Tag: Global Talent Search
Guest Blogger : Emily Balsley reflects on MATS and the GTS Finals
Hey Lilla!
Now that Make Art That Sells and the Global Talent Search are over I finally have the time to sit down and reflect on the last six months. What a whirlwind it has been! I went into the course a fairly “green” illustrator and I have come out of it ready to take on the world one illustration at a time – with new skills, self-confidence, focus and drive.
Before Make Art That Sells, I had been slowly building my portfolio, never quite comfortable with sharing it, as I didn’t think it was ready. And now, between the ten weeks of MATS and three rounds of the Global Talent Search, I have SO many solid pieces – my website has been transformed! And I can’t wait to start promoting it.
When I first signed up for the course, it was hard for me to justify paying so much for this class when I was hardly making any money as an illustrator! But that was the point of the course, right?!? With encouragement from my husband, I decided it was time to do something for myself and look at it as an investment for my career. And now that it’s over, it was worth every penny.
I can’t imagine how many hours of planning went into this class, but thank you so much for putting in all the effort. It really shows. The lessons were well thought-out. The interviews with the experts were en pointe. Splitting the assignments into parts really helped me grasp the approach and process. And let’s not forget the points you continued to drill into us week after week such as:
-Icons hold all the power.
-How can we tell if we have a strong composition and color balance? Shrink it down to a thumbnail, of course!
-Now I know incorporating neutral colors into my palette is oh, so important (though I’m still working on this one!).
-My number one takeaway? People buy my joy. My goal as a maker has always been to bring a smile to someone’s face. And now I know the secret – put myself into my work and people will be inspired. I love that I can take a crazy thought, channel it through my pen, and it transforms into a piece of art that people want. That’s magic.
In addition to the classwork, I have been blessed with many new friendships. My classmates have been so warm, supportive and generous. Though, I have to say – creating among hundreds of highly skilled artists can be pretty intimidating! There were many times I happened to catch a glimpse of their works-in-progress on Facebook and I thought there was no way I could compete with that. But I realized we all are amazing in our own way. We are all artists. We all have similar goals – we want to share our art (our magic) with the rest of the world. And as you constantly reminded us – there is a place for us all! I truly believe that.
When the Global Talent Search came along I thought this would be another good opportunity to create a solid portfolio piece. I never thought I would get through to the final round! Working through the three rounds, and utilizing the skills we learned from MATS Part A, I went to town. I had a blast working on the first two assignments and somehow managed my stress level to the point where I hit “send” and never looked back. I tried to keep my cool and took the “whatever happens, happens” approach. Admittedly, round 3 was a bit more stressful, as the final prize was on the line! When I heard the final results, yes, there a was a moment of disappointment. But then I realized I MADE IT TO THE FINALS OF THE LILLA ROGERS GLOBAL TALENT SEARCH. Wowsa! That is something to be proud of.
Today I am ready to start putting myself out there! As I look at my updated portfolio I know this is the time. Getting through to the final round of GTS has provided the confidence and validation that I am on the right path. This is what I’m supposed to be doing, and I couldn’t be more excited about what opportunities lie ahead.
Lilla, I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful gift! Emily Balsley
To register for Make Art That Sells click here.
Zoe Ingram shares her MATS + GTS experience!
Hi Lilla,
I’m just popping in to share a little post GTS update. I thought It would be good to share a bit of my experience so far.
It’s been almost two months since the end of GTS and I think I’m finally getting my head around what just happened to me. The experience, I can only describe as a roller coaster ride. There was the thrill of starting work on a new brief and then the nervous wait after submitting and then the elation at hearing that I’d advanced to the next round. Three rounds of extreme and intense emotions but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Since the announcement back at the beginning of October, things have been full on, fast paced but thankfully Lilla, Susan, Jennifer and Julia have all been there helping me to get settled in. What an amazing team! There has been a lot for me to take in and digest and work through and now that MATS B has finished I was going to say that things have calmed down a little bit for me but actually, that’s not really true, it’s still full steam ahead with stage 2 of my book illustrations with Quarry, a fabric collection with Robert Kaufman, greetings cards with American Greetings and Printsource preparations all of which are dream jobs!
So what exactly have I been doing since the end of GTS? Well, lots of drawing that’s for sure! But I love drawing so it couldn’t get any better! I have also been working closely with Margo Tantau at Midwest CBK on my new line with them which I am crazy excited about and they are now working on the range and it will be going into production very, very soon.
I have also come to understand the importance and value of having a good support network in place and people to talk to in the sometimes solitary world of illustration and in particular, working from home. I make a point of going to my local library cafe at least once a week to sit and draw. The ladies who work there ask me about my work when they see me drawing which is lovely. Another great support network that I am very lucky to be part of is Forest Foundry collective, an amazing group of 7 other artists from all around the world. We keep each other motivated, inspired and support each other everyday.
