Happy Festive season! We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase some festive designs and products they have created for the season. Here is part 3. See all the festive showcase posts here as they unfold.
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I created this pattern for a local Wisconsin shop to be used on holiday gift wrap. It features watercolor icons in a Wisconsin Christmas theme. I have since had a request to create a version for Montana too! More info and to purchase here
MATS classes have helped me tremendously in finding my style and feeling more confident in it! Deciding to take these classes was the best thing I ever did for my art career, I am so grateful for them. Working alongside a talented bunch of artists and illustrators from around the world has also helped, I value all the feedback I’ve gotten.
I look forward to even more classes and personal growth in 2017. Thank you MATS!
See more work here: Website | Instagram | Facebook
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SUSAN HUGHES | SUSAN HUGHES DESIGN
I painted a holiday wreath that I have put on gift enclosures. You can see the link here
I have taken the Illustrating Children’s Book MATS class.
I was initially hesitant to sign up for Illustrating Children’s Books class because of the cost and I thought all the praise might be just hype. But I was more than satisfied and feel I got every penny’s worth and then some. The class helped me develop my color story for Christmas. Lilla teaches that color is so important and she opened my eyes to new color schemes. Before Lilla, I would just paint with colors that I didn’t mix, but after MATS I always mix my colors and I am much, much happier with the results.
My memories of muted green and reds in my Aunt Ann’s house at Christmas along with her Primitive antiques with naturally distressed textures influenced the piece that I’m submitting. I was able to match the colors in reality with the colors in my imagination. Not too mention the lettering video included in the Illustrating Children’s Book course–I did the “happy holidays” lettering with tips from that video. Thank you Lilla for your influence.
See more work here: Website
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“The most wonderful time of the year, when family, friends and cookies are near!”
Watercolor illustrations of Holiday cookies designed for a card, paper goods or wrapping paper.
I have learned there is a wide number of outlets searching for art for products. I also purchased Lila Roger’s book, “I just like to make things”. The book and classes have been invaluable. When I go online to look for freelance projects I find I have pieces from the MATS classes that match the requirements of the job making it very easy to apply and occasionally get the job!
See more work here: Website
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A set of new Christmas card designs, inspired by loving relationships and the joy of the season – The Carrot Nose Collection. They can be purchased through my website.
I’ve taken Mats A, B, and Home Decor and they’ve been so educational and inspiring; full of insight, tips and techniques while introducing me to a wonderful world of sharing, caring artists. Seriously, life changing.
Next steps: keep designing, learning, taking on new challenges and diving into marketing my work. Hopefully more MATS classes in my future.
See more work here: Website
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DAWN GONZALES | DAWN GONZALES ILLUSTRATION & DESIGN
I grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming and Tucson, Arizona, and so I miss my Cowboy Christmases. This design was created as a seasonal garden flag for licensing.
The MATS BOOTCAMP classes were invaluable to me as an artist trying to reconnect with my first love of drawing. Since taking these classes, I have built up a body of work of which I am extremely proud, I have gotten a licensing agent and was able to attend Surtex 2016. Over the past two years, I have received some awesome jobs because of my enhanced skills.
My illustration and typography work have landed me projects doing t-shirt designs for a major retailer’s Spring 2017 line, licensed designs for bolt fabric and beer label packaging as well as several press mentions in Upper Case Magazine and Pattern Observer. Because of my work through MATS, I have gained a confidence that I had lost in my youth and am happy to share that this year my art will have been featured in 4 group gallery shows.
The most valuable thing I learned from Lilla Rogers and MATS is to “make art everyday.” Next up for me in 2017 is a wonderful full time Art Director dream job that I accepted last week. I couldn’t be happier. Thanks Lilla Rogers Studio School!
See more work here: Website | Instagram | Facebook
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Transform your art career and Make Art That Sells. Registration is open for Illustrating Children’s Books (starts 16 January, 2017), Assignment Bootcamp (starts March 2017) and our amazing self-paced versions of MATS A & MATS B which include a huge vault of reviews from Lilla and class assignments from all our previous sessions.
Great work everyone !! I am especially proud and fond of my daughter Dawn Gonzales’s creation!