Mar 27, 2013

Debra Valencia Prepares for Surtex 2013

Artist Debra Valencia™ will be exhibiting for the fifth consecutive year at the annual Surtex show in booths 734 & 736, Javit’s Convention Center New York, May 19-21, 2013. She will debut new Everyday contemporary floral, paisley, brocade and geometric design collections. Her most popular art properties include Boho Girl, Silk Road, Prima Flourish, Kyoto, Bloom and Annabelle.

In 2012 the Debra Valencia™ brand boasted nine new licensing deals spanning stationery, textiles, housewares, gifts and fashion accessories. Licensees included Decal Girl, Solid Line, MYX, South Sea Imports, Gina B, Galleria Accessories and others. She also appointed an international agent, Ginja Agency, for the emerging Israeli market with an immediate license signed with Palphot for stationery and gifts. In the first quarter of 2013, Debra added three additional licenses with ACT for writing instruments, My Memories for digital scrapbook collections, and Craftwell for die cutting machine software for crafters.

Debra plans to continue building the brand with a focus on stationery, fashion accessories and home décor products. Her wish list for the upcoming Surtex show is to meet manufacturers of back-to-school supplies and giftable stationery items as well as kitchen, bed and bath lines, wallpaper, upholstery fabrics and an array of home textiles.

Debra is also founder of Art Licensing LA, a collaborative agency of five independent artists, launched January 1, 2013. The other members include: Sara Berrenson, Ginger 17, Jeanetta Gonzales and LuAnn Roberto. They teamed up to offer manufacturers a broader range of artwork styles and topics than would be possible by a single artist. With a combined library of over 2,000 images in five portfolios, they currently offer fresh art of popular licensing themes: florals, nature, wildlife, beach, food, wine, coffee, holidays, travel, pet, home, garden, baby, children, paisley, novelty, inspiration, humor and more.

About Debra Valencia
The Debra Valencia™ brand of surface designs is known for a creative blend of florals, brocades, paisleys, geometric and organic patterns mixed and matched in interesting color combinations, all with a distinctive sense of style. The signature look is artistic, lively, vibrant, colorful, vivid and imaginative inspired by pop culture, fashion and worldly ethnic themes. The designs reflect a fresh and imaginative approach to the creation of contemporary classic patterns that are chic and sassy, yet fun and lively. Mixing stripes with florals, colorful ethnic motifs with geometrics, or old with new, each collection distinctively captures the essence and personality of the brand.

“My collections are a reflection of my passion for traveling the world and scouring the marketplaces for interesting finds as well as a love for everything vintage. I mix and match elements in interesting color and pattern combinations to make something new”, says Valencia.

Valencia’s surface designs are applicable for all types of stationery products including greeting cards, invitations, journals, home office products, gift wrap and party goods. The pattern collections are equally applicable to apparel, fashion accessories, textiles, craft/hobby products and array of home décor products such as bedding, tableware, vases, frames, tiles, wallpaper and more. Valencia is currently licensed with over 20 manufacturers with over 1,000 products currently on the market or in production for 2012.

Valencia is the brainchild behind California-based innovative greeting card company Vida Valencia launched in 2006 and now distributed exclusively by Jillson & Roberts in Santa Ana, California. The company features a variety of gift card packaging and convenient gift wrap and can be ordered at www.vidavalencia.com.

Valencia’s expertise includes creating distinctive branding, packaging and product design for globally recognized companies in a variety of industries. Gift, Home, and Stationery: Esprit Bed & Bath, Karen Klein Candles & Spa; Toy: Hasbro, Playskool, Milton Bradley, Swingset Press, Herrington Teddy Bears, and CowParade; Entertainment and Hospitality: Disney, Hard Rock Cafés & Hotels International, The Cheesecake Factory, MGM Grand Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Luxe Hotels Worldwide, Costume Designers Guild and Leonardo DiCaprio; Publishing: Book design for artists including Mark Ryden and Liz McGrath, museums, galleries and a variety of travel, business, children and trade book publishers. She founded the contemporary stationery company, Vida Valencia, in 2006. The company features gift card packaging and convenient gift wrap solutions with contemporary patterns in bold colors

Educated as a graphic designer and earning the faculty award for most outstanding student, Valencia received a BFA with honors from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. Her work has been featured in publications internationally such as Time, Interiors, HOW, Print, ID, Communication Arts, Identity, Abitare, Process Architecture, Giftware News, Gift & Decorative Accessories, Greetings Etc., Total Licensing, and a number of books including Women in Design 1900–2000. She has received numerous awards from the AIGA and other professional organizations, serves a part–time faculty member of Otis College of Art & Design in Los Angeles and Art Center College of Art in Pasadena, and lectured at major institutions and conferences nationwide. Valencia is member of the Greeting Card Association, Craft & Hobby Association, Art of Licensing Group and American Institute of Graphic Artists.