Malin's Children's Book!

I am excited to share my illustrations for Johanna Olsson’s picture book One Child More or Less… What is the Difference Really?

I was so happy to illustrate this book with a fantastic little story about fear, friendship and imagination. I was given a lot of freedom and I also designed the cover, which I really enjoyed!

Since this was my first children’s book, I must confess to maybe starting in the "wrong" end of things. I divided the text into different thumbnail images and started sketching and painting the images that I felt the most inspired by. That left the images I felt less inspired by, which were more difficult to get done! In hindsight I see the point with sketching up the whole book before starting to paint. But it all worked out in the end!

I made the backgrounds first and then I painted the characters separately so I could easily exchange them if I was not happy. That I would do again, I really enjoyed working like that.

I am so pleased with this little book, it was so fun to make. I became really fond of the little girl called "Virva"- I can relate to her since I also moved a lot as a child. Initially you never think you will get any friends but then like magic, you do.

One Child More or Less… What is the Difference Really? is available in Swedish, and may be ordered here.

Kelly Angelovic's Marvelous Mural!

A few weeks ago, a client and friend of mine (Todd Walsh, owner of Market Real Estate here in Boulder, CO) reached out, wanting to do something big to uplift and unite our community.

Todd sent over pictures of the wall he wanted covered with my artwork, and together we decided on the phrase, We Are All In This Together. 

I sent him the following two sketches. The first idea was purely type driven. The second sketch was more conceptual, with several different buildings/houses and a banner winding around the buildings, sharing our message of togetherness even though we are apart. 

Todd gave me the freedom to follow my own artistic vision (best client ever), and here is the end result.

Using a vibrant color palette (to uplift and inspire hope), I wanted to include several people doing what we're all doing while staying home (reading, online learning, comforting one another through our collective uncertainty). The plants represent our growth, and the butterflies our evolution. My favorite part is the children literally climbing the walls as they play (as the mother of two elementary school aged children, I can really relate to this one). 

 Here are a few shots of the installation process as well.

This was one of the most meaningful and exciting projects I have ever had the opportunity to work on. Thank you so much to Todd and Market Real Estate for having the overall vision to make this happen. We truly are all in this together. 

Jill Howarth's Scholastic Book Project!

Over the past 5 years, I have had the honor to work with the great folks at Scholastic on a series of re-designed classics book covers for the Scholastic Reading Club. From Alice in Wonderland to Little Women (with 15 covers in between!) this entire series has been a joy to work on. Anytime you can combine lettering with characters, not to mention on a product that gets great affordable literature into young hands, is a win.

On all of these covers, the parameters were fairly open, other than the top consideration that it reduces to thumbnail size clearly with good contrast for optimum readability.

Here are some initial pencils on the first title I worked on (and still one of my favorites) Alice in Wonderland. The book was to include a pocket watch pendant, so I incorporated the watch into the lettering in some of the sketches. Option 3 was chosen, with the caveat that Alice needed to be aged up. Simply lengthening her torso, cinching and lowering the waist and bingo, you have a tween Alice!

When going to color, I went with a dark background which ended itself to her mysterious decent into Wonderland as well as providing contrast and readability for the title. Favorite part? Angry flowers, of course!

Regroup + Recharge

It’s the end of February and a lot of you are probably just gotten back into the swing of things after the NYC trade shows.  Even if you haven’t gone to a trade show, there are often big events and massive efforts that will occur throughout your time as an artist.  Because of the nature of these events, which often require a ton of creativity, ingenuity, organization, and travel, they can be thoroughly depleting (nevermind the even bigger effort if you’re an introvert!).

So, how does one regroup and get back their energy after such an event?  

For JNA, after a trip, this is our ideal way to recharge, if we can manage it!: 
First, follow through.  Recently, my son broke his first board in karate.  It was amazing to see these kids approach the boards all gung-ho only to have their hands slow down when it came to the board.  Child after child, they tried, got nervous, got even more nervous, and the board didn’t break.  Then they finally realized they truly had to act like they were aiming for the floor.  When they got over all the emotions and fears about following through, BAM! The board broke. This is all a long way of explaining that finishing what you start when you go to a trade show or land a commission is of the utmost importance to make it a true success.  
 
