Hi Lilla and the lovely ladies of the studio :)

So this is my first guest blog post on the LRS site and I’m very, VERY excited about it :)

I joined Lilla Rogers in late spring. Here is the post here. Becoming a part of the studio obviously a dream come true! For years I would often daydream about it thinking “This is like fantasizing about going to the moon-never going to happen”. But I started putting myself out there more and more, working my tail off and trying to be positive and genuinely open to anything. Low and behold-Lilla and I started a dialogue via Pinterest. I discovered her class and it was JUST what I was looking for. I threw down the moolah that was worth every penny and more and signed up for MATS. Along the way I was offered a spot in the studio but as I’m writing this it sounds so casual. I WAS SO trying to keep my cool as things began to unfold and didn’t want to get my hopes up. Every other day I was trying NOT to hyperventilate. We are our own worst enemies people :) Anyway, here I am. So nice to meet you!!!!!!!

The piece I decided to share today is a piece I did for MATS and it holds a special place in my heart for two reasons. One, because I did it mostly without the computer, which I’m very proud of. I tried to relax and just let things happen. Command Z is my best friend so this was hard for me to do. And number two, because the quote means so very much to me during this time in my life. I have been so fortunate the past year. But there have been some challenges as well, because making dreams come true inherently comes with many obstacles that put you to the test. As I’m writing this we are expecting a little one any day. Yep, I’m a ticking baby bomb. Our little guy Finley is due September 19 but we all know how that works. On the opposite end of the spectrum I have a 17 year old daughter who now lives 8 hours away and is finishing her second week of classes at Columbia in Chicago. Being apart from her has been soooooooo challenging. My heart hurts just thinking about it. But she is off making HER dreams come true. So…..that said, I’m about to do this ALL OVER AGAIN. And that is a very scary yet exhilarating thought. I often wonder if I can handle this?! But I know deep down I can, because I WANT to handle it. My heart IS willing. I’m lucky enough to even be IN the position-to have this richness in my life. So yes, I firmly believe in the quote in my piece down to my core. When my heart is in it I create my best work and in this case, there’s quite a bit of emotion in this piece, and maybe some prego hormones too! I hope you like the piece I share with you today :) Sarah

If you follow me on social media you are probably aware that on Monday morning I found out that the wholesale company Cody Foster copied my original work for use on holiday ornaments in their 2013 catalogs. The copy is so blatant — down to the design elements on the animals’ jackets — that it literally made my stomach turn when I saw it. An online acquaintance who is a vigilante for all things Cody Foster Copycat (they have been at copying the work of independent artists for years) alerted me. She keeps a Flickr set of all the rip offs that she has found.
Some info about this particular artwork: it came from my imagination. There are no photographs online of actual animals wearing jackets just like this. The patterning and elements on the jackets are very emblematic of my style. You will see them repeated in a lot of my artwork. The only way Cody Foster could have transferred the same imagery to their ornaments is by using my artwork as reference.

In the world of art & illustration, you can use the artwork of artists on your products as long as you ask permission, sign a licensing agreement with the artist, and agree to compensate them. I sell my images to companies all the time, companies who ask my permission and compensate me for my intellectual property. In this case, I was never contacted, asked permission or paid. That is called copying. It’s also called stealing.
Another thing you should know: I don’t care about the money. What I care about is exposing Cody Foster for what they have done and continue to do to independent artists. The people I want most to expose them to are the retailers who purchase from them. You see, Cody Foster is a wholesale company. Unlike other larger, public-facing retail companies who have been accused of stealing from artists, Cody Foster is hidden from the public eye for the most part. Except for a showroom in Atlanta and booths at gift shows designed to show their wares to retailers, they have a very limited public presence. Their products do not bear their logo. You buy them at your local gift shop or even some larger retailer. You might have Cody Foster products in your home, and you wouldn’t even know it. You can’t even view their catalog without having the login and password reserved for retail stores that purchase from them.
Last night as I lay in bed, I fantasized about being in a room with Cody Foster and his sister. Cody’s sister, by the way, purportedly scours the internet for him and purchases things that they copy. Many artists from whom they’ve stolen (including my sister three years ago), have sales records from her. I fantasize about looking them in the eye and asking them to explain themselves. How is this okay? How do they go to bed at night and feel okay about themselves? How do they justify this grossly unfair practice?
They have settled out of court with many artists. The way these things work, those artists can’t talk about their experience, because they’ve likely signed non-disclosure agreements with the company. This all makes you wonder if Cody Foster builds the legal & lawyer fees involved into the cost of running their business. They have ripped off so many artists, received a lot of bad publicity on the internet over the years, and been approached by countless artists and lawyers. And yet they still continue to steal from artists without apology or explanation.
I want to thank jezebel.com for being the first to write about this story. You can read the story here. But we need more exposure. How you can help: please spread the word of this to everyone you know, especially retail shop owners who buy from them or press contacts at larger media outlets you might know. – Lisa

