Do you know what we love? We love signing artists. First, we love following them, then secretly working with them, and then finally announcing them. Why? Because as agents we love getting artists work. We really do. It’s just the way we’re made.

So when we see an artist like BAMBI RAMSEY, and all the amazing work she’s created, we envision her work on brilliantly illustrated books, magical children’s books, very cool editorial work, pretty fabric, happy toys, gorgeous lush floral cards, and just about everything else in the whole wide world.

We are delighted to now represent the brilliantly talented Bambi Ramsey.

Let me talk you through some of my favorite pieces.

Meet our newest artist, Bambi Ramsey

Here’s how I know that Bambi will be busy with commissions: I popped her art into this Bingo board I made for my Make Art That Sells students. You can see that she hits such a vast array of markets, subjects, moods, and more which is what I love to see in an artist’s body of work. I’m so eager to see what her first jobs are!

Find Fuchsia Food Fast

When I first saw this piece that Bambi created for a text I wrote for my Illustrating Children’s Book course, I knew I was dying to see her work in children’s books. Imagine what it would be like for the child who is looking through this book–the delight as they notice all the details like the shelf of jams, spotting the cat eyeing the love birds on the second floor, and did you notice the rocket ship in the alley? Contact us to chat about your book project. Let’s make it happen.

Bambi and I worked together for a few months before I signed her, and Senior Agent Susan McCabe and I wanted to see how she would do a full page illustration for a farmer’s market. We were also curious to see how she’d illustrate men. Result–> man bun man and flip-flop man. This stunning gem is what she did. Are you beginning to see why we just had to take on Bambi? Plus, she is wonderful to work with, and super-professional from all her years at a whole bunch of art departments.

Bambi took a whole bunch of my courses, and we love how each time she took the Children’s Book course, she developed her work in a different direction. Here, Bambi displays her ability to illustrate an historical text, researching period clothing.

Bambi crushed it in the Creating Collections for Home Decor course. She’s got such a gift for lettering, as you see above, and also further down this newsletter in the Patti Smith piece. When called for, she’s able to vibe out the color palette that’s right for the market. Here, she’s focusing on watery violet, gold, and black.

I always want to see winter holiday in a portfolio, and was delighted to spot this in Bambi’s portfolio. Folk art + winter holiday.

I worked privately with Bambi the past few months so that she could create a few more pieces to round out her portfolio. I asked her to illustrate any famous woman she wanted because we’re getting a lot of work for those kinds of images. She floored me with this portrait of Isobelle Eberhardt–a woman before her time–a Swiss explorer who moved to Algeria, dressed as a man, and was a writer and advocate of decolonialization. Not only did Bambi select a fascinating person, but the illustration is drop-dead gorgeous. I literally let out a gasp when I saw it.

Bambi already had this piece in her portfolio when I contacted her. I simply asked her to make it a tiny bit more ‘editorial’ by adding text to the cover of the book and scattering some seed packets around the figure, telling a quiet story of gardening.

I’m always happy when I see florals in a portfolio. They get work.

Patti Smith: The lettering. The intense, gorgeous face. The rich color palette. I mean, seriously, what more do you need? Case closed; let’s sign Bambi. So give us a shout and let’s make it happen with your project.

Yup, she was a semi-finalist in our highly competitive Global Talent Search. By the way, in lieu of the GTS this year, we are hand-picking artists from my MATS courses. I love the GTS, but I also am loving the ability to just swoop in and sign an artist I’m loving from class. Stay tuned.

Announcing the 2018 GTS Finalists

The judges and the people have spoken! The competition was intense, with judges telling us that it was challenging to select a mere five artists from such an incredible pool of work.

We’re delighted to now reveal the 2018 Global Talent Search Finalists, chosen from the 50 Semi-Finalists (who were selected from over 1,200 artists’ work).

Five artists were chosen by our panel of VIP industry experts, and one was chosen by public vote (our People’s Choice Winner).

The overall competition winner will be represented by Lilla Rogers Studio and will be flown from their home city to our Artists and VIP Retreat in September!

Click here to view the Finalists!

Over 10,000 votes were cast by the public, and we can now reveal that the 2018 Global Talent Search People’s Choice Finalist is. See the People’s Choice Finalist here.

Read the next steps in the competition here.

Finalist 1 (The People’s Choice and Judge’s choice): Åsa Gilland, Sweden

MATS Student since 2014

The People’s Choice Finalist Åsa was also one of the five Finalists chosen by the judges. As per our rules, this allowed the judges’ sixth choice to also join the group of Finalists, and we are delighted with our top six, who will now take on one more assignment to try to win the title of Lilla Rogers Studio Global Talent Search Winner 2018.

