Just recently we attended a very special convention in Kansas City, held May 9th-11th: Spectrum Fantastic Art Live. The convention is an extension of the annual publication "Spectrum, The Best In Contemporary Fantastic Art." The convention was held for it's third year at the Kansas City Convention Center, approximately three hours north of Oz and well worth attending. We were lucky enough to attend in 2013 and were excited to attend again for 2014. Gathering together some of the best in the fantasy art business, Spectrum Live 3 did not disappoint.

The show opened at 3:00 pm Friday. The main show floor was filled with a dazzling display of paintings, comic book art, illustrations and sculptures. Something different Spectrum Live did this year was to offer "Artists Alley" tables at a reduced price for those who didn't want to invest in a full display booth, which increased the amount of art available for viewing. Between the established pros and the newer exhibitors, there were over 180 exhibition tables and booths displaying art from a wide variety of genres. To say it was inspiring is giving it faint praise; "overwhelming" would not be an inaccurate description!

We started out just wandering the aisles to take in the amazingness, and had barely gotten a fourth of the way through the room before heading for the first panel we wanted to attend: "Artists Bootcamp Session 1: Getting You Found," hosted by art directors Lauren Panepinto and Marc Scheff. They held an informative discussion on the best ways to use social media and other means for artists to get their work noticed online.

After the panel it was back to the Exhibit Hall to locate one booth in particular, where I finally got to meet one of my all-time favorite artists: Scott Gustafson, illustrator extraordinaire! He and his wife Patti are both extremely kind and gracious people, and made us feel welcome as fellow enthusiasts of fantastic art. Rob and I admired all the lovely sketches in his binders and pawed through his bin of originals, all masterpieces from his posters and nursery rhyme/fairy tale books, including his latest book "Eddie: The Lost Youth of Edgar Allen Poe." Looking through his original pencil and ink drawings was very inspiring, seeing the work behind the gorgeous paintings. The tigers drawn for his upcoming "Little Sambha" story were a special favorite for us both. Mrs. Gustafson was kind enough to show me some of the finished paintings for "Little Sambha" via her Ipad; the story will be in their "Bedtime Stories" book coming out in the fall. (We can't wait!) We purchased a copy of "Eddie", not so much because I'm a fan of Edgar Allen Poe, but because we love the marvelous illustrations!

The Exhibit Hall closed to attendees at 6:00pm the first day, and it was time for hors d'oeuvres and mingling with other attendees in the hallway. We wound up chatting with fellow artists and enthusiasts while we snacked, and as we did the year before we noticed something prevalent at this convention: we were in a community of peers, whether they were behind an exhibit table or sharing information in a panel, or even just attending. While the general public is welcome to attend (and shop!), the weekend was packed with fellow artists and creators, and we kept running into enthusiastic people who asked, "Are you an artist, too?!" Students, aspiring artists, professionals of all ages and genres... it was all one large community of creativity, enjoying and sharing the creative experience. We never ran into any prima donna egos or cut-throat attitudes at this convention, even though the world of fantasy art is highly competitive by nature. Everyone at this convention was eager to do their best work, yet eager to see and encourage the best from everyone else as well. One couldn't ask for a more inspiring group to visit.

After snacks, drinks and chat, many in the crowd wandered into a panel room for an Art Director "Meet 'N Greet." This was followed by "Making It", a film discussing the idea of what "success" means for a professional and for those who aspire to be professional artists. The overall consensus seemed to be that "success" was different for each artist--something no one can determine for someone else, but that the artist must figure out for themselves. This was a reassuring message, in that it reinforces our own belief that what matters to us is what matters to us, not what someone else decides we should achieve.