Going out and getting new contacts or meeting with publishers is great but it is almost useless if you don’t follow through.  You may be tired.  You may be feeling nervous that nothing good came out of the trip.  After all the work you might be tempted to wait and follow-up “later”.  However, if you really want to recharge your batteries and get back that energy, following through and making a plan is essential.  It releases your brain from the mental burden of having left things undone and also ensures that you’ve done all you need to, to make the effort a success.  
 
First, write a report for yourself on how it went. Whether it’s a trade show, a commission, or a visit to a book fair, this can be an excellent tool. Write down what worked, what didn’t, what strategies you might want to use next time or things you’d like to learn about for the future. This report is a great way to collect your thoughts and milk every experience for the information you may not have processed while you were in the thick of it. It is also the perfect tool to prepare for future experiences.
 
Next follow-up with clients. Even if it’s just a thank you email that postpones more action until after you’ve recovered. For example, "Dear Pedro, thank you so much for meeting with me in New York. I will be in touch soon with that pitch we talked about.”  Then, schedule when you will send the pitch (or whatever it is). Or, if you are up for it, send the pitch with the email and the entire thing is off your plate for the time being.
 
Then, take a break.  I can’t recommend enough making time for a break as part of the planning process before a big event or commission even really begins. Give yourself what time you need to follow through—maybe one or two days, then schedule your break, again giving yourself whatever time you need to feel recharged. Set the auto-respond on your email and take that break! I encourage you to make it a real break where you don’t check your email or even think about work. Do something that you enjoy and that feeds your soul!
 
That’s it!  After the break is over, get back to work 🙂.  Coming back to the daily grind will be much easier after this series of steps. You will feel more creative, more open to new jobs, and more ready to tackle the next big effort that comes your way.
 
If you’d like to share ways you recharge your batteries after a major event, we’d love to hear about it!  Jennifer and I offer Advice for Artists in a variety of ways, reach out if we can be a help to you. – Cathy

While you are there, don’t forget to sign up for our Advice for Artists Newsletter too!

Kelly Angelovic's most recent book project!

Kelly’s most recent book “Yes,Sisters” (just out this month) is already receiving 5-star ratings! Including this to-the-point review on Amazon:

“This book is a game-changer. The power of Yes combined with sisterhood! Great read!”

Kelly says, “This was such a fun project! Anything that promotes women and sisterhood speaks to my soul. Initially, the client asked for a sketch that showed 3-5 multi-ethnic women encircling the title, with botanical and seaside elements to connect them. I submitted the following two sketches based on this idea.”

“Ultimately, we decided that this idea felt too busy, so we pared things down and proceeded from this revised sketch instead,” she says.

“For color, the client suggested a palette based on some of my existing work. I’m so pleased with how it all turned out!”

See the books promotional video:

You can order a copy of it here.

Anthropologie soaps and cozy pajamas from Malin Gyllensvaan

I knew from the second I first saw Malin’s work, I HAD to represent her. Just look at her lovely, exquisitely detailed fine art. The graphite and the painterly hand are a brilliant and unusual combination. Her palettes are as delicate as her line.

Since she joined JNA, Malin has worked with clients on products such as stationery, books, blankets and product gift packaging. She has also designed holiday items, clothing, bedding and fabrics. Now come these luscious soaps and pajamas for Anthropologie. I love them so much, I bought a pair for my Mom and my son’s girlfriend too!

Both are available now, just search Malin Gyllensvaan on Anthropologie.com

BLUE PRINT SAN FRANCISCO, what a whirl!

JNA went to BLUE PRINT in San Francisco. We were so happy to meet with Christine and Kelly who came to the show too. As always, it was fantastic to catch up with friends: Ben and Abby, Brenda and Paul as well as many others.

The keen Kelly Angelovic…

… and crackerjack, Christine de Carvalho!

Cathy and I have such a wonderful time traveling together, we have become quite good friends over the last year and… well, great hilarity ensued when we rented a little yellow car and took to the streets of San Francisco. From shrimp grits to the Golden Gate, we love that town!

