Artbuyer

Summer 2016

Contents 5

Leader

6

News

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Exhibition Diary Listings of art and licensing trade fairs around the world.

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Meet Your Match Make the most of your time at Licensing Expo with their new Matchmaking Service.

10 Get Up, Stand Up Stand up for your rights – advice for licensees from Andrew Gallagher at Full Colour Black

14 Third Time Lucky Small but perfectly formed, Blue Print is about to open for its third succesful show in a year.

16 30 Years Strong It’s celebration time at Surtex as the organisers mark three decades of the specialist show.

summer 2016

22 Around The World

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Cover star Michael Searle finds inspiration from across the globe.

41 Agency Spotlight Ansada, Inspire Art Licensing, Interlitho and Vicki Thomas Associates.

45 Artist Spotlight Art Licensing Show, Joan Beiriger, Kathleen Francour, Prettygrafik, Rose Mary Berlin and Two If By Sea.

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52 Image Library Spotlight Bridgeman Images, Image Source and Mary Evans Picture Library.

54 Last Word Bright Art Licensing’s Hannah Curtis gives an industry insight into the artist-agent relationship.

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The Victoria and Albert Museum is the world’s leading museum of art and design with over two million objects and designs providing almost infinite sources of inspiration from textiles, furniture, graphics, to photography, jewellery and fashion.

The V&A’s collections appeal to a broad range of clients, including advertising agencies, publishers and broadcasters offering almost limitless opportunities for image licensing. The global brand licensing programme spans interiors, table top, stationery, apparel, jewellery and gifts.

Come and visit us at Surtex, New York. May 15 – 17 2016.

For further information contact: Lauren Sizeland Head of Licensing & Business Development +44 (0)20 7942 2981 licensing@vam.ac.uk

vandalicensing.com vandaimages.com

+44 (0)1442 289936 (direct)

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

Tracey Bearton

Advertisement Manager Christine Contreras christine@lemapublishing.co.uk

Editor

Editor Tracey Bearton tracey@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 Summer 2015 issue: Joan Beiriger, Dids Macdonald and Lucy Innes Williams.

The views of the contributors expressed in this journal are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Comments, letters, praise and criticism are all welcome.

Leader “ IT’S ALL about America this summer with no fewer than eight trade fairs coming up over the next few months.

We kick off with Blue Print III, which is the new collectively organised show that’s just going from strength to strength.

A new concept in trade fairs where all the exhibitors have a say in the way it’s run, the first one was exactly a year ago with just 12 stands, followed by a winter version in December where it had grown to 30.

Now Blue Print III is about to open at the Metropolitan Pavilion for five days from May 12 – and they’re already planning the fourth edition in August!

While they do have a few more stands at 37 this time round – including their two competition winner newbies – keeping it small and intimate is definitely paying off for Blue Print and they already have a core clientele on both the studios and buyers sides.

It just goes to show that there really is room for something different to the bigger and more established shows such as Surtex (May 15-17) and Licensing Expo (June 21-23).

These bigger shows definitely still have their place – after all, it’s the 30th anniversary for Surtex in New York, and Licensing Expo will be clocking up its 36th year so they are a fixture in the calendar –and they’re expanding all the time, taking art licensing into more brands and different directions.

And they happen all over the US too, with Showtime Market in North Carolina, AmericasMart in Atlanta, Expo Chicago, with PrintSource back in New York.

The point of all these fairs is that the art and designs can be seen in reality rather than just as images – and Surtex in particular has a great placement as visitors can pop into the National Stationery Show next door to see exactly how some of this artwork looks on products, which is what it’s all about.

There is room for something different

“

the team

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news & exhibition diary

EXHIBITION DIARY April 2016 Comocreainterni April 26-29, 2016 Cernobbio, Italy www.comocrea.com

May 2016 Blue Print III May 12-16, 2016 Metropolitan Pavilion New York, USA www.blueprintshows.com

Surtex May 15-17, 2016 Jacob K Javits Convention Center New York, USA www.surtex.com

Tiger, tiger burning bright GOING viral is a great way to become well-known and that’s exactly what’s happened with one of MGL Licensing’s images which became an internet sensation recently.

Steve Read’s jungle scene with 16 tigers has been burning bright on social media as the latest in the line of puzzling pics where people either have to find objects hidden in the image or work out clues.

The image, that’s available for licensing from MGL. shows a tiger family of four with another 12 hidden in the foliage around them and featured in UK national newspapers The Sun and Daily Mail in March after going viral – can you spot them all? www.mgllicensing.com info@mgllicensing.com +44 (0)20 8392 8010

Wild about art

raised the profile of wildlife art in the last 12 months and Pollyanna, whose artwork is published as greetings cards and giftware exclusively by Otter House with calendars from Carousel Calendars, is the most published artist in the UK. Her images sell in 80 countries worldwide, giving her a unique opportunity to raise the profile of wildlife art internationally and, during the past year her artwork has been exhibited in galleries throughout the UK as well as in Vancouver, Florida and Arizona. www.pollyannapickeringstudio.co.uk

PASSIONATE about wildlife and equally keen to accurately interpret her subjects wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering has dedicated her life to conservation through art.

And she has been honoured with the Association Of Animal Artists’ most prestigious award, presented at their Annual Gala Dinner on Saturday (April 9).

The Inaugural Chairman’s Award is presented to the artist who is considered to have most significantly

News in brief Royal approval for Dids DIDS Macdonald got the royal seal of approval when her work to prevent artists and designers losing out to copying was recognised with an OBE. The CEO and founder of Anti Copying In Design (ACID) collected her gong from HRH The Princess Royal at an Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London in October.

Extending pop footprint POP ARTIST Romero Britto is set to further extend his footprint in the licensing world after partnering with leading global brand extension agency Beanstalk earlier this year. Capturing the Brazilian-born painter and sculptor’s quintessential visual style and universal themes of love, happiness, and hope, Beanstalk will strategically extend the Britto brand across Europe and North America while working with existing licensees to develop and launch additional branded products.

Starting with iconic brand

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THE unique photography of Rachel Hale featuring “the world’s most loveable animals” is now being offered to the UK market by award-winning licensing agency Start Licensing.

They have been appointed by Dissero Brands to represent the Rachael Hale brand, taking over from Richard Horton who successfully managed it for a number of years, including bringing Danilo on board for the calendars licence, but is now retiring.

From licensing to originals IMAGE licensing specialists Bridgeman have moved into selling original art for the first time, featuring a selected portfolio of contemporary artists with an emphasis on illustration and printmaking.

Bridgeman Gallery has been launched exclusively on www. culturelabel.com, the online art portal and hand-crafted gift retailer that Bridgeman acquired early last year.

New year, new offices ADVOCATE Art have moved their business representing artists and illustrators who product children’s and decorative work into new premises.

The UK operation of the company, which was founded by a group of illustrators who liked the idea of having an agent but not the other things that often come with that, is now based at Suite 7, The Sanctuary, 23 Oakhill Grove, Surbiton, KT6 6DU.

Latest twist on graphics USING a toy to create art is the new idea that Bluebell Design Studios have introduced to the art licensing industry by creating Kaleidographix.

As exclusive licensing agents to the Kaleidograph educational toy, Bluebell founders Beth Saffer and Suzan Waldinger decided to use it as a creative tool to launch the KGx broad-scale classic modern take on geometric design.

They’ve already products hundreds of patterns ranging from clean and simple to intricated and intend to showcase more than 1,000 designs by the end of the year.

June 2016 Showtime Market June 5-8, 2016 ITMA Showtime High Point, North Carolina, USA www.showtime-market.com

Licensing Expo June 21-23, 2016 Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas, USA www.licensingexpo.com

July 2016 AmericasMart License & Design (part of Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market) July 12-19, 2016 Atlanta Convention Center Atlanta, USA www.americasmart.com

August 2016 Blue Print IV August 8-10 404 NYC New York, USA www.blueprintshows.com

PrintSource August 9-10, 2016 Metropolitan Pavilion New York, USA www.printsourcenewyork.com

September 2016 Expo Chicago September 22-25, 2016 Navy Pier, Chicago, USA www.expochicago.com

October 2016 Brand Licensing Europe October 11-13, 2016 Olympia London, England www.brandlicensing.eu

Licensing Expo Preview

Meet your match If you want to make the most of your time at Licensing Expo, their pioneering online Matchmaking Service has been launched to allow key meetings to be arranged in advance of the Las Vegas event.

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NNOVATIVE displays and cutting edge design are features expected from the Art & Design zone at the influential industry event that is Licensing Expo 2016 – and this year they have launched the Matchmaking Service.

Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas is the venue which offers artists and designers the opportunity to showcase their artwork and designs to the one of the largest audiences of brand owners, licensees and retailers in the world.

Having had their biggest show yet last year, more than 450 exhibitors are expected this time around, including over 80 in the Art & Design zone at the event produced by UBM Americas and sponsored by the international Licensing Industry Merchandisers’ Association (LIMA).

Now in its 36th year, the show is running over June 21-23 with the floor split into three

zones – Characters & Entertainment, Art & Design and Brands & Agents – and they have more than 16,150 retailers, licensees, manufacturers, distributors and licensing agents attending from over 90 countries.

Jessica Blue, Licensing Expo’s Senior VicePresident, said: “Each year, I look forward to walking the Art & Design zone to see the innovative displays and cutting edge designs from exhibitors.

“You’ll always see something new and different in this area and our attendees love the diversity of the imagery showcased.”

Emerging talent can be seen in the New Artists Launchpad initiative housed in the Art & Design zone which this year will offer an assortment of features including a live painting demonstration by Robert Holton from Drizzle

Studios and performance art by Stephen Fishwick, represented by Get Down Art, who will be painting to live music several times per day.

Supporting the zone, along with the other key areas of the 2016 Expo, is the new Matchmaking Service, a pioneering online platform that allows attendees and exhibitors to arrange key meetings in advance of the show.

