From The Nest

Birds of a Feather

For all your birds out there who love to draw and paint and create your own original designs.....we ROCK and we FLOCK............ together!!

best to all the chicks at the upcoming shows!!

more later,
carol

Turkeys.......

Hey...Don't let the turkeys get you down....this is for you Ellen and all the other good guys who were trying to educate the newbies over there on D*S in Blogland.... trying to be candid and truthful, trying to impart years of knowledge and experience.

I thank you for your e mails and comments.

We shall see who prevails!

GOBBLE GOBBLE>>>

more later,

carol

Reflections on Surtex

There has been a flurry of activity on the Design Sponge blog over the last week or so and the discussion is about the Surtex design show which will take place again this weekend in New York City. This is the first year in many many years that I will not be exhibiting at the show. I will miss the excitement and being in NYC and seeing all my talented artist friends there, but I made the right decision not to exhibit.

I heard about the Design Sponge forum from my talented artist friend Ellen, who is also a past exhibitor at Surtex and who had commented on the DS blog about the show. Seems that the host of Design Sponge was saying that it has been hard for the last few years to find anyone who would join her on a trip down the aisles of Surtex. That this year people were starting to take notice and to finally pay attention to Surtex because of all the patterns and surface designs that are showing up on blogs and such. Well, I laughed out loud....I mean .... come on....it is as if everyone in blogland thinks that the universe started with them...Now the facts folks, listen up.....

Surtex has been around for over 21 years and I have been exhibiting there for almost as long as the show has been in business. It has been THE premier designs show for artists in the US! I have served on the show's Advisory board, given seminars at the show on Art Licensing for well over 15 of those years, and have been personally responsible for bringing in dozens of artists to exhibit at the show. I have been a huge advocate of the show, telling everyone about it, encouraging every artist I know to take part in it, helping GLM work out the kinks and make it better over the years with suggestions and ideas for improvements. I have even been dubbed "The Queen of Surtex" by some of my fellow colleagues at the show and personally know many of the exhibitors.
It has been the most successful design show ever in the US and my exhibiting there has completely changed my business in the most amazing ways. As a result of exhibiting at Surtex I have met hundreds of manufacturers, had my art work licensed on dinnerware, wallpaper, stationery, all sorts of ceramics, tabletop accessories, clocks, rugs, resort ware, stickers, stamps, tiles, tee shirts, totes, jewelry cases, fabrics, tablecloths, kitchen textiles, ironing board covers, tins, recipe cards, scrapbook items, home decor, aprons, garden items, birdhouses, pet items, canisters, calendars, cookie jars, boxes, bags, totes, and just about anything else you can think of. My work has generated millions and millions of dollars at the retail level and I have established a reputation for being a trend setter in the marketplace. I have done proprietary product development for major retailers such as Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Saks on 5, Steinmart, to name just a few, along with dozens of manufacturers. I have been around the block a few times....

Since this is my blog I can toot my own horn , but what I am really trying to do here is call attention to the state of Art Licensing now and the naive comments on the Design Sponge blog that need to be addressed.

When comments and questions were sent into the forum about the Surtex show, Ellen and I wrote in to attempt to educate and address what is really going on out there now as regards the show and the Art Licensing business in general. Based on our experience levels, we were trying to point out to the newbies that Surtex has some issues now and is not a panacea or guarantee of success. You have to do your homework particularly in this down-turned market and poor economy. We were trying to give helpful, truthful information to a wide-eyed young designer obviously concerned about doing the show, so she would not be crushed by spending her last dollars to exhibit there and then not get much business out of it and wonder why. It is true that there was a large turnover this year at the show and many studios, including mine and Ellen's decided not to exhibit there again.

Wham...slam.. our comments were immediately challenged and we were called "bitter" and "sensitive" with words saying that we probably just wish that we had taken a booth this year after all ...tsk tsk//// bad girls to say anything negative, even if it was the truth. Even Gina De Luca weighed in, the manager of Surtex, who I have personally worked with for years on the show. The poor girl we were trying to help e mailed me privately to thank me for my real responses and I could tell she was overwhelmed with all the info, excited and scared about her debut coming up this weekend at the show and she admitted that she has no clue as to how the business works or how to sell her designs...license?? It is nice to be supportive, but nicer to be realistic and truthful.