See you at ARTFUL REBELS in NYC in 1-3 FEB 2020! :) Jennifer

Too good to be true?

Advice is tricky.  Recently, I watched a video aimed at helping artists with marketing.  There was a big focus on just doing what you love and watching the money come in.  Would you believe, I actually started to feel insecure when they started talking numbers?  I thought, "I must be doing something wrong!  Why isn't this as easy for me as it is for them?"  Then, I came out from under the video's spell.  I remembered all the hard work that happens behind the scenes.  I remembered that it is very rarely a case of creating something, putting it online, and watching the money walk through the door.  Being in this business, I know that it is much more complicated than that.

I could only imagine the impact of watching a video like this could have on someone just starting out or someone who works their butt off, alone at home, to get their work licensed.  Constantly hearing about how work was manifested through putting it out into the universe or how a dream job just magically dropped into a successful artist’s lap would shake even the strongest, artist's confidence.  Worse than this, it usually just isn’t true.  People are quick to forget their hard work in the face of success and everyone wants a positive story to share.  This can result in misinformation being distributed on what it actually takes create success.

This misinformation and the idea that there is such a thing as “making it” exacerbates the FOMO we all experience.  It also creates a huge space for people to come in and exploit the gap by offering less-than-helpful classes and workshops on how to get big as an artist.  It is alarming the amount of money artists can spend in the hopes of making it.  Especially when they are often paying for information that is not valuable or realistic.

As a result, it is vital to be discriminating on what advice you accept (or pay for) and which you leave behind.  And that includes the advice you're reading right now!  Whenever I consume new information, I constantly check in with my reactions.  Am I feeling enlightened?  Challenged in a positive way?  Motivated?  Great!  I’m going to keep going.

On the other hand, do I feel like I’m missing out?  Discouraged?  Confused why this has worked so well for other people and not me?  If the answer to any of these is yes, I pick apart what I’m watching to rebuild my sense of self, and the industry, which I know to be true.  Even if you don’t know the industry well, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

After all, one of the most important resources you have as an artist is your self-regard.  Keeping your positivity and confidence in-tact will protect you from burnout and keep you creating work that you, and clients, will love.  As our close-knit and positive community grows, it is vital to make sure you are consuming information that nourishes and motivates you.  By vetting who you follow on Social Media, what newsletters and blogs you read, and what classes you take, you are doing vital work for your career and your self. —Jennifer

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YOU GUYS ARE LOADED WITH SMARTS!: I love your questions. That's why we have a terrific Facebook group where we can all share our knowledge. Join me here in our supergroup - the conversation is already underway!

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2019 Blue Print NYC Recap

As always, we had a wonderful time at Blue Print in New York City! I wanted to take a few minutes and share some of the highlights from one of our favorite events.

• Meeting clients and artists from all over the world. It was such a pleasure to meet and catch-up with artists and clients that we typically only get to contact online. There were people from India, Australia, England, and also right in New York City. Putting faces to names as well as finding out new names and faces is one of the best parts of the trade show!

• Setting up our booth. As simple as it sounds, I can think of nothing more pleasant than the energetic buzz of a trade show gearing up. Walking into Shop Studio, with its special, bright white space and hearing artists chatting along with the clang of seats being opened and banners going up is just magical. Getting organized and seeing our booth take form was such fun!

• Licensing, selling, and sharing our gorgeous artwork! Of course, I saved the best for last. There is no better feeling than having a visitor come to our booth, ask to see one of our many portfolios, and hearing them fall in love with our artists. Some visitors ask to have galleries sent and others instantly know what they want and purchase or license it onsite.

If you weren’t able to join us at Blue Print and are interested in seeing our artists’ work, please feel free to contact us and we’ll be happy to put a gallery together for you!

NYC Tourism, JNA Style!

Spring in New York City! What could be better? Maybe enjoying beautiful, fresh art from our 12 artists while you’re there??! Today, we’ve put together a little JNA-style guide for a trip to NYC!

Let’s start by seeing Jennifer Orkin Lewis’s bold florals after you enjoy the delightful flowers of Central Park!

