Blueprint May 2018
After months of preparation, Blueprint show 2 from May 20 -22nd finally came. I was disappointed that I was not able to attend on this occasion though I'm also excited to look to the future and hope that this is just the beginning of my journey and next year I will be there in person. I truly hope so as it is not only a great way to meet Art Directors and companies that could potentially become lasting professional partners but also a chance to meet all the great designers that I admire and follow through social media.
My account of the show has to come through the eyes of my fellow Artabella members in particular Claire Elsworth who kept me informed of each days events.
Many people came to our stand having heard of our collective name which proved our relentless publicity on well-known blogs had paid off! We had spent so much time and effort in our promotional opportunities that it left little time for creative work in the build up to the last weeks before the show. Though, this was as important as having a fantastic portfolio and presentation sheets that showed my range from hand-painted watercolour art to digital character design in Illustrator and Photoshop. I found it particularly challenging to create a Blurb portfolio as I produced this in 2-3 days which is not very long for a 103 page book! Our collective was formed in February which only gave us 3 months to prepare, we did it, though some jobs were extremely last minute. Next week, I will make sure to plan more carefully though I'm very grateful to have had this experience to learn from.
My artwork was very well received and many clients showed an interest in me working with them, asking for jpegs to be sent directly after the show. I even had a commission to provide specific hand-painted motifs for one company which was great.
Here are a few highlights from the show and my friends experiences of New York. Photos curtesy of Claire Elsworth and the Artabella Collective.
