Lauren Lowen's 3 Tips For Better Social Media

Every once in a while, I like to write about a topic I covered with my college students. One of the most relevant subjects for today’s world is social media and how to use it effectively. We discuss this for quite a bit in the classroom, but here are some quick tips for you to enjoy.

1)   Remember that Likes and Followers don’t always translate to dollar signs. This is one of the most important things to understand when it comes to social media. You start a Facebook fan page or Instagram account and suddenly have tons of followers! So why aren’t the contracts and big deals rolling in? Well, that’s because you have to realize that social media isn’t so much about obtaining followers and higher numbers. The point is to nurture contacts and network, in order to create opportunities. So even though you have a thousand people in your audience, if you aren’t taking that next step to really make something out of it, than it doesn’t matter. People are watching, so now what? Do you want to create a dialogue? Put on a group show? Offer to do some special commissions for the first lucky three people who take up the offer? Followers on social media are like tools: you can build something with them, but just letting them sit in the garage isn’t going to result in anything.

The numbers don't count - the relationships do, so socialize with your followers. 

2)   Your personal pages can be just as important as your “fan page” on Facebook. Imagine that you go to a cocktail party held by a colleague. Lots of people from your industry are there. You spot one important someone and introduce yourself. Great! Good for you. Then you stroll over to the buffet table to get something to nibble on. While there, you start talking to some friends and maybe say a couple of things that could be controversial or maybe even just downright unprofessional (because that important so-and-so is way across the room, so it doesn’t matter, right?). However, other people go to the buffet table to get some food. You don’t even know who they are at the moment, but maybe they had a good lead or connection for you. Well, guess what? Those people left the table with some sort of impression of you that may (even on just a subconscious level) determine if they want to recommend you or work with you in the future.

Lauren's tiger is not one bit shy about Social Media!

The point is, even with your “professional” or business page on Facebook and such, you can’t ignore the power of interactions that you do every day on your personal accounts. The Internet makes people way too comfortable when it comes to megaphoning every thought and opinion we may have, and whether you like it or not, your personal presence online does affect you professionally. Whether you are in a social online group with others in your industry or taking a continuing education class at your local college, handle yourself in a professional way that makes others remember you in a positive light. For myself, people that have started connecting with me online for personal reasons have flourished into some great professional contacts.

3)   Don’t let Social Media be your only Marketing tool. Social media is like the mayonnaise on your marketing sandwich: it really makes it all come together, but it can’t be the only ingredient. Make sure you aren’t ignoring the rest of your marketing campaign! This may include mailings, press kits, in-person tradeshows, or sending submissions to companies or venues you want to work with in the future. It’s also pertinent to remember that some of the best connections are still made face-to-face. Have coffee with an old instructor. Join a local sketch group. Become a member of local professional chapters if they are in your area. There are probably some great resources where you live, and these things can compliment a strong online social media presence.

When making a "marketing sandwich", use whole wheat bread for more nutrition in your social media diet.

Thanks for reading! I hope you got a few things out of these tips for social media and are on your way to reaching your goals. - Lauren

August Wren meets Maira Kalman

Last winter, I went to the Julie Saul Gallery to see some of Maira Kalman's work from her new book and MEET her! For me it was like meeting the most famous movie star ever, I was in heaven!! 

There weren't too many people there so I got a bit over enthusiastic and talked a lot, maybe too much... But whoa, she is really lovely and kind. It made my week! - Jennifer

August Wren (right)  talking with Maira Kalman (left)

Her observations on life and her painting really speak to me. I found this interview with her on The Great Discontent, it's a fabulous read, she has a great story!

Jessica Swift video by Susan Roderick

I hope this video of me working + creating in my studio will leave you feeling uplifted and inspired! It was made by my talented friend Susan Roderick. Enjoy! - Jessica

Welcome Anisa Makhoul!

What can I say? I am simply overjoyed to announce Anisa Makhoul has joined us! Anisa has a talent like no other in the industry. Her quirky sensibility married with this cozy home style is simply irresistible to me and I hope to you as well!

You can see more of Anisa's work here and by requesting a private gallery of her work. Welcome, Anisa Makhoul, we are SO GLAD you are here! - Jennifer

The Six Secrets Of Selecting An Artist

I’m frequently asked, “What do you look for in an artist?” Since you asked nicely, I’m going to reveal my secret system.

Secret 1) Of course, not every agent handles this important decision the same way, but I look for three main ingredients in an artist: Excellent work (obviously), talents that match the needs of art buyers I work with (and those I hope to work with soon) and kind-heartedness, both in business and personal behavior. Yes, it’s nice to be important but it’s important to be nice.

Secret 2) Regarding style, I seek out artists with a unique eye and a personal perspective. I love a quirky sense of design myself, and my customers tend to like what I like. I look for someone who understands color and design, who has a vision for the overall composition, and who pays attention to the finest details. It’s about seeing the Big Picture while dealing with the small stuff.