On Saturday morning we were back at the convention before the opening bell, ready for another day of inspiration and learning. We had decided overnight that one of Scott Gustafson's lovely cat drawings was within our budget, a gorgeous pencil sketch of the cat from Scott's "Mother Goose" book (specifically, the cat from "Pussycat, Pussycat, Where Have You Been?"). Rob hurried off to purchase it before someone else could buy it out from under us, so we now own a Scott Gustafson original! (We consider it a birthday present to each other, and well worth the buying.) While this was transpiring, I attended a panel on "Working in the Dream Factory: Artists and Hollywood." With Iain McCaig moderating, the panel included concept artists Alan Williams, Wayne Barlowe, Justin Sweet and Vance Kovacs, discussing what it was like to work within the film industry.

The next panel we attended was a drawing demonstration and workshop held by Iain McCaig: "Icons of Good; Icons of Evil," where he led a discussion on designing "good" and "evil" characters--how to push past mere stereotypes, and to use common perceptions in both standard and counter-intuitive ways to make characters more interesting. His favorite example: a photograph of the soulful eyes of the Frankenstein monster from the Bela Legosi version. He also emphasized the importance of doing "Stupid Drawings"--drawings that concentrate purely on putting together ideas without worrying about making a gorgeous piece of art. He even starts out by writing "Stupid Drawing" at the top of the page, to remind the artist that this is simply a beginning from which one will work towards a great piece of artwork!

Our next panel was at 2:30pm with cartoonist Frank Cho. Frank was a great panelist, talking about his experiences and struggles to become an artist. His original pencil layouts for a current comic were passed around during the panel while he sketched out a suggested subject while answering questions and talking about his background in the comics industry. The comic pages were themselves beautiful pieces of art, with great layout and character drawing.

The rest of the afternoon was spent back at the exhibition hall, seeing more great finished art and chatting with the creators thereon. We got some books from our personal collection signed by Scott Gustafson, who again was very kind and accommodating. Both of the Gustafson's took time to look through our small sample portfolio, complemented us on our art and asked questions about foxes. (He seemed impressed with our knowledge about our favorite animal, and commended us as a friendly encyclopedia of fox info.) We also got books signed by Frank Cho; chatted with marvelous digital artist John Picacio; met up with David Frizzell, a fellow Springfield artist; and crossed paths with fellow furry-con artist Ian Johnson, among many others.

It being dinnertime and with a couple of hours to relax before the evening's events, we wandered out to Consentino's Market, a deli/supermarket where we dined on gyros and cheesecake and sketched while talking over all that we had seen and done that afternoon. Shortly before 7:00pm we headed across the street to the opulent Midland Theater, the site for the Spectrum Award ceremonies which started at 8:00pm. Gold and silver awards were given in a number of categories to artists from all over the world, not all of whom could be in attendance. Scott Gustafson received the Silver award for Book illustration, and while all the nominees were worthy we personally thought he should have gotten the gold. (We have our prejudices, too.) More awards were presented in other categories along with a touching tribute to artists we lost this year. There was a filmed review of previous Grand Masters (artists honored for their overall body of work through the years), and then the screen flashed artwork from the newer Star Wars movies accompanied by John Williams "Duel of the Fates"-- and an emotional Iain McCaig was awarded the Grand Master of 2014. We applauded like crazy, along with the other attendees who gave him a standing ovation.

Our first panel on Sunday morning was "Words and Pictures: Working in Comics," hosted by Mark Chiarello, Frank Cho, Terry Dodson, and Mark Schultz. (Mark Chiarello, director at DC comics, had given me a very encouraging review of my comic work the year before and is a fountain of knowledge and enthusiasm regarding comic art and illustration.) The panelists discussed the various influences which led them into their careers, and how they started out in the comic field. They also discussed how the comic industry had changed over the years--how in many ways this is now the "Wild West" for comics, with many new venues and different ways for artists to get their work seen. (Also noting that many traditional publishers are now hiring faster/cheaper artists from overseas, and that being a talented newcomer doesn't carry as much weight in the industry as it once did.) Their advice on the best way to succeed: do your homework, be available, do the work and get your work seen, get away from the table once in a while to prevent burnout, and perhaps most important: get excited about what you're doing and do it!

