For anyone that hasn't snagged a copy of the Werewolf Calendar, there are only two days to Pre-order. Myenia has the printed Calendars in hand and the orders will start going out the first week of December. So if ya held off getting one for yourself or as a Christmas gift, please do go snag one now and you will have it in hand before you know it C:!

Werewolf Calendar Order Page C:
Prices are 21$us for US orders and 29$us International orders with shipping included.

They will also be available at MFF if anyone is heading out that way, just pop by Myenia's table. You all will get to see the finished product before I do ;P *envysniff!*

Also a HUGE enormous thank you to everyone that has pre-ordered. Thank you for supporting the calendar which celebrated it's 5th anniversary this year and YOU folks are what makes it what it is and keep it coming back. Sometimes projects and companies forget that it is their buyers and fans that make them successful and it's a shame when that happens. SO I just wanted to stop and give you all my personal thanks for your invaluable contributions!

As some of you may already know, sometime ago a fellow artist and friend, AlectorFencer, was being incorrectly charged for her for health insurance. Being unaware of the issue until a year's worth of fees had accrued, she filed appeals with the courts in Germany to contest the charges, but to no avail. In the meantime she was told she owed thousands of Euro's to the government for unpaid mandatory health premiums and compounded late fees.

As the result of some printer side issues the Rare Calendar has a surplus of copies, and they need a home! :) With the kind permission of Ashalind, the Rare Calendar organizer, we have decided to put the surplus to some good use: We will be hosting a special charity sale for the Rare Calender, with 100% of the profits going directly to Alector Fencer to help her get through this difficult time.

If you are interested in owning one of these one of a kind calendars AND help one of the most talented artist in the fandom, please purchase a copy today!
As the distributor of the calendar, I currently hold all the extra calendars, so I will be handling orders and shipment. The calendars are $20 (USD) plus $6 for shipping and handling within the continental US ($8 for international orders). If you do not wish to purchase the calender, but would like to contribute a few dollars to help AlectorFencer out, that would be great too and awfully generous of you! Whichever you decide to do, please include your name with your donation and/or purchase and include a small note or well-wishes for Alector, if you like. I will compile your names and associated notes and send them to Alector along with the payment. :)
All payments will be handled through paypal and as I will not be home starting the 23rd of this month, all payments should be received by June 20th! Please send your payment to the address below:

Paypal address : xxbalaaxx@yahoo.com.

Again, the prices (including shipping) for the calenders are:

US calendar orders: $26
International calendar Orders: $28

Don't forget to include a current mailing address with the payment!

Thanks in advance to anyone who helps out!

Califur was this past weekend and after some ups and downs trying to get our table reserved (thank you for coming through Glen and helping us out as usual!), we managed to make it in ok! They even finally got my money order, which we thought had been lost in the mail so it made me happy not to have to fight the post office to try and get my money back! For some reason, and maybe it's just me but the con felt smaller to me somehow. Maybe it was just the crazy first day with the registration problems, I'm not sure! But I like the feel of a smaller convention better myself..there's time enough to say hi to folks and..actually get work done while in the dealers den.

I wanted to thank all the wonderful people that stopped by my and Bagheera's table and either bought something or gave me reason to smile..or BOTH! Thank you all! Also a special thank you to all those that commissioned me for something. I have been taking it easy on accepting commissions for quite a few cons now because I am the type of person that can't just sit and draw on demand and as such commissions have been very stressful and emotionally disheartening experiences at conventions before. I would also be unable to draw for weeks after the convention simply because I would feel so down on myself about how lousy I did at the convention. But this con I felt like drawing and was happy to take on some fun and challenging ideas, all of which I enjoyed very much! And all the people that commissioned me were super sweet and adorable ^___^!

If any of the folks who commissioned me for something have a moment to scan the image and send it my way, I'd appreciate it! Thank you again! <3

Overall it was a great con, business was great, people were all nice, had great table neighbors, met some amazing new people, had fun commissions and plenty of coffee to fuel my day ;P.

