Art Buyer by Lema Publishing

Spring 2015

Contents 47

Leader

Exhibitions Round-Up

spring 2015 Cover Story World Art Group travel the globe

58 50

Fair Game Regina Molaro on how technology is changing the way work is presented

P52

Agency Spotlight Pink Light Studio & The Ansada Group

Image Library Spotlight Mary Evans Picture Library

Image Library & Agency Spotlight

Bridgeman Images & Wild Apple

Exhibition News Blueprint is a new show coming to New York and the Art Licensing Show takes the exhibition genre online

Artists’ & Agency Spotlight Joan Beiriger, Rose Mary Berlin & Kathleen Francour Art & Licensing

Artists’ Spotlight Howard Robinson & Associates & Marilyn Robertson

P56

PUBLISHING

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Telephone: +44 (0)1442 289930

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P59

FINE ART LICENSING

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Group Editor Mirella Cestaro mirella@lemapublishing.co.uk Group Advertisement Manager Ryan Horwood ryan@lemapublishing.co.uk Publisher Mark Naish mark@lemapublishing.co.uk Production Director Paul Naish paul@lemapublishing.co.uk Managing Director Malcolm Naish malcolm@lemapublishing.co.uk Subscriptions Manager Robert Thomas robert@lemapublishing.co.uk Our thanks to the contributors in this Spring 2015 issue: Regina Molaro. The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher. Comments, letters and criticism are welcome.

Tracey Bearton

Advertisement Manager Christine Contreras christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor

Editor Tracey Bearton tracey@lemapublishing.co.uk

Leader

ELL, this is something new – this Spring issue of Art Buyer is part of Licensing Today Worldwide so we’re reaching an audience of more than 20,000 readers, which is absolutely fantastic. It means there are many more people out there able to read all about the fantastic art licensing industry and the many and varied image libraries, agencies and artists contained within our pages. As it’s the Spring issue, we’re at the start of a new year of trade shows, exhibitions and ways to market and licence art and surface pattern designs – and there are some new kids on the block. Hot on the heels of Evolution in Holland, which had its second outing in October – and is now moving to June – has come the announcement of Blueprint, a new small design-led print show that will open in New York in the lead-up to Surtex. Kicking off with 12 international studios with similar ideals, Blueprint brings together a great mix

“

of different design ideas and choice of artwork. Small is beautiful but there’s plenty of room for Blueprint to grow and shine – for full details see page 54. Taking advantage of technology, Cherish Flieder has introduced her concept ArtLicensingShow.com that is aimed at helping people connect outside of traditional trade shows – for full details see page 55. Along with the ways contributor Regina Molaro talks about on pages 50-51 where technology is being used to help artists, agencies and image libraries better display their work to potential clients both at trade fairs and within presentations, this is an exciting era to be involved in art licensing. Taken together, it shows that these days you don’t have to do things in a specific way, everything can be tailored to what works best for you and your clients, whether it be trade fairs, personal presentations, B2B magazine advertising, showing work online and on tablets – or, most likely, a combination of them all.

“

the team

These days you don’t have to do things in a speciﬁc way way

exhibition diary

ART LICENSING EXHIBITIONS January 2015

February 2015

AMERICASMART LICENSE & DESIGN

SPRING FAIR

January 6-13, 2015 Atlanta Convention Center, Atlanta, USA www.americasmart.com Part of the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market It’s the finishing touches that bring a room together and create the warm, welcoming space every homeowner dreams of. Home Accents & Gifts (Building 2, Floors 10-13) features a wide assortment of home furnishings and decorative accessory items from wall decor to artwork and accents, our product selection provides options to please any style and budget.

February 1-5, 2015 NEC, Birmingham, UK www.springfair.com The UK’s largest gift trade show with a dedicated Art & Framing product sector, Spring Fair has been inspiring retail for 65 years where you will discover exciting UK and international designers and exhibitors, source the latest products from new and popular brands, keep up with the latest trends and gain crucial retail advice that will set your business apart in 2015.

May 2015

PRINTSOURCE January 13-14, 2015 Metropolitan Pavilion, New York, USA www.printsourcenewyork.com PrintSource holds three shows a year in New York City, showcasing hundreds of collections by international surface and textile design studios and agents. The Show is the main resource for surface and textile design for America's major manufacturers, retailers and catalogues and covers such industries as men's, children's and women's apparel, bed and bath, kitchen and tabletop, paper goods and stationery, wallcoverings, window fashions as well as other surface and textile design applications.

WEST COAST ART AND FRAME SHOW January 26-28, 2015 Paris Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, USA www.wcafshow.com The largest trade show in the art and framing industry, showcasing new vendor products and services. The West Coast Art And Frame Show is home of the National Conference featuring lectures and hands-on workshops for retailers led by leading experts and there are valuable networking and social events throughout the expo.

BLUEPRINT May 14-16, 2015 Manhattan Affinia Hotel, New York, USA blueprintmay@gmail.com Brand-new design-led print show put together by design studios to appeal to clients from all the different industries that need great artwork for their future products. With artwork for sale outright, and for licence.