After the panel we chatted briefly with Mark Chiarello in the Exhibit Hall (he did not have a booth himself this year), and were able to thank him for the inspiration and advice he'd given me the year before. We also enjoyed chatting with talented artist Amber Hill, who we know from her artwork and from sharing a dealers room at some furry cons, and we purchased a lovely fox print which she autographed for us.

Then it was off to an inking panel by artist/inker Mark Schultz to absorb what advice, inspiration, and instruction he had to share while demonstrating inking techniques using a lovely female portrait he had sketched out earlier. His main tools were a #2 and a #3 Kolinsky sable round brush, using smooth, heavy bristol; he emphasized the importance of using only quality Kolinsky Sable brushes, inasmuch as using cheaper brushes merely led to frustration. (He also held up a bag of tree twigs he used to demonstrate that you could ink with almost anything, but that some tools worked better than others.) He quietly demonstrated how he could get almost any effect he wanted using a dry brush technique with the sable brushes. Some of his other advice was that inking involved what to leave out, not just what to put in; to use as few actual outlines as possible; and to use spot blacks to guide the viewers eye. Other advice for us older artists: get up and walk around every half hour or so!

Eventually it was time to wrap up the weekend. We headed back to the Exhibit Hall for one last look around, which is where we ran into Mark Chiarello again. With Rob's prodding me in the back to get past my shyness, Mark graciously allowed Rob to take a picture of us together, and was interested in seeing what progress I had made on the comic project he'd seen the previous year. Fortunately, I had a small version of my work in progress; and once again, Mark had some great advice on ways I could punch up some of the panel layouts, pointing out which panels worked well and where they could be improved while complimenting me on my progress and overall visual storytelling. He was amazed to hear that Rob's webcomic "Faux Pas" contained over 1600 strips, and seemed very enthusiastic about reading it online. (An interest shared by Scott and Patti Gustafson among others, so that was a real boost!) We were very flattered by his encouragement, and grateful for the time he took to share his knowledge and suggestions.

Tired but extremely happy and with our creative batteries fully recharged once again, we headed back to the Seven Acre Wood. We both agreed that given our interests, Spectrum Live is the best convention ever. Everyone we met there shared an enthusiastic camaraderie: that we all love art in its many forms and love creating it, and that we'd gone to the convention to enjoy the company of others who did the same--even helping other artists attain the creative level they themselves were working towards.
Our thoughts about Spectrum Live in 2015? YES!!

A Brief Con Report:

For the weekend of April 24-28, 2014, we OzFoxes (Robert & Margaret Carspecken) were invited to be the artist Guests of Honor at the Wild Night's Furry Convention, held at Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton, OK in the Southeastern Oklahoma Ozarks.

Wild Nights is one of three furry camping conventions currently running each year (two in the U.S., one in Canada), so we looked forward to enjoying a unique convention experience! The theme this year was "Wild Nights in Sherwood Forest," so how could any dedicated Robin Hood fan resist the invitation to partake?!

We spent the weekend among 301 fun and friendly people. Our lodgings were at the comfortable Belle Starr Lodge, a short distance from the camping part of the outdoors weekend. The park itself was worth the trip for all the incredible scenery, and the merry company made it all the more enjoyable. Kitchen staff members like "Pan-Pan" took excellent care of us, making sure we had plentiful food and beverage.

Being a camping con, there were few traditional convention venues such as a Dealer's Den, but an impromptu "Artists' Alley" appeared each day in the Mess Hall where we and other vendors could display our wares. We enjoyed seeing the work of other talented artists and watching them create.

Some of the con attendees, including several on-staff, were fellow members of the Society of Creative Anachronisms (SCA). With activities like archery practice and storytelling around a late-night bonfire, we felt right at home!