The trouble with blogland and I mean this with the utmost respect, is that everyone is being too cutesy and too nice and holding hands and singing "Cum By Ya" instead of entering into the discussion as such in a helpful and truthful way. It becomes a popularity contest.....reality aside I am afraid.

here goes...

we are in a tough times now in the US...the economy is bad....the last 2 years of the show the traffic has been slow and getting slower, thinning out, fewer attendees because there are fewer companies to even come to license art work. So many bankruptcies over the last few years of companies that always attended the show added to the slow traffic demise. That is the truth and everyone who exhibited there knows it.

Last year the first day of the show was really slow and Monday was better but not great. The last day is always slow because most of the Art Directors leave so we had one decent day out of 3. That is a lot of money to pay for one good day of traffic that wasn't fabulous, like it had been a few years ago. In the past the aisles were quite literally mobbed with attendees and it was difficult to even walk the aisles, there were so many people. That is not to say that deals weren't made there last year, but what it does says is that they are harder to get as there are fewer to be had.

The retail market is in a terrible slump, gas prices are through the roof, the prices of hotels in New York City are outrageous, making the show extremely expensive to attend both for buyers and exhibitors. So, for me, based on my experience and contacts that I have made at this point in my career, not exhibiting at the show this year was an easy decision for me to make. I decided to take some of the $10,000 that I spent last year to be at the show, in a prime corner booth and staying in NYC for a week and spend that money traveling to see clients instead and that is what I am doing.

Like everything else in life, nothing stays the same. For everything there is a season so to speak.... Surtex is changing.....the business is changing...the attendees are fewer, the business is harder because of the retail market and the economy, and yet the show prices have gone up yet again.

The Licensing show is moving out to Las Vegas for 2009 for a fresh new approach. I think it is time that Surtex got some sort of a face lift...a new venue, new look, new place...new time of year. I told Gina this when I called her to inform her that I was not going to exhibit this year. Times change, people change, the world is changing. The money now is moving East along with the business...China and India are emerging as new and exciting markets. I am in negotiations now with a company in South Korea that wants to license my designs. I am looking for new ways to reinvent my work and my company. I am doing art licensing consultation and helping other designers learn the marketing strategies that will help them succeed.

I just wanted to set the record straight here, we are not bad mouthing Surtex, certainly not..what we were trying to do was to say hey look...this is not a new show...this show has been around and has had a successful track record, made lots of money for lots of artists, but it is loosing steam and loosing attendees and loosing exhibitors. Be aware, be smart, do your homework, make appointments, don't leave anything to chance encounters at the show...because things are not what they use to be and I have never seen the market be this bad ever.

I wish everyone who is exhibiting at the show the very best success and hope that they do well.

The advice is free, you can take it or leave it....I for one would have loved to have had an experienced designer take the time to give me help and advice when I was starting to do this. Knowledge is power.....use your brain as well as your brush!

more later,
carol

Beautiful Bird Cages

Was thinking it would be fun to design some birdcages.....decorative, fun, fabulous....take a look...

then they would have to have some little birds in them.....

then we could do them in different colors, make patterns with them, use them on plates, and so forth and so on.....

ah, the life of a designer.....

more later,

carol

A few More Florida Photos

One night when we were walking along the beach the Captain made this sign for me in the sand....

Here is the Ritz Carlton resort as you look up from the beach...our room was in the South Tower on the right hand side of this photo with the balcony looking right out at the Gulf...the Captain would sit out there each morning after his walk and read the newspaper and do his cross word puzzle before we would go down to the beach. You can look out at such a wide expanse of the Gulf from the balcony seeing boats and dolphins, the ever present para sailing crew, kids on wave runners, gulls and pelicans soaring by...lots to see and enjoy each day.

There was always something going on down on the beach and these colorful structures set off the boundaries of a party the first night we were there....about 200 people from some company were having a barbecue on the beach and these were all around the edge. Quite fun and colorful!

This is the pontoon boat that we chartered one day...the Ritz packed us up a wonderful lunch of turkey and ham sandwiches, fruit and brownies with drinks and off we went over to Bonita Beach and spent the day poking around Estero Bay looking for manatees and dolphins. It was gorgeous, warm and sunny, with a nice breeze along the ocean and we motored over to Lover's key where we had a picnic and walked along the beach in between all the old cypress trees that had been knocked over by various storms.

All along Lover's Key are these great old Cypress trees that almost look like sculptures they are so interesting to look at. We also saw 2 manta rays jumping up out of the water right near the channel that comes in next to beach from the Gulf and they were both about 3 feet in length...scary.

