Art Licensing Coaching for Artists & Illustrators
Carrie Cantwell is an art brand and licensing coach who has personally landed art licensing deals with Target, Pottery Barn, World Market, and dozens of independent brands, all without an agent.
She offers 1-on-1 coaching for artists, illustrators, and surface pattern designers who want to learn how to license their art, build a portfolio, pitch companies, price their work, or grow a creative business, because no single course fits every artist's path.
Her coaching draws directly from her own experience navigating licensing negotiations, contract terms, and royalty structures without outside representation.
Sessions cover practical topics like pitching brands, pricing licensed work, and building a portfolio that gets noticed by companies looking to license art.
In a live 1-hour session, you'll get a plan built around your specific goals, plus a recording, notes, and a summary to revisit anytime.
Coaching Testimonials
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truly grateful for her guidance
"Working with Carrie Cantwell has been such a valuable experience. She is incredibly helpful, insightful, and savvy, and has a real talent for helping you see things from a different perspective. I especially appreciate her approach to working smarter, not harder—she always seems to have a practical solution, helpful shortcut, or fresh way of looking at a challenge. Every coaching session is filled with little nuggets of wisdom and actionable tips that I can actually apply to my work and business. Carrie is also incredibly generous with her knowledge and shares it freely. I always leave our sessions feeling clearer, more focused, and with practical next steps I can put into action right away. I’m truly grateful for her guidance and highly recommend working with her!"
— Gabriela Delgado, Art Director • Lettering & Illustration Artist: Gabba Delgado -
wealth of knowledge and experience
"Carrie Cantwell has such a wealth of knowledge and experience to share, and is straightforward yet encouraging in her delivery. I left my session with Carrie feeling inspired, full of ideas, and with realistically actionable plans. If you're looking for that spark to get you moving forward, look no further and work with Carrie!"
— Julia Barry. Owner: UpRoot Design Studio -
great coach
“Carrie is a great coach. I came in with a bunch of questions, mostly centered around if I could make a transition between industries. Carrie looked through my artwork, gave me tips on pitching, and even industry resources for working in surface design. I have a clear idea of what to do next and how to move forward as a surface designer.”
— Anneliese Johnson, Quilt Pattern Designer: Eye Candy Quilts -
so thorough
“Carrie was so thorough. I loved the contacts, art she selected, website feedback and conversation we had! I wanted it to be longer lol! It was so good chatting with Carrie, she is so helpful - I'm actually excited to pitch again!”
— Dina Riddle, Owner: Dina Riddle Design -
the session was amazing
“Having an experienced designer look at my work was invaluable. Carrie was very encouraging, helpful, and insightful. The session was amazing.”
— Laura Williams, Owner: Laura Williams Designs -
openly shared industry secrets
"Carrie is a wonderful coach! Very friendly, tactful, energizing, understanding, openly shared industry "secrets" that were applicable specifically to my situation :) Thank you, Carrie! Also, love your sense of humor!"
— Kateryna Sukhomlynova, Owner: KateSu Design -
incredible feedback
“Carrie gave incredible feedback! Going over for Q&A was very generous of her. I hit the ground running and got started pitching immediately. Thanks again for all the advice and insights. I really appreciate it.”
— Nichole Marie Mace, Owner: By Nichole Marie -
fresh perspective
“Thank you, Carrie, for helping me make sense of my work and looking at it with a fresh perspective. Meeting with you made me excited to show my work again.”
— Melissa Kulick, Owner: Kulik Illustration -
clear answers
“I got clear answers as to what direction Carrie thought I should take my portfolio -- which is exactly what I was looking for. Carrie provided concrete resources to pursue like companies she thought my work would be a good fit for.”
— Kerry Boan, Owner: Studio of Considered Things -
key insights into the licensing world
"I participated in a 1-on-1 'Perfect Pitching' coaching session with Carrie, and it gave me a solid foundation to start from. She provided key insights into the licensing world that I wouldn't have known otherwise. I'd give it a 5/5 and highly recommend her coaching to anyone looking to expand their art business."
— Virginia Hicks, Owner: Eternia Art -
practical, personalized advice
“Carrie’s coaching on pitching for art licensing and freelance work was a total game-changer for me. She broke everything down so clearly and gave me practical, personalized advice I could put into action right away. I loved how encouraging and honest she was throughout the whole process. I feel so much more confident reaching out to clients now, thanks to her guidance.”
— Julie Kingston -
exceeded my expectations
“Carrie’s portfolio review completely exceeded my expectations. She provided so much thoughtful detail and insight that I felt truly seen as an artist. I was blown away by how carefully she considered my unique style and the goals I’m working toward. I left our session feeling inspired, confident, and ready to take my work to the next level!”
— Natalie Stanwick