Great Article about Sandra Boynton

This article is inspirational and has good tips. Check it out.

Interview with Greeting Card Cartoonist Eric Decetis

For a Laugh

Need a break? Need a Laugh?
I added a new "spoof" greeting card in my card gallery ("You Lie!)

25 Tweets about Art, Business & Social Media

Barney Davey was nice enough to give me permission to reprint this resourceful list he put together. It made me feel like I just stumbled upon a great yard sale with all kinds of neat things!

1. "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up for work" - Chuck Close http://ow.ly/l0bt
2. Thieves snatch Wyland art worth $700,000 from gallery ~ Didn't realize anything he made carried that value http://ow.ly/ozFb
3. Artists - Read & heed ~ Sexy Isn’t Easy: Being a Career Artist http://ow.ly/ozSI
4. Art as business as art http://ow.ly/ozJ9
5. Social Networks & Blogs 4th Most Popular Online Activity. Facebook is ahead of personal email! http://ow.ly/od1Z
6. Selling Art on the Internet: 3 Things You MUST Have to Sell Art on the Web http://ow.ly/nZOS
7. How to market yourself as a speaker http://ow.ly/o61U
8. Jasper Johns: Gray at the METROPOLITAN MUSEUM From - http://ow.ly/o5YN
9. RT @NancyMcCarter: Why we need art education in school: http://bit.ly/8FXHO
10. 10 SEO Tips For Maximizing Facebook Visibility http://ow.ly/neM7
11. Want to rank high in searches? 10 things NOT to do http://ow.ly/mtHD
12. TEN MYTHS ABOUT ARTISTS #4: Artists Are Not Business People http://ow.ly/moiD
13. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Artists ~ @makingamark2 hits the mark http://ow.ly/lBuC
14. Joan Beiriger's free videos on art licensing http://ow.ly/lvRx
15. 'Ringling Will Be the Preeminent Art and Design College Worldwide...hmmm, quite a boast with some validity. http://ow.ly/lyS2
16. The Best Online Art Galleries, Auctions, and Stores of 2009 from escapeintolife.com http://ow.ly/lvJu
17. ARTISTIC LICENSE: How to be a more prolific artist ~ some practical advice here http://ow.ly/lvGT
18. Surviving and Thriving as an Artist ~ wrap your head around this thinking. He's onto something. http://ow.ly/lrGq
19. Printmaking grows in popularity as artwork Style thrives in economic times http://ow.ly/lrea
20. You already knew Santa Fe was one of the best art towns. Here's another reason to love it. http://bit.ly/QIEya
21. Good stuff @clintavo 12 Steps to Get Your Artwork Noticed by Galleries http://ow.ly/lkh5
22. Creative Art Marketing Idea - Bookmarks ~ this is a nifty idea! http://ow.ly/l0bB
23. Does an Artist Really Need An Agent? http://ow.ly/l09l
24. WorkBar Opens as Boston's Newest Contemporary Art Gallery ~ I like this idea for mobile workers and artists! http://ow.ly/lrnh
25. EBSQ Spotlight on Hand-pulled Traditional Printmaking: Paul Helm http://ow.ly/kSiW

Graphic Design Book Includes Product Design

BOOK REVIEW
Graphic Design for Non-Designers is a new book by Tony Seddon and Jane Waterhouse released by Chronicle Books, that describe professional skills for a novice designer.

What I like about this book is that it doesn't fill the pages with endless lists of products you could purchase for graphic design.

For example, there are thousands of materials and different kinds of equipment available to purchase, but this books narrows things down to a few items, and it speaks to the reader in first person, as if you were listening to a friend offering advice.

I was quite humored that on the mere 2 page section that covers what kind of computer to buy, the first paragraph basically said: "get a mac." That's something you don't see too often. Books have a tendency to be timid about voicing strong opinions about products, and often make apologies for why they didn't choose the other companies.