Secret 3) I always keep in mind the needs of art buyers. I look for excellent artwork with a different take on readily licensable content. That means popular subject matter like florals, winter holiday themes, hand lettering, etc. The art buyers I work with are looking for clarity, mastery of color and an image that will, in turn, appeal to their customers.

Their company will invest a lot of money in making products with that art on it. Art buyers look to me to help them discern what is marketable. Tip: Flowers are in most years, snakes are not in very often. ;)

Secret 4) Being dependable is as essential as being talented. I have been in business for many years and have worked with oodles of gifted people. The ones who are committed, timely and accurate get hired time and time again. Among those, the artists I remember and want to work with are those who are also decent human beings. If an artist is good to me and the online community, they will in turn be pleasant toward our clients. This reflects well on the artist, the agency, and on me personally.

Secret 5) A successful artist needs to be have good work habits. That means being organized (knowing where to find that piece of art we need), neat (art can get messy but digital files have to be clean), friendly and easy to talk with, and ready and willing to collaborate with clients. In short, an artist has to have the same standards as anyone in business.

Secret 6) As opposed to fine art, commercial art is about solving problems. How do we want to design this pillow to make it marketable? What image should go on this Mother’s Day card? How do we make this ordinary object more desirable with art? Self-expression and creativity are wonderful, but we still need art that does what it’s required to do. I look for artists whose approach to illustration includes problem-solving skills.

So… now that the secrets are out, they’re not really secrets at all! Just good common sense and smart business practices. Pretty obvious, really. - Jennifer

BIG NEWS: coming up on Friday, we will announce our seventh artist! Like the six that came before her, she fits all the criteria above. I love her work and I can’t wait to share her amazing art with all of you.

Truck, Truck, Bus!

Tomorrow we will be hosting another great giveaway over on our Facebook page! Monika's amazing Truck + Bus game for eeBoo!

Pop on over to our contact page today to sign up for our mailing list! Contest begins tomorrow @ 10amEDT! Hope you win! - Jennifer

It is time to celebrate!

It’s our half-birthday and we’re doubly excited! Even though Jennifer Nelson Artists is just six months old, so much as happened in that time it seems like two years. We’ve worked with so many wonderful clients, worked on so many terrific projects, and met so many delightful people – it’s hard to believe we just opened the business in January. 

Artwork courtesy of Bee Brown.

With six months under our collective belt, it’s time to celebrate! And how do we celebrate the company’s half-birthday? By kicking our heels up and committing to another six months of dazzling illustration and design from our awesomely talented artists. In other words, it’s business as usual. But even though we’re calmly going about our day-to-day activities we’re secretly jumping for joy on the inside. If this is how our first half-year went, we’re positively giddy imagining how great the next half will be!

Thanks to all the artists, clients and friends who have been with us for this incredible six-month journey. You’ve read our blog, licensed our art, posted on our social media sites and supported our efforts all the way. Happy half-birthday to you too! - Jennifer

Meditative Mind - roughs and process

Hi!...Bee here!...just thought I'd share a little glimpse into part of my creative process today. Whenever I start a piece of artwork I always like to get my ideas down by making some drawings on large pieces of paper. I generally like to use loose sheets as I find working in a sketchbook (something I tend to reserve for when I'm out and about) too restrictive. I also love to use soft graphite sketching pencils.

Once I'm happy with how things are coming along, I'll then move onto finishing my drawings digitally." - Bee

Painting in the Garden

Hi!  I recently tidied up my garden, bought new cushions and hung the swing.  The wisteria, bougainvillea and plumbago have grown into a beautiful canopy above the table (it's taken me four years to train them over the wooden frame) and I now have a perfectly shaded spot to paint.  It's impossible to sit in the garden in Rome without heavy shade as the sun is blisteringly hot.   

Last weekend I spent the whole afternoon experimenting with inks.  The range of colors, from soft petals to deep, intense blues, and the serendipitous nature of the ink, the way it bleeds and pools, had me transfixed for hours.   - Victoria

You can also find Victoria here: 
website     victoriajohnsondesign.com 
blog         victoriajohnsondesign.com
facebook   https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaJohnsonDesign
twitter      @vicjdesign
instagram victoriajohnsondesign
pinterest   http://www.pinterest.com/vicjdesign/

Happy Father's Day, Sports Fans!

To all you Dads (and other fans) out there, we salute you! Enjoy these amazing soccer stars from Monika!

You can even more of this tremendous collection here. Enjoy! - Jennifer

My sketchbook featured in RISDxyz alumni magazine

I was really thrilled to be asked by RISD if they could feature my sketchbook project in the quarterly xyz alumni magazine. To have the association with RISD after all these years is so special to me. In addition to this, I created a card that all alumni will receive as an email on their birthday, so if you are graduated from RISD be sure they have your birthdate! - Jennifer

“Hey Lauren, How Do You Make Your Work?”