SURTEX May 17-19, 2015 Jacob K Javits Convention Center, New York, USA www.surtex.com Markets represented at Surtex include artists, designers, studios, agents and licensing firms selling and licensing art and design for a multitude of product end-uses – decorative fabrics, linens and domestics, contract textiles, wall coverings, floor coverings, apparel textiles, stationery, greetings cards, gift wrap and other paper products, tabletop, giftware, toys, ceramics, packaging and publishing.

June 2015

PAPERWORLD January 31-February 3, 2015 Frankfurt am Main,, Frankfurt, Germany www.paperworld.messefrankfurt.com There's always something different to discover at the international trade fair for stationery, office supplies and writing instruments which also has a design section. Here you'll find all the industry's latest trends and product ideas, with the unique diversity of products from major brand manufacturers, international newcomers and many others. Paperworld runs alongside Creativeworld and Christmasworld.

C LASSIC C HILDREN ’ S I LLUSTRATION

LICENSING EXPO June 9-11, 2015 Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, USA www.licensingexpo.com For 34 years Licensing Expo has connected the world's most influential entertainment, character, fashion, art and corporate brand owners with consumer goods manufacturers, licensees and retailers. This is the meeting place for the global licensing industry, whether you’re looking to spot trends, build strategic partnerships or secure promotional tie-ins. Millions of products across the world started life as a conversation at Licensing Expo.

EVOLUTION FAIR June 17-18, 2015 Evoluon Centre, Eindhoven, The Netherlands www.evolutionfair.nl Moved from October for the 3rd edition of the Dutch show, Evolution is the only surface design show in the Netherlands and is powered by Verbeek Designs.

September 2015

AVAILABLE FOR

EXPO CHICAGO

LICENSING FROM

September 17-20, 2015 Navy Pier,, Chicago, USA www.expochicago.com The International Exposition of Contemporary & Modern Art opens the autumn art season each September at historic Navy Pier. Entering its fourth edition in 2015, Expo Chicago presents artwork from 140 leading galleries around the world, alongside the Exposure section that affords younger galleries the opportunity to participate in a major international art fair. Expo Chicago is the centerpiece of Expo Art Week, from September 14-20.

THE MEDICI SOCIETY ARCHIVE

October 2015

BRAND LICENSING EUROPE October 7-9, 2014 Olympia,, London, UK www.brandlicensing.eu With over 2,500 brands, characters and images on show, Brand Licensing Europe is a launch pad for new properties introduced by Europe’s leading brand owners and agents. You can discover the latest brands, characters and images available for license; speak to the rights owners face-to-face and ensure you select the license that’s right for your product range; inject a fresh lease of life into your merchandising programmes; network and create and cement licensing partnerships across the full spectrum of sport, brands, fashion & lifestyle, character & entertainment, charity & not for profit, heritage and art & design.

MEGA SHOW PART 2

MARY EVANS

PICTURE LIBRARY

www.maryevans.com

October 27-29, 2015 Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong www.mega-show.com Mega Show Part 1 and 2 are the largest sourcing trade exhibitions every October for gifts, premiums, housewares, kitchen & dining, lifestyle products, toys & games and stationery in the Asia-Pacific region. Part 2 is now in its 11th year and will have four merchandise categories, each in a specific location with the Asian Home Décor & Outdoor Living Show including the art and licensing exhibitors.

Let your products bloom Commission a contemporary artist for your product range We’re excited to announce the launch of Bridgeman Studio’s commission service for image licensing. It is now possible to commission illustration, graphic art and photography from Bridgeman Studio’s talented pool of contemporary artists. Don’t let your project be dictated by having to select from existing images: commission your own from Bridgeman and license it exclusively. Interested in commissioning an exclusive artwork for your project?

Talk to Bridgeman Studio and they’ll help you make a selection. The Bridgeman Studio team will interpret your brief with our artists. Receive high-quality images to deadline, copyright cleared and ready to use immediately.

Examples of Bridgeman Studio Artists vibrant photography is carefully staged using a wide array of flowers (pictured top right and bottom left)

Rachel Pedder-Smith uses her pHd studies in the Kew Gardens Herbarium as inspiration for her beautiful and highly skilled watercolour compositions.

Neela Pushparaj uses a veritable feast of colours in her dense floral designs, making them an excellent choice for a range of surface design uses. Using a lightboxes,

series Julia

of different McLemore’s

Dorset-based artist Vanessa Bowman uses colour-skills honed as a textile designer in her work. Her painting observes the simple beauty of everyday objects in the domestic space. Interested in commissioning an exclusive artwork for your project? Contact the Bridgeman Studio team today and they will interpret your brief with their artists. Bridgeman Studio is the new online platform for contemporary artists from Bridgeman Images, the world’s leading rights-managed specialist in reproducing and licensing cultural imagery.