Or, how about getting lost in the graphite lines of our new artist, Malin Gyllensvaan, to celebrate not getting lost in New York’s sensible grid layout?

Enjoy the winter wonderlands and clever art of Jill Howarth after doing some year-round holiday shopping in Little Italy at Christmas in New York!

Fall in love with Janna Krupinski’s whimsical creations like this incredible mer-cat, then meet some exciting aquatic life at the New York Aquarium in Coney Island.

Now, I know what you think we’re going to recommend when you look at this amazingly graceful piece from our newest artist, Christine De Carvalho. Her florals and animals beckon to locations exotic and wild. Alas, there is no tiger at the Central Park Zoo! A trip to the American Museum of Natural History is in order. Lions, tigers, and bears at that one—oh, and flowers!

After visiting New York’s City’s oldest magic shop, Tannen’s, drop in and let Rae Ritchie’s enchanting scenes and repeats cast a spell on you!

Lauren Lowen’s cool-cat art will certainly be a primer for a visit to one of the hippest spots in town, the Chelsea Market. Don’t forget to bring your top-knot!

This one, we recommend first thing in the morning. Come by our booth, look at Miriam’s delightfully bright art long enough that it gives you a big energy boost (it won’t take long, I promise) and then hop on over to Hudson Yard to climb their brand new public masterpiece, Vessel!

Another new artists for JNA, Dylan Mierzwinski, creates deliciously fun ink and paint illustrations that are a perfect dessert after visiting Bemelmans Bar in the Upper East Side, where your eyes can feast on walls covered with fanciful illustrations by Ludwig Bemelmans, himself.

Find yourself in a fairyland of colors and graceful characters looking at Bee Brown’s gorgeous prints right before heading out to see a performance at the New York Ballet!

Rachel Grant’s invitation is clear: you must go to a Brooklyn Bakery! But first, indulge in a viewing of her fabulous birds, florals, seascapes and storefronts. Then, head on over to the Hot Bread Kitchen.

Finally, before you leave, you have got to check out Kelly Angelovic’s incredible work! Her powerful pro-woman pieces demand a visit to that gorgeous green lady, the Statue of Liberty, before your trip ends.

Rae Ritchie's Illustration for The Boston Globe

Hello there! I’m very excited and grateful to share a piece I was fortunate enough to work on for The Boston Globe! This lovely piece was written by Gail Thorell Schilling and is a touching account of her father’s lifelong love of gardening and the comfort it provided for him; and thus in his passing, the comfort his garden still brings the author. I was honored to work on this project and wanted to share a little bit of the process with you!

Upon reading the piece, I knew flowers and foliage would be the focus, so I felt right at home! I worked on a few thumbnail sketches, and the art director and I chose to further explore a landscape concept with a mighty spruce as the main focus. 

I had a lot of fun creating this piece and helping bring Gail’s story to life. Check out the time-lapse video below to watch me paint it! Cheers!

View this post on Instagram

A little look into the process for this Boston Globe piece! #timelapsepainting #illustration #floralpainting

A post shared by Rae Ritchie (@rae.ritchie) on Nov 6, 2017 at 6:51am PST

Bring it on, Blue Print NYC!

One of our favorite times of year is here! That’s right, Blue Print is fast approaching!! This particular trade show means so many wonderful things for us, here at JNA. First of all, it means the trees are in bloom and colors are popping out everywhere. Second, and more importantly, it means that we are about to share so much of what we love about our business with so many people!

This year, we have an abundance to share. We have three fabulous new artists, a new agent, and so many new florals, Christmas images, repeats, and gorgeous pieces of fresh-from-the-printer art! Every morning, I have the joy of waking up to an inbox filled with new images from our 12 artists and they just blow me away. I cannot wait to see them printed out, nice and big, for my eyes to feast on.

In fact, the artists are working with our printer right now to get those gorgeous prints into my hands and, eventually, into yours! Preparation is in full-swing. Prints are being bar-coded, sorted (there’s a behind-the-scenes peek at our how we organize them below) and filed into their proper spots. Artists’ portfolio books are on the way to JNA from all over the world. And, who could forget, we are busy creating an awesome booth that reflects our enthusiasm for the all the people we’ll meet!

