In October 2013, artist Thaneeya McArdle gave most of her stuff to Goodwill, put the rest in storage, and became a full-time nomad, roaming across the US and abroad. While on the road, she landed upon a major licensing deal for her artwork. Her publisher Fox Chapel Publishing first discovered her artwork on Pinterest and quickly expressed an interested in repurposing her artwork for coloring books. This was before the big coloring book boom; at the time, not too many artists were creating artwork specifically for coloring books. McArdle had found her niche, and her coloring book empire quick took off. After a few emails back and forth, while McArdle was busy traveling the world, she signed with Fox Chapel Publishing and set out to create nine coloring books.
Amid the excitement of licensing deals, McArdle she spent two years traveling the world with her husband and business partner. Together, they explored Oahu, San Francisco, and parts of Australia and New Zealand. Things started to get a bit hectic when more projects and more deadlines began piling up. “Many times, life often felt more like work than play,” McArdle says. In addition to her coloring book contracts, she was also creating art for licensing such as puzzles, calendars and jewelry. “All the while, I was aware that being too busy as a working artist was an extremely “good problem” to have, so I didn’t mind buckling down to get the work done. Although it was hard at times, overall I was grateful to be in that position.”
Although it was hard at times, McArdle completely believes that art and travel go hand in hand. “Both art and travel offer us new opportunities for self-exploration, as well as exploration of the world around us. For example, experimenting with color and materials when making art is a way of exploring our immediate environment, while traveling immerses us in new surroundings and cultures, inviting us to explore the wider environment.”
For artistic entrepreneurs who are looking to grow their art business while still enjoying the pleasures of travel, she has this advice: “Learn as much as you can! The Internet offers a treasure trove of useful information, such as online classes, forums, articles and blog posts where people discuss and explain how they managed to “make it” in their chosen field. These days there are so many ways to launch – and sustain – an art career via the Internet, so if this is your dream, I encourage you to do as much research as you can about what steps you need to take to reach your goals!”
Today, McArdle has over 25 books as well as an assortment of merchandise such as calendars, clothing, mugs, prints, notebooks, and many other accessories available for sale. She and her husband now reside in Florida where they are closer to their family. When asked if they would consider picking up and taking their work on the road again, McArdle says she says the idea is still on the table…but for now, she’s continuing to focus on her newfound coloring book enterprise.
You can check out her various colorful coloring books at www.Thaneeya.com.
