Sketchbooks

I have always admired artists who carry around beautifully organized sketchbooks with drawings and imprints of their daily adventures. It's important to keep track of the things you see and the ideas that pop into your head for sure! I have tried, but it can never really stick to doing it! So this weekend, I was sitting in my desk working and saw a pile of sheets of paper that I have been drawing on since I first took MATS A (Make Art That Sells With Lilla Rogers) and immediately thought...I actually have a kind of sketchbook to share with others! It's clearly a collection of my ideas, my thought process and it shows a nice progression of how my work comes to full fruition. So I figured why not create a virtual sketchbook to share and for me to see how my work grows and shifts through time. And here it is:

GTS - First Round Submission

My final piece for GTS. What an interesting experience, so many mixed emotions. So much time and hard work was put into this and that is what makes me the proudest. At the start of the assignment I had doubts....tons of them. And started doing icons and sketches in the style that I thought would please Lilla. Nothing came out feeling natural, it just wasn't me. After about three days of debating this madness in my head I talked to my husband, and to a wonderful MATS classmate (Adri!), and they basically told me that if I was doing this to try to win, to try to fit into Lilla's artist roster, then I was doing things wrong. And you know what? They were totally right. So I observed Antoinette's life, and kinda realized we had many things in common. Except for the pork chop thing. I let go, started to trust myself, my intuition, and things began to FLOW. So lesson learned. Be you. Don't try to copy, don't try to be somebody you are not. There is only one of you and that is just PERFECT. 

GTS and Pattern Bombing

These past two weeks have been INTENSE. I won a spot in this year's Global Talent Search (hosted by Lilla Rogers) so of course I had to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. It's been kind of nerve wrecking, there are hundreds and hundreds of super talented illustrators longing for that one coveted spot in Lilla's studio (two years representation! what?!). But now I have been able to relax and just take the experience as a learning experience.

The brief was superbly created. So much information, so much to think about. I have spent around 10 days working non-stop on this. My entire creative heart has been poured and I am really pleased with the results and quality of artwork I was able to produce. That's good enough for me!

The deadline is next Friday but I was able to organize my time wisely and finished yesterday. I submitted my image this morning. :)

Another exciting thing is going on right now, Make it in Design's global Pattern Bombing assignment! These are my two pattern bombs:

Getting psyched for Global Talent Search

GTS (Global Talent Search) is a super exciting event hosted by Lilla Rogers. She's on the lookout for new artists to represent! Thousands of people participate each year, so even if winning is by far a slim chance, it is an amazing opportunity to learn, grow, connect with artists and art directors, and reconnect with fellow MATS alumni! Let the games begin!

New Spoonflower designs for sale

Just got a batch of new swatches! These lovely designs are up for sale on my Spoonflower shop:
http://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/catalina_villegas

So pretty!!!

UPPERCASE Magazine (issue 26) is ready!

UPPERCASE Magazine's issue 26 is out and on sale! Super excited to have been featured alongside this talented group of illustrators and designers.

UPPERCASE Magazine Submission!

Great news! My postage stamp submission will be published in UPPERCASE Magazine U26 July edition. :D