Hello!

Stylin’ with my groovy carry on the plane.

In flight entertainment is amazing.  I listened to Mozart and meditations!

I just love being somewhere else.

Slid through with my business visa.

An ad for an electric BMW in the airport.

Now at my hotel!

Love being in a foreign country. When I was young, I wanted to be as savvy as possible. Now I want to be uncertain and fascinated.

This is in the bathroom. What is it?

This is in the closet. What is it?

Went to the ATM.

xo,

Lilla

What an exciting time it is here at the studio.  Lilla, Susan and Joanne are busy packing up to head across the pond to Brighton UK for the Global Art Gathering. This exciting and revolutionary workshop is being held at the stunning Brighton Dome next week.

Passports are out and ready to go with these fabulous “I Heart Art” and Lilla Rogers Studio School buttons that just came in!

Lilla’s been busy creating and designing her gorgeous jewelry that she’ll be wearing for the event!

Lilla snuck this photo of me working on one of the creative activities she’s doing in Brighton next Friday! Her lucky staff were her test cases and I can attest the attendees are in for a treat.  It was so much fun and a great learning experience.

Lilla packing her bags!

Lilla’s trustworthy travel bag for Europe is buttoned with love from all of her artists and is ready to go!

Sadly, this event is sold out but we will be hearing from the ladies on their adventures in England and plan on bringing you live updates. In the meantime, read about more of the great things going on with Make Art That Sells here.

Stay tuned for more updates from Brighton and safe travels to everyone.

xo,
Reine

As a one-off special assignment in our current Make Art That Sells Bootcamp class, we recently challenged class participants to design a poster for our upcoming LIVE event in Brighton, UK, in June, ‘Make Art That Sells: The Global Art Gathering’. We were absolutely blown away by the response, and it was a difficult decision for Lilla, her studio ladies and our guest judge Judy Stevens, founder of Artists Open Houses Brighton.

After much deliberation they decide that the winner would be KATIE VERNON, whose stunning poster design completely captured the character of Brighton, a buzzing creative city on the South Coast of England.

KATIE VERNON

This is what the judges said about Katie’s piece:

Style

• It was definitely one of the most original pieces shown. It stood out from the others.
• The style is highly evolved and rendered in a consistent manner throughout the poster. The icons on the body are very beautifully painted.
• Reflects the vibe of Brighton, the Event and the MATS brand.
• The black line art is very cool. Minimal color palette adds sophistication.
• The hand-painted blue watercolor of the bathing suit is beautifully done and a is pretty foil to the more intense tattoos. We see the paint edges and subtle color modulations of the traditional media

Concept

• Edgy yet witty (Eye heart ART, Lilla as mermaid).
• An artist’s tattoos deliver the information about the event both literally and figuratively (in words and pictures). She’s wearing summer clothing—a bathing suit, perhaps—which communicates summer on the beach in a non-clichéd way. No seagulls or sailboats, not that that’s necessarily bad, but here it’s very fresh, which adds to the delight.
• The woman is holding three brushes which communicates that she is an art maker.
• The artist in the poster is very bad-ass (with nice lipstick).

Well designed poster

• The important info reads well very large (as a poster on the street) or very small (as postcards or on the web).
• The text is delivered in a hierarchy that matches the importance of the information (website info, etc., is smallest text)
• A great read quickly, but plenty of smaller details to reward a more careful look. I teach that your art needs to read well small for various purposes (such as web use). Here, the design reads well small: The woman’s shape is very graphic. The background yellow contrasts well against the silhouette of the body. The “Global Art Gathering” text is among the largest in any poster—and will read well from a distance—yet it doesn’t overpower the poster.

Plus, we just freakin’ loved it.

Katie wins $500, a 1-1 portfolio review with Lilla and a free place on the 2015 Global Talent Search (which will launch soon – stay tuned! Katie’s posters will be put up all over Brighton, and postcard-sized versions will be distributed in cafes across the city – congratulations Katie!

NOTE: There are only TWO places left for this event, which promises to be a special day of industry insight, advice, inspiration and community building. If you want to snap up one of the remaining two places, hurry and book here.

We were so impressed by the entries that we wanted to give special recognition to several others too. Each of the runners up will receive a free place on the 2015 Global Talent Search

The judges said about these entries: “There were loads and loads of fantastic pieces.

Here are just a few of the many that delighted us! These all exhibited strong compositions, were masterfully executed, and presented unique styles. The information was communicated clearly and in a way that was compelling as a poster. There was a quality of delight in each that would engage the viewer.”

