My MATS Bootcamp 2015

Magic Carpet Ride

This is my final submission for MATS Bootcamp online course, 

taught by art licensing agent, Lilla Rogers and produced by 

Beth Kempton of Do What You Love.

June's assignment : illustrate an article about digital nomads

Each month we receive an assignment. 1st we're given hints and reference for 

sketching and a week or so after, we receive the final assignment.

I really love having these deadlines, despite nearly missing this last one. 

I mistakenly thought we had another week. 

It's been a busy month.

I was proud I knocked out this piece on Sunday in time to submit. 

My work is more suited to a teen or kids' magazine than it is for Forbes where - 

Tips for Becoming a Successful Digital Nomad was printed.

Even so, I like it :)

Above - May's assignment : crustacean + pattern - plate designs

April's assignment : design a poster for The Global Art Gathering held in Brighton, UK

February's assignment : wall art on wood 

(we skipped March while the MATS B course ran)

These were some other paintings I made. You can view them larger on my website or here

and see sketches if you'd like - here

Our 1st assignment - January : create a journal cover (Edwardian brooch/jewel inspired)

You can view my sketches here

This was an extra little piece - A Manifesto for the class

I had another very good experience taking this course.

The Facebook private group is super for support and sharing opinions and resources.

Plus, the projects are fun and tailored to the current market.

I took Make Art That Sells part A (one week deadlines) 

in spring of 2014. I've signed up for Lilla's Global Talent Search

that begins in August. I'll keep you updated on that one! 

Thanks for taking a look!

Hope you have AC, I finally turned mine on.

xo, A

Hi there! Crabs, seashells and flowers for you :)

I recently ran into a friend on the street wearing mustard colored pants.

I came home and immediately made some paintings with it as a background. Above, is my favorite.

The assignment this month for Lilla Rogers' MATS Bootcamp was to create 

1-3 plate designs : crustaceans + pattern

The blue crab, above, probably got a bit too painterly for a plate, 

but I cleaned it up some for the final submission, which is at the bottom of post.

Meanwhile, I keep painting flowers. I think once I learned that florals tend to stay in style, 

as far as licensing and art goes, that I've given myself free rein to keep going.

Below, my set of summer plates. Click here if you'd like to see the class gallery.

June is the last month for bootcamp. 

I look forward to finding out what our final project will be next week. 

I recommend the class for anyone who wants

deadlines and a supportive group of artists with whom you can

 share opinions, resources and encouragement, if and when you need it. 

If you'd like to view any of the class galleries, showcasing assignments from

previous classes 2014 - 2015 - Click Here :)

And finally, Thank You Chris Dunbar of Konduit Set Makers, LI City

for giving (and cutting) some nice squares of birch plywood for me.

I should have taken more!

Enjoy the rest of your week!

xo, A

Leap of faith

Hi!

I've been pretty busy lately painting sets on the TV show The Following, 

so I haven't had much time to post here.

I'm working with a great fun crew which makes all the difference. 

It's nice to occasionally see Kevin Bacon on set when they're shooting nearby, 

but I'm still waiting to catch a glimpse of James Purefoy.

I loved him as Mark Antony in HBO's series Rome

Maybe tomorrow ;)

I do have a couple of new little paintings to share. 

Above is a quickie dog portrait, happy terrier!

Below, is my Manifesto for Lilla Rogers MATS Bootcamp class.

We have until the end of each month to complete our

regular assignments. This was an optional project,

incorporating Lilla's teaching philosophy, with an opportunity 

to have your piece showcased in coming months.

 I didn't have a chance to create anything until Sunday 

(with little time to spare before deadline) but I decided to give it a go.

I'm not thrilled with the lettering, but overall it's pretty cute I think.

I've always embraced play, but taking a leap of faith, 

by showing work to agents, publishers and product manufacturers ... 

is something that's taken me a long time to do!

It's a good night for tea (16 degrees and falling fast here on the East Coast, brrrrr

Thanks for taking a look. Stay warm!

xo, A

new & noteworthy

Happy Saturday! 

It snowed here in NYC last night :)

I spent time finishing up my journal cover for Lilla Rogers Bootcamp 2015

I got a late start on sketching, but I really enjoyed this one.

Our mini assignment was to sketch Edwardian brooches.

I got a little off track when I spotted a baby bear and tree on Pinterest, 

while looking at images.

For those of you who don't know, Lilla is a licensing agent who has paired up with

Beth Kempton, Do What You Love, in the UK to offer online classes 

that help hone your skills and gain a better understanding of the business.

I took her intensive 5 week class, Make Art That Sells 3A last spring. 

I learned a lot and gained more confidence.

Melissa Iwai convinced me that Bootcamp was just as helpful, with deadlines

end of each month rather than weekly, encompassing 5 months and for less $

The only drawback is that you don't have a chance to have your work reviewed 

by Lilla, herself, but finished pieces are displayed in the Bootcamp Galleries. 

You can view last year's projects here.

Our final assignment was to create a journal cover. You could incorporate your sketches

and reference in any way you like. I'm not the only artist who chose to frame animals

and I almost resisted the urge, but I take do what you love pretty seriously! 

It's funny, because I often sketch frames and animals in frames, "hanging" salon style.