There is also the Licensing University where visitors and exhibitors can acquire new strategies, innovative ideas and practical solutions by attending any or all of the 30 sessions on topics such as retailing strategies, the legal side of licensing and extending your brand globally. www.licensingexpo.com

Licensing Expo Art & Design Exhibitors’ List

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Agency Gonet – J192 Alchemy Licensing –H61 Art 2 License – G76 Art Brand Studios – D134 Art in Effect – G79 Art Makers International (AMI) – G87 Art Pudong(Shanghai) Artwork – J84 Beijing Danita Delimont Stock Photography – F8 Benton Arts – J67 Blaylock Originals – H85 Bottled Joy Creations – G75 Bradley Beard – G64 The Brand Liaison – E154 BroadTeck (Dong Guan) – A137 Buffalo Works – E108 C3 Entertainment – C226

Candlewick Press – E105 Cat Create A New Thing – G77 China Art & Cultural Properties – J84 Crayola Properties – F53 Curtis Licensing – L214 Dr. Krinkles – M245 Emoji – A122 ENS Global Marketing – B135 Frida Kahlo – B188 Giordano Studios – F89 Global Rebels – E118 Green Kids Club – A92 Grimm – H69 Hale’iwa North Shore – F78 Hallmark Cards – J98 Happy Art – H73 HCA – G94

Howard Robinson & Associates – G70 JD Shultz Artwork – H79 Jewel Branding & Licensing – J101 Jill’s Wild (Tasteful!) Women – G88 Joan Marie Art – G85 JQ Licensing – F80 King Features – D154 Knockout Licensing – F108 Korea Creative Content Agency – J192 Kristina Vardazaryan – E76 Kween Kwest – G68 Lawless Entertainment – L241 The Licensing Group – F95 Licensing Innovations – G80 Lisa Frank – F61 Lisa Marks Associates (LMA) – H108 LoCoco Licensing – L198

Lonely Dog – H80 Manu – G97 Marjorie Sue – C95 MB-Mary Beth – G96 MGL Licensing – F88 MHS Licensing – F85 MNS Creative – C103 Moxie & Company – D118 Old Guys Rule – D96 Pan Am – E101 Paper Nest Dolls – E77 Patterson International – G90 Pink Light Studio – G98 Pixels.com – A143 Princess Plie & Friends – C93 Rachael Hale – H102 RiverLights Originals – F77

Rosenthal Represents – H63 Russna Kaur Fine Art + Design – G86 Sean Danconia – E86 The Sharpe Company – C80 Sports Afield – E94 Susanne Kasielke – E75 Suzanne Cruise Creative Services – E106 Synchronicity – D79 TapuTapu The Panda – B96 Timothy Raines Studios – E84 UDC – C102 Waldoodles – K242 Wild Apple Licensing – F79 Wild Wings Licensing – H87 Wildstar Tempest – E88 Women In Toys – H88 Zolan Company – D94

feature

Get up, stand up Stand up for your rights – that’s the advice for licensees from Andrew Gallagher who runs Full Colour Black, specialising in greetings cards and products using licensed artwork and images including a recently-discovered stash of Bob Marley photos.

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FTER turning down a reasonably lucrative worldwide buyout deal from the Marley Estate, with advice from leading UK IP lawyer Aaron Wood, of Wood IP, I’ve considerably sharpened my already none-tooshabby knowledge about image licensing across the last few months.

Last year Full Colour Black signed what is perhaps one of the most valuable collection of images in the world – a folder of 72 highly commercial photonegatives featuring reggae icons Bob Marley And The Wailers that had never been seen before, let alone used commercially.

With Bob Marley listed as third on the Forbes list of the highest-earning deceased celebrities and his estate having an estimated net worth of around $130million (£88.5m), it’s clear that his image rights are an extremely lucrative commodity.

To have 72 fulllength photos, all of which

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are full of emotion, power and gesture is better than finding gold – after all, there’s always more gold to be found!

As a global icon, Marley is undisputed. With over 74m Facebook fans, and more than 1.3m Twitter followers he has the second-highest social media following of any dead celebrity.

Bob Marley global licensing deals cover the entire spectrum of products ranging from apparel through to coffee, headphones and even a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream! He’s also about to become the face of a global marijuana brand with the design duties being undertaken by the same team who brought us Starbucks.

Under the name Marley Natural, the reggae icon’s estate paired with the private equity firm Privateer Holdings to become the face of legal marijuana and its associated products.

Legal marijuana sales hit $2.5billion (£1.7bn) in this year alone and it is being looked upon as the major new prohibition-type

● Andrew Gallagher

● Aaron Wood

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industry with venture capitalists throughout Silicon Valley scrambling to invest.

It’s been estimated that within three years the legal marijuana industry will be worth $18bn (£12.2bn) so will make Bob Marley finally the world’s highest-earning dead celebrity – he’s held the number three slot for the last 20 years and made the Marley Estate a $100m (£68m) business.

Considering his sad demise was 35 years ago, fresh, iconic photographs of the man himself are a rarity so owning the rights to an extremely commercial collection has immense value.

It’s a common misconception that images of Marley and other celebrities are untouchable and this is mainly due to clever phrasing by celebrities’ IP lawyers when they bang their PR drum.

The recent case where pop star Rihanna prevented Topshop selling T-shirts displaying her picture is a perfect example. The court actually ruled that the fashion retailers’ unauthorised use of the singer’s photograph amounted to “passing off ” – illegally exploiting an unregistered trademark.

Rihanna and two of her corporate licensing companies launched the legal action against Topshop alleging that the use of her image for fashion clothing was that people buying the T-shirt would think she had endorsed it.

But three judges – Lords Justices Richards, Kitchin and Underhill – stated that there was no English law directly allowing anyone to restrain reproduction of their name or image.

Their judgment clarified the circumstances in which commercial advantage can be derived from exploiting celebrity photographs.

Lord Justice Kitchin said: “A celebrity seeking to control the use of his or her image must therefore rely upon some other cause of action such as breach of contract, breach of confidence, infringement of copyright or, as in this case, passing off.”

While some celebrities might have thought that the case opened the floodgates, legal experts from this field, including Aaron Wood, have been very clear that Rihanna’s case was specific on the facts, since she had a reputation for fashion and the content of the images themselves tended towards the finding of “passing off.”

There needs to be an implied endorsement of the product for a celebrity’s case to succeed.

Without that, there is no protection of image.

I want to make it clear to wary potential licensees that there is good business to be done with celebrity pictures.

In English law there is no such thing as “image rights” and in Germany, 10 years after someone’s death, an individual’s picture or other individual characteristics of a person can be used in advertising without the permission of

the legal heirs. This also applies to the additional territories of Poland, Argentina, Australia and many more.

Providing it is made clear that the product is not an endorsement and that no trademarks are used, any retailer can comfortably manufacture and sell products bearing a celebrity image.

Even in the USA, the laws on rights of publicity vary widely but there are many states where trading is allowed. In New York for example, the right doesn’t pass on to inheritors whereas in California, inheritors can retain control for up to 70 years.

I would have liked to agree a mutually beneficial deal with the Marley Estate, not only are these photos family memories, but they are also an immense source of income for their business empire which is getting larger year on year.

But my first loyalty is to my client, the photographer who took the pictures, and if we can get a better return for him and his family by working with individual licensees then that is what I shall do.

The rights to these images are something that he can leave to his grandchildren too – the downside is that, once I agree a calendar deal, the Jack will truly be out of the box and our photos will not have the ‘never been seen before’ tag which the official licensees would have loved to have had.

At Full Colour Black we’re now talking to major retailers and licensees for all manner of projects throughout Germany, Poland, the UK and New York.

www.fullcolourblack.com andrew@fullcolourblack.com +44 (0)20 7617 7161

blue print show preview

Pure Illustration – representing over 100 artists whose artwork is licensed worldwide and can be found on products in many stores across the USA.

Cherry Design Partners – for fun, whimsical, fashionforward, trending designs for all seasons, all ages and all applications.

Studio Van Den Broek – new ideas with the craft of handpainted and digital collection for home interior, gift-wrap and paper products.

LJ Woodhouse – a leading British design studio producing innovative, original artwork for all aspects of the home interior, paper and giftware industries.

Roy & Jane Evans Designs – representing a creative team of designers whose work you must not miss.

Pomelo & Pomelo – offering curiously fabulous patterns and illustrations, made to colour your world awesome.

Five Points Graphics – a full service design studio representing over 30 international artists.

Peagreen – stationery, fashion and homeware, we have it covered.

Third time lucky Small but perfectly formed, Blue Print is the collectivelyorganised new surface design and print show that has been so successful it’s about to hold the third event in New York just a year after launch – and the fourth one is following in the autumn.

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UST a year after launching a brand-new surface design and print show, Blue Print is back in New York with their third outing – having grown to cater for 37 studios.

This time round – Blue Print III – the collectively-organised show is at the Metropolitan Pavilion on West 18th Street in the Big Apple, and runs over five days, from May 12-16.

Blue Print brings together a fantastic collection of studios and designers that are producing a print show by themselves for their clients.

The boutique type feel of the show is created firstly by keeping the number of exhibitors low to give the clients the opportunity to visit all of the studios and secondly, the open aspect of the

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Show dates

Thursday May 12 – Noon-6:00 Friday May 13 – 9:30-5:30 Saturday May 14 – 9:30-5:30 Sunday May 15 – 9:30-5:30 Monday May 16 9:00-4:00 Location: Metropolitan Pavilion, 123 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10001 show makes a more relaxed, fun environment.

Studios are allocated the same amount of space, with no walls to any of the booths and, as main show coordinator Paul Turk, of Cinnamon Joe Studio, said: “By collectively planning and

organising the event, we all have a shared interest in the success of the show.

“This latest venue is situated in an exciting part of Manhattan and is well known to regular buyers of artwork, with lots to see and some great restaurants nearby too.

“The first Blue Print show in May 2015 was a huge success, even with only 12 studios! There was a constant flow of clientele, every studio did good business and also made new contacts which made the show very worthwhile.”

That was followed by Blue Print II in December at the bigger venue of 404 NYC to cater for an increase in size to 30 studios – and such has been the success of the venture that they have already booked to be back there for their first autumn

Patricia Nugent – offering circa 1790-1970 antique and vintage surface designs to inspire modern surface design.

Cinnamon Joe Studio – creating to satisfy your imagination.

Dessin & Cie – designs to colour your emotions.

Verbeek Designs – today isn’t just another day, today I’ll create something beautiful.

Elizabeth Stirling Designs – UK-based studio creating fun, innovative designs for all seasons.

Sandra Bowers – stylised, playful patterns and illustrations for products, packaging and editorial.

Paul Vogel – designing beautiful yarn dye designs, checks and stripes.

Tana Bana – servicing the art needs of the home, fashion, lifestyle and stationery markets.

Image Source – a leading UK-based agency representing over 85 talented artists, supplying beautiful innovative artwork.

Brenda Manley Designs – representing talented designers with roots in El Salvador, UK, Germany, Ukraine, France and the good ole USA.

