Drawing juvenile animals

There are so many ways to start a design. I am working on some animals for a “barnyard” scene for a baby bedding design. In this case I have drawn the animals, tractor and barn and scanned them into my computer. I then trace the images with my Wacom tab in Illustrator, where  I work on the color. The elements will become more juvenile in the drawing, but I like starting with something that I can then develop. Today I will add some more elements; it is good to have a starting place from which to let one’s imagination grow. At this stage I may even add an alphabet, and progress by placing the animals in playful poses.

Great fun is in store… I will show you other ways of working in the future.

Atlanta Gift Show

Last Friday I arrived in Atlanta (my parents home town) to attend the Gift Show; my flight was a day late due to a bit of snow at the airport. This seemed rather silly to me as I live in Colorado, but the delay must have been due to de-icing challenges.

It was good to get out of the cold weather and into the Atlanta’s Mart building; didn’t have trouble getting my pass which was a huge relief! I walked the C building where “Children’s World” is located and enjoyed seeing really fun products for kids, and talking with prospective clients. Most of the exhibitors were willing to chat and direct me to their Creative Directors in the corporate offices.

I spent two more days in buildings A and B looking at home furnishings (made me want to decorate my house), greeting cards and paper products. After showing my portfolio to a number of manufacturers I came to the conclusion that too much time has been spent on juvenile art, as my Everyday and Holiday designs were well received. So back to the drawing board.

It was also fun to run into several friends, and to visit old friends in Marietta and Roswell after working all day.

Since my return I have been following up, sending samples to interested parties, and planning new directions for my art work. All together it was a very successful trip, and I plan on returning in July for the next show.

Wintertime in the Rockies show

Art Hardware  in Colorado Springs had their art  opening ” Winter in the Rockies” on Friday night; I have four pieces in the show, two fabric and embroidery pieces, and two winter scenes with people painted in a primitive style with a crackled texture.

Several artists were showing pieces with winter themes, a potter, several photographers, and a painter. This gallery is a new idea, in an existing framing and reprographics locally owned  business; the traffic could have been a bit better, but it was a very cold night…

I was happy about  selling a piece called “Shopping in the Village”, which will be sent to Hawaii as a gift to the new owner’s mother.

The show will be up until February 4th 2010, at Art Hardware , 402 South Nevada Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Art marketing

Today I started a new marketing program that is based on the book “How To Get Clients Now”; my coach Donna Feldman from Denver is helping me with this process. The markets that I usually work in have changed so drastically so this is a good time to have a new strategy. The program consists of a system with actions that are taken on a daily and weekly basis; you have choices, for instance one of them is to follow up with two prospects everyday. This is a good thing as it helps to stay focused.

The initial actions are taken for 28 days, I will keep updating my progress on a weekly basis. So far I like the concept.

Colorado Alliance of Illustrators

Early this month we had our first board meeting with the new members; I am now the vice president of the organization, and was glad to find out what my duties will be. We went over  all the jobs that need attending to and I am in charge of making sure that all of the events for the year are  properly in place. Next summer I am planning a plein air painting day in Garden of the Gods park, followed by a barbecue at my house. The other members are very professional and friendly, so I am happy to be a part of a good group. If you would like more information about our many events please click on the link  under blogroll.

Baby and Kidz show

The “Baby and Kidz” show in Colorado Springs was a lot of fun; I had a booth with the owner of “Mountain Moppets”, a children’s boutique in Old Colorado City that carries some of my work. My juvenile art and the unique clothes and accessories looked great together; we passed out flyers about the store and I talked with several attendees about painting murals in their spaces. This is the picture that I worked on during the show, an “African Animals” scene which is a prototype for a child’s room. I have noticed from previous experience that people enjoy watching artist working, and the piece was very well received. To make the gesso board look like a wall surface I rolled house paint on as a background… that worked really well. I will probably attend the show in Denver in January, or have a booth again.

Waldo Canyon

My new collection of wildflower designs is finished, and is now available for licensing. The idea came to mind as I was hiking in Waldo Canyon which is a scenic trail not too far from my house; this area is covered with wildflowers around mid-summer.To see the images please post a comment on this blog. The art has a fresh flair to it and is broad in it’s market appeal. The pieces were painted in acrylic, and the accents are in oil pastels.

I have typically licensed designs for baby bedding, scrap-booking products, gift bags, greeting cards and gift products. Most of my work is created with a juvenile or feminine client in mind, and has a whimsical feel to it, as does the attached logo.

Colorado Alliance of Illustrators

It is an honor to have been designated the new VP of of the Colorado Alliance of Illustrators. We have a good assortment of events during the year including a show that is usually held during the Spring. To check out more information please visit our website at http://www.allianceofillustrators.com

ArtLink Longmont

On Friday evening I attended the ArtLink show in Longmont Colorado, where I was showing four pieces of art, three acrylic paintings with pastels and one appliqué with embroidery. The attendance was very good, it was a gorgeous summer evening, which brought out a lot of families; that was a good thing as three of the paintings were juvenile pieces. Businesses and galleries participated in the event, showing a wide variety of  styles and subject matter. I am leaving some of my available work at “Intuitive Office” at 357 Main Street for another three weeks.

Several artists exhibited their work at the same venue, and it was fun meeting them and hearing about their careers.

As it was a little far to drive home  I stayed in a Bed and Breakfast, “The Thompson House Inn” which is in a beautiful Victorian House two blocks from the art event. The breakfast which was served on the patio was outstanding… great send off.

Another art demo

This time I painted in a garden store “Pickets” in Historic Golden Colorado.  I happened to be working on my wildflower series, and worked on one of the designs for several hours on Saturday. My demo was at the same time as the Golden Arts Festival, which was wonderful as it brought a lot of traffic in the store. I was happy with the response to my work, and am thinking of entering the festival next year.