Here’s what one of our GTS judges had to say about Åsa’s GTS submission:

‘I love her style – it is loose and organic yet detailed. Her people have personality and unique looks. I like that she did not format this piece in little blocks like so many others.’

Finalist 2: Jennifer Potter, San Francisco, California

MATS Student since 2017

Here’s what one of our GTS judges had to say about Jennifer’s GTS submission:

‘Jennifer Potter: great layout, smart inclusion of the hands, theme tied into every element, including the rope frames. Love the limited palette. In an instant, I knew this was about a few people, a boat, and was from the past. Great skills in scenes, people, and objects.’

Finalist 3: Kendra Binney, Portland, Oregon

MATS Student since 2014

Here’s what one of our GTS judges had to say about Kendra’s GTS submission:

‘Kendra Binney’s Birdsong was a standout. I loved it from first glance before I even began reading. The art is really striking and appealing and fresh, the color use is lovely, and the storytelling is superb.’

Finalist 4: Sarah Papworth, West Midlands, United Kingdom

MATS Student since 2015

Here’s what one of our GTS judges had to say about Sarah’s GTS submission:

‘Her journal took my breath away, and this assignment was amazing. The lettering. the tonal quality, the details, the story. But most of ALL, it’s her vast portfolio that has such differentiation within it. Her piece has style, finesse, variety, great lettering, and solid talent.’

Finalist 5: Anke Rega, Berlin, Germany

MATS Student since 2016

Here’s what one of our GTS judges had to say about Anke’s GTS submission:

‘The color palette is very appealing and the way she decorated the interior showed that she’s tapped into trends.’

Finalist 6: Julia Christians, The Harz Mountains, Germany

MATS Student since 2017

Here’s what one of our GTS judges had to say about Julia’s GTS submission:

‘I want to work with her! What else can I say? I like the energy in her work, the humour in her characters. She would work for picture books and middle-grade fiction.’

To all those that participated in the competition this year, a big giant THANK YOU for being a part of it!

Stay tuned to find out who will win the competition!

The 2018 Global Talent Search winner will be announced on lillarogers.com on August 17th!

Check out a pile of gorgeous products illustrated by my artists. Enjoy! Let’s get some art onto your projects.

Meet Hsinping Pan

                                                        Little faces amidst Hsinping’s sweet alphabet

Meet Helen Dardik

Helen Dardik’s recent luscious pattern

Meet Daniel Roode

Daniel Roode’s charming illustrations for Éditions Milan

This lovely coloring book comes with a CD.

Daniel’s delightful characters are why he gets so many children’s book illustration commissions.

Daniel Roode says, “I try to get to nature as much as possible, meditate, day dream, collect toys and records. My heart and soul are baked in all things vintage except for making most of my art on the computer.”

Meet Terri Fry Kasuba

We asked Terri to paint more of her pets in t-shirts and this is what we got. We heart her.

Yes! Our Global Talent Search is back! Check out our top VIP judges. The winner will join me for our Retreat right here in my garden and at the boat club. Find out more here. Sign-up ends soon and my first assignment is released June 25! Above: Katie Vernon and Marenthe at last year’s retreat. Above: Sarah Walsh.

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The wait is over. It’s time to reveal the 2016 Global Talent Search Finalists, chosen from the 50 Semi-Finalists (who were selected from nearly 1,000 artists’ work).

We are thrilled to unveil the SIX Finalists, knowing that one of these artists’ careers is about to change forever.

Five were chosen by our panel of industry experts, and one chosen via public vote (our peoples choice winner). The overall competition winner will be represented by Lilla Rogers Studio for two years, and win a host of licensing deals from prestigious companies (see here for the awesome prize details). The second assignment Lilla created was full of possibilities! The Semi-Finalists were asked to design a cover of a dessert recipe book from Sunny’s Cafe.

So without further ado, here we go…

Over 10,000 votes were cast by the public, and we can now reveal that the 2016 Global Talent Search People’s Choice Finalist is:

Mara Penny

Not only was Mara’s piece chosen through the public vote, she is also the top choice from our judges!

Comments from the judges:

“Mara Penny has full comprehension of the assignment. The feeling is delicate and feminine…like dessert! Nice contrast of color…inviting! Beautiful technique…love the lace doilies.”