Licensed to delight bridgemanstudio.com T: +44 (0)20 7908 1607 E: Studio@bridgemanstudio.com

regina molaro 50

Fair game Today’s technology is changing the way artists and agencies present and promote at trade fairs, says art licensing writer Regina Molaro.

LTHOUGH the history of trade fairs and their practices can be traced back many years, today’s new era of technology has ushered in some changes to the traditional ways of promotion and marketing. Many licensing agencies and artists are utilising new technology and harnessing the power of social media to promote their work. Several years ago Carole Postal, co-president of the Knockout Licensing joint venture between Manhattan’s CopCorp Licensing and TK Brand Group, began by using iPads to present properties at trade fairs. Carole believes using a tablet is much easier than the traditional means of presenting and promoting as it’s much easier than lugging around art for presentations. “Everything is right there at your fingertips,” she said, “all in one place. With a tablet, I can play music or video. I can also add content and edit information up until the last minute.” Many industry insiders such as Tamra Knepfer, co-president of Knockout Licensing, believe that using digital technology is especially effective when presenting properties that are specifically built on digital platforms. Let’s take Boo, The World’s Cutest Dog – Tamra credits social media such as Facebook and Instagram for much of the property’s popularity. Tamra said: “When I show Boo at trade fairs, I pull up the Facebook page so I can point to the number of Likes and hit Refresh. I’ve been doing this for over two years now and, without fail, the number of Likes jumps by tens or even hundreds within that few seconds. “Saying a property’s popularity is growing at a phenomenal rate is one thing – showing it happening in real time is another – and much more convincing.” Carole said that when presenting certain properties, such as The Smithsonian Libraries’ Seed Catalog Collection, the most effective way to convey the enormous number and variety of vintage images available is to show the online archive. “It’s just too much to try to do with a traditional binder or print presentation but, as long as we have a good wi-fi connection, it’s easy to do from a tablet or laptop,” she added. Knockout also use social media to let people know when they will be attending or exhibiting at shows, and strive to keep the large and active online fan bases informed about properties such as Boo. “Those fans can turn out to be your best licensees,” Carole explained, “someone who already knows and loves your brand has a distinct advantage when it comes time to designing, manufacturing, and selling the types of products fellow fans will want to buy.” However, with the show booth or stand Knockout still use printed graphics to generate interest since most of the licensees they work with create physical products

rather than digital ones, so it’s important for them to see how the artwork looks on a printed surface. Carole added: “Our agency relies on digital technologies and social media when presenting art brands at trade fairs but it’s important to remember that, as great as they are, digital tools are not the only tools. There are still times when only a beautifullyprinted style guide or mood board, or sample can convey the texture or detail needed to close the deal. “After all, if everything could be done digitally, why would people still go to trade fairs?” Beyond licensing agencies, Connecticut-based artist Karen Rossi is renowned for her whimsical characters and uses her iPad at shows to hold the archive of her portfolio so it’s on hand to present to clients. Photos of items that won’t fit in her booth are also kept in albums on her iPad. Karen also utilises Instagram to promote her work, and PayPal for making transactions, but still employs traditional forms of marketing. “We also do an e-newsletter, which goes out to 4,000 people,” she said, “it keeps us in touch with our audience between shows.” Fellow artist Bob Timberlake, from North Carolina, is currently

using social media to promote his country-themed artwork. According to Bob’s CEO Jim Slagle, the company hasn’t exposed Timberlake’s art much recently at shows, but he’s had many major exhibits nationally and internationally. Jim said: “Bob has been very successful in marketing within our dealer base and to his loyal fans. “We’ve held his artwork out of the trade show business and have kept it at a high art industry value by marketing through very traditional means.” This includes direct mail, print media and personal dialogue but, with the industry continually evolving, Jim and his team have already introduced the web and social media and find that people are enjoying the art online, notably on his Facebook page. Some properties such as Bob’s are certainly more traditional, but they still eagerly embrace the new technologies and look forward to what tomorrow will bring. http://www.tkbrandgroup.com/TK_Brand_Group/ Knockout_Licensing_Home.html www.karenrossi.com www.bobtimberlake.com

MA R I LY N

R O B E RT S O N

“...illustration with style & HMWXMRGXMZI ÂEMV ”

Licensees include: ,EPPQEVO -RXIVREXMSREP +VETLMGW 'VEJXIVW 'SQTERMSR 'PEMVIJSRXEMRI &VEHJSVH )\GLERKI %]OVS]H 7SRW 6EZIRWFYVKIV 1EVMER ,IEXL

Catitudes

[[[ QEVMP]RVSFIVXWSR GSQ Tel: +44 (0) 1949 860621 e: katie@marilynrobertson.com

Botanicals are always a popular choice for products and can be kept looking fresh via digital print techniques. Rachel Pedder-Smith was featured in featured in Tate Britain’s 2011 Watercolours exhibition and her composites of flower petals and seeds are classic but with a contemporary, almost graphic twist.

Tis the season Also worth highlighting is Emma Haworth whose detailed urban scenes capture the vibrancy of the seasons with a mysterious, otherworldly quality.