Some of mine took on more of a Mexican folk look, with the bright color and flowers, 

but I'm happy with the mix. Lilla stresses to make what you would buy for yourself.

So I try! and hope that others share my taste in art and products :)

:::

Thanks for stopping by!

Lena is taking a snow day ... Zzzzzz

xo, A

A List - Halloween, Fabric, Art, Red Hook, some People & a Dog

Halloween Party

I painted these animals for If I Were A Toy store last year.

I had a great run painting their glass door with a seasonal, often monthly theme for 

about 3 years, before they closed up shop. This was one of my favorites.

and then there's  fabric, I received 2 of my samples from Spoonflower last week.

The printing is pretty good. I'll probably play around with the repeat more. 

I simply chose "mirror" option on the site. 

Margot Kingon has offered to sew a few small purses for me :) 

I'm not sure how much I want to get involved in manufacturing products, but it's 

nice to place some pieces in shops or sell online and see how they do.

I currently sell bags, pillows, prints in my Society 6 Shop, but as other artists know,

the profit margin is quite low. You can place your products and art on the market quickly, 

with ease and get high quality printing, it's just not the most efficient way to make money.

and then there's  Artist House Party Presents

Christopher Joy, of Gorky's Granddaughter, has opened up a gallery on the UES

 The Opening for Diagonal Triangle was Oct 19th and includes my friend 

and fellow scenic, Bryon Finn (with his work below)

As you can see, I failed to take good, or even mediocre, shots of the artwork.

Just visit the site to view paintings by other artists in the show-

 Elana Herzog, Julian Kreimer, Sangram Majumdar & Sarah Walker

or better yet, go see it in person!

It's up for another 2 weeks, the Closing Reception Nov 12th, 2014

*Check out 5 Questions with Bryon Finn on Angela Fraleigh's blog this week- it's fun and insightful!

and then there's  my neighborhood...

I ran into neighbor, Gabriel as he was visiting with one of my favorite dogs in Carroll Gardens. 

This is such a lovable happy pup! These people are very nice, too ;)

and then there's  Graham Willoughby

I've known him forever and he remains one of my favorite people.

On this day, I admired the way he carried laundry on his head, so he could

carry his daughters' small jack-o-lanterns home in hand.

and then there's  Red Hook

I worked on a small job in a prop guy's studio down on Van Dyke Street last week.

This area is just great. 

I lived on Van Brunt Street back in 1991.

My roommate and I had a terrific space and each had our own studio, but the neighborhood is

very different today. Besides, the charming shops and restaurants along cobble stone streets, 

there are the buildings down on the water, like Pier 41. 

I could smell the salt air, hear seagulls and ducks as I painted set pieces and props.

Plus, it was a quick walk to Fairway to enjoy lunch outside.

I somehow missed this Fire Boat last Friday Night, but production assistant,

Ron Pritchard, captured it. Apparently, a fireman had just been married and this 

was part of the celebration.

and then there's  Halloween. I sure loved it as a kid!

I no longer dress up (tho I will if asked ;) Here is one of my 1st -

#tbt

Happy Halloween!

xo, A

Process, Flowers and Self Promotion Monday :)

We all start somewhere. 

I thought I'd share some process pics of a painting I made this weekend.

I like to start by drawing everything out loosely with charcoal, 

but I sometimes use pencil or just start painting. 

For my latest series of flower themed art, I've been working on canvas again.

Most of my animal illustrations are currently painted on gesso board or wood.

Pre-primed canvas provides a smooth surface for acrylic paint. 

Filling in the background with color is really relaxing to me. 

I guess because it requires only light focus and skill.

Painting each flower is the most fun, but the moment comes when you gotta decide just

 how far to go. I considered keeping this loose and painterly, 

but decided to add lines for definition and to keep it similar in style to the 

last couple of patterns I made. Below, is a detail before I went lighter.

I tried a softer look, by making the background pink, plus I worked a little more on it overall.

And then, I went back to a bolder background using Photoshop, which you can see below. 

Of course, with tools like Photoshop, you can alter almost anything. 

I can get lost in all the color options, alone!

In general, I prefer to do as much with paint before scanning or photographing a piece.

I currently use my iPad to photograph work that's too big to scan, 

like this, which is about 40" x 40" I think it's time to consider buying a large flatbed 

scanner or investing in a better camera or even using my old camera again.

I would love to license work like this to fabric companies, furniture and home accessory

manufacturers. I will begin researching places I can send samples to once I have a few more 

in the series. I'll probably have some printed using Spoonflower, plus create 

some pieces in my Society 6 shop to see how they look on products.

Speaking of samples, nice segue, huh - 

Here are my little square business cards being printed by Moo as we speak :)

Below is the back with a list of select social media platforms & my website, of course.

I'm doing a variety of square cards, here are a few -

and I want to start promoting my custom work again.

I used to paint murals more regularly and I miss it. 

I also live in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, a mini-mecca for newborns!

Below, are postcards of my latest custom painting, which I like a lot.

I decided to print detail shots bc I think it shows the work off better 

than the full image on a postcard size. 

I may print some larger samples or some flyers also.

Thanks for taking a look and indulging me on this self promotion Monday!

Finally, I will leave you with something sweet -

* TAFFY *

Have a great week!

xo, A