“Mara Penny: Her composition, use of both arms and objects, and her palette all appealed to me. She created a bold book cover with quite a bit of detail as well. I’d pick this book up and hold it in my hands in a bookstore. Pretty work!”

“Mara Penny’s piece is eye grabbing! It is a complex illustration with lots of elements and the detail is wonderful — look at the tray of orange slices! Yet she lays the piece out in such a way that the piece feels clean and not too crowded.”

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Our stellar panel of judges – with more than a century of industry experience between them in the Gift, Home Décor, Editorial and children’s book illustration, Fabric and Stationery, markets – took days deliberating over the Semi-Final gallery. It was incredibly hard to choose, but in the end the following five were selected as the other Finalists (in no particular order).  Below each submission is a comment from the Judges on what stood out in the piece.

TERRI FRY KASUBA

Comment from the judges:

• Combines desserts with elements of nature and gardening.
• This is a magical place where the cake grows in plants and I love that sense of whimsy.
• Love the painterly style. Her work seems to have great editorial potential.

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SHARON MONTGOMERY

Comments from the judges:

• Her hand-painted, textural work stands out from the crowd and screams, I AM PREMIUM.
• This is a beautiful cover and a gorgeous work of art as a standalone.
• Her daring black background. Her animals and flowers are nicely worked into the cake’s base and border.

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MARENTHE OTTEN

Comments from the judges:

• This entire design is “pretty” and very sweet!
• Nice composition and central focal point
• Varied cake designs

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COLEE WILKINSON

Comments from the judges:

• Highly detailed with so much happening in the piece yet it feels clean not too busy
• Has a bit of “Marie Antoinette” flavor….the marketplace can’t get enough of Paris!
• Nice technique and color – playful and sophisticated.

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ANNE BENTLEY

Comments from the judges:

• Really stood out as being different from the rest.
• Her color choice was bold and her style of illustration is very interesting.
• Her style is editorial but could be adapted for products as well.

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Lilla’s comments about the Finalists

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The judges also answered two important questions for us:

In general what stood out to you about the artists you chose?

• All focused on the desserts, instead of the author of the cookbook. I found this appealing because it actually made me hungry and want something sweet! 
• These artists also had designs that would stand out on a shelf.
• Many of them used dark backgrounds which really made their design elements stand out.
• I love bright colors and they definitely had the brightest, strongest colors of the bunch!
• All felt original and fresh–they stood out amongst the others as being inventive, thoughtful and well-rounded as illustrators.
• Each of them possess a high level of design skills that shone through in their pieces.
• Bold use of color and color contrast.
• Really liked the use of an unexpected dark background color. Sense of depth in the scene or interesting point of view.”
• Several of them have an artists approach rather than a graphic designers approach which I think is appealing in today’s market.
• They all look handmade or handpainted which is desirable. They also had a sense of humor in their work. People want to smile so this is important.
• Each of them has commercial potential in either the editorial or gift/stationery market, or both.
• Sophistication in their technique. A consistent style throughout the portfolio.
• Commercial appeal to the imagery.

What advice would you give to those who you did NOT choose, in order to make their work more commercially appealing?

“Develop a voice and look that’s your own. Stay on top of how your work stands up against others in the market. Do your research by absorbing a bit of reference each day and stretch your muscles by working on self-assigned projects that keep your work pertinent (take inspiration from all the MATS assignments!!). Most important: have fun with the art that you make so your personality shines through!! Approach every project, big or small, with a sense of adventure and conquer your creative challenges with spirit, flavor and style! “

“Book jackets need to be a clear read. There needs to be a strong focus, and clear legible lettering. Simplify it down and avoid being formulaic.”

“Human characters are really tough! Art directors and buyers tend to have a really particular point of view and it can make or break a commission or purchase. In my experience, the US commercial market is less open to funky/exaggerated illustrative perspectives on humans (compared to the European market or other international markets). Color contrast, dynamic composition, and a clear focal point are very important to make a product, book cover, etc. stand out from the crowd.”

“Make sure your style has a unique voice. It should be somewhat timeless. If you include people in your illustration make sure your audience can relate to them. Don’t make your drawing too childlike unless that is your audience. Know what demographic you are targeting. Have a sense of humor in your work. Everyone likes to smile. “

A closing note from Lilla:

Congratulations to everyone! We are thrilled that together 10,000 public votes, plus our judging panel comprising some of the top art directors and creative professionals in the industry, independently selected a set of Finalists where many are graduates of Make Art That Sells. It’s clear that the courses helped them develop commercially-viable art, choose amazing colors and present it professionally. We cannot wait to see the work that comes out of our brand new class “Illustrating Children’s Books” which begins on Monday October, 3, 2016.