I do have some leftover Werewolf Calendars if anyone is still interested. I will be away from home starting at the end of this month and not sure how long I will be gone for. I hate to have these lovely calendars sitting here in a box. If anyone is interested, just drop me a note ^_^.

And now..off I go to draw again. Thanks again to everyone that made this con so great. It is unusual for me to feel inspired to draw after a convention, but I just feel like drawing up a storm today!!!

I know this isn't art related, but well at the moment I don't have anything art related to say and usually when that occurs, I don't say anything at all which makes me seem aloof and distant (as you may notice by the infrequency of my journal updates). So I'll go ahead and make an effort to say non-art related things until I think of something art related to say or just have some art to toss up to fill that void.

Bagheera posted a lovely sister video that I think broadens the message of this one from equal rights among the sexes to the necessity of a conscious humanism for humanity to become a better whole. If you have watched Firefly, Buffy, Serenity, etc you will of course be familiar with the name Joss Whedon. I was however surprised to hear someone in the mainstream, well more or less, who had such an evolved outlook on life and humanity. It is certainly rare, as far as I've seen, for the entertainment industry. (The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTY8.....eature=related )

This one struck a chord with me as well so I thought I would share it as well:


What struck me particularly was the idea that strong female characters are not the norm, that they are still regarded as something foreign or different from a strong male character. True equality would wipe away this mentality and the question of "why do you write such strong female characters?" would not be asked; You would simply have strong characters.

Not that I am not glad to see more strong female characters appear in tv shows or film, I understand this is part of the cultural evolution, but what I am often disheartened by is the mentality that went into creating them. These characters are created for the sake of the original, not through an actual understanding of the concept of a strong person or equality. They are created because the idea of a strong female character is considered unique or...politically correct and hence appealing/marketable to the current mainstream.

Therefore usually these characters are only the husk of a strong character, a perception from the outside as to what they think people believe and will buy as a strong female character. Those are two different things altogether and I often feel, specifically when it comes to this issue, the kind of 'strong female' leads that Hollywood devises are actually dangerous and harmful to people growing up and just beginning to shape their ideals for themselves and beliefs about the world.( Most female characters that are cast in films are just brazen, loud and borderline feminazi's..trying to prove they are as good as men(I could make a list of such female characters I dislike that would probably circle half the globe). This does not make you strong, being loud and violent does not gain you equality. If anything it makes men regard women as threats instead of equals. If you are strong, you are just strong, you are not doing it to prove a point to anyone, simple as that.

Which, all the above is a roundabout way of bringing me into something that could probably be related to art(so I guess I kinda lied and this is art related after all!). The idea of creating something original for the sake of originality or for the sake of marketability is just the wrong reason to approach creating an idea. A truly original idea is not one that was designed for originality, but simply came from a genuine need to see this idea seeded. It comes, as hokey as this sounds, from the heart. I have seen a lot of this mentality floating around in the art world, the need to feel original and unique as opposed to just creating without that hovering necessity of feeling original or unique.

I see this particularly among young artists or art school students just breaking into the big daunting art world. I understand the mentality, the feeling of being so small and unnoticed in such a big new world, I used to think much the same way. Being compared to another artist was not viewed as the compliment it was intended as but as a borderline insult to my person. When I created a piece I thought about the audience reaction, I actively judged my work against others to ensure it was not too similar, I made sure to state that any similarities were coincidental. In the long-term this mentality hurt me more than it helped me evolve as an artist.

I am not sure when the turning point for myself was and I just stopped caring whether people regarded my work as original or derivative. But I just did, and what I discovered was I did have ideas I cared about and wanted to share with people. I discovered I just enjoyed creating for myself, from myself. That in itself does not make my work original, but what I do believe makes art original is how genuine it is, how honest the emotions are that went into it. And as far as that goes, that is my goal in my work, to create the genuine, not the original.

Also a bit haphazardly written, be forewarned!

