A last look at 2013—wow!

I don't think I've waited this late in the year to put together my mosaic but I couldn't end the year without it. This is the 7th year I make one.

The paper standouts this year are definitely my 3D pieces. I really felt like I was in my true element when I started that series and there will be more to come!

As far as other experiences go...

• Surtex in NYC—which is directly related to licensing some work to Robert Kaufman fabrics. This was a great way to really test the waters with my surface design. I learned a lot (I'm still learning) and I really look forward to continuing my work in this area.
• Paris—SO much to say about this amazing family trip! We started with Bastille Day just soaked in all the sights and even squeezed in a stage of the Tour de France.The photos and ideas that I brought back with me are still affecting my work today and I suspect it will be that way for quite a while.
• Winning Scotch Brand's Most Gifted Wrapper 2013 - I wasn't going to participate at first (can you believe that?) and then it turned out to be another awesome NYC experience with appearances on Fox and Friends, Fox News Latino (both with the wonderful Martin Amado), Fox 26 Houston and KPRC Houston. So much fun, so much that I learned and so very grateful. These were all wrapped up (pun intended!) in just a 2-3 weeks (and in December people!)—an incredible pace alternating with Christmas shopping and holiday activities—but looking back it was an awesome roller coaster ride.
• And last but not least a full time graphic design position at a company where I enjoy to go every day. An actual office job the last thing that I thought I'd end up with this year but it just happened. I didn't look for it. Instead of hindering my work with A Little Hut I think it's fueling my interest in being more experimental next year. That last 3D holiday wreath I made this year is a direction I will be exploring further for sure—it feels very "me".

My job kept me from blogging and working on more designs towards the end of the year, but I simply had to play it smart and balance things out. I know that with the start of the new year our family routine will be more settled and I'll be able to start up again on a more regular basis. Thank you, thank you to those of you that still check up on me to see what I'm up to here.You're not hanging around in vain—I'm coming back more regularly in the new year! :)

Previous year end mosaics are here: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

With such an amazing year what can 2014 bring? We shall see!

Here's to an awesome 2014!
Cheers and Happy New Year everyone!

A last look at 2013—wow!

I don't think I've waited this late in the year to put together my mosaic but I couldn't end the year without it. This is the 7th year I make one.

The paper standouts this year are definitely my 3D pieces. I really felt like I was in my true element when I started that series and there will be more to come!

As far as other experiences go...

• Surtex in NYC—which is directly related to licensing some work to Robert Kaufman fabrics. This was a great way to really test the waters with my surface design. I learned a lot (I'm still learning) and I really look forward to continuing my work in this area.
• Paris—SO much to say about this amazing family trip! We started with Bastille Day just soaked in all the sights and even squeezed in a stage of the Tour de France.The photos and ideas that I brought back with me are still affecting my work today and I suspect it will be that way for quite a while.
• Winning Scotch Brand's Most Gifted Wrapper 2013 - I wasn't going to participate at first (can you believe that?) and then it turned out to be another awesome NYC experience with appearances on Fox and Friends, Fox News Latino (both with the wonderful Martin Amado), Fox 26 Houston and KPRC Houston. So much fun, so much that I learned and so very grateful. These were all wrapped up (pun intended!) in just a 2-3 weeks (and in December people!)—an incredible pace alternating with Christmas shopping and holiday activities—but looking back it was an awesome roller coaster ride.
• And last but not least a full time graphic design position at a company where I enjoy to go every day. An actual office job the last thing that I thought I'd end up with this year but it just happened. I didn't look for it. Instead of hindering my work with A Little Hut I think it's fueling my interest in being more experimental next year. That last 3D holiday wreath I made this year is a direction I will be exploring further for sure—it feels very "me".

My job kept me from blogging and working on more designs towards the end of the year, but I simply had to play it smart and balance things out. I know that with the start of the new year our family routine will be more settled and I'll be able to start up again on a more regular basis. Thank you, thank you to those of you that still check up on me to see what I'm up to here.You're not hanging around in vain—I'm coming back more regularly in the new year! :)

Previous year end mosaics are here: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

With such an amazing year what can 2014 bring? We shall see!

Here's to an awesome 2014!
Cheers and Happy New Year everyone!

in the end it was all a gift

I was rereading my Surtex post last night and thinking that I made it sound a bit like it happened all in a few days and that was that. That is definitely not the case as I'm sure you can imagine.

For any of you entertaining the idea of showing your work at Surtex be prepared for weeks and weeks of work and planning and spending probably a bit more than you thought (those taxi cabs, food and every other knick-knack add up—seriously!).