Contemporary Vintage

Bridgeman represent a distinguished portfolio of high profile artists and estates including 20th century British artists Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan and, most recently, the painterly printmaker Tom Hammick. Clients benefit from being able to pay in a single transaction for a license for both artist and photographic copyright.

The way we were New to the archive are two enchanting collections of photography by John Gay and Joseph Hardman, capturing an idyllic post-war Britain via English Heritage and the Museum Of Lakeland Life And Industry. www.bridgemaniamges.com uksales@bridgemanimages.com +44 (0)20 7727 4065

● Two farmers/shepherds and a sheepdog, Joseph Hardman

Katie Edwards was the winner of the Bridgeman Studio Award competition, in partnership

Bridgeman Copyright Service

FUELLED by a love of art, design, and chocolate, Wild Apple works with artists from around the world, bringing collections of top-selling art, patterns and designs to leading manufacturers of home décor, tabletop, textiles, stationery and giftware. And this is an exciting year as Wild Apple celebrate their 25th anniversary, with staying on top of trends critical to their success. “We’re focused on developing imagery that support key trends in home decor,” said Kat Gray, director of licensing. From trend-spotting at retail to attending major shows in North America and Europe, to working with established and new artists, Wild Apple are known for delivering the right, on-trend imagery to customers everywhere. Collaboration is central to the Wild Apple experience. Working side-by-side with customers, the

Wild Apple Wild Apple licensing team are focused on getting the right art for each product. Kat added: “Our job is to deliver incredible art and designs to our customers, so we do whatever it takes to make that happen.” Every month customers can find top-selling and new artwork on their website where you can stay connected with them as well as through their email newsletters, trend blog and on social media to learn more about their collections and celebration plans throughout the year and at Surtex. Surtex Booth 307 – Licensing Expo Booth E20 www.wildapple.com licensing@wildapple.com +1 802 457 3003 ● Live Beautifully, Sara Zieve Miller

● Richmond Park London, John Gay

Nature’s bounty

with Creative Review, to discover emerging talent for the archive. Katie uses traditional photographic techniques to produce screen prints and this aligns well with the current trend for products that look both heritage and contemporary. Another artist to come to Bridgeman’s attention via the competition was Olga Snell who mixes beautiful vintage images with her own work to create whimsical digital collages. Bridgeman look forward to launching the second Bridgeman Studio Award competition in March to discover even more contemporary talent.

● Katie Edwards, Bridgeman Studio

ROM the launch of a contemporary art service to the addition of worldrenowned art collections, 2014 has been an incredible year for Bridgeman Images. The continual uploading of new images makes Bridgeman a consistentlyfresh archive to explore – from museum masterpieces to vintage ephermera, heritage photography and accessible contemporary art. There has been an emphasis on growing a portfolio of illustration, printmaking and graphic artwork. Bridgeman Studio offers clients the best resource for emerging contemporary artists; all content is thematically curated and available for full image licensing and creative commissions.

● Blue City 2002, Tom Hammick

● Me And You 2014, Olga Snell,

● Peony Specimens 2011, Rachel Pedder-Smith

agency & image library spotlight

Bridgeman Images F

exhibition news

Showing the future Twelve studios have got together to organise their own brand-new show which launches in New York from May 14-16 at the Manhattan Affinia Hotel, here they tell Art Buyer all about Blueprint. What is Blueprint? Blueprint is a design-led print show put together by design studios, and it’s something we wanted to do as a group to see what we could achieve. We want the show to appeal to clients from all the different industries that need great artwork for their future products. Several of us not only sell artwork outright, but we licence as well. The show will be open to all visitors that register with us online. We’re looking forward to attracting clients from all over America and worldwide to this exciting, creative new show! How did you all come together? A few of us already know each other from various trade shows. We got talking and thought it would be a great idea to put together our own show. We’ve all been involved in putting the various aspects of the show together, which has been a lovely experience. As studios we all bring something different and exciting to the table and can offer a great choice of artwork to the visitors of Blueprint. We are studios from the UK, the USA, the Netherlands, India and France, and we are all determined to make it work. Why New York in May? Through our discussions together we realised we were all meeting our various Based in Northern Ireland, CINNAMON JOE STUDIO represent an amazing group of artists, maintaining an extensive, exciting print portfolio. Along with their twice a year trend forecasting service Oodles Of Doodles, CJS cater to all aspects of the juvenile product markets worldwide. Blueprint is an exciting time for everyone involved, and it has brought a great bunch of studios together. www.cinnamonjoestudio.co.uk

CREATIVO SURFACE DESIGN are a full service design studio based in Brooklyn New York, providing prints and patterns for the home furnishing, fashion, gift and paper goods market. Creativo are known for their bold colours and fresh designs and can be seen exhibiting at trade shows all around the world. www.thinkcreativo.com