Francois Bournaud – based in Paris and continuously creating highest quality exciting collections for home, gift-wrap and Xmas.

Pippa Shaw – prints and patterns inspired by nature, rooted in classical design principles, and imbued with a fresh contemporary aesthetic.

Lylove Studio – inspired designs that always make you feel like you’re on vacation.

Ine Beerten – a.k.a Zesti, this Belgian artist has a passion for vibrantly colorful, fun and fresh surface pattern design.

Jennifer Nelson Artists - connecting my favourite artists and clients.

Gathernomoss – established in 1987, this East London based design studio opened their New York office in 2014.

Design Works International – this New York lifestyle studio specialises in trend development and original print, pattern, and product design.

Inspire Art Licensing – their home is a converted Victorian mill in historic Nottingham, with the studio as the heart, it’s a constant hive of busy creative energy.

Designastration – a new studio created by a children’s book illustrator who loves to design adorable characters and happy themes.

Paper & Cloth – a surface pattern design studio with a strong focus on illustrational talent who promote each of their designers under their own names.

show, Blue Print IV will run from August 8-10 with 21 names already down to exhibit.

Meanwhile Blue Print III in May sees 35 established studios taking part – Brenda Manley Designs, The Brooklyn Nest, Cherry Design Partners, Cinnamon Joe Studio, Creativo Surface Design, Designastration, Design Works International, Dessin & Cie, Elizabeth Stirling Designs, Five Points, Francois Bournaud, Gathernomoss, Grafiq Trafiq, Image Source, Ine Beerten, Inspire Art Licensing, Jennifer Nelson Artists, LJ Woodhouse, London Portfolio, Lylove Studio, Never Forget Yvette, Paper & Cloth, Patricia Nugent, Paul Vogel, Peagreen, Pomelo & Pomelo, Pure Illustration, Purplethum, Rafale Design, Roy & Jane Evans Designs, Sandra Jacobs,

Studio Van Den Broek, Tana Bana, and Verbeek Designs.

In addition there will be Sandra Bowers and Pippa Shaw, the two winners of the Young Designer Competition run at the end of last year, who each won a

booth at this show.

Paul added: “We had a lot of fantastic entries in our first-ever Young Designer Competition. These two wonderfully talented designers stood out, each with their own unique voice.”

With the mission of giving an affordable opportunity to emerging surface print artists to exhibit in a relaxed boutique-style environment, the competition was open to people with no more than two years’ business experience after graduation who are not represented by an agency or studio.

Entrants had to design their space at the show where every exhibitor gets a pair of 6ftx2ft tables covered with plain black fabric and space for up to four banners, so they had to create skirts for the tables and the banners.

To see the winning designs and discover the new relaxed approach to trade shows for yourself, pop along to the Metropolitan Pavilion. www.blueprintshows.com

London Portfolio – a New Jersey-based design studio specialising in designs for the paper and textile market.

Sandra Jacobs – dare to be different.

Grafiq Trafiq – your design and product development partner.

Creativo Surface Design – extensive experience in developing prints and patterns for any surface.

Foliage Inc – art and design for all surfaces.

Purplethum – trend-driven surface design studio producing art for your product development.

Rafale Design – a talented bunch of mainly British artists, who design and develop art for sale and licence.

The Brooklyn Nest – a new collective of artists and surface designers.

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surtex show preview

30 years strong It’s celebration time at Surtex as the organisers mark three decades of the specialist New York show for sourcing original art and design.

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HIRTY years of Surtex is the celebration this May, and the milestone is being marked with a competition giving one lucky buyer the chance to win $5,000 (£3,500) to spend at the show.

The mobile app contest back ups a very busy show at the Javits Center in New York over May 15-17 with a full conference programme, the first official Surtex tote bag, and being able to view the work of the four DesigNext student competition finalists.

This year’s 30th anniversary event sees more than 250 exhibitors taking part, including over 70 new ones, showing 1,000-plus designs patterns. g and p

troit Anne Tsaprazis, De

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Carolina Perrino , Savannah

DesigNext nalists It’s an all-girl line-up for the e Desig gNext fi finalists students with three from the US and one from the UK picked by a stellar panel of judges for their six original designs on the Tribal In Art Deco theme as collection in four categories – Wear, Work, Live and Play.

The finalists are Kera Allen, a second-year textile and surface pattern design student at the University of Bolton, in Manchester, England; Carolina Perrino, a senior in the Savannah College of Art fibres programme; fourth-year illustration student Mirta Rotondo from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, and Anne Tsaprazis, a fibre design major at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

As part of their prize they will be presenting their projects in a DesigNext booth at the show, their portfolio will be professionally critiqued, and they will be further assessed by show management and the judges on their on-site display, portfolio, overall presentation and the

ability to maximize their participation at Surtex.

Then one of the four will be selected for the grand prize of $1,000 (£700), special mention on the Surtex website for one year and recommendation letters to prospective employers.

The main body of the show sees visitors able to license new designs and patterns from the Art & Brand Licensing exhibitors, purchase art in the Atelier section and, debuting this year, Design District will showcase artists who are completely new to Surtex.

Emerald Expositions, organisers of the specialist show for sourcing new and unique designs, are also launching g the official Surtex tote bag g that’s

Kera Allen of the UK

first 500 buyers given to the first b to arrive with an exhibiting artist chosen to provide the design each year – first off it’s Design Works International.

With 11 different seminars across the three days, the conference programme is a comprehensive offering designed to provide designers, manufacturers, retailers and others in the field with practical, how to advice on the licensing process from creation through product development to retail placement.

The programme is divided into three sections with the opening Sunday covering the essentials, Monday has advanced strategies, and Tuesday follows business enhancements.

There is also plenty of insight and inspiration available from trend forecasting companies in the Trend Theatre – attendees can register for individual events or the whole programme.

The two new programmes for buyers are Matchmaking 101 where they have a great

New Incentives!

Liz Crawford, VP Emerald Expo, Surtex Director

opportunity to mingle with artists at their own pace, and the VIP Buyer Programme where they can meet with exhibitors and take part in the mobile app competition to earn the $5,000 prize toward a purchase.

Liz Crawford, Vice-President of Emerald Expositions and Surtex Show Director, said: “As we move towards what looks like a great show, I want to make sure everyone knows all the cool things we’re doing to enhance both artist and attendee engagement.

“First, and most exciting, is our incentive for buyers to place orders at the show. One lucky y will win n $5,000 through our mobile app buyer

Mirta Rotondo, San

Francisco

Exhibitors will be able to competition held onsite. o drive buyers to their booth through the app, and the buyer gets added to the contest to win.

“Second, we will be launching our inaugural official Surtex Show Tote Bag, sure to become a collectors’ item. Each year, we’ll ask exhibiting artists to show us their exclusive designs to be used on the bag, which will be handed out onsite to qualified buyers.

“This year, we have Design Works International to thank for their terrific design. You’ll be seeing it all over this year’s show. However, there is a limited quantity, so register to attend, and pick yours up on day one.

“Meanwhile, of course, don’t forget to use our online tools to communicate directly with artists and buyers. It’s just one more reason we can say, no other show in the business offers the overall value that Surtex does.” www.surtex.com

surtex show preview

Exhibitors’ list 33 Broken Bones – Booth 452 A+A Design Studio – 709 AD Lines – 662 Advocate Art – 223 Allison Cole Illustration – 250 American Dream House– 233 Amy L Frazer, Design & Illustration 565 Amy Lighthall – 442 Amy Sia – 532 Ana Davis – 536 Anais Lee Creative – 346 Andie Hanna – 439 Anne Was Here – 451 Antique Abstracts – 252 Antique Textile Resource – 732 Arai Designs – 639 Arantza Izurrategui – 266 Art 2 License – 517 Art Cottage – 604 Art Licensing.Com – 204 Art Makers International (AMI) – 306 Arte Flora – 746 Artistic Designs Group – 343 Artwork Design – 633 Artworks! Licensing – 416 Astound – 232 Atelier Mineeda Co – 711 Banafshe Schippel – 610 Belly Acres Farm Studio – 539 Bentley Licensing Group – 323 Betsey Cavallo / C Designs – 240 Bitte Stenstrom Design – 735 Black Studio – 364 Blue Fish Designs Private – 345 Blue Sky Art & Design – 537 Bluebell Design Studios – 425 Brand Liaison – 207 Brenda Manley Designs – 235 Bridgewater + Moss Design – 605 Bright Art Licensing – 433 The Brooklyn Nest – 642 Bruce N’ Rowley – 715 C-La Design – 262

Cara Kozik – 267 Carolyn Suzuki – 354 Carpenter & Company – 753 Casey Robin – 554 Cherian Design – 352 Chris Purcell – 362 Claudia Long Studios – 363 Cleveland College Of Art & Design – 744 Collective Bliss Studios – 334 Colwill & Waud – 632 Corinne Haig Designs – 555 Creatif Licensing – 207 Creativity Explored – 242 Creativo Surface Design – 623 Cultro – 469 Danielle Kroll – 353 Danielle Murray – 255 Debbie Taylor-Kerman – 239 Demo Exhibitor – 572 Design Works International – 622 Diane Harrison Designs – 611 Dinah – 347 Dot & Flow Design – 244 Dot Dash Design Studio – 226 DPI Laboratory Services – 651 Edward’s Kids – 269 Elaine Marie – 263 Elisabeth Kelly Design – 733 Elizabeth Stirling Designs – 510 Ellabella Rose Ltd. – 227 Emma J Shipley – 253 Enfusoft – 470a Equinox Art & Design – 247 Esther Bley Designs – 450 Feng Liang Design – 329 Figgy Pudding – 643 Finch & Foxglove – 543 Fiona Howard – 729 First2print – 755 Foliage – 619 Four Corners Art Collective – 229 Galaxy Of Graphics Licensing – 551

Gelsinger Licensing Group – 516 Gerry Murray Designs – 237 Giacomo Barzaghi – 618 Giordano Studios – 436 Glm Consult & Art – 344 Group Four Design Studio – 704 Haley Art & Design – 337 Hariclia Michailidou – 567 Howard Robinson & Associates – 522 Ingrid By Nutshell Designs – 243 International Graphics – 650 Jane Dixon – 739 Jane Mosse Designs – 723 Janis Lillian – 463 Jean Bradbury – 572 Jeanetta Gonzales Art & Design – 455 Jenean Morrison Art & Design – 336 Jennifer Mercede Art – 553 Jennifer Nelson Artists – 211 Jenny Foster – 533 Jewel Branding & Licensing – 417 Jill Bogart – 268 Joan Chamberlain Designs – 538 Joe Ginsberg Design Studio – 256 JWD Licensing – 447 Kale Williams Studio – 655 Kaleidotex – 636 Kate Mawdsley – 234 Kate Tortland Studios – 528 Katsu Creative Project – 614 Kitty Keller Designs – 437 Knox Paper Pen – 465 Kris Ruff – 326 Kristi Caterson – 542 Kristina Vardazaryan – 554 L’atelier Design Studio – 608 Laura Gunn – 652 Lauren Wan – 607 Leeds College Of Art – 717 Lemon Ribbon – 719 Lemonade Illustration Agency – 535 Lemonni – 445 Les Francaises – 726

Bright Art Licensing Surtex booth 433

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RIGHT are a boutique agency representing some of the top artists and designers for art licensing within the greetings, stationery, gift, home and print industries.

