Hello! I wanted to share my excitement with you! The book I illustrated right after the Global talent Search is now available for pre order!

As you know, I worked on this book right after winning the Global Talent Search, all through Christmas and New Year, and having never illustrated a book before it felt like a REALLY daunting task, not least because it has 900 illustrations in it… that’s a lot of drawing over a 3 month period! But what fantastic opportunity. It turned out to be a great challenge and I loved the exploration. I think it has really helped my in my other work too, finding new and different ways to draw.

You can pre-order it here if you’re in the USA or here – if you’re in the UK and it’s available from mid October this year! You can also buy it direct from the Quarry Books website! f you’re in Australia and would like to pre-order it you can on the Book Depository website with free delivery!

Big, BIG thanks to the lovely folks at Quarry Books for making this happen and also to LRS for getting me such a great (dream come true) job! – Zoe

Over the next week we will be sharing a series of stories from the 2013 Global Talent Search Finalists. This includes our Special Studio winner Daniel Roode, and our four runners up, Emily Balsley, Josephine Kimberling, Lizzie Mackay and Vesper Stamper. First up, we caught up with Lizzie Mackay, who has this to share one year on from GTS 2013:

What have you have been up to since the 2013 GTS competition?

What a year, I haven’t stopped! After the GTS, I went straight into plan B. Surtex in New York was definitely a huge highlight of my year. Myself and my three designer friends formed Dotty Wren Studio and took ourselves off to New York in May. It was incredibly hard work but more than worth it.

I’ve also been so lucky to work with some of the nicest clients all through the year on literally ‘dream’ projects. Honestly, I could pinch myself. I’m excited to see what’s coming up next, and to keep pushing my work forward. 

What are you most proud of from this past year?

• How far I’ve come in just twelve months. 
• Exhibiting at Surtex and turning a dream into reality.
• Being a Dotty Wren. I now count the other wrens (Sue, Wendy and Dawn) as true friends. We support each other through the ups and downs and give each other the courage that we can achieve anything. 

What are the most important things you learned from taking part in the Global Talent Search? 

• You don’t have to be the winner to win! You can make your own dreams happen too. 
• Always have a Plan B up your sleeve. That way, it’s not the end of the world if you don’t win. I firmly believe that when one door shuts, another one will open for you.
• Don’t overthink your design/artwork. Know when it’s ready, or, if it’s not working, to be brave and start again.

What one piece of advice would you give to anyone considering entering the competition this year?

With each brief, keep in mind who will be buying the products. Knowing your target audience is important. Combine this with your own style and you’re good to go! 

All images in this post are courtesy Lizzie Mackay. Find out more about Lizzie and Dotty Wren Studio here: website/blog/Facebook/Twitter

Taking part in the Global Talent Search is fun and will challenge you. If you get to the semi-final (shortlist of top 50) your work will get in front of our stellar panel of judges from across the industry. If you get to the final, by then thousands of people will have seen your work. And the winner wins all of these amazing prizes, including 2 years’ representation from Lilla Rogers Studio. Last year’s winner nearly didn’t enter because she didn’t know if she was ready, or ‘good enough. She was and she won. So might you. But you have to be in it to win it. REGISTER NOW!

What happens if you invest a lot of time, money and energy into exhibiting at a show like Surtex and then you weren’t ‘discovered’ and you didn’t have the kind of overnight success you had secretly dreamed of. It’s a very valid question, but one that no one really talks about. It’s the elephant in the room when people talk about exhibiting at big shows. But I know it’s the reality for many people, and if you are one of them, this is for you:

Let me tell you something. This industry is tough, and making it big takes time. There is fabulous work everywhere. It is easy to get jealous, distracted or disheartened. But the truth is there is room for everyone, and you have to keep making pieces and putting them out in the world. People by your joy, so have some fun!

If you haven’t already signed up I would really encourage you to join us for the 2014 Global Talent Search, as it is the perfect way to do just that.

Let me tell you something else. Last year’s winner, Zoe Ingram, thought she wasn’t good enough and nearly didn’t register. In the end she went for it, and she won. And she has been stacked with work like this ever since.

The 2014 Global Talent Search is not just about finding a winner (although the prizes are pretty amazing if you win). It’s about the courage to enter, the discipline to deliver, and the buzz of being part of something exciting. It’s about getting assignments and making art as much as showcasing your work and maybe getting shortlisted, into the final, or even winning (as someone will, and it might just be you).

Don’t let this opportunity pass. Get involved in the 2014 Global Talent Search. The assignments are exciting, challenging and fun, and you will be part of something with major buzz around it.