Each morning when we would come down to the beach, the cabana guys would bring out the lounge chairs...you can see here the enormous stack of them that the hotel has. They would set up your chair, table and the most important blue canvas flag to enable you to signal them that it was time for pina coladas. They also had the beautiful Ritz Carlton blue umbrellas available for anyone who wanted one. Then they wrapped a huge white terry towel on the lounge chair, another towel under where your feet would go and one for under your head. When I say that the service was impeccable, I mean it was perfection....each detail was so wonderful that you always felt taken care of. The Ritz is just the best...

One more sunset on the beach photo.....

Thank you Captain, so much, for my wonderful birthday trip to Naples, Florida, you are the best...it was just heavenly.

more later,
carol

More from Naples, Florida

Each evening around 7:57 or so, the sunset on Vanderbilt Beach was a huge event. People gathered along the shore to watch this amazing display night after night. One night we met a nice couple cuddled up together on a beach chair that told us they had come to see the last 47 out of 50 sunsets together, that it had become a ritual for them...very romantic.

They asked us to take their photo together and then they took one of us as the sun dropped down into the Gulf of Mexico. Very pretty.

Here is the pool with the private cabanas for quiet little moments out of the sunshine.

This little cabana was along side the pool as well, not sure whose it was, but I was dying to take a peek inside.

Here we are on our way to dinner one night at the Terrace restaurant that is next to the pool.

I am standing at the beach on my birthday, April 22nd, Earth Day, in front of the board where they post the temperatures at the beach each day and tell you when it is high tide, etc...check it out!

Each morning the Captain would go and get us our coffee and fruits and scones and we would sit on our beach chair and enjoy our breakfast. Life is good!

Sharing with you my view each day as I sat in my beach chair and read my book....looking out at the magnificent Gulf of Mexico watching the dolphins swim by.

Here I am about to have a pina colada at a favorite restaurant of ours down in Venetian Village on the bay in Naples.

The Captain and I celebrating my birthday together at Maxwells on the Bay....wonderful dinner and doesn't the photo look like somewhere in southern France with all the red geraniums in the window boxes...

At the end of the day we would come up to the room and sit out on the balcony overlooking the gulf. It was so pretty and the view was just fantastic.

Here is the walkway that meanders all through the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. It is such a beautiful walk and so well done. All along the boardwalk are signs telling you about the animals and flowers and trees.

Corkscrew Swamp is a great place to sketch as there are so many interesting things to look at. Here I am doing just that!

more tomorrow,

carol

Back from Naples, Florida

Back from Naples, Florida after 8 heavenly days with the Captain lounging on the white sandy beaches of the beautiful Ritz Carlton Resort and Spa on Vanderbilt Beach. As a special treat for my birthday, the Captain bumped us up to first class on the Delta flight both coming and going and it was soooooooo nice.
A week of total relaxation...sun and sand and surf and lots of rest...of course I was sketching in my travel book the whole time and thought I would share with you some of my drawings that I did while I was there. The resort is so beautiful, right on the Gulf of Mexico and it surrounded by all sorts of palm trees and lush vegetation that is superbly maintained.

Had lots of cute new tops and such to bring with me for the trip...bought a gorgeous chocolate brown bathing suit while I was there with some lovely beads along the bodice. Also got a little black jersey with the Swarovski crystals spelling out the Ritz Carlton Resort that I couldn't resist. Flip flops were the shoe of choice for the most part, although I did have my "Queen of Loves" with me of course, along with some other fun little heels and a new pair of turquoise and shells cork slides that I bought at the resort while I was there.

On the way to the beach you walk by the pool area where there are many palm trees and planted flowers along with this fun and colorful sign pointing out the various locations of places to see at the resort. This way to the spa, this way to the beach, this way to the pool side cafe...... I thought it was kinda fun so I sat down and sketched this one morning on my way out to the beach.

Sitting on the beach chair covered with suntan lotion with the sun streaming down and people always moving about made it difficult to draw, propped up on my knee, greased over with lotion. But, I was able to do a quick sketch of a couple sitting near us enjoying their stay reading and relaxing with their beach chairs right up to the shore so it wouldn't be too far for them to take a quick dip! People would walk by up and down the beach all day long, children played along the shore filling up sand pails, making castles and collecting shells. Dolphins would swim by each morning on their way down to the bay and then back again in the afternoon. There was always so much to look at besides the beach walkers. Pelicans soared overhead, snowy egrets walked along the beach with terns and sandpipers, and the para sailing crew always had someone up overhead, harnessed in for dear life as they sailed above the beach.

