It’s nice to have a mini assignment tp practice before doing the main assignment.
How would you describe taking a MATS class to a fellow artist looking to develop their art
I would tell him/her that it’s a great class with a lot of resources and an awesome community. I would also say that it’s a great opportunity and that it’s what you make of it. If you invest a lot and work hard on the assignments, you’ll see a much bigger outcome than if you just whip things up last minute. Of course, this is something I need to remind myself since I can put things off if I’m not careful.
What is your dream gig for your artwork?
There’s a ton of brands I would love to work with. Pixar, Disney, Chronicle Books, Penguin and Target are amongst my favorites. I would also love to have my own business and make stationery like Rifle Paper Co. Another dream of mine is to illustrate a children’s book! I dream big!
See more of Irene’s work here: Instagram | Twitter
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