Last month, Uppercase publisher Janine Vangool joined Lilla for a special LIVE REVIEW in our MATS Part A and Part B self-paced courses We shared one brand new assignment in each class and had over 100 submissions in each one. You can view the public galleries here. We are thrilled to be showcasing a 4 part series of the ‘picks’ that Lilla and Janine chose as part of the live review. Part 1 below is from the MATS A ASSIGNMENT: Illustrate the title page of a new version of the UPPERCASE Surface Pattern Guide, demonstrating your exuberant love of surface pattern. We shared one brand new assignment in each class and had over 100 submissions in each one. You can view the public galleries here: MATS A Gallery | MATS B Gallery SARAH GOLDEN Lilla and Janine’s thoughts: Really like the overall pattern with text. Incorporated hand- lettering is
Alumni success ‘spotlight’ interview with Gabriela Larios
We are so proud of our Make Art That Sells Alumni, that we are pleased to being 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 *** Today, we have an interview with alumni Gabriela Larios. Gabriela has taken Bootcamp, MATS A and MATS Home Decor. Tell us a little about how you got started in art and design My name is Gabriela Larios, Salvadorean textile designer and illustrator based in London. My love of drawing, textiles and illustration began when I was little. It was my artistic mother who taught me the first lessons about colour palettes and its various combinations. She also introduced me to the world of watercolours, which is to this day one of my favourite techniques. Animals and fishes were one
Doorknob special! (+ Last chance this year for Creating Collections for Home Décor)
In our recent Bootcamp class we shared some brilliant analysis from Margo Tantau into doorknobs. A pretty random, niche item you might think. But what this shows you is that there are literally hundreds of opportunities and products out there for your art. Understanding doorknobs could open the door to new possibilities for you (sorry, we couldn’t resist…) Anyway, we thought we’d share a little peek into the info we posted in Bootcamp…. Aren’t these knobs just delicious? They incorporate so many subtle techniques and finishes, as well as many interesting combinations. They are like little wonderful gems of ideas…miniature product, each and every one. Here’s a quick key so you can practice recognizing what each is made of! Most of the material is glued or screwed into a metal base that has standard threading to be able to be used as a knob or handle. Great options and detail.
MATS Home Decor Student Showcase part 5 {January 2016 class}
We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase a series of gorgeous work that was produced in our January session of Creating Collections for Home Décor *** Kay Wolfersperger This image is a collection of glassware. It is my favorite because the assignment inspired me to explore an unfamiliar substrate. Hearing the inside scoop on manufacturing and learning about surface techniques for glass opened my eyes to all it’s possibilities I had not considered before. How did the Home Décor class help you grow? The home decor class helped me by introducing this question into my approach – how do I take my work from satisfactory to exceptional? Once I was encouraged by Lila to ask myself this question it helped push my work to a more compelling level. What did you discover about yourself? I discovered that creating collections does
Alumni success ‘spotlight’ interview with Mara Penny
We are so proud of our Make Art That Sells Alumni, that we are pleased to being 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 *** Today, we have an interview with alumni Mara Penny. Mara has taken our Bootcamp twice, MATS B twice, Home Decor, entered the Global Talent Search (made the top 50 in 2015) and attended our Global Art Gathering in the UK Tell us a little about how you got started in art and design. I’ve been creative my entire life, so I guess I got started the day I was born ;) Lilla always says “People buy your joy.” What brings you joy?’ The creative process itself brings me joy. When it’s going really well I get into
#mymatsprep DAY 5: YOUR IMAGINARY SHOP
pictigar.com Complete this sentence. Be weird. Be yourself. Be nutty. Be a child. Once, a long time ago, I owned a special tiny little shop in the town of _____________________. I sold _________________ which everyone loved because __________. The name of my shop was _________________. It was only open on Tuesdays because ______________________. My best-selling item was: _______________ (Draw the shop if you like!) Can’t wait to see you in class. You are now prepared for the course, and hopefully motivated to make your dreamy killer pitch for you own amazing home décor collection with the guidance of expert Margo Tantau and me. Join the fun and show us your images for MATS Prep! –Upload your image on Instagram tagging @makeartthatsells and give it the hashtag #mymatsprep –To see all the fantastic images for MATS prep: Go to the #mymatsprep tag here
#mymatsprep DAY 4: YOUR IMAGINARY ROOM
Lilla Rogers Studio conference table and my big thinking throne on the upper right. I made this space exactly how I wanted it. Imagine the coolest room ever. It’s full of gorgeous prints that you love. Abundant colors and patterns fill the space exactly to your liking. There’s a fab chair for you to read in. What does it look like? Give it an ottoman to rest your feet, a special table to hold your coffee, place the perfect lamp on top, a little rug under it all. Now draw it so we can all see what your perfect spot looks like. Use your color palette from day 2. You’ve just created the beginning of a whole product line. We’ll teach you how to present it so that you get the home décor collection of your dreams. Join the fun and show us your images for MATS Prep! –Upload
MATS Home Decor Student Showcase part 4 {January 2016 class}
We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase a series of gorgeous work that was produced in our January session of Creating Collections for Home Décor *** Kym Orr The items shown are from fabric week with a focus on flora and fauna. My chosen mood board was “La Marina,” a seaside/ocean theme. I tried to capture the look of seaweed in a contemporary way, presenting it alongside other ocean elements, which I then applied to pillows, lampshades, tea towels, and ottomans. This image is my favorite from the course because it most closely represents my style, and I would actually love to own all of the items. How did the Home Décor class help you grow? It helped me see the bigger picture, that my artwork could be applied to a whole world of objects. Seeing my artwork mocked-up on
#mymatsprep DAY 3: WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO WORK FOR THE 5 WEEK INTENSIVE COURSE
Photo by Lilla Rogers Find a spot where you’ll make art for the course. Is it outdoors? At your art table? At a café? On a balcony in Bermuda? (Ok, maybe your space isn’t a vacation spot. That’s ok.) This is where you’ll be making art for 5 weeks. Make it special and inviting. Add flowers. Line up your supplies. Get a new paint palette. Put your pencils in a kooky vase or can. Show us the photo! Join the fun and show us your images for MATS Prep! –Upload your image on Instagram tagging @makeartthatsells and give it the hashtag #mymatsprep –To see all the fantastic images for MATS prep: Go to the #mymatsprep tag here
Free access to a live review with Lilla Rogers and Margo Tantau!
Often, when working on your portfolio in the quiet of your own studio, and sending things out to potential clients in the hope of landing work, it can feel like you are scrabbling in the dark. Is this on trend? Is this what they are looking for? What could I do differently to make it catch someone’s eye? There’s no-one there to answer those key questions for you. Enter the brilliant team of Lilla Rogers and Margo Tantau, who bring you both the view of the art agent (who lands the cool jobs for her artists) and the art director (who buys the art from those artists). Their combined experience of over five decades in the industry, and the placing of art on hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of products, is unparalleled. And today we are offering you the chance to see them in action for free! We are