I received a little email from Lilla the other day asking me if I can believe my life now and I promptly replied that no I couldn’t and would I ever? The whole experience from MATS A, to GTS, to MATS B has really, really been out of this world and has changed my life. I’m so grateful for the opportunity that Lilla & Beth have created for me. It was, without doubt, the best choice I ever made to do the course and GTS. I almost didn’t sign up for the course or the competition but had 20 seconds of insane courage and did it. It’s been the best and happiest time of my working life so far and I believe it’s only going to get better.
I think the moral of the story that I’m trying to get across here is that dreams really can and do come true. Don’t hold back, just do it, whatever “it” may be to you and with a little bit of hard work and determination who knows what might happen. I believe that a lot of what has come to me has done so because I have been open, willing to take a chance, using positive thinking and a lot of determination and hard work. If you’re thinking about doing MATS and GTS next time, go for it, you really have nothing to lose!
I don’t have much in the way of work that I can show yet as it’s all in development and a bit top secret but I can show you a couple of pieces from MATS B and the huge pile of sketchbooks that I have amassed in the past few months with a little peek inside! – Zoe
GUEST BLOGGER: Daniel Roode (GTS winner)
Many life changing events have transpired in the past month, and I just want to share and honor my good fortune. Most of you know me as the Special Studio Award winner in the Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search and I need not alert you to the fact that Lilla and her team of agents are at the top of everything that is cool, modern, and groovy. I am now fortunate enough to be in the stable of amazing talent that they represent. It’s been a month now since I won a coveted spot and I still can only say “Holy smokes!”
When I heard about the GTS, I simply thought it would be a really great way to get the creative juices flowing. And for sheer lack of confidence, I almost didn’t even enter the contest. What a colossal mistake that would have been! I had also made a promise to myself that I would make a real concerted effort to get agented this year and gain some momentum on my career. But before I knew it the year was half over and I hadn’t made any attempts at representation at all, so I decided to bite the bullet and go for it through this contest. Great Daniel, try and get representation in the hardest way possible. :)
I loved the idea of the competition, you get a briefing from Lilla, have a two week period to create your submission and a small break in between to await the results to see if you qualified to the next round. I was enticed by the array of assignments that I would be presented that I would not have normally thought of doing myself. Creating a journal cover, designing art for a tote bag sold at a farmers market, and creating an entire line of home decor with almost no limitations. Such cool fun projects! After I’d entered a bit before the deadline, I eagerly awaited the first assignment.
Round 1 had us create journal cover with a vintage playground motif as if Paperchase was our client. I felt okay with my submission. I’d like to say that I slept soundly the day the semi-finalists were announced and woke up to the news bright eyed and bushy tailed but it was quite the opposite. I stayed up late, I couldn’t sleep. I hit the refresh button on Lilla’s blog like a caffeinated lab mouse. The anticipation was overwhelming. Finally the wait was over and I slowly scrolled through the list, my heart was racing, “This is the moment of truth” I thought, oh my god I think there’s been a mistake. I don’t see my name?! Oh it’s alphabetical, there’s still a chance! There I am!!! Holy Shit. I made it! Indeed it went down just like that. Warm joyful tears ran down my cheeks. Happy.
Round 2. Getting through that first round really helped me push through to the next and take on a challenge that, at the time and it seemed utterly impossible for me to create a fall tote bag to be sold at a farmers market. But this is partly why I signed up for this. To apply myself in a way that I normally wouldn’t think of. I’m mostly used to making work that appeals to the children’s market and this assignment had us creating something that would appeal to adults as well. Tricky. I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do and in the end it turned out to be close to what I thought I would make. And, as an aside, that’s what I love about creating art. You have an idea, you try actualizing it, and for better or worse you bend to where the pictures are telling you to go. With faith in this process in mind, I submitted my work, waited for the results, repeated the process above: barely sleep, refresh blog, scroll, thumping heart, … warm tears of joy rolling.
Round 3. Well if I felt daunted by the first two assignments this one really had me twisted. Design an entire line of home decor with almost no limitations on color or subject matter. We had to design exclusively for an adult audience and had to choose from one of a few categories. I chose the category called “weekend retreat”, which allowed for silvery, golden fallish and wintery hues and tones. At first I did a riff on Red riding hood that I was truly in love with but after my Skype session with Lilla and her A-Team of crack agents it was apparent that I had skewed to young. And as an attempt to age it up I had also inadvertently made my wolf scary. Oops! Not what I was going for. :) So I had to put my thinking cap on and turn around my work into something that was cohesive and line ready. A real ‘make it work’ moment as they say.
