Windowsill Chats

In this episode Margo is joined by Tamisha Anthony. Tamisha is an illustrator working for various clients such as Penguin Random House, Macmillan Publishers, Little Brown, and Chronicle Books. She finds that educating little ones or the young at heart always inspires her art. She has been an educator for the past several years teaching at institutions such as the New-York Historical Society and the Harlem School of the Arts. Currently she is teaching an art history + illustration class called Redrawing Black History with Lilla Rogers for Make Art That Sells.

Margo and Tamisha discuss:

• Her exploration and discovery of many creative mediums before landing on illustration work
• How creative projects allow her to embrace herself
• Personal stories of racism and overcoming adversity
• What it was like being the first black valedictorian in her town
• Her love for black history and how she incorporates it into her art
• How she approaches creativity
• Her illustration class, Redrawing Black History
• And so much more!

Originally from Texas, Tamisha received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Visual Arts from Rice University and moved to New York City for her Master's Degree in Computer Art from School of Visual Arts. She is currently a member of Black Creators in KidLit, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and the Children's Book Illustrators Group. When she isn't illustrating, you can find her enthusiastically and joyfully swing dancing with her husband! She adores vintage clothes, gardening, and singing sweet jazz standards.

Connect with Tamisha:

www.tamishaanthony.com

www.instagram.com/tamisha.anthony

https://twitter.com/tamishaanthony

In this episode, Margo is joined by the creative mind and heart behind UK-based Illustration Agency Jehane Ltd., Jehane Boden Spiers. Jehane is a successful designer in her own right and has several designs licensed all over the world. Born in Brighton, UK, she graduated with a degree in Textile Design from Winchester School of Art in the early 1990's. Jehane was one of the first designers to use quotes and lettering in surface patterns inspiring a trend which is commonplace today. Jehane founded her Illustration Agency in 2018 with a vision to be the most imaginative, most alive, and most loved Artist's Agency. Jehane personally represents twenty stunning artists from the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, and New Zealand.

Margo and Jehane discuss:

• Family life and her creative parents
• Being one of the first artists to use words in surface pattern
• Understanding how we stand out in order to follow our own authenticity
• Representing heritage artists
• Her process for taking on new artists as an agent
• Balancing agency work and her own creative work
• Following instincts
• And so much more!

Her client-list includes Anthropologie, Museums & Galleries, The National Trust, Scholastic, Galison, Roger la Borde, Olympia Le Tan, and many more. She is known for her exceptional eye and dedication to outstanding quality, artistry, and creative ideas. Jehane is an active partner for her artists, clients, and the artistic community.

Mentioned in this episode:

Ned Hoskins

EM Dinkel

Cosimo Dinkel

Cloth of Gold

Harvester Press

Edward Everett Root Press

Gallerie 5

Liberty of London

Connect with Jehane Boden Spiers:

www.jehane.com

www.instagram.com/jehane_ltd

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest - jehane_ltd

Margo chats with Karin Lauria is an independent artist and illustrator, Karin Lauria. Karin is from Massachusetts and works mainly in digital, but also creates mixed media digital and watercolor art and illustrations. Her style is vibrant, colorful, whimsical, and thoughtful. She has licensed work and collaborations with several companies including Moi & Toi Studio, Amber Lotus Publishing, and GreenBox Art and Culture. She's represented by Creative Sparrow.

Margo and Karin discuss:

• Her start in art and early encouragement from family
• How running and dogs changed her world and opened up her creativity
• Why exploring is so important: exploring nature, new skills, and curiosity
• Why she credits her husband with getting her into digital art
• Trusting your path and taking it one step at a time
• Her hobbies outside of her art and how they help in her passions
• The doors that can be opened from participating in creative challenges
• Continuing education and courses

When Karin's not making art, she's hanging out with her husband and kitty, baking homemade bread, hiking the local trails, playing word games, or Zillow surfing over a giant mug of coffee.

Mentioned in this episode:

Liz Kohler Brown

Tracey Capone

Connect with Karin:

https://www.karinlauria.com

https://www.instagram.com/blackcoffeeplease/

https://creativesparrow.co.uk/creatives/karin-lauria

Previous guest, Bethany Andrews-Nichols joins Margo once again to discuss their upcoming Windowsill Workshop event! In 2017, Bethany took a trip to Jaipur, India to learn about the ancient art of block-printing in which she was immediately hooked. Now, she's a pattern designer and block-print artist and will be teaching others how to block print during the workshop.