MARTINA NG

DORIS LEE

JANE NEWLAND

KENDRA BINNEY

MARIA PARRISH

MEGHANN RADER

SANDRINE MONNIER

Congratulations all!

We are thrilled to announce our first ever LIVE MATS event and hope you will join us for a very special day! Make Art That Sells: The Global Art Gathering will bring together leading experts from the art industry with artists from all over the world, to explore how to build a flourishing art/design career by making great art that is commercially viable. The event will be held at the stunning Brighton Dome in Brighton, one of the most creative cities in Europe, on June 12, 2015.

This exciting new one day event will bring together leading experts from the art industry with artists from all over the world, to explore how to build a flourishing art/design career by making great art that is commercially viable.

Led by host Lilla Rogers, one of the top art agents in the US who has sold art for products worth over $100 million, this event is not to be missed. It will be a special opportunity to get an insight into what art sells and why, how to find more joy in your art and make a healthy living from your creativity. This is a chance to connect with other artists, grow your community and build your creative confidence.

***HURRY: The first 50 people to register with either standard package will get a signed copy of Lilla Rogers’ book ‘I just like to make things’ – first come, first served!***

WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT THE EVENT?

The day will be packed with inspiring talks, panel discussions and Q&A sessions with top industry experts like art director Margo Tantau of MidwestCBK. There will also be a host of networking opportunities, an insight into the Lilla Rogers Studio Global Talent Search, a live art review and trend presentation by Lilla Rogers, fun surprises and an amazing buzz! PLUS Lilla Rogers will give a trend presentation and a LIVE review of artwork featuring a handful of the attendees.

WHY THIS IS WORTH IT FOR YOU

• You will learn insider secrets from people who buy and sell art every single day
• You will get specific advice on how to make your art more commercially viable*
• You will hear personal stories and lessons learned which will inspire and uplift you
• You will forge valuable and nurturing connections with peers from around the world
• You will get a professional level assignment to complete ahead of the event as a new portfolio piece
• You will come away more confident and motivated, knowing what you need to do next to make great art that sells

*Please note only a handful of artists will be featured in the live review, but review content will be relevant and applicable to your own work

Find out more by viewing our event brochure here – we hope to welcome you to Brighton in June for the art event of the year!

When we launched our Make Art That Sells classes less than two years ago, we had no idea how rapidly they would become the go-to training for artists wanting to make their art more commercially viable whilst staying true to themselves. Over that time we have built up a huge bank of resources and industry insight, so we decided to create a dedicated home for it. Cue our shiny new site MakeArtThatSells.com, the home of resources, advice and courses for YOU.

The site is packed with free resources including Q&A with industry experts, top tips for building your career, inspiring videos to keep you moving forward. You can also find out more about our hugely popular online courses, the 2015 Global Talent Search and our upcoming LIVE event (yes ‘live’, as in we’ll all be in the same room – it’s going to be awesome!) We will also be using the site to showcase the incredible work of our talented alumni, and celebrate their successes as they grow their businesses.

Make yourself a cup of coffee, take out your notebook and spend some time exploring, learning and growing. And keep visiting, as we will be releasing fab new resources on a regular basis!

We are committed to helping artists all over the world build successful careers with their art, so we would love it if you would help us spread the word. To encourage you to do this and to celebrate the launch of our shiny new site we have put together a huge giveaway which runs for one week only. See our special giveaway page here for details of how to enter – there are THREE chances to win one of these awesome prizes:

1.  An iPad Mini
2. A free place on the Make Art That Sells online course of your choice
3. A free place in the 2015 Global Talent Search and a signed copy of Lilla’s book ‘I just like to make things’

Fancy one of these fab prizes? Find out more and enter here!

We look forward to seeing you around MakeArtThatSells.com often, and hope it helps you build confidence in your own career and make more great art that sells!

Lilla and the Make Art That Sells team

xo

Welcome to our ‘Insight Spotlight’ column, where we share insights from industry experts in some of the hottest markets out there. This week we are pleased to offer expert advice from Margo Tantau of Midwest CBK

Primary Market: Primary market is Gift, Seasonal, & Home Decor. We sell to a mid range market, ie not at the top of the trend & style pyramid, but solid buyers, and frequent buyers. So we need to have art that we can adapt to their comfort level, while still bringing them along to a more creative place. This takes an artist that can be flexible and not cookie cutter. We are looked to for creative innovation, but not too out there, fresh but a little safe. That’s a tall order, but fresh creativity gets us there.

