Thanks to everyone who had shown their support by requesting commissions or donating! The South Park and censored badges were a ton of fun, and just gotta make sure I take care more of the queue of artwork! So will be closing temporarily for commissions for now. Might open up again, you never know!

In the meantime, a few quick hits of info as we rev up for the convention in Chicago next weekend!

For those picking up badges from me - catch me at any of the dance competition events, and I will have the badge for you :)

Speaking of dance competition, for those interested, please see the rules here: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/31436233/M.....on%20Rules.pdf
And for those interested, please see the group choreography video here (with all the instructions in the Rules above): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7650qJUs2U

For those curious about my neck/shoulder status, I'm just tackling it day by day as it comes. Shoulder seems to be unrelated to the issues with the neck, and the physician I saw deemed is bursitis - now started physical therapy combined with some more potent dosages of ibuprofen to deal with that. The orthopedist did confirm the reversal of the cervical spine curve, however, and he recommended the exercises I am doing at the chiropractic offices as being the best course of action.

Anyway, regardless of all that, I am ready and excited for MWFF - I just know I need to make similarly smart choices about what I do as I had taken it easy at FurFright as well. But all in all, shouldn't keep me from having a blast! Can't wait to see everyone in just a handful of days!

Hey everyone!

Just want to say that I'm super excited for Midwest FurFest coming up in a couple weekends! I'm staffing this year, again taking lead of the dance competition, but hoping to have an enjoyable con outside of that! For those that are interested in participating but have not signed up yet, please see the rules and sign up instructions here: https://dl.dropbox.com/u/31436233/M.....on%20Rules.pdf . Dance pairs/groups are welcome to participate in the competition and we encourage members of the community to join forces to put on an amazing show now and in the future!

For those who are interested in seeing or participating in the group choreography that will be opening the dance competition, here is a sneak peak at what is in store (though it will look MUCH more impressive and have more intricacies), featuring  himynameisbuddy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7650qJUs2U - See the rules above for links to all the instructional videos to help you learn the choreography ahead of time!

AND with just over a week left until the convention, I am opening for SPECIAL BADGE COMMISSIONS in light of the "It came from TV!" theme:
CENSORSHIP Badges and SOUTH PARK Badges! For more details, please see the following submission with examples and details! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9201862/

SO excited for going to the convention with my boyfriend  greyloch - we'll be rooming with  dantee and lots of :beer: and hope to have a great time with everyone while I'm out there! I'll be arriving Thursday night and leaving sometime early eve on Sunday nite - short con, I know! But it will be an absolute blast with everything! Can't wait to see everyone!

As dared by  robypanther and encouraged by  nbowa

Comment on this journal and I'll...

1. Tell you something I learned about by looking at your Fa page for 13 seconds

2. Tell you a colour you remind me of

3. Tell you a prominent memory of you

**4. Ask you a question **

5. Tell you something I like about you

6. Give you a nickname

7. Tell you the object that is to the left of me

8. Dare you to do this yourself in your journal

[EDIT] In order to temper how many responses I have to respond to, I'll cut it off here for now, and we'll see if I post something like this again in the future!!

Back from FurFright, and had an awesome time at the con, despite some things getting in the way... like Hurricane Sandy. XD Having said that, I will say that I'm doing well - was able to survive the storm safely and didn't experience too much of a disruption outside of the metropolitan infrastructure damage and delays impacting all of NYC. Luckily,  greyloch had planned on leaving today anyway instead of earlier, so his travel plans hadn't been shifted. I just had the lucky break of being able to work from home without excuse, so I could spend some additional time with him. I should start to be able to see some semblance of normalcy this week going into next week.

But back to FurFright - had a blast facilitating the Thriller panels alongside  kwik and big congratulations to the dance competition champion  sadariuswolf who had co-taught the swing and lindy panels with me! And as a judge for the dance competition, I was so incredibly impressed with people stepping out onto the performance stage and giving it their all! While being a judge is incredibly challenging, I get a lot of joy in seeing dancers get out there, come back, and grow - I look forward to seeing everyone's progression as we see more and more! For footage of the thriller dance and the dance competition, be sure to check out KwiK's journal here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3981261/. Overall the con was a great time - was fun seeing everyone, too many people to list here, and  belicbear and his amazing team put on a great show. Looking forward to repeating the excitement again next year! :)

As an update health-wise, unfortunately some of the appointments I had planned this week were interrupted by the hurricane so I've needed to defer those to a later date. I'm hoping to be able to push them up to before MFF, and be able to get the feedback on my ailments so I can take next steps as necessary in the coming months.

I want to thank everyone who have commissioned me and who have donated without asking for anything (even though I will be giving something in return), and I just want to share that I'm going to continue to remain open for commissions with Icons and Line Art being quick-hit priorities for me, and larger projects being done over a longer period of time.

