I've recently been bitten by the printmaking bug! I uploaded a bunch of linocut/block prints I recently made, which I'll also have at Meandering Mediums in Seward, Alaska! This will be my third year working in Alaska over the summer as a deckhand and I'm excited to have my work on display. If you're in Seward, come check it out!

Wow it really has been over a year since I last posted a journal here. For a quick recap - I took a seasonal job as a deckhand on a wildlife and glacier boat in Alaska for the summer. It was exactly the sort of work I needed: in a cool and rainy summer climate, surrounded by incredible geography and wildlife. I saw a family of falcons (two adults and three juveniles) flying and chasing and dive bombing each other over the fjords. And lots of incredible whale activity!

Now I'm back in Colorado. The past year has been hard as an artist, with AI garbage flooding art spaces, with social media (Twitter I'm looking at you) becoming toxic for artists, and with the general state of...*motions to everything*. It's hard to survive right now! I'm hanging on the best I can, but it's not going great. I'm dealing with a heavy depressive episode that might be a late-30s crisis mixed with the heavy dread that comes with watching the world around you crumble and kick away what last crumbs of joy and ability to survive you once had. Fun!

Anywho, I'll still be active here. FA at least seems pretty stable when it comes to being good to artists. I'm also on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/windfalcon.bsky.social (also I have some invite codes if anyone needs one). It seems like Twitter is quickly spiraling down the toilet so in case it completely implodes, I'm at least on a similar social media site.

I will be at Anthrocon this year after several years hiatus (that affected all conventions)! I'll have quite a few new prints, including ones of the pieces I recently uploaded. I'll also have leather feather pendants, earrings, and barrettes!

If there's a particular print or leather feather you'd like, you can order one ahead of time in order to guarantee I have one for you. These can be any color/design. Below are the prices:

PRINTS: Prices vary by size, from $20 to $40. If there's a particular piece you want a print of, tell me which one and I will let you know what the size options are.

LEATHER FEATHERS:
3 inch pendants: $30
2 inch earrings: $30
4 inch wing or feather barrettes (stick or clip): $35
6 inch wing or feather barrettes (stick or clip): $50

I may also be able to take some conbadge or sketch commissions ahead of time. If interested in those let me know!

I have a new commission queue on Trello! Unlike my previous Google Docs one that was way more limited, Trello lets me include checklists and show commissions by status. You can see it here - https://trello.com/b/wiOaYf3b/commission-queue

I also ran into a sudden, sizeable expense that is......sort of my fault, but I need to pay it by...Wednesday. Since my commission queue is big and I don't feel comfortable taking any more until I finish what's already on my plate, I'm offering 20% everything in my Etsy shop until Wednesday. I've been putting up the daily Inktober pieces, so if you were thinking of picking up any of those, now is the time to do it! Also as always, FREE shipping in the U.S.!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon

Sorry if I've been sort of missing from FA. I've been working on a lot of art but some of it is for big commissions and it's taking me a while to complete. I've also started teaching part time illustration courses at a nearby art school!

I've updated my art show/convention list at the top of the page. I'm not doing as many this year, mainly to get caught up on projects and also it's becoming harder (financially) to be able to travel to conventions. I still plan on always doing Anthrocon and Dragoncon, though! And since Denfur is local, I'll be a dealer there.

A local art fair I was going to sell at fell through, so I have a bunch of prints on hand, and I've put them up in my Etsy shop, with 20% off everything. Shipping is also free in the U.S., so if you've been thinking of picking something up, now is a good time to save some money :D

https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon

Just a reminder that if you want any in-stock items, you must order by TUESDAY, 12/18, for thenitem to arrive by 12/24 (within the U.S.). Any orders placed after this date will arrive after the 25th!

Also FREE SHIPPING still for US orders! https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon

Have a great holiday! And my holiday card will be late this year but it will get done!

Just a reminder, if you would like a mask in time for Halloween, I need to get your order ASAP! I can get it done in time, but I need time to actually make the mask (and inevitably, I always get those last-second orders and then I'm up all hours to make them D: ).

If interested, please send me a note or comment here!

I'm heading to the Czech Republic in a couple of weeks to attend the Opočno Falconry Meet! This is a trip my roommates (who are falconers) and I decided to make because we have other friends attending and figured, why not? How often will this opportunity come up?

I'm trying to raise a bit of money for the trip, so I'm offering 20% off everything in my Etsy shop! I added a bunch of leather feather jewelry that didn't sell at DragonCon, so there's a bunch of new stuff in the shop. Also as always, a good selection of prints, and a few originals and masks.

Check it out here - https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon

Preorder badges are now closed! If you would like a badge at the con, please come to my table - D19!

