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MAY Make Art That Sells May 2016 Bootcamp gallery is now live!

May 2016 Bootcamp gallery is now live!

The third gallery from our 2016 Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp class is now live! This one is an absolute cracker. You can view it here: The gallery features nearly 250 pieces of original art inspired by the awesome MAY class assignment of tarot cards! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAY GALLERY! There was so much fabulous work submitted in response to this brief, and we love the ongoing supportive energy in the Bootcamp community. What a generous, talented group of artists they are! Here’s a snapshot from the class: Would you like to join us on one of our Make Art That Sells classes? Graduates of our courses have gone on to win work from clients such as Hallmark, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Oopsy Daisy, Uppercase Magazine, West Elm, Midwest CBK, and more. It is industry learning that works in the real world. Find out more HERE and start today!


JESS RACKLYEFT DREAMCLOTHES MATSBSP UPPERCASE Make Art That Sells MATS Live Review Showcase (MATS A and B) part 2

MATS Live Review Showcase (MATS A and B) part 2

We are thrilled to be showcasing a 4 part series of the ‘picks’ that Lilla and Janine chose as part of the live review. Here is part 2 from the MATS B ASSIGNMENT: Illustrate your ideal wardrobe or an outfit that best exemplifies who you are as a creative. Imagine this is to illustrate a magazine article. 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: MATS A Gallery | MATS B Gallery *** JESS RACKLYEFT Lilla and Janine’s thoughts: Love the delicacy with pencil and watercolor. Graphically would read really well on a page. Love the Mexican scarf. Really beautiful. *** HEATHER ROGERS Lilla and Janine’s thoughts: Love this piece. Looks


MATS Live Review Showcase (MATS A and B) part 1

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


Profile Gabriela Larios Make Art That Sells Alumni success 'spotlight' interview with Gabriela Larios

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


doorknobpdf2 Make Art That Sells Doorknob special! (+ Last chance this year for Creating Collections for Home Décor)

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


Mara Penny BWPortrait 2015 Make Art That Sells Alumni success 'spotlight' interview with Mara Penny

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


pictigar.com Make Art That Sells #mymatsprep DAY 5: YOUR IMAGINARY SHOP

#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


IMG 8189 Make Art That Sells #mymatsprep DAY 4: YOUR IMAGINARY ROOM

#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