In the meantime, coming up for me are a ballroom dance competition hosted by University of Maryland this weekend, and hosting the fursuit dance competition at MFF a couple of weekends from now! Looking forward to seeing people there!

Going to be there with  greyloch, and got a good double-room setup with  nbowa,  rrruff in my room, and  jimmywolf,  alshline and others in another! To summarize the meme's around with the important things, I'll be suiting a ton (and coordinating the Fursuit Parades on Saturday at 3PM and Sunday at 8PM), won't have a table this year (but if I'm found in an art jam at some point, would love to do trades!), be teaching 4 panels (Thriller at Friday 5:30PM and Saturday 11AM / Swing at Saturday 1PM and Lindy on Sunday at 3PM), and just looking to have a ton of fun!

Gonna try to take it easy where I can because of my shoulder, but will still aim to have a great time seeing everyone at the convention! Looking forward to seeing you all there! ^^

Thank you to everyone who had commissioned me or those that offered money without asking for anything in return (something is going to be coming by your way for each of you, if I am able to identify you in the paypal!). Even those who could not offer any money, but sent well wishes and even spread the word for me, I really appreciate it!

I'd reached my monthly goal and have made some progress toward next month's goal, and I will continue to take on commissions to be able to make up as much money as I can in the meantime! I know usually the initial push is the most responsive, so I'm hoping that I can keep getting a steady flow of requests.

In the meantime, to give some updates on where I'm at, for those that are interested. I've got the next couple weeks lined up pretty well in terms of gathering more information overall. After receiving the findings from the neuroradiologist, I returned to the doctor's office paid for a copy of my x-rays, since my chiropractor could only let me keep the MD's report on the exam showing the findings of the reversal of the normal cervical curve. Reviewing the x-rays myself, knowing what the spine is supposed to look like at the neck, it's definitely curved in the wrong direction... XP After Furfright, I'll be going to see an orthopedist and sports medicine physician nearby where I live and share the findings with them to see what else they can derive. If an MRI is needed, I'll return to the radiologist office I had gone to in the first place, since they do MRI scans as well, and they'll already have seen me and be familiar with my records.

Tomorrow, I'll be returning to the chiropractor to continue my adjustments, and will also be having some time set aside to go through the insurance in detail (since only a portion was covered, but I believe I can get more covered by insurance), as well as better understanding the self-help exercise tools they have for people with issues in the curvature of their cervical spine. Just to clarify on my previous post - the chiropractor is not doing anything to actively correct the cervical spine, outside of the regular adjustments - that's all on me to do some PT-like exercises on my own unless I were to consult with a orthopedic surgeon for correction (which I don't think I'm in need of that... hopefully - we'll see what the orthopedist says next week).

In the meantime, just trying to get back into working out on my own - had quit training for the past few months in light of my shoulder - but I just can't sit still and let my fitness fall on the backburner, especially with the ballroom dance competitive season in full force. So doing some running, bodyweight basics exercises, and some yoga (though downward dog and child's pose are positions that trigger the shoulder pain too). I'm not incapacitated - I can still use my arm, and my head isn't falling off my neck, but I'm definitely not 100%. Hopefully after all is said and done, by the end of the month I'd have a clear view of the path to full recovery.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me! :)

Any donations would be very welcome! :)

So over the summer, I started experiencing some shoulder pain when moving or rotating the arm in certain positions. It's gotten better since its worst point, when I'd hardly be able to move my arm anywhere between the relaxed state with hand at my waist and raising the hand up to shoulder level without feeling pain. Nowadays, it's only, again, painful in certain positions, some of which are unfortunately practical (such as pouring from a milk gallon - breakfasts are quite unfortunate).

So of course, at the beginning I ignored it for a while, and figure it'd go away, thinking I probably just slept on it wrong. But sadly a few months later it's not gone away. Faced with the risk of serious shoulder injury, particularly in my dance competition season, I decided I needed to explore medical treatment. My options after surveying some colleagues (including my dance partner) included chiropractic care, acupuncture, and surgery (ouch). Since I didn't wanna be cut open or poked with needles, chiropractic care seemed to be the way to go, and my partner was able to refer me to her own chiropractor (and the very one who has encouraged her to pursue her doctorate in chiropractic science).

Of course, these kinds of places aren't quick-fix places, and my injury isn't necessarily a quick-fix problem either. After an initial set of tests, we learned that there's pretty extreme stress/pressure in my neck, and that there is imbalanced muscle tension along my neck and back that seem to agree with either causing my shoulder pain or are my body's reaction to compensate for the shoulder pain. I had gotten X-rays to see if there's anything about the skeletal structure to explain the issues that seem to stem from the neck area.

