ENTERING IN THE GLOBAL TALENT SEARCH

 

NEW TYPEFACE I HAVE BEEN
 CREATING FOR THIS PROJECT

I entered into the Lilia Rogers GLOBAL TALENT SEARCH and I am so excited to share my experience with you.  Basically, the contest is one where the winner will win a two year artist representation by Lilia Rogers Studio as well as a whole host of licensing deals that are to die for!

 

These sketches are from the idea phase of the project called 'Little Terrariums'.  This is where we had to create a design that will be used for wall art.  I can't reveal the design yet so it is under wraps until Tuesday August 26th.  Fifty artists will be chosen to go to the next round and then five will go to the round after that.  The winner will be chosen on October 9th. 

It is so exciting to be a part of the whole contest.

I worked with cut paper and mixed -media and I am happy the way it turned out. I had been not feeling well and very tired and I had hoped to complete the project since it took up a lot of working time.  But I am glad that I completed it and happy with the results.

Soon the chosen ones will move onto the next round and I hope to be one of them.  Check Lilia Rogers blog to see who the fifty chosen artists are that will move to the second round.  I will post about my next experience if I am chosen.  Wish me luck!!

Cheers,

Loren

TIME FOR 2013 ANNUAL FAMILY AND FRIENDS CHRISTMAS CARD DESIGN

   MYSELF CUTTING CHRISTMAS CARDS IN 2011  LITTLE
   PAPERS WERE EVERY WHERE. I WAS SO BUSY CUTTING, I DIDN'T 
  HAVE TIME TO CHANGE MY SNEAKS INTO SOMETHING MORE
 'GLAMOROUS' FOR THE PERFECT PHOTO!

      'SNOWMEN ARE REAL COOL DUDES!'  
(inside) SO, YOU BE A COOL DUDE ,TOO!    2007
(c) Loren Fidalgo 2007

Oh my gosh... holy cow....Oh, boy..... Yippee...Yowza... I can hardly believe that it is that time of year again for the Annual Friends and Family Christmas Card Design 2013.
Each year I create a new Christmas Card Design, totally handmade. You can read more about it here and here and here.  Each year it gets harder and harder to create something that is unique and innovative and one that I can create solely by hand. I stress and worry over this project each year.  I ask myself, "can I come up with a 'winning design'. Can it out do last years? Will it have the delight it always has. Will it have my signature style and charm?"  I have to say that each year I brainstorm inside this quirky brain of mine and I feel as if I ultimately try to pull the rabbit out of the hat.  I am never confident, never arrogant, never under estimate my card receivers.  They expect the best.  They remember all the years designs gone by, all those designs hanging on their trees and all that gives them the 'MIND GIGGLE when they receive it in the mail and then they take it out of the envelope.' They remember...  I have my work cut out for me.  Printing, folding, scoring, coloring, cutting, gluing, punching are just some of what goes into creating my handmade card designs.  Pop-ups, swinging and hanging, mobiles,  rubberstamped designs, tree ornaments, and paper punched are just some of what will have followed this years' design.  I have to 'hunker down' for a couple of days in my creative isolation zone and go to town constructing these little wonders of joy for the people who are most important to me.

    'Dear Santa, We have been really good this yearr so, please send 
some hope, love and joy!  If not...  (inside) Just send Cash!'
(c) Loren Fidalgo 2012

   'This Season, Let's Celebrate... (inside)  World Peace.  Happy Holidays.
(c)  Loren Fidalgo 1996

I've made some pretty interesting card designs and I have to say it takes some time to create each one.  If you are on the list, you can be sure you will receive this years 2013 card design.  Every year I say that I am not going to be able to make the card. I either don't feel I have the time and energy, my mood is low (winter blues) or I am just not into the holiday spirit.  Then I think of all the people who will wait for this card to arrive each year and signal that indeed it is the beginning of the Christmas season.  I have to ask myself, "Would Santa get out of not delivering the presents on Christmas Eve because he is too tired or just doesn't feel 'in the mood'?"  Absolutely not, so here goes." Do I have a design idea for this year yet?'  I am happy to say ,"I am almost ready to start the marathon cutting session!" Follow along as I try to chronicle the evolution of this years design with sketches and photos of the design.   You can also read more about ths project on my painting blog here.

Cheers,
Loren

THE COUNTDOWN IS ON

The first assignment is almost here for the Global Talent Search sponsored by Lilla Rogers Studio and I am so excited I can hardly contain my enthusiasm.  The anticipation is killing me!  I have been thinking over and over what the assignment could be and the answer eludes me.  I was thinking that it might be designing a party ensemble such as plate, napkin, cup, centerpiece, invites and gift bags. Oh, how cool would that be? But how do I know what will be the assignment for the contest?  I think trying to solve the question quells my anticipation.  I love to bounce ideas around and while I am painting, it's like a game to ponder the possibilities.
I think about all the talented artists that have signed up for this contest. and I wonder where I fall amongst them?  There is no way to know what plan they are hatching in the Lilla Rogers Studio, so I realize that it is endless trying to figure out what that will be.  But for me, for some reason, it's fun!  It's fun to contemplate all the different scenarios and wonder what the assignment will be.
For now, I will be shuffling around all the ideas in my mind and hope that one of the ideas I think of is the chosen assignment. That would be really cool?
Stay tuned...

TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH

I have some news to let you in on.  A couple of days ago, I signed up to participate in a contest called the 'Global Talent Search'. It is being sponsored by Lilla Rogers Studio.  (you have to checkout her website www.lillarogers.com  It is very 'cool'). The contest is for one chosen artist to receive 2 years of representation from Lilla Rogers Studio and a whole bunch of art licensing deals.

Although I am feeling a Iittle bit nervous...I know this is a great opportunity that I definitely want to be a part of because the potential is huge.  I am filled with so many emotions ranging from joy, exhilaration to anticipation. I am a little anxious to get started. Only one talented artist will be chosen, so the stakes are high.

Along the way, pursuing licensing has been challenging for me.  Many times I have wanted to throw in the towel but something bigger than me has kept me pursuing my dreams.  Perhaps fate has brought me to this potential opportunity. I have learned to never give up even though things do not look promising.  Never take no for an answer, even if other s are not in my corner. I am learning to hold tight to my dreams and somehow, someway my destiny will reveal itself to me.  I think that licensing is the path I was meant to take.  For some reason, my destiny has led me to this fantastic potential opportunity.  It would be a dream to be represented by Lilla Rogers Studio.

I have to ask myself, "Do I have the talent? Is this the right fit?" All I know is that I am excited for the chance and I am ready to let my creative energies do what they do best.  Create!!
 
Follow along with me as I journal my day to day experiences and the process of creating new art for this contest.  I am sure it will be fascinating to go through the creative and emotional ups and downs that it will take to make this dream a reality  I will be linking my blog posts to my painting blog, so you are sure to not miss anything.  Stay tuned!
Cheers,
Loren

THE NEW 2012 CHRISTMAS CARD IS REVEALED

The 2012 Annual Family and Friends Christmas Card has gone out in the mail and it has been opened by all my family and friends.  I'm not so sure of the response this year since some have even failed to mention it to me that they even received it.  No problems with that.  I'm glad to have gotten it done and completed on time.

Here is the scoop on this years design.  I was toying around with a couple of designs this year.  One was a pop-up with a winter scene and a window as if you were looking out your window to the snow and landscape outside.  I wasn't sure about this design since I had done a pop-up way back while I was in college and I didn't want to repeat myself.  I drew a couple of pictures and even made a few mock prototypes to see how the design would look.  But in the end I felt that I did not have the energy or time  to work out the logistics to be ready for Christmas.  I was trying to take on too big of a project and I am glad now that I realized this and made the change before I got in too deep.

My second choice was a sketch of a cartoon character I have created years back called 'WIGGI'.  I love him and would love to play around with him and I thought he would make a good come back this year but that too was not quite right.  I was hurting for a idea to come to me and decided to get out some of my Christmas ideas and sketches to get in the holiday spirit. Basically, I thought that some of my designs might spark some light bulbs going off in my mind.   I became smitten with a drawing that I had done years ago, back in 1988!  I never used the drawing because of the size and format of it.  It was in a long rectangle and I was thinking of how I could get it to fit a card format.  Needless to say, I kept going back to this drawing and asking myself, "how can I turn this idea into a card?'  Well one day, a few weeks ago, it hit me like a spark and then a mini MIND GIGGLE!  I thought, "I can put it into a regular envelope and make the card a really long rectangle.  I never thought to design a card that was so long and narrow.  I guess I thought it wouldn't look right, but I knew this was the perfect format for the design that I was so in love with.  BINGO.  That is how I came up with this years design.

After printing out a mockup of the design, I decided to do the drawing in a different color than the black line drawing that it was created in just to add some festive appeal to it. I thought a wine color would look really pretty and print the drawing on an ivory card stock.  I knew it was going to be a long rectangle and I thought I could add a colored card stock underneath the ivory and cut the top part shorter to reveal the color underneath it.  I also, got a Christmas punch and punched out the corners to add a little extra bit of a 'sneak peek' to reveal more of the wine color below.  I made a couple of mockups and I was going to add a 'jute' cord so it could be hung anywhere, but in the end I decided to leave it be. One day, I was in a dollar store and found some lovely ivory colored envelopes that were the perfect size. It was as if they were there just waiting for me.  They were in a spot that I would normally not have even looked at.  "Could it be?" I thought as bent down and I snatched them up off the shelf.  And they were only... one dollar for 25! Could things get any better? I'm on easy street.   I quickly purchased them and brought them home to see if they were the right color.  They were great. They were so pretty. I was on a roll.  The color was perfect and they had an expensive feel to them.  I knew I was moving in the perfect direction.  All the planets were aligning and I was smooth sailing. Life was easy... But then, and with a big thud everything came to a halt.  Where was I going to put the message on the front and what was it going to say?