So while catching up on a backlog of notes, I was reminded about something I have been tossing about talking about for a while, that being, the reason I have not been taking commissions for such a long time. I realize I do not owe anyone an explanation for this but as I do appreciate the fandom and all that it has done for me, I suppose I have felt as though I am coming across as deliberately putting everyone at an arms length by not taking commissions anymore. This is especially true because of how artwork is viewed within the fandom, as something essential to bringing your stories and fantasies to life. This is very true for my own personal artwork as well.

But here is where we get to the crux of the matter. I joined the fandom not really knowing what it was or how I would fit into it. Mainly I joined because a few new friends had urged me to check out a furry convention and told me my work would be welcomed in the community. This was something I direly needed then and I felt perhaps it would bolster my failing confidence in my own work. In some ways it did and in others it did not.

I enjoyed a lot of the furry crowd, just about everyone was nice and supportive and I felt overwhelmed (in a good way) by the amount of talent the fandom boasted. I made many new friends and I really enjoyed these people. But something very quickly made me begin to dread conventions. The social aspect can be exhausting but it can also be very energizing, but the artistic side was what I began to dread. I started to take commissions just because, it was just kinda what artists did. But from the start I struggled very hard with these commissions. I think the more conventions I did, the more I realized how fickle my artistic muse was. Other artists told me it was just a matter of getting into the habit, that eventually it would get easier and more enjoyable. But for me, it did not. I would stay up nights crying and staring at blank paper because I simply could not urge out the most basic of things.

It would take me 3-5 hours to do one sketch at conventions. In turn, after a convention, I would feel so low about myself, I would shut down artistically, sometimes for weeks..or even months. There was an enormous disconnect between myself and my creativity. I cannot put into words how it feels. It is as if you have this wealth of knowledge/skill/etc and someone just locked the door to it and is taunting you with the key. I began to wonder whether I could ever do art as a career because I was having such a hard time doing something that so many others just seemed to excel at and even enjoy. Beyond that what was the hardest thing was feeling like your customers are disappointed in what you give them and secondly other artists, who you deeply admire, will later see these sketchbooks and think less of you for them. This actually has made me very closeted about my art. I became afraid to share any of my art in general, which is the most likely reason as to why I post so little of my artwork. If anything, taking commissions has made me more self conscious and critical about my art than it has made me feel confident. It's not that I didn't like anthro art, in fact, quite the opposite. I found a love for anthropomorphic art because of the fandom and it has become a vital part of my artistic aspirations. But I realized very quickly that I just couldn't draw on the spot.

In part I think it is the distractions. I am not the sort of person that can be interrupted every few minutes to speak with someone. But you do have to devote some amount of attention to the kind folks that stop by your table. I did not want to make them feel slighted or ignored so naturally I felt it only polite to stop what you are doing and give them your full attention. This disrupts the artistic process, at least for me. It is hard to regain the mood for it. Also I really enjoy working to music, it is even vital to my creative process but I feel it rude to wear headphones in a dealer's den. Also the general hecticness of a dealer's room is really distracting and taxing on me. By the end of the day I feel exhausted just from sitting there all day and then I have even less energy and creative juice to draw.

In second part, and I think this is the bigger reason for my struggle, is uncertainty where I belong artistically. This is especially true for anthro art which is fairly recent to me. I am very new at this kind of art and a lot of the time I am not certain what people expect of me when they commission me. I have been compared to other artists and even approached for commissions with the opening line "So and so is full up, and you are the next best thing!". I know they meant it as a compliment but well... When I draw for other people I am just never sure what 'style' or 'flavor' of art they expected of me and a lot of times I feel they expect a style of art from me that I don't feel is my own. In great part I feel I didn't have my 'own' style until very recently and even this is not something most people have seen because, as mentioned above, I have gotten into a bad habit of keeping personal art..well personal! This is something I am trying to break free of more at least C:!

The third part is, well I don't know how to right explain it. Art is not something wholly dependent on skill, I think all artists can agree with that but for me, unless I can find an inlet into an idea that I can truly sync with, I simply cannot create. Art is very simply a very delicate emotional balance. It is my center but also one of my greatest struggles. I cannot simply sit down and decide I will draw, I simply can't. I am trying to train some better habits so this may improve, but in general it's not something I can force and forcing it only encourages a viscous negative feedback loop.