Speaking of, we hope to meet you! JNA’s booth will be in the Shop Studio, 528 West 39th Street and the show runs from May 20th - 23rd. We highly encourage you to make an appointment, so you don’t have to wait to view our wonderful art.

Well, we’ve got to get back to work.. only 3 weeks left!

Trip Recap: Bologna Children's Book Fair

We’ve just come back from a whirlwind trip to the fabulous Bologna Children’s Book Fair. It was our first time attending the fair and we are already talking about plans for next year!  Not only did we get to share our artists’ work with fantastic publishers, but we got to discover new publishers and artists from around the world, too. It was a great experience in a tremendous setting!

Upon entering Bologna Fiere, the location of the event, we were greeted by walls and walls plastered in artists’ flyers, business cards, and postcards.   It was a creative mishmash of beautiful work that varied wildly in styles. We couldn’t resist putting up flyers of our artists’ work and adding to the inspiring tumble of images.  Beyond the artist walls was a large meeting area where presentations and discussions were held throughout the day, much of it focused on illustration and illustrators.

From there, we entered halls dedicated to publishers’ booths.  Two halls contained mostly English-speaking countries and three were non-English speaking.  The style and size of booths varied. Some looked like giant houses while others were simple and let their gorgeous books do the talking.  With the red backdrop of Bologna Fiere, it was eye-candy trough and through.

One of the highlights of our trip was meeting with publishers and sharing our artists’ work and book pitches.  We were able to meet people we’d only worked with virtually on books and we also got to meet new publishers that we are excited at the prospect of working with.  

Special thanks to Caroline for the pic!

Another highlight was an Advice for Artists’ dinner we had in the old center of Bologna.  Meeting people we’d been chatting with online for years was exciting! Artists’ shared their experience of meeting with publishers and portfolio reviews they received, as well as tips and tricks to get a chance to meet their favorite publishers.  The food, conversation and company were fantastic!

Overall, Bologna Children’s Book fair was a magical little foray into the world of children’s books.  The energy of the fair was fresh and exciting and we cannot wait to go again!

Introducing Christine De Carvalho

It may be gray and cold in Boston today, but we are having a sunshine day in the office! Read on to find out why!

This week is a huge week for us here at JNA; we get to launch the amazingly talented Christine De Carvalho!!! When I first saw Christine’s work, I fell in love with her dramatic feminine style mixed with an unmistakably, cool California flare. I can practically feel the sunshine on my face in those popping pinks and cool minty leaves that seem to sway in the breeze!

As we came to know Christine better, we also got to know the breadth of her work. Her range of experience is quite impressive! From a haute couture fashion designer in Paris to in-house Textile Designer for John Galliano, she has worked all over the world using her fabulous skills. We feel so lucky to represent this powerhouse of a designer!

While Christine’s themes are quite varied, she manages to keep her signature style in tact whether painting loose watercolor flowers or working digitally on unicorns. Much of Christine’s work is inspired by her love of folk art, fairytales, and vintage children's books. Animals and nature are some of her favorite subjects to illustrate.

We are so pleased to say that Christine’s work is now available for licensing and buy-outs. Or, If you want to see what she can come up just for you, she is also available for commissions. Check out her fantastic work below and visit her bio for more information!

Advice for Artists: Many Hands

A long time ago, a British author penned the phrase “Many hands make light work.” This still rings as true today as it did in the 1400s.  

For artists, there seems to be a sense that you’ve got to do it all yourself in order to succeed. Either that or you need to get an agent who does everything so you can focus solely on creating art. This all-or-nothing idea adds an immense amount of pressure to an already challenging situation. By now, you are doing work that is creative and, therefore, inherently vulnerable. You may be feeling isolated and competitive in an industry that is a little rogue and off-the-beaten-path. And now you’ve got to either become the most organized person alive or an artist so good, with timing so perfect (because timing plays an important role in things like this) to get an agent.

For some people, one of the first two options may very well work. You might be a creative person who loves spreadsheets or you might be able to make a great connection with an agent. Most people, though, fall into a category in between. I am happy to tell you that there’s a world of gray between these black-and-white notions! To quote Mr. Rogers, a little out of context, you need to “look for the helpers.”

