Adventures of Minco

ASK Magazine

2011-12-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Guess what? I can finally show you something! Recently I was published in ASK magazine for kids. I illustrated an article about archeologists using the internet and local citizens to help them find the long lost burial site of Genghis Khan. I'm currently working on a new article for them, this one about a new discovery in space.

BIG NEWS!

2011-10-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Well! I have been very MIA lately because the last several weeks have been dedicated to a big development in both my artistic career and life. I am now a designer at CR Gibson, a company in the gift industry focusing on paper goods and products such as stationary, photo albums, and gift wrap, although we also tackle everything from decorative ipod cases and melamine dish ware to purses and aprons. My first week has been a wonderful learning experience when it comes to art licensing and the gift industry. I've had to move from Rhode Island to Nashville, Tennessee (spent some of my childhood in Nashville), and so far the area has been beautiful and full of wonderful experiences, plus family and old childhood friends.

In other news, I am working on a CD cover for children's music and a new children's product which I am not at liberty to talk about. It's wonderful that I can still pursue these freelance interests on the side when time allows.

Still settling into my room, which is pretty much boxes and more boxes. The two cats that share my house like to hang with me, which I think is funny since I'm more of a dog person (don't get me wrong, they're cool and I love them). They have proved to be everything from breakfast companions to fuzzy alarm clocks.

Looking forward to week number two! FYI, CR GIbson is still looking for about 3 new designers, so if you have some digital savvy and a love for Illustration and/or design, send in your resume!

I promise there is new work!

2011-08-16T12:49:00.000-07:00

Whoooooa, summer has gone by so fast, mainly because the 6 week RISD Pre-College program takes over my life (in a good way). I haven't really shared anything lately, but I promise new work exists! In the last few weeks I've done some fun holiday stationary for Paper Culture, as well as a children's editorial about Genghis Khan (insert Kirk's famous "KHHHHAAAAAN!!") for ASK Magazine and a book cover for girls in the YA market.

The truth is, a lot of stuff I just can't show because it hasn't been printed yet. The sneak preview above is all you're gonna get for now, but I promise I will post things as they become available.

In other news, Williams-Sonoma bought five illustrations from me that may be used for spatulas this Halloween season (I say "may" because those companies buy tons of work and just throw it in their "art vault". They may use one of my illos this year, all of them, or none of them. Not sure). I'm hoping at least one got printed this season, because using something that you've illustrated is an awesome feeling.

July 4th

2011-07-04T08:34:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July!

I'm busy working with two new clients- the wonderful Paper Culture and ASK Magazine through Carus Publishing. Hotdogs and fireworks for all.

Spread the Word

2011-05-24T12:03:00.001-07:00

Looks like we're getting close to summer. I finished a job for Williams Sonoma and will be working on a book cover soon. This year I will also be teaching Illustration at RISD Pre-College, which I'm very excited about. This will be my fifth year- and I've loved teaching Design Foundations- but to teach the subject that I actually...you know, make a living with will be exciting. Plus it's just nice to have a change.

Surtex was great this year, and I left with a lot of inspiration and new ideas. There should be several things to post in the next few months!

Brushing Beauty

2011-03-28T13:05:00.001-07:00

I'm really digging this newer painting, which is another adventure into constructing my images through abstracted space, pattern and color rather than thinking of my environments traditionally. People must like it, because I had 28 promotions in one day after it was posted on society6 (I think the highest I've ever gotten so quickly is 12, to put it in context). What is NOT posted is the first version, which was just wrong, wrong, WRONG. The figure, the colors...even the size was just plain wrong. It's bizarre how one day you can try to create something and inspiration doesn't strike, only to have a completely different creative energy the next day. In the end...I win! Take that, painting.

See "Tea Party" at Hive Gallery!

2011-03-09T08:09:00.000-08:00

People in the LA area can see my painting at Hive Gallery's Second Annual "Alice in Wonderland Show!" I was so happy to work with Nathan and Romina again and am looking forward to future collaborations. Check out the link above for more details and directions.

"Tea Party" was fun to make. After the past couple of years, I'm starting to realize that I handle my illustrations more from a design point of view. I am especially happy with how the graphic elements combine with the more spacial elements (such as the receding table) and start to create a harmonious marriage between flatness and dimensional space.

Yee Haw!

2011-02-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

The Illustration Department at Montserrat College of Art is having a gallery show currently. The theme this year was "Wild Wild West", and I just had to do a saloon girl.

Catch Up...Ketchup...

2011-02-16T13:04:00.000-08:00

Looking back at older posts, I realized there is a lot of art I've been meaning to show but wasn't able to at the time due to publishing dates, etc.

So let's do some catch up, shall we?

The first one is a piece I did for a client based on the premise of solar energy and going green. Hopefully you could tell those are solar panels on the plant mixed in with the leaves. When I was looking up reference I wondered what the average person thinks of when they hear "solar panel" and if it's anything like the real thing. On a side note, I have to put more beehive hair do's in my work.

And next is a piece that was in my solo show at Gulu-Gulu Cafe back in November. I'm happy to say that it sold and is now in a permanent home!

Character Game!!!

2011-02-06T23:31:00.000-08:00

My boyfriend and I have a friend visiting, and we started doing this exercise where we give each other 10 characters to draw. It was a lot of fun after a long day of work, but also an interesting chance for me to apply my style to different faces. Anyway, here they are! Mine are at the beginning and our friend's doodles follow.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T09:54:00.001-08:00

The holiday season has come and gone, and it was great to be down in Texas with family for a while. Even with all the craziness, I found it to be a good time to achieve some clarity on issues (and isn't that a great way to start the year- with clarity?).

I'm back in Providence and some gallery appearances await my artwork, including the department show at Montserrat College of Art where I'll be showing as faculty. The theme? Wild Wild West! Around the same time, the RISD Faculty Biennial will be up in the mueseum. I think the piece above is the one I will submit for that show.

Awesomeness all around AKA December is here?!?

2010-11-29T10:07:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was spent in warm, sunny Florida where my boyfriend and I WENT TO UNIVERSAL STUDIOS ISLANDS OF ADVENTURES AND SAW THE HARRY POTTER WORLD! Even though my fandom for the series has settled into a comfortable fondness (10 years ago I would have been one of those fans who had to buy the t-shirt....and the scarf...and the hat...etc, etc), I truly enjoyed seeing the series brought to life. Plus, the tiny kids in wizard robes were adorable (note: those robes are $100 each. Mom and Dad's bank account was hurting after that vacation). It was so crowded that we did not get to venture into the stores, just the rides (since we were staying at a hotel on site, our room key got us to the front of the lines, baby!). I hope to post some pictures soon.

Now I'm back in Providence, and it's mind-boggling how much stuff I have to do before I go home for Christmas! My RISD and Montserrat students are finishing up their semester, I have some commissions to take care of, and there is a secret project I'm starting (shh) for a company in NYC. Oh, and let's not forget holiday shopping! Still have to get those gifts...

Respect The Mullet!

2010-11-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Currently I am trying to get a new 5"x7" mailer made. One was just sent out with Sedna on the front (see post below), but I usually try to make two different mailers so that I can attract different clients. I had sketched out "Mullet" a long time ago and shelved it only to come across the sketch again a year or two later. It was something that I found silly and fun (and it also featured a guy- something that I could always use more of in my portfolio), so it's the "other" mailer this time around. I'm hoping the different flavor might attract some new art directors.

The Giant Fox

2010-11-02T08:06:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to announce that I have received my copy of Oh, Comely that includes my Lost & Found piece. The UK magazine is beautifully published, and I love the overall look and feel of it (online mags will never have that satisfying weight to them, ya know?). The current issue of Utne Reader also has an editorial piece from me (Nelson Mandela is on the cover!), so take a peek if you come across it. I produced a spot illustration for them, but I hope in the future to do a nice, meaty big one-page illustration or spread and give them a big dose of Minco.

For now, please enjoy a new piece I have done called The Giant Fox. It s based off of an inside joke/story between my boyfriend and I. At night, The Giant Fox come down from Boston and pokes his head in our apartment window. He has a giant basket which is full of treats (sometimes beer, pizza, or tea depending) and we enjoy the goodies until he returns. We're huge dorks.

Brains!

2010-10-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

My favorite piece I painted for the RISD sale!