Besides the first chapter on materials, the other 5 chapters include topics on Spacing, grouping, rules, borders, images, choosing a color and font, along with image preparation, and resources. About half the book consists of images, so it's easy to digest the main bullet points.

A great chapter called "The projects" goes through 20 projects; explaining step by step how to do everything from designing banners to promotional brochures to menus. The photographs are colorful, vibrant and display actual products and the steps you should go through to accomplish the task. It is clear what you are aiming for.

Being in the art licensing field, I was particularly impressed that the book even included a section on how to build a pattern for giftwrap. Product design is something I've rarely seen in a design book. Most books have a tendency to ignore surface design and often rely on advertising and text design as their primary subject matter.

I sometimes wish graphic design courses would grab a book like this, and just have students use it on the spot, instead of dragging students through semester of color theory. While both are eventually essential, this book really gives you the nuts and bolts to get started, so you can produce something fast, and feel confident you have done your homework.

How to write for greeting cards-Resources

Recommended Links:

How to write greeting card verse

How to become a greeting card writer

How to write greeting cards from home

How to become an electronic greeting card writer

Interview with Card Artist Valéry Goulet

I ran across Canadian Illustrator Valéry Goulet's designs on the web, and loved her playful, lively images of animals, creatures and designs. I contacted her for an interview and she was nice enough to share her experience in design and illustration.

FAVORITES

Podcast: Le petit monde scientifique du Doc Boucher (medical)
Artist: Charley Harper
Company you like working with: McrobbieOptamedia
Company you wish you could work with: Swatch, Canada Post, Umbra, Taschen, Starbucks, Hasbro, En Route Magazine, IKEA, The New Yorker, Harper Collins... and many many more.
Contact Information: www.valerydesignwrks.ca • Products • Etsy Store


You designs seem very playful, what is the message you try to communicate?
It really depends on the the project and the client. I think I have the capability of being able to adapt myself to any person or situation but I think the style came naturally...and communicates who I am.


How did you get to where you are today with your greeting cards?
As far back as I can remember, I had interest in illustration. I remember sitting with my mom at the table trying to copy her drawings. I wondered why I was not able to do great drawings like her. She kept telling me that it would happen by itself. I tried so hard to control my hand but she was right. It happens while we are not paying attention.

My interest in drawing professionally came while I was doing my bachelors degree. I took the "Introduction to Illustration" and had no idea that I might have potential for this. I looked at other people's work and I remember being really impressed with their drawings, thinking that I would never be able to do it myself. I still see myself at the beginning of the path.

From there, my illustration teacher, Claude A. Simard, made me realize that my work had potential. I was happy to make him smile with my work and having my illustrations hung up on the wall of THE corridor (the only one in the department which everybody had to walk by). After this course, I took a second one and I realized the way to improve myself was to be on my own and set objectives like when I was a little girl.

In your art life, what inspires you when coming up with new ideas?
My life. Everything that I see, I feel, I experience. When something intense happens to me, it will be certainly reflected in my illustrations. When I had surgery, I remember drawing characters with a scar at the same place than I had mine. My birds with teeth come from my little parrot as even if he doesn't have teeth, believe me when he is upset I can almost feel some.

What was the best experience you've had when trying to market/selling your designs?
Each new opportunity is the best for me but my 2009 calendar was certainly a little dream I realized. I always wanted to create a piece containing a wide selection of papers.

What was the worst experience you've had when trying to market/selling your designs?
When I started, I underestimated my capabilities, so my rate was really low . It was a bad way to start, but time makes you learn things...something called wisdom?

What's a tip you can offer other artists?
They have to believe in what they are doing and just think that everything is possible. You just have to aim things you want to achieve.

If money were no object, what is the next step you'd take to live your artistic dreams?
I would probably have my own office and work with other illustrators, designers, makeup artists, architects and come up with crazy lines of products. Also, I think I would travel more while working as traveling is so fun and inspiring.