July 9th, 2010
The theme for Illustration Friday this week is Diary. I have kept a diary for many years. Here I post an entry from my diary that has to do with dairy.
Last June 20th was one of those sunny and breeze perfect-weather days when I felt like ignoring my lactose intolerance and having a scoop of my favorite ice cream: Rum-raising.
I like the wafer cone as much as the ice cream itself. When an ice cream parlor doesn’t offer rum-raising, which is most of the time, I order a cone by itself. I am just as happy to nibble slowly on the crunchy wafer.
That day, my husband and I sat under an umbrella to enjoy the treat. He was having mint chocolate-chip, which to me tastes like toothpaste with chocolate (I did not tell him, not to ruin his joy). I then noticed the different flavors my neighbors were having: vanilla, chocolate, mango, strawberry…
I wondered what makes us favor one flavor over another.
What ice cream flavor do you favor?
Tags: ice cream, journal
Posted in art licensing, illustration, illustration Friday, journal, personal | 3 Comments »
July 2nd, 2010
There are days when we just feel a giant joy!
This week’s theme for Illustration Friday is “Giant”
Posted by Leyla Torres
Posted in art licensing, illustration, illustration Friday | 5 Comments »
June 19th, 2010
Columbines are wild flowers whose name is derived from the Latin word columba, which means dove. It is believed that this name came about because the columbine petals resemble five doves nestled close together.
I love these flowers and have been working on a Columbine flower collection. I liked the idea of using the columbine motif together with paisley patterns.
Paisley is the inspiring theme from this week’s Illustration Friday
Posted by Leyla Torres
Tags: Paisley
Posted in art licensing, flowers, repeat patterns, watercolor | 8 Comments »
June 12th, 2010
Some are still untouched!
This is my contribution to Illustration Friday this week. The theme is Ripple, suggested by Kelly Light. The subject pertains to the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In an effort to help, Kelly has asked artists to contribute card-sized art work which she is featuring in her blog. People who want to donate $10 to help the animal victims of the Deep Water Horizon Gulf Oil Spill will receive a card with original art work from one of the participating artists. Hundred percent of the donations will benefit The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies and The International Bird Rescue Research Center.
This is your chance to contribute to a good cause and to get original art work for very little money!
For more information visit Kelly’s blog.
- “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple ” Martin Luther King.
Posted by Leyla Torres.
Tags: illustration Friday, oil spill
Posted in art licensing, artists, illustration, illustration Friday, origami, watercolor | 13 Comments »
June 10th, 2010
This is my entry for this week’s Illustration Friday, a weekly themed art exhibit for illustrators and artists of all skill levels. The theme this week is Trail.
As I set to paint my red lizard, it occurred to me how our path in life can be cyclical. Stories repeat themselves. If we are leaving a trail, it has the shape of a circle.
Posted by Leyla Torres
Tags: illustration Friday
Posted in art licensing, illustration Friday | 7 Comments »
June 4th, 2010
Tropical colors have been a great source of inspiration for me. This photo was taken in the small town of Fómeque, Colombia (30 miles east of Bogotá). I have always loved the bold color choice in the clothing of women who live in small, warm Colombian towns. In the context of their colorful surroundings, these ladies are candy for our eyes.
Here is a watercolor study of the combination of pink and turquoise, yellow-orange, dark green, accented by navy blue, and gray.
Posted in art licensing, color, inspiration, watercolor | 3 Comments »
May 26th, 2010
Last week I traveled to New York City to attend the Surtex show at the Javit’s center. Surtex is a trade show for the licensing of art and design to various industries including: fabrics, textiles, wall coverings, stationery, greeting cards, gift wrap, paper products, tabletop, giftware, house wares, toys, and packaging. I had walked this show in the past, but this year I did so with a renewed sense of direction and clarity of purpose.
Some highlights of my visit to Surtex 2010 and to NYC:
- Connecting personally with artists and others in the industry that I had previously met online was great.
- The presentation on emerging trends by Dutch expert Milou Ket was comprehensive and informative.
- Kate McRostie, Beth Logan, Dena Fishbein shared their experiences as successful licensing artists. I appreciated the ample time allowed for asking questions.
- I had the opportunity to visit the National Stationary Show, adjacent to Surtex.
- And I also visited MOMA, enjoying in particular the exhibition by South African artist William Kentridge.
In all, the experience at SURTEX was rewarding and worthwhile. The exhibitors generally seemed upbeat and optimistic about this year’s show. Now I’m back in my studio inspired and ready to move onwards with my own art licensing goals.
Links to other commentaries on Surtex 2010:
Kate McRostie, Beth Logan, Dena Fishbein
Posted by Leyla Torres
Posted in art licensing, artists, trade shows | 4 Comments »
May 12th, 2010
Today I received a package with my newly re-designed business cards, printed by Next Day Flyers.
The cards are printed in color, both on the front and back. The reproduction of my watercolor images is very sharp and accurate. The card stock is a comfortable thickness, and I love the smell of fresh ink!
Good job!
Posted by Leyla Torres
Posted in art licensing, color, illustration, portfolio, watercolor | No Comments »
April 21st, 2010
What does it take to put together a solid portfolio for licensing art?
It takes time, effort, focus, patience, determination and understanding of how your images can be used to enhance products.
Here I feature some images I uploaded recently to the art licensing portfolio preview area of my website. In some ways I wish my own process would go faster, but I’m adding images and sharpening my portfolio steadily and consistently. I’m immersed in this project, and it’s rewarding to know that I am taking action and moving forward in this area of my life.
For the moment, I continue to practice taking it one day, one hour, at a time. I enjoy getting to know other great artists and helpful people involved in the business of keeping up the creative spirit. I am grateful to have them around. Here is a special mention to two of those people:
- John Sutton, the best webmaster (and husband) I could have ever found!
- Kate Harper whose blog is a gold mine of great information for those of us pursuing this field.
Posted by Leyla Torres
Posted in art licensing, artists, inspiration, people, portfolio | No Comments »
April 13th, 2010
A week ago –and on the very day the iPad was released, I bought an iPod Touch. I know I’m a little behind most in adopting this handheld technology, but better late than never.
Since I’m anticipating some frequent out of town trips over the next few months, I bought the ipod Touch to access the Internet and my email. The connection is free in readily available public Wi-Fi zones so I’m not locked-in to a two year contract and monthly fee of most smartphones. It’s not a perfect arrangement, but it works for me.
Once I became familiar with the features of the iPod Touch, I realized –with not a little excitement, that an unanticipated use was as a business-card-size pocket portfolio with which I could show my art licensing work.
After uploading my images, I was pleased to see they were crisp and the colors vivid. The only draw back is that the pinch zoom functionality is not adequate and images lose resolution and detail when enlarged. But other than that, the iPod Touch will suit my needs in showing a potential client samples of my work. Another nice little plus is that I can deduct this purchase as a business expense!
Here is a link to a video on how to use the iPod as a handy portfolio, created by Natasha Wescoat.
posted by Leyla Torres
Posted in art licensing, portfolio, technology | 1 Comment »