How can this market be lucrative for an artist?

The more depth in your portfolio, the more clients you will have knocking at your door. You are admired by artists, wholesalers, retailers. They are all paying attention, and watching. Don’t get too discouraged, just know that if it feels right to you, in your gut, it IS right. Just do more of it. Take different classes so your art is YOUR art. You can sell your own goods, license your art, & become recognized across many platforms. There are clients for everyone. Pretty exciting if you ask me.

What is going to be hot in your market in 2015 such as subject matter, colors, products?

Color, geometrics, indigo still, overlapping layers, florals, words words words. Small giftable product that are affordable & act as almost a ‘card’, but are more of a gift. Small dishes with words, notebooks, accessories, tokens.. things to remember another by.

What kinds of products/offerings are a growth sector for your company?

Again, small giftable product that are affordable & act as almost a ‘card’, but are more of a gift. Small dishes with words, notebooks, accessories, tokens.. things to remember another by. Reasonable. Also programs of things. Instead of a whole theme, ie a range of different products, I mean a selection of the same with different artwork. For instance a grouping of tea towels. A grouping of mugs. Easy to sell, eye catching, dramatic, affordable.

What do you look for when buying new art?

I won’t be a “me too”, I’ll be setting a trend or a style. Different, Fresh. Not a repeat. Something that people have to have. I fall in love with the possibility of it. I have to approach it differently than what I see in the market, but with a hint of some kind of familiarity. It’s a fine & importanta balance.

Is there any rhyme or reason to why some products sell well and why others don’t?

I wish I had a crystal ball. Usually the things I like the most sell the least. Biggest learning for me are what the majority of people will by. Who needs the money, and who wants the soul of a piece of work. Those are differentiating factors. Price value, good quality, or at least good perceived value.

What is the one thing you wish artists would do differently when pitching art to you? Or what do you love that they do when they pitch to you?

BE able to provide me MORE OF WHAT I NEED to get product developed, ie out the door to a vendor.
If the artist just gives me words or a pretty picture & its not a layered AI file or further, I have to hire someone to do it, and to design it. The more the artists brings to the table, the more say they will have in the final product/project. We are all running on a time & money crunch. Provide me more than just a pretty picture. I find this an extremely lacking skill in product development realm.

What one piece of advice do you have for artists trying to sell their first piece of art in that market?

Don’t be discouraged, be nice, be thoughtful of how busy the person you are approaching might be..knock on lots of doors, and back that one piece up with more more more. Show diversity, stand for the YOU that is your art. Be professional. Have fun. Ask questions.

About Margo

Retrace Margo’s career path, and you’ll find yourself literally all over the map. Margo blends a passion for art, design and the people who create it, with an understanding of specialty retailing, manufacturing, and the challenges of being an independent artist.

Margo’s love of possibility enabled her to turn the success of her unique Napa Valley retail store, Tantau, into a sought-after wholesale business. This favorite venture, Relish, represented unique small artists nationally and internationally, and specialized in product that would differentiate any retailer who chose to place an order.

Her success with Relish led to National Magazine work, and 4 years as Creative Director of Seasonal Decor Company, Midwest of Cannon Falls. She then joined Hallmark, where she served as Creative Director of Retail Product Development and led a new in-house manufacturing division.

Margo consults with artists and works with creative companies to assure successful growth. She has recently been called back up by Midwest-CBK to be the Creative & Design lead of the company, as they forge new and exciting paths in the industry while respecting their unique artful legacy. She’s madly enjoying the challenge.

Margo has been described as “Fairy Good-Mother to Artists Everywhere” … and she loves to live into that personality. It is this passion that guides her creative spirit.

Find out more at mwcbk.com

Margo is one of the esteemed judges on the Global Talent Search judging panel.

Want to learn more about making more commercially viable art whilst staying true to yourself? Join our acclaimed online course ‘Make Art That Sells‘, led by top agent Lilla Rogers. Class started this week and there is still time to join us! – find out more and register here!

A teaspoon drawn during MATS Bootcamp won me a weekly illustrated column on The Guardian website that ran for seven months and got me shortlisted in a Hallmark competition!

Since doing MATS last year I’ve been shortlisted in competitions run by Hallmark and Tigerprint for greetings card and gift wrap designs, and been selected to appear in Pattern People’s eBook showcasing up and coming pattern designers. Last month, one of my patterns appeared on the Print & Pattern website, which was a big thrill. None of that would have happened without Bootcamp.

