I recently completed this fun, colorful set of four art blocks that are inspirational and uplifting. But the best part is the sides, they are fully decorated with little flowers, swirls and hearts!  

These would be perfect little blocks to have recreated as canvas block prints for people to place on walls, mantels, side tables, etc.  But, the front design can also be used on numerous other products from greeting cards and journals and even coasters and other home decor products to inspire on a daily basis.

It's been a busy week here at MADART Studios after returning from my annual summer vacation in Alaska!  Lot's to catch up on and lot's of new work to be created.

I've started adding to my inspirational line of designs/paintings with some hand drawn typography art, a new concept for me, but one I'm thoroughly enjoying!  These designs can be used on just about any product imaginable, and will be shown on some product mockups soon. Here are two of the recent word art designs created this past week.

I'm also working on a submission for Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search!  The opportunities for this challenge are amazing, especially for the winner, but also just the process of being involved with such an amazing art licensing agent and the opportunity to stretch my abilities even more. The brief is something I've never drawn before and I'm delighted to say it's extremely fun and inspiring!  I may have to do more along these lines; here's a sneak peek at my submission in progress, lot's more work to be done :)

And finally...I have A LOT of new images for coastal, rooster and Paris art to be designed.  I sketched literally HUNDREDS of icon elements while in Alaska, on some dreary rainy days, and can't wait to get some paint put on them and full completed designs and mockups presented! 


Here is a sneak peek at the drawings patiently waiting for me to get to them :)  So I will be busy, busy, busy for some time with all of these goings on, oh, and painting an octopus on my daughter's surfboard too!!

I've been working away on rounding out a collection of 12 whimsically elegant designs that are both fun and sophisticated at the same time ~ "Ethereal Whimsy"!  I love the juxtaposition of the more whimsical, almost funky design of the bird and butterfly/dragonfly elements in these designs, against the very soft, elegant feel of the backgrounds and borders.  It creates a mood of happiness and fun that I think will appeal to women across the board, particularly with colors that always do well.  

These designs can be applied to so many different products, from calendars (hence the 12 images), journals, mugs, hat boxes, pillows, notepads, greeting cards, wedding invitations, you name it, they will work!  I've mocked up some designs on products just to show how well they translate and love the way they turned out :)  

Each design also has an inspirational message or word to inspire and motivate women to live a life full of promise and passion.

It always seems odd to be painting holiday specific or seasonal art that really isn't in season, but so goes the life of an artist in the licensing world!  But, I don't mind in the least, I enjoy breaking out of the ordinary and mixing it up, and I did just that last week and this weekend with 5 new collections for Christmas and winter :)

One of the top requests for new art I received at the Surtex Licensing Show last month was to create more, more and more Christmas art!  I don't think I will ever have enough, but I will certainly try. Coastal and inspirational were the next two top requests, I've created a couple of inspirational and will be working on more coastal as well over the next few weeks and months, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here are the new collections just created, all of which are available for licensing across all product categories.  And...I also have poinsettias painted and ready to create new designs with, so this will be available shortly.  To see all of my Christmas images click here.  Have a Wonderful "Christmas in June"!

Surtex 2014 was a success!  And by "success" I am very, very pleased with all of the great contacts with new, and current manufacturers I've wanted to work with and have previously or currently worked with. It was also a fantastic opportunity to meet so many artists I know from online groups and social media!

Now, the most important part of the show is upon me, the Follow Up.  The whole reason I went to the Art Licensing Surtex show was to put my art in front of manufacturers who might not be aware of my art.  Now that I have made those contacts, it is of the utmost importance to connect with them and provide them with more information about me and my art and how my art can be beneficial to their products and company.  And if needed, create new art for new product lines and/or work with current designs I already have.  

At this earliest stage after the show I am focused on organizing my contact list and prioritizing everything. The VERY first thing I am doing is taking all of the notes from my little book and backing them up on my computer, if something were to happen to my book the whole show would be in vain, all of my contact information would be gone and I cannot, will not let that happen!!

I hope the show was a great success for everyone who exhibited and attended.  I made notes during the show of things that worked for me and of things I can improve upon next year, and will write a new blog post once I'm caught up on all of the current demands from the show :)

Everything seems to have fallen into place and almost all the details are finalized before the big Art Licensing Surtex Show in New York this Sunday.  Finishing up my press kits today; I ended up going with something a little different and hope the media will enjoy :)  On the front of each of the folders I actually hand drew a fun, whimsical design, that can be enjoyed as is or used as a coloring page.  Fun for me and fun for them!  Yes, a little time consuming for sure, but my daughter Aroon is helping out with the final pen outlining and putting all the folders together.  Thank goodness for some help, it's a lifesaver!! And my daughter will also be accompanying me to New York and helping to (wo)man the booth and also share in some of the attention as we collaborated together on the New Inspirational "Happiness Is..."™ line.