Apparently the curve of my cervical spine is curved in the wrong direction. Some of my critical vertebrae in my neck have started to degenerate, and I'm prone to some serious issues if left untreated. So in addition to the chiropractic adjustments I'll be receiving a couple times a week, I will have to perform some daily exercises to attempt to correct the reversal of my cervical spine curve.

I feel like I went to a car mechanic for an oil change and learned about a bunch of other things that are going wrong. And charged accordingly. But I suppose it can't be an issue ignored if it's discovered now, so I've got this massive medical expense ahead of me (to the tune of greater than $4000), and I've gotta figure out a way to deal with that.

So needless to say, I will be open for commissions and will set myself a personal goal of accepting and completing $350 worth of commissions a month, though I ideally would like to earn faster than that because my financial commitment for the treatment is accelerated. Donations are welcome too, though you will definitely receive something of comparable value in return in artwork, even if you do not request it!

Here's to hoping that I can get everything fixed. And that my shoulder stops hurting :P

You can view my commission prices here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9054385/

And, tips always welcome and much appreciated

Please definitely share with people you know who may be interested in contributing in exchange for art!

You can view my commission prices here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9054385/

I am opening up for limited slots of icon commissions at $5 and full body lineart at $10. Payment via paypal is required upfront upon confirmation of accepting your commission. Feel free to comment here or leave a note!

Other commission requests will be reviewed and accepted on a case by case basis, so if you're interested in something else, feel free to let me know, and I'll check to see if it's something I can take on! :)

~JD

--ICON SLOTS--
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

--FULL BODY LINEART SLOTS--
1.  cosmofoxen
2.
3.

--COLOR PIECES--
1. RESERVED - W
2. RESERVED - R

Wooo! Its my birthday! Turning 26 now! Time to update the FA profile again!

Am up in Boston for work today, and coworkers/instructors from the training class took me out for dinner and drinks last night, which was plenty fun! But I am very excited to be travelling home today after this last training session to be able to spend a nice evening with  greyloch who will be flying into NYC today! ^^

And then special thanks to  jimmywolf for putting together a nice gettogether for tomorrow locally in NYC for dinner and drinks with some close friends! Then that's followed by my annual pool party in NJ at the parents' place, which will have quite the share of furries from all over this time around! I'd only intended on inviting local, but it seems word got 'round to some people, and next thing I know, people are flying in for it! XD craziness! Well, I gotta contemplate my invite lists for next year then, don't I? XD I am ver excited to see all of you!

And for those who I won't get the chance to see, thank you all in response to (and in advance of) all the birthday wishes (here, on twitter, over email, via text, etc.)! I really am lucky to be part of a community like this and to have so many great friends through it! :)

AC was a blast and a blur as always! Was really great hanging out with old friends, making new friends, and sharing in  greyloch's first AC experience :) Many thanks to all the people I got to hang out with at the con or over food, including the super-long walk to Primanti's and Ice Cream, getting lost on the way to Market Square with the UK furs, the HUGE post-competition group lunch at Chinese, dancing onstage with  sadariuswolf, being there for LMFAO's appearances (ROFL  neopantyger, being stopped by cameras a lot so that  himynameisbuddy could say hi to friends who couldn't make it, and lots of chance encounters that led to awesome times with folks I've missed (*nudges  tzup*!)

Of course a big component and highlight of my con was the AC Fursuit Dance Competition. Repeating from my previous journal, I'm always astonished at how the community has grown and how much talent everyone holds - and at the same time the feeling is very much like a family of dancers, all eager to support each other and help each other grow. As I mentioned on stage, judging continues to become harder and harder as the skill, talent, and passion flood onto the floor, both in familiar faces getting better and better as well as new blood coming into the group and energizing everyone with their performances. Congratulations to everyone who made it, regardless of the placement, and I encourage everyone to continue working at their dancing and to come back next year, from the top ranks all the way to those that only had the opportunity to dance once in the prelims.

I must give a shout out to all the people that had helped out in any capacity. The prelim judging panel Oreo, Fink, Almadel, Neo PanTyger, and Kodi did an excellent job of handling the very challenging task of deciding on our finalist performers. The day of, Greyloch, Koebi, and Neo helped me out immensely as stage managers, and Kodi, Fink, and Almadel also doing double duty as incredibly entertaining MC's for the event! Mozee and Sadie were excellent Finals judges onstage as well and saw just how much effort goes into ranking our performers. Codex - truly superb job assisting with logistics and all the effort that went into the text voting, and I look forward to continuing to use that system in the futrue. Gotta mention Kodi again for pulling a lot of strings for me behind the scenes and helping to make the event execute successfully. Big thanks to the AC AV team who put on an awesome sound and lights to make the event as flashy as it could be! Jibba - all of your planning and guidance ahead of time, I hope we did you proud since you couldn't make it. And of course Theome, my (dance) partner in crime, so much work we've put into this brainchild of ours that has blossomed into an astonishing catalyst of motivation and camaraderie - thank you for all your dedication as well - this experience wouldn't be nearly as rewarding without you involved.