It's Cocoa Season

2010-10-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy I can show something new! Lately I have had several projects finished, but I can't show anything because they haven't been published by the clients, etc. So while I'm waiting for those illustrations to come out to the world, I will treat you to this piece. It is based on an Inuit Creation Story about Sedna, a giantess who grows so large and hungry that her parents are forced to throw her into the sea. According to the myth, she now provides the people with food during the fishing season.

The future projects I hope to post soon include an illo for UK's Oh, Comely Magazine, a piece for a solar energy convention, and a spot illustration for Utne Reader.

On another note, I will be present at the RISD Alumni Art Sale this Saturday, October 9th. It's held in Providence along Benefit Street. If you are in the area please stop by!

Fall is sneaking up on me...

2010-09-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have been BUSY this past month, but only have one thing to show right now. At least he's peppy (and already has his puffy vest and long sleeves for Fall!).

Just finished an illustration for Utne Reader. I got to work with their awesome Art Director Stephanie Glaros. I will be able to post the image when it comes out (Novemberish).

Today I am finishing up an image for a new magazine in the UK called Oh Comely. I have a lot of freedom with this one, so it should be interesting. The theme is "found things" and is about discovery. Oooooo...

“Did you know that you wanted to go to art school?”

2010-08-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Me with my Basic Design students, RISD PC Illustration Majors

Even though it’s been a while since I last posted, it’s not due to a lack of things to talk about. Five RISD pre-college classes and 71 students brought a lot of great projects, silly moments, and a few heart to heart talks with unsure young artists who are trying to answer that all important question that is dominating their existence at the moment: what do I study in college?? Many assumed the six week program would answer that question crystal clear… and for some that did happen. For others, however, the whirlwind and intensity of the semester just confused them even more. It’s amazing how often I heard the same question thrown my way:

“Did you know that you wanted to go to art school?”

Yes, I did. I didn’t know what major I wanted to choose (odd fact: I thought I was going to go into Apparel), but I knew I wanted to go to art school and later chose RISD. Now, let me stress that I knew I wanted to go to art school. Meaning I wanted to learn…meaning I knew I had potential but still sucked to high heavens when it came to specific areas in art. Whenever you decide to pursue something in higher education, it’s because you usually have a deep interest and passion for it. ‘Nuff said. People who love learning French in high school know more than the average bear (or me), but that doesn't mean they are experts. Twelve-year-olds interested in Medical school aren’t taking small reptiles and performing kidney transplants in the family garage (we hope). However, when it comes to art school I find my students and many others think you have to be already amazing to get in. It’s true that you have to draw more than a stick figure, but obviously if you already knew everything about art than you wouldn’t have to go to an art college in the first place, so don’t stress it if you’re a little rough around the edges.

There was also another important factor with my decision to go to art school. First of all, let me say that I did not think I was amazing at the age of 17. Yes, I thought I had a knack for art and enjoyed making it. Going to art school just “made sense”, but more importantly, I had no doubts about pursuing a higher education in art because I truly felt like I had faith in myself no matter what I pursued. I could have been a chef, a meteorologist, or a DJ and I think I would have approached it with the same positive attitude- that with hard work, time, and patience I could be successful. With something like art, It’s easy to romanticize it into some sort of magical ability…either you have “it” or you don’t, but in the end it’s about those values that Mom and Dad tried to drill into us when we were in elementary school: study, do your homework (well), and apply yourself 100%. No pixie dust needed.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you are now…it’s how hard you push to be where you want to be in the future.

Summer, Oh Summer...

2010-06-30T12:52:00.000-07:00

July is almost here and a lot has happened. I visited my family in Texas for three weeks, started teaching RISD pre-college, and found out I will be teaching "Image Design" in the RISD illustration Department this Fall. The summer is starting off with a joyous bang.

I hang with suspicious company

2010-05-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Above are a couple of examples of the small paintings I sold at the RISD Alumni Sale. I especially like the colors in the second one, which I lovingly call "Fang".

Currently I am working on a painting for the Summer Illustration Show at Silver Circle Studio in Putnam, CT. They have a great gallery there and the local community is very supportive of New England artists. I'll post the final product soon, which is based on the theme "Midnight Vices" (Oooooo).

Folk Skull Print

2010-05-25T08:10:00.000-07:00

Sharing some surface design work today. The smiling skulls were done in Illustrator by hand-tracing sketches, and the floral print is a scanned ink drawing that was colored in photoshop. The second one is my favorite.

Surtex dancing in my head...

2010-05-21T07:25:00.000-07:00

A hotel in New Jersey is not where I'd thought I would be a week ago, but having a change of environment can be good for the artist that is constantly tied to their home studio. My boyfriend had to travel for RISD, so I happily came along to get a break from my messy drafting table.

Surtex had some really good stuff this year- not as many cheesy snowmen or beach scenes. No, there were many artists that I liked and I can definitely see my style of illustration entering the surface design market. However, I realized that the trick is going to be fitting in while not fitting in too much. Basically, I still need to stand out in some way (in a good way, of course) and not loose the flavor of my illustrations.

I also have been practicing and struggling and practicing...and struggling some more with how to make my surface design. My illustrations are paintings and that works great, but for the SD market vector art is popular and also much easier to manipulate color-wise, etc. Obviously you can scan in traditionally-painted artwork and manipulate it in photoshop, but indexing the color and clean up is much more frustrating for me, and in the end my work can have this stale look to it after the process. I'm working on a print in Adobe Illustrator today in the lobby and hope to post that soon. Here I come, pen tool!

Happy Birfday To Me...

2010-05-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

May 2nd was my birthday, but it was celebrated this past Saturday with friends. Because of this, my clock is kinda thrown off and it's weird to think we're pretty well into May. Currently I am wrapping up classes (congrats to my Montserrat students who did awesome!) and putting things together for the 2010 Surtex and National Stationary Show this Sunday in NYC. Last year it was smaller due to the economy, so I'm hoping that it has grown back to its former glory. There are a few key companies/people I plan to say a quick hello to, and I always enjoy discovering new trends and ideas while I'm browsing. Perhaps I will actually pay for one of the seminars this time around? Might have to play that by ear...

When It Rains It Pours

2010-04-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

I've been absent during the past month, but for good reason. I JUST finished up a freelance job for SOWA Open Market in Boston and am starting to collaborate with a company that works with artwork used for retail. This would include illustrations for storefronts as well as ready-to-hang stretched high end prints like you see in Target or Urban Outfitters. Clients working with this company include some of my favorite stores, so I'm very excited. Details right now are on the down low.

In the meantime, I am working on some personal projects as well as my website and an upcoming mailer (is it mailer time already?). However, my last two big jobs I got were via email submissions through company websites, so don't be shy about contacting Art Directors that way! Just make sure you read the submission policy and follow their rules. Anyway, below are two different possibilities for the back of my May mailer. The front will most likely be my newest painting of my cat hoodie girl in front of the row of houses (see post below). What do you think??

New clients!

2010-03-24T10:26:00.000-07:00

I'm finally posting some new work! A lot of news (some I can talk about some I can't), but I've been contacted by two new and exciting clients: Boston's SoWa Open Market for website illustrations and another hush hush client interested in illustration and surface design. I've also set up a summer gallery show in East Boston at Cafe 303 with a good friend of mine.

So much to do!

Take a Hike!

2010-02-26T09:30:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Friday! It's snowy and grey, but I'm hoping to get started on a new piece I'm very excited about. In other news, I will be be one of two guest faculty members presenting at the RISD Pre-College Open House. It's March 6th and I'll get to show off all the great work my past students have done.

Tweedle Dear and Tweedle Doll

2010-02-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post! This piece was mailed off to Hive Gallery in LA. It's an Alice in Wonderland themed show (man those are popular with the new movie coming out). I chose to do my female interpretation of Tweedle Dee and Tweddle Dum, hence turning them into Tweedle Dear and Tweedle Doll.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T12:25:00.001-08:00

Happy Heart Day. For some, February 14th is a mess of capitalism and cheesy stuff animals, but my boyfriend and I see it as a friendly reminder that we should pick up a nice bottle of wine and forget about work for a while. This morning I painted him the little valentine above. I should explain- my nickname in the relationship is "squirrel". Although it sounds very cute, I actually got the title because I'm a total SPAZ when crossing the street (like a squirrel: right. left. hop to the right some more. freeze. RUN). He became known as "Woodchuck" (depending who you ask that came about for different reasons, although I think neither one of us knows 100% anymore). The apartment is littered with woodchuck drawings, but I don't have a scan. However, I realize that I basically draw him as a big round fuzzball that looks kind of like Totoro, so that will do for the sake of this entry.

