Tag: Diamond Art Club

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Banff Christmas Market and a Diamond Art Club Release

The weather outside was frightful last Friday and Saturday, but the Bow Valley avoided the worst of the big storm that rolled through Alberta on the weekend. Still, I have lived in this valley long enough to know that the 25 km stretch of highway between Canmore and Banff can quickly become treacherous.

Driving to the Banff Christmas Market last Friday morning was fine, but with the forecasted heavy snow, I brought an overnight bag just in case I needed to find a room at the inn. I drove home that night, but it wasn’t fun. The wind made for intermittent whiteout conditions, and finding where the road ended and the ditch began was a white-knuckle experience, as was making my exit into Canmore.

As snowplows had been out all night, the drive in on Saturday was better: icy but clear enough. The downside was the insecure, reckless over-compensators tailgating and passing in the hammer lane at 130 km/h. When many of those idiots inevitably hit the ditch, they unfortunately take others with them.

Slow down. Nobody thinks you’re cool.

The weather was likely partially responsible for slow sales on Friday. Thankfully, Saturday and Sunday were much better. Not the phenomenal sales from the first week, but still very good, similar to the two weekends I did last year, and I was happy with those.

As the storm passed, Saturday and Sunday became spectacular Canadian Rockies winter postcard days. I’ve lived here thirty years, and more than once this weekend, I stepped outside and still marvelled at how pretty it was. It was a festival atmosphere with live music and wood fires burning in the courtyard.

Thanks, and welcome to everybody who signed up for A Wilder View. And an even bigger appreciation for subscribers and collectors who came out to Banff just because you read about it here. There are often people I only see at the Calgary Expo each year who are now showing up at my booth in Banff at Christmas. When I offer the opportunity to sign up for my emails, the response is more often that they are already on the list.

Even more satisfying is how many tell me they enjoy the writing as much as the art. That’s nice to hear since I’ve sent more than my fair share of less-than-positive posts over the years when art-for-a-living sometimes gets frustrating. Thanks for sticking with me through those posts. Ultimately, it’s the warts and all that inspire my funny-looking animal paintings.

Occasionally, I’ll meet farmers or ranchers at my booth who generously offer to let me come and take photos of their critters. A couple who lives northeast of here have Clydesdales and a miniature donkey. I’ve long wanted to paint a donkey, and they shared some fun photos with me. Their property is right on the route I take to the cabin I rent with friends a few times a year, so I’m looking forward to stopping there in the spring. While I can always paint from stock photos, taking my own reference is often a big part of discovering the personality that’s part of my signature style.

And, of course, all the dogs who show up at the market are a big perk at this event. Some are just looking for a free handout and lose interest when they realize there are no cookies in my booth, but other dogs are happy to soak up the unlimited attention.
One of the dogs I get to see all month long is Tojo, who belongs to one of the staff. He’s a friendly Akita puppy with a stunning brindle fur pattern resembling urban camouflage. He’s got a wonderfully sweet temperament and loves the outdoor cold. Though provided with a comfortable bed and a safe, warm space outside, you can often find him happily sleeping on a pile of snow.
When he’s brought inside to warm up or for a wander, he visits the different booths and enjoys the pets and scratches we’re all happy to give. His face reminds me of a bear’s, which makes me want to paint him.

Everything is selling well, whether stickers, magnets, coasters, postcards, calendars or prints. The clear bestseller, however, is still that Highland Cow. I was happy to get my print resupply on Friday from Art Ink Print because I did indeed sell out of my initial stock this weekend. If you’re an artist looking for a great printer, I highly recommend them.

Contrary to my last post about letting the calendar supply run out, I’ve only got half a dozen left now, so I ordered more from Pacific Music & Art. It seemed silly not to restock a proven bestseller. I also restocked my ample supply of Highland Cow magnets, which also sold out this weekend.
Seriously, what is it with this painting? I don’t understand it, but as I said to Mike at Pacific, I won’t look a gift cow in the mouth.