They are always on the look out for exciting new talent, and are delighted to welcome a clutch of new artists to the Bright roster.

Experienced designer Jo Spicer brings a wealth of creative appeal in a broad range of styles to the portfolio, working across many new and established ranges.

Laura Coleman, debuting with Bright after many years within the greetings card industry, with beautiful, soft watercolour designs.

Jackie Clarkson joins the agency with a talented hand in super-cute characters.

Ian Gillibrand is a highly accomplished watercolourist and widely published greetings card Industry veteran.

And there’s the wonderful Emma Leach, specialising in charming, hand-rendered designs, all adding up to creativity for every occasion.

The company’s new gallery, retail and events space, The Bright Emporium, opened in London at the end of last year, and is designed to champion the work and raise the profiles of their artists to the wider public – next time you’re in town, please do come and explore. www.brightartlicensing.com hannah@brightartlicensing.com amanda@brightartlicensing.com +44 (0) 207 326 9140

Les Poupees Du Monde – 444 Licensing Liaison – 515 Lilla Rogers Studio – 220 Linda Bronson – 224 Little Blue Mushroom Studio – 355 London Portfolio – 705 Looking Good Licensing – 432 Lovely Bird Design Studios – 727 Lucas-Hill Art & Design – 368 Lucinda Wei – 338 Lylove Studio – 627 M Design Studio – 534 Magnet Reps Presents The Artelier Of Brands – 216 Main Line Art & Design – 210 Manayunk Calligraphy – 254 Marbleknot Design Studio– 238 Marcie Designs – 615 Maret’s Art – 411 Marian Nixon Paintings – 550 Meehan Design Group – 422 Meiihow Art Licensing & Design Agency – 547 MGL – 423 MHS Licensing – 424 Miriam Bos.Com – 350 Misha Zadeh Illustration & Design – 527 Natalie Alex Designs – 570 Nerida Hansen Print & Textiles – 333 Nerodiseppia – 647 Nicole Tamarin Illustration – 434 Painted Planet Licensing Group – 322 Pamela Hamilton Designs – 568 Pantone Color Institute – 752 Paper & Cloth – 743 Parcai Designs– 427 Paris Cheri – 662 Pat Sutton Designs – 365 Pattern Boutique – 722 Pattern Pod – 544 The Pattern Social – 546 Paul Brent Designer – 505 Penny Lane Fine Art & Licensing – 506

Pi Creative Art – 351 Pink Light Design – 317 Pointcarre – 750 Portfolio Select – 236 Potterton Books – 738 Prints Of Orange – 638 Professional Design Guru – 563 Puddle Ink – 728 Rhonda Addison – 248 Rigel Stuhmiller – 526 Riumore – 472a Roaring Brook Art – 523 Rosenthal Represents – 310 Ruth Levison Design – 325 Sarah Beise Art + Design – 443 Searle-Art.Com – 332 Shari Lynn Bennett Designs – 482 Sharla Fults Designs – 529 Showoffs – 626 Simply Shelly Designs – 251 Sooshichacha – 609 Springs Creative 518 Stacy Garcia – 751 Stacy Peterson – 524 Studio 2 – 552 Studio Kelkka – 725 Studio Sette – 742 Studio Voltaire – 435 Sundance Art Licensing – 342 Suzanne Cruise Creative Services – 407 Symposium Design – 724 Tana Bana Design Services – 707 Tatyana Starikova – 245 Textile Creations By Lily – 714 Tracey Wirth Designs – 366 Trosko Design – 466 V&A Enterprises – 509 Wild Apple Licensing – 307 Wild Birds Flying – 212 Wild Wings Licensing – 328 Working Girls Design – 214 World Art Group – 217 Yuno Design Studio – 708

www.meiihowlicensing.com

Surtex Booth 547

fashion home paper tabletop contract whatever

See what’s new: - Atelier / Surtex - booth 605 - Printsource NY in August

bridgewatermoss.com

Surtex booth 605 – Printsource NY August

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nspired by everything – from sometimes the strange to the very ordinary – Donna Skupien is the artist behind Bridgewater + Moss Desigh and her work is a never-ending random mix of every day geos, florals and textures, alongside seasonal motifs, and sprinkled with special occasion and conversational themes.

How many new ways to do stripes and plaids, florals morphing into textures, and then there are the endless colour combinations – every day is a new opportunity to create.

Baby bottles to cake stencils, wallpaper and wrapping paper, tabletop and carpets, active wear to bedding, it’s all in a day’s work.

It’s true that if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life!

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Bridgewater + Moss Design

BACKGROUND: Donna’s roots started as most kids with drawing and painting on anything she could find, followed by a BFA in comprehensive design, the usual stint of working for someone then she went out on her own.

“I started a marketing communications design firm in Chicago with nothing but my passion for design,” Donna said, “our good reputation made us grow and we created brand identities, consumer packaging and annual reports for global giants as Allstate Insurance – yep, those hands – Kellogg’s and the William Wrigley Jr Company.

“Our branding work expanded into product development and we really enjoyed working with entrepreneurial startups as Crate & Barrel, and the Container Store.

“Good design is good business. It has the power to captivate, motive and even just make us smile. I have always been in the problem-solving business and believe this experience in marketing gives me greater insight and perspective understanding clients’ products, demographics, manufacturing, budget and price point, as well as trends.”

TODAY: Bridgewater + Moss Design are a full-service design firm with more than 20 years’ experience in creating exclusive, trend-forward, surface design solutions for manufacturers and retailers in the fashion, home, tabletop, contract, active sports and paper industries.

They mostly sell their prints outright but. if a company prefers a licence, that works too, and they also do concept work based on client visual inspiration and colour palettes.

Donna added: “We’re returning to Atelier at Surtex for the 21st year, please stop by our booth to meet us and review our work. We welcome the opportunity to earn your trust and deliver you the best designs, value and service.” www.bridgewatermoss.com dskupien@bh2odesign.com T: +1 312 315 8505

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cover story

Around I Inspired by the world around him, lenticular and 3D art specialist s p Michael Searle has been lucky enough to turn his s passion into a thoroughly enjoyable job which allows him to tr traverse r the globe to find new subjects – here, the man behind beh i Searle-Art.com talks about his travels to South Africa, Germany, and Belgium over the past year.

Germ

A

S A YOUNG child, I was always fascinated with the thought of world travel.

My grandfather had a small resin figurine on his shelf in his bedroom that was made in China – to this day I remember how seeing that souvenir affected my thinking and sparked my imagination and interest as to what exotic and mysterious adventures awaited one brave enough to venture out into this great big world.

For as long as I can remember, I have aspired to see the world and be inspired from other countries and cultures and to incorporate it into my artwork.

The past few years have been a dream come true.

I feel so blessed and fortunate to be able to t avel to different tr travel cco ountries and countries cities around the cities w rld and to wo world e perience ex experience s many so different diff cultures cultures

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and customs and foods. It really has been so educational and such an inspiration.

From New York to London to Paris to Tokyo and Hong Kong – it’s been aweinspiring.

This past year was full of new and exciting adventures. I had the privilege of travelling to South Africa and experiencing a real-life safari in Kruger National Park.

It was like a National Geographic expedition come to life. I can’t begin to describe the surrealistic feeling of watching a tower of giraffes stroll across the road within feet of our vehicle and to see elephants just yards from us digging with their trunks in the bottom of a dried river bed creating their own personal wells.

To actually stay in the park at various compounds and to be locked in overnight j ama mazi zziing g. was just amazing.

Next stop was Cape Town which was just sensory overload. The coastal vistas were breath-taking as well as the beautiful and spacious vineyards.

Hiking up to Table Mountain – Google it for a more in-depth description – was a lot more challenging than I originally thought but the ride down to the base on the gondola was a welcome relief.

I came away from this very amazing country truly inspired on all levels and I’m currently creating new art based on this trip as it not only the flora and fauna but also the people were a great source of inspiration.

Most recently, I flew over to Germany to meet one of the distributors of my fabric lines. Patchwork Promotions of Belgium invited me to attend one of their fabric trade shows and to represent Timeless Treasures fabrics of New York as a g guest artist.

Again, it was very nal and educational enjoyable to meet our many and varied customerss in Europe ospitality wass and the hospitality second to none. velled from Cologne in We travelled Germany where the show was held to their offices in Holland via Belgium.

I’ve always been a bit of a chocoholic and a big fan of the Belgian chocolate so it was with great pleasure and satisfaction that I had the unique opportunity to savour an absolutely heavenly cup of the nation’s hot chocolate while sitting in the living room of our most gracious host in the country.

It has become more and more challenging to juggle the various projects that have been presented over the past

cover story

the world year but it’s also so rewarding to see my art reach new markets around the world.

Even after all these years, I still get a kick out of seeing my images on various products in some of the most remote corners of this wonderful and beautiful planet. o my y bo From boogie boards in Fiji, J pa Ja p n, Hawa ii and South Africa to Japan, Hawaii m my puzzles in Australia, i really makes me it f feel so grateful to the wonderful manufacturers that I have t privilege to work with. the This world of art licensing an continues to be so much has been and more than I thought possible. It has allowed me to create a unique lifestyle where I can travel the world and illustrate what inspires me along the way – and make a living from it. What more could I ask?

Thank you to all the manufacturers that have been a part of my wonderful and whimsical world. ng forward to new I’m looking ons and creating g new and fun art collaborations expanding list of for an ever-expanding u throughout ucts retail products d the world. and around

Searle-art.com www.searle-art.com +1 954 663 9933 3 33 michaelsearle.art@gmail.com

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MGL Licensing Surtex booth 423 – Licensing Expo booth F88

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GL CELEBRATED 25 years in licensing in 2015, making them one of the most established art licensing companies in the world.