Windowsill Workshops has been a long time goal of Margo's as a way for listeners to be able to interact, learn, and be in community with her and her guests so join her as Bethany walks you through the basics of block printing and leave with your very own pair of 'Big Girl Pants' (or other item of choice). The first workshop will take place on January 29th at 11am PST and will run for approximately 2.5 hours and you do not need any experience to join in on the fun!

Bethany often block-prints her highly graphic repeats to embrace the uniqueness inherent in the process. Whether the design stays a graphic repeat or becomes a block-printed mural, a hand-printed pattern on leather, fabric or paper, or a washi-tape repeat in her sketchbook, she believes the addition of pattern anywhere & everywhere helps add an element of humanity.

Get creative with Margo and Bethany - sign up for Windowsill Workshops

Connect with Bethany:

https://www.beenanzadesign.com/

https://www.instagram.com/beenanza.design/

Margo is met by owner and active principal of Licensing Liaison, Alicia Dauber. Licensing Liaison is a full-service art licensing agency based in the Pacific Northwest that has been in business for the last 17 years. Alicia represents talented artists who develop imaginative concepts that are unique and specific for manufacturers who need them. As a "hands-on" principal agent, Alicia, her staff and the artists she represents are adept at going beyond an image-only presentation to maximize design ideas and concepts for a client's needs and product collections.

Margo and Alicia discuss:

• How she got her start as an agent
• How words affect making sales and evoke emotions
• Artist-agent-manufacturer relationships
• Why time management is so important in the role of artist and agent
• What should go into pitching and things to consider beyond your portfolio
• Why bigger isn't always better
• Ways to be successful as an artist without licensing

In her home life, Alicia is mother to two amazing kids, now college students and also the mother to two Boston Terrier fur babies. She lives with her commercial fisherman husband, George in Bellingham, Washington.

Connect with Alicia:

www.licensingliaison.com

[email protected]

Margo chats with self-taught graphic designer/illustrator, Bron Alexander. Bron has over 20 years of experience along with a never-ending passion for her craft and a curiosity that never rests, dubbing herself the Curious Illustrator. Over the years she has struck a happy relationship between her illustration and design work where her design background influences her illustrations and vice versa. This has manifested in being able to become an effective editorial designer for magazines, create her own range of limited edition prints, greeting cards and stationery and most recently the creation of digital resources for designers and product developers. She describes her style as being eclectic and ever evolving and she is inspired by artists both historic and contemporary.

Margo and Bron discuss:

• How young pregnancy and marriage shaped her early life
• Blurring the lines between traditional and digital mediums
• Making money via affiliates
• Trusting the timing and full circle moments in her career
• Giving yourself the opportunity to pivot and change
• Why she loves Rebelle for surface pattern design
• Appropriation versus inspiration
• Her equal love for minimalism and maximalism

Join the Relish Your Creativity Community Today!

Sign up for award-winning, hyper-realistic painting software, Rebelle

Connect with Bron:

https://www.thecuriousillustrator.co

https://www.instagram.com/thecuriousillustrator_nz

Lisa Congdon is back in the windowsill with Margo to share all the fun details on her Rockefeller Center Christmas Art Installation as well as a bit of reflection on 2021 and what she hopes to accomplish in 2022! This installation is part of Art in Focus, a series of art exhibitions produced in partnership with Art Production Fund and is on view around the Rockefeller Center campus through January 9th, 2022. When people open her holiday map or encounter her artwork in the gilded art deco halls of the campus, Congdon aspires for her artwork to spark a sense of wonder, curiosity, and joy that will encourage visitors to explore and discover all the magical places illustrated on the map. "My hope is that people will open the map and squeal, the way you would when you open a children's book," she said. "I hope that everyone who adventures over there takes away — not just from my decorations and my map, but everything at Rockefeller Center — a sense of warmth and coziness, because we all need that right now."

Lisa and Margo discuss the timeline for this project and others that she works on, the logistics, the satisfaction of quick turnaround times, some ways in which her style has evolved yet is still clearly hers, why delegation has been such a key part in her business this year, how hiring a coach has immensely helped her in her work, and why we should all be taking time to rest during the holidays.

Lisa's art installation, which expands upon the festive imagery of her map, can be spotted throughout the campus. Approximately 30 vinyl murals are installed inside 10 Rockefeller Plaza, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and the street and concourse levels of 45 Rockefeller Plaza.