In this case, helpers are people who can support you in being successful as an artist with or without an agent. For example, when I started JNA, I found the work could be isolating and discovered that I needed outside motivation to keep me going. So, I hired a friend who was also a savvy business consultant to join me in weekly meetings until I felt like the company had launched successfully. Then, as the business grew, I needed someone to help with my finances and I hired a bookkeeper. All along the way, I’ve had people in my life who acted as true supporters and coaches. Some I’ve outgrown and some I am even growing into as I write this. Instead of all or nothing, there’s a sprinkle of this and a dab of that. 

Here, I do want to quickly add a note about trustworthy people. It is incredibly important that the relationships you take on, in regards to your art, are people who are worthy of that relationship. Many encounters can seem like they’re beneficial and end with you feeling disempowered. A quick way to know if someone in your life is not a good source for this kind of support is if you feel tired or insecure after talking to them. You’ll be seeing more on this topic in another newsletter soon!

I also encourage you to be creative when it comes to looking for and paying people. Maybe you know another artist who loves marketing and can help you put together a portfolio in exchange for you giving them prompts every week. Perhaps you could hire an intern or college student or look for virtual helpers online. A close friend with a head for numbers could put together a spreadsheet for you, in exchange for dinner. As your business grows, as mine did, you may find you have the money to hire people full-time.

Here is a list of potential helpers who might make your work lighter and free up space to do what you love most. See if any of these sound helpful or inspire you to think of other resources you can tap into.  

• A core person/people who can help with big picture planning

• A trusted artist friend who will hold you accountable and vice versa

• A therapist or life coach

• Bookkeeper

• A business consultant or coach

• An assistant

• Someone to manage your social media accounts

• A writer

• Sometime to manage your digital files and galleries

• Hire someone to scan artwork, clean it up and catalog it

• A person to handle your marketing/newsletters

• Trusted + proven sources for education 

• Who can you add to your team that I haven’t mentioned?

If you think I could be one of your helpers, just ask about scheduling a session. —Jennifer

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YOU GUYS ARE LOADED WITH SMARTS!: I love your questions. That's why we have a terrific Facebook group where we can all share the knowledge. Join me here in our super group - the conversation is already underway!

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I offer small group presentations on Advice For Artists Fridays and One-on-One private sessions upon request. I am glad to share my thoughts and suggestions with you. 

Bologna Children's Book Fair, Here we Come!

The Children’s Book Fair is just a couple weeks away and we're so excited!  Not only do we love to travel... not only do we love Italy... but we love children's books! It all comes together at this one event. Is it any wonder we’re excited?

If you've been to these kinds of shows before you know how many exhibitors and visitors there are. Just so we don't lose each other in the crowd I'm asking you to take a moment, while you're thinking of it, and make an appointment to get together. I'd hate to travel all the way to Italy and miss seeing you!

And when I do see you, I'll be showing off some of the wonderful work my eleven illustrators have done for the publishing industry. Take a look!

Jill Howarth for Walter Foster

Lauren Lowen for Scholastic

Bee Brown for Parragon

Miriam Bos for Silver Dolphin

Jennifer Orkin Lewis for Abrams

Lauren Lowen for Tyndale

Jill Howarth for Scholastic

Malin Gyllensvaan for Berghs Dörlag

Miriam Bos for Cottage Door Press

Jennifer Orkin Lewis for Chronicle

Kelly Angelovic for Chelsea Flagg

Rachel Grant for Abram Noterie

Advice for Artists: Let Go or Lean In?

You know how there comes a point in your creative life when you have to decide whether to let go or lean in? Well, recently, I came to my own kind of crossroads in this regard.  While I love one-on-one consultation with artists and helping to set the score straight on how to “make it” and what that means in the art industry, I also found that these sessions weren’t sparking joy like they once did.  I knew that, if I wanted to continue playing this role in our intimate and wonderful world of art, I was going to have to make a decision.  I could either let go of this part of the business or, I could lean in.

