Category: announcements

Waiting in the Wings

Yes, I’m still alive!

I realized today it’d been more than a month since I last posted an entry here (so much for that twice a week schedule). Normally, I’d consider this a failing at being consistent with my social media schedule, but sometimes there are just more important things in life that need tending to.

In the month I’ve been absent from the net, I’ve been reconnecting with old friends, spending time with loved ones, and pouring all of my energy into the final stages of a project which I’m extremely excited about. Without spoiling too much hype, I have been working on the writing of a book that illustrates how I go through many of my illustration methods, the book itself packed with new artwork which was created specifically for its pages. I did a short feature about some of the artwork and its references, if you’re curious and want a small preview of things to come.

This will be a mass market book that you will be seeing on the shelves of nearly every major book store near you! There’s still editing, perfecting, and packaging to be done, but a final product is on the horizon! To be sure, I will keep all of you up to date on this blog.

Until the time comes to divulge more info about my book, I’ve been gauging what the future holds for me. Many paths are unraveling, from traveling to art fairs and conventions to pursuing alternate means of income such as licensing and online venues. It’s a bit overwhelming at times, but always exciting! I hope to keep a record here of this journey of discovery with further posts about what it takes to sell work at an art fair to the trials of art licensing and more. I’ll be hitting alternate markets hard in this year to come. My sledgehammer is ready to smash!

So stay tuned! There’s more waiting in the wings.

Prints Clearance Sale & Haiti Disaster Relief

In light of this most recent tragedy in Haiti, I will be donating half of the profits from my current prints clearance sale to the Red Cross. If you haven’t heard of the tragedy, a 6.5 earthquate hit Haiti, toppling hospitals, government buildings, and many homes in the capitol. They need help now!

If you don’t want prints, you can still donate directly here.

My heart goes out to everyone who has been affected by this tragedy. The prints sale will be handled via my deviantART journal. You can see the entry here.

Regularly scheduled blogs will return once I’ve had a chance to get some equipment set back up in my room. I’m hoping to get back into the video blog act again, but this requires that I form order from chaos out of the mess that is my current bedroom/studio.

Until then, let’s do what we can to help others in need!

Updates & New Online Galleries!

Just a quick little update while I’m sneaking a moment to myself during the Christmas madness. I’ve still got presents to make in the form of little leather keychains I’ve been teaching myself to make for my novice dabblings in leathercrafting. I expect a few sleepless nights in the days to come!

I’ve finally hit that part in my big semi-secret book project as well where I’m in a most important step: the design of the front cover! I know how important it is for readers to judge a book by its cover, so I’ve been fretting awfully about how to make this cover the best eye-catching thing that will stop a person in their tracks and make them pick up my book. This means also that the project is nearly finished and I will be able to share more details about it soon! I’m so excited to tell you all more.

In other news, I’ve recently joined a few new online art communities! If you’re a member of any of these places, feel free to add me:

Ang @ Paperdemon.com – The place for my more mature pieces. Empty for now, but will most likely have work soon in the coming months! The interface is tricky for this site, but I’m rather pleased with their moderation of mature-themed images and writing.

Ang @ CGhub.com – I’ve heard this site is like a cross between DeviantART and ConceptART so I’m giving it a try. The interface is pretty clean with lots of ways for artists to network together, from what I’ve gathered. Unfortunately, it seems geared more towards digital artists, which I am mainly traditional, meaning my updating here will be slow.

Ang @ Wonderlands – Alas, I wish I had time to update more here! It’s mainly a site for UK authors, but artists and authors who love the fantasy genre are invited to join. They’ve had such great writers as Jacqueline Carey give an interview and seem to be a friendly community to network in.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season! I hope to return next entry with sanity intact. Joyous blessings to you all.

Etsy + Amazon Holiday Shipping & SALE!

Etsy Sale! FREE Shipping

I saw that many folks on Etsy were running sales and thought I'd jump on the bandwagon! From now until December 31st, get FREE standard shipping on all items within the US.

I've also marked down many of my items, including the new leather butterfly keychains, so grab em while they're cheap and available!

Free shipping also counts for custom butterflies and pendants. Note that I do not take custom orders on anything but pendants and butterflies.

My Etsy Shop :pointr: [link]
Sample Offerings:
Amazon Sale! 15% Off

As long as we're talking sales, I've just set my Amazon shop to 15% off ALL items! Remember that these items are bought directly from me, meaning all products are autographed by the artist with all proceeds going directly to the artist. It's a great way to show your support and give the gift of something extra special.