The grounds around the resort are really impeccable...everything is watered and nurtured and pruned and trimmed to the Nth degree...outside the main floor of the hotel is a beautiful patio that steps down to a larger patio with an enormous fountain with dolphins spurting out water. Frequently the hotel would have breakfast set up out there for visiting companies and parties. One afternoon after lunch at the pool side cafe, I walked up to the area and sat on a very comfy oversized wicker chair and sketched one of the potted palm trees that lined the edge of the patio there. These huge clay pots sit on the gorgeous travertine marble flooring that they have all around the resort...nestled in along the bottom of each of the palm trees was a bed of red and white impatients, flowing over the edges of the huge clay pots. They were just magnificent to behold!

Another sketch of the palm trees and plantings near the pool and the pool side cafe. You can see the tops of the Ritz Carlton's signature navy blue umbrella tops peeking out under the palm trees. You can also see part of the Remington, the private residence of many wealthy owners who purchased condos there as part of the Ritz Carlton resort. I believe that the guy who started Papa Johns has a place there...nice.

For a change of pace one day, we headed out to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This area was established to protect the largest remaining stand of ancient bald cypress left in North America. There is something like 6 or 7,000 acres now that has been purchased and managed by the National Audubon Society. It is teeming with wildlife and you walk for miles along a boardwalk made out of a Brazilian hardwood through all sorts of areas to see alligators, deer, otters, owls, egrets, herons,ibis, storks, limpkins, turkey vultures, fish, snakes, butterflies, floral and fauna galore and they give you a little book which has drawings of the various animals and plants so you can check off what you see.
When we use to rent a beach house with my Mom and Dad on Bonita Beach, we would always come here with my Dad who loved any sort of wildlife and knew so much about them and could name any bird or animal that you might come across. On one of our visits there, he and I checked off over 36 species of birds alone on our 3 mile walk around Corkscrew. It is a very special place and for me the memories of that time spent there with my Dad will always make it be extra special.

so all for now, more photos coming tomorrow of us on the trip along with some of the extraordinary sunsets on Vanderbilt Beach, it is almost a religious experience and everyone goes to the beach to sit and watch the sun go down looking for the "green flash".

more later,
carol

All I need.......

I am so psyched! I got my beach bag, my cell phone, my suntan lotion, my bottled water, my beach chair and my Captain and 1 more day and we are off to Naples...so I won't be posting again until I get back after April 28th.

85 degrees down there today, sunshine, warm white sand, great service at the resort, the great spa, shopping at Venetian Village, shelling, chartering a boat, dining in Naples....lots of fun times with the Captain.

Everyone have a great week........we certainly will.

more later,

carol

Vanderbilt Beach

2 more days until I am one of these gals lying on the beach chair on the beautiful white, sandy Vanderbilt Beach with the Captain.
Today was just so gorgeous here...over 70 degrees..spring popping out everywhere, trees blossoming, tulips peeking up, sweet smell in the air. Just so nice hardly seems like we need to go to Florida, although at the last weather check it was 85 in Naples!! Absolutely fantastic....and then there is the Gulf of Mexico.

Mom and I went out to lunch today for a little birthday treat, since I am not going to be here on my birthday next week, Earth day April 22nd. And, since she of course was there when I was born, she likes to be with me now to celebrate when she can. We have been celebrating my birthday now for many years down in Naples since that is the time we always go. Mom and Dad use to come with us when we rented the beach house in Bonita so that was always fun.

I have been really fortunate to have had my parents near by all my life, so involved with my girls and traveling with us on 4 trips to Europe as well as to Florida for 4 or 5 years. Some people I know have parents that live far away from them or they move away from their folks which always seemed strange to me.
As your parents age I would think you would want to be as near to them as you can...not knowing how much time you have with them. Different strokes, I guess....

so 1 more day until we go...still have some laundry and packing to do..decide which books to bring....iron a few of the Captain's Tommy Bahama shirts....

more later,
carol

Beach Bags

All the beach bags are packed, along with plenty of suntan lotion, the flip flops, some great books and mags and sunglasses....we are only 3 days away now from flying down to Naples...got some cute things in the mail yesterday from a place in Bonita Beach that carries summer tops and outfits, bathing suits, beach coverups...another cute black and white off the shoulder top that is so cute, very summery looking with a wide band that goes around your top that is white with a black band around it, topped off with a yellow and white checked cotton flower, a really cool black bathing suit...of course.

I also just got out my black beach dress that I got there last year on the last day, so I only wore it once...looks pretty cute as well...has a tie on the neck with beads that hang down, is sheer with billowy sleeves.

Off to get a mani/pedi now so that all the toes look good when I wear my new "Queen of Loves"....I'm thinking French manicure and pedicure...that way it will go with all my outfits!!

more later,

carol