Located in Lyon, the heartbeat of French creativity, DESSIN & CIE STUDIO are a recognised leader in the surface design industry. Since 2004, this group of worldwide designers have been creating innovative floral, geometric, ethnic, seasonal, everyday and children’s designs for global clients working in a variety of industries such as stationary, home and fashion textiles and ceramics. www.dessin-cie.com

clients in New York during this particular week, and in general it meant either we went to see our clients in their hotels, or they were coming to see us in our hotels. We thought what a great idea it would be if we could find a great location in Manhattan, and as a group, put on our own print show so that our clients would only have one place to go to meet us. Why the Manhattan Affinia Hotel? The hotel is perfectly placed two blocks down from Madison Square Garden in New York, and provides a great setting for the Blueprint show. It has several large conference rooms, and the Astor Hall is the perfect size for the 12 studios that are participating. The venue is on the same level as the foyer, so the visitors can literally walk straight into the show. Attached to the hotel there is also the Niles Restaurant that serves food and beverages all day long, and it’s a nice place to relax in a contemporary setting. What Is the future for Blueprint? We’re all looking at this as an event for the future, and it will be good to get the first show under our belts! This time we are 12 studios and, if we can make Blueprint a success, there is no reason why we can’t grow and accommodate more studios in the future. blueprintmay@gmail.com GATHER NO MOSS are one of the world’s leading printed design studios with a reputation for innovative and exciting print design for all age ranges. With their lively design team based in East London they pride themselves on their creative, fast and responsive service, constantly striving to provide clients with a simple design solution of the highest quality. www.gathernomoss.com

GRAFIQ TRAFIQ DESIGN GROUP create original, exciting and trend right design. They always have their eye on the pulse of today’s visual inspiration, internationally, to provide the freshest designs for your product or service. Grafiq Trafiq have proudly been serving the textile, paper, gift and home industries since the year 2000. www.grafiqtrafiq.com

With over 14 years experience in the textile industry, LJ WOODHOUSE LTD are a leading British design studio producing innovative, original artwork for all aspects of the home interior, paper and giftware industries. They are excited to be a part of the first Blueprint trade fair – an inspirational, unique and creative show celebrating the originality of each design studio participating. www.lucywoodhouse.com

Cleveland, Ohio, is home to LUCKY DAY STUDIO, a different kind of print+pattern studio founded by Julia Briggs and Donna Catanese. In 2014, they expanded the Lucky Day portfolio to include the work of seven talented artists. Lucky Day Studio are thrilled to be a part of the Blueprint show! www.luckydaystudio.com or follow https://www.facebook.com/ luckydaystudio?fref=ts @LuckyDaLStudio

At POMELO & POMELO they design curiously fabulous digital illustrations and patterns that have a vibrant and expressive hand-drawn feel. Their deep understanding of process and workflow means they never have to compromise their unique creativity for ease of use. Blueprint is an exhilarating new venue for imaginative minds to showcase their hard work and they are proud to be part of it. www.pomeloandpomelo.com

RAFALE DESIGN are a unique group of artists and designers based mainly in the United Kingdom. They focus on design for gift and home products, and are looking forward to presenting an exciting new surface pattern collection at the Blueprint Show. www.rafaledesign.com

ROY & JANE EVANS DESIGNS LTD represent a talented group of experienced surface pattern designers from various creative backgrounds, who mare all individuals continuously evolving their styles to create interesting and exciting new designs. They have designs that are suitable for home, apparel, stationery and ceramics. Any application where pattern would enhance a product aesthetically and commercially they can provide it. T: 0044 (0)161 449 5051

TANA BANA are a diverse group of artists from a variety of backgrounds, including over a dozen full-time staff artists at their office in India, and independent designers from all over the world. With more than 25 years experience in the textile industry, they are able to balance creativity with salability, providing original patterns to interior décor product manufacturers. www.tana-bana.com

World-renowned studio VERBEEK DESIGNS were formed by Chris Verbeek, Anna Mikhalkova and Jill Moonen and showcase the artwork of talented Dutch and international designers. With customers such as Versace, Calvin Klein and Villeroy & Boch, the studio are famous for refined, pioneering designs for giftwrap, bedding, curtains and wallpaper. www.verbeekdesigns.nl

ArtLicensingShow.com

HERISH Flieder, founder of the LinkedIn ArtofLicensing.com 12,000-plus member group, is pioneering an exciting way for those sourcing art and those creating art to connect outside of trade shows. She’s calling all industry creatives – art directors, artists, designers, agents, manufacturers, illustrators and photographers – to provide or discover fresh imagery via ArtLicensingShow.com Say goodbye to time-consuming individual presentations and multiple password-protected sites, while saying hello to the virtual 24/7 that provides a centralised, professional resource and social networking site for industry creatives. Licensors can network with potential licensees while maintaining complete control of their work. With one simple login, licensees can find new resources for their upcoming product development needs quickly and easily. It works by asking artists, agents and licensors to pay a small fee to host their IP on the website, where they upload images and select representative samples for their public profile that anyone sourcing art can view. Features of the site include search by categorisation – artist / technique / subject matter / occasion, a tracking system for favourite artists and images, and special interest groups such as greetings cards and home décor. When art directors like a style, they can request permission to view more work. Licensors can choose who sees individual images, collections or entire portfolios ensuring that every art director will have a unique viewing experience! Cherish said: “Join our fast growing community – it’s the premiere event of the year. See you on-line at the show!” +1 720 372 3909 RedCarpet@ArtLicensingShow.com ArtLicensingShow.com

cover story

All around the globe The World Art Group, based in Richmond, Virginia, have been designing and publishing a broad range of decorative art prints for the home décor markets for nearly 40 years. The company’s collection of more than 26,000 images spans virtually every category and subject matter imaginable.

