Bootcamp Gallery: Lilla's Top Picks! {Part 2}

Here is part 2 of Lilla’s top picks from each of the 2015 Bootcamp Galleries. If you missed part 1, check it out here.

Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp with Lilla Rogers is a structured five-month program of monthly assignments to help you build a strong body of work. It is an exciting online experience to help you create professional-level art in a supportive, nurturing environment, at a relaxed pace over an extended period of time.

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Part 2 is from the February 2015 gallery with comments on each piece.

Artists were asked to make a piece of wall art on a wooden slab using their artwork from the mini assignment on vintage plate designs. I was impressed with the huge amount of stylistic variety. It was impossible to choose! I’ve selected these pieces as they beautifully illustrate unique styles.

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Tracy Satchwill

First up: We see an arresting and beautifully-drawn portrait in a symmetrical design, with the impact of a black background. I love the photo flowers and the decorative gold border around the edge.

I would remove the smaller piece as it’s so similar to the larger one, and takes away from the impact. It would allow you to make the large piece even larger so there’s less background. This will create even greater impact.

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Dina Bernardin

Here’s a really charming piece showcasing the wooden slab and bark. The very balanced composition is super pleasing. The limited color palette creates a strong point of view. We’re talking robin’s egg blue, muddy pink, ivory, and greys. Not every color in the rainbow is used.

Check out the sweet white flowers on the blue background. They are fairly subtle, so they don’t compete with the main focus: the bird on the flowery branch, yet they add a nice texture.

The storytelling of the bird holding the egg on a string is kind of quirky. The bird is well drawn, and anatomically correct. (A badly drawn bird would wreck everything.)The triangles add hipness.

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Donna Filman

What a magical world created here. Look at the care in which this landscape is rendered. Everything is abstracted in a similar manner, so it holds together stylistically. That means it looks like the same person painted the whole thing.

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Sandra Murta

Simplicity is not easy. There’s not a lot of “stuff” here, but it all has a charming quirk, and is highly stylized. The graphic design of the the tree juxtaposed against the yellow background is striking, and would reproduce well small on social media and in a sales catalog. However, it’s the character’s charm that makes the piece.

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Shannon Newlin

If the last piece was about minimalism, this one is about maximalism. Every square inch is entertaining. What’s important in wall art? Art directors look for a piece that you can stare at on your walls for a long time. There’s a lot of contrast on this piece. How is this accomplished? The painting encompasses hues from white to black.

The quote is dreamy and thought-provoking, which matches the piece. Think about the vibe of your quote if you include one in your piece. Does it fit with your style?

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How do you make a piece of art enchanting, and appropriate for children, yet not syrupy? Perhaps it’s the careful rendering of the bear and girl, the beautiful colors, and the creation of a mood. You can sense the care put into this piece. It feels meditative, un-rushed, deliberate. It’s lovely how the piece itself is placed on weathered wood all of which adds to the woodsy feel. The art fits the oval shape well, and the symmetrical branches along the sides help reinforce the oval shape.

Here’s a piece that suggests a career in children’ book illustration. One of the key elements in kid book illustration is character design and facial expression, both of which are exemplified here. Just to top things off, the artist’s logo on the bottom left is really pretty.

Belinda Sigstad

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Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp with Lilla Rogers is an exciting online experience to help you create professional-level art in a supportive, nurturing environment, at a relaxed pace over an extended period of time.

It will help you stay motivated – the best way to improve career is to make art. It will give you structure. It can be so hard to do it on your own – this way you don’t have to. And it will be super fun!

Class starts on March 7.

Book your spot now!