Here's a snipet from what I was working on yesterday. I'm please with how the entire piece turned out. I see myself going more and more in this direction for licensing and children's work. There's something so relaxing about making 3-D art :) Now, off to the two, 2-D projects due today...

Labels: junk-a-doodles, licensing

I love when you just stick stuff on a scanner, do a little in photoshop and it becomes something cool. This is from today's Woogie Wednesday. These will appear in an assignment I'm working on and also future pattern designs for licensing. A few weeks back I designed some stamps specifically for my junk a doodles work so this is really the first time I've had a chance to use them.

Labels: licensing, woogie-wednesday

The Old School exhibit is going on now at Uppercase Gallery. My piece is there and for sale here. The above is an article I found (photo via uppercase on Flickr) that features my piece. My piece was also chosen as the backcover of the book. You can see great images from the exhibition here.

Labels: old school

I worked on a new mailer for licensing. Not 100% sure I like it yet though. I want to go ahead and get some promos out there and then figure out what my next step is for promotion. I don't think postcards are the entire way to go for this type of work so I'm coming up with some other ideas. I've found a lot of companies who have take email submissions so I've emailed them my tearsheets. It's been fun watching my stats as these companies come to visit my site.

I've also loved having the opportunity to just play. I've been experimenting with textures and more collage in my work. I've been able to break more rules and get out of the ridgidness (is that a word?) I've put myself into with children's illustration. I'm loving it!

I have big plans and expectations for my licensing work and I've been tackling it like I did when I first started out to become an illustrator. It's been so fun and I've already learned so much!! I've even decided to take on a marketing assitant who will do a great job for my business and I think be a great agent/rep one day. She has a sales background and is used to the phone call, meet and greet scene (something I'm not into and don't like very much) plus, I'll have someone to travel with for trade shows and such. Plus part of her responsibilities is window shopping so that's right down her alley! I'll be sharing what all she's doing for me throughout the process.

Thanks to everyone for the "good luck" and "advice" emails. I really want to thank Vela at Little Star Soup for being so generous with information. Isn't her work the cutest?

By the way, my desk still looks like it does from the last post. Maybe I'll have time to clean it today....

Labels: licensing, promotion

This mess is killing me. I haven't been able to find the time to just clean my studio. Maybe today I'll get the chance. I hate it when it gets like this because I don't think I work as well. The Woog's art area is also a mess. She's discovered she can print out coloring pages from Noggin.com (notice Moose A. Moose on my desk) and those are just everywhere!

Labels: studio

Pumpkin Junkin' starts soon! I'm accepting entries now so get junkin' and send them in. I've added prizes for kids too! I'll be doing a bigger announcement mid-September or so.

Labels: junk-a-doodles, pumpkin-junkin

See. It did help showing my logo to the world. I took action! I'm getting everything together for my licensing push. I have a meeting with an attorney tomorrow about it all and then I'll start making some contacts and getting my work out there. The site is coming but I need to figure out a few things before it goes live. I have a pretty big client wish list so here's hoping they like my work!

Labels: HOLLi CONGER designs, licensing

Added a little to it today for a home page marker. The button and nut seem to fit me a little better. The other one seemed a little too plain and sweet.

I ran across illustrator Amanda Shepherd on childrensillustrators.com last week and followed that to her site and then her etsy shop. I purchased the 2 pieces below for my inspiration board. I am so not a cat person but these really caught my eye since she used type in her work like I do.

The second piece is an ACEO which is something I've been pondering for a long time and has been on my "possible" to-do list this year. I love little small works of art but am not up on the ACEO craze. I just know they are cool and several people collect them. Still not sure if I'll make any or not, but I love having little Cecil & Cece as inspiration.