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reason 300 08 Make Art That Sells Reason #8 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

Reason #8 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

For graduates of our other Make Art That Sells courses, Lilla’s pep talks are legendary. This new course brings you a whole new set of weekly pep talks about the creative life, packed with tips, tricks and advice from your Fairy Artmother. Lilla also shares a series of thoughts about growing your creative business, which are sure to inspire some a-ha moments. Behind-the-scenes of the filming of the course Did we mention they are filmed in her newly decorated studio, with a ton of gorgeous products and quirky vintage finds to drool over… Besides the pep talks, MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor is packed full of resources you can’t get anywhere else, including: Finishing notes for manufacturing in metal, ceramics, fabric, glass and wood/mdf (this is what helps you speak the language of the art directors, and get your products manufactured how you want) A series of Art Director’s


reason 300 07 Make Art That Sells Reason #7 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

Reason #7 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

All the Make Art That Sells experiences are special, not only because of what you learn and how you grow, but because of who you share the experience with. Each course offers you the opportunity to join a private online community of artists just like you – others who want to make it as a professional, who also have growing pains, successes to celebrate, and advice to share. Often class participants form strong bonds with other artists in class, organizing local meetups, becoming friends and even exhibiting together at trade shows. This class is just like that—you will share the experience with a community of artists from all over the world. You can be part of something amazing, and that is something to be treasured. MATS manifesto by alumnus Annabel Tempest Gone are the days when art school was the only place to learn how to make art and get


reason6 thumb Make Art That Sells Reason #6 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

Reason #6 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

At the beginning of the course you will be provided with three cutting edge trend boards. These have been put together for you by art director Margo Tantau who oversees the production of more than 5,000 products a year and knows exactly what is hot and what is not. You will choose one of these trend boards as your guide and inspiration for the entire course. Each week you will get a mini exercise to loosen you up, and then a full Assignment to help you develop a professional-level portfolio piece. Each Assignment will be inspired by the trend board you choose, to ensure that the work you produce is on trend or ahead of trend. Class work by Sandrine Monnier, inspired by one of Margo’s trend boards After the full five weeks, you will end up with an outstanding, commercially-viable and very current presentation of a full home décor


reason 300 05 Make Art That Sells Reason #5 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

Reason #5 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

MATS classes are generally not technical classes, but in the case of MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor, we include technical guidance on how to mock up your collection ideas onto innovative product templates. ‘Happy Together’ collection by course graduate Sophie Dufresne Top art director and co-course leader Margo Tantau provides you with a host of interesting product templates for each of the five most popular materials used in the home décor market—fabric, metal, glass, ceramics and wood/MDF. As a class participant you have permission to use these rights free in your portfolio, and they will spark a ton of ideas for creating your own templates too. Furthermore, through participating in the class, you will see the work of many other talented artists, which will inspire you to dream up new ideas and present your collections in innovative ways. There is NOTHING else out there quite like this. Feel like


reason 300 04 Make Art That Sells Reason #4 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

Reason #4 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

Attracting clients is hard work. Often they will buy or license a single design from you, and then perhaps give you repeat business in the future. Wouldn’t it be better to land an entire product line or collection deal in the first place? MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor is your key to selling more to each client. Why? Because the course teaches you how to think differently, and see your art in three dimensions instead of two dimensions—think ‘art on products’. And then it teaches you to see your art on multiple products, which work together. This isn’t about taking one pattern and putting it on several different products, but about presenting coordinating art pieces on complementary products, so your client, and their customer, wants to buy more than one thing at once. Concepts developed in class by Sam Osborne The course will make you think differently about materials,


reason 300 03 Make Art That Sells Reason #3 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

Reason #3 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor

We all have dream clients. Maybe you swoon every time you walk into Anthropologie, your heart races when you see a new home collection in Crate & Barrell, or you daydream about seeing your work on Land of Nod bedding. The clearer you are about your dream client, and the more you understand what they want and what their customers look for, the more chance you have of landing work from them. However, dreaming is not enough. You need to demonstrate to them that you have the concept ideas they want, and attract them with compelling presentations. Home collection by course graduate Patricia Lebedel MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor will teach you exactly how to template your work onto product ideas, and present these as exciting collection concepts which will make potential clients notice you. Each week of class you will create a presentation board for a series of


reason 300 02 Make Art That Sells Reason #2 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

Reason #2 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

One of the main mistakes artists make when showing at Surtex and other trade shows for the first time is not having enough work in their portfolio. Clients want to see diversity, but they also want to see depth. To understand what you are capable of, they need to see a host of pieces. All of the MATS courses can help you build your portfolio, but MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor goes one step further by teaching you how to present your work as collections, showcasing your ideas for product concepts, making your work instantly more appealing to art directors, and therefore more commercially viable and valuable. Not only are they more likely to notice you, but they are more likely to buy more from you, and work with you for longer because suddenly you know how to speak their language. Class graduate Diane Neukirch’s ‘Field Flowers’ collection Career


reason 300 01 Make Art That Sells Reason #1 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

Reason #1 of Ten Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

“This course is teaching something desperately needed in the industry. It’s a gamechanger.” Margo Tantau, VP of Creative for MidwestCBK, responsible for the production of around 5000 new products each year MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor has been developed in collaboration with top art director Margo Tantau in response to something she saw lacking in the industry. Time after time talented artists were showing their portfolios to her, but only demonstrating what their work looks like in two dimensions, as flat art, such as patterns and illustrations. However, as someone responsible for producing 5000 products a year, Margo needed ideas for products, and felt that if artists could only show concepts in their portfolio, it would make them stand out because: She would know that they have great ideas that could be developed together She would immediately see the potential applications for their art on products She would know


Happy New Year from Lilla!

Happy New Year! A new year brings an opportunity for a new start, goal setting and fresh determination. This message from Lilla will encourage you to take action to ensure that you grow your art career in 2016: [vimeo]https://vimeo.com/149382275[/vimeo] This is the Venn diagram Lilla refers to in the video: If you want to kick off the year with a course to take your art to the next level, join us for MATS: Creating Collections for Home Decor, starting on January 25, where you will learn how to conceptualize and pitch products like these: Selection of products from Lilla Rogers Studio artists created for Margo Tantau Here are some of the kind words that have been shared by graduates of this course: “This is a “Where Have You Been All My Life?” one of a kind, high quality, chock-full of greatness, must-do course.” – Judy Sorrels “I am incredibly grateful that


The MATS Festive Student Showcase – part 11

We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase part 10 of the festive designs and products they have created for the season. See all the festive showcase posts here *** Anne Bentley I’m new-ish to MATS, having taken bootcamp and MATS A for the first time this year. One thing, in particular, that Lilla said during MATS A has really resonated with me. And that’s to do the kind of work I like to do and be myself. Because of MATS I’ve ‘met’ this incredible community of illustrators. I’m going to Surtex in 2016 with the Finch & Foxglove art collective. See more of Anne’s work here: Website | Instagram *** Rachel Mense This is a Holiday Greeting card for those who love a good adventure and winter thrills. Playing with geometric winter wonderland creatures and non-traditional Christmas colors. I have