I am, by the way, lawyered up. I am taking action against Cody Foster. I will keep you posted on how that all goes. – See more here.

Hi Lilla! I am so excited to share with you that I am in the running for ‘Triumphs Next Maker’ in association with Stylist Magazine! This is a fantastic opportunity for me to expand my brand and to follow my dreams! The winner receives £10,000 towards their business and an inspiring celebrity mentor! If you and you’re lovely friends like my work and want to show your support you can vote for me (you will spot my colourful ‘lampshade stack’ image it just takes 30 seconds to click the link & vote). I would be so grateful it would be such an honour to be in with a chance of winning. – Rachael

Hsinping writes:

“Hi Lilla,
I made a cover art and a illustration for Babybug April issue.
They are very kind to ask me to do a interview.
So I would like to share it with you.:) Thank you!”

Part of the interview excerpted below. Click here to read more.

Your visual style, with its clean lines and striking colors, is so distinctive! What (or who) are your influences? Are there any designers or illustrators who had an impact on your work?

I love colors and simple shapes. Also mostly my work is done on computers. When I draw on a computer, I use a software called Adobe Illustrator. It allows me to play with colors and shapes a lot. I can trying many color combinations till I am happy with it. It’s also easy to draw clean shapes in Illustrator. I think that helps me a lot. But in the end I always like to add some handmade texture to the drawings to make it more organic and playful.

My favorite artists are Paul Klee and Sara Fanelli.

Tell us about your path to becoming an artist.

I’ve loved drawing for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t think about becoming an artist until I went to college for business. I was really frustrated and confused by my classes and found my true passion was creating things. Now I really appreciate that I initially studied business, because it helped me make up my mind to become an artist!

What do you like about illustrating for children?

I like that I can draw something bright and colorful. I also like to tell a story through drawings. It’s always fun to draw the characters, too. It’s like creating an imaginative and playful world for kids.

Macrina writes:

“Hi, I have just received the new amazing magazine Flow, fresh from the beautiful Netherlands. For this special issue, they asked 9 illustrators to make an illustration that answered this question: “What makes life simple?” My illustration was about friendship, taking care of, and “growing” people we love.

Hope you like!”

Susy writes:

“hello curious all,
I just wanted to share some of my personal work, as i feel it is quite different from many of my illustration assignments.
My personal aesthetic is surprisingly clean+simple.

Having taken a degree printed textiles in London, it is a medium I come back to time and time again. It’s very physical and rewarding to make prints on fabric – function and form rolled in to one.
In recent months my husband keith and I have teamed up (we met at art school and are now combining our talents) to launch spw textile designs on hand woven hand printed cashmere and merino scarves.
We are making head way as a few museums have bought our hand woven and printed scares (ica boston, gardener museum, and the peabody essex).

We are screen printing on wood leather and silk too. I am influenced by British artist, Barbara Hepwoth, Patrick Heron, and artists curated by Jim Ede in KettlesYard, in Cambridge England. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/

When is comes to painting, I full in to abstract expressionism and feel totally at home with less is more.I paint on wood panels as large as 5×5 ft or as small as 5×5 inches!
Keith is very adept at the techie side, he created our sites and is master printer. He whips us in to shape on FB. I find juggling many projects very challenging, but in fact they all feed on each other.
there are always new passions to pursue. Thanks for reading. Back to it.”