 I struggled for days with the sentiment writing on the front and inside.  I wanted to play around with the vintage look of the drawing and then add something funny inside.  I thought the surprise inside would be fun and maybe unexpected.  I only had a little space to put the type, so the wording had to be short and to the point.  No fooling around.  I had to say what I wanted to in as few short words as I could but I came to a stand still. I couldn't move in any direction.  I was stuck. What to do?  Days were going by and no closer to a idea.  Would I get the cards done on time?  I was so getting anxious and worried.  How could it be?  Everything was going so great.  UGGHHH!!!  My mind hit a blank.  An emptiness.  Nothing. Nada.  I thought I was surely out of ideas.  Who was I kidding?   I was creatively 'toast'.  But then... just when I thought my card design was to be scraped and never see the light of day, the idea flowed out from my pen.  This process took a couple of incubating days and when I just let my mind 'relax', the idea came to me.  I was saved.  I was rescued from the creative wall that was staring me down while being so relentless.   I took a breath and knew that I narrowly escaped the doom of an idea that was a 'flop'. a 'failure', a 'trash can' wonder.  The tide turned and out of the 'fog' and 'storm' was an idea that I was proud of and something I felt was exactly how I imagined it and wanted it to be.  "Christmas, I thought, is here!"

THE 2012 CHRISTMAS CARD DESIGN IS ON IT'S WAY

This years Christmas card design is finished and on it's way to family and friends.  I want so bad to give you a sneak peek however, I don't want to reveal the design until they are snatched out of the mail box and opened up.

This years design was a hard one to come up with.  I have to say that I went to my archives to play with some vintage Loren drawings and designs.  There has been one drawing that I have been eyeing for years and I knew it would make the cut one year in the near future.

I have been having a hard time lately, with loosing my Gram this past August as well as, struggling with a bad knee, feet and back.  This past Friday evening, I was ER bound with a swollen leg and knee. The paramedics swooped in to rush me to the hospital. The thinking was that I may have had a blood clot, and tests were run.  Thank goodness no clots in my leg!  I do, however have some serious issues with my swollen knee and foot, possibly from standing 10 1/2 hours waiting for and seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert here in Philly.  UGGHH!!! I' have been having to rest my leg and put ice on it.  This is a hard one for me because I like to keep moving.

Well, anyway...I was again as I do every year, uncertain whether I would make the Christmas card happen and more than that, would it be better than last year's card.  Well, I don't know if it's better this year, but it is definitely different, especially for me.  The design is pretty, elegant and in some ways minimal.  Oh, I wish I could show it now!  But you have to wait until they are in the Loren's MIND GIGGLES blog mail, too.  I will, however, tell you that it's design is an ivory and a wine color palette.  When I reveal this year's design, I will tell the tale of how it was created and how the design was finally chosen.  I will try to talk about the thought process that I go through to create my design each year.  So, for now, please hang on for 2 days until I can reveal the 2012 Annual Family and Friends Christmas Card Design.

Cheers,
Loren

IT'S TIME FOR THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CARD DESIGN

Well, it's that time of year again and the pressure is on.  You see every year I design a unique family and friends Christmas Card, you know for my peeps.  It is always a lot of angst in the beginning phase of the design process when I don't have the slightest idea what I am going to make.  Right now... I don't know what I am going to make.  I'm drawing a blank for that special idea that will meet the expectations of my peeps!  I have been doing this annual Christmas card for at least 20 years, yes 20 years!  You can check out my last year's design in my post here and you can see the pressure I am under!!!

CHRISTMAS CASRD DESIGN 2011

Some years I've done plain ol' cards and some years I have really gone all out and created ornament and hanging mobiles.  Some of my Christmas card designs are in my etsy shop for sale right now.  Take a peek over to Dabbling Delights to have a look at the ideas I have come up with each year.

CHRISTMAS CARD DESIGN 2009

Every year about this time, I begin to realize time is passing and I don't have a clue what to do.  I do a little sketching on napkins and scrap paper in hopes that the super charming idea just flows out of me, however it's not happening this year.  The problem I find myself in is that every year my peeps think it is the best I have ever done and so the following year, it has to get better than last years.  You may wonder, "why all the stress over the annual Christmas card?"  You must know, it has become a family tradition for my family and friends.  They wait for the card to come and when it gets there, they are thrilled and they call each other to see if they have received it yet.  They oooh and aaah over the little wonder that I shipped to their home.  They all say, "it's not Christmas, until Loren's card gets to my house."  Even when I don't feel that great since my Mom and Gram have passed on, I still feel compelled to keep the tradition going regardless of my own personal troubles...  So, this year's card has not been hatched yet and I'm working up some ideas in my mind as well as I've mentioned on paper.
I don't know what it is about this Christmas tradition that makes me feel so strongly that I need to create something neat and unique every year?  It's not to get the kudos from my family and friends, I already have that from them.  I guess it is because I want to share my joy with them.  I love to see their faces when they look at the design , which they put on their tree.  Yep, that's right.  They put every design on there tree each year.  It's getting kind of  filled up with the cards/ ornaments.

CHRISTMAS CARD DESIGN 2005

CHRISTMAS CARD DESIGN 1996

For now, I will sign off with this to you.  Stay tuned if you can because you will never know whether I make it to the end with a creation that meets the standards of my peeps. and maybe you too.  Keep checking back.