11/9/21
Hot off the press! Today, we’re spotlighting Åsa Gilland’s beautifully illustrated book, We Are All Different–A Celebration of Diversity, written by Tracey Turner, published by Macmillan. This is one of the most moving books that I’ve seen in a very long time, as it celebrates such important themes like diversity, gender, learning styles, kindness and so much more in a joyful way.
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
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There’s a reason why Åsa is constantly busy with work: her joyful characters and highly-detailed scenes bring any text to life. Enjoy.
AVAILABLE FOR
PRE-ORDER NOW!
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
11/1/21
Yup, you read that right. We’ve taken on three new artists!
It’s like an artist shopping spree around here. When I teach over at Make Art That Sells, I have the enviable job of watching students grow into incredible artists, and there are always many I swoon over.
However, we just couldn’t resist these three stellar artists, who consistently wowed me with their class assignments. All three took my Illustrating Children’s Book course at least once–you’ll see below how brilliant their kid book work is.
I bet you’re not even reading this and just scrolling down to see who we’ve picked, and I don’t blame you for a minute! 🤣
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
Bristol, UK.
Favorite color combo?
Red and pink
Favorite cartoon character?
Ponyo or Totoro
How do you take your coffee?
Americano with oat milk
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We’re delighted to welcome Jenny Miriam to our group!
When I kept seeing Jenny’s charming, and distinctive work in my courses I knew I wanted to represent her. Every piece she does floors us, from her picture book work to her toy pitches. We’re incredibly excited to represent Jenny and look forward to the range of work that she’s sure to get.
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Hilversum, The Netherlands
“I grew up happily climbing the highest tree in the street with my cat, walking on roofs, riding my pony bareback alone through the forest.”
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Please give a big round of applause to Charlotte Bruijn!
We fell in love with Charlotte’s strong characters, bright palette and rich storytelling imagery, and look forward to keeping her busy with picture books and more! We’re very happy to represent her.
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Utrecht, the Netherlands
“When I draw I am in my happy place. So I am very lucky I can draw for a living.”
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Let me introduce you to Maruga Koops.
There’s something about Maruga’s saturated paint and lovely imagery that is so appealing. The work she created for the balloon story for Make Art That Sells Illustrating Children’s Books class(above) completely wow’d us—that appealing child living in dreamy scenes. We’re delighted to represent her.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
10/27/21
Happy Halloween! Enjoy the show.
And stay tuned on Monday when we have some very big news you won’t want to miss!
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
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Packaging for Fika. (Available only in stores)
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Awesome pop up card for Up With Paper.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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Available for licensing as of this writing.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
10/21/21
Riley here. I’m delighted to share with you seven extraordinary toy concepts that I’ve had the pleasure of working on with LRS artists. As a toy and game creator and agent, I see what’s selling and trending in the market. When I talk with people in the industry, they say this: parents and gift-givers crave unique play patterns, educational value, and standout art and design.
Scroll down to enjoy a handful of art-driven concepts your customers will love. Get ready to think about your next new product release!
XO
Riley
Jungle safari stacking toy
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Kids will practice fine motor skills as they fall in love with this stacking toy from Åsa. All the animals — the elephant, alligator, tiger, dog, and monkey — have such varied personality. It’s all in the eyes. But wait, look at that alligator, shaped like a little table.
Kids will get happily lost in the beautiful details! I can see this made of wood and packaged beautifully at retail. Look at that rope tail on the elephant: this could even become a stacking pull toy!
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In Bambi’s toy pitch, animals are clad in hats, ties, and sweaters in a beautiful memory match game. It’s loaded with swoon-worthy characters. They would make a great preschool activity or a stationery product. Look at that color palette and design of the snail’s shell! Can you imagine this in your line?
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As Trina and I worked on this game, I fell in love with her delicate aesthetic even more. Her game pitch, Special Delivery, is an adventure through that oh-so-Trina countryside of winding cobblestone roads. Players navigate their routes, make deliveries, and are given surprise detours! This game of chance and route planning is perfect for 6 players ages 4-6.
Contact me to see the full pitch or to license Trina’s work.