N ADDITION to collaborating with hundreds of artists from around the globe, World Art Group have their own in-house design group, Vision Studio, a team of talented art directors, artists and graphic designers with advanced degrees in printmaking, illustration and textiles. The company work in every medium, from digital illustration to oil, encaustic, inks, watercolour, acrylic, collage and pencil and the design team produce weekly and monthly releases, outputting more than 4,000 images per year. The combination of Vision Studios and the sales and design consultants allows for the breadth and flexibility to fulfill the diverse needs of the company’s customers, explained Lonnie Lemco, World Art Group’s Vice-President Sales. The goals at World Art Group are not fulfilled by simply creating coveted art. Only when their customer has exactly what is needed as fast as it can get to them are World Art Group happy. World Art Group are licensors to companies worldwide, across every industry and product category, including wall décor, housewares, floor and wall coverings, tabletop, giftware, furniture, textiles, paper products and stationery, clothing and much more. They also design proprietary lines for dozens of designers, wholesale manufacturers and retailers. The company’s licensed images can be seen in stores like Target, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Homegoods, Cost Plus World Market and many more. World Art Group strive to be easy to do business with, therefore their sales and design team are happy to do the research on its database and submit Jpegs for consideration – all they need are the details such as a category, subject matter, or colour palette. Visit World Art Group at the West Coast Art & Frame Show in Las Vegas from January 26-28.

West Coast Art & Frame Show – Booths 425 & 525

+1 804 213 0600

www.theworldartgroup.com

licensing@theworldartgroup.com

Celebrating g

licensing@wildapple.com | 800 756 8359 (North America) | 802 457 3003 (International) | www.wildapple.com SURTEX Booth #307 | Las Vegas Licensing Expo Booth #E-20

cover story

West Coast Art & Frame Show – Booths 425 & 525

+1 804 213 0600

www.theworldartgroup.com

licensing@theworldartgroup.com

agencies’ spotlight

The Ansada Group THE Ansada Group specialise in fine art with more than 10,000 images available for licence focusing on nature and nostalgia. Wildlife is one of the strongest categories represented by world-renowned artists such as Carl Brenders, Daniel Smith, John Seerey-Lester and many, many more. Depicting wildlife accurately and in their habitats requires much first-hand knowledge, research and travel and, inspired by his surroundings, Daniel Smith finds one of the most rewarding and inspiring elements is fieldwork. Smith is passionate about his subjects and travels frequently seeking artistic inspiration – this translates into his paintings which are filled with life and emotion. Carl Brenders creates powerful renditions of wildlife across the spectrum, the mastery of details and the tactile realism he produces in his paintings irresistibly draws in the viewer, providing them a close encounter with his subject. John Seerey-Lester prefers to paint from life and has visited many diverse locations including Africa, China, India, the Arctic and Antarctica as well as Central and South America.

John has gained a reputation over the years for producing images that tell a story, with a mysterious and a mystical appeal. When asked how long it takes to create a painting, he said: “It takes a lifetime…” The Ansada Group are honoured to represent these amazing, talented artists. You can be assured accurate renderings of animals in their habitat when you choose artists that take such great pride in the quality and accuracy of their work. www.ansadagroup.com angela@ansadagroup.com +1 941 758 0924

Pink Light Studio

THE Pink Light team are looking forward to an amazing 2015 as you will find them exhibiting at Printsource, Surtex, and The Licensing Expo! Their Pink Chandelier brand is continuing to grow with licences for stationery products with Class Act stationery and accessories, electronic accessories with ByTech International, and luggage and travel accessories will be launching soon with Heys Luggage. Pink Light have a strong team of artists with many licences across all categories. You can see Arrolynn Weiderhold’s and Abi Hall’s adorable characters on stationery products with Studio Oh! Angela Nickeas’s gorgeous Vintage Dreams collection is in Walmart stores nationwide and getting a lot of attention. Loni Harris has added a unique look to the Pink Light team with her gorgeous handlettering and her artwork can be seen on paper tableware and gift wrap with Design Design. In addition to growing their business in the US, Pink Light have expanded into Europe

and Russia with licences for stationery products. They are very excited to be working with their international clients and extremely happy to see their artwork enjoyed around the world. Pink Light Creative Director and Agent Mary Beth Freet is thrilled to have brought on three new artists – Karla Pruitt, Nadia Hassan, and Amanda McGee have recently joined team. Make sure to check out all of the artists’ work online and clients can register to view the online gallery which is continually being updated with new artwork weekly. Let your light shine! www.pinklightdesign.com marybeth@pinklightdesign.com +1 206 200 8324

