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Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2017 con report
8 years ago
(If you wish, you can read the con report here:
https://www.facebook.com/TheOzFoxes.....09075335826740
with photos!)
Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2017! An OzFoxes Con Report:
Spectrum 5 was held in its original home of Kansas City in 2017, after an unsuccessful attempt to move the venue to the West Coast. Midwesterners like myself, of course, couldn't have been happier, though many others from all over the country seemed similarly pleased that the convention was back where it started. Spectrum has become our favorite show in that we get to mingle with other like-minded creators, from masters to students, who are eager to share their artistic knowledge, enthusiasms, and inspirations.
This was the first convention after being taken over by new management, so the number of panels was intentionally kept "lean." We particularly enjoy the panels and demonstrations, as this is a way to dive deep into the thinking and process of some of our favorite artists. The reduced schedule this year meant attendees had fewer problems attending events that might otherwise have overlapped.
Our first panel at the con was "The New Art Economy: Living Off Your Dreams," hosted by none other than James Gurney, author, artist and creator of "Dinotopia." It was a very informative panel, reminding us that the business of art has always been changing. The computer has changed things for today's artist in much the same way that the printing press changed things hundreds of years ago. According to Mr. Gurney, there has never been a better time for artists to promote their work since they no longer have to answer to a middleman or "gatekeeper" (a publisher, editor, slush pile reader, etc). This also means that an artist now has many more responsibilities than merely producing artwork, so the change is for many a two-edged sword!
After the Gurney panel we took time to browse the exhibition areas filled with art booths and tables. It was here we met up once again with the marvelously talented Scott Gustafson (and his wife, who handles the business side of things for Scott). Scott's new book, "Storybook Fables", will be coming out in the fall, and we can't wait!
One section of the upper exhibition area was set aside for the host of this year's convention, Flesk Publishing, with all the artists they work with directly. It was at one of these tables that Margaret finally got to meet a hero from her youth: Wendy Pini, creator and artist of the long-running comic series "Elfquest." It was the first of several Pini encounters during the convention, but Margaret grew no less tongue-tied as the weekend wore on.
We also heard the sad news that Iain McCaig was recovering from a serious health emergency and would not be at Spectrum as anticipated. Iain is talented concept artist who worked for George Lucas on the Star Wars prequels, as well as a number of other genre films. At conventions past he has always been very inspiring and enthusiastic. His online tutorials and demonstrations are a continuing source of inspiration. We were very disappointed to hear of his illness, but were glad to hear he is recovering. Hopefully we can meet up with him again next year!
The convention closed down at 6pm, but we stuck around nearby for a live drawing session being held late that night in a meeting room at a nearby hotel. By the time things got organized, however, we were both too tired to participate for long, so we packed up our art kits and called it a night.
We returned to the convention for its opening on Saturday, to catch a bit of the panel being held by Terryl Whitlatch, who discussed designing unusual yet believable creatures for films. Afterwards we hurried to catch some a demo being held by James Gurney. It was great fun watching him demonstrate his clever and compact homemade "plein aire" kit, and to listen to the story behind his "Art Crew" uniform. (This outfit resembles something that might be worn by a construction worker, and allows him to work in settings where a more obvious artist would create a distraction.) Sadly, his demo was being held in an open area near the main convention area, and the crowd noise of the attendees made it impossible to appreciate all that was being said. Still, it was a fun time and we're glad he shared his time with us all.
From there we rushed back to the panel area where Wendy and Richard Pini discussed the art of Elfquest, reviewing the history of how they started a comic which has run almost 40 years. This was followed by a panel on the art of storytelling as hosted by Carla Ortiz who was standing in for Iain McCaig.
Later in the afternoon came the time specially designated for book signing. Margaret got several Elfquest-related publications signed by the Pinis, and they were gracious enough to have their photo taken with star-struck Margaret. We then got our Dinotopia books signed by the ever-personable James Gurney, who sketched a little dinosaur inside one book next to his autograph.
While we were navigating the Flesk tables, we added to our art library by purchasing "The Tribes of Kai," a gorgeously-illustrated graphic novel, which we got signed by artist Daren Bader.
After the con closed for the day, we headed to Consentinos for some deli-prepared dinner, then went to the Spectrum Awards ceremony at the Historic Folly Theatre, where awards were presented in a number of categories for the best art of the previous year. (Think Academy Awards for illustrators, sculptors and designers.) One special highlight of the event came early on as Spectrum founder Arnie Fenner gave a talk about the importance of creativity in an ever-more-divisive world, and that there was one sure thing that was likely to bring people together:
Sunday was the last day of the convention. Our favorite panel of that day was on "Comics and Choices," where industry talents like Richard and Wendy Pini, Frank Cho, Terry Dodson and Aaron Lopresti discussed the trials and tribulations of producing comics as a freelancer versus working for a major publisher. They noted the importance of creating and maintaining an Internet presence with your work, and the need to embrace the tough times one faces as a comics creator, and to work through it.
Sunday was a short day at the convention, and after one last tour of the many wonderful artwork and crafts on display in the main exhibition area, we made our way back home -- filled once again with creative inspiration and charged up to tackle our projects and dreams. As long as the Spectrum convention continues to be available to us, we shall keep attending with eager enthusiasm!
https://www.facebook.com/TheOzFoxes.....09075335826740
with photos!)
