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 *** Carol Lelivelt I chose my Wood presentation board as my favorite image because I think it’s a fantastic array of very salable products with lots of fun patterns. Featured are sea life, seashells, bubbles, seaweed, macrame, and lettering in colors of nautical blues, driftwood, and a pop of “crab” red. How did the Home Décor class help you grow? The Home Decor class made me grow by forcing me to do a lot of designing in a short amount of time. It was a good challenge to figure out how the patterns I created would best suit the substrate and product I put them on. What did you discover about yourself? I discovered a
Category:Lilla Rogers Studio School
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#homedecsecrets Part 3: GLASS
Did you know that you can take your home decor product pitch from good to great by adding what’s called “Finishing Techniques”? All this week we are 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 start seeing more possibilities for your art. Next up is GLASS… Glass is always a little mystifying and daunting, because it seems fragile yet strong all at once. It is ethereal, beautiful, purposeful, and practical. And we need it! Glass can be the basis of some amazing Home Décor pieces. Lighting, is a major use of glass – think lamp bases, pendant lamps, glass or crystal baubles hanging from a chandelier. Think pressed glass – something that would come out of a mold, like glasses, plates, or perhaps some decorative artwork pieces or glass tiles. Think serving

#homedecsecrets Part 2: FABRIC
Imagine taking your artwork and popping onto templates and getting your own licensed home decor line! We’re talking rugs, canvas art, aprons, dishes, vases, little sculptures, and more. Did you know there are secrets to make your pitch catch the eye of an art director? We’re chatting about it all this week and 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 FABRIC… Fabric can take so many forms. It can be printed, stitched, pieced, cut and sewn into so many things. It’s a great vehicle to show your artwork. It is very satisfying to see artwork come to life on fabric – anything from a tea towel to a sofa. It feels so important and so REAL when you see your artwork actually printed

#homedecsecrets Part 1: METAL
Did you know that there are things you can add to your Home Decor pitch that make you stand out? You don’t just want to show your art on a pillow, but there are ‘finishing techniques’ you can add to a basic pillow to make it really special. Today we’ll show you… In our upcoming course ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’, top art director Margo Tantau shares finishing techniques for each of the five most popular materials used for products in this market. These allow you to play with your product to make your presentation to the client even more exciting and marketable! We hope you’ll find them inspiring, and feel confident to try new and varied looks in your product pitches. That, in turn, will make your pitch more desirable and unique. Finishing techniques are different processes that can be done by the manufacturer’s factory to enhance the
MATS Home Decor Student Showcase part 1 {January 2016 class}
We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase a series of gorgeous student work that was produced in our January session of Creating Collections for Home Décor *** Mitzie Testani My showcase image is from Week 4: ceramics. It’s a mix of painted line converted to vector and traditional media (watercolor and gouache paint). It’s my favorite because I was able to combine typography, pattern and paint and I finally figured out how to step away from some of what I made and integrate more of my unedited, painted images. I made a ton of imagery that I didn’t use. I’m getting better at critiquing myself, I think. How did the Home Décor class help you grow? The pace and the challenges of designing for specific substrates really pushed me. I feel like I’m making better gut decisions when I work.

A day in the life of an art director
Margo Tantau, co-teacher of our upcoming class ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’ spends a huge amount of her time on the road, mostly in Asia, where she visits the very factories where they make the 5000+ products she oversees each year. Here is a glimpse into her work travels, so you can see just what is involved in bringing your art to life on products. *This is an excerpt from our online class ‘MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor’ which begins on May 16. Book your spot here. A day in China… Visiting the ceramic factory #inasiaagain. This is how I’ve started tagging all my trip pictures. I am both fascinated and humbled by the experiences I have as I work. I take it all in with respect and appreciation for the fact that I am part of the cycle of life here.. but also merely an observer. I learn something every

What is it really like to live a full time art career? The good, the bad and the ugly… and how to make it work
As someone who spent the first part of her career as an illustrator, paying the rent with the pictures she made, and the second part of her career representing professional artists, no-one knows better than Lilla how awesome, but also at times how difficult, a professional art career can be. In today’s short video Lilla shares why she loves this career choice, what is tough about it, and how to keep the motivation up for the longterm. [vimeo]https://vimeo.com/156548524[/vimeo] Lilla would love to hear what you thought – why not join her on Periscope on Tuesdays to chat? We hope this inspires you to stick with it!

MATS Student Showcase for Self-Paced A and B {part 9}
We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase a series of gorgeous work that is being produced in the Self-Paced MATS A and B classes. Today, we have student work from MATS A which helps students build a professional portfolio to sell art in 5 of the most lucrative markets: bolt fabric, home décor, children’s books, wall art, gift. *** Aimee Hartogh I am taking both Mats A and B, excited to take Boot Camp, I just finished Home Decor I am submitting work for the Bolt Fabric market What have you enjoyed most so far about the course? I have enjoyed every single thing about the class, it is impossible to choose just one. How is the MATS class helping you grow? This class is helping me grow by giving me direction. I now know where to put my energy, painting and

MATS Student Showcase for Self-Paced A and B {part 8}
We are so proud of our wonderful Make Art That Sells alumni and are pleased to showcase a series of gorgeous work that is being produced in the Self-Paced MATS A and B classes. Today, we have student work from MATS B which helps students build a professional portfolio to sell art in 5 of the most lucrative markets: paper, baby/children’s apparel & décor, scrapbooking, editorial, party paper. *** Carrie Chapko I’m taking MATS B and this is my submission for the scrapbook assignment. I love that art for this market could be used for other markets as well. What have you enjoyed most so far about the course? The thing that I’ve enjoyed most about my MATS experience is that I am pushing myself to make art that I wouldn’t normally think to create and experimenting with different mediums and styles. How is the MATS class helping you grow? I’ve found the

Last chance to bag a bargain in our giant Spring Sale (ends today!)
Here’s a quick reminder that the MATS Giant Spring Sale ends in a few hours’ time. Here’s what’s on offer: OVER 30% OFF the Big Career Bundle OVER 25% OFF MATS A self-paced class* OVER 25% OFF MATS B self-paced class* 25% OFF MATS: Creating Collections for Home Décor 20% OFF entry to the 2016 Global Talent Search (*includes access to the upcoming Live Review with UPPERCASE publisher Janine Vangool!) There’s something for every budget in our sale, but all offers must end tomorrow. Don’t miss out – act now! The MATS team