Photo Review: A look at Surtex Booths & ArtLicensingShow.com

Hey Everyone! :-) This post is from my seat on the Art Licensing "bus".

Click on images to view larger.

Yup that is me above standing next to my very cute Mummy/Monsters/Halloween art. Don't you just LOVE Artistic Designs Group new logo! artsdg.com. Sorry Joanne Fink, zenspirations.com! I am standing right in front of your art... ADG had a larger booth, this picture doesn't begin to show it all. They represent such amazing artists! You know how it is, I had to show my folks my banner in their booth :-) —Hi Mom and Dad!

Backing up a bit, above is the layout of surtex - This is for those who haven't been and/or who are thinking of exhibiting next year. It gives you the layout and how many booths. LOTS more info and a PDF of the floor plan can be found on www.surtex.com.

Above right is the layout of Javits. There are couple of shows going on at the same time. I did walk quite a bit of NSS (www.nationalstationeryshow.com) but I didn't ask anyone if I could take pictures of their booths.


Some booths are double, triple the size of one booth, some are corner booths. These photos don't do justice to seeing it in person! These are the booths/people I got permission from to take photos.

I got to spend time with both of these ladies! It was so much fun to get to know them better. The booth is Painted Planet Licensing Group paintedplanetlicensing.com. On the left is Jackie Decker - TEASER! I will be featuring Jackie soon on this blog - she has a VERY interesting art story. On the Right is Jan Draheim, President and all around cool lady. Quick Shout out to Leah Cochran, Asst. Acct. Manager - I had a great time getting to know you as well :-)

Many of you know these two ladies! On the left is Christine Reed Cavanaugh (sister :-) And Tara Reed is on the right. This is Tara's booth tarareeddesigns.com. I have links to several of Tara's cool products to help artist on my Useful Stuff page (I have purchased some myself).  NOTE: there is a wonderful FREE call coming up that Paul Brent does with Tara wrapping up Surtex. This links tells Tara you found it through me (but I don't make any money from it, it is a free call :-) click here for Surtex Review with Paul Brent.

This is Dinah's Booth dinahdesignstudio.com. We kept running into each other - even Monday night on the streets of New York :-) She is an artist to keep you eye on.

I Chatted a bit with jwdlicensing.com. I didn't want to take up too much of anyone's time - they are at Surtex to do business! Not talk with me :-) The Owl on the top left is what stopped me in my tracks. I also notice they represent an artist that is one of my favorites - Nancy Medina. We haven't met yet, I am sure some day we will :-) nancymedina.com.

This is a partial photo of Cultivate Art Collective cultivateartcollective.com. I met Betsey Hodson (left) this year and Susanne Kasielke (right) last year when she and I walked Surtex together. Here is a blurb from their website: "At Cultivate Art Collective, we actively support artists, illustrators and designers by providing them with the opportunity to show and exhibit their work to a global audience.  We do this through the benefits of our membership website, professional peer support and community, our new quarterly e-publication CROP, marketing and promotional opportunities, and by attending and exhibiting at various international trade shows such as SURTEX, the Licensing Show and Printsource."

This is Cultivate Art Agency - Yes there is a connection to Cultivate Art Collective. You can read up about it on cultivateartagency.com. or on Cultivate Art Collective's website link above. Pictured is Rachelle Panagarry - she is such a delight!

I snuck in a photo of the Trend Theater. There are quite a few free presentations you can get in on while visiting Surtex. There are also seminars you can pay to attend.

Now for ArtLicensingShow.com! This site is growing like a weed! The photo shows some of the people that I got to chat with and the giveaway items from the Monday morning meet up. I am guessing about 40 people showed, maybe more. This is a NEW site that is still in Beta testing. I personally got a nibble through this site already and I am very excited to hear how the meeting went with my agent at Surtex! You can join this site for FREE if you are an artist and want to just look around http://redcarpet.artlicensingshow.com/event-registration-step-1/ scroll down for options and pricing.

Licensees, Art Directors and Manufactures join for FREE and can really simplify their lives with this online art licensing show.

This is the very same site that I have my group "2nd Thursdays" (235 members and growing) that you may have seen me talking about. http://artlicensingshow.com/groups/2nd-thursdays/.

Well this is a fun post and gives you an idea of what Surtex is like. For me, it gets me energized and fired up to create a bunch of new collections.

Thank you to Rose Mary Berlin rosemaryberlin.com for bringing a "Biscutt" book and signing it for my daughter. So glad I ran into Lisa Conlin lisaconlindesigns.com in one of the Surtex isles. It was great to pal around with you.

Thank you to all the cool people I got to meet and hang out with and to all of you for following and supporting this blog! Let me know what you think of this post. Please share your thoughts and experiences on the shows.

Artist Spotlight - Susanne Kasielke

I met Susanne at Surtex last month - Can't wait to see what she does next!

(click photos to view larger).