My resupply should be here for the weekend, and I’m confident I’ll be good on stock for the two final weekends.

I won’t lie; I’m tired at the halfway point. In the four days in between each market, I’m drawing editorial cartoons for my newspaper clients, catching up on admin and bookkeeping, and trying to get a little rest before the next round.
Meeting people who enjoy my work and seeing those discover it for the first time is great. It’s fuel for the creative tank, a reminder, “Oh, yeah, THIS is why I’m doing it. These paintings make people happy.”

But it’s also incredibly draining for somebody like me. I am an unapologetic hermit most of the time, preferring to spend most of my time alone working at home. So, thirteen days of high-input interaction with lots of people is a double-edged sword.

However, every one of these markets is a necessary and valuable learning experience, and I come away from each with lessons that inform future events. Without talking to people in person, I wouldn’t know what they like, which paintings resonate with them, and why. I get inspired by these conversations and interactions and am gratefully humbled when I hear how much some people enjoy my funny-looking animals.

Here’s to another successful Banff Christmas Market, the second of four, as I prepare for the third. If you haven’t made it out yet, something to consider in the next couple of weeks.

______

Diamond Art Club is one of my favourite commercial licenses. A cross between paint-by-numbers and cross-stitch, it’s a unique product and a fun hobby with a dedicated fan base. I hear from plenty of people who have found my work because of diamond art kits.

Five different diamond art kits are available: my Otter, T-Rex, Sea Turtle, Snow Queen and their certified bestseller, my Smiling Tiger.

While I’ve known it was coming for quite some time, I can finally announce that Diamond Art Club has added my Two Wolves painting to their catalogue. As part of their Black Friday specials, it will be available on November 29th.

Here’s their official announcement from their Facebook page, with my own added text identifying the difference between my painting and the diamond art conversion.


For all of you Diamond Art Club fans, I hope you enjoy this new addition. And if you put one together, I’m always happy to see pics of the finished pieces.

Cheers,
Patrick

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Diamond Art Club New Releases

When Diamond Art Club approached me a couple of years ago to license my work, I only had a passing acquaintance with diamond art kits. I soon realized, however, that they were the leading company in the world for this exciting and popular creative hobby that’s similar to cross-stitch or paint by numbers.

They’ve previously released my Otter, Smiling Tiger and T-Rex paintings as diamond art kits, and all three sold out quickly upon launch. As these are intricate kits and each requires manufacture, assembly and transport before they’re available to purchase, it takes time to restock them. But over the last year, they’ve done so more than once and they’ve sold out again. As I write this , the Otter is currently available. You can sign up for an email notification on their site when the Smiling Tiger and T-Rex are back in stock.

I’ve heard from several Diamond Art Club customers who’ve told me how much they enjoyed putting the kits together and they’ve asked when more of my work will be available.

As with many licenses, I often know months before launch that a new design is on the horizon. It’s an exercise in patience, because I can’t talk about it until Diamond Art Club makes an official announcement.

I was thrilled to get an email this week from their Licensing Director letting me know I can post that two new paintings are launching for Black Friday. They’re releasing a lot of art this week on their social media pages, so while I don’t know when the second announcement is coming, and can’t spoil their surprise, the first has been revealed.

From their Instagram page…

The Countdown is on! You’ve been eagerly awaiting the scoop, and the wait is finally over—Black Friday is going to be epic with 100 DISCOUNTED NEW DESIGNS just for you!

Circle the date: November 24th, 7:00 am PT | 10:00 am ET.

Diamond Members, you’ve got the VIP pass! Early Access kicks off November 23rd at 9:00 pm PT | 12:00 am ET. Sorry, Ruby Members, this one’s just for the Diamonds.

