Make Art That Sells (MATS): March 2021 Week 2

We are in negotiations to buy a building here in Portland and I got caught up in doing some due diligence on Monday that took all day and derailed my plans to spend half of my work day on MATS.

On Tuesday when I got onto the website to see what the "Big" Assignment was for the month of March, I was a little disappointed and a little bit relieved.

This month, Lilla Rogers has given us an assignment in the paper market.  It is to create a cover for a journal or sketchbook.  She gave us some examples of ones she has worked with artists to create.  They are great.  Don't get me wrong, I would love to have my artwork be licensed to be on the front of lots of journals. 

In fact, I have journals in my shop for you to buy right now.  There are 3 robot notebooks and 2 alien sketchbooks.  They are paintings from my 2020 Monster Exhibit. You can buy them HERE

It's just that it didn't seem very hard.  The truth is, most of the heavy lifting for this assignment was in the mini play I did last week.  The next part is to take all that play and scan it in and rearrange it in Photoshop or Illustrator and design a cover.  It might take some time, but it is not intimidating.  

Which also happens to be a really great thing.  Because I have a goal to get 15 acrylic paintings done this month.  I'm done with 3 so far and I have started 9 of them.  I decided to immerse myself in daily painting this month and I think I might get all 15 paintings done.

While I am not wowed by the assignment because I don't think it is going to be especially difficult, I am also grateful that it won't take all of my time.

I think this assignment could stretch me if I allow it.  If I don't just take what I did last week for the mini but if I go ahead and brainstorm lots of additional ideas, I think I could create a journal cover that will be amazing.  It will take some time, though, so I better go block out some time to work on it this week and next week. Because it is due March 22.