Over the years MGL have grown from a handful of artists and licensees to being a leading artist agency with more than 300 international clients.

The art portfolio incorporates very diverse styles and themes that range from fantasy and animals to vintage and contemporary graphics. Many of the designs are created in close cooperation with clients and a selection of commissioned artists to suit specific demands and needs.

MGL are returning to Surtex and Licensing Expo after a successful year licensing their extensive collection in Europe, North America and beyond.

Over the last 12 months MGL have been busy signing new and exciting artists to their books, such as award-winning painter Russell Cobane, whose portfolio includes landscapes, wildlife and bird paintings and already enjoys a successful licensing programme across many product categories.

They have also worked hard alongside their artists to develop a new portfolio of black and white line art specially suited to the growing market of colouring-in products and it includes work by some of MGL’s most popular artists such as Valentina Harper and Colin Thompson.

MGL have also signed artist Neeti Goswami, whose meticulously designed line drawings inspired by the Indian art of the mandala have attracted great interest from licensees in the publishing and stationery sectors.

MGL will also be showcasing new work by two of last year’s successes – Sharon Turner and Art Marketing. Following their American debut

last year both have partnered up with international licensees in wall décor, publishing, homewares, gifts, stationery and luggage and continue developing trendy new designs for their growing licensing portfolios.

Moreover, the work of Valentina Harper is now available in North America through MGL and will be featured at their booths at both Surtex and Licensing Expo.

Valentina’s signature style of intricate designs and inspirational messages has attracted a loyal fan base and enjoys a very successful licensing programme thanks to MGL that includes bedding, toys, colouring books, calendars, stationery and more.

For more information or to set up a meeting during the tradeshows, please contact MGL. www.mgllicensing.com info@mgllicensing.com +44 (0) 20 8392 8010

Telephone Web Email

781-641-2787

LILLAROGERS.COM

INFO@LILLAROGERS.COM

Twitter Facebook

LILLAROGERS

LILLAROGERSSTUDIO

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LILLAROGERS

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LILLAROGERS

REBECCA JONES

CLAIRICE GIFFORD

LET US HELP YOU

FIND

Fabulous Art FOR YOUR PROJECT!

CLIENTS INCLUDE:

All-Bran Barneys New York Blue Q Cranium Games Crate & Barrel Creative Co-Op German Elle Klutz Leo Burnett Mattel Old Navy SC Johnson Suntory Japan Takashimaya Universal Studios Viacom Warner Bros.

Young & Rubicam

TARA LILLY

KATIE VERNON

DANIEL ROODE

KATE MASON

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The World Art Group Surtex booth 217

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HE 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 and their collection of more than 36,000 images spans virtually every category and subject matter.

In addition to collaborating with hundreds of artists from around the world, 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.

They work in every medium, from digital illustration to oil, encaustic, inks, watercolour, acrylic, collage and pencil with the design team producing 100 new images every week.

World Art Group strive to be easy to do business with – their onsite design and sales team provide a flexible and fast service, and offer to research product and design needs, and submit jpegs or PDFs. When necessary, new images can be created in a matter of days to fit any request – all they need is a category, subject area, colour palette, etc.

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 and the company’s licensed images can be seen in stores such as Target, Kohl’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, Homegoods, Cost Plus World Market and many more.

You can visit World Art Group at Surtex or call or email for copies of their new 2016 catalogue and spring licensing brochures, containing over 2,000 new images with the complete collection of more than 36,000 images on their website. www.theworldartgroup.com licensing@theworldartgroup.com +1 804 213 0600

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Bentley Licensing Group Surtex booth 323

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ALIFORNIA-based Bentley Licensing Group are a leading licensing agency specialising in art properties under the direction of President Mary Sher.

“We represent over 80 artists and our image library has a diversity of images covering a wide range of subjects. With such an outstanding selection of art we are able to supply any market demand,” Mary said.

Bentley will be introducing new imagery from their top licensed artists at this year’s licensing shows – Janet Kruskamp, Sung Kim, Irene Suchocki, Robert Dawson, Shari Warren, Guido Borelli and more have created new enticing designs for multiple product categories.

Janet continues her love of nostalgic Americana scenes with a Farm And Feed store and an east coast bait shop. She researches her subject matter and uses only authentic items from the past for her paintings so the detail she achieves in these masterpieces is truly incredible.

Sung’s gazebo gardens in spring, European castles, lakeside veranda views, vintage steam trains, winter evening scenes and golden sunflower fields are all new images recently added to his image library.

Bentley are honoured to reintroduce the romantic visions of Richard Judson Zolan – known as a romantic American Impressionist, his paintings are vivacious, optimistic and colourful.

The technique and beauty of his joyful beach, children playing, ballerinas and garden scenes drenched in coloured light are truly remarkable.

Richard’s art flows through his paintbrushes and palette knife on to his canvasses in bright pastel colours, light blues, pinks, greens, yellows and white that established the effect of light on his subjects and soft edges.

All these artists’ images and more can be viewed on their stand at Surtex or by visiting their website.

www.bentleylicensinggroup.com mary@bentleylicensing.com +1 925 208 1302

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surtex show preview Studio Voltaire Surtex booth 435

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PRING is the busiest time for the artists at Studio Voltaire. New lines, new art to present, trade show season is just around the corner and once again, Studio founder Gwynn Goodner is in constant motion to pull it all together – advertising, booth design, getting the electric installed and yes, all of that new art to catalogue and prepare for clients.

“Not that I’m complaining,” he said, “geing this busy is great. Still a day off would be nice…”

Studio Voltaire are a versatile group of artists who have thousands of original images to suit a wide range of product.

From an Emmy Award-winning production designer, to a gallery artist, former creative director retail display artist and art therapist, these varied creative backgrounds enriches the studio’s portfolio offering.

The range of images is impressive, as is the client list – studio artists have made deals with every major retailer in the United States and there have been millions of products produced with their fine art, photography and graphics on them.

Studio Voltaire have made a name for themselves by offering on-target art and a dedication to high technical standards and customer service has always been at the forefront of their philosophy.

As a former creative director, Gwynn was often

frustrated when receiving artwork from agents or big-name licensors: “Either the scans were so small you could do very little with them, or the restrictions placed on using the work were so limiting that it made it very hard to make a good product.

“So, when I started Studio Voltaire, I wanted to make life easy for the creatives I work with.

Big scans, layered files, print-ready art, flexibility – that’s what I needed as a CD and that’s what I offer our clients. I want to be a reliable resource for product development professionals.”

He added: “I’m thinking about an Alice In Wonderland theme for Surtex this year – Discover A Wonderland or something like that. I always like to have a look for the show. Something distinctive, so this year I’m thinking Alice.”

At Surtex, the company will unveil new work from Farida Zaman, Ted Zorns, Deborah Mori, Adam Guan and Jocelyn Haybittel so, whether there’s a white rabbit or not is yet to be revealed, but customers will be able to discover an array of crowd-pleasing fine art, graphics and designs for their product lines. www.studiovoltaire.com studiovoltaire@aol.com +1 619 825 6570

Surtex booth 307 – Licensing Expo Booth F79

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ew art. Fresh Ideas. Free Chocolate. Surtex is here!

It’s always an exciting time for Wild Apple and they’ve spent months developing new art with their incredible artists and designers to debut at their booth along with fresh ideas for new collections to share with their partners.

It’s no wonder their chocolate consumption goes so high in the spring!

Come by the Wild Apple booth to see what they’ve been working on.

You’ll find amazing hip collections from innovative illustrators, stunning landscapes, florals, cityscapes and more from their group of traditional painters and stunning compositions from inspired photographers.

There are also new lifestyle collections from their Licensologie brand. Pop by to take a rest in Wild Apple’s beach zone and see what Licensologie has been up to since launching in 2015.

As a full-service art licensing agency, Wild Apple develop extraordinary connections with their clients. From helping them pick the best artwork to match their products, exchanging ideas on future product development

ART AND DESIGN LICENSING www.mgllicensing.com Email: info@mgllicensing.com Tel: +44 (0) 208 392 8010 Surtex: Booth 423 Licensing Expo: Booth F88

Gail Fraser

and trends to mocking up and templating products, they believe that collaboration is key to success.

The team believe staying on top of leading and emerging trends for home decor worldwide is one of the best parts of their jobs and that obsession means they are able to continually create fresh, marketable images and patterns ready for products. It also means they can tell you the best blogs, websites and magazines to fuel your creativity – just ask as they like to share.

And make sure to ask to see their inside scoop on the hottest trends for 2016-2017 with matching artwork that will have your products on the must-have lists for every buyer, and you can also check out Wild Apple’s new website and trend blog. www.wildapple.com licensing@wildapple.com +1 802 457 3003

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Wild Apple

Art Marketing

Valentina Harper

Art Poulin

Art Marketing

Sarah Stribbling

Sharon Turner

Russell Cobane

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Brenda Manley Designs Blue Print booth – Surtex booth 235

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RENDA Manley Designs, doing business as My Favorite Designs Agency, are honoured to represent a group of talented designers with roots that span the globe from El Salvador, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ukraine, France and the USA. They create stunning surface patterns for the home décor, apparel and paper good markets.

The artists’ styles range from juvenile, whimsical, sophisticated, traditional, contemporary and everything in between.

At Brenda Manley they sell, license, lease and welcome commissions and their designs can be seen at both Blueprint and Surtex. www.brendamanleydesign.com brenda@brendamanleydesigns.com +1 317 712 3101

Lauren Wan Surtex booth 607

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GRADUATE from the Royal College of Art in London with a Master of Arts degree, Lauren Wan has established a unique identity with her creation of contemporary and sophisticated original artwork for today’s leading international brands, covering fashion, tabletop, home furnishing, stationery and fine art.

Lauren Wan continues her prolific output with exciting new collections to be launched at Surtex 2016 as she draws hr inspiration from her bountiful collection of sketchbooks that spontaneously record her travels and the subject matter she observes, capturing the joys and pleasures of life.

Her brilliant use of colour continues to excel and thrive across diverse product categories and industries with several new products introduced including tabletop, quilting, stationery and home furnishing.

Among the highlights of Lauren’s productive year were when her beautiful artwork recently graced five exquisite Studio Bedding patterns for SIS Covers.

The Blue Azure dinnerware collection for Monique Lhuillier just launched at the NYC Tabletop show and a new collection by PTS America, Bastia Blue, continues to bolster Lauren’s dinnerware portfolio.