So then, why bother to bring this all up publicly? Well, I have been called a snob by some people since I stopped taking commissions at conventions. Artists and people do talk and inevitably it reaches the ears of the person it was least meant for. I did feel hurt by this accusation but I understood how it would appear to people when the overwhelming trend is artists who come to conventions specifically to take sketch commissions. I am sure there are some artists who either had their egos inflated by the amount of attention they received or were simply overwhelmed by the number of requests for personalized art so they stopped taking commissions. I'm sure there have been cases where artists treated their fans very rudely without realizing it is those very fans who make them who they are. So I suppose the reason I wanted to speak up was to explain why I personally stopped taking commissions to dispel the need of any assumptions.

The fandom operates in a very unique way. One of the main driving factors is personalized artwork. That is one of the big things people in the fandom seek out of art. So I do feel like a bit of an odd man out at furry conventions. But there is that part of me that lingers, that relishes in the new people I get to meet, the talent Im exposed to and even some of the subculture (from which at least there is never a shortage of new stories to tell later ;P ). So I guess because I don't want to leave the fandom, I also don't want people to widely feel as though I'm stilted, prudish or just plain a snob. I would also love to be able work on more projects with fandom artists whose work and creativity I deeply respect and appreciate. It's just I realized the working method that works with many other artists simply does not work for me, but not from a lack of trying. I am however more than humbled by the amount of attention my work garnered among the fandom. I distinctly remember feeling undeserving from the moment I showed up on the furry scene. I still feel that way, but more than anything I feel grateful and humbled by all the kind words and the attention my work has and continues to receive.

As for the future. My life has changed enormously in the past few years. There have been both tumultuous and subtle changes and as a result I have grown a great deal, both artistically and as a person. I am hoping for a time when I can come to conventions and truly enjoy taking commissioned work, sometimes I even feel that time is at hand as I become more confident and find a 'flavor' of work that is my own. The future is a big and hopeful place after all.

Thanks for listening to this TLDR folks, now back to your regular programming :B!

I will leave this with a list of things owed to kind and patient folks(trades, commissions and misc). If someone out there has been left off accidentally, please note me about it and I will do my best to fix things up C:!
1.  Shastacat
2.  Lyonlover
3.  JC
4.  -kitsune
5. Tervicz Wolf
6.  hawaiianstile

Still here toiling and whimpering and sometimes smiling...but mostly the toiling!

But I'm here for a moment to share something courtesy of  catwarrior


hmmhmm too true.

So I've been working 10-12 hour days and it's been crazy! The advantage of working from home is not having to deal with traffic, daily commutes or annoying people in office. The biggest disadvantage is there is no divide between work and personal life. As long as the work isn't finished, I feel obligated to work on it until it is. That means it's always work time D8. SOO to escape I took a break after work the other day to revisit some of my fondest childhood memories of Russian cartoons. I figured I'd share some of them with you all ^__^.

Cheburashka dates back to the 60's, if I'm correct, and it was one of my most favorite shows when I was a teensy kiddy. He is basically supposed to be an unidentifiable species of critter who becomes best friends with a crocodile. Russian cartoons have a very specific 'flavor' in design and style direction so it may not be your thing, but I welcome you to check these out if you feel like something light hearted and different

Part 1 of 1st episode w/subtitles

Part 2

Part1 of 2nd episode w/subtitles

Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaUxuAH6ufg
Cheburashka song:

Changa Changa song. :B I dunno, I remember liking this song as a kid


Karlsson On The Roof is another story I remember enjoying as a child (I had the books too ^^). The original story was written by the Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren whom also penned Pippy Longstocking. A plot synopsis is: " Karlsson is a very short, very portly and overconfident man who lives on the roof of a very ordinary apartment building, on a very ordinary street in Stockholm. When Karlsson pushes a button on his stomach it starts a clever little motor with a propeller on his back allowing him to fly. Karlsson is the best at everything, at least according to himself. But there is, in fact, one thing at which he excels: being a playmate to a young boy named Lillebror (little brother) who lives in this house with his family.
Karlsson is quite mischievous, often getting Lillebror in trouble, but everyone in the end - even Lillebror's family, his cranky uncle, and their dour housekeeper - grow to like Karlsson and appreciate his sense of humour, energy, and good nature."

