Hallmark

Hallmark was great.  It was like a candy land of art. Matt Kesler, an illustrator from Hallmark, showed us the magic.  It was a privilege to have a chance to visit one of the biggest greeting card companies in the world.   

Our first destination was the Library full of books and resources from all over the world. What a great place for inspiration!  Also, illustrators get together once a week to have a little drawing session.  The company store was the next destination.  It had all the tools and materials for the artists’ needs.  If they didn’t have what the artists were looking for, a simple request from the artists and it would be in the mail.  How fun is that! I couldn’t help but notice all the art collections Hallmark had hanging from the walls.  As we made stops here and there we finally reached the desk where Matt worked.  Computer on one side and working area on the other, Matt has done numerous great illustrations for this company.  He showed us how he approached his illustrations and some art that he was currently working on. 

One of Hallmark Art Collection
"Circus" by Matt Kesler

It was so fun and great to see how Hallmark approached things.  One of the things that really stood out to me was the way Hallmark valued the importance of inspiration.  They not only had an updated library and all the tools necessary to create great art, but also encouraged the artists to try something different and learn something new. Matt said, “I’ve got to be filled, in order for them to get it out.”  Hence, this might be the secret to doing great art. 

Matt Kesler at his desk

Reference:

Hallmark Cards   www.hallmark.com