A long time ago (ok, not THAT long ago) I found myself pondering the same conundrum many artists do at some point (or at many points) in their lives. The question was how should I actually make my art? Hand-done with my trusty gouache or with the magic box known as the computer? And - OH - the stress! You would think I was making the most important decision in my life. Truly, it would drive me bonkers at times. 

Years ago, I was pretty much doing 95% of my work with paint. Sure, I had some Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator savvy; I had even done some client work that was all-digital to test the waters, but I was still definitely not what I would consider a “digital artist” at this point.  Even more frustrating was that my work was so flat and smooth that most people thought my gouache paintings were actually digital! It seemed to make sense that I graduate to the all mighty vector and join the modern age. In addition, my software know-how had expanded tenfold while working as an in-house designer, making me a digital ninja that could execute my work at a new level. So when I had the chance to bust out some vector work for an online class, I thought this would certainly be the turning point. My new era had begun! So I made the new piece and low and behold… I didn’t care for it that much. Sure, I probably was getting used to this new “look,” you say. However, It wasn’t that. I realized that the vector process had completely stripped away the elements that made my work look like me. As much as I tried to make my early gouache paintings super neat and smooth, I realized when comparing it to the vector piece that I actually liked all the little mistakes that happened during the painting process – the texture of my brush, the lines that would vary and have funky edges. The vector work was just too perfect for me!

In college, my peers and instructors knew me as someone who was pretty confident in mark-making. My sketchbook overflowed with drawings and doodles that had energy and a wonderful messiness. I loved a good two-minute life drawing pose executed with sumi ink on a large drawing pad. Although my final projects were executed with skill, there was always something in them that was missing when compared to my sketches. Like many artists out there, I would tighten up and the freeness of my original hand would be lost to some degree. If I could just figure out how to keep the original liveliness of these sketches in my final pieces!

Naturally, I believed the solution was to work digitally. There I could preserve my sketches and work on top of them, instead of trying to emulate or duplicate them under pressure. The growing popularity of vector work out there made me believe that Adobe Illustrator and vector surely was the ideal answer, and I believed that once I started this new art chapter of my life, it would just be vector, vector, vector and I would never look back.

Oh, how wrong I was.

Fast forward to that previously mentioned vector piece for my online class. As much as I was disappointed, this process made a light bulb go off. It confirmed that I liked the texture and organic quality of paint; that I should embrace it. So instead of trying to make my future gouache paintings super perfect, I felt more confident to explore the range I could get with the medium. My process became more relaxed and exploratory as I combined loose watercolor techniques with graphic elements. And as I continued to grow my digital knowledge at my designer position, I decided that I didn’t have to choose one method. Instead, I could start to combine techniques I love in order to create a unique vision. Instead of picking one or the other, I started to paint elements and combine them with digital components. Brush strokes were scanned in and then I’d add even more texture with my sturdy Wacom tablet. Gouache paintings were married with digitally colored ink drawings in Photoshop.

I love telling people that the computer made me a better painter, and painting made me a better digital artist.

Both have their unique advantages, and I find that bouncing between the two helps to improve and grow my skills, much like one might exercise their lower body one day and their upper body the next. The notion that artists and designers need to pick one medium or method is slightly absurd when you think about it, as it only serves to limit creativity and expression (which is the complete opposite of what art encourages). Each one serves the other as I discover knew digital things and think “gee, what if I tried that when painting?” Or maybe I draw something that I love and am challenged to continue experimenting with it on the computer without fear of ruining it.

In addition, there are some nice benefits to this way of working. I now have a range of skills that allow me to make pieces that are custom to my clients’ needs. It also allows me to use all my strengths and not feel limited when I try something new. 

So, dear reader… I encourage you to explore! Get messy! Be fearless! Discover new skills and do so in the name of creative delight! Your artistic flavor is as unique as the way you dress or your sense of humor. It should be rich and complex! Just like each one of us.

Fractured Finds

Hi!...a little something from Bee today...we braved the winds at the weekend, togged up the wellies and went off in search of somewhere to stretch our legs! Not too far from our home is a great arts centre which has a lovely big pond in the park surrounding it. There are super-wide paths for the boys to scoot their scooters, and fun places to play in with little nooks and crannies to hide in!...We were so surprised to also find hiding in a cranny these incredible mosaic people...if only they could have shared with us their tales of how they came to be there, but what a wonderful find? Bee x

Welcome Jessica Swift!

I am so proud to announce that Jessica Swift has joined us! Her work is vibrant, wildly positive and truly, uniquely gorgeous. As Jessica says, "Color affects our moods in big ways and art can speak to us and capture truths + feelings in ways that words simply can't."

