My First Licensing Deal
There is nothing more exciting as an artist to see your work in the world, and it is super awesome to get paid for it! Last year, I licensed my first pattern, Monarchs in Flight, with Deny Designs. It is sold online at Target! It’s so thrilling to see this happen.
Southerly Design Monarchs in Flight Outdoor Throw Pillow Orange - Deny Designs
What is Licensing in the Art World?
Artists tend to aim for licensing deals as opposed to selling designs. It is like renting a piece of your work for a designated period of time, and collecting royalties when the design is sold on a product. As a designer, I do not handle any of the manufacturing or sales. Designers and illustrators can sell their artwork on products over and over, versus a painter or potter who sells original works of art.
Design Inspiration for Monarchs in Flight
It is the best feeling to see your art out in the world. I drew monarch butterflies that I saw in our garden at home. I would lay on the ground and lightly tousle the zinnias so that the monarchs would fly above and I could get pictures of them. Jared surprised me with a monarch rearing kit for Christmas a couple years back!
Monarchs in Flight Pattern
The Monarchs in Flight pattern is a toss pattern of monarch butterfly motifs, to capture their movement from flower to flower.
“I chase the butterflies, and the butterflies chase me.”
I love watching the butterflies swarm the flowers, pollinating the garden. They are such a small creature, but so important for our ecosystem. I look for them on my nature walks, and teach my toddler their names as we identify them. I document them with photos or videos, and then use those for design inspiration when illustrating them. Butterflies are so cathartic to draw.
I originally posted this pattern on my Society6 shop, and Deny Designs reached out to me about licensing the pattern. Shop the pattern here!
As an artist, it’s great to design work and use it in different ways. Check out these coloring pages of monarch butterflies in my printables shop.
Monarchs in Flight Outdoor Throw Pillows
Monarchs in Flight is available on outdoor throw pillows through Target.com. It’s incredibly thrilling to experience my first licensing deal! I never imagined having a product sold at a national retailer.