BEHOLD:

Surface design is my new friend

2010-02-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

Some surface design experiments from this past Fall. I have thought about making one of these into a new notebook/journal, but I'm not sure...

Enormous Tiny Art Show!!!

2010-02-08T10:02:00.000-08:00

I don't think I've posted "Toy", right?? Well, it is one of a handful of my paintings in Nahcotta's seventh Enormous Tiny Art Show (Lovingly called ETA7 for short). Check out the event's website and the other fun artists here. Nahcotta is located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and the show ends early March.

Mermaids make me think of warmer weather

2010-02-03T10:14:00.000-08:00

This Mermaid was a small painting that went off to a gallery show in Florida. Mmmmm...Florida. Probably a weenzy bit warmer than Rhode Island right now. More paper umbrellas and plastic monkeys, too.

After a cozy morning of Kitchen Nightmares (Ramsey!) and a cup of tea, I'm going to work on my mailers now that I know exactly what I want to do. They are going to be a bit bigger, 5"x7" instead of your standard 4"x6". A bit pricier, but I'm not buying as many and have had fellow illustrators recommend the extra room. Another decision is to do two instead of one. Since I've edited my client list down I don't have to break the bank doing multiple mailers. The second one will be the sushi piece I posted a while ago (yum).

The longest Monday of them all....

2010-01-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks I've been hiding in my studio avoiding January. Oh January, you are the Monday of the year. It's also a good time for fresh starts, and for me that means reviewing my client list, focusing my portfolio towards my most successful markets, and preparing a new mailer.

I noticed that it looks like some of my newer students have already started following my blog (which of course I promise to update more). Hello! I look forward to meeting you. Start warming up your pencils...

Feliz Navidad

2009-12-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

I've been distracted with the holidays and everything else on my list wrapping up (ha, no pun intended!). With George Michael's "Last Christmas" filling my head and The Muppet Christmas Carol screening multiple times, I'm happy to share this sushi-inspired piece before family, friends, and fruitcake take over.

On a side note, I will be participating in a small Art Sale on December 16th at Waterplace Condos in Downtown Providence. The sale starts at 4:00.

Happy Holidays!

New Work.

2009-11-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

New work! Always a joy to show new stuff (people like pictures better anyway). The top one is for a great Surface Design continuing education class I'm currently taking. This semester deals with hand painted work and then next semester utilizes using the computer. This means that I'm really trying to focus on designs and textures right now that can't be done on the computer with a simple "repeat" function. Luckily, I have enjoyed discovering many wonderful surface designers out there who make organic designs that don't have a particular repeat or pattern.

The second piece just took me a long time to scan (it was for the Summer RISD faculty show). I'll be showing it next week at West Side Arts Gallery in Providence.

In other news, Craftland in downtown Providence has sold two of my paintings as well as a bunch of prints and journals. It's a great feeling to get that check in the mail every month! Thanks to Craftland and the gang.

Princess Sticker Book for Galison/Mudpuppy.

2009-10-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

I was pleasantly surprised the other day to see that Galison/Mudpuppy has my Princess Sticker book listed online at their site. This was a project I worked on January 2009 for their Fall line- it's full of quirky princesses, royal pets (you know animals always think they rule the house), dragons, castles, plus lots of accessories including tiaras, flowers, and shooting stars. I had a great experience making it and I'm so excited to see it in person. You can see the full listing on Galison's website.

New Prints on Society6.com

2009-10-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

The truth is that I don't carry as many prints as I use to (sorry, sorry...I know). While a few are on etsy, I am happy to say that two more are available through Society6, an online community that now allows artists to sell high quality art prints through a professional third party. It's a real steal; a nice 17"x21" art print with trim is only about $32.00. Feel free to follow the link above and take a peek. All you have to do is scroll down until the two images show up and click on the orange "buy" icon.

Oh, and on another note: I will have a piece up in Soho this month! It is for a charity event and I'll be posting more information later.

Ed2010: "Digital Age"

2009-10-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

This was a piece for Ed2010.com about editors transitioning into the digital age and abandoning the ways of print. Ironically, the topic also effects myself along with the entire illustration field as more magazines and publications are tying to move content online (for some it is a modern choice while for others a financial move). As I was working on this, I couldn't help but chuckle because my illustration students had recently worked on a very "businessy" illustration for an editorial assignment. You know, suits and ties...people in offices....it's hard to think of something not obvious and still very much artistically "you" when working with some of these topics. It was my turn! In the end I was very happy to have my editor out of the office and still very much in my world. I will say if there is one difference doing online illustration, it's that the images are usually TINY, although this one ended up looking good (and clear) in its small format. Love the color, and those are my cowboy boots.

Updates for Fall

2009-09-24T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello. I'm happy to say that I am plugging away on new work and opportunities. Here is what is happening...

* Three shows coming up in Rhode Island, Florida, and New Hampshire. Details on those dates as they get closer.

* Another job for Ed2010 that will be posted soon. I'm rather happy with how it's coming out- I think it has mailer potential.

* The Fall RISD sale is October 10th and I'm working on small 5"x7" originals to sell. They are very quick and fun, and I usually get to experiment with some new things. You can see one below that turned out cute.

* My website is updated!

* Star Trek waffles rock. They are egos with a flat middle where illustrations are printed in edible ink. Currently I am eating Earth and Kirk, but I'm waiting for Spock one of these mornings. C'mon, Spock waffle!

Illustrator meeting

2009-08-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

I. Have. So. Much. To. Do.

Well, maybe I exaggerate a bit...but I am busy. My mailers are in and I'm pouring over my client list to edit and update- so far I've weeded out several people that I realize I'm just wasting mailers (and stamps) on. I actually will try to be more heavy on the publishing side this round. However, not for picture books, just more juvenile covers for young adults and novelty items. I FINALLY got Dreamweaver back, which means that my poor website can be updated with a bunch of new work that has only appeared on my blog.

Oh, and did I mention I start teaching college again on Monday?

In other exciting news, I am meeting tonight with some local illustrators to have a drink, talk shop, and share some war stories. One is Allison Cole, who is an illustrator, Art Director at Providence Monthly, and also runs the awesome online store Bang Bang You're Thread that has everything from her illustrated stationary and comics to handmade bags and wallets. Along for the ride is also Jyll Ethier-Mullen who runs the West Side Arts Gallery in Providence. We hope to join forces, combine our illustrative power, and...eh, you get the point.

Allison Cole

Jyll Ethier-Mullen

Craftland

2009-08-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

These paintings will be available at Craftland in Providence, RI. Going to be away until next week (my mom is in town and I'm looking forward to it!).

OTAD update

2009-08-14T10:06:00.001-07:00

Self-Portrait, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

One Thing a Day (OTAD) is working well. I'm moving on to revamping my website and creating some new paintings that will go up as portfolio pieces ( they will also be for sale in Providence at Craftland).

Above is an image from...ooooh, 2004? It was my sophomore year final for my first oil painting class. A little different from my current work, isn't t?

New Mailers

2009-08-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

Here they are! I'm switching up things a bit this time around, but nothing crazy. The text in front does not have the huge LAUREN MINCO like before- just going with the email and website (both have my name, do I really need the large one? Probably not). I also have them not centered, and so far I think it looks a little more streamlined than before. The back is full color this time, and I really like my suitcase guy as a spot illustration (he was part of larger painting). I think these images are a nice balance, and whether I'm sending something to a teen publication or a more adult market, I should have something for everyone.

Look Ma, No Paint!

2009-08-11T12:07:00.001-07:00

I finished my new mailers last night and sent them off to be printed.

Meanwhile, I forgot to post this final I had to do for a Continuing Education Adobe Illustrator class I took. No Live Trace here! Mostly the pen tool and basic shapes. We had to recreate a vintage crate label.

One thing a day (aka Operation OTAD!!)

2009-08-10T09:55:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm back from a whirlwind trip to both Philadelphia and New York City, I am looking forward to a week at home in my studio and at the computer. RISD pre-college has wrapped up (fun as always), and in August I have time to shift my attention towards freelance and galleries before Fall teaching springs back into action.