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Social-emotional toy & board book
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Don’t cry over peeled onions! Sarah Walsh wrote and illustrated the book behind this playful plush concept. In this talking toy, kids listen and respond to feelings in a lighthearted, carefree way. This little guy will get kids talking and laughing as they build their social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. Toy companies tell me that SEL toys are more popular than ever — I see this trend becoming the norm.
Sarah’s unique author-illustrated book is also available for license. I’ve never seen anything like it. Contact me to license her book or talking plush concept.
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Mara’s exquisite botanical details, striking animal illustrations, and hand lettering truly set this card game apart, plus it’s a ton of fun to play.
Munch has a twist that sets it apart: the game features educational facts about the ecosystem and food chain.
Contact me to see the full pitch. Grab it before it’s gobbled up!
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We’ve conjured up this beautiful and challenging one-player brainteaser that’s deceptively difficult! Solve all 12 puzzles and you’ll be called a legend. Big bonus: the puzzle game increases visuo-spatial skills.
Zoe Ingram’s intricate repeat patterns are mesmerizing. I get lost in the details she draws. Can you spot the tiny violet stars? How many stems can you find? For 1 player, ages 8 to adult.
Contact me to see the full pitch. Hurry, while supplies last!
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The You Do You-nicorns make their debut in this memory match game by our very own Erin Vanessa. This adorable team of diverse unicorns will help children practice their concentration skills as they sharpen their short-term memory. Better yet, kids will see that diversity is the way to play! For one or more players.
Contact me to license Erin’s sweet, diverse characters.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
10/12/21
GET READY TO SWOON. We’re sharing pages from our artists’ children’s book pitches that were created for our annual Residency and my course,
My Kid Book Pitch (starting October 18th). These charming book pitches are currently available for your consideration.
One (that we can’t show yet) was just picked up and will be published April 2023!
Editors and Art Directors: Don’t hesitate to contact us if you would like to see any or all of our artists’ charming and gorgeous children’s book pitches.
You’ll love this appealing and witty tale about an eccentric child who is obsessed with arranging absolutely anything and everything, from flowers to people! We’re particularly excited about Katie’s wit and her luscious watercolor illustrations. What’s so good about this book is its important message of accepting and embracing one’s own unique behavioral differences.
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We’re incredibly excited about Bambi’s historic tale of a brave pioneer, loosely based on Maria Sibylla Merian, a naturalist and scientific illustrator of the 1600’s who travels to the Amazon with her daughter. We follow along as the mother and daughter search for a very exotic and elusive butterfly with help from indigenous people. Loaded with botanical and scientific tidbits, depicting a touching mother/daughter relationship, this feminist STEAM book is sure to do very well.
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Get ready to be floored when you see this magical, painterly pitch by Kendra Binney as she tells a tender and imaginative story of two children—one who is afraid of the ground, and one who is afraid of the sky! Through visually gorgeous illustrations of steampunk-style Rube Goldberg-type contraptions, they find a way to connect. It’s the perfect vehicle for Kendra’s highly in-demand dreamy style.
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Welcome to Adventures in Ida Land. Kelly Anne has crafted an entire charming and eccentric world around her feisty main character, Ida. With the ability to communicate with rocks, trees, and animals, Ida travels through different landscapes cleverly solving Mother Nature’s problems. We love Kelly Anne’s bright illustration style and particularly adorable main character illustration, and the timely environmental message.
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What I love about Mara’s pitch is her ability to tell a laugh-out-loud story about an insecure snail in a cool way that imparts lots of nutty snail factoids. This book celebrates mucous and other gross features such as the dung beetle’s poop. At first jealous of the cool flamingo, Herbert the snail comes to love all of its own special abilities—especially its mucous. Quite frankly, I was amazed at impressive special abilities of a snail that I never knew about. Sure to be a hit with boys and girls alike. STEM with humor!
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Ruth Burrows, our newest artist, created this pitch for My Kid Book Pitch course. It was one of the reasons why I scooped her up.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
10/7/21
As an illustrator in New York, I shared a happily sawdust-laden and tin-ceilinged loft on Bond Street between Broadway and Lafayette with two nutty architects back in the 80’s and early 90’s.
Jeffrey got off of his stool and started playing ‘New York, New York’ on the little electric piano. “Stop working! Come sing with me!” he said.
