Artist Journal: Matt Johnson (Super Bowl LIV Ornament)
Monday, February 17, 2020
Matt Johnson
All of Kansas City shouted for joy on February 2nd this year as the Kansas City Chiefs won the title of Super Bowl LIV Champions. For fellow Kansas Citian and Keepsake Artist Matt Johnson, that day was made extra special by being the artist who got to design the Keepsake Ornament celebrating the win! “I am a Chiefs fan and Hallmark is such a huge part of Kansas City and the Chiefs Kingdom,” he said. “It’s just incredible to think we have been waiting 50 years for another Super Bowl! All of the history and traditions passed down from the generations really make this special. Between the Royals winning the World Series after a 30-year drought and the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl after 50—my kids couldn’t have picked a better time to live in Kansas City for sports. It’s amazing to be designing a Christmas ornament for the Super Bowl Champion team to begin with, but to have it be your home team winning makes it all the more incredible!”
Johnson, Matt. “At My Desk – Matt Johnson (Go Chiefs!).” Hallmark Keepsake Community, February 02, 2020. https://keepsakecommunity.hallmark.com/share/at-my-desk-matt-johnson-go-chiefs.
Artist Sketchbook: Gregor Benedetti
Here are some additional concepts for the Warm and Cozy 2020 Hallmark Channel Snowman.
Warm and Cozy concept sketches
Here are some sketches for the 2019 Keepsake Toy Soldier.
Gregor with Toy Soldier
Toy Soldier concept sketches
Toy Soldier
Artist Journal: Gregor Benedetti
Friday, January 31, 2020
Gregor Benedetti
Keepsake Artist Gregor Benedetti is still fairly new to the Keepsake Studio, but many Hallmark fans may already be familiar with some of his other work for Hallmark—especially when it comes to licensed properties. In fact, his latest gift line just released! “My ‘Mickey and Minnie in Love’ collection is currently in Hallmark stores and online for Valentine’s Day,” he said.
So how has his former work at Hallmark helped Gregor as he’s started working in the Keepsake Studio? “Developing concepts for licenses such as Disney and Peanuts is similar to the previous work I’ve done on Hallmark’s licensed gifts,” he said. “There are certain guidelines an artist must adhere to when utilizing any licensed character in a design on any given format, from ornaments to salt and pepper shakers.”
Now that he’s fully dedicated to the work in the Keepsake Studio, Gregor has learned that innovation and collaboration are key. “The Keepsake Studio is different from some of the other work I’ve done at Hallmark because it allows for more innovative thinking within my design process,” he said. “Developing all the sound and movement that emanates from this small little ornament can be quite an undertaking, but also an exciting and rewarding experience. I enjoy collaborating with the Engineers and Editors through the development process. Fans should know it takes a village to get an ornament design on track and ready to go out into the world!”
One of the first steps in getting a new ornament out into the world is coming up with the idea. For Gregor, sketching is a good place to start. “Typically, I sketch up new concepts and ideas very loose and fast at first with pencil and paper,” he said. “I sometimes start by drawing a series of boxes on pages in my sketch book. The boxes represent dimensions I’m shooting for. Then I get wild and draw anything I want within those boxes.”
From there, Gregor starts to think about what those sketches might look like as a 3D object, like an ornament. “As the concepts become more and more fleshed out, I start to see them in 3D, which is fun,” he said. “Afterward, I scan everything into the computer and continue to work on the ones I like most digitally.”
Gregor may be new to ornament creation, but his love for art began at a young age in his hometown of New York City, and it’s still the place where he goes to be renewed creatively. “When I return back home and hit the museums like the MET and The Museum of Natural History, I tend to be creatively renewed,” he said. “I love sketching there, whether it be medieval armor, Greek statues and anything prehistoric. As a child, I would be in awe staring for long moments at those Charles Knight murals all over the Museum of Natural history, only to try and emulate them in my sketchbook many years later as an adult.”
So how is he enjoying his time here in Kansas City? “I am really excited starting this new creative chapter in my life in the Keepsake Studio,” he said. “Anyone who knows me is aware that I always tend to love a good adventure! What I am really enjoying about being an official member of the studio is by far the fans. It’s helping me grow as an artist. Being able to connect, especially in person with your audience, is a rare and special opportunity. We are so fortunate to have it.”
Artist Journal: Joanne Eschrich
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Joanne (Eschrich) Wright
While Christians agree that the purpose of Christmas is celebrating the birth of Jesus, the holiday’s secular traditions are recognized in a variety of ways around the world. In many countries, St. Nicholas, Kris Kringle, or Father Christmas – not Santa Claus – represents the season’s spirit of goodwill.