I decided to lean in. This means making some exciting changes to Advice for Artists, which I am not only thrilled about but, more importantly, will pass along benefits to you!  Below, I am detailing a new initiative: Business Basics Roundtables.

I noticed that, in many of my one-on-one sessions with artists, I was going over a lot of the same basic information. And I realized there was a way I could restructure the education offering at JNA so that it would be more productive for me and less expensive for you. This restructuring not only allows more access to artists who want to learn about breaking into the industry but also more tailored time for individuals who want personalized feedback. Sound good? Read on!

Business Basics Roundtables (Fridays) 
$100  | 1 Hour
In this intimate, 5 person or fewer course, I will share tricks of the trade that I’ve learned in my time in the art industry. Participants will come away with actionable information about markets, popular subject matter and styles, and the basics of how to market yourself (even if you are trying to get an agent). Register for sessions online.  They are available on a first-come, first served basis.

One-on-One Consulting Sessions are still available upon request.
These are reserved for individuals who have already joined in our group session or have had a previous one-on-one consulting session with me. During our time together, we will review your portfolio, discuss next steps for your work, audit your social media, website, and personal marketing plans, as well as discuss any particular concerns or questions you have. Send a note to a4a@jennifer-nelson-artists.com to book your time.

There will be more Advice for Artists offerings to come! I can’t share all the details with you now, but I can say that we are working hard to make information about making a living as an artist more accessible to everyone!

This is the beginning of what I hope will be a more extensive and accessible source of education for artists, everywhere.

I am so excited to launch the program and hope to see you online! —Jennifer

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I LOVE YOUR QUESTIONS. That's why we have a terrific Facebook group where we can all share our knowledge. Join me here in our super group - the conversation is already underway!

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Advice for Artists: Instagram is mysterious and fickle

One of the conversations I often have in the land of creatives is how to get more Instagram followers. This goes hand-in-hand with commiserating around how much time is spent on Instagram, why some posts do better than others, and why followers sometimes drop off like stampeding elephants.

Instagram is mysterious and fickle which makes it a potentially serious threat to motivation and confidence. Conversely, it can be a source of community,encouragementand inspiration.  So, how to manage this complicated relationship?

From my own experience managing JNA’s Instagram feed as well as partaking in these conversations, here are some tips & insights I’ve learned:

• Just because no one liked your post doesn’t mean your art is bad.  JNA sometime goes through days where likes are low.  When I first started posting, I was admittedly freaked out.  Then, I realized; this isn’t just people, it’s software—software with potentially ulterior motives!  Likes do not reflect the quality of art nor how much people value your work.  Many of the pieces I’ve posted that didn’t get high likes were amazing art which have licensed multiple times. Remember, as Instagram members, we are all prey to an alogorithm which can hide us from followers without them or us ever knowing it.  

• Know when to stop.  Shocked at how many hours you’ve spend on Instagram? Tell me about it!  The platform is like potato chips; built to suck you in with little hints of satisfaction here and there.  I’ve developed two rules to reclaim my time a la Maxine Waters (though not nearly as cool).  Rule #1: If I keep picking up my phone and looking at Instagram every minute, as if it’s going to reveal the secret to happiness, it is time to PUT THE PHONE DOWN.  Rule #2: Set clear posting & time spent goals and stick to them.  I typically post to Instagram three times a day, tops.  And I’ll spend maybe every three days stalking artists I like, responding to comments, and seeing what’s new in the creative community.  Any more than that and I’m taking time away from real life.

• People on Instagram can be jerks!  Let’s face it, social media can be a cess pool of bad attitudes and desperate feelings.  People go on there to blow off steam, find approval, confirm their best and worst fears.  Many times, trolls are trying to spread negativity, like it’s an illness.  Remember this.  Remember that you don’t know these people and they do not know you.  You can take a jerky response as an opportunity to practice mindfulness.  Notice the upset feelings you have, accept them, and watch how they change—instead of replying with your own negativity and spreading the illness (or giving the troll the satisfaction!).