The story was popularised in Russia via a cartoon version appearing below:
Part 1 of episode 1 w/subtitles

Part 2


And last for now Nu Pagadi, I think the best comparison would be, it's the Russian Wiley Coyote :D. There are quite a few episodes if you are curious, so feel free to check them out.


There are plenty more I could share but this journal is getting lengthy so I will leave that to those of you curious or bored enough. Just searching 'Russian Cartoons' should yield a lot of gems in youtube. Also this person has a lot of the Russian Cartoons with subs and fairly good image quality: http://www.youtube.com/user/Niffiwan . If there are other foreign Cartoons you want to share with me in turn, please feel free to link here ^_^..and any other classic Russian cartoons are welcome too.

Hahaha I actually posted something non art related (sorta hmm)!!!! *toddles back to the grinding stone feeeee* Have fun you kids and take care of yourselves :D.

Just a heads up to you folks, I will be at Antheria this weekend sharing a table with  Bagheera. Hoping to see you LA area people there and hoping for nice laid back small con times !

Hey folks just a quick heads up for anyone who may have missed the original RARE 2011 Calendar Presale! I just found out that there will be a slight extension in pre-ordering the 2011 Rare Calendar to which I contributed my Homotherium piece. The calendar will now be available for pre-order until SEPT 9th after which only a small amount will be available privately through artists. So if you want to ensure you get a copy, this is probably a good time to do it C:.

To see all the wonderful diverse images and animals featured in this calendar and/or order, visit the Rare Calendar official site. This is a really wonderful and unique project that could use all the support it could get so it keeps coming back year after year. I'm proud to have been a part of it again this year and just happy to see it have come back!

The ordering page is:
Order Here!

Or the gallery:
2011 Gallery


Sorry for the pimpage folks [:, thanks for tolerating me ;D!

Well I don't ever do this, but I think I should. I think FA has become my preferred art gallery, in spite of the darker sides of FA, I've found a very pleasant niche in this community. It feels a lot friendlier and more welcoming than DA or other galleries I have joined. So first and foremost, I wanted to thank you all for making FA feel like such a welcoming place to me personally C:.

Secondly, and the thing I never do, a short life update. The reason my uploads have been so scarce lately is simply because I've just been incredibly busy these days! Thanks to the persistent nudging of friends ( Ladyfoxglove and  Bagheera), Im looking at you, Ive started doing some pro contract work for Bella Sara (the horse card trading game that's recently grown in popularity). The people there have been amaaaazing! I felt so intimidated and unworthy of doing anything in the professional illustration world as I am by far more self critical than anyone else could be about my own work. In anycase, what started as a few card illustrations here and there turned into a lot of new huge projects I've been honored to have been offered. Since the work has been under non-disclosure, I haven't been able to share. I think I can share a few of the earlier things I did for them as they are now published. But after all the time that has passed since Ive done them, I already don't like them (the whole artist thing where all you can see after a time is all the things that drive you crazy and you want to redo xP ). But they have kept me extremely busy since Ive started with them, and I'm grateful and more confident than I have ever been. I still feel daunted and humbled, but eager to learn and tackle new challenges more than anything! (To those curious what I have been up to, I'll try to work up the courage to post the older stuff I did for them xP, my self-criticism allowing.)

Outside of the 'day job', as it were, life has kept me busier in more ways than one. I've been happy to be a part of recurring projects (The Werewolf Calendar and the RARE Calendar). All those deadlines!!!!