FOLLOWING on from the success of their Amazing Science Fiction calendar for 2015, Mary Evans Picture Library have recently agreed two licensing deals using their collection of wonderful pulp comic covers in particularly creative ways. We Love Cushions, are launching a range of cushions featuring a parade of space rockets, evil scientists and mutant aliens, while Milton And King, designers and manufacturers of boutique wallpaper and murals, have produced an eye-popping sci-fi montage wallpaper that will appeal to adventurous home decorators and retro-lovers alike. ”These old comic covers from the 1930s and 40s have a kitsch appeal,” said Luci Gosling, of Mary Evans Picture Library. “The response to our calendar has been really positive – everyone seems to adore these futuristic suggestions and the more outlandish the better. “We think they would be perfect for plenty of other products too from stationery to apparel to bathroom products!” To get your own copy of the Mary Evans 2015 calendar, while stocks last, email luci.gosling@maryevans.com.

image library

Mary Evans Picture Library The Mary Evans Picture Library have represented the prestigious Medici Society archive for a number of years and can now offer an impressive 9,500 images from the collection for licensing. The Medici Society was founded in 1908 to bring artists’ work to a wider public and its eclectic subject range includes animals, florals, religious images, Christmas designs, sporting scenes, interiors and pastorals. Some of the UK’s best-loved nursery illustrators form a significant part of this archive and exquisite fairy illustrations by Margaret Tarrant, woodland animals by Molly Brett and anthropomorphic kittens and bunnies are just some of the delightful highlights, while Old Masters, 20th century fine art and retro mid-century illustration can all be discovered in this truly unique repository of pictures. To search the Medici collection visit the website and type %MED into the keyword search box, or call them. www.maryevans.com pictures@maryevans.com +44 (0)20 8318 0034

artists’ & agency spotlight

Rose Mary Berlin

Joan Beiriger WHEN artist Joan Beiriger started researching the licensing industry over 15 years ago, each manufacturer used many art styles on their products, thus artists were successful in licensing one image to many industries. That has changed over the years and it is now more difficult to get multiple

licensing deals for one image because each industry and even manufacturers within the same industry have their own specifications. And the specifications are not uniform from industry to industry or manufacturer to manufacturer. Even though some of the manufacturers in the different industries still use a variety of art styles on their products, many have shifted to only one or two styles. Artists can no longer submit art to almost any manufacturer in any industry. They must first research the manufacturer before submitting art to make sure their style fits the manufacturer needs. This will enhance licensing opportunities and not waste the manufacturer’s time. To find out more about art styles used on products, read Art Licensing Editorial: Changes In Art Styles Used On Products on Joan Beiriger’s blog. www.joanbeiriger.blogspot.com joan@joanbeiriger.com +1 925 443 5769

THIS has been a year of change – for Rose Mary Berlin that means she will not be exhibiting at Surtex for the first time in many years. One reason is that she has been taking on the role of illustrator pretty steadily, with on-going projects in publishing including the repeating character of Little Bunny in High 5 magazine Highlights publication for younger Rose Mary is also illustrating new chapter books for the Magical Mystery Series, and continuing the Itty & Bitty miniature horse books, with fun activity and colouring books. Rose Mary admitted: “It’s scary to not commit to Surtex, it’s always been an important way for me to introduce new art and make contacts.” But this year, there was another reason that prompted her decision – her daughter is graduating from college! “I didn’t want to short change such a huge milestone in her life,” Rose Mary added. “I probably could have had someone watch the booth for the one day, but my heart wouldn’t be in it. This is my last child, there will be many more shows!” This decision actually frees up some time for creating new images – instead of designing a booth and all the work that goes into exhibiting, she will happily spend the hours in her studio. Rose Mary has created more images for Vermont Christmas Company where advent calendars and puzzles featuring her art have consistently been among the best sellers for the company. She said: “I really love painting Santa, snowmen and holiday scenes. It’s happy and nostalgic, many of them would work on tins, cards and gift bags. “I’ve been working with some vintage ephemera and books, and it’s influencing my style and palette. I’ve always been into flea markets and antiques, and it merges with my art in a way that satisfies me and, I expect, will be highly marketable.” www.rosemaryberlin.com rose@berlinprod.com : +1 914 962 0526