Registration closes soon – don’t miss out on this life-changing opportunity (and reason to have fun making great art!) REGISTER NOW!

Lilla

For this year’s winner, not only have we lined up a host of licensing deals, but also a series of valuable professional development opportunities including:

1-1 creative career consultation (via Skype/telephone) with Noël Claro, Creative Director at Nickelodeon and Professor at Parsons

Noël is a designer, art director, and professor. Her experience ranges from managing high-profile corporate projects at Nickelodeon to inspiring and mentoring small design teams and students at Parsons the New School for Design. Noël’s professional background is rooted in editorial design, advertising, promotion and creative branding. Her teaching experience covers a range subjects including design, illustration, typography, zines, merchandising and marketing.

This is a fantastic opportunity to discuss your career options, not to mention the fact that the 2014 GTS winner gets represented by Lilla Rogers Studio for two years!

Have you registered yet? Time is running out – ENTER NOW! You’ve got to be in it to win it!

We are excited to announce that Jo Packham and the team at Where Women Create Business will offer a special feature in the magazine for the 2014 Global Talent Search winner. This is a fantastic opportunity for the winner to raise their profile and get noticed.

The 2013 Global Talent Search winner Zoe Ingram was featured recently, as you can see here.

Did we mention that the 2014 GTS winner gets represented by Lilla Rogers Studio for two years? Have you registered yet? Time is running out – ENTER NOW! You’ve got to be in it to win it!

We have so much lined up for the 2014 Global Talent Search winner including this huge prize from Midwest-CBK:

Midwest-CBK LLC will be honored to offer the winning artist a segment of their own product in either CBK, our Home Decor line, or Midwest Seasons, our Gift line. Both lines have a long history and good reputation for working with very talented artists, bringing their work to life on many different formats. Midwest-CBK are well established wholesale brands in the US, and your product will be distributed Nationally to many wonderful retailers. We will be so excited to see what we can build together!

Last year’s winner, Zoe Ingram, has been thrilled to see her work released as a massive home decor line with Midwest CBK, which you can see here.

‘Petit Bazaar’ by Zoe Ingram for Midwest CBK

Have you registered yet? Time is running out – ENTER NOW! You’ve got to be in it to win it!

PS Global Talent Search judge and VP Creative for Midwest CBK Margo Tantau was interviewed on SmartCreativeWomen TV a little while back. Margo is full of wisdom and knows SO much about buying art for products so it is worth watching the video interview here. 

For this year’s winner, not only have we lined up a host of licensing deals, but also a series of valuable professional development opportunities including:

1-1 consultation (via Skype/telephone) with Quarry’s Editorial Director Mary Ann Hall for advice on pitching for book illustration work!

Quarry Books provides high-end, beautifully designed, visual inspiration and reference books on art, crafts, food, pet care, and lifestyle topics for aspiring artists, artisan hobbyists, food enthusiasts, DIYers, and makers. If you have ever dreamt of illustrating a book this is an amazing opportunity (not to mention the fact that the 2014 GTS winner gets represented by Lilla Rogers Studio for two years!)

Have you registered yet? Time is running out – ENTER NOW! You’ve got to be in it to win it!

Spoonflower lets you print on fabric but they also print on rolls of wallpaper. Sooo, I decided to take one of my designs and turn it into wallpaper to cover an accent wall in my kitchen. To complete the look I even made some tiki wooden wall art! – Jenn

We are thrilled to announce that Robert Kaufman Fabrics will be offering a mini fabric collection license to the winner of the 2014 Global Talent Search. Last year’s winner, Zoe Ingram, was delighted with the ‘Carried Away’ fabric line created as part of her prize, and you could be next!

From Zoe Ingram’s ‘Carried Away’ collection with Robert Kaufman

Did we mention that the 2014 GTS winner gets represented by Lilla Rogers Studio for two years, as well as winning several licensing deals and some amazing professional development opportunities?

Have you registered yet? Time is running out – ENTER NOW! You’ve got to be in it to win it!

And the Global Talent Search prizes just keep coming… Next up we are excited to share this fantastic prize from Studio M…

The talented winner will create Garden Products with Studio M, the new artful home and garden division of Magnet Works, Ltd. The Director of Product Development will personally work with the winner throughout the development process to give them a better understanding of how a product line is conceptualized, developed, and marketed in the Specialty Gift Industry.

The details of the license, including royalties, will be negotiated by Lilla Rogers Studio on behalf of the winner.

This is one of a host of licensing deals secured for the winner, who will also get two years’ representation by Lilla Rogers Studio and some amazing career development opportunities. Have you registered yet? Time is running out – ENTER NOW! You’ve got to be in it to win it!