Mid City Micro-Con and Restocking for Shows & Shop- Artnerd Newsletter (Patreon)

Hey Artnerds!

Yesterday I was at Mid City Micro-Con in Baton Rouge!

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/NW54LEf_AF8

The show, a library comic con hosted by the Baton Rouge library, went well! We were up on the second floor, and while it didn't get as much foot traffic as the first, there was still a good amount of people throughout the day.

The past few years have been pretty rough, so it's always nice to see people enjoying my work in person. It was also lovely to visit with friends and make new ones- i really enjoy nerdy events that offer something for adults, the adult nerd community is my favorite, second only to working with nerdy teens.

The table provided was a half banquet style library table, but fortunately, we brought a 6' and were able to convert it into a different kind of setup from what I've tried in the past, with a bit of gallery space to show off the art prints.

New Products:

Greeting Cards:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0E8hXzMiPvc

A couple new stickers:

I've also recently ordered stickers of sewing notions and art supplies from these prints

and hope to have them for my next show!

New Louisiana Food Prints:

Also tried rebranding my ornaments as suncatchers, as that's what I use my flowers for, and they sold much better. We included little suction cups and hanging kits.

Things that seem to work for me:

A portfolio showcasing all the Louisiana foods I have as art prints, rather than trying to display them all. People love to flip through, and I'll sell prints this way that would otherwise never sell, like sugarcane. At this point, Louisiana life, culture, and wildlife seem to be my fandoms, and that's a happy place for me.

What I wish I could offer:

Smaller postcard size prints. I've offered these in the past. When I DON'T carry them, people want them, when I do carry them, no prints at all sell! I do want to offer them when I finish the Louisiana Fodos series, but maybe as a request-only or online-only option, until I can find brick-and-mortar stores to carry my work. I love having options myself, and tend to gravitate towards smaller prints for my studio, so I definitely understand!

Once I finish up the painting I'm currently working on, I'll take photos of the new merch and add it to my Faire and linesheet. Joseph's been working on updating my website, so hopefully I'll have a new and restocked shop soon!

My next scheduled show is Shirefest in Terrebonne! That's March 14th, and I'm really looking forward to it. While I am not that big a fan of LOTR (I have read them several times, to be fair) I AM a big fan of The Hobbit (gosh, can you tell?), and I hope that it's a great opportunity to find folks who will enjoy my art!

My next project to pick at is offering my Little Artists illustrations as a coloring book. The preferred paper by popular opinion seems to be something suitable for watercolor, and awhile back I ran some tests on a couple likely papers offered by Catprint (link video), so I have something that I think will work well!

I've been crunching some numbers, though, and I don't think it's feasible through Catprint, or at least, with the paper I've test driven and liked.

To make a dollar profit on each book, I'd have to charge over $60, which is a lot to ask.

If you've worked with a printer or independent publisher to print your own watercolor coloring books and are happy with the results, please let me know who you worked with!

Backer Exclusive & Early Access:

Crystal Salamander Printable Lineart: https://www.patreon.com/posts/crystal-lineart-150809118

Froggy Girl Lineart: https://www.patreon.com/posts/froggy-girl-150792148

Early Access: I was All Wrong About These- Ukraine's Rosa Galleria Watercolors- Art Supply Redemption: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-i-150720875

Early Access: This Palette Is So Cute But I Don't Know Where It Fits In My Studio- Paul Rubens Qi Cai Hui: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-is-150720706

Early Access: Playing Around with Different Stained Glass Paints Vlog: https://www.patreon.com/posts/early-access-150718343

Backer Exclusive: Acrylic Bookmark Templates: https://www.patreon.com/posts/backer-exclusive-150053705

Backer Exclusive- Stained Glass Acrylic Bookmark Presentation: https://www.patreon.com/posts/backer-exclusive-149972824

New to the Public:

Stained Glass Inspired Acrylic Bookmark Class:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmBw6UYaRvw

These Inexpensive Markers are Not Worth Your $$: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yevm3lVHcgc

Budget Alcohol Markers from Walmart? Are These Good for Coloring Books?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FncAq9WoJnw&t=99s