For Peter Pauper Press a beautifully sophisticated journal launched with incredible detail that faithfully captivates Lauren’s spontaneity while for Hoffman Fabrics a new quilting collection received great reception based on her delicate florals and a collaboration with Papyrus has created a soon-to-be introduced line of stationery.

Check out the website and Lauren Wan Design on instagram to see and learn more about the designer and her exciting portfolio. www.laurenwan.com info@laurenwan.com +1 201 564 7002

Blue Print booth – Surtex booth 705

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NE of America’s best-known and innovative design collections, London Portfolio’s range is the creative effort of 25 artists worldwide who are designing for stationery and paper products, textiles, home furnishings, giftware and tabletop ceramics industries.

They have an extensive collection of Christmas and everyday designs and all of their artwork is original with copyrights available for licence or sale.

London Portfolio encourage all their customers and potential clients to visit their website frequently because they are always adding new designs, and they also welcome submissions from new artists. www.londonportfolio.com +1 973 763 0004 sales@londonportfolio.com

licensing@wildapple.com | 800 756 8359 (North America) | 802 457 3003 (International) | www.wildapple.com SURTEX Booth #307 | Las Vegas Licensing Expo Booth #F-79

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London Portfolio

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Howard Robinson & Associates Surtex booth 522 – Licensing Expo booth G70

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ICENSING has been busy for Howard Robinson this past winter with so much happening, a two-month period saw 33 new puzzles licensed to various clients worldwide.

“Working with long-term partners is always a pleasure,” Howard said, “but it’s also exciting to welcome new products and partners to the mix.”

He has added new beach towel designs to an expanding range, plus new backpack and lunchboxes, a range of pencil cases in Taiwan, cups, magnets

and bags, placemats and calendars, T-shirts, designer hoodies, cheques, Christmas cards and tree decorations.

He said: “The new Selfie range has proven to be ever so popular and it’s been a pleasure working on these fun images. I have been steadily adding to the list of licensors and working hard painting new images to add to the range.

“Ravensburger with two Selfies and Ceaco three Selfies have both licensed puzzles throughout North America, Ravensburger also licensed in the UK and Thomas Holdsworth will be publishing a set of four for the New Zealand and Australian market.

“Leanin’Tree with greetings cards have also added Christmas editions and mugs. JR Copa have taken Selfies images for beach towels and boards, The Mountain for t-shirts and Art Brands for transfers.

In Europe Puckator will be featuring Selfies cups, magnets and bags and there are many more exciting deals in the pipeline.

“Lenticular 3D is still hot for me and so I’ve also begun adding Selfies to my lenticular range of posters, stationery, puzzles, placemats, cups and Christmas cards with great success.

“I work exclusively with Prime 3D on lenticular products to ensure only the best quality and this is paying dividends with the range expanding at a frightening rate and with new major distributors being added worldwide.” www.howardrobinson.info robinson.h@lineone.net +44 (0)1429 824021

Surtex booth 411

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ARET started licensing in 1989 to LL Bean down the road from her home in Maine, since then she has licensed designs to more than 30 companies and enjoyed every minute of it.

She is a prolific artist working in all kinds of mediums from the Brushes app on the iPad, to poster painting on old file folders and paper bags to delicate watercolours with collage to free-hand painting on fabrics.

Every medium brings its own challenges and rewards, as Maret said: “I like to invent and create. Ideas come to me and I head out to the studio and work. Then I like to partner with companies who can see the promise of a design or style.”

She also likes being thrown an idea or concept: “I pride myself on being extremely easy to work with and always bringing projects in on time. My style is fresh and lively – line work and hand painting are hallmarks. I bring to the table my own ideas and directions and an extensive body of work”.

Maret is introducing new holiday, birthday and flower designs at Surtex as well as a colourful beach theme.

She added: “It was a busy and very fun year working with new and returning clients. Licensing allows me the privilege of being a working artist and that is just plain wonderful.” www.maretsart.com maret@maretsart.com +1 207 714 0334

mary@bentleylicensing.com • www.bentleylicensinggroup.com • 925 208 1302 Visit us at SURTEX • Booth 323

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Maret’s Art

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surtex show preview Pink Light Studio

Surtex booth 317 – Licensing Expo booths G96 & G98

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INK Light Studio are excited to be showing at both Surtex and the Licensing Expo as their artists are busy designing amazing new prints and patterns for all products.

The Pink Light team are looking forward to sharing their new collections soon – here are a few updates about their artists: Joy Ting has recently been working on a number of colouring book designs, including inspirational designs, that are available throughout the US. Arrolynn Weiderhold’s artwork can also be found on colouring books as well as fabric and stationery

products nationwide.

Loni Harris’s artwork is being very well received on paper products such as stationery – her amazing hand-lettering designs can be found in Walmart stores across America, and on home décor rugs in other large retailers.

Heather Davulcu has been designing adorable illustrations for colouring books and wall décor.

Julissa Mora has been designing beautiful handlettered books with unique animals and foliage illustrations. Another Pink Light artist to note is Nina Seven whose artwork can be found on fabric, greetings cards, and gift bags.

The Pink Light team are excited about all of these fun and unique projects as they love helping clients bring their vision and products to life.

Pink Light Studio offer licensing, sales, and custom design projects.

They represent 15 artists worldwide and are always excited to help clients with new projects – they look forward to working with you soon and helping your designs shine. www.pinklightdesign.com marybeth@pinklightdesign.com shelbi@pinklightdesign.com +1 206 200 8324

Surtex booth 547

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EIHOW means a wonderful daily life, an art licensing and design agency under Sun Color Co, one of the top publishers in Taiwan who have been established for more than 25 years.

Their list includes many awardwinning artists with commercial design experience in various ďŹ elds such as home decoration, stationery and gift, greetings cards, textiles, wall art, public advertisements and other products.

Providing a wide variety of styles, Meihow would like to help companies to succeed in sales through their great artworks. www.meiihowlicensing.com beth_c@meiihow.com +886 2 8797 1234

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Meiihow Art Licensing & Design

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surtex show preview V&A Enterprises Surtex booth 509

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S THE world’s leading museum of art and design, the Victoria and Albert Museum aims to enrich people’s lives by promoting the practice of design and increasing knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the designed world.

Their rich and varied collections house more than two million objects and designs and provide an almost infinite source of inspiration.

Over the years V&A Licensing have worked with numerous brands from across a variety of sectors including fashion, jewellery and homeware to name but a few.

Provenance is inherent to V&A products, the museum’s history and the object or design that inspire the product are all carefully considered and documented in the licensing relationship.

The additional appeal to the consumer is that all profits are covenanted to the V&A. Provenance is highlighted through packaging, marketing and the products themselves, and customers are educated about the V&A and its collection even if they never had the opportunity to visit South Kensington.

The V&A logo is present on every licensed product either on the packaging, the product itself or both. www.vandalicensing.com

Representing top artists and illustrators globally for the Stationery and Design Industry

www.brightartlicensing.com hannah@brightartlicensing.com +44 (0) 207 326 9140

Exhibiting at: PG Live Stand #148 Surtex Stand #433

surtex show preview

Lilla Rogers Studio Surtex booth 220

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OANNE Hus is an agent at Lilla Rogers Studio, where they represent 31 artists internationally and have sold art for products worth more than $100million for clients all over the globe.

These clients include American Greetings, Boston Warehouse, Crate & Barrel, Creative Bath, Creative Co-Op, Demdaco, Design House Greetings, Galison/Mudpuppy, Hallmark, The Land Of Nod, Madison Park/iPop, Midwest-CBK, Orange Circle Studio, Papyrus Greetings, Psikhouvanjou, Roger La Borde, Subzero Design, TAG, TeNeues, and many others. Lilla Rogers Here Joanne explains how to commission the perfect art for your project – it’s easy!

Commissioning art is easier than you may think, and most artists are delighted to take on assignments. At tradeshows like Surtex and Printsource, it’s standard practice for manufacturers to purchase existing art, but what if you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for? Consider engaging an artist to create custom work just for you. Here’s how: First, do your research. You probably have some favourite websites, Instagram feeds, Pinterest boards, and trade publications, but consider looking at products in shops, children’s books, galleries, etc.

Next, reach out to the artist or their representative. Discuss what you’re looking for, your timing, the rights you wish to acquire, and the budget you have in mind. Once you come to an agreement be sure to write up the details. This will prevent any misunderstandings as the project develops.

Generally, artists like to have as much art direction as you’re able to provide – share your mood boards, colour palettes, templates, production specifications, etc. Was there a particular piece of the artist’s work that inspired you to contact them? Be sure to let the artist know which.

With this information in hand, the artist will work up some preliminary sketches for your review.

A phone conversation is often the most efficient way to discuss your feedback, but if that’s not possible – maybe you’re on opposite sides of the globe – be sure to mark up the sketches clearly. The artist will then provide a revised sketch incorporating your notes.

Once you sign off on the sketches, the artist will go to final – then, just wait for the awesome in your inbox! www.lillarogers.com joanneh@lillarogers.com +1 781 641 2787

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Painted Planet Surtex booth 322

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AINTED Planet are proud to represent a diverse group of artists from across the globe.

Their most recent addition is wildlife artist Louise De Masi who uses watercolour to capture the love she has for animals and nature. Her naturalistic paintings are full of personality, depicting everything from exquisite florals to delightful birds and farm animals.

The formation of new licensing partnerships has aided the expansion into various product categories.

Tamara Kate recently launched two adult colouring books with Èccolo.

She also designed a beautiful collection of bath coordinates for Creative Bath Products and a line of ceramic tableware for Certified International.

With the launch of their blog and social media campaigns, Painted Planet

are focussing on helping their artists develop and maintain a brand identity by providing insights and strategies for increased licensing success.

A recent website renovation streamlined the process for viewing artwork, making artists’ portfolios downloadable and easier to navigate. You can now find Painted Planet news and artwork on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and ArtLicensingShow.com.

Painted Planet retains a stronghold in the licensing industry, providing quality artwork for over 80 manufacturers. The agency’s strong relationships, along with progressive growth and development ensure a prosperous year to come. www.paintedplanetlicensing.com jan@paintedplanetlicensing.com +1 507 835 8009

Jennifer Nelson Artists Blue Print booth – Surtex booth 211

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Kate Mawdsley Surtex booth 234

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QUARTER of a century on, as a very young designer, Kate Mawdsley exhibited for the first time at Surtex.

“It was my first international show,” Kate said, “and I found it terrifying! I now look forward to it and, although the first day nerves are still there, I’m much more relaxed.

