
The new summer 2009 Expressions catalog (expressionscatalog.com) is carrying my flip flop rug once again...the design that keeps on giving. Home Comfort rugs told me it was one of their best selling designs! That is one of the nice things about great designs. If it is a good strong image it can last a long time. Art Licensing works when an artist designs an image and then licenses it to a number of different companies for a wide variety of products. For each item sold at retail, the artist is paid a royalty percentage of the wholesale price. So, for example, this same flip flop image that appears on this rug also was part of the "Life's a Beach" collection for Boston Warehouse Trading Company that manufactured everything from candles, to table weights, to chip and dips, spreaders, acrylic barware, beach bags, shaped ice cubes and more. It was also featured on melamine plates for a proprietary group I designed for the Steinmart stores. For the Current catalog, the flip flop images became a stationery, sticker and note card line and also scrapbook papers. Designs Unlimited worked the flip flops into a wonderful resort ware line. It was part of a fabric collection for P and B fabrics and so on. An image that hits the mark with trend, color, design and "curb appeal" can last many seasons on a variety of items.
It is similar to a TV show. When the prime time season is over, the show gets pick up in reruns and the actors are paid residual fees for appearing over and over again. So, it is a good thing to create timeless designs that keep on making people happy, creating good sales and bringing home lots of royalties for the designer. Art Licensing, when everything all comes together, can be an extremely successful way for an artist to earn a living. So, keep on creating wonderful, timeless treasures of designs...that keep on giving!
best,
carol
love those designs with the long shelf life!
Posted by: robin zingone | June 15, 2009 at 08:48 PM