Tell us a bit about yourself: Did you go to school for art? Are you self taught?
For as long as I can remember I loved to draw and my favorite medium has always been pencil & paper. After finishing highschool I only dreamt of making money while being creative. I decided to study Mathematics instead - because that was the other thing I was good at. But let's put it this way: It wasn't for me. After one semester I knew I had to figure out a way of pursuing my creative dream.

I found a wonderful college which highly valued original fine art techniques & at the same time offered a graphic design education. Until that point I was convinced that working on a computer was a necessary evil to make a living. I couldn't have been more wrong: It took a while but I got completely hooked: I realized how much fun & how many endless possibilities working digitally offered. I do think that it's important for artists to know & understand old painting techniques; I was very lucky to have been taught by incredible & inspiring teachers.

A Master's degree in fine arts & graphic design and 5 years later I started as a graphic design intern in a big advertisement agency in Munich/Germany. Just to show everyone that I've tried the agency path but that it wasn't for me. I ended up staying for 4 years, because surprisingly I really liked it (most of the time). I've worked with wonderful people and learned incredibly much. These  years of professional experience showed me what I'm capable of, what my strengths are & how the business works.

When I moved to DC in 2009 it was the perfect moment to start fresh, work freelance & focus on my art. If I had known how many endless possibilities for creative people existed I would have made this switch sooner!


What inspires you / where do you get inspiration from?
I think that all my artwork – painting, pattern or drawing – shows my love for antiques. I'm fascinated by old & vintage objects, because they carry so many memories & always tell a story. My inspiration is basically everywhere – by noticing a broken chair in the streets, by strolling around flea markets or by seeing an old wall with paint coming off. Once upon a time I started to collect vintage objects (preferably old suitcases & books). Old things represent the past. Without the past we wouldn't have precious & important memories and we wouldn't be able to grow & learn. I personally like to link memories to objects. It's very important to me to remember and appreciate history – It's what brought us to this moment.

But despite all things vintage, there are so many incredibly talented designers, artists & crafters out there – every day I'm inspired & amazed. I can't get enough of following them on their creative paths. They are the ones who teach & introduce me to (creative) possibilities that I haven't thought of. I am learning every day & I am so thankful to them for inspiring & helping me pursuing my creative dream.

Do you work in just one medium? Several?
I live by the motto: Do one thing every day that makes you happy! For me that means to being creative: to paint, illustrate or design.

I work in very different mediums, but at the end there's always a digital connection. For my DC LOVE illustrations & products (above), I use my all time favorite medium: pencil. As a next step the finished drawing is scanned and digitally colored. The same goes for my repeating patterns. I usually start with hand-drawn sketches & doodles. Once digitalized I bring the different elements together by collaging & layering. When I paint, my way of expressing is abstract. I work with canvas & handmade paper by using gesso and different layers of paint (oil and acrylic color). Between those layers I use sandpaper to bring out structure and texture. The combination of sanding, scratching and applying layers of paint emphasizes special areas but at the same time it brings out unexpected shapes and forms.

What are you working on now?
As I mentioned before I'm working in very different mediums and I've been struggling with integrating the abstract paintings into my patterns. That's why I was especially over the moon, when DENY DESIGNS (http://www.denydesigns.com/collections/artist/ar-susanne-kasielke) chose to license 16 vintage inspired patterns including my Dictionary Love series. In March my designs went live & I'm super excited about my art on their wide range of products: There's something for everyone: from bedding sheets to jewelry boxes to dog pillows. It's really fantastic to see on how many different products my art can be used.

Did I mention that I LOVE leggings? I can't believe there are people who think leggings aren't pants. I couldn't disagree more! I'm so happy that my brand new abstract art leggings are now available at ArtofWhere (http://www.artofwhere.com/shop/artist/susanne-kasielke). And believe me: I'm my best customer.

Living in my favorite city ever – Washington DC – made me create my DC LOVE series (http://www.susannekasielke.com/dc-love/) consisting of souvenirs like magnets, pocket mirrors, bottle opener & postcards. The illustrations are based on my original pencil drawings which are digitally colored and reproduced. I am super excited that starting this week they are available in two stores at the DCA (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport). My plan is to extend my souvenir collection to many other cities, first within the US but eventually I'll take over the souvenir market of the world. (A girl has to have dreams, right?)

After Surtex is before Surtex, right? I just walked the licensing trade show for the first time in May, because I plan on exhibiting in 2015. The experience was incredible, I met so many talented & inspiring artists (finally in person!) & got many valuable tips. It showed me how much I really want to succeed in the surface pattern world. I can't wait to be an exhibitor next year. It seems a bit far away still, but there is so much planning ahead involved – It's never to early to start...  

I'm always looking out for new surface pattern & licensing opportunities. The best thing for me is to see my art on products. Every new product with my art supports my dream & brings me one step closer to succeed as an artist.