I have a couple of days left to soak it all in and double, triple check my list and packing and make sure I have everything I could possibly need, and more!  But, it's also important to take these last few days before such a big event and business decision, to relax and not stress too much, it's supposed to be a fun and enjoyable experience, and to go into it with a positive relaxed mindset is key!  Make sure to take some time for yourself the next few days, whether it's to get outside and exercise (going for a run myself today :), have a spa day/massage, get your nails or hair done, take your dogs for a long walk in the park and/or anything that customarily relaxes and rejuvenates you.

Here's to everyone having a very successful and FUN Surtex!!

Busy, Busy Busy creating sell/tear sheets for art collections to show at Surtex next month in New York. As I was creating the sheets I actually ended up designing some new images as well, which is a nice little bonus, it gives me that many more options to show for possible art licensing on different products.  

Here is one of my coastal collections with two new sea shell designs created today.  I love the soft, elegant feel of the new designs (shown below), perfect for a bathroom or any coastal themed home decor in addition to being a great fit for stationary, or coasters or any number of products.

Still a lot of work to do before the Surtex show, but I'm knocking off a little each day and so far feel like I should be able to accomplish all the "artwork" and "grunt work" I would like to get done before I fly to New York.  At least that's what I'm hoping, wish me luck, haha!

There are many different aspects to preparing for the Art Licensing Surtex Show in May in NYC, it's so important to stay organized and be aware of numerous deadlines.  One of the best ways to stay on top of it all and minimize the last minute stress and panic of making sure everything is ready, is to get as much as you possibly can done early, early, early!!  

I have booked our plane tickets, the hotel is booked, my first round of promotional postcards are sitting in the mailbox and I've checked off some of the Surtex booth requirements.  For instance I selected the booth table/counter height, show site contact info, badges, and the names of authorized booth attendees for my booth #217.  All of this can be done by logging into your Surtex account.  I'm also already in the development stages of my banners, I have a template from the last time I went so it's just a matter of deciding which art to display on the booth versus having them only in the portfolios.  I'm also in the process of organizing my files in my tablet, looking at different app options to make it as effective and efficient as possible; so far, I've read really good reviews for Quick Pic and am going to give that one a shot.

By checking items off the list early you can take some of the weight of your shoulders and be as calm and relaxed as possible leading up to the show, no need to add undue amounts of pressure and stress to such an important event.  Get it done early and relax and enjoy the show!!

It's starting to feel like crunch time at MADART Studios™!  Lot's of preparation required to get my booth ready for Surtex 2014 in New York on May 18-20th.  My hotel and plane tickets have been booked and a slight change of plans with my assistant; my friend Mindy went with me last time and was going to go again this year but some personal issues made her decide it was best to stay home this trip, which I totally understand :)  So, my daughter Aroon is going to come with me instead, bonus...she's 6' tall so I (she) will barely need a step stool to reach the top of the banners, haha!

I'm researching my banner options, I went with a local printer, CSI Signs, last time and they did an amazing job quickly and not too expensive, I will be comparing their pricing with some other options.  I'm going to get some sample banners from a couple of online printing companies that I have purchased postcards and prints from in the past that I know have great color results, the most important part of the banner, it MUST be true to the original arts colors!  I will let you all know how that goes, if it works out or not :)

Last time I went to Surtex I had grommet holes placed on the top of the banners and used some hooks and this worked fairly well, but I'm thinking I will be going with command strips this time around as it will help the banners lay flat against the walls in a better manner.  

While I'm doing all this prepping for the show I still have lot's of art to create and finish up some collections along with providing art for my agent, Art Licensing, needless to say I've been putting in some long painting/computer hours, but it's what I love to do so it's more fun than work!  I recently completed some collage designs for my agent, something different, but always fun to experiment with new designs and ideas.

Florals seem to be what's trending in the MADART Studios these days :)  Lot's of different variations accented by colorful dragonflies, whimsical butterflies and cute little ladybugs.  I must be looking forward to spring and all the beautiful flowers and creatures that come out.  Even though I live in Florida in the winter's we still have a small winter and look forward to when all the birds singing and the hummingbirds buzzing come back.