You can find Susy’s shop here.

From Chronicle Books blog:
“This month, we take a peek inside the journal of Suzy Ultman, the wonder woman behind a cornucopia of adorable Chronicle stationery and gifts.

I asked Suzy how she uses her own, and it turns out she’s a die-hard list-maker. Here’s a look at the list of lists she keeps in her journal, all sprinkled with adorable Suzy doodles, of course!

I love making lists. Always have. As a teenager, I re-wrote my class notes in notebooks and journals just for fun, listing out science-y facts or bullet-pointing homework assignments.

These days, I like to keep my list-making creative and fun. My journals are a place where I can explore ideas and goals, keep track of thoughts, and organize concepts. It’s also a way to revisit places I’ve been, and think about the places I want to go.

The best things about lists…
1. They are easy to keep.
2. They are never-ending. You can always add bits, delete parts, and come up with ideas between the lines.
3. There’s no greater sense of satisfaction than adding something new to your list, or crossing something off of it.

The Storybook Journal has become my go to spot for list-making. The detailed cover is a constant source of inspiration. It’s almost like the quaint characters are suggesting lists for me to make.

INTRO LIST

I started my Storybook Journal with some brainstorming, by jotting down lists I’d like to begin. Hey, it’s a list of lists!

COLOR “LIST”

I have scraps and scraps of paper with color pencil markings. I decided to organize my color thoughts for a project where I need boy, girl and gender neutral color stories.

BOOK LIST

I sometimes I like to paste a little pocket into my journal. As my book list grows, I can add cards to the pocket.

BACKYARD SIGHTINGS LIST

My boys & I like to bird and critter-watch. We call our backyard the “Nature Channel”. I was actually reminded, by my oldest son, that I forgot to list banana slug on this list.

GROCERY STAPLES LIST

I keep a post-it like this in my wallet (minus the doodles) with our household grocery essentials. I add everyday lists like this to my journal, and use them for drawing exercises. Sometimes, nothing is more inspiring than a quick post-it list.

WORDS I LIKE LIST

This list is ever growing. It comes in handy for creative writing, and also sparks visual ideas.

MANTRAS LIST

I like to approach each day with thoughtful, positive energy. If I need a nudge in that direction, one or more of these mantras always helps. I love making additions to this list.

TRAVEL WISH LIST

Inside the giant clog is my very special travel wish list. It is especially fun to cross items off of this list!

Here’s the monoprint Diane made with her press.
Primroses stenciled, inky layers.

Mike writes,

“Lilla,

Well, I’m back from Japan, which was amazing and exhausting. It was great to get caught up on my sodium and fish intake for the entire year in just 12 days. What I mean is, the Japanese are big fans of the salt. Don’t know what Japan looks like? Here is an aerial photo:

In between Karaoke and scouring the used book stores for Taro Gomi (五味太郎) books, I was able to get some drawing/journaling done and am hoping to post a few pages over the next few days. I’ll also post some images of the incredible books, stationary sets, ads, and other great stuff I saw. I’ve never been to a country that loves illustration so much (adorable characters are on everything from train tickets to dentist’s offices and banks), so it was great to go back.

I took my friend Colin (who happens to be a rabbit) with me. Here he is getting ready for the trip (we later learned some of the characters he’d written were wrong):

Here’s what we had for breakfast in the hotels and hostels:

And here’s the progression of Colin’s facial hair while in Japan:

(A few small notes about this drawing. When Colin says “100?!” he’s talking about being overcharged for laundry services in Nagoya. Also notice the repeated v-neck shirt. I…oops, I mean..He wore that shirt a LOT in Japan.)

I’ll be sure to send more images soon!”

-Mike

Friday: Carolyn Gavin’s studio

Just amazing work.

Jessica writes,
“Also, I just finished a short class at RISD that got the gears going and thought I’d send along a few sketchbook pages from the class. It was fun and I hope to keep it up!”

Wednesday: Crocheted lampshades