This August I'm trying something new. Obviously, I'm always working on teaching, freelance illustration, or gallery work, but the truth is that I do alternate between the three, sometimes days (or weeks) separating the "shifts". This Fall, I hope to do one thing each workday (Monday-Friday) focusing on my freelance work in order to really push that area of my life. This includes working on my new website, creating a portfolio piece, sending mailers, or just buying stamps. I'm calling it Operation One Thing A Day, or Operation OTAD for short. I don't have a particular goal, just to stick with this philosophy and hope that I see big pay off once Christmas rolls around (for the sake of the "experiment", let's say Mid December is when I'll look back and reflect on my progress).

I invite you, dear reader, to join me no matter what your objective is. You could even try one thing a week (OTAW??) if that fits your lifestyle better. Today my goal is to work on my new mailers. Stay tuned, because I hope to be posting regularly.

Goodbye July

2009-07-30T09:23:00.001-07:00

Portrait of the Artist, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Well, it's my day off and I've watched my episode of Hell's Kitchen on Hulu and managed to roll over my toe with my office chair. Hard to believe that August is right around the corner, especially since it felt like summer in a way passed us by. It's been so cool and rainy that you wonder if next month will fade willingly into Fall or if August will try to cram all the heat and sun it can.

I'm getting ready for two shows- one in August in Santa Monica based off of the theme "Toy", and one at 1301 Gallery in Omaha for September. Since teaching in the Summer takes a lot of time away from marketing, I look forward to getting new mailers out around this time of year. I've already decided on the images- one will be the Sonic Youth piece created for Plan B (which is for sale in my etsy store) while the other will be a masked guitarist for the tween/teen market. Hope to get those images up in the next couple of weeks as well as some new paintings.

Goodbye Plan B

2009-07-14T09:11:00.000-07:00

Can we talk about where I've been? It's been so hectic around here that I'm ashamed I've ignored my bloggity blog. Here's a quick update along with some notes.

* Goodbye to Plan B Magazine in the UK. Because of the economy, they made the hard (but noble) decision to end on a high note instead of sacrificing their quality and vision. I worked with Andrew, their Art Director, over the last year and admired all the artists who provided their art for free to help support the magazine when times got tough. I wish all the Plan B employees luck in starting a new chapter in their lives.

* I will have another piece in a group show in LA for August. You can see my work in Providence at West Side Arts this month.

* Working on another illo for Providence Monthly, this one about Providence Pin-up, a local studio that recreates custom photos for you with that pin-up feel.

* I am teaching Pre-College again this summer and that has taken up most of my time, but I love it!

* Goodbye to the King of Pop, a talented artist and entertainer. The first item of music I ever owned was when my mom bought me Dangerous as a cassette tape, and that was on anytime we were in the car. ANYTIME. I'm pretty sure I demanded it.

To New York or Not to New York??

2009-06-27T13:01:00.000-07:00

If you were to shoot back to the early 90’s, the freelance illustration world would seem very different. Artists were dropping off portfolios around the clock only to turn around and pick them up at the end of the day or the follwoing week. New York City was the place to live and get in touch with Art Directors. Thankfully, the Internet decided to come along and things became a lot easier. Artists could set up a website for AD's to visit at their leisure, and the blessing of email made sending information and finished illos a breeze. Furthermore, artists no longer had to be in The Big Apple if they wanted to work for top companies. Whether you lived in Juno, Alaska, or right by Times Square, one could take a stab at doing freelance from any corner of the world. It’s 2009 now, and illustrators' bios put them all over the globe. Plenty are still in New York City, and I asked many of my illustration colleagues and friends what it’s like to be an illustrator in NYC today, and more importantly, do they think it’s necessary in this industry?

Please note that this article is about freelance illustration only (editorial, book, etc) and excludes artists who are interested in the gallery scene (that’s a whole ’nother ball game!).

I thought when I asked my New York friends about working in the city most would be more than happy to say that nothing could replace being so close to such an illustration hub. Imagine my surprise when quite a few said that they had never met any of the AD’s they’ve worked with in person, that direct mailers and a personal website were still their way to get their name (and artwork) out there. One cannot argue that the networking abilities in places like NYC are grand. The possibility of running into a friend, or a friend of a friend who knows a guy at so and so company who needs an illustrator will be greater when you’re sipping a $14 martini downtown rather than where my parents are at in Aledo, Texas. Of course, this means that you have to be a little outgoing and willing to seize those chances. New York can’t help you unless you leave the apartment, you know, or at least keep your ears open.

Things on my mind about taking the NYC plunge!

1) The illustrators I asked all said the same thing: they like The City. They love the energy. However, no one said that their location was about providing an increase in work- it was just about preference. One top illustrator said that you should really work wherever you are happy and inspired. For him it just happened to be Brooklyn, but for someone else it may be a small town in Montana. NYC and it's surrounding areas are perfect for some, Hell to others.

2) Remember that the pay is the same for freelance jobs no matter where you are based. A $1500 check for me in Providence lasts a lot longer than it would for my Park Slope friend. Of course, this goes back to the idea that living in NYC would result in more opportunities, but even if you were so lucky, are you breaking even with the increase of living cost?

Food for thought my illustrator friends- I would love to hear your opinions and feedback. Rest assure that many of my illustration buddies and acquaintances are happy to have NYC as their playground and wouldn’t trade it for anything. For those of us not lining up to move anytime soon, a computer, scanner, and Internet connection are all you need to poke an AD. Good luck!

Slow Down!

2009-06-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

I painted and painted until all 12 illustrations were done for GL magazine! I'm guessing these are suppose to be reprinted pretty small (The AD said simple illos, but not icons). My estimate is little 3"x3" or 4"x4" spots. I need to start painting for a show in CT, and Bitch Magazine has contacted me for another illustration...one about nannies on TV. I haven't painted a nanny before! Sweet.

Hello Summer

2009-06-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

For anyone working in the tween/teen market, I feel like Girl's Life Magazine is one of those clients you should cross at least once. I was happy to speak with their AD today about a Back To School article they're doing on first day jitters and such. The assignment calls for 12 images dealing with the usual school drama (which hasn't really changed much) such as making friends, dealing with upperclassmen, and lordy lordy, WHAT to wear????? The assignment is due next week, so hopefully I'll have some sneak peek images up soon.

Meanwhile, in LA I just had a painting go up at The Hive Gallery. It's my first West Coast appearance!

Woop!

2009-05-22T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'm off to Disney World! Afterwards chilling with friends and family in Florida and then Texas. Pardon me if I'm gone for a few weeks...

Surtex

2009-05-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

Bike, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

It's a quiet, cloudy Thursday- perfect for a sweatpants-kind-a-day of preparing for the Surtex stationary and licensing show in NYC this Sunday. I'm hoping to have three custom "packages" for Dark Horse, Chronicle, and Lilla Rogers Studio, and then I'll be making some simpler packets for other people I run into during the show (and by packets I mean let's put all my 4"x6" mailers in a clear envelope and hope art directors don't chuck them in the trash the first moment they get).

I went last year and it definitely was a crazy time. First of all- it's HUGE. I've never seen a more concentrated grouping of patchwork snowmen, beach landscapes, and cute critters trying to teach me my ABC's. I'm crossing my fingers and wearing walking shoes. Wish me luck!

Sonic Youth for Plan B Magazine

2009-05-12T10:59:00.001-07:00

Sonic Youth, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Hey look, a band you've actually HEARD of! Is Sonic Youth still kickin' it? Good for them. I remember them back in the 90's when I was still in elementary school playing four square and wearing stirrup pants.
This will be a spread for Plan B, so of course I'm very excited to see it published. The process was a little weird, because the Art Director and I had no mp3's or article to go off of. In fact, the only phrase I got was "heavy ass weirdo hooks". Fortunately, I was able to get a track list forwarded in order to give me some inspiration. The songs I borrowed from were "Calming the Snake" and "Leaky Lifeboat (For Gregory Corso)".

