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Here are a couple of designs that were purchased by Blueberry Diapers - I am showing the original design and photos of the end product. Always fun to see. Some changes were made for the final product.

Here is a new product I designed for Demdaco - two cutting boards in one, shipping to stores soon.

I recently licensed my artwork for these cutting boards by Demdaco.

Here are some new birthday gift bags by Papyrus that I helped to design.

These tea towels will be available soon in my Spoonflower shop. (the vegetables are now listed and available for sale - if you are interested choose the linen fat quarter).

Here is a sweet glow in the dark diary using my butterfly art by Peacable Kingdom Press.

Thanks to Print and Pattern blog for showcasing my Surtex flyers today.

Surtex flyers for the upcoming show.....

The first time I came across Dinara Mirtalipova’s work, I spent a few days pouring over her website. Her command of patterns, her linework, the worlds she created in her paintings were so captivating, and I was instantly hooked. Her compositions are lush and whimsical. There is a beautiful tension in her pieces that is all at once energetic and quietly meditative.

In addition to children’s magazines such as Storytime and Girls’ World, Dinara’s work has appeared on sleeping bags and rugs for Land of Nod, her own line of dishtowels entitled Mirdinara Kitchen and a fabric collection for Windham Fabrics. She has also hand-painted beads, nesting dolls and clay eggs. Her work is inspired by folklore, fairytales, textiles, and songs her mother used to sing to her.

Be sure to follow Dinara on Instagram where she shares process shots, projects and other little glimpses into her world. You can see the rest of her work on her website, too!

Written by Bryna Shields

I just ran to Target to do some last minute shopping and found two holiday items with my designs...
First, I found Christmas cards with my fox design - there is also a giftwrap which I blabbed about earlier on Instagram and Facebook, if you want to see it.

I spied one of my Christmas tree patterns in the current Harry and David catalogue.

Here is a recent design that I sold to Blueberry Diapers. Check out their wonderful company and product line.

This Art Crush entry has truly been a long time coming. I first came across Lisa Congdon by way of Meighan O’Toole’s former art blog and podcast, My Love For You (which is post-worthy in its own right–it was an enormous source of inspiration for me during my college years). While I definitely gravitated to Lisa’s work on a visual level, it was her personal story that drew me in. Freelance illustration had been her second career. She didn’t start painting or making art until she was 31, and here she was, participating in museum-level shows, working with clients like Chronicle Books, and just being a genuine, successful badass. Lisa is not only someone I look up to artistically–she’s also a prime example of a human being.

Lisa’s art career was secondary, after she accumulated over a decade of experience in the education and nonprofit industries. By pure chance, she stumbled into a painting class and began making art of all kinds from that day forward–fueled by pure joy instead of the desire to succeed quickly. Having always been an avid collector, her random ephemera would find their way into countless collages as well as a series of photos, drawings and paintings that would eventually make up her A Collection A Day project. As she continued to develop her craft and share it with the ever-expanding Internet, people began to catch on. Today, she is an accomplished and prolific working artist, blogger, illustrator, public speaker and writer. Some of her most notable clients to date include The Land of Nod, The Museum of Modern Art, Harper Collins, 826 Valencia and Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

Lisa unabashedly tackles the subjects she is most passionate about, and that fearlessness is expressed effortlessly in the execution of her work. She describes herself as a “visual junkie,” and is deeply inspired by patterns, travel, architecture and vintage packaging, just to name a few. A faithful blogger, Lisa writes about her own process in addition to other artists whom she admires, as well as her life “outside the studio,” which includes swimming, biking, sewing, and traveling. In other words, she’s just making all of us look bad! (I only kid.)

One of the reasons I relate to Lisa’s work is due to the versatility and ever-evolving nature of her aesthetic. Certain characteristics like neon hues and her penchant for all things Scandinavian are mainstays, but she continues to branch out and explore all kinds of mediums (block printing and calligraphy, to name a few). These explorations fuel her work and expand her direction, which is most recently geared towards abstract painting. She’s a wonderful example of why you don’t need to narrow yourself down to one specific style (something I often grapple with).

Lisa is quite a unique artist in that she is not only a creator, but a mentor as well. Breaking into freelance illustration can be a challenging and solitary undertaking, and she continues to give her generous time to those who wish to pursue and learn more about the field through classes, speaking engagements and conferences around the country. I first met Lisa at her first Freelance Illustration class at Makeshift Society back in December 2012, and it was one of my most pivotal learning experiences to date.

Lisa recently released her new book, “Art, Inc.: The Essential Guide for Building Your Career as an Artist,” which is a revolutionary and timely answer to the starving artist stereotype. It covers all areas of the freelance artist’s domain, such as photographing fine art, finding printing services, copyright, and diversifying income. It sits on the shelf above my working desk (I like to call it my “VIP” shelf) as I reference it constantly.

On that same note, I’m very excited to be taking Lisa’s “Become A Working Artist” class through CreativeLive next week! You can follow along with the class virtually by RSVPing here.

To listen to Meighan’s podcast with Lisa, click here. I also highly recommend her feature in The Great Discontent.

Follow along with Lisa below:

Website

Twitter

Blog

Instagram

Purchase Lisa’s books below:

Art, Inc.

Whatever You Are, Be A Good One

A Collection A Day

A new pattern design -

I recently ordered these leggings from Print All Over Me. I have been placing this design on multiple products and I must say this has to be my favorite placement of the design.

I used this same print and ordered me a new iphone case...