As usual, the queen of editorial work, Diane Bigda, delivers. In God we Trust? Burning credit cards, the eagle has fallen. Just because it’s a serious topic doesn’t mean the art can’t be beautiful. Amazing texture, mature line quality, and gravitas. Art directors: Diane did this piece as a personal work and it is currently available as stock. Contact us.

Allegra gives her poetic take on economic cycles. She takes the long view in such a charming, yet slightly bittersweet way. This piece is a personal piece she did and is available as stock.

Allegra lives in Milan.

An amazing piece by Marco about the new economy.

Amazing piece by Marco. Contact us to license this piece or commission a new piece by Marco or any of our artists to help illustrate your article on the financial situation. How cool I can show you this piece so quickly. We can turn on a dime for our art director clients.

Dear Readers,

I want to talk to you about the economy. I’ve been through three recessions as an artist, and I’ve always done well. I want to let you know that great art will always get work. Great work and great promotion will get you jobs.

This financial crisis will pass. There are many people that are a lot more invested in making it work than we are.

What doesn’t do well in a bad economy? Poor work, poor service, and people just sort of bored and tired of their own work.

In our economy, it’s a new paradigm. It’s not JUST a good economy or a bad economy. It’s a multi-faceted economy. If we, at Lilla Rogers Studio, for example, can get work from all over the world, then the rules of the game are different. It is my prediction that certain sectors of the economy will do poorly and certain sectors will do well. And everything in between. We are not destined for a one-size-fits-all recession.

How will artists fare? Since artists are trend-leading and entrepreneurial, the really good ones will make markets for themselves.

The election looks promising, and that, too, will infuse the entrepreneurs and artists with energy, which, in turn, will fuel the economy forward.

Also, leave me any questions in your comments and I will try to answer them. I care about our community and don’t want to see any unnecessary fear.

Warm regards,
Lilla

These lithographs of Janell’s work are on hardwood frames and are now available at Target. They’re BIG! 20 x 28″. Check them out here. Great kid wall art. Let me know if you see them at Target, ok?
Oh — and they are available for licensing in some other categories.

Here’s Marco‘s new work: Illustration as fine art. Marco is a fine artist and an illustrator. I took him on in part due to the resemblance to Jean-Michel Basquiat, yet it’s a bit less sad.

Great new work, loose and masterful with watercolor. Watercolor colors can be garish, or overly primary, or just passe. Rebecca brings her British sensibility and the British watercolor tradition to her graceful use of watercolor. Her color palettes are always a surprise.

You know, I’m thinking, too, that her work is very observed. It doesn’t have a glib, formulaic quality like an I’ve-drawn-this-face-a-billion-times look. Check out the very succinct, minimal two pink lines to make those pretty, sexy, sad lips.

A book cover that sadly wasn’t used. But we love it, and I bet she’ll get work from it.

Mike emailed us this picture and says “Ladies, I thought you all would like to see this. Sometime last year I got an email that said something along the lines of ‘I like your work. I thought you might like this image.’ ”

An illustration by Marco on writers and their dogs. So evocative.