See your way through a wintry storm with clear blue vision and an inner sense of strength. A thick, shimmering coat of fur notices every twitch in the wind and keeps you warm no matter the temperature.
“Snow Queen” by Patrick LaMontagne available in 19.5″ x 25.8″ (49.6cm x 65.5cm) | Square with 28 Colors including 2 ABs and 1 Fairy Dust Diamond

Also available in 22″ x 29″ (55.8cm x 73.7cm) | Round with 28 Colors including 2 ABs and 1 Fairy Dust Diamond

Keep your eyes on Facebook and Instagram! Every hour from 8 am to 5 pm PT, we’ll unveil a different sneak peek on each platform.

When it’s go-time, head over to www.diamondartclub.com. These beauties are ready to fly into your cart—catch them before they vanish!

Both of this week’s launches are two of my personal favourite paintings, and already bestsellers. If you want to find out more about their Diamond Insider Rewards program, click here.

For my second image they’re releasing this week, you’ll need to follow Diamond Art Club on Facebook and Instagram.

Cheers,
Patrick

EDIT: Here’s the second one, released a couple of days after this initial post.

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Diamond Tiger – NEW RELEASE

Diamond Art Club has the worldwide exclusive license for most of my work on diamond art kits, and I’ve been thrilled with what they’ve done with it.

To create a diamond art kit from a detailed image like mine, designers need to convert a painting into an entirely new format, a kind of blend between paint by numbers and cross-stitch.

I’ve checked out their competitors, and Diamond Art Club’s kits are the best I’ve seen. Clearly, their customers agree as they have a massive, devoted following.
The Otter was my first painting they launched last year, and that kit sold out in the first week. They released the T-Rex at the beginning of January this year, and that kit sold out, too. While the Otter is back in stock, I don’t know when they’ll restock the big dinosaur, but if you follow this link, they’ll let you know. Once on the site, make sure you select your country at the top right for pricing in your currency.

Others are coming this year, but I can’t talk about those yet. Their surprise announcements are always fun, anyway.

This brings me to the latest announcement yesterday. One of my most popular paintings, the Smiling Tiger is now a diamond art kit, and they’ll release it into the wild on Saturday, February 4th!

This kit is 20” x 27” (50.7cm x 69 cm) Round with 37 colours, including 2 Aurora Borealis colours. Diamond and Ruby members have a 30-minute early access window Saturday to shop the newest releases at 9 am PST / 12 pm EST, then general release will follow at 9:30 am PST / 12:30 pm EST.
One of the great benefits of licensing is that it introduces my work to a whole new community and audience. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback from folks who have bought and enjoyed these kits and many of them have become welcome subscribers to A Wilder View.

Cheers,
Patrick

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Licensing and Diamond Art Club

When a company needs artwork for a product, they’ll often contract an artist to use their work in exchange for a future royalty percentage on sales.

Depending on the product, percentages can be small. But if the company sells a lot of that product, it can add up to a significant portion of an artist’s income.

This is licensing.

Some artists don’t like licensing because they think they’ll lose control of their art and it will be stolen. That has happened to me more than once, and to every professional artist I know. Sometimes you don’t even know about it until long after the fact, and most of the time, there’s nothing you can do about it except tell them to stop.

Most of the licensing companies I’ve worked with are professionals. They use the art how they say they will, pay me regularly, and it’s a mutually beneficial relationship.

They don’t always use the images I want them to, or as many of my paintings as I’d like, but that’s not my call. They’re running their own businesses, and my art is often a tiny part. Once they license the work, it’s theirs to market how they see fit if they keep to the spirit of the agreement.

Harlequin Nature Graphics licenses a handful of my images on T-shirts. DecalGirl offers several of my paintings on cases and decals for electronic devices. A dozen other companies around the world have licensed my art through an agency for cross-stitch, fabrics, canvas art, and other products.
My most significant license, of course, is Pacific Music & Art out of Victoria, BC. Thanks to Mike and his staff, my work is on coffee mugs, water bottles, calendars, art cards, magnets, coasters, trivets, notebooks, and more. During the first year of the pandemic, his foresight to put my work on face masks was a welcome flotation device when other parts of my business were under water.

