..I can't think of a clever title at the moment.

 I'm a bit late writing up this report, I have no excuse. I don't try to be a web recluse, it just happens.

 AWA was a fantastic con, I was pleasantly surprised. It's a "local" con, so we enjoyed a three hour drive instead of the thirteen hour hell it takes us to get to the cons in the notheast. Also, this con is held inside one hotel which is connected to a small convention center, so we didn't have to leave the building, just grab the stuff in the hotel room, ride the elevator down and set up. Much less stress for the most part.

Now, I talk about the Artist Alley....Which was the best alley I have been in since I started doing the con curcuit. The location was in a large open court in the center of all the event rooms, so people walked through it at all hours, instead of being shoved off in a closed room underground. The tables were quite large, at least a foot deeper than every other AA table I've been at, and the layout was easy to move through and find people. But the thing that really made this AA shine was it's staff. They operated efficiently and were extremely polite and helpful. They provided a free dinner for each table on Saturday so you wouldn't have to leave the alley at a peak time, delivered it right to your table and took extra orders for a very reasonable price for those with multiple people to feed, we didn't have to leave our table at all to order or pick up the food, they even came around to collect trash! Beyond this, if you needed help, they gave it. My tablemate, Kyle Ladd ran out of one of her prints and the Alley staff arranged for a ride for her to Kinkos and back to run off some more prints, no charge! I would suggest the AWA AA to any artist.

I also got to see several people I don't usualy get to see, including some of my friends from the northwest, my old roomie, HAC studios,  and even freaking Hawk and Ananth, talk about left field there guys. It was awesome seeing everyone, sorry certain things had to happen to some folks and screw up the weekend. Don't think less of Atlanta! Wanna see you next year!

And to everyone who picked up a business card, bought a print, bought a commission, or just comented on some art, THANK YOU! You all really made my con complete, I love you guys. And for all my commissioners, if you scan those pieces, e-mail me a link! I'd really love to see them again and I hope they bring you smiles.

Also a big thanks to my fiancee. I could not have done this con year without you. You're my saint. 

Peace out mates, Weekly updates forthcoming!

-JOY

(crossposted from my site at www.joymason.net because I'm lazy)

• Finish Paintings
• L - Complete!
• M - Done!
• N -  done
• Okami Light
  
• Okami Dark - 5% done
• Mat and shrink wrap Frame L, M and N
• Design table Banner and get to Jay to print and laminate.
• Compile Print files and get to Jay - Mostly done compiling, printing has started
  
• Trim Prints
• Get display prints to Jay to laminate
• Make artist info and painting care sheets for Art Show
• Fill out Art Show forms
• Complete Moogle Horde - 15% done
  
• Design new business cards
• Get 500 1000 cards printed - At printer now
  
• Make hangable business card holder for art flat
• Get another business card holder for art table
• HOLD OTAKON CARAVAN MEETING
  
• Do otakon food to take list with Jay
• Shop for said food and prepare/pack it
• Pack art bag for doing commissions
• Pack every bloody thing else
  
• Get Ricky the hotel money sometime before the con
• Burn new road CDs, OR get adapter and load iPods with road music
• Get table cloth

• Get hair cut
• Call Dr. Pendarvis about interview - Done!
  
• Continue job serach - Got One!
  
• Color current Commission
• Mail commission trio when current is painted
• Do one commission per week til Otakon - On my last commission pre-con
  
• Work Bull St. Station whenever possible
• Get Zot to Vet - Scheduled after Otakron
  
• Stay the FUCK away from FFXII (it's..so wonderful though...)
• Get large commission done

So, another week of work almost done. Almost time for the weekend and a heckuva lot of painting. Gotta finish those Death Note pieces this weekend and work on a commissioned painting and a commissioned fanart. If I can just stay focused and not get distracted I'll be fine. So much to doooooo...

Otakon finaces are kicking my ass, the registration and table is paid for, but still have to save enough for hotel, gas, food, parking, water taxi passes and art show insertion fees (which I really hope Otakon posts soon). Plus I need to have cash on hand to pay for supplies for handicrafts, materials for the table and framing costs. So much money! And I'm only able to work my day job two days a week from now til I get a ne job, so I gotta bust my butt to do more commissions and go through all my crap to see if I have anything I can sell off. Blah!

So..I decided this year to forego any kind of birthday present from anyone. Otakon is what I want, nay, Need to do to get my convention circuit funding rolling. I'm gonna be asking that anyone who wanted to get me anything just drop a little change in the Otakon jar. Birthday's on the 24th of this month, so it'll be an alright time to have funds coming in. I hate bein' poor!

On a happier note, the death note peices are already looking awesome, I may fall in love with Gouache. So velvety. I have a good grasp of how to assemble the Kakejiku and have located both the Unryu paper and starch paste I will need. Now I just gotta find some damned fabric! argh. Not giving up, there's allways eBay, if I gotta buy stained old obis and chop them up, I will!

Oh! and I have a commission up for grabs on eBay too, here it is:
Commission on sale!!

That's it for me, time to go check prices on supplies. Don't die out there.

Woooooot

Got my e-mail confirmation this morning that I made it into Otakon's Artist Alley, and thaaaaank god (or your corporate-appointed deity). I was so worried I wouldn't get a table, cinsidering with the change in command this year, information on the alley only just recently being announced, and a little scare about the tables selling out early (hooray for database flub-bubs). BUT I GOT ONE BITCHES. Just gotta mail this registration info and my monies to them. 

It would have sucked if I didn't get this table, since I only go to Otakon to sell and push my name now. Really...Otakon just doesn't interest me all that much. I've yet to be impressed with the guests lately, only about 5% of the programming interests me (Katie's workshop was aaawesome, but I don't think that's happening this year..sadness). And it's not even like I can use it as a hangout con, since pretty much all of my friends do the same thing I do, so they'll be tied to their AA tables (or dealers room table..sly devils), even if they weren't, it's impossible to move around that con anymore, so crowded!

I reaally wish you could get an AA table sooner, because if I hadn't made the cap, I'd be out the money for registration, hotel and travel for nothing. It's really not fair (especially since you have to get a hotel within the month after last years con). They need like....registration for next year on sunday afternoon or something, so you're not up shit creek without a paddle if you miss the registration week. Not that this would ever happen, it'd probably be a nightmare for the administration. But still!

----------------------------

On the art front, I just bought the gouache for the Death Note painting set I have planned to sell at Otakon. Oh...My...God. I got ten 20mL tubes of acryla gouache...and even with my employee discount it was almost sixty dollars, the Illsutation board I'm using is ten dollars a sheet (22"x30"). God Art supplies are expensive...I dread when I break down and buy a set of Copics. 

So, before con I have this art to do:

Death note portrait set, "good" side:
                L
                Mello
                Near
Okami Kakejiku (watercolor on rice paper mounted to a hanging scroll) set, Light and Dark
Kirin digital painting
Jenova digital painting

Plus I  want to make a few moogles, try another new handicraft (surprise) and maybe make something for cosplay to sell.


Oh yeah! I gotta look for a job through all this too! fuuuun. And I'm still doing eBay commissions. I out of damned MIND.

Oh well, time for me to start working, have two large paintings to box up and ship today at work. Least I've only gotta work til noon and then I can go home to try and put a dent in this workload.