I'll be leaving for Anthrocon on Wednesday, so today is the last chance to get an Anthrocon preorder conbadge. Details are here - https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/8765207/

Conbadges are full watercolor, around 3X4 inches, and come in a clear badge holder with a clip. The preorder price is $50, and at-con will be $55, so this is a great way to save a bit of money, and get your conbadge the very first day of the con!

First off, all simple toned paper sketch commissions are DONE! If you commissioned me and did NOT get a note with a scan of your finished commission, please contact me. It's possible I simply forgot to add your commission to my to-do list.

ANTHROCON PREORDER BADGES

Due to getting older and not being a huge fan of staying up until 3:00 am, I'm going to try to limit my at-Anthrocon watercolor badges to much fewer than I've done in the past. If you'd like one, please consider ordering one before the con, so I can take my time at home in the weeks before the convention and have them ready for pickup on Friday morning.

Details: Conbadges are full-color watercolor, about 4.5 X 6 inches and come in a clear badge holder with a clip. They are $50 for a preorder badge (will be more expensive at the con).

If interested, please note me the following information:

• Bust or Full Body
• Name on badge (if any)
• Landscape or Portrait format (if you have a preference)
• Any additional details

I will then send you confirmation if I can take your badge, and a Paypal invoice.

You can see examples of previous watercolor conbadges here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23715526/ (one is a toned paper badge, but all the color examples are watercolor)

I wanted to let everyone who commissioned me for a simple toned paper sketch - I have not forgotten about your commission, and I am working on catching up on them! :) I wanted to give you all an update, since some of you have been waiting over a month (and I'm super sorry about the wait). I am planning on sitting my butt down and working on these, so expect to see a whole bunch of sketches uploaded!

February was super slow and as a result, I'm in a bit of a dire pinch with bills this month, so I'm opening up for simple toned paper sketches again. These are $40, free shipping! Here are some examples:

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/26321681/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/26085254/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/25910261/

If interested, comment here or send me a note with:

• What you'd like, with refs (if available) or a description
• Gray or tan paper
• Preference for pose, etc

Conventions for 2018
I've updated my convention list for 2018 at the top of my page. It's a bit bare right now, with only 3 conventions listed, but I hope to be able to do more western-U.S. cons since I'm in Colorado now, maybe BLFC! If you have any suggestions for local or semi-local cons (I don't mind driving a state or two away), please let me know!

Free U.S. Shipping
I took a poll on Twitter and found people overwhelmingly prefer free shipping instead of a percentage off when I hope Etsy sales, so I have a free U.S. shipping sale going on. This link will automatically apply the coupon to your cart - https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon?coupon=WINTERFREESHIP or you can use coupon code WINTERFREESHIP if that doesn't work for some reason. I also uploaded a few originals in the shop, so that free shipping code will really help, especially if you want a framed piece, which is bulky and pricey to ship. :)

As much as I wish I could offer free international shipping, I can't. USPS raised international rates so much that it's just too much of a cost. :( For example, leather feathers weigh less than an ounce to ship, but it still costs $13.50 to send them internationally. Also, shipping rates are going up on Sunday so it might get even more cost-prohibitive to ship overseas. I'm apologize to all of you who live outside the U.S.!

I'm getting ready to put some of my old originals in storage (I just moved so I have to prioritize space). I'm offering them up in case anyone would like them before they end up in a dark box in the crawlspace :D

Here are links to images of what's being offered:

https://i.imgur.com/lloX9em.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ZhK2kV6.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ndhjFEI.jpg

I have some older watercolors, as well as original inks I did for the Color the Living Island coloring book.

If interested, send a note or leave a comment. :)

Today I spent the morning photographing all the new paintings I uploaded to Etsy for the holiday sale. After all, what good is a sale if there's just old stuff to choose from?

This link will give you 20% off! https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon?coupon=HOLIDAY17

Here's a list of what's available in the shop (and also discountable)"

Click here to see the images below
Thunderbird
Tale of the Fire Owl
Stolen Hoard
Peek
Stone Guardian II
Opening the Gate
Ace of Swords
Barn Owl Mousers
Page of Pentacles
Mentor
Wisdom

And not just for originals, but for everything! Prints, leather feather jewerly, custom orders, everything!

If you go to https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon?coupon=HOLIDAY17 and if the code doesn't automatically add to your cart, just enter HOLIDAY17 in the coupon code field at checkout. :)

Hopefully you're not getting annoyed with all these posts - I've had several people inquire about originals in the past, and want to make sure everyone knows about the sale.