Keepsake Artist Joanne Eschrich’s parents were born in the Azorean Islands of Portugal. As Joanne grew up, expensive gifts weren’t the focus of her family’s holiday. “Christmas was all about the nativity for us,” she says. “And beyond that, it was all about the meaning of generosity and peace. We were told about St. Nicholas, who lived a long time ago and helped poor children.”
When asked to design an ornament series to honor that uplifting spirit of Christmas, Joanne turned to old-world traditions to create Father Christmas, a series introduced in 2004 with an ornament entitled Peace.
Father Christmas
1st in the series.
“I wanted this one to be special and different than the normal, typical Santas out there,” recalled Joanne. “The first thought and question I gave myself was ‘What makes him special?’ and ‘What story or message did I want him to convey?’ After three days of concepting, it came to me just before going to bed one night. ‘A worldly Father Christmas’ type of Santa, that would bring a special message to anyone who picked him up!”
After returning to the office, she headed to the Hallmark Archives to look for inspiration. “I was inspired by the old nostalgic Christmas cards and concepted from them.” She then began working with Senior Editor Strategist Mike Brush (who was there from the beginning) and Senior Editor Lindsay Evans. “They have both been instrumental in the development of Father Christmas throughout the years.”
Each ornament in the series brings an inspiring message written on a scroll that Father Christmas carries in a bag, along with symbols reflecting the message. In selling her idea for the series to Keepsake management, Joanne researched and drew concepts for ten ornaments, each with its own message, icons, and color scheme. “Once the message is established I think of the colors and icons that best portray that message. For example, The Father Christmas of Peace (2004) was the message that started the series off, so I gathered soft whites in fabrics and ribbons and sculpted dove charms and white peace lillies for him to hold. The design and message work hand in hand throughout the sculpting and painting process.”
Father Christmas
1st in the series.
Joanne sculpts her characters individually in wax, giving each a unique sense of vitality and appearance of movement. All prototypes were painted and assembled by hand. After completing several ornaments in the series, she started to look for inspiration in new ways.
“I am always inspired each year by friends, family and fans, who have thoughts and stories surrounding each one. They’re usually inspirations or requests surrounding color themes both present and future. I always try to keep a balance or alternate colors from one year to the next,” she says.
“For Father Christmas 2019, I felt that it was time to come back to the original message of Peace and that the use of green, representing Earth, was important to the ‘World Peace” message.”
Father Christmas
18th in the series.
And there’s another family connection for Joanne – many of the bags holding Father Christmas’ messages were created by her mother, Leona. A professional seamstress, Joanne’s mother not only sewed the bags for early ornament prototypes but she also helped Joanne design the rich fabric coats that each Father Christmas wears. Joanne is clearly grateful for her mother’s help. “She’s turning 90 this coming year, but I still run my ideas by my mom,” she smiles.
In terms of popularity, Joanne says Father Christmas has been the high point of her Keepsake career, which began in 1996. ““I started Father Christmas 16 years ago, and I’m working on #18 for 2021 already!” she says. “I’ve signed more of these ornaments than anything else I’ve done so far.”
For that she can give partial credit to her family heritage. But the attraction of such enduring ideals as Peace, Harmony, and Wonder also help make Father Christmas a welcome holiday messenger.
“There’s no better feeling than to see Father Christmas in the hands of those who really appreciate him,” she says.
Artist Journal: Rodney Gentry
Thursday, January 02, 2020
Rodney Gentry
When it comes to creating, Keepsake Artist Rodney Gentry is an all-digital-all-the-time kind of guy. “I only work digitally.” he said. “Digital sculpting allows me to be precise and gives me the ability to zoom in close, scale up or down—whichever one is needed. It also allows me to add different textures and contours and I can keep a great digital archive of component parts and characters that I can reuse and refer back to. I’m a big fan of ‘undo’ and ‘redo,’ as well as ‘convert to saved.’”
While he’s sculpting, Rodney likes to surround himself with things he loves. “My work space describes me well,” he said. “It has toys because I love to play, boxing gloves because sometimes the play gets rough, sports figures because I love watching sports, plants because I love nature and lots of golf things because that’s my favorite sport right now.”
In fact, to get his creative juices flowing, Rodney likes to spend a lot of time doing the things he loves. “I play golf every Saturday morning,” he said. “I really enjoy being outdoors. When I’m not golfing, I’m working in my yard or just out enjoying nature in some other way. Being outside away from my desk gives me a chance to step away from modeling and other day-to-day things so I can absorb new ideas, colors and just unwind.”
So what’s Rodney’s favorite ornament in 2019? “I know it sounds cliché,” he said, “but everything I work on is my favorite!”
2019 Ornaments
by Rodney Gentry