Bacon is the new Black

2009-05-10T19:59:00.001-07:00

bacon, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Wow. What a weekend. May 2nd was my birthday, and this weekend my boyfriend surprised me THREE TIMES with special guests in Providence to celebrate with me! Friends from New York came up and totally took me by surprise Friday night when we came back from Star Trek (it was really good), where at first I thought burglars were in our apartment. However, these would have to be stupid burglars to leave every frikkin' light in the apartment on, so my next conclusion was that there was something wrong like a gas leak and our landlord had let himself in. I flung myself out of the truck and realized my friend's car was parked outside and finally caught on. Sure enough, people were inside drinking pabst and enjoying wii golf.

So I must say, good job! It truly was the best birthday ever.

Beauty Counter for Providence Monthly

2009-04-26T09:51:00.001-07:00

Beauty Counter, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Yikes, I haven't been around much! Thanks to AD Allison Cole for another whack at illustrating for Providence Monthly (it's so nice to see my artwork locally since it's sometimes published far far away from my stomping grounds). This time around it was for an article about shopping at department store cosmetic counters. I'm pretty happy with the with it turned out because:

a) I wanted to try a horizontal composition in a pulled out "scene" with an environment- this was a perfect opportunity.

b) Wanted to try this bluish palette!

c) I have done a lot of different markets so far, but beauty & fashion is something newish that I would like to try with my fun characters. My portfolio needed a piece like this if I ever want to get hired for those jobs in the future. Mexican wrestlers and beheaded girls don't scream COSMO, ya' know.

FYI, May 2nd is not only my birthday (the big 25 that brings in the Quarter Life Crisis I've been told-all the rage), but also the Spring RISD Alumni Sale. I'll be there ALL DAY for once, a rare sight since I'm usually teaching. If you're in Providence that day please swing by Benefit Street!

Das Wanderlust for Plan B magazine

2009-04-09T15:03:00.000-07:00

My latest illustration was another for the UK's Plan B Magazine about the band Das Wanderlust. The article was going to focus on them "fighting the good fight" and remaining strong while being a small indie band in a scary corporate world. I concentrated on this phrase for two of the sketches, one that led to the final. As for the last one (a sort of deity or patron saint of indie bands), both the Art Director and I thought it was really cool but figured it was less appropriate for the article. Maybe next time!

New Notebooks!

2009-04-05T08:29:00.000-07:00

For drawings, grocery lists, and history notes, I now have my new notebooks in the store! They have a 100 blank pages and measure 5.5'' wide x 8.5'' tall. Best of all, they're only $10.

Today is BEAUTIFUL, and I'm planning to take a walk around the neighborhood before I have to chain myself to my desk and work on an illustration for Plan B magazine. I will post those sketches and the final soon.

Holy Birdhouse, Batman!

2009-03-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

It seems like artists everywhere are painting SOMETHING in the name of creating a theme. Whether it was the painted cows that sprang up across the country or one NYC show that called for a series of small taxies to be painted, painting "things" is all the rage right now. So it's no surprise that the show "Home Tweet Home" in NY features custom painted birdhouses. I was surprised how cheap these suckers are to buy on craft sites, and some friends have mentioned that maybe I should put a couple up on Etsy. They make fun art objects I must say. Will mine sell at the show?? Have no idea, but I hope so! If not it will definitely be on Etsy to find a home (tweet home).

Minco/ alamode Collaboration

2009-03-29T11:57:00.001-07:00

Minco/ alamode Collaboration, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

My friend Linda from alamode made these cute necklaces with my art in them! There are only a few, and hopefully in April they'll be in my shop (unless they sell before that time at an April 4th show). We have wanted to work on something for a while, but at first I was a little stumped with how to use the circle. At first it was just small icons, but in the end I think the faces worked out in a fun and clever way.

Myself on Avie Designs Blog

2009-03-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

A little interview with me up on Avie Designs. Thanks again, Avis!

Guitar Bandit

2009-03-20T14:15:00.001-07:00

Guitar Bandit, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Guitar Bandit is a new original painting on my etsy store. I'm glad I had fun with him, because now I'm cramming for two different gallery shows- one in St. Louis and the other in New York. With my new teaching schedule, I realize that Thursday and Fridays have to be super productive from now on. Long ago are the days where I'd sit in front of the computer getting lost in the etsy forums or catching up with my favorite TV shows on Hulu. Of course, busy and making money is the preferred way to spend my time! It's just funny that the end of 2008 was so PAINFULLY quiet and 2009 is proving to be a very VERY busy year. Let's just hope it keeps going!

Penelope

2009-03-15T08:24:00.001-07:00

Penelope, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Had a small block of time this past Thursday, so I whipped out a 5"x7" painting. I think for the next RISD sale I would like to create some more complex pieces this size rather than just the ole' character-with-a-flat-color-background-thing. You can find Penelope in my etsy shop.

Providence weather is finally bouncing between the 30's and 40's rather than the 20's and 30's which is nice. I'm already thinking of future warm plans like going to Newport or just taking a nice walk without looking like the little brother from A Christmas Story (ya know..."wait up Ralphie, wait up guys!"). Sigh...

NEW PRINTS!

2009-03-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

My new eco-friendly prints are now at my etsy shop (laurenminco.etsy.com). They were made by iolabs, who has done work for KidRobot, Tiny Showcase, and MOMA. The paper is also made out of bamboo fibers, which is more green than tree-based products. There are only 5 of each image: "Heartbreak" (below), "The Right to Bear Arms", and "oh Yeah". If anything feel free to stop by and visit!

Fat Cat

2009-03-07T21:16:00.001-08:00

Fat Cat, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

The awesome UK culture mag Plan B contacted me recently to do an article for Icelandic band Storsveit Nix Noltes (Fat Cat), which takes traditional songs and warps them with their indie folk influence. Very fun image, and I enjoy the fact that Andrew, the Art Director, lets me just have fun with the imagery without being so direct.

Imago Fem show at West Side Arts gallery

2009-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately I was not able to hit up opening night at West Side Arts in Providence. 3 paintings of mine were up, and joy oh joy, one even sold a couple of hours into the night. As you can see, it was packed! A good shot of my work is below.

(hmmmm...I want her purse.)

Tree Top Gang

2009-03-01T12:22:00.001-08:00

Tree Top Gang, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

This paining I actually did right after I got back from my Christmas vacation, but soon enough I started having so many "real" projects start stacking up that I didn't get around to scanning it until yesterday. Just a fun group of friends, hopefully all with their own fun quirks.

I definitely got my wish when I asked for 2009 to be busy with artistic action. On top of all the shows and recent illustration assignments, I took on another editorial job for UK's Plan B Magazine again. I really like doing work for them because I get to make illustrations of bands and singers that I have never heard of. The one I'm working on now covers this Icelandic folk band that has some funky aspects to it. Sketches will be up next week.

Annnnnnd I'm happy to say that I visited ioLabs and ordered the new prints that will be in my Etsy shop soon. There will be 3 different ones, and I'm very excited about finally getting some high-end, professional prints done of my work. Not only that, but they are printed on an eco-friendly bamboo paper (the process is more green than making paper out of trees apparently). Awesome art AND eco-conscious? Man, you'll be super awesome if you own one of these. I mean, move over Bradgelina. :)

oh Yeah, OR Top Chef Finale!

2009-02-26T11:16:00.001-08:00

oh Yeah, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

This is a painting for an upcoming show at Machines With Magnets Gallery in Pawtucket, RI. I might try to do one more, piece, but I'm not sure! There's so much to do...

WARNING!!! SPOILER ABOUT THE WINNER OF TOP CHEF SEASON 5!

On another note, I was super angry to see Casey sabotage Carla's chances of winning Top Chef season 5. No, Carla! She lost for a reason! So of course, the first dishes that were 100% Carla were well received by the judges, but anything that Casey touched fell flat (or bubbled if it was the souffle). I was hoping Carla would "hold onto the love child!", but in the end she was swayed by Casey and made some bad decisions.

Hosea was my second choice to win, mainly because I dislike Stefan. My friends and I agree that Stefan is uber talented, but we just didn't like him as much due to his cocky attitude (and it oddly mirrored Kenley's lasting negative presence on the most recent Project Runway. Bad attitudes just turn us off I guess). So in the end I tip off my hat to Hosea, but I hope Carla wins the $10,000 "Fan Favorite" prize.

In the words of Carla: "and he wants PEEEEAS!".

