I'm Cuckoo for Bootcamp!

I loved Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells (B) class so much, that when she announced her new Assignment Bootcamp, I signed up immediately. Her briefs are so fun and the talent among the students really pushes me to do my best work. And a looming deadline always helps!

Our first assignment was cuckoo clocks. So many fun elements to explore. And I love clocks. The final design needed to work on a smart phone case. I knew I wanted to explore both a placement graphic and a repeat pattern. The graphic designer in me also wanted to include text.

In the end, the placement graphic stole the show. I'll be ordering this for my iPhone. But I think it would also be really cute for kids pajamas, with patterned leggings. Don't you?

Here are my repeat patterns in various colorways:

Under the Big Top

One of the really great things that came out of my Lilla Rogers class last fall, is a fantastic group of artists that continue to be a source of support and inspiration for each other. A bunch of us formed a portfolio building group. Every month we have an assignment—given by one of the artists—a deadline and a place to post our work and receive valuable feedback. This past month's assignment was circus-themed bedding for children. Have a look at my take on it:

Happy Anniversary!

One year ago I decided to take my design in a new direction and explore the world of making art for products—with an ultimate goal of licensing my creations. I started a blog, created a web site and embraced social media. It's been a fun and fantastic ride—building my portfolio and discovering I'm not only a designer, but also an illustrator. Here are a few of the key highlights from my year:

• attended Surtex—the art licensing trade show—and helped my friend Natalie in her booth
• enrolled in Lilla Rogers' Make Art That Sells B class
• became a Minted designer
• honored as first runner-up in the Tigerprint competition for hand-lettering
• featured designer on the Tigerprint blog

It's been a great year of discovery and stepping out of my comfort zone.  I'm so excited to see what this next year will bring (hopefully a few licenses???!)… Onward and upward!

As always, thanks for reading.