And of course thank you to all who participated - we put on this event for you so that you can have an amazing time with each other. If there's anything that can be improved upon for future years, please do not hesitate to put together your feedback and email to me at jd.puppy[at]yahoo.com !

I was sad that I missed the Floor Wars - but definitely hope I can come across it again at future cons, since I heard it was an amazing hit! Many congratulations to all the  dancerfurs who were involved in putting it together as well as those who participated in it!

Bottom line is that dance has grown to be an amazing family that I'm so honored to be a part of and will continue to participate in and support it in whatever ways I can. AC was all that much better because of it!

Con plans upcoming are still in the air - but FurFright and MFF are definite hits! Hope to see you all then!

AC2012

Where are you staying?
Westin

What day are you getting there?
Today! Mid afternoon

Who will you be rooming with?
 greyloch and  neopantyger oh, and  himynameisbuddy ;)

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Gonna try to hang with as many people as possible! This con is HUGE and I always end up not running into some people. It's like "Oh yeah! You were here! Well I have to catch the bus now, bye!"

Are there any panels/events you might be attending?
Running the fursuit dance competition!

Will you be suiting?
As much as possible - I haven't gotten a chance to do it as much the past few cons. Gotta change that!!

Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Everyone will be bringing their fursuits of their fursonas!

Do you do free art?
Prolly not gonna be doin' a lot of drawin' this con XP

Do you do trades?
Depends on if I'm around the right crowd, in the right mood, at the right time!

Do you do badges?
Still gotta finish a couple actually!

Do you do commissions?
Every now and then

What is your gender?
Male

How tall are you?
5'5"

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
Def taken :)

Can I talk to you?
Never be afraid to say hi! But I apologize if I seem like I'm in a rush or already heading somewhere! I'm usually ending up running off to try to keep up with a packed schedule!

Can I touch you?
Suit hugs are fine :)

How can I find you?
Well I'll be bound to the dance competition stuff, but otherwise, I'm usually out and about!

Can I visit your room?
Gotta check w/ the roomies for the OK's!

Can I buy you drinks?
If you do, expect me to return the favor!

Can I give you stuff?
Hehe perhaps!

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
See above about suit hugs :) I'm not really a snuggler in suit - I sweat a lot o.O

Are you nice?
I certainly hope I am! XD

How long are you going?
Thurs -> Mon late afternoon

Do you have an artist table?
Not this time around!

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just yell out my name!

Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Out and around in the convention!

What/where will you be eating?
Wherever there's food!

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
hehe food and fun sound great! etc, not so sure about ;)

Can I look in your sketchbook?
Sure!

Can I draw in your sketchbook?
Double Sure! XD

Can I take your picture?
Hehe I certainly don't mind!

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
A successful dance competition, hang out with friends, and suit a lot!

===================

Dance competition thoughts
So I'm part of the team that runs the AC dance competition, and I've been more and more behind the scenes with that kind of stuff ever since it started getting off the ground. I'm really happy to see how much it's grown and how it has energized individuals in our community to showcase their talents and drive them to improve themselves and each other. What is particularly notable is that most people who have gotten involved in this circle find themselves in a very welcoming group, supportive of each other, and genuinely interested in each other's performance and development, no matter what the skill level. While we often see the same faces at competition finals, it's those individuals who most want to help others get better, even if it means that the competition list just got that much harder. Individuals who are starting out or looking to get better look up to that set of skilled dancers for inspiration and advice, and they put in the practice and dedication and see some awesome surprise faces on the dance floor! And even in the finals themselves, when the winners are announced, I never see resentment or disappointment or any of that - instead I see celebration and congratulations, and it's incredible how much of a family this amazing group is. I'm looking forward to seeing the next iteration of the fursuit dance competition this weekend, and seeing new faces, new talent, as well as all the familiar faces that continue to impress. I'm very happy to be a part of that world and hope that it continues to grow and retain all of that positive energy and momentum.

As a judge, it's so incredibly hard to look at all of the talent and have to assign a score or a rank or a decision to them. Not an easy task by any means. It's about putting aside friendship considerations and continually asking the questions "Is that finals-level talent?" or "Was this better than the earlier routine?" and other things like that. But the what I love to see is that everyone is putting on an amazing show, and whether they make it or not, I can see people eager to go at it again at the next one and the next one, making themselves that much better! Criteria for a judge vary by the person, but common denominators usually include musicality (does your routine work with the music well, do you display command over the rhythm of the song and take creative liberties to make the dance and the song interesting), difficulty and variety of the choreography (some people do really well focusing in on one style and showcasing all the nuances of that style, others thrive on the diversity of dance styles mixed together to create a unique demonstration), overall crowd appeal (does it wow the audience, because if they love you, it makes it easier for the judges to love you, feeding off the positive energy). I know for me, as a Latin and Ballroom dancer, something specific that I look at are the feet (hahaha paws :P), making sure that the dance is an intentional dance instead of an unsure shuffling around. If I can see that you are grounded in your dancing, that you are balanced on your feet, and you are intentional with your steps and where/when you take them, then I can probably guess the stuff going on up top is also top quality.