My Amazon Shop :pointr: [link]
Sample Offerings:
Christmas Shipping

If you'd like your items to arrive before Christmas, I recommend you shop early so I can have it out to you ASAP! I make no guarentees on the quickness of USPS, which is my main source of shipping for local and international shipping alike. Expidited shipping will be available on Etsy by special request & handled separately, but is still not guarenteed!

Shipping Times
Orders within the US –
Prints, Pendants, Keychains, Small Originals, & Matted Originals – USPS First class – 3-7 business days

International orders
USPS Air Mail – 7-10 business days

Don't forget the limited supply mini calendar+sketch sale is going on too!

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.

:holly::love::holly::love::holly:
Ang

Terrible Dawn + Announcements


“Terrible Dawn”
5×7 Inches, Watercolor & Color Pencil on Illustration Board

A brilliant blade flashes in the deepest dark. All who fear the light know her, for she is the Terrible Dawn, the slaughterer of demons and the blinding brilliance of Heaven.


She was really only meant to be a ‘minor’ illustration, but she just stole my focus and demanded more attention than a mere day. Could it be her resemblance to my muse, Aurora? She’s almost what I imagine Aurora to look like if she were transmogrified into an angel. Either way, this was much fun and an excellent test run of the Series 500 Wet Media Board from Strathmore.

All in all, it seems this board is an excellent upgrade from earlier series. It takes abuse well with wet-in-wet techniques, absorbs hue quicker and more effectively, and seems a general improvement all around over the regular cold press illustration board I’ve been using. Color pencil took to the surface just as well as it had with previous cold press board. I had some minor issues near the figure’s cheek bone where the line became ragged because the surface of the paper began to peel up and create tiny hairs, but I think this issue can be avoided if one waits more thoroughly for paper to dry between layers (I’m an impatient cuss). I like this new board, but will have to experiment more with future pieces to test its full capabilities.

In other news, after much toil and effort and caffeinated nights, I’m proud to release the new Amazon webstore of Angelic Shades! I’ll slowly be migrating the current offerings on my website over to this new webstore over the next few months. Since Amazon doesn’t allow bewbies, any mature rated items will be moving over to my Etsy shop.

Want to keep abreast of new items and offerings? Sign up for my mailing list or keep an eye on the News section of my forum.

All plugging aside, I expect to write a review of my experiences with the Amazon webstore interface once I have gotten a better feel for its expansive features. My first impression is that this shop setup is not for beginners. There’s a bit of a learning curve with all it’s features, not to mention a great deal of setting up you have to have as a business to even be eligible to use the Amazon format.

Till next time, Bat fans!

Going Official Celebration! + More Art to Come

There is a saying that every journey begins with a single step. Sometimes we fall, trip, or get distracted from the path by shiny objects. Eventually we reach a point where we can stop and realize there is more of the road behind us than there is ahead. You’re almost there! Almost…

I’m happy to report that after much deliberation on the matter, I have finally registered as a sole proprietor art studio in my county. It was not as scary as I would have thought it to be. I was imagining men in suits with monocles there to tell me I didn’t make enough or that I suddenly owed money because I haven’t been organized with my practices till this point. Instead, I got pleasant clerks who kindly directed me to the proper locations and smiled wide at my mom and I high-fiving when we finally received the little cardstock business license. There wasn’t much fuss, besides filing the wrong paperwork because I didn’t realize we’re technically an unincorporated residence out here in the boonies of Georgia.

If anyone is particularly curious, we are registered as a home-based business, which means that no retail sales are occurring on the premises (as I sell art purely online or via 3rd party venues, at this point). This sort of designation works for artists, authors, seamstresses, etc who provide a service without actually handling retail sales in a structure (meaning we don’t need to worry about safety permits and the like that other businesses would need, or at least this is how things work in my county)

Numbers can be scary, and while this means I will have to pay more attention to things like proper book keeping, I am so relieved to finally be organized, to have all those numbers and slips of papers that mean I have nothing holding me back from moving forward with this venture. The number of things to fear are growing less and less.

Now pass around the margaritas, throw a steak on the barbie, and shout to the Heavens, it’s time to kick some butt and show the world I mean business (literally).

For the next entry, I think I’m going to actually show you guys progress shots of the next paintings I’m working on. I realized that for a blog entitled ‘the Art Blog of Angela Sasser’, I haven’t really posted much artwork!

So prepare thyselves for some visual stimulation, in the meanwhile.