Future Products (give me your awesome opinion)

2009-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Even though my Etsy store has all originals right now, I have been inspired by other friends/artists to try making professional prints through iolabs here in Rhode Island. I was printing them myself in 2008, but after a while the operation was too much to fit into my daily life. Sooo, I am making a small run of a few prints and deciding which images should be used for journals! Yup, wonderful spiral bound notebooks will hopefully be in the shop soon as well.

I would love to get some opinions on which images you are attracted to- either as prints, journals, or both. This is just a sampling of imagery, and feel free to visit www.laurenminco.com if you would like to nominate one off my website! Thanks so much for the help everyone.

Sticker Preview, Mudpuppy Press

2009-02-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hey ho everyone. Here is a sneak preview of my sticker book for Mudpuppy Press in New York. The book will contain about 40 stickers on 4 pages repeated twice, so 8 pages total.

I feel like a lot of artists talk about what it's like to work from home and have your studio nearby, but I thought I'd give praise to my mate who deals with living with an artist who has her studio smack dab in the middle of the apartment! He's more of a neat freak, too, so the fact that he was okay with small paintings and my scanner all over our office floor was appreciated. My laundry was drying on chairs for five days and we ate frozen pizzas quite a bit! So thank you, babe. I'm happy to say we had a home-cooked dinner last night and he's enjoying a much more relaxed girlfriend now that there are no more stickers to work on.

Providence Monthly

2009-02-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

I have been gone a loooooong time, but thankfully the stickers are done! I'm hoping to post a couple of them soon for a sneak preview. I've been told the sticker book will be at the gift shows in August and will be officially available January 2010. So, I definitely won't have them for a while, but I can be patient.

On another note, I'm doing a piece for Providence Monthly Magazine. It's a spot for mineral make up, and the AD was nice enough just to let me do pretty much whatever I wanted. I've been curious to try a more monochromatic sketchy look. The sketches are below- I think I'm leaning towards the one with just the brush and no container (less bulky).

Upcoming Events

2009-01-20T12:42:00.000-08:00

Man, if 2008 proved to be sluggish, then 2009 is starting with a bang! I'm lucky to report a string of exciting events and happenings, including....

I am making a Princess Sticker Book for a NY based product company (I think I have to keep some details hush hush until it's out). I'm very excited to know that something I've made will be out in stores (plus, who DOESN'T want to stick miniature versions of their art all over themselves?).

I have a few show appearances coming up...

FEBRUARY 15th, "Tunnel of Love", Genuine Artikle Gallery & Boutique in Ronkonkoma, NY

FEBRUARY 21st, "V-Day", West Side Arts gallery in Providence, RI

MARCH 1st, Grand Re-opening of Cranky Yellow in St. Louis, MO (my art will be available permanently after the show in their new awesome space!)

In the meantime I will be making an appearance this Thursday on a licensing Panel for RISD's Art of Business lecture series. I'm happy to say some of my Arts in RI friends will be there to witness me in business-mode!

"Moonlighting" for Ed2010.com

2009-01-13T09:59:00.001-08:00

Moonlighting, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Here is my first completed job for ed2010.com (you can go there to see it on the homepage). The article was about writers freelancing while not getting caught by their day job. Fate had it that I was messing around with an illustration featuring a "mystery writer", so I pitched it to the AD and luckily she thought it was perfect!

I'm trying to use line sparingly and in different colors, much like some of my earlier work, and I'm playing around with textures and brushstroke like in the yellow background. My favorite part is the contrast between her hair and the black mask. This arrangement with ed2010.com is exciting because I'm hoping to use the opportunity to try some new things. Hopefully the next project will be assigned in the near future.

Happy 2009!

2009-01-05T15:18:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is looking forward to a brand spankin' new year! My clock still somewhat follows the school calendar since I'm a teacher, so I always feel like we're half way through even though it's obviously a new year.

Happy news- Ed2010.com has me now as their new staff illustrator. I'm already working on my first assignment! Also, I'm going to scan some lovely small original paintings that will be on my Etsy store by next week. Make sure to visit soon (link on the left sidebar).

RISD Holiday Sale 2008

2008-12-07T17:26:00.001-08:00

Stylin' Cat Hat, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

I'm at my desk trying to whip up little paintings again for the BIG Holiday Sale December 13th at the convention center in Providence (Please come out!).

Got back from my Thanksgiving vacation...at Disney World!!! So much fun. I even went on that Mission:Space ride that simulates a rocket launch. Ugh, let's just say my group was happy that it was a short ride- any longer and we would have been sick. Houston we have a problem!

The Biro Family

2008-11-24T14:41:00.001-08:00

The Biro Family, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Above is a commission I did for the holidays! It's actually for the same couple who asked for the wedding gift portrait waaaaay back in Spring. I hope the clan enjoys the big surprise.

AAAAAAAAgh. This is just NOT my day. Know where I'm suppose to be??? On a plane. To Florida. Right now. I was so swamped this past month that I got confused and thought I was leaving tomorrow. Of course I have a $120 rebooking fee I have to suffer, and to add insult to injury I found out TODAY I could have booked a ticket for $188 last minute and have been fine. So much for that whole "early bird" philosophy. I just got a big soggy worm. At least the extra $$$ from said commission takes care of my expensive mistake.

Blarg, why do I smoke?

2008-11-12T18:37:00.001-08:00

Blarg, why do I smoke?, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Trying to do some quicker pieces that are more spontaneous and sketchy. Expect some new experiments soon (and no, I don't smoke).

My boyfriend is away, which of course means my sleep schedule will be off while he's gone. Time just blurs when you work from home.

I got to be a reviewer for RISD at Boston's National Portfolio Day! Lots of fun, even though I lost my voice.

Taurus Girl, the Final

2008-11-08T19:57:00.001-08:00

Taurus Girl, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

(I finally got Taurus Girl scanned. Behold!)

I find I've been restless this past week. Lately I've been researching companies, new clients, and galleries. I've sent out a few emails to places hoping for new shows and with some luck a couple will respond positively.

On anther note, I made a sandwich for my boyfriend earlier and now my fingers smell like onions. Hmph. Onion fingers.

Lia Ices for Plan B Magazine

2008-11-06T12:58:00.001-08:00

Lia Ices, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Whew! So this has been a crazy week. Here is the final for Plan B Magazine (you can see the sketch below). All in all I'm pretty happy with the muted palette and use of the ink. Perhaps I will try more of this?

If you are in the Providence area please visit West Side Arts gallery this Saturday 7-10 for an opening that I'm in! It's been the first time in a long time I've been able to make an opening, so I'm psyched.

Working on a couple of commissions and eventually I'll start gearing up for the RISD Holiday Sale. Ana and I got AMAZING booth locations (and we're right next to each other again. Someone on the inside MUST know we're buds). I'll have the small paintings as usual, but there will be some bigger, fancier pieces this time such as "Narrative" and "The Right to Bear Arms" up for grabs.

Plan B Magazine

2008-10-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

I'm working on my first editorial piece for the UK! This means after it's done I can say I am an internationally published illustrator. Only takes one, right?

The assignment is for Plan B Magazine, which is a youthful culture magazine (not the emergency birth control like so many people are quick to notice). I get to do their music section which has been a job I've always wanted. In this issue they're covering female vocalists, and I have to admit I haven't heard of ANY of the bands/artists in the article (but they are all pretty cool). Here are the sketches.

Singer Lia Ices as a songbird.

Hilde Marie Kjersern and her "spooky voice".

Andrew, the art director, gave me permission to do whatever I wanted and in the end he liked the songbird one (so did I). It's due Nov 5th. I'll post the final next week!

Mass Art

2008-10-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

a quick 30 minute sketch I whipped up tonight for a demo I'm doing at Mass Art (yes, that's me). I've done lectures but not really a demo, so that should be interesting. And by "interesting" I mean "boring". :)

Taurus Girl

2008-10-22T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'll have to get a proper scan of this later, but as of right now my new painting is done and I absolutely love it. It's one of the few times I've thought of an idea and have been able to say, "ok brain, get that painting out of your electric noodle-ness and onto paper!" ...and it worked! I really like the colors and some of the new patterns I'm trying out. Also, I got some teeny weeny brushes and they really did some nice things for the face and hair of the girl.

If you're wondering, this is actually a redo of a previous painting from my Senior year at RISD. It was a self portrait inspired by my zodiac sign, Taurus. In the old version she actually just has a bull head- it's not a mask of any sort. For the update I wanted the duality to be there so it could appeal on different conceptual levels. In the end, I also think the image is more interesting having the girl and such a strong vertical presence with her holding the bull head.