Happy November! Now that I'm settled into my new home in Colorado, I've been able to get my workspace setup and can finally work on art again. With the holidays coming up, I'm offering 20% off everything in my Etsy shop, including original art, prints, leather feather jewelry, and custom work!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon?coupon=HOLIDAY17

That link should automatically give a 20% discount off your purchase, but if it doesn't work, you can enter coupon code HOLIDAY2017 at checkout. :D

After dragging my feet for about a year, I have finally created my Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/windfalcon

The biggest reason it took so long is because I wanted to make sure I had the time to focus on the projects and contributions that will be part of my Patreon, and since I was dealing with moving and clearing out my father's house, I didn't have the time until now. I also wanted to make sure I was caught up on commissions before jumping in! Now that both of those goals have been met, I will have the time to contribute to all the cool things I will be posting on my Patreon.

Please be aware - Patreon is not a paywall! I will not be keeping finished paintings and masks hidden there. I will still be posting finished pieces on all my sites - Furaffinity included. Patreon is simply a way for me to post things that I might not regularly post, such as works in progress, sketches, and general ideas that bounce around in my head or sketchbook but I never really share. I'll also be posting art tips and techniques, and have posts where you can ask questions about art stuff and I'll answer! It's simply extra content.

In addition, as a Patron you can get all sorts of cool stuff, including coloring pages, prints, sketches, leather feathers, and even custom work!

Now that convention season is over (for me at least, usually I'd have two more conventions in October but with moving, I've decided to cut them out of 2017), I will be going FULL STEAM AHEAD with commissions. Here are the current commissions I have that I am working on:

Almonihah: Iolar watercolor painting - DONE
K. LeCrone: Hummingbird painting - DONE
Eraea: 3 creatures painting - final sketch done
Keyfeathers: Mask - DONE
Atra: Conbadge - DONE
Bobbycorwin: 8X10 painting - Waiting for reply for subject

I apologize to everyone who has been waiting for their commission! On top of convention season, I've been cleaning out my father's house (he had a literal library of books, as well as boxes of books throughout the house), and packing to prepare to move out and get the property 'broom clean' for sale.

---

EDIT - ALL GONE! Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy the calendars!

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Now that convention season is over for me, I'm going full-steam ahead with cleaning out my father's house and packing all my stuff in preparation to move to Colorado. That means downsizing my belongings, which involves throwing things away/recycling and giving away stuff. I have a box full of about 15 RARE Anthro calendars from 2012, 2013 and 2014 (all gone! Thank you!), all sealed, and I really don't want to throw them away. But they can't come with me so if anyone wants them, I'll send them to you for the cost of shipping.

Shipping within the US is $3 per calendar or $5 total for up to 4 (in a flat rate envelope). More than 4 will go in an additional $5 flat rate envelope.

The calendars are old, but full of beautiful art.

So due to miscalculation on my part (did you know Atlanta has a 16% hotel tax?), I need to come up with some last-minute funds for Dragoncon, where I'll have a table and art in the art show. I've taken a couple photos of most of the prints I have for sale, and I'm offering them at a discount until tomorrow.

8x8 - $8
8x10 - $10
8x12 - $12
9x12 - $15
Shipping? FREE!

These are discounted from my Etsy and convention prices, so if you've had your eye on a print, it's a good way to get it for a good deal. :D

https://i.imgur.com/qsdw4mb.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ju9OCv8.jpg

if interested, comment here or send me a note :)

I'll be at Dragoncon this year, in the art show like always! I'll have lots of prints, leather feather necklaces, jewelry, small originals and books. I'll also have original art in the art show. See the map below to see where I'll be:

http://i.imgur.com/3eiiFLM.jpg

I also now have a Ko-Fi, where you can support me if you so wish.

https://ko-fi.com/windfalcon

Ko-Fi is sort of like a small tip jar, originally intended to "buy coffees" but I'm addicted to coffee so that's probably where it would go anyway :D

I've received a lot of comments throughout the years asking about how I paint on feathers, so here is a frequently asked questions journal to hopefully answer any questions you might have!

• What kind of paint do you use to paint feathers?
• I use acrylic paint. I like Liquitex and Golden, but if you'd like to try painting on feathers, any acrylic will do! "Craft" acrylics will work perfectly fine, but keep in mind generally these paints are a little thinner so it may take more layers. You can thin your paint with water or with acrylic medium.

• How do you get multiple feathers to stick together?
• I use an archival PVA bookbinding glue, which looks/acts a lot like regular Elmer's glue. This glue dries quick and clear, and once I glue the feathers together, it's a permanent bond.

• How do you keep the feather vanes from coming apart while painting?
• Two things - careful painting, and a thin layer of paint. The very first layer of paint I put down is a watered-down layer of acrylic paint, which acts a bit like a 'glue', by seeping into the tiny hooks and barbs that 'zip' up the feather, and cementing them in place. After this, I carefully paint the next couple layers, and after that, the surface of the feather is a lot like canvas, and there's no danger of the feather pulling apart.