• Instagram vacations are magic, in more ways than one!  Over the holidays, we took a break from posting on Instagram.  It was so nice to unplug and not be beholden to the invisible world of Social Media.  Do you know what else happened?  We earned over a two-thousand new followers.  Now, I’m not trying to undo the message that getting Instagram followers is the end-all-be-all, because it isn’t.  I’m just saying that taking a break from Instagram might get Instagram to want you back.  And how do they get you back?  By recommending you to other users, so you’ll get more followers and they hope you’ll come back.  Maybe take a break and see what happens?

Let us know in the comments below! Kindly, Jennifer

The Happiest Valentine: Our New Artist Dylan Mierzwinski!

If you haven’t noticed, we are expanding our roster at Jennifer Nelson Artists!  Always striving to meet the market’s needs, while simultaneously honoring the niches of our amazing artists, it is challenging to find just the right fit...  Well, challenging until you come across an artist like Dylan!

Dylan’s work is singular and fabulous.  From her hilarious cartoon-like drawings to her sophisticated florals, she manages to create a broad range of art while keeping the thread of her personality and skill running through.  Seeing her art for the first time, the color palette and sketchy lines struck me.  In Dylan's work, I immediately saw skill, imagination, drive, joy, and potential.

Which, as is often the way with art, are the very words one could use to describe Dylan.  A self-taught artist, Dylan’s drive is clear.  She has carved out a prominent space not only as an artist but as a top Skillshare teacher.  Her joy comes across in her passion for sharing knowledge with others through teaching and through wholehearted Instagram posts which always elevate the online community.  Dylan is a supporter through and through.  As for potential, we cannot wait to see what Dylan comes up with next!  Every new piece she sends us is a delight.  

Dylan's work is available for licensing and full-buyouts and, if your interested in seeing what she can come up for you, she is also available for commissions!  Check out some of her amazing work below and visit her bio to find out more!

Making a Dream Project Come True: Birds in a Book by Rachel Grant

Just over a year ago a little dream of mine came true when I was asked by Abrams Noterie to illustrate not only a bird book, but a pop up bird book! Birds are one of my very favourite things to paint, I’ve always felt a certain connection with them, perhaps it’s something about their (comparatively) quiet, peaceful existence, where curiosity and nesting seem to be their primary goals! 

When Abrams approached me to produce this book as part of their “Uplifting Editions” range, it was described as a “Bouquet of Birds” and I just loved this concept. The dust jacket comes off, revealing a hard cover reminiscent of antique bird books, then each branch and its bird lifts up above the book forming a bouquet shape that can then be displayed on a desk or a shelf. 

My art director and editor began the design process with me by sharing a copy of a previous, floral version of the book that had been created in collaboration with Molly Hatch. This really helped me to see the way that I needed to engineer the illustrations in order to make them work within the confines of the page space. For example each pop up branch had to be carefully considered to check that its ‘turning circle’ was within the frame of the page when the book was closed and that the branch was wide enough to be sturdy and to take the rivet at its base. Then of course the overall ‘bouquet’ shape had to be considered, with the scale of the different bird species needing to be taken into account. 

With each spread I worked on came new facts about the birds. The text was written by Lesley Earle and I loved the way she brought the bird’s character to life, describing their quirky little habits and rituals. These kind of facts helped me to tell a little visual story on each page. For example, the male Regent Bowerbird builds an “impressive amphitheater” called a Bower to attract his prospective female and to provide them with a vantage point to watch his courtship display!

I created each page spread as a fully layered digital file in order to give maximum flexibility in the design process. To do this each element was painted individually with a mixture of acrylic, arcyla gouache and designer’s gouache on loose, watercolour paper. I then scanned these into the computer, removed the background white and digitally composed them onto the page. The text was added later by the lovely folks at Abrams. 

When my advance copy of the book arrived and I held it in my hands for the first time I was completely over the moon. To lift up each little bird and see the bouquet come to life, working just the way I designed it to, was the most rewarding thing in the world. After looking at it constantly for about a week, I then took great pleasure in taking it to my bookshelf and finding it a perfect spot amongst my collection of antique bird and botanical books. The completion of a dream come true. 

“Birds in a Book” can be purchased from Barnes&Noble, Books-A-Million, IndieBound, Powells, !ndigo and from Amazon worldwide.