I didn't post anything about my preparation process because it was simply too much to explain and I was in a focused place where I needed to be 'alone'. Now that I'm on the other side I can explain that much of what I did months ago I had to redo. Yeah, yikes. There were designs that I had prepared last year that I simply did not think were up to par—they weren't where I wanted them to be. So by mid-February I finally decided that I was going to shoot for quality and not quantity and I narrowed down my design options drastically. I think that it was a smart move, but it left me with a crazy pace to follow, which included me asking my Mr. Z to understand if for the next few weeks the house was going to look like a big wreck (which it did!!). Bless him for understanding and for taking over some of my 'mom' duties in the process.

The fact that my best work was completed closer to the show left me with little time to really design the booth that I wanted. I think my banners represented me well but I could've done so much better—I know that. I'm not fretting about it (too much) because I know there would be a learning curve that I couldn't avoid and like I said the schedule was tight. C'est la vie.

One important thing that happened was that I managed to get out of my 3D mentality for a bit and think beyond cutting files. I didn't realize that my line of thinking had been so narrowed by my current work. With illustrations the possibilities are endless—with cutting files there are set challenges and barriers. I had to retrain myself to explore further and fine tune my illustration style and tone. Even though at times it was stressful, I loved the breakthroughs and long days with fruitful results. It really was a marathon with ups and downs all the way through and I'm so proud of pulling through it.

Main lesson learned:
Get out of your comfort zone more often—give yourself creative exercises that will make you go beyond what you're doing. In the end the results are a true gift—which may come as a new iphone case as a treat for yourself with one of your own patterns on it—hehe!
(I'm giving Society6 a test run!)

Oh and the fact that I can sleep more soundly these days.. yes, that's definitely a gift too!

• • •

PS - My blog quietly crossed the 8yr mark over the weekend (on the 26th). Crazy!!!!! Where has the time gone?

surtex show - 2013

I've been trying to put my thoughts about Surtex together for the past few days and I'm still mulling over the whole experience. First of all being in NYC after nearly 30+ years of not visiting was amazing in itself. I love the energy there! Our hotel was only a couple of blocks away from Times Square and Rockefeller Center—we were in the thick of the touristy area. So many languages spoken all around—mostly French.

As a first-time exhibitor I was quite nervous the first day—which kind of surprised me a bit. But I quickly settled in to the general business and social chats along with talking about my work.

The biggest impression I left with regarding Surtex is that it's definitely all about making connections and that the more you are open to talk to the people around you (not just the ones that stop at your booth) the more you benefit. Whether you're talking to a manufacturer, creative director, or other artists—you are there to meet people that you'd otherwise have a hard time to get a hold of in any other way. There was so much information coming and going and I loved that most everyone I talked to was very willing to share their experience and tips.

Here is my booth after we were done with the setup. I loved having a corner booth because it was more open to view all our surroundings. What I wasn't crazy about was being all the way in the back row of the entire show (luck of the draw + where most newbies were placed). 



It was great to pass the time with our surrounding booth neighbors who were all very friendly and made the experience even more fun—Jennifer Paganelli, Rachel Gresham, Denise Albright, Peter Spacek and Julia Minasian. I also had the opportunity to meet many other designers, revisit with some I've met at other events and meet readers of my blog who came forward to introduce themselves. I'm telling you it's all about meet ups—three days straight of that!

I was able to make a quick escape to explore the National Stationery Show and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair which take place in the same building. It was all such eye-candy—almost to the point of overwhelming. After so many years of reading NSS recaps on many blogs it was really thrilling to finally see it in person. The furniture show was not far behind in awesomeness in my opinion—there were many wow moments there as well.

I went to Surtex with my brother Felipe who was my right hand man and he was of amazing help and support! I know the show can be a solo mission but it sure helps to have an extra pair of hands for set up/take down and just to talk to throughout the show. Also big kudos to my Mr. Z for holding down the fort at home with the kids! I'm so lucky to have such a supportive family.

After the show was all wrapped up we had some time to explore a tiny bit of the city. I do have to say that Central Park was big surprise. I didn't imagine it to be so beautiful, peaceful and lush. Amazing.

All in all Surtex was a great experience. Attendance was low according to previous attendees but I'm very pleased with the contacts that I can follow up with and looking forward to what new projects will come my way because I said 'yes' to the opportunity of showing my work. I'm very excited to see what will develop!

If you're interested in seeing more of my work please view more examples of my work on my PatriciaZapata.com site. 

And if you're curious... More photos of our trip are on my Instagram feed here.

Have a great weekend everyone!

I'm at Surtex!

Ok, I couldn't resist! I had to post a little something. My brother and I got to New York City today and we're ready to set up the booth tomorrow. I haven't been in the city since we left the area when I was 10 so this is like seeing everything with new eyes. The energy is very palpable specially when out hotel is only a block away from Times Square!

I'm very excited to get going. Those of you that follow me on Facebook know that I started a new Instagram account and I've been sharing a few photos there. Come visit my stream here—and if you happen to be at the Javits Center this weekend come by my booth— #664.

Wish me luck! Woohoo!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! XO