Anime Weekend Atlanta

awa 15 ad card Pictures, Images and Photos

With the lingering malaise of Dragon Con still upon me, I’m preparing for yet another convention! This time, it’s Anime Weekend Atlanta, September 18 – 20, at the Renaissance Waverly Hotel and Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

I’ve not been a part of the Artist Alley for a few years now (though some of you may recall my 2 year stint years ago when I was just getting my convention legs). AWA was my first convention and I’m amazed at how much it’s grown since I was first peddling cheap prints and cheap frames. I’m hoping to make my big return to the new, improved AWA Artist Alley with so much more to bring to the table than what I had when I first started there.

I will have more custom glass tile art pendants, double matted signed prints, unmatted signed prints, and mousepads. The catchphrase I mentioned earlier is still active, if you’re wanting a 5% discount. No one even mentioned it at Dragon Con *sadface* Is it so hard to admit that Elves smell better?

Not too far from my table will be the AWA art show, which will be in the same room as the AA this year. I will have more original art on display and double matted signed prints there, if you want a chance at a deal with competitive auction pricing.

Please note the following hours for this year’s AA:

Friday: 9AM-11PM
Saturday: 8AM-11PM
Sunday: 8AM-4PM

To preserve my sanity, I will only be staying till 8pm on Friday and Saturday and the whole day on Sunday. Also, I’ll be running a panel on how to paint skin tones in watercolor in room 106 at 8pm on Friday.

The fun never ends in convention-land! I think I’m getting too old for this already!

Late Spring Cleaning & Other News

With the last days of Spring nearing and the onset of Summer, it’s time for that annual compulsive urge for Spring Cleaning! Out with the old, in with the new! (Or perhaps it’s the fact that it’s getting really hot here in Georgia and I am less compelled to go outside). That means I’ve finally sat down and done some things I’ve been meaning to do. Including, but not limited to the following:

– Finally made the following prints available as Limited Editions through Angelic Shades:

– The very same prints are now available in my DeviantART and Zazzle shops as various products. The Zazzle post cards and calendars are even more awesome than DA’s because I can customize the backs and add text. The calendars are also available with various colors for the wire binding and in three different sizes. Here’s just a sampling of what I have available on Zazzle:


make custom gifts at Zazzle

– I recently sat and made a Google calendar of what convention art shows I’m hoping to participate in. There’s not much on it now, but I hope to have a full schedule soon once I do a bit MOAR research. If you know of any good shows accepting fantasy themed work, do drop me a line! Right now, I’m aiming for San Diego Comicon, Dragon Con, and Anime Weekend Atlanta for certain.

– Speaking of Dragon Con, the great convention rush begins bright and early! I’ve never really had a table space that wasn’t sad and amateurish. I’m currently researching ways to make a winning table display that doesn’t look like I’ve propped it up on some cardboard boxes with a home printed banner. Any tips from anyone out there about what makes a successful table? So far I’ve got grid cubes and…well…that’s it.

Still a long way to go before I’ll be ready for Dragon Con’s Artist Bazaar, but that’s why I’m starting early!

Has the Spring Cleaning bug hit anyone else these days? I always find it refreshing to get those nagging tasks done so I can get back to the arting.

Return from the Big Easy

Yup folks I’ve returned from New Orleans unscathed, pining for the delicious N’awlins food, and primed to hop back into the swing of things with revitalized inspiration. Some of the highlights of the trip include, but are not limited to:

    * The ride there was my first ever train ride (minus the time I was too young to remember). I spent most of my time reading in the lounge and chowing down in the dining car where they had actual trained chefs preparing the food. Trains are awesome.

    * I had plenty of weird meats for the first time, including fried alligator bits (aka. chewy predator chicken) and duck quesadillas.

    * Drunken karaoke at Cat’s Meow

    * Getting kissed by old guys at the Saint Patty’s Day parade

    * Bread pudding! I FINALLY got some after making it my personal mission to eat bread pudding at the very seat of bread pudding’s advent in the States.

    * Getting blackmail evidence of Windfalcon and Girlanime on video tape

    * Strolling the cemeteries and haunted houses of the French Quarter

    * Sitting in a voodoo priestess’ altar room and making a really loud ‘hmm’ noise when no one else was speaking

    * So many mask shops I about died of inspiration! It’s inspired Windfalcon and I to do some research on the matter. Mayhaps there will be leather masks in our future?

    * Watching Girlanime rabidly consume oysters as if her life depended on it.

    * Watching Windfalcon try oysters for the first time with a really thoughtful expression on her face.

    * Eating at a new place every day!

    * Bars that have angel art ALL OVER THE WALLS…whilst playing banned racist cartoons from the 40’s.

    * A tour guide with the most boisterous laugh that echoed throughout the cemetery who was donned in bright yellow crocs, a yellow pin striped shirt, and had a yellow umbrella. Best tour guide EVAR.