Meanwhile, in the midst of all that...I have also moved :D! Yep after spending many years in the relative calm and idyllic natural splendor of Northwest Washington State, I've made a leap to living a city life in no other than...Orange County California. When my family originally immigrated from Estonia, we were hosted by a family in Texas and I spent the majority of my childhood in Texas. So far SoCal has conjured a nostalgic familiarity to my childhood in Texas and I can honestly say I like it here thus far. The drive down was a long one and much to Bagheera's chagrin, I stubbornly insisted I should be the one driving all the way. I like driving so it wasn't too cumbersome, but 16 hours of straight driving, was a first for me all the same ;D. I'm sorry I didn't let you drive Baggy xP. I have moments where I miss Washington, all my friends there and the familiarity and immediacy of the natural world, but I know I will return to visit again, and I am happy, in the meantime to learn the beauty of life in a whole new place. Instead of Heron's, ducks, coyotes and barn owls to catch glimpses of outside my window, I now see lizards, wild parrots and SO many squirrels (believe it or not I very infrequently saw squirrels in Wa!! Or maybe the ones here are just more bold and loud!)

I will say the heat here is taking some re-acclimating to, but then it is good to have a change of scenery from time to time and to take a chance to live life differently! If you haven't guessed by now I am sharing my life and home with  Bagheera, whom is a gentlemen of men and has made the leap in lifestyles as smooth as possible for me. Thank you for daring to share your life, your dreams and your hopes with me dearest one, may I ever hold you in my highest esteem. May I ever feel a profound humility in your presence for it will serve as a reminder how bright a light you are within my life.

For the moment that is all I can think to say. I do not tend to share my personal, more vulnerable, side of me, but as I am glad to know all you wonderful people, it seems only fair for you to know me a bit in return. I hope I find more time to sneak in personal work between workwork and I will be happy to share it with you all.. In the meantime Bagheera does post some of our personal sketch sessions in his gallery, please do check them out if you feel up to it! Thank you for your continuing support, be it through notes, comments, faves or even just a moment of your time to hop on my page!

Just a quick final heads up to you folks about the Werewolf calendar. Sales will be closing in just shy of a week, so if you want one, now is the time to get one. Ordering closes November 20th! Please note after pre-orders close only a very small number of calendars will be available...so please don't wait if you are counting on getting one.

Calendars are 21$ within the continental US and 27$ internationally (shipping and handling is included!)

This years calendar features the talents of: Balaa, Dark Natasha, Goldenwolf, Khaosdog, Loba North, Myenia, Rayndancer, Synnabar, Therese Larsson, Thornwolf, Vantid, Zakka, Zowolf

Please check it out at:
Werewolf Calendar 2010
Order information found at:
Purchase Here!
~~~~
Sorry for the spam folks, just don't want anyone to miss out if they were planning on getting one (as I tend to be forgetful about this sort of thing [: )

Just a quick heads up to anyone whom considered ordering a Werewolf calendar but held off, the ordering closes in almost exactly 2 weeks as of today. I just don't want anyone to miss their chance! Ordering closes on November 20th and once pre-orders close there will be an extremely limited number of copies available for sale (the last few years they went in a matter of days). So if you want to ensure your copy or a Christmas copy for someone special, order while you can.

This years calendar features the talents of: Balaa, Dark Natasha, Goldenwolf, Khaosdog, Loba North, Myenia, Rayndancer, Synnabar, Therese Larsson, Thornwolf, Vantid, Zakka, Zowolf

Please check it out at:
Werewolf Calendar 2010
Order information found at:
Purchase Here!

A GIANT thank you goes out to everyone that has continued to support this project. You are helping make this project what it is today and giving us the encouragement we need to keep improving what we do! We are extremely proud of this edition of the calendar and hope you will be as well!

Recently  myenia's pet snakes were evicted from her apartment and she was charged a hefty fee for keeping pets. Being a college student she is very tight on funds and barely making ends meet.

To help pay the fee she is accepting some amazing commissions for more than reasonable rates! To find out more on the details of her situation and her commission prices/examples please checkout her journal at: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/995505/

I will be there..will youuuuu?

I'll be dealing in the dealers room and have lotsa stuff at my table (including some framed originals for sale). Im planing to make this a laid back con so hopefully I won't look like Im ready to jump off the building this time.

SO come on by to say hi, buy somefin or just bring me coffee ;D (jk!)

See ya all there..and safe travels to all!

Rare 2010 is a unique calendar geared at exposing some of the less popularized anthropomorphic animals! The calendar, in it's first year, features the talents of a wide variety of artists who have brought their unique talent and love of anthropomorphic art to this project. Limited to a small edition of 180 calendars worldwide, with no reprint promised, this is sure to be a rare collectible piece of art memorabilia! The calendars are professionally printed and I believe will come shrink wrapped and protected for shipping.

To see the artists and the art please visit:
Unusual Anthro Calendar
To see my piece:
Impala: Between the Sun and Moon

I have a very limited number of calendars still available. If you are interested in reserving your copy via pre-order, please e-mail me at xxbalaaxx@yahoo.com or contact me via note here on FA! I have already sold a number of copies before even publicly announcing the presale, so I am not sure how long my stock will last. The total price is 24$ within the continental US and 27$ worldwide. These prices include S&H. Paypal is preferred but I will accept money order C:.