Anything else you want to tell everyone?
Some little facts to get to know me better:
- I write & paint with my left hand but anything else I pretty much use my right hand for (playing pingpong for example)
- I always carry a (lucky) penny with me (got that from my Grandmother)
- Never talk to me when I'm hungry (I have many friends who can confirm that)
- (Because of the above) It doesn't matter where I go, I always have something to eat in my bag
- I love Mini-Golf
- My favorite band ever: Take That
- My crafts are totally inspired by my Mom – as a kid we used to make detergent boxes pretty by collaging wrapping paper around them
- I like going to bed early (I need a lot of beauty sleep)
- I love Snugglebumms - I think that's the first thing I've ever bought from my pocket money
- I've never met someone who loves Washington DC more than I do

Are you an early riser? or night owl?
I'm definitely the early bird type - If I don't get things done in the morning, I won't accomplished anything in the afternoon or the rest of day.
The best time to work for me is when the beautiful morning sun is shining into my apartment. After breakfast I sit at my desk with a hot cup of tea and start my work day well rested and relaxed.

What is your favorite food?
I have two favorite dishes actually: Spaghetti Bolognese and Chicken Quesadillas.
My Spaghetti Bolognese obsession started many years ago while I was living in Munich. A very close friend would make the best Spaghetti Bolognese that I've tried until then. (Many years & probably 437 Spaghetti Bolognese later I modestly think I've perfectionized the dish myself - Hopefully she doesn't read this...)

The Chicken Quesadillas are kind of a 'new thing' for me. The more I eat the more I like them (also: the more guacamole comes with the quesadillas the better).

You can find Susanne:
Website: http://www.susannekasielke.com
Email: info@susannekasielke.com
Phone: +1.202.288.2676
Blog: http://www.susannekasielke.com/blog

What did you like best about Susanne's Spotlight? ME, "I'll take over the souvenir market of the world. (A girl has to have dreams, right?)" RIGHT ON! :-D

Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email: anntroe@cox.net

THANKS for stopping by! - make my day and follow this blog :-D

Artist Spotlight - Elizabeth Olwen

Elizabeth is Pretty Passionate about Pretty Patterns!

Tell us a bit about yourself: Did you go to school for art? Are you self taught?
I have always been obsessed with patterns, some of my earliest memories involve the patterns in our home growing up. I was always a little artist as a kid, always drawing, painting, sewing and doing anything and everything creative. Luckily, I went to art school and discovered graphic design, which I worked in for many years. But when it comes to patterns I taught myself. I just used to goof around and make patterns for fun, and then bought a few books on textile design and learned how to create proper repeats. Once I learned that, the world opened up and I started creating patterns like crazy. When it came to how to make it a lucrative career option though, I was lost. So I took a online course called The Art & Business of Surface Pattern Design, where I learned a ton about developing my personal style, putting together effective collections and how to make it as a surface designer. Things really changed after that and I’ve had a really incredible couple of years since.

What inspires you / where do you get inspiration from?
I get a ton of inspiration from nature and all of its strange and beautiful forms. I find it endlessly inspiring. Following that, I get tons of inspiration from the world around me in my wanderings. Just keeping my eyes open and trying to really SEE things that are around me. I also love old vintage fabrics and would spend every weekend at a flea market if I could.

Do you work in just one medium? Several?
I really focus on drawing with pen and paper and then I turn those drawings into digital form using my tablet. My work has a really graphic look so this suits me best!

What are you working on now?
I just finished designing my second collection of fabrics with Cloud9 Fabrics! My first collection with them, Grey Abbey (http://cloud9fabrics.com/greyabbey.html) just launched and it’s been a really wonderful experience seeing people interact with my patterns, to see what people create with them is just so exciting! So I can’t wait for the next one to come out next Fall. I’ve been working on new products with Madison Park Greetings too. We just launched a ton of new products in January (www.parksidepapers.com) — gift wraps, greeting cards, gift bags, washi tapes, iPhone covers, all sorts of stuff, which turned out beautifully — and I can’t wait for the next batch to launch too. And some other fun things in the works that I’ll share when the time is right! I’m also planning for Surtex this coming May (booth 741). I exhibited there last year for the first time, and just can’t wait to get back and do it all over again. So, busy times in my little studio!

Are you an early riser? or night owl?
Right now, I’m trying to be both! Generally speaking, I’m a night owl… I love working when I can fully relax, when there aren’t emails to attend to and I can fully unwind and just be freely creative. My boyfriend gets up early to go to work and lately I’ve been getting up early with him. He brings me a cup of tea, and I draw in bed for a few hours before I even sit down at my desk, which is just the nicest way to start the day. Basically, I feel best working when the rest of the world is asleep.

What is your favorite food?
Savoury: homemade pasta with homemade sauce. Sweet: home baked vanilla cake.

You can find Elizabeth: http://www.elizabetholwen.com/  
hello@elizabetholwen.com / twitter: @elizabetholwen / instagram: @elizabetholwenxo

 Do you want to be spotlighted? Send me an email: anntroe@cox.net

THANKS for stopping by - make my day and follow this blog :-D

Business Card - New Design

Looking Good!

Just a quick post to show off my new business card design and a round sticker to go on the back directing people to my agent's booth - Parcai Designs. FUN STUFF!