DragonCon 2011 Con Report

Finally! I am sentient enough to write a blog post about DragonCon!  This year was my most work-intensive year yet, despite the fact I didn’t have to man a table.  It was so wonderful to meet old friends, fellow artists, and attend many cool panels!  It made returning home to a backlog of work after all the fun that much more difficult.

My panel on E-Marketing for Artists 101 that I gave during the con is now available online for your viewing pleasure.  It was my first time giving it so I was pleased to be applauded at the end. Next time, I’ll be sure to include even more info based on the crowd’s great suggestions!

I decided to be over-ambitious and do a mixed media display of new digital paintings, jewelry, and masks to reflect my new skillset from the past year.  I’m happy to report I sold half my masks and jewelry and even a couple of framed pieces!  This year was the best I’ve done with a Gallery panel at DragonCon, though Print Shop sales remained lackluster.

Now for a tour of my panel! (See more pics of my gallery this year here).

 
Things I Learned
(Because you always learn something new with every con. Even if you’ve been attending for years.)
  • Mailing labels are your friend! Instead of wasting business cards by using them as title labels, a simple design printed on a mailing label looks even more snazzy AND saves me money!
  • Plastic Sawtooth Hangers look way better than using binder clips on your images (and doesn’t risk creasing your art/bag). The downside: Once they’re stuck on, they’re on for good.
  • Gatorade. The cure for hangovers, nausea, and walking multiple blocks in 85 degree Georgia heat in a corset!
  • What sold this year – DRAGONS (Derp moment on my part as this never occurred to me. Especially for an event like DragonCon), masks, jewelry, and my darker angel pieces.  Seems my craft items are staying my money makers.
  • When giving an hour long panel, drink plenty of water (or Gatorade). I was hoarse for a week after because I rambled the whole time at my panel without sipping any liquids.

Personal Stuff
Being able to wander the con and attend panels was great this year! I learned how to make items out of hardened felt, which opens up a whole new world of crafting for me. I also attended a panel on peasant fashion in the 1650s, which was great cultural fodder for my novel writing research.
A butterfly lady sketch
from Stephanie
Pui-Mun Law.
I also got to yack with Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and, in what’s becoming my DragonCon tradition, purchased her latest Tarot book, The Tarot: Minor Arcana!  Stephanie did a lovely sketch on the inside cover before my eyes, even with my rambling distracting her. Thanks so much for the gift of inspiration, Stephanie! Can’t wait to really dig into this tome. A flip through has already revealed tons of crows, swords, sparkly bods, and awesomeness! It will be good inspiration and motivation for me to get going on my own Tarot project, once I finally sort my direction out.
After two years of saying ‘I might go’, I finally attended David Mack’s charity body painting event hosted at one of my favorite joints in town, The Shakespeare Tavern! There was much talent packed into one place and also organic strawberry beer to be had.  David also signed my present of a rare Scarab figure from a friend, which was the source of much happiness.
I was also free to wander around snapping pics of costumes this year. You can see my meager collection of costume photos here!  If you want to see videos of my friends and I being stupid at the Night at the Aquarium event, check out Derpy Eels and Rockout Fish videos.
I’m not so sure if I’ll be able to make it to DragonCon next year with other events like SDCC and Spectrum Live Art tempting me, but after the success of this year, I’m definitely going to try!  Till next time, guys!  I’m already plotting a costume.

5 comments

  1. Maybe your comparatively lower auction prices/minimum bids impact print shop sales somehow? I know that when I walk into the DragonCon print shop, I tend to focus on stuff by artists whose auction items start at many hundreds if not thousands of dollars. The stuff I may never be able to afford in any form other than print shop prints, basically. With items as affordable as yours, I prefer to get my fix in the auction and buy any other prints direct from artist later either at their table (if they have one) or online.

  2. Perhaps! I personally suspect that the traffic through the shop just isn’t as high as it used to be due to the fact the exit isn’t in the shop like it used to be. They probably changed this to avoid congestion. Not every location in the shop is a good view either.

    I made enough at least to cover the fee of putting in the shop, so as long as that happens, I’ll probably keep a shop section, yup!

  3. True enough on both shop and print location. As tall as I am, I might still have missed yours up on that top shelf if not for the fact I was specifically looking for a print of one of your art show pieces (the other framed one that I didn’t buy in the auction).

  4. Yes! I have to thank you again for supporting me. It is truly appreciated.:) I think you are officially my first ‘art collector’.

    I think also next time I will try BIGGER prints! That way, there is no possibility of folks missing them or them being overthrown by bigger pics. Mua ha ha!

  5. Eight prints and counting (there are at least two or three more I want to pick up in the near future; maybe a leather piece commission depending on how you feel about my friend’s sword sheath when it’s done).

    Bigger prints certainly couldn’t hurt. Much harder to miss even when sitting up on a high shelf.

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