~~~~
I apologize for using my journal to post mostly plugs for projects, but I find it much easier to use livejournal to post other things to, since I cant post pictures to my journal here. That being said, IF you are interested in seeing a lot of work I never post to my FA (or any other galleries), you can find me here: My Livejournal

I post a great deal of fun loose sketches, speedpaints, and generally a ton of stuff I otherwise horde. A lot of this work is a lot more personal for me and hence why I never really post to galleries. Also since it's mostly loose an unpolished, I rather not post them to any formal galleries. SO ya can find me there, would love to hear from ya ^_^.

I just wanted to spread the word for Sehkmet. I just received my personal copies of the portfolio and it is truly gorgeous! Definitely happy to put it on my shelf next to my other books C:

Here's the info snagged from Sehkmet:

Online orders are now OPEN!

GET YOUR COPY BEFORE IT GOES OUT OF PRINT! This is your LAST chance to acquire a copy.
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/lets-play-dressup-the-all-female-pin-up-portfolio/6589513

About The Product
The Pin-Up Portfolio is a mature collection of artwork that illustrates anthropomorphic wildlife in a sexy and fun pin-up style. Featuring over 40 alluring images and bonus material from a wide variety of talented individuals, our artists were invited to interpret the idea of pin-up art in their own way. From cute to fierce, from sultry to playful, the Pin-Up Portfolio has something for everyone! Add a dash of excitement and beauty to your bookshelf with this lavish collection of gorgeous ladies.

The book itself is letter size (8-1/2" x 11"), paperback, perfect-bound, with 56 pages, featuring 40 portfolio pieces created especially for this project. It also has 8 pages of sketches and works-in-progress images, as well as an artist directory and table of contents. The cover is printed on heavy, glossy stock, and the interior is color.

http://pinupportfolio.com/


Just a reminder to you folks still contemplating going ^_^, All Fur Fun is having a sale on their registration until 6pm on Monday.

http://www.allfurfun.com/

I'm all registered so see ya guys there!

Alrighty Northwesty type peoples, who all is planning on going to All Fur Fun ( http://www.allfurfun.com/ ) at the end of May?? The con is happening in Spokane Washington, a city I rather enjoyed last year and with the con happening later, the weather should be nice and accomodating.

I am tentatively planning on being there since I really enjoy smaller cons and having the chance to chat more with folks in the dealers den and outside. I hope you can come!!

AND also, it looks like registration has been dropped to 25$ for this coming weekend only!

From the AFF Staff:

"So we are having a sale! a Valentines / Presidents day registration sale!

Beginning on Friday February 13 at 6:00 PM, and going until Monday February 16 at 6:00 PM we are having registrations at a sale price of $25 for the weekend.

So all of you watching us, c'mon n sign up! we have a great con planned!"

This is my last call for the print sale. If you would like something and haven't contacted me, please do so by tonight. All prints are going out tomorrow C:.

Unfortunately I am plumb out of paper, so some prints will be unavailable unless I have them in stock already. So just ask ^_^!