Once again it’s been like lighting a fire under me. Thank you, MATS. Long may it continue!

How a spoon got me a Guardian commission:

I occasionally write for the Guardian and one of my editors had seen some of the work I’d produced for MATS. When she was commissioning a series of illustrated ‘How to Mend’ columns she remembered a line drawing of a teaspoon in one of my designs and asked if I could produce some sample illustrations in the same style. Illustrating a weekly column for a global online audience is no small task, especially when you get the copy just days before the piece goes live. But it was an absolute joy to see my drawings on the homepage of The Guardian website and to see how much traffic and comment the columns generated. You can see the columns here

See more of Emma’s work here: emmamcgowan.co.uk

***

Irene Chan

Since taking MATS I have:

• Licensed art with Oopsy Daisy
• Commissioned artwork for a birthday card for a manufacturer, coming out in summer 2015
• In the talks on commissions and licensing with children’s board books and fabric licensing

I have not painted with a brush since I graduated from school, and have always done designs and illustrations digitally. One of the biggest things that MATS pushed me to do was to try with paint and watercolor, and I went from literally hating it in the beginning to completely embracing it now. That is the style that most art directors responded to as well.

My style also changed so drastically after the class. Lilla made us think about drawing a lot of icons. My illustrations used to only have one thing to look at, but now I tend to add a lot more things for the viewers to look at and it adds in a layer of depth and sophistication to my work.

I also loved the minis Lilla gave out, and the confirmation that it is OK to draw things in bits and pieces, and compose it later together. I loved the Q&A session with Lilla, It is the once in a lifetime opportunity to actually ask questions and gets answers directly from someone so successful in the business.

See more of Irene’s work here: http://www.eneri.net

***

Antoana Oreski

“I’ve improved a lot in lettering and patterns and I know that I wouldn’t have won all the competitions and got such awesome licenced jobs if it wasn’t for Lilla’s teaching and her course! So THANK YOU Lilla from the bottom of my heart! You’ve helped me to be me! “

Since taking the class last year, I have:

• Won the Hallmark’s ‘Cool 4Kidz’ Competition (with a pattern designed in class)
• Won the Tigerprint’s ‘Kids Character’ Competition
• Got licenced with Oopsy Daisy (submitting my portfolio of work from MATS and GTS)
• Was a runner up in Tigerprint’s ‘Christmas Pattern’ Competition and got amazing comments on my work from the judges which mean the world to me since I’m kind of a newbie to pattern world.
• I also won 11th place in Ricola Package Design out of 450 submissions and some cash prize and Ricola promoted my piece on their official FB page and Pinterest site.

Welcome to Manifesto Monday, where we share some of the Manifesto artwork submitted by our Make Art That Sells Alumni.

Would you like to experience the Make Art That Sells class yourself?

Class began TODAY! (Monday 2 March), 2015 and registration is open here.

Jules Gissler 

Bley Hack

Holly Hatam

Alison Janssen

Nicci Nathanson

Ann T. Jones

Join us for the next round of Make Art That Sells.

Class started TODAY (Monday 2 March, 2015) and there is still time to squeeze in here.

MATS graduate Liz Alpass

We love that moment before class begins, when the Facebook community is buzzing with anticipation, artists from around the world are introducing themselves and sharing links to their gorgeous art, and we are getting ready to open the classroom doors on Monday.

MATS graduate Cindy Chischilly

Make Art That Sells (MATS) has become more than just an online class. It’s a movement, and a philosophy.

MATS graduate Kelly Angelovic

We asked our alumni to share what they feel is the MATS manifesto, and we were blown away by the results. Here are a handful of the many submissions we received, which give you a flavor of the generosity, warmth and talent that comes from this class. We hope you’ll join us!

MATS gradate Melanie Chadwick

If you want to part of this movement of artists doing what they love and making a living from it, join us for Make Art That Sells Part A/B, starting on MONDAY (March 2). Sign up here, but hurry, class begins TOMORROW (Monday March 2)!

The Lilla Rogers Studio School team
xoxo

MATS graduate Michelle Brown

Our ‘Q&A with Lilla’ series is back! This is where we share questions from the previous class of Make Art That Sells.

In Lilla’s Make Art That Sells classes she often gets asked about how to sell work in particular markets, so we thought we’d share some of those questions and answers with you.

The next Make Art That Sells classes will start 2 March, 2015 and registration is open here.

You can see what a wide variety of topics are covered – and you might even find the answer to that burning question you have been wanting to ask! These questions were asked during the MATS Part A class last year.