Success!

2008-10-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

Oh joy oh joy! The RISD sale was a HUGE success! Thanks to everyone who bought something, especially the doctor who made a BIG purchase for his new office. My friend, Ana, who sells beautiful jewelry also did well, especially since there are many jewelry makers around. I was next to her booth for the first time and was simply amazed how crowded and active her area was for the whole day. I know many people are thinking about art sales right now, and if it's worth it because of the economy, so here is my two cents on why we did well...

* This is "Art & Craft Sale for dummies", but both of us have a very distinct look to our products. Ana and I use very distinctive colors in our lines which helps with branding and making us look professional.

*There are many sales, but do your research and find out what kind of buyers will be there. For instance, the sale Ana and I were in brings in many upper middle class buyers, people who have not been hit as hard economically (or in some cases, at all!). If you are in a smaller area, newer sale (that maybe isn't as on the radar like other seasonal events) or know that the sale attracts a certain audience who doesn't have as much income (college kids, young families, etc) than that's good to know.

*Ana and I make sure our prices cover our overhead and are fair to us, but we also know not to mark up too much just for the sake of marking up. Ana's jewelry is beautiful (and not what I would call cheap) but compared to her competition she was a bargain. Pick a number that feels right for both you AND your customer.

*Don't waste money and you'll rake in more profit! I was tickled to see that Ana's expensive-looking suede displays were actually cardboard structures she had hot glued fabric over. So much cheaper! I have to be cost effective and cheap at this stage of my life. Having something vertical at my table helps to get attention, so I have a table easel holding a large painting of mine. That's all I need, and it's way cheaper than buying display walls. All these things reduce your investment and allow you to enjoy more profit.

Okkie dokkie. Good luck to everyone doing Art& Craft Sales!

RISD ART SALE 10/11

2008-10-09T19:19:00.000-07:00

Whew! All that late night painting has paid off as I get ready for the RISD Art Sale on Benefit Street in Providence! This is just a peek at all my small paintings ready to go (yes, they're originals, not prints). I hear the weather is going to be great, and I hope even though the economy is doing...not-so-peachy, we'll say, that folks will still be looking to score some fun artwork for themselves or others (Christmas shopping HAS started for some, you know). It's this coming Saturday (10/11) from 10am-4pm if you're in the area!

Mission: Impossible

2008-10-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

I am so honored to be featured at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfas t, a blog about books and illustrators! These ladies mean business- check out their awesome blog!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-05T12:51:00.001-07:00

Happy Halloween!, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Yes, I'm a little early with the Halloween business, but everyone can enjoy my spunky witch until the 31st!

On another note, when did postage go up again? Not only do I have to get more postcard stamps because I didn't exactly REALIZE how many clients I have (I just sent out a stack that's seriously at least 5 inches thick. REALLY), but now I have to get those one cent stamps, too. Soon I will send out the second half- magazine clients have been mailed, now I'm working on publishers, licensing, ad firms, etc. My neck is killing me typing all those addresses into label sheets. Ugh!

Little Vampirella

2008-10-02T10:47:00.001-07:00

Little Vampirella, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

There's this site called Project:Rooftop that has artists and illustrators redesign superheroes' costumes... and I love it!! They actually have real judges (the artists, writers, or other people involved with the comic world) and they give their two cents, plus some people really do bring their A game art-wise. The latest challenge was to "revamp" scantly-clad Vampirella, who I remember from my Wizard-reading days. I missed the deadline but was still inspired to try my own version (obviously it's a far reach from the original with her being five and all). I was in a Halloweeny mood so it kinda came out all on its own.

They're in!

2008-09-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

Imagine my surprise on Friday when I came back to find a stack of boxes waiting for me. My postcards! I'm glad to say I'm uber-happy with them (yellow, especially bright yellow, can be a funny color to print, FYI). Today I'm going to Staples, and the premise of buying mailing labels has never been so exciting.

However, for some reason I do get a thrill out of office supply stores. When I was a kid I marveled at all those pads in special colors for special jobs with special little boxes in them to check for special reasons (eh, I think you get the point). So, even now I still like to stroll the aisles looking at stuff and marveling at the super-sized jugs filled with red vines and coffee creamers for office spaces (does our office population REALLY eat that many red vines???).

On another note, I was reminded last night how AWESOME the resources are in two books: Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market and Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market (mine are both 2008 editions). They give you tons of advice, but my pay off is the client list! It tells you who the art director is, what they're looking for, what they're NOT looking for, guidelines, tips from the companies... the first one has everything from magazines and publishers to ad firms and galleries. It makes my Borders trip look like child's play. If you're new (or newish) to the freelance scene, these books are worth it.

Promotional Mailers of Fall 2008

2008-09-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

They're done!

Not only are they done, but I updated my contacts, too! It required a Taco Bell and root beer break, but it's FINALLY DONE! Now I just have to wait for the suckers.

And if anyone is curious, I use GOTPRINT.COM for my printing needs. They are much more affordable than other companies and I have never had a color issue with their products. This post was sponsored by them and the letter G.

From the Vault

2008-09-23T06:36:00.001-07:00

Beep Beep!, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Enjoy "Beep Beep!", which once was a print on Etsy as well as the opening image for my website. Thank you for all your help, old friend.

Even though I have quite a few things happening in October, my mind is already thinking about the end of 2008. I am going to make a portfolio book (the nice printed ones like all my friends had for their grad thesis's. SO nice) and these will be sent out to choice clients. One will definitely be Dark Horse Comics. I saw them this past spring at the Surtex convention in NYC, and the rep there was favorable towards my stuff being used for their products such as stationary. I think my chopped up mermaid and smoking little girls can find a rather nice home and following there. I would be lying if I said I was all ready to go with that. Preferably, I'd like to do two more images for them if time allows- maybe another mermaid (pirate mermaid!) or a superhero-inspired character... obviously not a normal superhero... maybe one playing a guitar...

Society of Illustrators West 47

2008-09-21T14:29:00.001-07:00

Narrative, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

You may be thinking "Hey! She already posted that. Is this a rerun??".

No, dear readers. It's only me showing you my entry for the SOI West 47 competition. This one is going into the "gallery" section because "unpublished" is going to be full of entries. This painting was for 1301 Gallery In Nebraska. I'm hoping that maybe...just maybe I might get accepted. In fact, it's the first year as a real illustrator that I've entered, because usually my money is used for groceries rather than entry fees. Also, for the first time I feel like I have a painting that is ME, and not just me trying to do another portfolio piece and such. Wish me luck- I don't find out until November. Oh, the suspense!

Stan Arrives

2008-09-20T09:01:00.001-07:00

Stan Arrives, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

It's Saturday, my last Saturday before I begin teaching on the weekend. Thank goodness it's not the morning session because I would be exhausted after teaching at Montserrat on Fridays. Today (drum roll please), I will send the mailers out to get printed! No excuses. There will be 3 different cards, some going to more teen/tween market clients and others to more general clients. In the end I'll have 500 of each! Now I just have to update the client list...

The above piece was inspired by a Coconut Records song, one line saying "I wish you could put yourself in my suitcase", and it put some fun imagery in my head. The actual painting is done on a cardboard backing from a used up wax paper palette. Since I was invited to a group show where the theme is "recycle and reuse", I thought I should just make the piece work for the theme.

Express Yourself

2008-09-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

Express Yourself, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Ladies and gentlemen, my website is updated! To celebrate, I'm blogging about a piece that is finally ON the website even though it was made more than a year ago. It didn't get uploaded because the original is 18"x24" and I just never got around to scanning the sucker. Behold it's online debut!

This is based off of an old assignment I had about the phrase "Say Something". To update the concept I simply changed the phrase a little bit to "Express Yourself" (although cue the Madonna song, right?). I really wanted to do the dragon, but for some reason I kept trying to convince myself that it "wasn't meant for my style". At that point I knew it was do or die time. Besides, if I started to doubt myself, I knew I wasn't going to take the necessary risks an artist/ illustrator has to.

Lauren 1, Dragon 0.

Bummer

2008-09-17T12:41:00.001-07:00

Bear Hat Girl, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Well, I'm sad to say that I did not win anything in the Etsy Kid Contest. Thanks to all who supported me! As they say in the film industry, "it's an honor just to be nominated"...

