Stunning work by Linda Tordoff in response to a MATS assignment

It’s a brave enterprise to be an artist in our culture. And is there anything more gratifying than making a living with your artwork?

But sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin. What pieces of art do you make to get even more work than you’re getting, or better work, or work in brand-new markets? How the heck are you supposed to find that information if you don’t have an inside track into what clients are looking for?

What’s really exciting about our brand new course Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp  is that it’s an opportunity for you to create portfolio pieces that are hot. As an art agency, EVERY SINGLE DAY we assign jobs to our artists. I see what clients buy in all the major markets from home decor to children’s books to baby apparel to stationery to wall art.  I’ve been making trend reports and assignments for my artists for ages and I realize that our community needs this hard-to-find information.

Bootcamp is exactly that. It’s a structured, fun and inspiring e-course that will get you charged up to make new work. You’re going to get color directions to freshen up your palette, on-trend assignments, and a supportive community of fellow artists to inspire, support and motivate you.

Gorgeous home décor ideas from PaintLoveStudio in response to a MATS assignment

Plus, new for Bootcamp, we are offering an online gallery every month, where you can upload your assignment work and share it with the world. Who knows who will be looking? My friends in the business sure will – I’ll make sure of that! Plus, Bootcamp is perfect preparation for the 2014 Global Talent Search, which will be launched soon with a host of amazing new licenses for the winner.

For less than the price of a weekly venti latte, you can move your art career forward with this phenomenal experience! I really hope you will join us. Class begins on Monday, and it’s gonna be pretty amazing. There will be a ton of buzz around this course, and you can be part of it. So book your place now and get ready to get cracking!

Love Lilla

Ps. You know if it’s a course produced by Beth Kempton of Do What You Love, you know it’s going to be top-notch and worth every penny.

It’s been a few weeks now since I left ‘Lillaland’ (such a wonderful place to visit). After MATS Part A and the subsequent Global Talent Search I had to reboot and set myself some new goals… but that task turned out to be a lot easier than expected. Some nice commissions came my way almost immediately and I’ve been a busy bee ever since. I noticed how often I refer to all the things Lilla taught me when tackling these commissions and the other stuff on my plate. I believe MATS A and the exposure with GTS gave me, my illustrations, my business – yes, my art actually sells ;-) – a major boost, directly and indirectly. So, Lilla, I owe you big time!

I couldn’t take Part B of the course in October (too much on my plate!) but I hope I can attend in March. One of the treats of taking MATS A was/is the tribe of fun and talented artists from all over the globe I got to meet, talk to and now follow. A bunch of ‘mates’ with similar interests, thoughts, questions,… A lot of them took Part B in October and I was amazed by all the great artwork that resulted out of that. Can’t wait to dive in to those assignments myself. – Lien

After GTS I made myself a bucket list to sum up my goals… and of course an illustration to go with it.

My first post MATS assignment was illustrating a songbook for children to educate them on road safety published by Abimo.

I was thrilled to be asked by ‘Uitgeverij Snor’ (www.snor.nl) to illustrate two books packed with info and fun facts for women and men in their 30’s. ‘Snor’ is a dutch publisher – one of my favorites – and some of their titles are now appearing in the US (a collaboration with Knock Knock).

So many people have been asking me about our brand new course MATS Assignment Bootcamp (which starts on Monday) I thought I’d record a few words to tell you about it. In this short (5 minute) video I explain why Bootcamp is such a valuable opportunity for you if you want to grow your body of commercially viable work with on-trend assignments for hot markets…

Sound like just the thing you need? Bootcamp starts on Monday so find out more and secure your spot now!

“I’ve started a new sketchbook for 2014 and have committed myself to playing in it every day with watercolor paints, image transfers, ephemera and ink this new year. I love the look of black ink on watercolor! This is a spread I made last week with a wonderful quote by Rumi.” – Lisa!

In order to do what you love as your career, you have to ‘ship’ – you have to create whatever it is you create, and get it out in the world. Otherwise no-one will be able to buy it, and you won’t generate any income to sustain your desired way of life. But we know that it can be tough to stay focused as a creative person, when there are so many distractions in our daily lives.

Over the years we have learnt there is nothing better than a goal, a deadline and a supportive community to help people make real progress with their careers. So we have created Make Art That Sells: Assignment Bootcamp, to provide exactly that. You will get five professional-level assignments and cutting edge trends and inspiration over six months, to stretch you to create fresh signature pieces that are ready to sell in multiple markets. This will provide a structure for staying on track and accountable, so you can create a strong body of work over six months.

Class begins February 3 so be sure to book your place now, and get ready for a creative blast! Find out more and register here.

Thanks to my friends at Pimlico Magazine, you can sneak a peak at my happy little studio, check out my boxy Big Ben, and find inspiration browsing the pages of Pimlico’s gift & party summer issue. For the entire Suzy*U article, head on over to page 16! Sunny Summer Wishes, Suzy

“I made a collage with patterns from my Vintage Floral pattern collection. I had so much fun I think I will be doing collages with my other collections too!”

All my best, Silvia

I’ve been freelancing for over seventeen years and I’ve also taught on several Illustration Degree courses – but going back to “school” this year has been a delight for me.

These projects are my responses to Lilla’s amazing online course, “Make Art That Sells”, aimed at professional illustrators and designers worldwide.

The majority of my commissioned work has always been for editorial (which is my first love!) and publishing so being challenged to create work each week for a different market – stationery, party paper, home decor etc has been wonderfully stretching. And I’m keen to carry the things I’ve learnt and new skills I’ve developed over into all sorts of projects and commissions.

– with best wishes, Trina

Scrapbooking – Vintage typewriters and cameras

Map of Famous People connected with the area around Crystal Palace

Party Paper on a Winter Folk Art Theme

Christmas Card

The show has been truly amazing – so much great work from all of our artists!

The crowds were thrilled with all we had to show… the buzz is nearly audible! Please contact myself or Susan for information on licensing here.

See you next year! Farewell NYC, until our next trip in May for SURTEX 2014! – xo, Jennifer

The show is just great! Stop by and see us, booth E3! The crowds are full, the art is stunning an the smiles are big!

Come see us tomorrow (last day) at PRINTSOURCE 2014, NYC (401 7th Ave, corner of 33rd). We would LOVE to see you! – Jennifer