I regularly encounter people who tell me they’ve bought some of my art at stores I didn’t know existed in towns I’ve never visited. One local friend recently returned from a trip to Vancouver Island and told Shonna, “Pat’s art is everywhere!”

At the Calgary Expo this year, a very nice woman came into my booth and loudly proclaimed, “That’s my otter!”

I laughed and replied, “I beg to differ, Ma’am. That’s MY otter!”

She had bought the image as a framed art card in a BC store more than a year ago, and it hangs in her kitchen.
I get my licenses in three ways. The first is through an agency. They will contact me and propose a contract with a client. I have first right of refusal on every deal, and I have politely declined the opportunity a couple of times. They represent many artists, so it’s not a very personal relationship.

I look up every company in every proposed agreement. Sometimes it conflicts with an existing license; other times, their site looks unprofessional, I don’t like the product, or it’s just not a good fit. But most of the deals they send me are worth a try, and I give them the go-ahead.

Sometimes I look for a license because I think my work will fit a product or I like a specific company.

The third way is that a company will reach out to me. They’ve seen my work somewhere, looked around my website, saw images they liked and want to talk about a license.

About a year ago, Diamond Art Club contacted me to discuss access to my catalogue. The contact was professional, sent me a great information package for prospective licenses, and they were upfront about their royalties and payment schedule—no red flags.

I looked through their professional site and was impressed with how many high-end brands and artists they have under license. There’s no credibility question when a company has the official DC Comics and Harry Potter licenses.

I had heard a little about diamond painting kits but didn’t know much about the hobby, nor how massive it is. The simplest explanation is that it seems to be a blend of paint-by-numbers, cross-stitch and a little bit of the classic lite-bright toy. So rather than butcher the explanation, I’ll refer you to their site’s excellent description. Click here or on the image below.
After a couple of weeks back and forth with contracts and questions, I uploaded my art to their servers and tried to put it out of my mind. They were clear that nothing would likely be available until the end of the year. Licensing is often a long game, depending on the product, and each company’s lead time is different.

The production pipeline on these kits is extensive. First, there’s research with customers and retailers to determine which images to produce, then assigning an image to a designer who will turn a piece of art into a kit. Following that, the kit must be manufactured in large quantities and shipped. It’s more involved than most products I’ve encountered.

I don’t know the timeline for when the world is normal, but I was forewarned that it is much longer under the shadow of the pandemic.

It has been a year since I signed the contract with Diamond Art Club. I checked in with them every couple of months, and they were friendly and accommodating as they explained the different stages of delay. And I’m just one new artist. They no doubt have hundreds of other pieces in the pipeline, all affected by the same delays every company in the world has faced these past couple of years.

The first image Diamond Art Club put into production was no surprise. My Otter is one of my top two bestsellers everywhere, a close tie with the Smiling Tiger.

I’m glad they started with that one because if it does well, there will no doubt be more of my images on these kits in the future. Given the popularity and quality of these kits, I certainly hope so.
My sample arrived this week, and I was eager to open it. The first thing I noticed was the fantastic design of the packaging, both outside and in. The tools and pieces are well organized and labelled. The quality of the otter image on the canvas is superb, and there’s nothing about this kit that looks cheap and thrown together. At 23″X17″, it’s a fairly large image.

If I were into this hobby and bought one from Diamond Art Club, I would feel like a valued customer. As a licensed artist, I feel my work is represented well, and I’m pleased to be involved with this company. I hope it’s for a long time.

I’ve learned about licensing, however, that I have no clue what will do well or for how long. Certain paintings may be incredibly popular with the people who like them, but will a new product find a new audience? I have no idea.

So, while I wait and see, I let these companies do what they do best, and I’ll keep painting new portraits of whimsical wildlife for their future consideration.

Because that’s what I do best.
If you’d like to learn more about Diamond Art Club, head to their site and check it out. Right now, you can get 20% off your first order with the code SUMMER20. While they have a large assortment of fantastic art, might I suggest a certain Otter as your first piece?

Cheers,
Patrick