“Jeffrey, I’m trying to draw stuff for the New York Times! Don’t you have an architectural rendering to do?”
“No, stop working and come sing. It’s only 8. Fedex comes at 9PM”
“Ok, you’re right.” And so it went.
One of my favorite things about being an illustrator was receiving a magazine manuscript by way of the latest technology–a facsimile machine. What a marvel of technology, I thought, as I eagerly watched the article scroll out of the fax on that shiny, curly paper.
Reading a manuscript and then coming up with concept in your own style is a beautiful thing. Today, I’d love to share with you a few of gorgeous, recent editorial illustrations by our artists.
Contact us to assign or license art. We’re happy to help you find the perfect artist or gorgeous images for your project!
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Above:
The Washington Post
Left:
Top Santé Magazine
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The Washington Post
For a piece on protecting your family from mosquitos & pests
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Denver Magazine
Erica Root illustrated this fascinating story about a woman in a small Colorado town who helped grow it into one of the largest women-run communities in the state.
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Jennifer M Potter illustrations for Literati Kids’ subscription box on the theme “Kaleidoscope World”
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Jessica Allen illustration accompanied an essay in the Food and Drink section of Denver Magazine on the writer’s mother and the box of recipes she handed down to him.
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Better Homes & Gardens “Handy Girl” series
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Katie Vernon illustrated an article for Chicago Magazine on planning a wedding during the COVID era.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
9/27/21
Personally, we love getting mail and we love sending you our pretty postcards with our artists’ latest and most gorgeous work. We’ve scaled way back due to Covid, but we’re thinking of rebooting the card mailings. Loads of our art directors tell us they love them, save them, and pin them to their walls.
Here’s the rub: We know lots of you are still working from home, so we wondered if you’re getting your business mail. Susan and Kim called around and got a mix of responses. Some of you are going into the office sporadically and getting your mail; some of you are back in the office full time, and some are getting your mail forwarded to home.
So we thought: let’s do a poll. We’d love to hear from you.
Above: Our postcard front, mailed in July of this year to our art directors, editors and others who buy art. This card featured cherished original paintings by our artists, past and present.
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See what I mean? Our cards are pretty.
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Art directors, editors, art buyers: we’d love to hear from you.
(The poll only lets you pick one answer, just so you know.)
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We’re thinking of sending out our pretty postcards again. Which one applies?
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I’m back in the office and get my mail there.
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I work from home but my mail is forwarded to me.
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I work from home and my mail is NOT forwarded to me.
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I go into the office about once a week or so and get my mail.
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I go into the office like once a month or whatever and get my mail then.
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I don’t go into the office. I don’t get my mail. I’m sure there’s a giant pile.
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Above: One of our postcards
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Are you an art buyer or editor? Would you like receive our postcards which we send out about 7 or 8 times a year? Or are you already on our mailing list but would like to give us a new address?
Simply reply to this email.
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See amazing artwork and products by our artists below!
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Above: Illustration for Martini & Rossi Fiero
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These three fully-illustrated books by Zoë Ingram are now available!
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Above: Dare to Dream 1,000 piece puzzle by Sarah Walsh for Flow/Workman
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Above: A recent greeting card by Kelly Anne Dalton for Sellers Publishing
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Above: A recent greeting card by Clairice Gifford for Sellers Publishing
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Above: Fish illustrated by Jessica Allen for Texas Highways Magazine
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Class starts October 18th!
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Basically, my philosophy is this:
Creating a unique picture book comes from understanding what makes you unique and discovering the story you’re excited to tell. To help you do this, I’ve created a playful, personalized and structured course called
My Kid Book Pitch that will bring out your special story. It’s packed full of quirky worksheets, Magic Cards, fun exercises and weekly interactive LIVE videos that will guide you step by step to create your own special brilliant story – the story that only you can write.
I hope you’ll join me October 18th! Learn more or sign up here. Personally, I can’t wait for this one.
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out our site to see more. Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs. xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
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9/16/21
My mantra is this: Play business like it’s a game. In other words, do fun things that benefit everyone–the creative director/editor, the artist, and the agency. Make up fun stuff that everyone will enjoy. It’s served me well in my (almost) 40 years in the business, kept me out of trouble, and kept us constantly energized.