Just wanted to throw a few of my thoughts and insights out there before setting out! Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Last time I did was CF this year... And I gotta keep each short or else people won't read 'em (if they read these anyway lol)

Elliot's Spring Gathering - I was actually in Orlando for my friends' Disney wedding, and decided to take advantage of the discounted hotel rate instead of staying on property for the whole thing. My dance partner was there along with me, and she thought everything was quite hilarious and enjoyable (the brief times she was exposed to the con). She was surprised at how often I was getting stopped to say hi, too! Was great to hang with the Florida crew - shout out to Trigger Fox and Dibbun for hangin' with me and karting me around!

Anthrocon - Big con, busy con as always! Crazy with all the new folks around, but lots of love for the back in the day hangouts with Neo PanTyger and Theome throughout the con! Also,  himynameisbuddy got to judge the dance competition, which I'm sure was good times had by all! Big props to Jibba, Kodi, Recca, and Phor and ALL the dancers for putting on an amazing show!

Megaplex - One of those unexpected adds, still had a good time with Nbowa, Tzup, and JimmyWolf! Got to meet and hang out with GoH Chad Krueger as well as help Dingoroo plan and execute a VERY successful Iron Artist!

Rocky Mountain Fur Con - Another unexpected add for the year, but a very welcome one, as it was my boyfriend's ( greyloch) first convention! Major thanks to November, Xanie, Kwik (and Kwik's mom!), Recca, and Gothic and Geek Siamese for hanging out with the two of us!

Eurofurence - And EXACTLY two days after leaving RMFC, I'm headed even further East-bound past my home to Germany! Another big con, busy con situation! But tons of fun - Dealer's Den was very productive the brief times I could go. For those that didn't see, both JD AND Buddy got to compete in the dance competition! After the con, a bunch of us went to the Ringberg to reminisce about old times (thanks Dantee for driving!). And then AFTER that, I got to spend a few days in Vienna with  tzup - and BIG THANKS to  yamavu for putting us up in the flat next to his shop even though he was busy. It was amazing to have been right inside Vienna for our trip!

Will take a break from the reporting for a bit. 2012 will DEFINITELY not have as many cons as it did this year, which is somewhat sad, but spacing everything out to make room for other things will be a better change for me.

I'm taking on 10 additional commission slots! That's right, 10, of any type, as simple or as complex a commission type as requested! Just make sure you mention which type you want (see below)! More than one picture is more than one slot.

1  thedoggygal - Icon/Avatar - DONE!
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

In order to get in the commission queue, please reply here, send me an FA note, or send me an email at jd.puppy[at]yahoo.com detailing what type of commission you would like and any descriptions or references if you have them! Upon accepting the commission, payment will be taken via paypal at jd.puppy[at]yahoo.com prior to work being started.

Here are the base prices for single-character commissions (printing and shipping included upon request).
For multiple character pictures, +50% of base price.
Complex Characters and Detailed Backgrounds will increase the base prices listed depending on complexity/detail.

---

Sketch: $20 - Quick, cleaned sketches. Done traditional or digital.
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Ink/Detailed Sketch: $30 - Higher detailed sketches (digital or traditional) or fully inked pieces (traditional).
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Flat Color: $45 - Color picture, no shading. Done all traditionally, all digitally, or mixture.
.....Example 1 Example 2

Shaded Color: $60 - Full color picture with shading. Done all traditionally, all digitally, or mixture.
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Detailed Color: $100 - High detail picture, experimenting in new style. Digital only, progress shots along the way (sketch, ink, flat, final).
.....Example 1 Example 2

Regular Conbadge: $25 - 3x4-inch conbadge in badge holder and lanyard. (Digital or traditional)
.....Example 1 Example 2

Headshot/Bustshot Conbadge: $35 - 4x5-inch shaped conbadge laminated, with lanyard. (Digital or traditional)
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Full Body Conbadge: $50 - 5x7-inch shaped conbadge laminated, with lanyard. (Digital or traditional)
.....Example 1

Character concept sheet: $100 - 4-view (front, side, back, 3/4) in custom poses, great for artists or fursuit builders needing referenes. Digital only.
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Icon/Avatar: $15 - 500x500px large version and 100x100 reduced size provided. Digital only.
.....Example 1 Example 2

COMBINATION OFFERS!
Buy a Flat Color or a Shaded Color piece and get an Icon/Avatar or a Sketch for an extra $10
Buy a Character Concept Sheet or a Detailed Color and get an Icon/Avatar or a Sketch for an extra $5

Continuing the quest for covering the data recovery costs! (for those that forgot - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/2846551/). In order to help us get to covering the costs fronted, I'm taking on 10 commission slots! That's right, 10, of any type, as simple or as complex a commission type as requested! Just make sure you mention which type you want (see below)! More than one picture is more than one slot.