Info here:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1786081/

Happy Holidays everyone and thank you to all those that did place an order. The money earned is going towards getting me to Further Confusion after 2 years of not going!

I think I will go ahead and extend the print sale through to monday. I am running this sale chiefly to make some ends meet and to get me to FC since I haven't managed to make the con the last few years and I rather vehemently promised some folks I'd be there come hell or High water x).

More info can be found either:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1786081/

or my lj at:

http://xxbalaaxx.livejournal.com/77663.html\

Thank you again!!

speaking of FC has anyone gotten their art show packets or any confirmation of art show space? I sent out my app sometime ago now and haven't gotten word!

For the first time ever 30-40% off 8.5"x11" prints! More info here:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1786081/

Payment methods:
paypal preferred but I will also accept snail mail payments c:

So just a heads up since, I don't recall ever making a post about it. I will be at Rainfurrest 2008 sharing a dealer's table with Jennifer Anderson and wicked_sairah.

I will have:
* Original art and LE prints in the artshow
* Original sketches for sale at my table
* Prints
* bookmarks and greeting cards
* a clearance bin with an assortment of old prints that are being discontinued
* limited number of Wildcats of the World decks
* a couple remaining 'Art of Balaa: Canines Vol. 1' portfolios
* a limited supply of 'Art of Bagheera' cd's which I am selling on behalf of bagheera

I do not yet know if I will be accepting sketch commissions at all. I have struggled in the past with commissions at cons so it will depend on how I feel. Chances are if I do accept commissions they will be extremeeeelllyyyy limited or I will take some orders to be finished post con. Sorry guys! I have been tossing around the idea of opening for sketch commissions BEFORE a con and to be delivered at con. That way I can work in a way that is comfortable to me and deliver a nicer product to you.

I will also be bringing this fella here, Sorbo the lemur: http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a4.....sorbo-1175.jpg

Hope both I and Sorbo see ya there!!! Come say hi, flail at me, bring some smiles my way (or just bring me scads and scads of coffee ;) )


EDIIIITS: anyone have any spare room in their hotel room where I can crash Sorbo and change into him? The only place I can stash him is in my car and that might be a pain to deal with. Thanks in advance!

Just a quick update. All the pathfinder decks that were paid for as of yesterday have now been shipped. Please drop me a note when you can find a moment and let me know when the decks arrived!

Also, I have several people that contacted me with interest for a deck but have not yet paid or contacted me back. To those people, if you are still interested, please gimme a shout. If you changed your mind, please don't feel bad, but do let me know so I can pass the decks on to someone else.

I appreciate the overwhelming response the decks received, for now orders are <b>closed</b>, but I will post if more become available!

Please check: http://pathfindersdeck.com/orderinfo.html for other artists that have decks available right away, and their locations.

EDIT Friday Sept, 19th: All the decks paid for as of yesterday, have also now been mailed out!

My trusty printer of 4 years has finally decided to give up the battle and now I face the ever fun quest for a new printer, since this model is no longer being produced.

What I basically need is a printer that can run really nice photo prints. I run prints on fairly heavy high gloss photo paper and I need something that can do that and is fairly reliable with preferably reasonably priced(ha!) ink cartridges.

SO to you artists out there, any recommendations for where to look? Brands? Models? etc?!

I had an HP all-in-one and it ran about 40 full color photo prints on one color cartridge. I don't really need an all in one but I'd swing for one if one of the newer HP all-in-ones was as good as the one I had.

EDIT: thanks in advance folks. Yes, eventually I'd like to buy a more professional grade printer. ATM though I really just need something to get me by while I save for something that is higher end :).

Alright all you crazy cats, dogs..foxes..wolves...lemurs...and otherwise fluffy/feathered/scaled critters residing in the Northwest, I shall be attending All Fur Fun this weekend and sharing a dealer's table with  Wickedsairah. If you happen to attend, swing by and say hello! I adore small cons for their laid back low stress feel so I look forward to having time to chat, taking time working on sketchbooks and all around just having a blast with you all.

After AFF, it will be on to Califur 4 in the mid of may!

Hope to see you there!