It’s time to reveal the 50 Semi-Finalists in the 2013 Global Talent Search!
We were flooded with entries in response to the exciting brief set in association with Paperchase, inviting entrants to design a journal cover with a playground theme. Here is what Lilla had to say about reviewing the submissions, and undertaking the difficult task of making the selection…
“What’s it like to review submissions from over 1,500 participants from over 30 countries around the globe? I’ll tell you what it’s like: It’s exhilarating! I couldn’t wait to see what would turn up as a result of the assignment. For starters, I was astounded by the quality of work and the calibre of the artists. Work was submitted in every medium: paint, watercolor, Adobe Illustrator, even 3-D pieces! My goal was to seek out the best of the best, and by a very careful process of elimination, I was able to narrow down the selection to 122 images. From there I began an even more studied (and challenging!) examination, and then finally I brought in my crack team, Susan McCabe and Jennifer Nelson, for their savvy input as seasoned agents to help narrow the work down to this group of AMAZING 50 semi-finalists.
First and foremost, we looked for pieces that jumped out at us for their terrific color, strong composition, and overall uniqueness. (Those of you that took Make Art That Sells know about how important it is to have your piece read well as a postage stamp as well as full size!)
Was there something special about the piece? A quirkiness that enticed us to want more? Could we see our client base wanting to work with this artist? How about a clear embrace of the subject matter: playgrounds. (Pretty universally, the playground theme was well-executed.)
Was the style of the artist really apparent, in that we could immediately see a unique point of view? Was the technique masterful and polished? If we are to represent this artist and award them with a variety of top licenses, would they be able to knock them of the park? A strong, evolved style can do that. So that’s key.
Our sincere hope for those of you that were not selected for this particular competition is that you understand that in no way is that a reflection on your talent. There were clearly way more images than we could select. Going forward, you may wish to take my Make Art That Sells e-course to grow your talent even further (a new round of the course starts in October!). I did see how my June Make Art That Sells students were really well prepared for the Global Talent Search. Also, we truly hope you’ll consider re-entering the Global Talent Search next time. ‘Like’ our Facebook page to be sure to stay on top of announcements and news!”
With no further ado, let’s give a big round of applause to the Global Talent Search 50 Semi-Finalists! The full list has been unveiled on Lilla’s blog here.
Feel free to share your thoughts with us on Twitter (@lillarogers @DoWhatYouLoveXx #globaltalentsearch)