I hit submit on my final piece, said a prayer. Not a lot happened in between that I can remember. A couple of restless bland weeks had finally passed and before I knew it the moment of truth had arrived. I repeated ALL of the aforementioned rituals above but this time the stakes were higher and i was pulsing. I wanted to jump out of my eyeballs. Just to have gotten this far was a wild dream. All of the artists had submitted outstanding and mesmerizing work. Being here, with them, I felt validated. Realizing I had won a studio prize was like opening up that gift that you had asked for but never knew would be yours to open. And HERE I AM! I could have never expected this wild journey to have taken me here, but feel extremely grateful that I’m exactly where I need to be.
Thank you Lilla, Susan, Jennifer, Julia, Patty, and Margo and everyone who was rooting for me! – Daniel
Samples of Daniel’s GREAT work from the Make Art That Sells e-course:
GUEST BLOGGER: Vesper Stamper – GTS People’s Choice finalist
Dear Lilla,
The Global Talent Search was one of the most amazing, tear-jerking and enriching events of my career. Allow me to share my experience with you!
I looked at the GTS as an opportunity to try something new and use the briefs to freshen up my portfolio. I had no expectations, and little did I know that I was in the running with over 1500 other artists!
For the Round 1 Journal Cover, I decided to go with my gut and draw fantasy characters in keeping with my love for fairy tale. So that was my twist on the “playground” theme—instead of bouncy horses and ducks, I went with bouncy unicorns and pegasus (Pegasi? Pegasuses? Ha ha).
I was so excited for Round 2—autumn is the season in which I truly come alive, so I went with my instinct on the Fall Market Tote. I’m so happy I did. It turned out that almost 700 people were vibe-ing with me on the tree dance. A bunch of people wrote to me and asked where they could buy my tote bag! It boosted my confidence to know that there was popular demand for my work.
The home decor assignment for the Finals was a dream project. I’m working on a graphic novel about the legend of the White Stag, so instead of reinventing the wheel, I decided to stay with what was already moving me. Through the home decor project, I have been inspired to try new techniques and new materials, including tailoring my embroidery and doll-making toward commercial work.
Contests are such an important part of an artist’s career, and it really has nothing to do with winning. I won a big grant this year for one of my books, but didn’t win the GTS — it really isn’t whether you win or lose. Contests serve to clarify vision, expose you to the greater artistic community (I’m so glad to know so many new artists and *hundreds* of new Facebook and Twitter fans!), get you out of your bubble, and push you to try new things.
This process has taught me the value of trusting my own individual voice and vision. Through all three rounds, I stuck to my instinct more intentionally than ever, and it paid off. I am so encouraged by my success in the GTS, and as I pursue the newly opened path in front of me, I could not be more excited and inspired. Thanks, Lilla and all the GTS artists, for helping to breathe new life into my process!
— Vesper
GUEST BLOGGER: Josephine Kimberling is inspired thanks to GTS and MATS
Hi Lilla!
I wanted to reach out to you and let you know the ways your Global Talent Search and Make Art that Sells classes have affected my work and creative process!
First of all, being a part of the Global Talent Search brought out a competitive side in me I didn’t know I had! It wasn’t a ‘mean, climb over anyone I can’ kind of competitiveness , but a ‘push myself as much as possible, to do the absolute best work I can’, kind. Your creative briefs were really inspiring and took me on a journey to create art that I don’t usually create, which awoke a creative excitement inside of me!
With MATS, I took the class as a way to give myself permission to experiment, as deadlines really push me. I wanted to use the class as a chance to explore my creative style and try to find a way to mesh my traditional media skills and experience as a textile designer with my current, graphic Illustrator, vector style that I am currently licensing. It truly felt wonderful to pull out my paints and other traditional media and get lost for hours learning and growing! I’m still experimenting and figuring it out, but it feels great to be on this path and for the ideas to be flowing!
From working in-house for 12 years, I know the technical side and production process very well which I find has been limiting my creative work. Through GTS and MATS, I’ve learned to make art that I love first. Learning more about the variety of industries out there and what they look for really helped to broaden my horizons and show me that I need to spend 10,000 hours on developing other facets of my creative talents, and not stay stagnant in my comfort zones.
The information from these experiences has, in a way, given me permission to create what I love, experiment, and push myself.
Since being involved in GTS and MATS, I’ve been cranking out new work to juice up my portfolio. I’ve been using textures and paint. Having my illustrations make it through to the 3rd round in GTS has given me the confidence to explore Illustration more vs. solely creating pattern work, where I am comfortable. It’s been a very exciting time and a little bit of a roller-coaster ride that I’m excited to be on!