“It’s a delight to catch up with my many US and international customers, have the opportunity to show my new designs, talk through new projects and get feedback on how the previous year’s projects have done.

“This year I have many new collections to show, including Christmas, cute cat and dogs designs and everyday. Please visit me at my booth and help me celebrate 25 years at Surtex. www.katemawdsley.com kate@katemawdsley.com

RT is life. Perhaps not everyone sees it that way, but Jennifer Nelson believes those in the art world have a real passion for it.

She said: “I’ve been involved in the business of art for decades, as a designer, art director, and now as an agent. It’s very fulfilling because I get to deal with art on a daily basis.

“My mission is to get as much art out there as possible. On greetings cards, on bedding, in books and on shower curtains. There isn’t much that can’t be improved by adding art.

“I feel a kinship with artists, and with other agents, too. I don’t see other agencies as competitors. I see them as allies in our joint mission to bring more art into people’s lives.

“I have six wonderful artists in my agency, namely Bee Brown, Jennifer Orkin-Lewis (August Wren), Lauren Lowen, Anisa Makhoul, Jill McDonald and Jessica Swift. I love their work – obviously – and it’s a joy when I see something new that they have created..” www.jennifer-nelson-artists.com jennifer@jennifer-nelson-artists.com +1 781 643 2002

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Debra Valencia Surtex booth 207 – Licensing Expo booth E154

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ISIONARY artist, designer, author, educator and entrepreneur Debra Valencia has a passion for world travel, artisan traditions and popular genres, and has branded a California style uniquely her own.

Represented by The Brand Liaison, her colourful chic designs are found in the licensed lifestyle market, appealing to women who love style, fashion and femininity, bringing color, style and beauty to everyday life.

She takes a fresh approach to creatively blending floral, paisley and geometric patterns with typography, icons and decorative motifs in an artistic imaginative way.

The Debra Valencia lifestyle brand features signature designs for gift, stationery, textiles, home décor, fashion accessories and beauty products. Recent product launches include expansion into cosmetics, eyewear, comforter/sham sets, calendars/planners, back-to-school stationery, and over the counter fabric collections segmented for both independent and mass market channels.

Debra’s expertise in design, product development, production processes, as well as a keen eye for fashion trends, makes her a key resource in providing strategic direction for product line development to manufacturers and retailers, and strong licensing partner.

In 2015, Debra authored several books including Sewing Pretty Bags, a how-to-sew book for the DIY consumer, and four colouring books for adults, selling internationally – and she appeared on the TV news as a guest expert on the coloring book phenomenon. www.debravalencia.com dv@debravalencia.com +1 310 266 1577

ADAM Grimm and Guy Combes are the latest two artists to have signed up with the Ansada Group, who also have a new website to shout about.

The youngest Federal Duck Stamp winner in history, Adam took the wildlife art world by storm when he earned the prize at just 21 years old in 1999.

He has since won numerous competitions, including another Federal Duck Stamp in 2013, and is one of the artists featured in the 2016 documentary The Million Dollar Duck, recently picked up by LionsGate and Animal Planet. Adam’s work is highly detailed and being a wildlife artist isn’t just something he does – it’s his life. And living the rural life gives him access to plenty of inspiration and material for new work.

With Guy, his love for Africa and the wildlife is clear in his artwork which very accurately and beautifully brings the viewer into the environment and atmosphere of the continent.

He regularly revisits his homeland of Kenya where he leads expeditions for artists and conservation biology students, as well at lecturing at zoos and universities and setting up research programs that support conservation efforts.

Guy works hard to bring awareness to international audiences regarding the preservation of the rich mosaic of biodiversity in the Great Rift Valley through a number of conservation causes including the Soysambu Conservancy, and by developing his own field knowledge on the ground in Kenya in order to educate himself about the world.

The new Ansada website is now live –larger images, better searchability and a new improved wish list feature are just a few of the exciting things waiting to be found there. www.ansadagroup.com angela@ansadagroup.com +1 941 758 0924

agency spotlights

The Ansada Group

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agency spotlights 42

Isobel Bush ell

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Vicki Thomas Associates COMMISIONING illustration is getting more personal. Print technology is changing and allows the printing of one-offs and adapt drawings to suit individuals.

Isobel Bushell and Clinton Banbury at Vicki Thomas Associates are being commissioned for print-on-demand websites and are creating collections of images to appeal to niche markets.

Crafters like to make, but do not always have the drawing and design skills needed, so VTA are working on designs for colouring books, cake decorators’ stencils, card makers’ stamps and fabric patterns for quilters. By working with these themselves, those at home add that very personal touch to create something special for a loved one. www.vickithomasassociates.com vickithomasassociates@yahoo.co.uk +44 (0)20 7511 5767

Inspire Art Licensing Blue Print booth AT INSPIRE they are very proud to say that this year they have joined the newly-founded Blue Print New York show and, owing to its success, will be attending from May 12-16 and also the subsequent show from August 8-10.

As a studio they have retained an interactive approach, not only how they create among the number of designers based in their Nottingham studio, but also in the way that they work with their clients.

With regular visits, on-going communication and working to brief, they strive to keep abreast of current and future trends.

At the core of their ethos is great design and lasting partnerships with both designers and clients so they would like you to visit their booth at either of the Blueprint shows or let them put you in the diary for their next US trip. www.inspireartlicensing.com info@inspireartlicensing.com +44 (0)115 970 4880

New & Improved Website!

LARGE R IMAGES NEW WISH LISTS

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Interlitho Licensing BASED in Germany, Interlitho Licensing are an art licensing agency established since 1955 selling to customers worldwide.

They have a library containing more than 75.000 images – a number that grows with the constant additions made by their freelance designers and suppliers. Interlitho hold a constantly expanding portfolio that’s easily available to see and select from on the categorised website where you can search by keywords, artists and numbers.

Customers can create a lightbox and save their selection, they can download it and share it with others or with Interlitho themselves for availability checking.

The globally licensed painted designs cover all styles and mediums for products including greetings cards, stationery, craft, puzzles, calendars, giftware and tableware and they have the whole range of traditional, contemporary, cute, whimsical, seasonal and everyday in American and European styles, plus a large collection of photographic images which is constantly expanding.

The designs from Interlitho are developed in cooperation with customers to suit their specific demands and needs. New designs and photographic images are immediately available as high resolution data so permit fast and inexpensive adaptation to your particular products, sizes and specific products requirements.

The designs and images are created by designers and artists worldwide, they work together with Interlitho from the concept to the sketch, over the colour composition up to the finished commercial work. Thus, a continuous flow of eye-catching modern, advanced and traditional designs is assured.

While not exhibiting at the trade shows, Interlitho founders Anke and Andreas Klein will be attending Blue Print, Surtex, Las Vegas Licensing Expo, Altanta Gift Show and Paperworld in Frankfurt, Germany. www.interlitho.com designs@interlitho.com +49 221 940 5830

THE BRAINCHILD of designers Sarah and Gabriel Lalibertie, the husband and wife team started their dream studio Preetygrafik Design a little over three years ago after leaving the family business and becoming one of the top-selling artists on Etsy in the digital scrapbooking market.

With a background in photography, product design and business development, they have more than 15 years of experience in the giftware, stationery and graphic design industry.

Their art comes from their inner child, with a fun and bright style, where creativity meets innocence. They specialise in complete collections and artwork toolboxes, including icons, characters, surface design and product design for a whole cohesive look.

Sarah and Gabriel’s imaginative and playful style has secured multiple contracts with various manufacturers and retailers, notably the giftware giant CBK Midwest.

With a passionate and creative approach, they pride themselves on designing original hand-drawn and digital layered art in close partnership with their clients.

From licensing to commission work and outright sales, you can find everything you need at Prettygrafik and they look forward to working on your next project. www.prettygrafik.com info@prettygrafik.com + 1 514 816 8318

artist spotlight

Prettygrafik Design

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artist spotlight Kathleen Francour Art & Licensing

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IT WAS A busy year in 2015 for Kathleen Francour as she decided it was time to let some things go and took time off from her art to travel which led to the momentous decision to stop being an agent and concentrate mainly on her own work.

“First there was a 10-day road trip with granddaughters Annabelle and Sabrina,” Kathleen said, “we went to the four corner states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. From Sedona to the Grand Canyon, then on to Santa Fe, New Mexico and Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado – home of some of the best preserved ancestral Puebloan archeological sites in the US. “The trip inspired my new Far And Away fabric collection for Timeless Treasures.

“In October I visited Kenya, Africa, with Outreach To The World (OWI), a relief organisation for which I volunteered my photographic services.

“I worked side by side with OWI staff and videographer Harvey Kertland to document the trip and the good works of the organisation. I will help to compile a coffee table book in tandem with Harvey’s film to be used as a fund-raiser for OWI and the 100 orphans they sponsor in Kenya.

“Going forward, I have decided to concentrate on my own artwork and other passions of a personal nature – as of March 2016 I will no longer be representing other artists, with the exception of Wendy Csoka.

“Wendy is a fine artist without the computer skills to proceed on her own in licensing. I do all of the repeats, rendering and digital files for her and I’m passionate about Wendy’s art. At least for the foreseeable future I will continue to offer Wendy’s beautiful artwork with my own.

“I am excited to announce that Jessica Mundo, my beautiful and talented daughter-in-law has signed with TBS & Co Smart Licensing. (www.tsbandco. com) Please contact Karen Hacker (karen@TSBandCo.com) to inquire about Jessica’s art and design. You may also visit Jessica’s website at www. jmundodesigns.com” www.kfrancour.com kathleen@kfrancour.com +1 949 497 0152

artist spotlight

Two If By Sea Studios

Joan Beiriger ARTIST Joan Beiriger is continuing her success in licensing art for decorative flags by kicking off 2016 with the introduction of her art on flags and doormats by three flag manufactures.

Joan is known mainly for her vibrantly coloured realistic art style that has been licensed by eight decorative flag manufacturers and for numerous stationery, gift and home décor products such as greetings cards, gift bags and wraps, glass sun catchers, and wall décor.

Introduced later will be products using her designs for fabric, paper partyware, greetings cards and gift bags.

Spending of non-essential products and art on products sought by consumers is constantly changing, thus Joan keeps alert to what is trending so she has a better opportunity in licensing her work.

To fulfill the art needs of manufacturers with the latest trend changes, Joan has expanded her art style to include whimsical, stylised and distressed-looking images.