    * Met an awesome sidewalk artist named Jack who actually KNEW that there are angels who are terrifying wheels of fire. He also gave random lectures about animism to curious passersby and was generally made of win.

The 24 hour train ride there and back gave me some time to relax and read some of the books that have been sitting on the wayside for awhile, including Angels: Celestial Spirits in Legend & Art by Jacqueline Carey and the first of the Fables graphic novels.

It was also nice to have the time to sit and think (and doze) without the constant hum of the computer and insistent siren call of the internet. We all need a good disconnect at times and this was a much needed one. I’m happy to return refreshed with my inspiration guns loaded and an agenda filled with several big projects, some of which I can’t talk too much about.

I will say, however, to prepare yourselves for an influx of angel art from me. I’m boning up on my winged beings for a very specific project that will be taking up my time for the next year or so. Art may be slow while things unwind behind the scenes, but I hope to keep you entertained with blog posts in the meantime. I’ll also be posting a few sneak peeks at my forum if you’d like to get a heads up over everyone else.

Until we meet again.

PS
If you’d like to see a video diary of our New Orleans adventure, I’ll probably be posting up the highlights at my YouTube once I can be fussed to edit and convert the files.

eBay Shop Review

Back in 2001 or so, I got wind of eBay shops, tried it for a little while, and then gave up when it didn’t seem like I was getting many bites at all. At that stage in my development, I chocked it up to not having enough quality inventory nor much presence on the internet in general. The fees proved too much and I was simply not selling enough to cover the $15 a month bill.

8 years later I decided to try eBay shops again in December of last year. I had built up a decent inventory of art since my first try and had several communities and websites to my name to promote the shop at. eBay shops had improved much in my absence, such as a greater ability to organize your inventory, greater search engine compatibility, cross promotion capabilities, and the integration of Store search results with eBay’s main search page (which was one of its main failings previously). Another handy feature is the ability to export sales reports and integrate the eBay shop with organizational software. There are definitely a few more bells and whistles than it had during its infancy.

In the three months I’ve used it, I’ve gotten a few inquiries on items, but never sales. I tried customizing my options with the Bold higlighting as well as the international listing option which allows my items to be seen by eBayers in the UK. I got plenty of views, but still no bites even with proper cross-promotion from my other websites. Meanwhile, the wracked up fees from listing my inventory and auctions plus the $15 for maintaining the shop produced a $30 drain per month rather than merely a $15. Add onto that the 12% commission eBay would take out of my final sales and you have a store that eats profits rather than creates them.

The Bottom Line: eBay shops seems best suited for those of you who may be able to move items faster (ie. if you sell collectible items, cosplay, or other in-demand things), therefore making the monthly drain not so detrimental. The interface is customizable with lots of features, but the majority of your pageviews come from active Auctions and not standing inventory (at least in my experience with Shops).

From my time with eBay Shops, it seems to me that to make a shop work successfully, you must keep both a regiment of active auctions and an in-demand inventory, something which is hard to do if your inventory is in less of a demand and you are not producing work for auction monthly. I looked up the best tech products to sell on this HPE vs Dell Servers article. It is a good alternative if you can move items quickly and don’t want to deal with the headache of programming inventory pages yourself, but not recommended for those with slower high priced luxury inventory like fine art unless your name just has that much demand behind it and you have the budget to support the shop, while there are other shops online where you can find your favorite products, using coupons from sites as couponscollector.com so you can also have discounts in these products as well.

For now, I’ve decided to focus on revamping my website store with the free shopping cart Mal-E, which integrates Paypal, Google Checkout, and other useful payment methods so that my website becomes the one stop shop for personalized items rather than eBay. I still plan to post eBay auctions at random per month to give people a chance at acquiring originals and commissions for less and to draw traffic to my website store, but my shop on eBay is closing indefinitely this time unless their fees decrease and their benefits increase.

My website store isn’t completely finished yet, but here’s a sneak peek for the curious. I welcome any comments or suggestions you might have!

I welcome any comments from those of you who have eBay shops that are actually operating at a profit. Please share your stories and advice!

In Other News…
I’m heading off to New Orleans for a mini-vacation with Windfalcon and Girlanime so you may not see posts or replies from me till late next week. I hope to return with a video journal of the madness and sketches from our sojourn into the French Quarter’s cemeteries, mask shops, pubs, and corner markets.

Upcoming Blog Posts
– The “Confessions” Series continues with a discussion of how to present your artwork. Is your artwork safe from your own bad habits?

– Professional or Sellout? Prepare for a rant about this demeaning stereotype.

– Introducing the Muses, allow me to introduce some of the characters that continually popup in my work.

Till next time, keep your creative spirit strong!