Stay tuned for the third and final assignment and thanks to everyone for voting!

xo,

Lilla, Beth, and the Studio Ladies

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Would you like to take Make Art That Sells?

We have the following courses currently open for registration HERE!

Do you dream of illustrating a children’s book? Would you love to create a magical world with characters that you’ve designed? Do you love the magic of children’s books and feel that you have something to offer?  Then this course is for you.

In five weeks, you’ll create a brilliant children’s book pitch to help you land your dream children’s book gig. You’ll get over 20 videos, weekly assignments, live weekly video reviews, interviews with publishers and illustrators and more. Co-taught by top art agent Lilla Rogers and highly-respected children’s book art director Zoe Tucker.

Spaces are limited for our first session of class this October. Don’t miss out. REGISTER HERE

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If you want to learn exactly what to put in your artwork to make killer portfolio pieces while staying true to your style and taste, MATS A and B is for you. Graduates of these courses have gone on to win work from clients such as Hallmark, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Oopsy Daisy, Uppercase Magazine, West Elm, Midwest CBK, and more. It is industry learning that works in the real world. These comprehensive courses includes access to videos of Lilla Rogers reviewing over 500 pieces of art.

We’re incredibly excited to unveil the online gallery of the submissions for the second assignment of the 2016 Global Talent Search! We’d love you to vote for your top five favorites.

The 50 Semi-Finalists were announced two weeks ago and then were given Assignment #2 to challenge them further. They’ve just finished the assignment, and now you get to vote on your choices. At the same time, our esteemed panel of VIP judges will also go in and privately select their top favorites.

“Sunny” checking out a London café

In the second assignment we continue the adventure of our fictional character, ‘Sunny Spindler’ (played by our own marketing director, Reine Sloan) who visits a café to discuss the cover of her cookbook with her editor. Our 50 semi-finalists have accepted the challenge to design the cookbook cover, and now you can see the brilliance that they’ve submitted, here.

Why did I create this particular assignment for the second round?

Because it’s open enough to allow each artist to show off their style. There’s a lot of latitude here. They may elect to draw a scene or choose to do a more heavily designed cover.

I want their styles to shine.  Here are the tips that I gave the Semi-Finalists

• Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Show off what you do best. That’s what I want to see. I want you to do your best. Look over your existing work and analyze what makes you shine.
• Ask yourself if your idea for a cover is what you would love to buy. Have fun with this! We’d love to see what you do in your style. Trust your taste level. Don’t “dumb down”. The judges look for sophisticated styles.
• Have fun! People buy your joy. Let your passion for what you want to draw lead the way for you.
• Rather than trying to guess what I’m looking for, do what makes you shine. You definitely do NOT need to do a style that you see on our site. We are looking for fresh talent.
• Of course you’re nervous! That’s because you care. But remember that you got this far, and so you’ve got what it takes to do this assignment. It’s a very open one, with room for you to do what you love.

The artists are encouraged to be themselves with a vengeance and create art with personality.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

The person with the most votes when the gallery closes at 9am PT / 12 noon EST / 5pm BST/UK on Monday, September 5^th will go through to the Final as The People’s Choice. These six Finalists will then get my final assignment.

The winner of this competition will sign with Lilla Rogers Studio for representation and win a host of licensing deals and professional development opportunities, so this is your chance to contribute to a LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITY for one artist.

After you have voted, upload this photo to Instagram and Twitter with the hashtag #iVotedGlobalTalentSearch so we can share the fun!

xo

Lilla, Beth and the Studio Ladies

PS Can I tell you how out-of-our-minds excited we are here at the Studio? Who will be our next stellar artist?

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Would you like to Make Art That Sells?

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Kate Mason ambushes Lilla Rogers’ Instagram account @Lillarogers. Kate lives in Australia and is a busy mother of 5!  Kate won the Global Talent Search in October 2015. It has been a life changing event for her.

Hop over to @Lillarogers on Instagram to see all of Kate’s colorful and busy day! See Kate’s portfolio here.

xo,
Reine

We’re having a blast with our “Takeover Thursday” series where a Lilla Rogers Studio artist is ambushing Lilla’s Instagram account @Lillarogers. It is a glimpse into a day in the life of being a Lilla Rogers artist #ArtistAmbush.

We were lucky to have a sneak peak into Katie Vernon’s life last Thursday as a working artist. Katie won the Global Talent Search in October 2015. It has been a life changing event for her!