1  dantee - flat color [DONE]
2  dantee - shaded color [DONE]
3  razzylee - icon [DONE]
4  eskay05 - headshot conbadge [DONE]
5  KevShepherd - headshot conbadge [DONE]
6  darkwolf72 - headshot conbadge [DONE]
7  doni - icon [DONE]
8  doni - flat color [DONE]
9  isowolf - flat color [DONE]
10

In order to get in the commission queue, please reply here, send me an FA note, or send me an email at jd.puppy[at]yahoo.com detailing what type of commission you would like and any descriptions or references if you have them! Upon accepting the commission, payment will be taken via paypal at jd.puppy[at]yahoo.com prior to work being started.

Here are the base prices for single-character commissions (printing and shipping included upon request).
For multiple character pictures, +50% of base price.
Complex Characters and Detailed Backgrounds will increase the base prices listed depending on complexity/detail.

---

Sketch: $20 - Quick, cleaned sketches. Done traditional or digital.
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Ink/Detailed Sketch: $30 - Higher detailed sketches (digital or traditional) or fully inked pieces (traditional).
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Flat Color: $45 - Color picture, no shading. Done all traditionally, all digitally, or mixture.
.....Example 1 Example 2

Shaded Color: $60 - Full color picture with shading. Done all traditionally, all digitally, or mixture.
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Detailed Color: $100 - High detail picture, experimenting in new style. Digital only, progress shots along the way (sketch, ink, flat, final).
.....Example 1 Example 2

Regular Conbadge: $25 - 3x4-inch conbadge in badge holder and lanyard. (Digital or traditional)
.....Example 1 Example 2

Headshot/Bustshot Conbadge: $35 - 4x5-inch shaped conbadge laminated, with lanyard. (Digital or traditional)
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Full Body Conbadge: $50 - 5x7-inch shaped conbadge laminated, with lanyard. (Digital or traditional)
.....Example 1

Character concept sheet: $100 - 4-view (front, side, back, 3/4) in custom poses, great for artists or fursuit builders needing referenes. Digital only.
.....Example 1 Example 2 Example 3

Icon/Avatar: $15 - 500x500px large version and 100x100 reduced size provided. Digital only.
.....Example 1 Example 2

COMBINATION OFFERS!
Buy a Flat Color or a Shaded Color piece and get an Icon/Avatar or a Sketch for an extra $10
Buy a Character Concept Sheet or a Detailed Color and get an Icon/Avatar or a Sketch for an extra $5

So over the past while, my partner  greyloch and I have been taking pictures of our summer adventures, and as he was about to go make a backup of the files, the external hard drive it was on had decided to go wonky and not recognize the files on it! Oh the sad sad irony...

Good news: the files have an excellent shot of recovery
Bad news: the cost of the recovery service is a hefty $1500!!

In order to help him out, I'll be opening for commissions to raise funds to hopefully cover the cost. Those pictures are as much my memories as they are his, so I want to put in as much as I can! The expense was certainly unexpected and has put an unfortunate strain on the budget... So help please? :)

Details on commission prices will be released shortly!

Tips are VERY welcome, especially for this cause!

Hey guys!

Summer was awesome, more to come on that... BUT in more timely news, for those who have asked, yes, indeed, I will be at FurFright next weekend - after all, I have the distinct pleasure of being one of the Guests of Honor this year! Paired with  keto (guess which one is the artist GoH lol!), it's sure to be an awesome con! Thank you  belicbear for the special position for the con!

I will have a dealer's den table, sharing with  dingoroo, so come by and get your live commissions! I hope to have some other goodies for sale, but you will have to come to see what they are (even I don't know yet!). I will be spending some time away from the table too, so be sure to check out events I will be at!