The weekend was not without a few glitches, as is typical of any camping-related outing. A freezer in the mess hall chose to conk out, leaving the kitchen staff frantically moving frozen goods to the walk-in icebox while handing out free ice cream novelties to all comers so the goodies wouldn't go to waste. (What can be more fun at a camping event than messily devouring a half-melted ice cream drumstick?) At one of the evening bonfires, we witnessed the demise of two beautiful Luna moths who chose to go kamikaze directly into the flames. While the weather was beautiful, Sunday evening included a hail-laden deluge as a massive storm front moved through--fortunately after a group had finished playing "Werewolf!" And oddly, Veriozn's cell phone and data services were non-existant south of Muskogee - a 'glitch' that some may have found quite worthwhile!

All in all, we were made to feel very welcome, and we are grateful to the staff and to all the attendees for their good humor and hospitality. We didn't know a camping con could be this much fun!

If you're in Atlanta this coming weekend, be sure to check out our stuff in the art show!

No ice storms, no deluge of rain to contend with this year. Furry Fiesta was full of happy meetings and friendly faces. We had a great weekend and are grateful to those who made it possible and made us feel so welcome! (And that restaurant around the corner...where else could you get waited on by Princess Leia?) Now to get settled back in and hit the drawing board!

The OzFoxes will be in the Dealer's Den at Furry Fiesta in Dallas TX! Stop by and say hi at Tables 62/63.

We will have prints, posters, t-shirts, cookbooks, and other artistic foxy stuff -- and we will be taking commissions for color badges and sketches!

http://www.furryfiesta.org/

We made it home from Midwest Furfest with no mishaps. (Well, the car's starter blew up the next day...but at least it wasn't on the trip!)

We had a crazy fun weekend! We got to see a lot of our favorite folks again, saw a lot of fantastic costuming, did a lot of commissions, were blown away by the artistic talent crammed into one convention, and --always the best part -- met and made new friends. Only disappointment was staying so busy we barely got away from our table!

Both of us want to thank everyone who stopped by our table, even only briefly...you really helped recharge our creative batteries. Maybe we can do MFF again next year!

New greeting cards are now available on our website!
http://www.ozfoxes.com/cat10-crd.htm
Plus, it's official....Our new 2014 foxy calendars should be available the 1st week of December. We'll keep you posted!

Just a reminder for next spring:

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10541198/

We will be attending Wild Nights in Sherwood at Robbers Cave State Park in Eastern Oklahoma, April 25-29, as Guests of Honor. Also attending as guests will be Poteroo, Oki Doki Coyote, and Bob Burns.

Looking forward to it!

We have a new auction of an original acrylic painting now up on e-Bay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160954396717

Also, if you're attending Further Confusion, we will have art for sale in the art show.

Cheers!

If you're ready to do some holiday shopping, stop by # we have

Greeting cards: our popular designs plus 3 new cards for this season

Art prints: including 3 new "A Little Bit Country" vixens, and a special: buy 2 prints, get one free!

Faux Pas 2013 calendar: a year of friendly fun with the gang from GMSA, inspired by our comic strip "Faux Pas".

Also available:
T-shirts in 6 sizes and 4 foxy designs
"Sweet Treats", the original foxy cookbook by Marsha Redfox!

If you like foxes, this is your one-stop-shopping website!

Our latest auction: On e-Bay we are offering the original painting "Stand At Culloden". Kilted anthropomorphic warriors hold their ground in 1746!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160866654114

We have a new auction up on E-Bay: "Pear Brown Betty". This is vintage art from "Sweet Treats": both the original inked work and the original watercolor work that was used for the book.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160861262159

"Oh, darn...she's awake!"

Our latest offering on E-Bay is "Dusk in the Morning", an original acrylic painting
featuring that vivacious vixen from "Faux Pas".


http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160853815644

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160843276043
A new gouache painting of a favorite piece from "Sweet Treats"