So, thank you Lilla for bringing your genius to all of us creatives, for sharing your knowledge and expertise, and for using YOUR talents to spice up the art world!
–Josephine
To read more on Jospehine’s experience, click here.
Global Talent Search Semi-Finalists Announced! Did you make the top 50?
It’s time to reveal the 50 Semi-Finalists in the 2013 Global Talent Search!
We were flooded with entries in response to the exciting brief set in association with Paperchase, inviting entrants to design a journal cover with a playground theme. Here is what Lilla had to say about reviewing the submissions, and undertaking the difficult task of making the selection…
“What’s it like to review submissions from over 1,500 participants from over 30 countries around the globe? I’ll tell you what it’s like: It’s exhilarating! I couldn’t wait to see what would turn up as a result of the assignment. For starters, I was astounded by the quality of work and the calibre of the artists. Work was submitted in every medium: paint, watercolor, Adobe Illustrator, even 3-D pieces! My goal was to seek out the best of the best, and by a very careful process of elimination, I was able to narrow down the selection to 122 images. From there I began an even more studied (and challenging!) examination, and then finally I brought in my crack team, Susan McCabe and Jennifer Nelson, for their savvy input as seasoned agents to help narrow the work down to this group of AMAZING 50 semi-finalists.
THE SEMI-FINALISTS
(In alphabetical order by surname)
Kiran Ahmad
Kelly Angelovic
Jan Avellana
Emily Balsley
Elspeth Alix Batt
Wendy Bentley
Maria Bogade
Gaia Bordicchia
Miriam Bos
Rosie Martinez Dekker
Chantel de Sousa
Susan Driscoll
Noemi Gambini
Lien Geeroms
Julia Glukhoy
Lindsay Grime
Lyndy Hants
Kim Hawes
Tamara Henderson
Denise Holmes
Victoria Horner
Jill Howarth
Zoe Ingram
Josephine Kimberling
Anita Kingsley
Tara Lilly
Dawn Machell
Lizzie Mackay
Antonija Majstorovic
Julie Mclaughlin
Lucky Nielsen
Erin Paisley
Juliana Pedemonte
Clare Phillips
Fatinha Ramos
Daniel Roode
Angie Rozelaar
Marta Rusin
Aimee Sicuro
Cindy Silverstein
Natalie Singh
Vesper Stamper
Amy Sullivan
Irene Tan
Megan Thomas
Victoria Weiss
Kara White
Selena Wong
Louise Wright
Janet Zack
Global Talent Search winner to get Mini Collection license with Robert Kaufman Fabrics!
Drum roll please… The winner of the Global Talent Search will not only be represented by Lilla Rogers Studio, but will win a Mini Collection license with Robert Kaufman Fabrics (and a host of other prizes – see here for details!)
The Mini Collection with Robert Kaufman Fabrics will feature 2-4 designs with 2 colorways per design.
Design by Suzy Ultman
The winner will collaborate with a Senior Stylist assigned by the Robert Kaufman Studio, who will personally guide them through all processes involved to produce and market their work on fabric. The details of the license, including royalties, will be negotiated by Lilla Rogers Studio on behalf of the winner.
Registration for the Global Talent Search closes TOMORROW! If you have not yet registered, what are you waiting for? This is an incredible opportunity and someone has to win – it might just be YOU! Find out more and register here.
Global Talent Search winner to get license with Paperchase!
We are bursting with excitement to reveal unveil another fantastic prize for the winner of the Global Talent Search (registration closes this Wednesday June 26)…
The talented winner will win a license for a journal cover with gorgeous stationery chain Paperchase. The details of the license, including royalties, will be negotiated by Lilla Rogers Studio on behalf of the winner.
Helen Dardik for Paperchase
Find out more about Paperchase on their website here.
How amazing? If you haven’t yet thrown your hat into the ring for the Global Talent Search, why not? Someone has to win and it might just be you! Register here by June 26 to be in with a chance of winning this career-changing prize!
Global Talent Search winner to get home & garden product license with Studio M!
We are so excited to unveil yet another fabulous prize for the winner of the Global Talent Search (registration closes June 26)…
The talented winner will create a decorative garden product with Studio M, the new artful home and garden division of Magnet Works, Ltd.! The Director of Product Development will personally work with the winner throughout the development process to give them a better understanding of how a product line is conceptualized, developed, and marketed in the Specialty Gift Industry. The details of the license, including royalties, will be negotiated by Lilla Rogers Studio on behalf of the winner.
Find out more about Studio M on their website and blog, or connect on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
How cool? If you haven’t yet thrown your hat into the ring for the Global Talent Search, why not? Someone has to win and it might just be you! Register here by June 26 to be in with a chance of winning this career-changing prize!