Art by Katie Vernon

photo by Katie Vernon

Check out Katie’s portfolio here. Follow along in the fun on Instagram @lillarogers each Thursday for a rare sneak peek into the life of a working artist. And don’t miss out on your chance for a life changing opportunity through the Global Talent Search 2016 to win representation by Lilla Rogers Studio! Registration for the art competition closes on July 27th. Sign up today.

xo,

Reine

It’s Lilla here, artist agent, and I’m on the hunt for our next artist to represent.

I’m super excited to announce that it’s prep time for our annual Global Talent Search (GTS), one of the most closely-watched events in our industry. To help you get prepared, we will be sharing 5 free mini-assignments, known as the GTS Prep (#myGTSprep) all this week on the Make Art That Sells blog here. And if you have not yet registered for the Global Talent Search, book your place here and then dive into these ‘minis’ to help you get ready for the main competition.

Have you entered the 2016 Global Talent Search yet? Join us! This is an incredible opportunity not to be missed. Someone has to win, and it might just be you! Go on and take that leap. Registration closes next Wednesday, July 27th. Don’t miss out! Enter now!

Be sure to check the Make Art That Sells blog everyday this week for your free mini assignment and get those creative juices flowing.

Also, join us on Periscope today. It’s always fun.

xo,

Lilla

Our 4th Annual Global Talent Search 2016 (GTS) is now open for registration!

ARTISTS: If you are an artist looking for representation or simply looking for a great creative challenge, be sure to enter our Global Talent Search 2016. You might just be the next artist we are looking for. Imagine getting representation with a top art agency and scoring tons of lucrative work right off the bat!

This year, the Global Talent Search will be bigger and better than ever, with over 17 top industry leaders who are judging Round Two. Together, we’ll be awarding the winner amazing licenses, commissions, and Skype consultations with some of the best art directors in the business. It’s almost impossible to get this kind of access to art buyers.

Some of the prestigious judges include art buyers from: American Girl, Chronicle Books, Nickelodeon, Quarry Books, Robert Kaufman Fabrics, Uppercase Magazine, Madison Park Greetings, Hallmark, Creative Co-Op, and Oopsy Daisy.

ART DIRECTORS: The Global Talent Search is a great way for you to spot new artists, art styles, and trends. Want to be a judge and help select our next artist? Please contact us here.

Check out some of the work by previous winners:

Final Round Entry by Kate Mason, our 2015 Grand Prize Winner

Final Round Entry by Katie Vernon, our 2015 Special Studio Winner

Final Round Entry by Clairice Gifford, our 2015 Special Studio Winner

Artists: Imagine an entire line of gift products–candles, wrapping paper, soaps and cards–featuring YOUR art. This collection is by artist 2014 GTS winner Flora Waycott for Madison Park Greetings. 

And the winner is…
KATE MASON!

Giant congratulations to Kate Mason for her extraordinary work! Her lush, ripe, saturated color infuses her patterns and product designs. It’s the opposite of a limited palette; it’s about subtle nuances of color. I love how she can have happy palettes and very sophisticated ones, too.

We believe in the broad appeal of her work, yet at the same time she’s able to convey a sophisticated, charming individuality. We feel that her style is irresistible.

We are delighted to now be the exclusive agency representing Kate. We can’t wait to fill her docket with commissions, licenses, and consultations with VIPs. Art directors, contact us to get dibs on Kate for your projects! Read more about the prizes Kate’s won here.

We’re thrilled to announce that we are taking on two more of the finalists!

Katie Vernon

Can you find the gnome in the piece above? Katie Vernon is a trend leader and a master watercolorist. She’s got a gorgeous color palette going on (I love her use of grey), charming hand-lettering, and an eye for quirk. You should see the florals and maps on her website. We’ve loved her work since she did the poster for our Global Art Gathering in Brighton, England. We are out-of-our-mind thrilled to now be representing her.

Clairice Gifford

I loved Clairice’s final assignments that she delivered in the Make Art That Sells classes. Each assignment she turned in was a jaw-dropper of gorgeousness. Her design sense is impeccable and her lettering knocks our socks off. Even her logo is a gem. We’re excited about bringing this new look to our group. We’re thinking packaging, home decor, fabric, and tons more. See her work here.

Congratulations, winners! And a big congratulations to all the Finalists: Akiko da Silva, Katie Wilson, Nikki Upsher and Susan Evenson! You each did gorgeous work and we know your careers will thrive.

Read how we picked the winners here.

xoxo
Lilla and the Studio Ladies