What happens when you set agent Susan McCabe loose in NYC to visit art directors? Watch and see some pix from her visit last week!

Animation by Natasha Dewitz

Intrepid agent Susan McCabe in Manhattan

The art directors loved getting these luscious magazines of our artists’ work for children’s books and for greeting cards.

AD’s: Contact us and we’d be happy to send you a copy!

Susan visited with folks from a number of publishing houses…

Here’s Liam Donnelly and Tracy Shaw of Jimmy Patterson Books. They’ve done a few books with our artist Hsinping Pan.

Sneak Peek! Susan shot this photo of the proofs of Hsinping Pan’s gorgeous new book with Jimmy Patterson entitled Bigger Words for Little Geniuses, due out September 2019. Speaking of language, Hsinping is fluent in English and Taiwanese, having lived in both Los Angeles and Taipei.

Helen Dardik & Carolyn Gavin’s watercolor workshop

Noted show

Shanliegh Heelan (left) and Mary Catherine Heelan (right)

It’s always wonderful to see projects fully realized. Susan snapped this shot of these brand new card sets for Roger La Borde by Kendra Binney, which were revealed at the Noted show.

Anne Bentley and Katie Vernon for Roger La Borde

Some of Kendra Binney’s cards spotted at the Calypso booth.

Susan enjoyed visiting Creative Director Monica Brandrup of the lovely card company, Up With Paper.

Pop-up card by Rebecca Jones for Up With Paper.

We have so many gorgeous maps to show you that we needed to break them up into TWO posts. Here’s Part 2. Enjoy!

Trina Dalziel

Fun Fact: LRS agent Kim Fleming (originally from Montreal by way of Portland, OR) lived in Melbourne, Australia for 15 years before we got our hands on her!

Anke Rega

Katie Vernon

Jessica Allen

Marco Marella

Marenthe

We’re so thrilled to see our artist Sarajo Frieden on Godiva’s homepage!  She had the opportunity of a lifetime working on this very special edition for Godiva’s 2017 Valentine’s Day Collection.

Images from Godiva website.

The packaging is stunning and captures the playful wit and colorful palette of Sarajo’s work. As part of this project, Godiva flew Sarajo over to Japan to meet with the Godiva team and speak at the unveiling of this special collection. What an amazing experience!

photos by Sarajo

Sarajo captured this journey to Japan through a series of beautiful photographs and we’ll be sharing all of those with you this Tuesday, Feb. 7th on Lilla’s Instagram Feed @lillarogers. Be sure to follow along in the fun and see how this wonderful collection came to be. And while you’re at it, go ahead and buy some of these yummy chocolates for yourself or a loved one this Valentine’s Day.

xo,

The Studio Ladies

So exciting around here as we wait for all of these incredible creative artists & art directors to fly in today for the retreat #LillasRetreat!  Click on the artists name below to explore their gorgeous galleries of work….

Sarah Walsh

Tara Lilly, Global Talent Search Winner 2014

Carolyn Gavin

Lisa DeJohn

Margo Tantau Creative Director of Midwest CBK

Suzy Ultman

Helen Dardik

Have safe travels everyone and can’t wait to kick off this retreat! #LillasRetreat

xo,

Reine

Hi,

Having a wonderful time in Brighton. The tastes, sounds, smells and visuals are so gloriously fresh. There is a steady sea breeze punctuated with seagull cries and the light is crystaline, even in the morning.

Ladies of the Market downstairs.

Yummy pork pies!

Textures, types and colors captured on a morning walk.

xo,

Susan

Hello,

My day starts out leisurely with Margo Tantau in the cafe downstairs. I showed her the mini tarot deck I bought yesterday, and she wants to buy one, too. I neglected to bring mine from home.

Here’s me taking a photo of Margo taking a photo at the cafe. What happens when you get two visual hoarders in the same room? This.

I’m on a business trip. This is my business today: Margo, Beth and I go ’round to tiny Brighton shops and record instructive videos for our online courses. Margo chats about products as seen through the eyes of a creative director, and I as a teacher/agent. We are particularly interested in home decor products for our newest course. I love asking Margo (right) questions about how things are made because she knows so much. Beth (left) does the filming and keeps us on task.

First up, we chat on camera about this extraordinary ceramic set. Note the sgraffito carvings on the leaves on the creamer on the left, and the raised tree branches and birds on the right. Although the imagery is different, the gold rim ties the two together. Things to think about when designing your own line.

I chat a bit about painting on distressed wood and mention that exposing bits of the wood in one’s wall art makes a nice home decor presentation. Margo agrees.

England just has the sweetest vibe, with all the pleases and thank yous and polite niceties; you see it reflected in the delicacy of the art. Someone said it’s from having a queen for the monarch.

(I may have bought this lovely little painting.)

We are seduced by the window, and elect to break for a coffee.

Now at a vintage shop, Margo explains what the bleed-y, runny mid-century glaze is on the vase on the left, and how to note that in your presentation so the art director knows what you’re thinking. Then, they try to get me to buy that vase—and I desperately want to—but I am on a vase-buying moratorium.

Here’s that funny glaze again. I just love it. It looks bubbly and over-fired and I adore it. Margo points out that the glaze effect is unpredictable when being manufactured, but cool.

I purchased this anatomy doll for my husband, an emergency room doctor. He’s on a plane on his way here and doesn’t know about it yet! He’s the kind of guy that will treasure this. It’s carved, painted wood and comes with an instruction manual, so you know what guts go where I suppose. I allow myself to buy this because I’m not a wooden-anatomy-doll-purchasing-moratorium (yet).

Just seriously cool. Hand-decaled Peter Max/Carnaby Street love fest.

My kind of bathing suit. We poke around some more and make about a dozen more short videos.

After shooting little videos on finding color inspiration at your local new age gem shop, mid-century fabric printing looks, defining visual merchandising, new trends in metal products, exploring shapes for glass products, and even some children’s book styles, we call it a day.

Now I am in my digs, writing this for you.

And that’s the life of this digital nomad.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more goodness!

xo
Lilla

Hi,

Took a stroll in Brighton UK last night to get a taxi to Beth’s.

Everything is so freaking charming.

Here’s the Brighton Dome, where our big event is being held on Friday. A bit magical, a bit kooky.

Is this a story book house or Beth’s house? Yup, it’s Beth’s.

Pebble mosaic. I want to do this. Can Boston weather sustain this kind of thing?

Beth’s belly. I made the bronze necklace for her.

I lettered the name tags while we gabbed about the event. Yup, this is my career. I brought my fountain calligraphy pen and my travel watercolors.

xo,

Lilla

I’m having my morning coffee downstairs. I’m loving this place.  Working on my Trend Report and Art Review PowerPoint for Friday.  #digitalnomad

Not often do you see a flyer for an accordion teacher.  I do love the serif lettering and the pencil drawing of the accordion.

xo,

Lilla

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