Connect with Lisa:

Read more about the Rockefeller Art Installation

https://campsite.bio/lisacongdon

https://www.instagram.com/lisacongdon/

Art in Focus

This week Margo sits down with lettering artist Lynn Giunta. Lynn has been with Hallmark Cards for 37 years and discovered her fascination for cutting letters by hand during her tenured journey. She has always been drawn to positive phrases and never tires of seeing kind messages come to life. Lynn is also a graphic designer and children's book illustrator and she and Margo discuss finding inspiration, stepping out of comfort zones when called to, and finding joy in opportunities you maybe didn't see for yourself.

Margo and Lynn also share in:

• Lynn's family history of creating things by hand
• The art teacher that changed things for her and the lightbulb moment that began her career path
• Calligraphy and the art of making words
• How she lost her creative practice because she wasn't doing creative work outside of work (and then found it again)
• The importance of getting good at listening and understanding the voice inside your head
• How she got the opportunity to illustrate a children's book
• Building confidence through repetition
• And more

Lynn is a maker of things, creating happy art and positive words with scissors and cut paper. She is always looking for the magic in the scraps and unexpected pieces left behind and she hopes her art inspires and encourages you.

Mentioned in this episode:

Morgan Harper Nichols

Poppy Dodge

Terry Runyan

Connect with Lynn:

Follow Lynn on Instagram

Follow Lynn on Etsy

Margo chats with world traveler and natural connector, Kimber Leblicq who brings her experience as an artist, metalsmith, jewelry designer, curator, and entrepreneur together with her passion for people and the natural world. After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Northern Arizona University, she launched her art career as a professional union scenic artist in the entertainment industry. After a decade of painting and sculpting large-scale film, television, and theatre sets, she transitioned her focus to supporting the arts through nonprofit management and fundraising. As an executive leader in the nonprofit sector, Kimber has worked for many well-respected national and international arts and environmental organizations, which include Seattle Children's Theatre, Seattle Audubon, American Institute of Architects, and currently World Animal Protection.

Kimber is also the founder of a female-forward jewelry social enterprise, kimber elements. Using traditional colors, textures, and patterns, kimber elements amplifies the voice and visibility of indigenous women in geographic locations where wildlife is most at risk. She currently co-designs and collaborates with 30 Maasai women in rural Kenya who create unique modern jewelry that celebrates traditional craft and promotes wildlife conservation.

Margo and Kimber discuss:

• How her business and creativity has evolved 10 fold over the years
• The transitioning process into a social/do good business
• Communicating impact, power dynamics, and recognizing privilege
• Working with global artisans
• How she found mentorship, business support and resources when opportunities arose
• Rebuilding and engineering her business model
• The importance of wildlife conservation and animal protection
• How kimber elements integrated a scholarship program into the business model
• How she hopes to work with more global artisans in the future
• Slow fashion versus fast fashion
• And much more

Mentioned in this episode:

Big Life Foundation

Cura Co

Business Impact Northwest, Women's Business Center

Connect with Kimber:

kimberelements.com

https://www.instagram.com/kimberelements/

This week, Margo is joined by Jody Collins of Feral Giant. Feral Giant is a collective of brand developers, designers, illustrators, photographers, videographers, social media strategists, writers, digital marketers, podcasters, and website designers to which Jody brings 25+ years experience. At the age of 13 he started in printing and continued with design and branding experience through a multitude of companies. A severance plan led him to testing the waters in creative entrepreneurship and he hasn't looked back since. In addition to serving clients, Jody has also sat on over 30 non-profit Board of Directors and Executive Committees.

Margo and Jody chat about:

• How his youth plays into his the many things he advocates for today like wealth and equality
• Why sometimes creativity isn't necessarily about having your own unique style but rather being adaptable to someone else's vision
• Mental health
• What their ultimate creative days would look like respectively
• The timeless advice he received from his grandfather just before he passed away
• How to stand out in a crowd
• Allowing yourself to be multifaceted and to have fun with it
• And so much more!

Mentioned in this episode:

Snakes & Aceys

Drawcember Prompts

Cormac McCarthy

Aaron Draplin

Connect with Jody:

http://feralgiant.com

https://www.instagram.com/feralgiant/

https://www.instagram.com/ramblinmanpod/

Listen to Ramblin Man Podcast