Opening Ceremonies, Friday 11am: Be sure to come on to see me be a goof on stage as usual!
Thriller Choreography, Friday 4pm: Come learn the Thriller chores, taught alongside the master of MJ,  kwik! Then we will flash mob somewhere, but Shhhhh, don't tell anyone!!
Furrypocalypse, Friday 7pm: If the dealers and frankensponsors didn't eat it all, there will be FREE FOOD! And really funny Match Game antics on stage!
Fursuit Performance, Saturday 11am: For newcomer and veteran suiters alike, or even nonsuiters, I will be going over some tips and tricks for bouncing around at a con in suit!
Fursuit Dancing, Saturday 12pm: Following the performance panel is a quickie just dedicated to dance basics!
Fursuit Parade One, Saturday 2:30pm: I'll be leading it this time around, so everyone come file in line as we romp around the hotel! Shame I can't run through it more than once as usual...
Masquerade, Saturday 7pm: I will be judging, perhaps with less alcohol in my body this time! For those that remember, hoooo boy what a night that was...
Fursuit Games, Sunday 1pm: It will be mass mayhem as all the fuzzy critters beat each other up for tiny trinkets and huge bragging rights!
Closing Ceremonies, Sunday 6pm: Sending off the con in style, let's see if we can beat last year's record of 12K to the charity!
Fursuit Parade Two, Sunday 8pm: If you didn't have enough of parade-y goodness, you can get your fill the second time around!

So, busy con for me! But don't be afraid to come up and say hi! :)

Life has been crazy hectic, and I hope to chronicle as much of it as I can, but wanted to leave a note out there that its my birthday today, and I appreciate all the notes I have been getting. Even in the midst of everything I am busy with lately, all the small messages are helpful reminders that today should be at least a little special. Thanks, everyone!

~JD

Back from the UK and I had an ABSOLUTE BLAST! So many things to talk about, and so little patience to write about it all! XD

Of course, shout out to  tzup,  nbowa on congratulations on their 10 year anniversary, and to  jimmywolf for rounding out the crew last minute. Always a good time ^^

Dealer's den was so much fun, and I really appreciated everyone's business! A busy pup's gotta eat somehow! Anyone who took a commission of me, I'd appreciate a scan to post in my gallery! :D And was totally crazy unknowingly sitting across from  muzz! I can't believe how much I broke down when  pliskin was playing with that blue water fish tube thing. Ry-Ry I told you I break down just as bad as you do!

Thanks to  spunkyrakune and  zekitty for letting me play games with them. And by letting me play, I actually mean everyone kills me off on the first round of Werewolf. Much<3! Was awesome meeting and/or hanging with Hush, Rabbet, Skai, Sora, Funky, Mag, TopDog, Blue, Phenol, and a TON of others I'd love to list with pictures, but can't due to personal memory and icon limits! (and omg Indian XD)

Probably most memorable moment of the con was meeting  zen and  icelyon for reasons that you had to be there for to fully comprehend XD Was awesome hanging out with you guys!

Special thanks to Colifox for getting me involved in some fun events at the con - I'm glad to have taken part and to hopefully have entertained the audiences watching the Banner Brawl, the Fursuit Games, and the Fursuit Still Life Drawing (OMG had to stand STILL while the dance competition was going on the room right next to us!! Shout out to Zak, Kiyo, and ll the other dancer furs I met out there - hope to share a jam floor with ya again sometime!)

More special thanks to  wolfpawz and  axle for showing me around Manchester the day after the con and for  loui for putting me up for a night on short notice when you'd already housed a whole buncha people throughout the con!

And summer hasn't even started! :D

http://www.furfright.org/

It's with great excitement that I write to announce that I will be one of the Guests of Honor at FurFright 2011! It's a real privilege to be GoH at a convention as awesome as FurFright -  belicbear and his team put on a FANTASTIC show year over year. I'm definitely going to doing a ton at the convention art-, panel-, and event-wise so FurFright 2011 is going to be a blast! I hope that all my friends can come join me and celebrate at the convention!

http://www.furfright.org/ - October 14-16 2011

Hey everyone!

Just wanna post here to let everyone know I'm still alive and kickin' even though I've been terribly busy with my day job - getting to be that season when I'm handling many projects at the same time (even though it's felt that way for the whole year XP).

I want to ask that anyone who has an outstanding commission with me, please shoot me an email at jd.puppy[at]yahoo.com with [COMMISSION] at the beginning of the email with details in the body of exactly what you commissioned (be it a badge, colored pic, etc.). That way I can sort and search and get up to speed with exactly what's open. I've got an idea of what I have, but I want to confirm with those watching me out here to see if anything slipped through the cracks - and for that I give my utmost apologies!! Just a lot been going on, is all.

And for those curious about commissions, it doesn't hurt to ask, but I'll be aiming to get through the ones that have already been so patiently waiting. Prices are here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/698982/

Thanks to all who are watching me and following, commenting on, and faving my art! I really appreciate the support and look forward to churning more out for you guys!

~JD

I know that a lot of people have been very supportive of Skroy's and my recent announcement of being together. It definitely seemed like a crazy match with awesome potential, and both of us were just as excited as everyone else, if not moreso, to be able to explore this opportunity.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the challenges of a long distance relationship were too difficult for everything to remain sustainable. When he and I decided to be together, we definitely aligned with what we were looking for in the relationship - someone to love and to be loved by, and someone to share happy experiences with as a team, to work with, bounce off of, and learn from each other. But the way each of us wanted to do that and what each of us perceived as priorities didn't coincide. In the face of the logistical difficulties (like distance and time), we needed to make a decision that would make us happiest in the end.

