Happy mid-February! Hope you are staying cozy and warm during this snowy week!
Last week I signed up for Folio Focus, a 10-week online portfolio building workshop with Rise Design and Shine to help expand my portfolio. Eventually I'd like to start working more with art directors and manufacturers to license my art on various things like fabrics, gift wrap, apparel, stationery products, etc. A lot of illustrators attend this massive trade show in New York City, called Surtex, to sell their art this way. I don't feel ready to attend this year (but maybe next year!), so my goal is to spend this year making as much licensable art as possible.
I was really excited to find out about Folio Focus, because I tend to work better when I have "real" deadlines. I am much more productive if there is something to hold me accountable, like this group workshop for example. When I try to give myself assignments, it's way too easy to get distracted by other projects that seem more pressing. Each week in this workshop, there will be a specific category to create commercial art for that will appeal to art directors and licensees. I think having the structure and guidance of this workshop will help keep me focused.
Anyways, last week's project was to create art for an "unconventional" Valentine's Day card. Lately, I've been on a cat drawing binge apparently, so more cats made an appearance here. I am quite happy with how it turned out though :)
On a separate note, fellow local author Jesan Sorrells, invited me on his podcast Earbud_U to talk about coloring books, what it's like to work for myself, cake, and a little bit about cats, of course. It's my first podcast interview ever! :) Listen to it here.