In addition to Jessica's vibrant color palettes, she is an expressive letterer and a bold painter. Her archive is brimming with lovely illustrations ready for licensing or purchasing outright. She is available for commissions and is a charm to work with!. 

As you can see - her illustrations work perfectly to a variety of products! 

From Jessica's Greta collection - available for licensing.

"Blessing in This World " is available for licensing.

You can see more of Jessica's work here - and I am very happy to pull together a curated gallery just for you lickety-split! Contact me to chat about how Jessica's art could work on your products! - Jennifer

In addition to being a prolific surface designer herself, Jessica can teach YOU how to make your own unique repeat patterns in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop in her online course, Pattern Camp. Registration is currently open for the upcoming session on June 6-7, 2015! This will be the last session this year, so if you want Jessica to teach you her magical ways, now's the time to jump in!

This was a very BIG week for our little company.... and tomorrow brings another great chapter.

SURTEX 2015 was 100% complete success for us! We were very kindly received by clients and artists alike. At every turn, I felt the warmth of smiles and fond gazes from so many of you. One sweet Texan, said she could tell with every comment I share, every post I write that I love my job, that I truly desire success for the JNA artists and I am committed to being a positive force in this community. My eyes pricked up a bit, as I could not have conveyed my sentiments better in my own words. Here are a few photos from the show... see our Instagram (right) for even more! We warmly welcome our new manufacturing licenses in baby layette, greeting cards, wallpaper, children's books, bedding, journals, cake decorating, balloons and more. The artists have lots of work to do and I have loads of contracts to solidify! Mark your calendars, next year SURTEX is 15-17 MAY 2016!

Not to be outdone by all the SURTEX woo-ha... TOMORROW, we announce our newest artist and I can hardly wait! Check this spot and our newsletter to find out who I am lucky enough to represent next! - Jennifer

Victoria's expressive, lyrical work spins the world on a new axis.

This week, I am counting down the (2!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work.

Victoria is becoming world famous for her color palettes, her keen design eye and her expressive lyrical quality. (Victoria's work is like happiness in a bottle.) Our clients are working with her on children's bedding, growth charts, Christmas paper goods, and a line of gifts and bolts of fabric so dear you will swoon at first glance! I reckon, I am the luckiest agent in town! You can find Victoria (and me) @ Booth 518! Enjoy! - Jennifer

This last one is SPECIAL thanks to ALL of you who have supported us as we launched the agency, licensed or commissioned art and continue to make us feel so very welcome in this wonderful world of art!

Jennifer graces SURTEX 2015 with her sublime beauties.

This week, I am counting down the (3!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work. Hold on to your horses, Jennifer is a knock out.

I fell in love with Jennifer the instant I saw her work. Great painters are few and far between and this one is as special as they come. Jennifer's work evokes joy, delight and a unique perspective on this world.  I am so fortunate to receive a painting from her nearly every day. Can imagine a more lucky inbox? Jennifer is currently working on her second (self-authored) book, a commission for hope chests for 3 lucky CT girls, loads of cards, and repeats for children's clothing in Brazil. Keep your eye on Jennifer, she is flying to high places... and I am SO LUCKY to be along for the ride!  Come meet Jennifer and see her jaw-dropping work @ Booth #355 or contact me to see hundreds of her images in our archives.- (the other) Jennifer

Monika shines like no other at SURTEX 2015!

This week, I am counting down the (4!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work.

Wednesday is for Monika and her amazing perspective and brilliant color sensibility. Clients are licensing her work, with deals for high-end wall decor and cooli-o suitcase patterns! Once again, I'm grateful for the opportunity to represent her and let the light shine in! Come visit Monika @ Booth #355. Enjoy! - Jennifer

Lauren leaps into SURTEX 2015!

This week, I am counting down the (5!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work. Sharpen your pencils - this is a good one!

Tuesday is for Lauren and her snarky sensibility, inborn humor, fantastical lettering and scrumptious line work. Clients are eating up her work, with all sorts of licenses and commissions for editorial maps, suitcase fabric design and greeting cards galore. Once again, I am tickled pink (shades of indigo, actually) to represent this über-cool, super-fine talent! I'm thinking temporary tattoos next! What about you? Something tells me, your product would sell better with a little Lauren mixed in! Visit Lauren in Booth #559 or contact me for to see the more than 150 illustrations in Lauren's archive! - Jennifer

Bee buzzes into SURTEX 2015!

This week, I am counting down the (6!) days until SURTEX by featuring sneak peeks of each artist's work.

We start with Bee, her delightful wit and innate design sense. Clients are eating up her yummy color palettes., with licenses and commissions for wall art, stationery, books, little girl's dresses and *maybe* even fabrics! Once again, I am counting my lucky stars! This girl is on fire! I am thinking product development is next! Here's some eye candy for you! Visit Bee's updated portfolio today!  - Jennifer