Spectrum Fantastic Art Live 2017! An OzFoxes Con Report:
Spectrum 5 was held in its original home of Kansas City in 2017, after an unsuccessful attempt to move the venue to the West Coast. Midwesterners like myself, of course, couldn't have been happier, though many others from all over the country seemed similarly pleased that the convention was back where it started. Spectrum has become our favorite show in that we get to mingle with other like-minded creators, from masters to students, who are eager to share their artistic knowledge, enthusiasms, and inspirations.
This was the first convention after being taken over by new management, so the number of panels was intentionally kept "lean." We particularly enjoy the panels and demonstrations, as this is a way to dive deep into the thinking and process of some of our favorite artists. The reduced schedule this year meant attendees had fewer problems attending events that might otherwise have overlapped.
Our first panel at the con was "The New Art Economy: Living Off Your Dreams," hosted by none other than James Gurney, author, artist and creator of "Dinotopia." It was a very informative panel, reminding us that the business of art has always been changing. The computer has changed things for today's artist in much the same way that the printing press changed things hundreds of years ago. According to Mr. Gurney, there has never been a better time for artists to promote their work since they no longer have to answer to a middleman or "gatekeeper" (a publisher, editor, slush pile reader, etc). This also means that an artist now has many more responsibilities than merely producing artwork, so the change is for many a two-edged sword!
After the Gurney panel we took time to browse the exhibition areas filled with art booths and tables. It was here we met up once again with the marvelously talented Scott Gustafson (and his wife, who handles the business side of things for Scott). Scott's new book, "Storybook Fables", will be coming out in the fall, and we can't wait!
One section of the upper exhibition area was set aside for the host of this year's convention, Flesk Publishing, with all the artists they work with directly. It was at one of these tables that Margaret finally got to meet a hero from her youth: Wendy Pini, creator and artist of the long-running comic series "Elfquest." It was the first of several Pini encounters during the convention, but Margaret grew no less tongue-tied as the weekend wore on.
We also heard the sad news that Iain McCaig was recovering from a serious health emergency and would not be at Spectrum as anticipated. Iain is talented concept artist who worked for George Lucas on the Star Wars prequels, as well as a number of other genre films. At conventions past he has always been very inspiring and enthusiastic. His online tutorials and demonstrations are a continuing source of inspiration. We were very disappointed to hear of his illness, but were glad to hear he is recovering. Hopefully we can meet up with him again next year!
The convention closed down at 6pm, but we stuck around nearby for a live drawing session being held late that night in a meeting room at a nearby hotel. By the time things got organized, however, we were both too tired to participate for long, so we packed up our art kits and called it a night.
We returned to the convention for its opening on Saturday, to catch a bit of the panel being held by Terryl Whitlatch, who discussed designing unusual yet believable creatures for films. Afterwards we hurried to catch some a demo being held by James Gurney. It was great fun watching him demonstrate his clever and compact homemade "plein aire" kit, and to listen to the story behind his "Art Crew" uniform. (This outfit resembles something that might be worn by a construction worker, and allows him to work in settings where a more obvious artist would create a distraction.) Sadly, his demo was being held in an open area near the main convention area, and the crowd noise of the attendees made it impossible to appreciate all that was being said. Still, it was a fun time and we're glad he shared his time with us all.
From there we rushed back to the panel area where Wendy and Richard Pini discussed the art of Elfquest, reviewing the history of how they started a comic which has run almost 40 years. This was followed by a panel on the art of storytelling as hosted by Carla Ortiz who was standing in for Iain McCaig.
Later in the afternoon came the time specially designated for book signing. Margaret got several Elfquest-related publications signed by the Pinis, and they were gracious enough to have their photo taken with star-struck Margaret. We then got our Dinotopia books signed by the ever-personable James Gurney, who sketched a little dinosaur inside one book next to his autograph.
While we were navigating the Flesk tables, we added to our art library by purchasing "The Tribes of Kai," a gorgeously-illustrated graphic novel, which we got signed by artist Daren Bader.
After the con closed for the day, we headed to Consentinos for some deli-prepared dinner, then went to the Spectrum Awards ceremony at the Historic Folly Theatre, where awards were presented in a number of categories for the best art of the previous year. (Think Academy Awards for illustrators, sculptors and designers.) One special highlight of the event came early on as Spectrum founder Arnie Fenner gave a talk about the importance of creativity in an ever-more-divisive world, and that there was one sure thing that was likely to bring people together:
Sunday was the last day of the convention. Our favorite panel of that day was on "Comics and Choices," where industry talents like Richard and Wendy Pini, Frank Cho, Terry Dodson and Aaron Lopresti discussed the trials and tribulations of producing comics as a freelancer versus working for a major publisher. They noted the importance of creating and maintaining an Internet presence with your work, and the need to embrace the tough times one faces as a comics creator, and to work through it.
Sunday was a short day at the convention, and after one last tour of the many wonderful artwork and crafts on display in the main exhibition area, we made our way back home -- filled once again with creative inspiration and charged up to tackle our projects and dreams. As long as the Spectrum convention continues to be available to us, we shall keep attending with eager enthusiasm!
Thanks for sharing! Cons are an odd mix of exhilarating and exhausting, it seems. Always fun to meet people who's works you admire, schmooze and learn stuff. Take care! Stubat