Each of these styles as well as Joan’s predominant realistic style is used to create art for a variety of products require by a wide range of manufacturers. www.joanbeiriger.com joan@joanbeiriger.com +1 925 443 5769

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FROM her sketches of lively gouache patterns and inky meditations to her #100daysofTinyStitches project involving embroidery stitches, Brittany Zeller-Holland gained a tremendous following of inspiration-seekers through her posts and projects in 2015, which was an exploratory year for her.

Brittany, the self-proclaimed Pattern Practitioner behind Two If

By Sea Studios, has a penchant for watercolour, gouache and hand lettering, as reflected in her patterns, which she has designed for clients all over the world, including Rock Your Baby, Chasing Paper, VIDA Voices and Minted.

Her creations have been featured in Country Living Magazine, Buzzfeed, the Design*Sponge Instagram feed and on the Rachael Ray Show.

Her mantra for 2016 is: “An innate desire to design beautiful things.” This refrain, paired with her focus on creating from an authentic place, has allowed Brittany to connect with other creative individuals and entrepreneurs both in her community and worldwide.

With three new collections scheduled to debut on May 9 and several collaborations in the works, 2016 will be an exciting year for Two If By Sea Studios. www.twoifbyseastudios.com brittany@twoifbyseastudios.com +1 616 822 2920

artist spotlight

Art Licensing Show ARTISTS, agents and licensee companies all over the world are celebrating the one-year anniversary of ArtLicensingShow.com (ALSC).

This vibrant community, founded by artist, designer, and innovator Cherish Flieder in 2015, is a social media website dedicated to the art licensing industry, a private portfolio viewing portal, and a searchable membership directory.

Cherish said: “It’s our goal is to create a centralised environment online for licensors and licensees to privately connect over art licensing collections and directly sign deals with one another without any thirdparty involvement.”

Savvy manufacturers, art directors, and product developers are logging into their free accounts on a regular basis to discover new art from both seasoned art licensing professionals and emerging artists.

With a single password they can gain access to literally hundreds of private portfolios that are shared specifically with them – close to 25,000 images available for licensing are now hosted on the ALSC platform and the art ranges from Christmas to coastal, floral to animals, characters to surface patterns, and much more!

All members of the global art licensing community are invited to create a complimentary business listing while artists and agents who are interested in sharing their portfolios through the site may apply to upgrade for an annual membership subscription. www.artlicensingshow.com www.redcarpet.artlicensingshow.com/join redcarpet@artlicensingshow.com

Rose Mary Berlin

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ROSE Mary Berlin is excited to introduce new images this year that are a departure from her usual subject matter, they reflect her love of the yearly seasons where she lives in the northeast US. One grouping features hot air balloons drifting against vistas of mountains, farmland and fields, while nother collection is a nod to her love of all things vintage – mason jars with simple floral arrangements, including wild flowers.

Rose Mary felt that it was time for her to create florals to add to her portfolio. “I love the variety and infinite combinations of colour,” she said, “plus, florals are so popular in licensing, it seemed like an important element to have in my collections.”

But don’t think she’s abandoning her Santa art – this year Vermont Christmas Company licensed No Barking, a heartwarming scene of Santa hushing a puppy when he arrives to deliver the family presents. It will be on advent calendars and puzzles, continuing a best-selling series.

Rose Mary is working on more new paintings for the Christmas theme, and promises they will satisfy the child in all of us.

Dogs are always a favourite as well. Rose Mary is developing a calendar featuring her own Westie and Scottish terrier getting into mischief and fun. She believes the duo will find plenty of fans, not only dog owners, but anyone who enjoys sweetness with a sense of humour.

Rose welcomed a new licensee in Toland Home & Garden who have licensed four designs for flags, and currently can be found on Amazon.

She would also like everyone to know that she is a member of the Art Licensing Show website which just celebrated its first birthday.

“It’s growing every day,” Rose Mary added, “and has been key in finding and connecting to art buyers, as they discover hundreds of artists in one place. As soon as I finish a new piece, I post it there – simple and quick!” www.rosemaryberlin.com www.artlicensingshow.com rose@berlinprod.com +1 914 962 0526

Professional Design with Authentic Creativity W W W. T W O I F B Y S E A S T U D I O S . C O M | B R I T TA N Y @ T W O I F B Y S E A S T U D I O S . C O M

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Bridgeman Images

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Now representing more than 1,000 artists for copyright licensing There has been much emphasis in the last couple of years on growing a portfolio of illustration, printmaking and graphic artwork.

Bridgeman Studio offer clients the best resource for emerging contemporary artists.

All content is thematically curated and available for full image licensing and creative commissions. Tropical imagery has been created in the run up to the Rio Olympics and there has been a focus on bringing in new seasonal imagery.

Another strength is a growing collection of 20th century copyrighted artists, featuring well-known names such as Mary Fedden (1915-2012) and most recently Dame Elizabeth Blackadder (b.1931).

Working with heritage brands to mark defining moments in history The 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London is commemorated by the Royal Mint licensing a woodcut from the Bridgeman archive for their £2 collectable coin. Send us a brief and we will help you find images to create distinctive, commercially successful products. www.bridgemanimages.com uksales@bridgemanimages.com Studio +44 (0)20 7727 4065 Myrna Suarez / Bridgeman

Image Source Art Licensing Blue Print booth

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BASED near London, Image Source Art Licensing have been established for 20 years with an impressive stock library of more than 40,000 images covering a wide range of Christmas and Everyday categories.

They represent around 85 talented artists and illustrators, many of whom are happy to undertake bespoke commissions.

Image Source’s experienced licensing team provide a tailored service to customers, ranging from 1000s of stock designs at low cost to bespoke consultancy for range development. They are renowned for their outstanding traditional Christmas imagery and their artists have created wonderful new artworks, covering all the main commercial categories, including Santas, Christmas characters, winter landscapes and religious scenes and many more.

They exhibit at major trade shows throughout the year, including Brand Licensing, Paperworld and Spring Fair, and will be at Blue Print in New York from May 12-16 where they will launch new and exciting design concepts with their most talented designers, including illustration and complementary pattern that follow the latest design influences and colour trends. www.image-source.co.uk anne@image-source.co.uk +44 (0) 1442 834464

Lucy Banaji / Bridgeman Studio

BRIDGEMAN Images are one of the leading resources in art licensing, trusted by thousands of collections and artists from all over the world to licence artworks on their behalf.

The continual uploading of new images makes www.bridgemanimages.com a consistently-fresh archive to explore – from museum masterpieces to vintage ephermera, heritage photography and accessible contemporary art.

Cactus Love, 2015 (digital) by

image libraries

Royal Mint commemorative coin. The Great Fire of London 1666 (woodcut) English School, (17th century) / © Museum of London, UK / Bridgeman Images

Mary Evans Picture Library MARY Evans are delighted to be now representing the National Museums Northern Ireland’s superlative collection of fine art paintings, watercolours, photographs and prints, containing works of international importance and historical significance.

The first batch of images from this wide-ranging collection highlights a variety of artistic styles and periods found in the fine art collection of the Ulster Museum. Included are works by Sir John Lavery, William Conor and Jon Luke, representing a strong core of material by Irish artists. In addition, there are paintings by portraitists Gainsborough and Reynolds, Italian master, Pompeo Batoni; Dante Gabriel Rossetti, costume designer Charles Ricketts and naïve painter Alfred Wallis among many others.

To search the entire National Museums Northern Ireland collection, visit the Mary Evans website and type in %NMI to search. www.maryevans.com pictures@maryevans.com +44 (0)20 8318 0034 or +1 866 437 9381

MARY EVANS PICTURE LIBRARY vintage inspiration from every era

F www.maryevans.com pictures@maryevans.com 020 8318 0034

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last word

All about relationships Bright Art Licensing’s Hannah Curtis gives an industry insight into the artist-agent relationship, explaining the importance of investing in artists as an art licensing agent, and how a nurturing, sympathetic approach can lead to a successful working dynamic.

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Claudine Rose

have had the pleasure of working with many different artists during the course of my art licensing career to date, and all have brought their own individual approach and creative flair the artist-agent relationship.

Artists grow and develop as their careers evolve – something that the process of working with multiple clients, across multiple product fields, is really instrumental in – and it’s important that we, as agents, respond sensitively and appropriately to their changing needs and work focus to really help them make the most of their artistic (and licensing) potential.

The relationship between artist and agent is a delicate and important one, but has the potential to be incredibly rewarding for both. It relies on great communication and responsiveness to bring that potential to life – and, as the saying goes, produce a sum (beautiful artwork) that is often much greater than the two parts!

I have been privileged enough to learn from some highly experienced and wellrespected art licensing professionals during my own career, and love working with both our established and new creative talent to build styles and design selections that are really tailored to the needs of the industry.

I’ve always found discovering and

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exploring new trends – often through some of the industry publications such as Art Buyer, and the trade shows, of course – hugely exciting, and try to communicate that enthusiasm to, and through, the artists I work with.

When there is passion and excitement behind a design, it really shines through, and the objective is, of course, to maintain a sustained enthusiasm and inventiveness, with some well-informed art direction, that will allow artists to broaden both their commercial and creative reach – and keep clients hooked to discover more new designs.

At the end of last year, we opened the Bright Emporium in London as a fun and creative combined retail outlet, gallery and event space, designed to celebrate our artists’ work and really raise their profile by bringing the online portfolios to life in a public environment.

It has been wonderful to welcome local families and art enthusiasts into the gallery. The response has been fantastic, and is a great step forward in promoting a richlydeserved respect and value for our artists and their work.

If you’re ever in town, we’d love to see you there!

Julianna Swaney

www.brightartlicensing.com hannah@brightartlicensing.com +44 (0) 20 7326 9140 Lindsey S

agar

THE PREMIERE EVENT

FOR SOURCING ORIGINAL ART & DESIGN Thousands of manufacturers and retailers come to SURTEX to scout and source designs, patterns, prints and art they can use on their products. Original art from over 1,000 artists will be on display for you to shop and source. This is where it all starts. Spot trends, learn about the latest colors, styles and more.

REGISTER TODAY AT SURTEX.COM

BOOKS STATIONERY GIFTS BED & BATH TEXTILES APPAREL HOUSEWARES HOME GOODS BEAUTY TOYS

MAY 15 - 17, 2016 | JACOB JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER | NYC WWW.SURTEX.COM

INTERNATIONAL ART & DESIGN LICENSING SURTEX BOOTH 423 U LICENSING EXPO BOOTH F88

INFO@MGLLICENSING.COM U +44 (0) 208 392 8010 U WWW.MGLLICENSING.COM