Kathleen Francour Art & Licensing

A SMALL group of talented artists and designers make up the California-based Kathleen Francour Art & Licensing team, with Wendy Csoka the exciting newest addition. Trend-driven for the demands of todays art buyer and market, styles range from character illustration and vintage chic to fresh modern and contemporary classic. The ever-expanding portfolios display a wealth of imagery, illustration, patterns and designs for licensing on every imaginable surface and product category. The group also offer design services for product line development and enjoys working closely with their licensing partners to develop concepts that specifically fit product formats and customer requirements. Since exhibiting at Surtex and Licensing Expo last

year, Kathleen’s group have been inking deals with an exciting array of new licences – Jessica Mundo signed on with Timeless Treasures for fabric and Frou Frou girls will debut as a figurine collectables line with a major manufacturer to be announced in 2015. Frou Frou continues to be a top seller for Leanin’ Tree with one greetings design the publishers’ topselling birthday card! The new year will see Kathleen’s Travel Destinations collection launched as an array of paper crafting and embellishments at Crafter’s Companion. www.kfrancour.com

artists spotlight’

Howard Robinson & Associates AS 2014 comes to a close it has been a busy year once again for Howard Robinson & Associates keeping up with the never-ending demand for new work for their most valued regular clients as well as attending and exhibiting around the world. Howard said: “The new major licences and expanded range of the Howard Robinson-branded products has been very pleasing and made it all worthwhile. “The big project of the year was producing the designs for the National Parks in the US which will result in a whole raft of products being released for the 2015 season. “Working with Impact Photographics on this project has been a pleasure and they will distribute 3D lenticular posters, postcards, magnets, notebooks, bookmarks and puzzles. “Ravensburger will have two new montage images of all the designs available as regular puzzles and Art Brands will be adding the designs to my large collection of transfers. As all my licensors of the Howard Robinson Collection move forward at lightening pace, benefiting from the joint publicity and cross-selling opportunities, there has, unfortunately, been one very sad blot on the landscape regarding an irrevocable breakdown of trust with a main distributor licensed for 3D. “I suppose I’m fortunate that this is the first catastrophic problem with a client in 35 years of licensing that requires a parting of the ways as soon as is possible. “However, the Howard Robinson 3D Collection is expanding rapidly with the puzzle collections, in particular, gaining worldwide distribution gaining key placements with the likes of Staples, Toy “R” Us and Wal Mart. “Primemotion have been very successful with a range of 3D puzzles in Canada, Masterpieces with a range in the US and Prime 3D now taking care of worldwide distribution of a large adult range. “A brand new selection of children’s designs were recently launched to great success at the Hong Kong Gift show – I will accompany Prime 3D at the Hong Kong Toy Fair and Nuremburg Toy Fair in January where we will also be adding new 3D products such as playing cards. “I have expanded my licence with Mural Your Way to include canvas prints with a similar deal being signed with Eurographics in Canada. I have my first licence in Taiwan with A Best Commodity Distributor Co for products aimed at the zoo and aquarium market.

“Joanna Sheen in the UK will be launching a decoupage collection from my Cottage designs and Clementoni have added to their 3D Vision range with glasses. Kings will publish children’s card game and puzzle combinations in Europe. “Launching in 2015 will be a new range of 20 beach towels and boards with Strand in the USA. Bradford Exchange are currently working on several ranges of cheques and stationery which are looking very nice and will be available with a leather wallet. After many years of talking about doing it, I’m also very pleased to finally sign a licence with The Mountain for a large range of top-quality pre-print shirts to be launched in spring 2015.” www.howard robinson.info robinson.h@lineone.net +44 (0)1429 824021

Marilyn Robertson

ARTIST and designer Marilyn Robertson began her art deco-inspired cat illustrations in 2006, having no idea her stylish designs would achieve longevity and inspire a loyal following of design-savvy cat lovers. Early on she saw the opportunity to market the design series in a focused way when, during a client brainstorming session a colleague noted that her cats had real “attitude” and the phrase “cats with attitude” spontaneously fused to become Catitudes. While others have since used the phrase – and occasionally tried to emulate the concept – Marilyn has worked hard to ensure her trademarked brand Catitudes , now grown to more than 70 unique illustrations, remains true to its core values and distinctive visual themes. Marilyn explained: “At heart the Catitudes

family is all about individuality, style and humour. On some level the cats hold a mirror up to our own egos and human quirks and fallibilities. They often appear aloof, even arrogant, and conscious of their own privileged place in the scheme of things. I try to combine that insight with a continuing sense of innocent fun.” Over the years the brand has been licensed on to a wide range of consumer products in the UK, Europe, Russia, China and the United States and has acquired a loyal fan base of collectors and cat lovers who follow the brand via its own Facebook pages. This loyalty has been recognised and rewarded by greetings vard and calendar publisher Pictura France. who recently published their published their sixth

consecutive Catitudes calendar. Pictura Sarl art director Marie-Odile Heinerich said: “Our trade customers now confidently expect a new Catitudes selection every year so that, in turn, their collector fans are not disappointed..” www.marilynrobertson.com

Visit Us at Toy Fair! Hong Kong:

January 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15

Room 504-5 China Chem Golden Plaza 77 Moody Rd Tsimshatsui East Kowlooon, Hong Kong

London:

January 20 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 22, Stand G29

Nuremberg:

January 28 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; February 22, Hall 12, Stand B-08-6

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February 14-17, Booth 1717

Australia:

March 3 - 6, Stand E09