ART NEWS
Beryl Cook Program Extends to Germany Following the continued success of the Beryl Cook licensing program in the UK, Art Licensing Agency, This is Iris announce their new partnership with leading German agents Euro Lizenzen and leading Jigsaw Puzzle partner Schmidt Spiele. Following a face to face meeting at BLE all three companies have come together to build a new licensing plan that celebrates the work of this beloved UK artist. Beryl’s family have been instrumental in the success of the current UK program with her granddaughter Sophie and her husband Olly being responsible for creating a new portfolio of collage based artwork using the existing themes originally painted by Beryl. “Beryl’s artwork never fails to raise a smile and we are so pleased that this collection is as popular as ever. This evergreen collection continues to grow year on year, with us seeing sales for certain product categories overtake those of celebrity based lines. We’ve received more and more licensing enquiries for Beryls work over the past 12 months and we are thrilled to be working with our good friends at Euro Lizenzen partners Schmidt Spiele. We’ve known each other for nearly 20 years, we know that Beryl’s work is in good hands and we’re excited to see what happens next,” Sarah Lawrence, This is Iris commented. “We are delighted to become a part of the Beryl Cook licensing team and represent the highly reputable agency This is Iris ltd. , for this amazing property, in the territories of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux and Scandinavia.” In these very challenging days of social distancing, we feel lucky to be surrounded by Beryl Cook’s beautiful art, featuring people at pubs, in the shower, in the garden, sunbathing, dancing and having good times with friends, which give us hope for brighter days soon to come. The strong messages in Beryl Cook’s art is what we really need in these days to keep us going day by day. We would like to spread these glorious images to all kind of merchandise to make people instantly feel happy,” says Nesli Karamuftuoglu, International Licensing Director of Munich-based licensing agency Euro Lizenzen.
Ravensburger Transforms Ailsa Black’s Work into Puzzle Ailsa Black’s unique artwork was transformed into a series of jigsaw puzzles for the first time at the beginning of this year. Following an agreement with the UK’s leading adult puzzle manufacturer, Ravensburger. The agreement brokered by licensing agent This is Iris, saw the development of a 1000 piece puzzle based on the Scotland-based artist’s work, titled ‘No Ball Games’. It is Ailsas joy of coastal life that caught the eye of Ravensburger’s adult puzzle development manager, Sarah Stevens. “Ailsa totally captures the charm of seaside village life in No Ball Games,” said Sarah Stevens. “Ailsa’s style is very distinctive, with her beautiful use of colour, interesting shapes and quirky details all make this puzzle such fun to put together. It makes me smile and I know others will too. Her joyful art complements our portfolio perfectly and No Ball Games has been extremely well received by retailers.” Launched at London Toy Fair in January, No Ball Games by Ailsa Black has gone on to be highlighted by several retailers with The Independent newspaper highlighting it as one of the Top 9 Puzzles to do during Lockdown. PAGE 12
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