9/10/24

You never know what will come your way in the creative business.

My journal a few months ago.

When you’ve been in the art business for a while, unexpected opportunities come your way.

Recently, out of the blue, a very cool temporary tattoo company approached me to do art for tattoos. Am I the coolest 69-year-old? Maybe. But of course, more importantly, if you stay in the business, keep showing up, things happen.

Not long ago, I had been doing some intricate drawings in my journal, using mostly fountain pens to color in the teeny tiny details. There was something incredibly calming and therapeutic about it. I forget why I wrote Expect Joy. It could’ve been that I was trying to calm myself down from political fears or life pressures. Anyway.

And then there were some funny little butterflies with feet I had been doing, which was a new thing for me, getting back into ink and watercolor, which I hadn’t done for maybe decades.

Magically, they were perfect for the project. Sometimes serendipity happens.

So when the wonderful folks at Tarttu reached out, open to anything I wanted to do, I had these ready to go.

I’m delighted that Tarttu gave me this opportunity and I’m thrilled to announce that my temporary tattoos are now available on their site.

What I want to tell you is that if you stay in the game, things come your way. Things you can’t even imagine.

I remember back in 1994 when my illustration MFA advisor told me this exact thing. She said, “Opportunities will come that you can’t even imagine.” Of course I didn’t quite believe it at the time but she was absolutely right.

My whole career is a testament to that, come to think of it.

Keep making personal pieces just for you, pieces that you want to make for the love of making art, because those pieces tend to be the pieces that get you work or, in my case, are at the ready when a gig comes your way.

I have lots to say about creative career success after decades in the industry. If you’d like to learn more from me about finding success in creative careers, make some stunning color combinations, and learn various art media, come join me in person at my upcoming retreat in Portuga l! Hurry, spots are very limited!

“The retreat with Lilla Rogers far exceeded my expectations. The teaching itself was excellent, of course – but I was not expecting to have so much information and such a generous amount of time from Lilla – it was wonderful. Live demos, chances to try new materials, endless inspiration and the opportunity to do all of this in the company of people who shared the same passion – truly life-changing. This was a trip of a lifetime for me – but I would not hesitate to attend a retreat every single year if I was able to do so!”

Since you have a week to work in a dreamy studio with all your meals taken care of (and snacks and coffee) you’ll have plenty of time to do more of the cards or to rework any of your artwork from home with these new palettes.

You’ll love hanging out with your new friends as you paint, chat, sip coffee and listen to music in our own studio right on the estate.

I’ll guide and support you every step of the way. I’m here to help.

So you’ll build a treasure trove of varied and stunning color combinations and also make portfolio pieces. It’s going to be beautiful. And we’ll bond and enjoy the company of like-minded creatives.

But that’s just part of our week together! Read all about the Retreat here.

My recent retreat in France with the fabulous company, Uptrek, was truly a highlight of my life. Read what others have to say about that trip here.

“What a gorgeous week in France; making art everyday alongside such lovely like-minded artists, with the most delicious food and beautiful surroundings. Lilla gave us a wonderful experience, with really thoughtful and generous inspiration material, sharing her art process, industry knowledge and career journey, and doing some of her famous career tarot readings! What fun, what love, what beautiful ink-filled days!”

So what do you think? I hope you’ll join me. It’s going to be amazing. Spaces are extremely limited and filling fast.

Questions about booking? The retreat is organized by the wonderful folks at Uptrek. This will be my second retreat with them, and I can tell you that they absolutely do top-notch retreats. Take a look at the booking page and if you still have qustions, you can reach out to them directly at contact@uptrek.com

Book your place HERE!

https://uptrek.com/retreat/color-quest-art-retreat-artist-agent-lilla-rogers-portugal

And there’s side trips! And amazing food! See the schedule here.