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Category:Course: Creating Collections for Home Decor
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reason 300 03 Make Art That Sells Reason 3 of 10 Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

Reason 3 of 10 Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

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 10 Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

Reason 2 of 10 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 300 011 Make Art That Sells Reason 1 of 10 Reasons to join MATS Creating Collections for Home Decor

Reason 1 of 10 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, Creative & Design lead MADISON PARK GROUP 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 a Creative Director, 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 that they get what she needs, so will probably be good to work with


katievernonhomedec 650x520 Make Art That Sells Imagine designing your own home décor collection! Meet Margo. Success stories.

Imagine designing your own home décor collection! Meet Margo. Success stories.

Today I’m going to focus on our Creating Collections for Home Décor course because I’m pretty much in love with this course and my co-teacher, the very cool, kind, and savvy Margo Tantau, highly respected creative director who has licensed a ton of art for all kinds of home décor products. Here’s Margo Tantau, my co-teacher. Wouldn’t you love to learn how to make your own home décor collection from her? Let me introduce you to one of the artists I represent, Carolyn Gavin, and tell you about one of her (many) success stories. Here she is… …and this is one of the assignments she did in the MATS Creating Collections for Home Décor course… …and this is the incredible and beautiful home décor collection she got from her classwork: Seriously, the course totally works. Remember, tomorrow is the very last day to sign up and get 30% off the


Katie Vernon copy Make Art That Sells See a variety of gorgeous work by my students and six tips for you.

See a variety of gorgeous work by my students and six tips for you.

I love nothing more than seeing an artist take one of my courses and watching their work bust out all over in fabulousness. You may think I’m just saying that to be braggy, but the proof is in the pudding. I expect the very best of my students and push them because I want them to make a living with their art. Today I’m going to show you student work from our Creating Collections in Home Décor course that I co-teach with the lovely and savvy Margo Tantau, top creative director who delivers a ton of inside information to help students make outstanding pitches. Check out the range of styles on these pitches for home décor collections done in class. I love that everyone can be themselves. TIP 1: Show a product range in various substrates such as wood, glass, fabric, metal and ceramic, as Portia has done here: Portia


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


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


MATS Home Decor Student Showcase part 3 {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 ***   Marenthe Otten | MARENTHE It was music to my ears when the task was set – being allowed free rein with lettering is always a dream. Also ceramics are absolutely MY THING! I adore cooking and I think I have about 20 smashing serving platters and much much more ceramics at home. I’m a crazy collector:-) How did the Home Décor class help you grow?  It was fabulous being part of this group. The assignments were FAB, the other students were so kind, open and helpful, I learned so much. It forced me in a gentle way to get out of my comfort zone. It taught me how to build a bridge between designer


bhldn Make Art That Sells #homedecsecrets Part 5: WOOD/MDF

#homedecsecrets Part 5: WOOD/MDF

When making art to pitch to an art director to get one’s very own home decor collection, most people think of plopping their art on pillows, lampshades, and something to hang on the wall. Did you know that there are tons of products you can show that will help you stand out? You can take a product like a ceramic plate, for example, and indicate a raised or embossed design? These extras are called ‘finishing techniques’ and all this week we have been sharing a peek at some of the finishing techniques showcased in our upcoming class ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’ (which starts on Monday 16 May!). We are giving you daily prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Our last material is… WOOD/MDF. Wood is such a basic part of our every day, it’s something we almost forget about. Take a look around your house… what is


asentia Make Art That Sells #homedecsecrets Part 4: CERAMICS

#homedecsecrets Part 4: CERAMICS

How would you like to have a top creative director tell you all about what she looks for in a top-notch home decor pitch? All this week Margo Tantau is sharing a peek at some of the finishing techniques showcased in our upcoming class ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’, and giving you daily prompts to get your creative juices flowing. Next up is CERAMICS. This is another ancient element that comes from the earth. One of the main ceramic making centers in China is called Dehua. It’s a fascinating area to visit, tucked deep in the mountains. They’ve been making ceramics there, especially porcelain, for over 2,000 years. Every product is hand touched and handmade to some extent. Clay vessels are one of the earliest forms of decorative and functional art on record. There are myriad ways that you can express yourself with and take your art to ceramics.