 ***

Q. Are there seasons, months, or even times during the month that are better (or worse) to approach art reps or different markets with your work?

A. We now almost exclusively use our Global Talent Search to find great artists to represent, and that happens in late summer. Before we began the GTS, however, there was no good or bad time, except for the obvious bad times like major holidays and right before Surtex in May. I assume that’s true for other agents.

Q. When drawing a children’s book cover, what are the important things to show on the cover for the illustrations? Is it ok to show the result of the story end?

A. It’s great to show the main character(s) and the setting and the vibe of the story. Of course the title must be prominent. I would not show the ending.

Q. I would like some advice on setting up a logo to market my brand – what makes a good logo? I feel like I could use some pointers so I have one that doesn’t detract from my art. Also should you include your website info in your logo?

A. What’s great about MATS is that you can see each week some great logos on the art presentations. You want your name to be legible and easy to read quickly; you want gorgeous colors; you want the look and feel of your logo to match your work. Create two logos; one with your website and one without, so that you have a choice depending upon the project. We don’t have our website on our logo because our name is also our website, and it is easily googled.

Q. I understand about not using vintage imagery (like clip art) that is pre1940- but what about fabric? Can you use fabric from your local fabric store as is, do you have to change it to use it or is it better just to stay away? Where I work we can purchase the fabric and use it as an actual attachment (i.e. make something with the physical fabric) but we can’t if it’s a collage that will be photographed and sold – clarification would be helpful.

A. Here’s the deal with fabric. It’s perfectly fine if you buy a piece of fabric, and make a doll, and then sell it on Etsy, because the artist and manufacturer get paid since you purchased the material. The artist gets her royalty for your purchase of the actual fabric. However, you cannot reproduce the fabric and resell it, under any circumstances.

Q. Do you and your clients prefer to see a digital portfolio (on ipad) or a printed portfolio when meeting in person?

A. These days either is fine. I just went to Land of Nod when I was in Chicago and brought my iPad to show my artists’ work. It’s probably going to be the way to go in the future.

Q. It almost feels impossible to create a worthy portfolio while “my big serious corporate job” takes 45 hours of my week. I have read several illustrator /artist blogs who say you literally have to quit your day job, and just dive into the world of illustration/art full time- the work will come. Trust the universe they say! But who’s gonna pay the bills in the meantime?? Do you have any advice for those of us trying to transition out of “Big serious corporate jobs” or some other “not as fun as painting all day job”? Where do we start? How do you know when your ready to ‘jump’?

A. Wow. I love this question. When I was in my early twenties and a full-time middle-school art teacher, I was so burnt at the end of the day all I could do was nap! But I did try to make art here and there. I even wrote and illustrated a children’s book, took a personal day, took the bus to New York City and showed it to three publishers. None went for it. )-:

I saved some money, quit teaching and went to San Francisco to get an MFA in painting, and got a part time job as a secretary to the Sales Manager at the Bay Guardian newspaper. I actually didn’t get the MFA in painting; I switched schools and got an MFA in Illustration! I quit to teach calligraphy in the evenings in my apartment and that paid the bills! Those were the days when life was inexpensive (pre-computers). You can read more about my early art life in my book.

But enough about me, and not sure how helpful that was! So back to your question. I would be way too freaked out to quit a full time job without a really solid plan. A plan might be to take courses and e-courses (of course I think MATS and Bootcamp are superb!) and build up a solid portfolio. Then, I would cut back on everything you can then save:

1. A year’s worth of income

or

1. Six months’ income and plan to get a part-time job when you quit your job, or a lucrative Etsy shop

or

1. Firm up another source of income

This is because you must allow at least a year or more until you have a steady income generation. Do not set yourself up for crazy stress.

To answer the next part of your question: Yes, Once you create a space for your dreams to manifest and take the first step the universe will totally support you.

I know that in my experience, the universe doesn’t take the first step. When you take the first step, the Universe kicks in. I think that’s because taking an action—and that first step is the hardest—changes our beliefs. In other words, it sends the message that we mean business. By signing up for this course, for instance, and putting your time and money where you mouth is, you are creating an energy domino effect. Have you noticed?

Finally, how do you know you’re good enough? Because you’ve had success. Your etsy shop is selling well and/or you’ve sent out work and gotten interest and even some jobs.

 ***

Got your own questions for Lilla? Join us for the next round of Make Art That Sells. Class begins on Monday 2 March, 2015 and registration is open here.