In that spirit, one of the things we love to do most around here is our Annual Artists and VIP Retreat, which begins next Wednesday. Last year it went virtual. We were actually surprised by how much everyone loved it (yeah, we do miss the live singer/guitarist and yummy hors d’oeuvres in my garden, I’ll grant you that), but the Zoom aspect enables more VIPs to attend, plus a whopping 25 artists are attending this year from Jakarta to Los Angeles, from Barcelona to Berlin. And we’ve only got two spots left for VIPs. Read on…
VIP ATTENDEES
Here are some of the blue-ribbon companies–featuring creative directors, executive editors, senior industrial designers, senior product managers–that will be attending next week, from the book, toy, stationery, and gift markets:
Sterling Publishing | NYC
Penguin Random House | UK
Penguin Random House | US
Little, Brown and Co. | NYC
Running Press | Philadelphia
Editions Auzou | Paris
Uncommon Goods | Brooklyn
Buffalo Games | NY
Raspberry Books | UK
teNeues Publishing | NYC
Educational Insights | CA
Design House Greetings | MN
SPEED ART DATING
The VIPs and the artists meet each other in private breakout rooms (one-on-one) for 10 minutes to view artists’ breathtaking new work, view their toy pitches, or see their book dummies. It’s just under two hours long with the VIPs each meeting with 8 artists. We call it Speed Art Dating. Several VIPs have signed up for ALL THREE DAYS, and many are back from last year.
NEWS FLASH–ART DIRECTORS, CREATIVE DIRECTORS, DESIGNERS, EDITORS: Thursday is filled, but if you’d like to attend Speed Art Dating either next Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 2PM ET or Friday, Sept. 24 at 9AM ET to meet one-on-one with our fabulous artists and feast on their jaw-dropping work, simply reply to this email. But hurry! As of this writing, we have only one spot available on Wednesday and one on Friday. Simply reply to this email and let us know you’re interested.
My Recent Favorites
I went a little overboard on collecting a few of my recent favorites to put in this newsletter. Here you go.
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Various LRS artists + former LRS Artist Suzy Ultman
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Creating a unique book comes from understanding what makes you unique and discovering the story you’re excited to tell. To help you do this, I’ve created a playful, personalized and structured course that will bring out your special story. It’s packed full of quirky worksheets, Magic Cards, fun exercises and interactive LIVE videos that will guide you step by step to create your own special brilliant story – the story that only you can write. I hope you’ll join me October 18th!
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Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs. xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
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9/9/21
September 9th, 2021 — WebinART with Ruth Burrows
In our latest webinART, Lilla had a great chat with Ruth about how found her way to illustration, and how she is now living her “best life”
Click here to watch the replay
9/9/21
We’re excited to invite you to join us TODAY at 12:00 PM ET for the next in our series of WebinARTs with our newest artist Ruth Burrows. We JUST took her on and already her vivid color and lively imagery has pulled a variety of illustration projects for clients like Crocodile Creek, Penguin Random House, The Washington Post, and more.
Click here to join our free public WebinART on Zoom with our artist Ruth today at 12:00 PM ET. Password: Ruth99
–> I’ll show you the stunning mini portfolio that Ruth sent us some time ago in hopes of securing representation. You won’t want to miss this.
I’ll chat about why we took her on and I’ll ask Ruth about how and why she went from her previous successful non-illustration 20-year career to illustration. You’ll swoon at her gorgeous work in her slideshow on screen. Plus we’ll take a few questions live, and we’ll have a giveaway of Ruth’s gorgeous art!
–>No worries. You won’t be on camera. It’s a webinar; not a meeting.
We can’t wait to see you there!
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Ruth Burrows, illustrator
Lincoln, UK
Clients:
The Washington Post
Penguin Random House UK
Crocodile Creek
Owlet Press
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I hope you enjoyed the show! Check out
our site to see more.
Want great art for your project? Don’t hesitate to
contact us. We’d be delighted to assist you with any of your art needs.
xo
Lilla
Agent, Artist, Author
Founder, Lilla Rogers Studio
Co-Founder, Make Art That Sells
