Continuing our series of alumni successes, here is part 2.

So does ‘Make Art That Sells’ actually work? Do artists who take the class actually sell more art? Well yes, they do. We asked class participants for examples of their successes since taking the course, and were staggered by the response, bearing in mind that some people only took the course earlier in the year. Here is part 1 in our series.

Students have since secured licensing deals in the gift, editorial, baby apparel, bolt fabric, wall art, greetings, home décor, paper and fashion markets, many have won competitions and a number have been signed for representation.

It’s also really important to say that people join Make Art That Sells (MATS) at different stages of their creative journey. Some are nearly ready to seek out work, others less so. For many people the greatest breakthrough is a new level of confidence in their work, a fresh love of creating, or a deep feeling of connection with others in the community. Success looks different for everyone. The licensing deals, competition wins and studio signings are the easy things to measure. The impact it makes on people’s lives – on the way they see themselves as artists, and the way the see their work – is perhaps the thing that we are most proud of.

As we approach the last session of MATS A & B for 2015, we wanted to celebrate some student success from the past year.

Here is a selection of class participants who have a lot to celebrate since taking Make Art That Sells. If you want this for YOUR art career, join us for the next class which begins on Monday 19 October.

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Irene Chan

Since taking MATS I have:

• Licensed art with Oopsy Daisy
• Commissioned artwork for a birthday card for a manufacturer, coming out in summer 2015
• In the talks on commissions and licensing with children’s board books and fabric licensing

I have not painted with a brush since I graduated from school, and have always done designs and illustrations digitally. One of the biggest things that MATS pushed me to do was to try with paint and watercolor, and I went from literally hating it in the beginning to completely embracing it now. That is the style that most art directors responded to as well.

My style also changed so drastically after the class. Lilla made us think about drawing a lot of icons. My illustrations used to only have one thing to look at, but now I tend to add a lot more things for the viewers to look at and it adds in a layer of depth and sophistication to my work.

I also loved the minis Lilla gave out, and the confirmation that it is OK to draw things in bits and pieces, and compose it later together. I loved the Q&A session with Lilla, It is the once in a lifetime opportunity to actually ask questions and gets answers directly from someone so successful in the business.

See more of Irene’s work here: https://www.eneri.net

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Antoana Oreski

“I’ve improved a lot in lettering and patterns and I know that I wouldn’t have won all the competitions and got such awesome licenced jobs if it wasn’t for Lilla’s teaching and her course! So THANK YOU Lilla from the bottom of my heart! You’ve helped me to be me! “

Since taking the class last year, I have:

• Won the Hallmark’s ‘Cool 4Kidz’ Competition (with a pattern designed in class)
• Won the Tigerprint’s ‘Kids Character’ Competition
• Got licenced with Oopsy Daisy (submitting my portfolio of work from MATS and GTS)
• Was a runner up in Tigerprint’s ‘Christmas Pattern’ Competition and got amazing comments on my work from the judges which mean the world to me since I’m kind of a newbie to pattern world.
• I also won 11th place in Ricola Package Design out of 450 submissions and some cash prize and Ricola promoted my piece on their official FB page and Pinterest site.

Jennifer L. Wambach

“Picasso is quoted as saying “every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” After growing up wanting to be nothing other than an artist, and after spending nearly 20 years getting further and further away from that goal, MATS has brought things full circle. I’m making more art now than ever before and having a blast doing so — every day I feel like I did when I was a little kid playing in the basement with my mom’s oil paints and pastels (sorry mom!) I’ve truly rediscovered the joy of creating, and companies are really starting to respond to it. Lilla is absolutely right: people buy your joy. How lucky am I that I get to do this every day?!”

 Summary of work won since MATS:

• I have an art licensing agent: I’m so pleased to announce that as of January 2015 my work is represented by Painted Planet Licensing Group!
• I’m currently wrapping up a big project for a major scrapbooking company. I can’t yet give any details but it’s been something I’ve wanted to do for years, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to work on it!
• 6-time top 10 placement in Spoonflower’s Fabric of the Week contests

View more of Jennifer’s work here: www.jenniferwambach.com

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Nadia Hassan

I am now represented by Pink Light Studio as a direct result of the work I created during MATS A and Assignment Bootcamp.

“I’ve lost count of all the positive changes in my creative career since completing MATS A and enrolling in Assignment Bootcamp. I’ve seen my work improve in ways that I didn’t even know were possible, and at a rate that I definitely didn’t know was possible! With Lilla’s invaluable guidance, I am learning how to develop my signature style, while also exploring and experimenting with new techniques, media and subject matter.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be immersed in a supportive community of hundreds of talented artists, and to learn from them every single day. My favorite “side-effect” of MATS, and the one that I least expected, was how much I look forward to Mondays when class is in session. Every week feels like Christmas as I wait to find out what the next assignment is, and what exciting new discoveries I will make as a result!”

See more of Nadia’s work here: www.nadiahassan.com

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If you want this for YOUR art career, join us here for the next round of Make Art That Sells.

The next session will take place Monday 19 October 2015, registration is open here! This is the last time that Lilla will be providing live feedback for MATS A & B, so join us now to be in with a chance of having your work reviewed in class!