I'm at least glad to have had the opportunity to share times being close with you, as brief as our time together was - thanks for the magical memories. While we may not be mates, I still look forward to the times when we can be that team of performers out on the convention floor as well as when we can hang out and connect as the individuals beneath the fur.

Take care, Skroy - best of luck as you continue to grow into your own both inside and outside the fandom.

So there has been a lot of hype over recent news that Skroy and I are now officially together. We're very excited about the new relationship and look forward to the places it will take us as we learn and grow together. In the middle of all the fanfare, however, I want to make sure to highlight and give extreme gratitude to my companion, Jimmy Wolf.

He and I celebrated an absolutely amazing 5 and a half years together, and in that quarter of my life, shared many, many significant experiences. He has been an incredible source of support and happiness - Jimmy has helped me grow immensely as a person while I really come into my own as an adult. It all started on October 9, 2004... we'd met in person for the first time and I'd said that I would like to follow in his footsteps. He went above and beyond and helped me blaze my own path that has taken me to fantastic heights.

As time passed, we continued to give it our all to continue onward together, but understood that both of us still had plenty to explore about ourselves. Eventually, we decided together that the time had come to give ourselves the opportunity to gain those experiences and knowledge that we couldn't obtain as a couple. A mutual and amicable decision out of love for each other, we embrace the opportunities of enjoying the benefits of an alternate life and of course hope the best for each other and will be happy so long as the other is happy, just like usual.

Jimmy, thank you immensely for an unforgettable time as partners, for being that source of stability and support and for taking care of me. You deserve a ton of recognition for everything you've done for me. I would not be who I am today if it weren't for you - I wouldn't even be a part of this fantastic, crazy community and share all of the great friends we have together. You were an amazing companion with a genuine heart and you truly are a special person with whom I fully intend on remaining close as time goes on.

Transitioning into our new lives isn't going to be the easiest process, and everything will take a lot of getting used to. But we can cherish the memories that we do have together (and readers, you can reference Jimmy's journal for the surprise he gave me which does exactly this http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1605690/ ) and look forward to the memories we'll have in our new lives.

I love you, wuffie - you'll always be my first love.

[EDIT] Ah! Didn't realize polls were closing tonight and not tomorrow! Well, polls closed with one vote separating me and my competitor. Congrats DiNGO! :) [ RagamuffinBunny] Looks like I have to wait another year for a chance at the title! Best of luck to the Sweet 16!

Well since  skroy has been making a ton of posts, I figure I ought to do so myself. Would love to see me and my folfsky progress through the brackets, so please vote for both of us! (I need it a heck of a lot more than he does o.o)

http://community.livejournal.com/fursuittourney/

I graciously am grateful for all support! :)

Whoops - forgot to post it was my birthday yesterday XD With festivities spread across the month in celebration, I'd like to thank everyone who had a major part in all of the partying, including  furball2k and  midwestcougar for hosting some Chicago madness,  jimmywolf for setting up fun times once back in NYC,  skroy for all the surprises along the way, and the staff of Megaplex for once again putting on a great show!

As for me, having just turned 24... Crazy how the time flies before I even know it, and how much has been accomplished and experienced in that time. There is plenty more coming my way, many have assured me, and thanks to everyone who has played a role in it, big or small. While there's a lot that I don't know yet, with the support of those around me, I'll prepare myself as best I can and I'm excited to charge into this next chapter of my life!

Hey everyone!

Thanks to everyone who signed up for the 100 Sketch Challenge! And if you haven't hopped on the bandwagon, there's still PLENTY of time and space for slots! It's $10 per character/sketch and you can get a slot by emailing me at jd.puppy@yahoo.com!

See below for the summary of my progress!

1. ScrubWolf - DONE
2. Cooper Tom - DONE
3. Rebel Reptile - DONE
4. Corey Vedutis - DONE
5. Kenny Kitsune - DONE
6. Leowi - Nemeus - DONE
7. Darken Tiger - Byakko - DONE
8. Darken Tiger - Lord-Shadows - DONE
9. Darken Tiger - Striker - DONE
10. Golden Bullet - Crimson - DONE
11. Alastar - DONE
12. Camo Husky (2 character sketch)
13. Camo Husky (2 character sketch)
14. Zia (4 character sketch)
15. Zia (4 character sketch)
16. Zia (4 character sketch)
17. Zia (4 character sketch)
18. Grontalis
19. Oreo
20. Reylith
21. JBadger - Chef Sam
22. Tocoma Whitewolf
23. Johnny Blanco - Savannah
24.
25.
26.
...
99.
100.