I scanned some more work today and am hoping to have the ole website updated by this weekend. The MAILERS, which have been the bane of my existence lately, should be done by Saturday (or heads will roll). Then I will begin the process of updating contacts at the local Borders, with me on the ground hoping no one sees a woman in her mid 20's peeking inside Teen and Seventeen Magazine for art directors' names , let alone Cat Fancy (seriously, I want to have that magazine on my client list. I mean, Cat Fancy just sounds ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome).

RISD SALE

2008-09-16T11:16:00.001-07:00

Wendy, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

I have to start painting for the Fall RISD Art Sale! Above is one of many paintings I've done in preparation.

Unimportant things on my mind:

1) plane tickets are going to be EXPENSIVE this holiday season.

2) Is "Bones" on Monday night or Tuesday night this Fall? Wait...Wednesday? I think it's Wednesday.

3) I truly do paint too many characters with guitars.

Graphic Designers are your friends!

2008-09-11T08:15:00.000-07:00

If you ever make a promotional mailer, it's great to have some graphic design-savvy friends look over it. They can help you with typography, use of space, and making sure your postcard doesn't come off as I-have-a-copy-of-photoshop-but-can-you-tell-I'm-an- amateur? For this next batch I was working with square images and wanted the images and text to read comfortably but also effectively. Of course your art is the center piece, but remember that overall presentation is very important.

For instance, The above version is the improved version (but "illustration" will be gone from the final design and obviously I will spell my name correctly in the final!). Below is the old one. Some things my buds mentioned...

1) centered text makes you look very inexperienced. That's GD 101 right there. We went with the right justification with the margins.

2) The font I was using had odd spacing, especially with the "i". The new one has more cohesive use of space between the letters.

3) Like I mentioned before, we're taking out "illustration" mainly because I used it as filler. You'd be surprised how much empty space you can have in an area and still have a good design. People who don't know how to do effective GD usually want to make type too big or stuff an area with too much info.

That's it for today! I'll show you the final along with the back sometime next week. :)

Editorial Illustration: What are the Pros and Cons?

2008-09-09T08:32:00.001-07:00

Woodland Girl, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Hey troops,

I thought I'd honor my Editorial Class that I teach by blogging about some pros/cons about the market. This was stuff my students and I discussed in class, and for some of you it might be helpful, for others just interesting.

First of all, editorial illustration can be described as any artwork made to be printed in magazines and/or newspapers. It usually accompanies text with the goal of complimenting or enhancing the topic, whether it's a social commentary or a review of the current Harry Potter Movie.

YOU MAY LIKE EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION IF....

*You are a fast worker.

   Deadlines are quick, usually around 2 weeks.

* You like working on several small projects instead of one big project.

   Some of us are the multi-tasking queens and kings. If you get bored easily, sometimes longer projects (like a children's book that takes a year) will loose your attention and patience. With editorial assignments you can work on several different pieces all at once.

* You want flexible work

   I take the summer off from editorial work simply because I have a very big teaching schedule at that time. If you decided that you need a break or have other obligations coming up in your schedule, you can turn off the editorial faucet and turn it back on when you're ready. Likewise, if it's a slow month you can take on another job or two without making any serious commitment.

YOU MAY NOT LIKE EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION IF....

*You don't play well with others

   If you can't handle an Art Director giving you advice or requesting changes, than don't even try. Team players will do well, but artists that are protective of their work will make the process a living hell.

*You prefer one long project to work on.

   Pretty much the opposite of what was stated above. You won't find 6 month long projects in this field of work, nor can you make a reasonable living just doing one at a time. Successful editorial illsutrators can handle 3 or 4 different projects at once.

* You don't want to actively promote yourself

   Many artists and illustrators fall short of their potential because they simply do not advertise their services! Creating a website or making a portfolio on sites like Altpick.com is a good start, but if you sit back and expect people to just find you...well, don't hold your breath! Meetings, mailers, and other forms of advertisement are also needed and deserve your time and attention. Furthermore, once you get hired by an Art Director, don't expect them to hire you constantly. You have to remind them that you exist!

So that's it folks! Soon I'll be discussing basic skills on promotional mailers for all you artists and illsutrators out there. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Weddings, booze, and art

2008-09-07T13:39:00.001-07:00

The Masked Guitarist, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

I've just returned from a wedding in Maine (which was very lovely) and some other exciting things happened this weekend!

* I've been invited to participate in a group show in downtown Providence during November.

* people still want to buy paintings from me, hooray...and...

*My show form Omaha is over and the 12 year old daughter of the owner loves my mermaid piece (you can see it below). The lass is a little shy about the exposed breast, however, so I've been asked to make a second version, boob-free of course! I am always very honored when it's the younger crowd that falls in love with my work. I think their appreciation of things is very pure and sincere.

Above is a fun little ink sketch that has a simple colored background. I'm experimenting with some pieces like this in my Etsy store and testing how popular they are.

ETA 4 Nahcotta Postcard

2008-09-01T13:54:00.001-07:00

ETA 4 Nahcotta postcard, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

It's pretty cool to see that one of my paintings was used for the Nahcotta Gallery promotional mailer for the upcoming Tiny Art Show. There are some very talented artists that will be displayed in the wonderful space that Nahcotta has in New Hampshire. It's a shame I can't be there for the opening!

Kudos to my college students on Friday. I am happy to say they are a good group and am excited to see what art they produce this semester.

I'm hoping this week to do my mailers (cue soprano-singing angels) as well as do a couple of paintings that are due. One is a commission while the other is just a personal piece that will be on Etsy later. Wish me luck!

The day before....

2008-08-28T09:15:00.001-07:00

Talk to Me, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

In 24 hours I can see myself: I'll be dropping off paperwork, making sure my laptop works with the digital projector in my classroom, trying to scrounge up some coffee, and making copies of assignments . Of course, this will all happen while being mistaken for a student in the office I'm sure.

"The coffee isn't for students, MISS".

"Oh, I'm a teacher. I'm new."

"Oh..."

Meanwhile, what I thought was going to be a laid back day is starting out to be a bit of a whirlwind. I'm doing laundry, getting software up and running on my new laptop after the old one crashed, finishing assignment sheets and paperwork, AND trying to straighten up the apartment because I promised my boyfriend I'd get a head start on tidying up. The last one is a bit annoying because even though I work from home it's hard to explain to him THAT I AM WORKING. No, I'm not just relaxing watching TV, sweetie, and yes, I didn't have time to wash the dishes. I know my office is 20 feet away, but as I said before I am WORKING and I have to pay my half of the rent! Anyway...I'm hoping the rush I'm experiencing will mean I end up finishing early. Go go gadget hands!

Vote for me!

2008-08-26T08:37:00.001-07:00

The Right to Bear Arms, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

I found out that I am a top 40 finalist in the Etsy Kid Contest Art category! Copy the link to vote! It's "The Tiny Artist".

http://www.etsy.com/voter_list.php?room_id=20

As for the image above, It's yet another one for Nahcotta Gallery. I like this one so much I think it's bumped "My Music" for a spot on a mailer. That other one is below if anyone wants to compare the two, any thoughts? This one just seems to be a bit more funky and I think it might reflect my portfolio better.

And yes, it's called "The Right to Bear Arms". nyuk nyuk nyuk...

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

2008-08-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

Rain, originally uploaded by lauren minco.

Whoo! I took a needed vacation for most of August- saw my family in Texas and recharged my batteries. In a week I start teaching Editorial Illustration at Montserrat and I'm trying to get all my paperwork in for this past pre-college session as well as RISD and Montserrat for the Fall semesters (why do W4 forms always trip me up no matter how many times I do them?).

About 3 weeks ago my poor laptop finally died due to a crashed hard drive, but luckily the most important stuff that I use for etsy and such was backed up on my boyfriend's computer. I still lost most of my music and some photos, however. Back up your files, people. RIGHT NOW.

I'm preparing for the September TINY ART SHOW at Nahcotta Gallery in NH. Above is another piece for it, and yesterday I painted a little diddy that might actually replace another painting for a mailer! Imagine that? Beginning of next month will be mailer month, along with painting for the RISD Alumni and Student Art Sale in October. There should be lots of new images on my blog during that time, so come and take a look!