• How do you 'draw' the figure on the feather?
• It depends on if I'm planning on painting a background color, or to keep the natural color of the feather behind the subject. If I'm going to paint a background, I'll just cover the entire feather with a layer of watered-down acrylic and it's not an issue if I make a mistake, because I can simply paint over it. But if I want to keep the natural feather behind the subject, I need to be very careful. I can usually just paint the outline of the subject freehand, but if I want to be able to 'erase' parts (like a sketch), I'll use a white gel pen to draw in the subject. Gel pens are water-soluble, so if I make a mistake, I can remove the mark with water.

• What kinds of feathers do you use? And where do you get your feathers?
• I use mainly wild turkey feathers. I also use domestic turkey and domestic goose feathers. It's important to be aware of what kind of feathers you use, because most wild bird feathers are illegal to possess in the United States, due to the Migratory Bird Act! Here's a good list of all feathers protected by this law - https://www.fws.gov/birds/policies-and-regulations/laws-legislations/migratory-bird-treaty-act.php
I get my feathers either from hunters who took the turkeys from the wild for food purposes, or, in the case of domestic bird feathers, they come from farms where the birds are happy and healthy and molt them naturally. I try to be mindful of my feather sources. I do not want feathers taken from birds killed only for their feathers.

• I've never seen this before, did you come up with the idea of feather painting?
• Oh, no, there are plenty of other feather artists who have been doing this much longer than I have! A few spectacularly talented artists who also do feather painting are nambroth, wolffeathers and Pat Morris.

• Do you sell your feather paintings?
• Yes, I do take commissions for feather paintings. You can find my list of prices and examples here under "Feather Paintings" - http://www.falconmoon.com/commissions.html I also sell them at art shows and conventions.

Did I answer all your questions? If not, leave a comment and I'll be sure to answer it, and may add it to this list!

Sooooo, this week has been an adventure. I started feeling kinda weird on Sunday with an odd stomachache, which by Tuesday turned into pain in my right side, with the worst nausea I've ever experienced. A whirlwind of hospital stuff later, I was on the operating table Tuesday night to get my appendix taken out!

Now I'm on the mend (it was laparoscopic surgery so I only have some small incisions), but still feeling a bit sore. I'll still be at Anthrocon, barring any unseen complications!

I also still have three Anthrocon preorder conbadge slots open! You can see examples here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23715526/

Conbadges are watercolor, about 3X4 inches (though I usually add an extra 1/2 inch on one side so they're bigger!), and come in a clear badge holder with a clip. They are $45. Toned paper badges (such as the Thraten example) are $30. If interested, leave a comment or send a note!

Slots:
1: kurorocure
2: ladydistort
3: Kurokotsu
4: corviform
5: royalty
6: RainOubliette
7: [OPEN]

Conbadge preorders for Anthrocon pickup are open! As usual, I'm offering a discount for preorder badges.

Check out these conbadge examples: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/23715526/

Conbadges are watercolor, about 3X4 inches (though I usually add an extra 1/2 inch on one side so they're bigger!), and come in a clear badge holder with a clip. They are $45. Toned paper badges (such as the Thraten example) are $30. How do you get one? Either comment here or send me a note. If you send a note, please send me the following information:

* References (visual and/or written)
* Name on the badge (if any)
* Preference for bust or full body (or either)
* Any other preferences (pose, etc)

I will then send you a Paypal invoice, and then you can pick up your completed conbadge the first day of the con at table E16 in the dealer's room!

Since I have other commissions, I'm only taking 7 preorder badges at this time. I may open up more if I finish these early:

Slots:
1: kurorocure
2: ladydistort
3: Kurokotsu
4: corviform
5: royalty
6: RainOubliette
7: [OPEN]

I'm having a 25% off Etsy sale - that includes originals, custom leather stuff, and everything! May has been really slow and I'm trying to solve that. So if you've had your eye on something, now's your chance to save a bunch of money!

Use coupon code SPRING17 at https://www.etsy.com/shop/windfalcon

Those of you who have commissioned me for paintings - I am slowly but surely working on them! Paintings take way way way longer than leather stuff, which is why you're seeing leather things pop up. I typically work on multiple projects at the same time, so while I'm waiting for a dyed mask to dry, I'll work on a watercolor painting for a bit. As that painting is drying, I'll work on some leather stuff.

As always, if you're curious as to the status of your commission, I have a commission queue here - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13TtkTVYQajDjJ3K0Ye_Aq8fGBztgaNvLtQ_MhH-FfB4/edit?usp=sharing

If you commissioned me and don't see your commission listed, please let me know!