Destrehan Fall Fest, Ren Fest, and Shop Updates- November 20th (Patreon)

Hey Artnerds!

Next Friday, I'd like to stream the 24-Day Arteza Advent Calendar on Youtube! I just wrapped up recording the 12-Day video, and I hope to get that out to yall sometime this week.

Now that all my booked shows are over, I'm focusing on trying to get caught up with my Youtube backlog.  As yall know, I record using my phone (I know, I know), so once it gets backed up, it becomes difficult to edit video, so it's important to work through the footage I have promptly.  One of the big hold-ups is I'm struggling with getting the Sketcher/Aqua Color Video edited- the current file is still too big for my phone to render.  I've tried editing it a few times and was getting quite frustrated, so I decided to put it on the back burner and work on some of the other videos in my backlog since there isn't a big rush for the Sketcher review.

New Art:

With all the shows, I haven't really had a lot of time to do much painting or drawing, but I did manage to paint this watercolor illustration of a tiny farmer's market while preparing for and tabling at the Destrehan Fall Fest.

Destrehan Fall Fest

I tabled at the Destrehan Fall Fest last year- it was my first show after quarantine, and while not my first craft fair, I still had a lot to learn and improve upon.   We've made a lot of changes during the year, and I managed to get another festival under my belt, and while I still have a lot to learn, I'm proud of the improvements I've made.

Changes to the setup:

New larger tent

Tent walls

Retail grids

New mug display

Shelf with display books at the front

The biggest upgrades are the tent walls which are so helpful in retaining heat and blocking the wind/rain!  And it creates an enclosed environment, which can be useful in making your booth feel more like a shop.  And the retail grids- no more awful grid cubes!  These are far more sturdy and can hold more weight.  In the future, we're going to hang them from the top of the tent rather than utilizing the feet, but this opens us up to more options.

New Items:

Curious Little Things- New Lilliputian Coloring Book

Paint Your State watercolor kits- watercolor kits complete with the supplies you need as well as written and video tutorials

More postcards

Prints- This is a newish thing for me in that prints historically have always sold poorly for me, so while other artists have encouraged me to carry them, and the profit margins on prints that sell are great, they've been a money loss for me in the past.  This time, I went with CatPrints, only had original art printed, and was very picky about the pieces I had printed.  While they weren't a huge seller, they did sell, and it's nice to have affordable art available without having to go Walmart on my originals.

In the future, I'd love to offer more art kits- this is such a perfect nexus of teaching and curated art supplies while allowing me to make a little money off it (not much, though, as I don't have wholesale access).   I'd also like to figure out better ways to promote and sell the books.

Updating the shop for the holidays

Now that all my scheduled shows are done, it's time to get serious about updating the Nattoshop!  I've been trying to list one item a day-  I know that doesn't sound like much, but that usually includes copywriting, measuring the products, and doing new product photography.  Even a little progress is often better than stagnation.  I hope to pick up the pace this week and maybe get two or three things listed and promoted before Small Business Saturday because I'd like to offer a sale!

Twitter Exit Strategy

So while Twitter hasn't gone dark YET, like many creators who use Twitter, I've been working on my exit strategy and revisiting some old sites, some new sites, and some sites I've neglected.  After Hurricane Ida last year, I cut back on which sites I bothered to maintain, and while that was good for my sanity, it's time to dust them off.  I think a lot of people are going to be playing a juggling act for awhile while we figure out which sites are working for us and which are a waste of effort.  Much like with my shop, I've been trying (and sometimes failing) to consistently post to these sites- updating at least once a day.  It took years to build up my Twitter, and it will probably take a long time to build up these other sites.

One area I've particularly tried to focus on is revitalizing my Artstation, especially crossposting to LinkedIn and trying to connect with other art professionals over there.  I don't follow many artists on Artstation (I've asked around but don't seem to get any response), but if you have one, I'd love to follow you and cheer you on, so please link it!

I'm also revitalizing my Tumblr- this was another platform I began neglecting after Hurricane Ida, long after the mass exodus.  I have to admit, going back to Tumblr with low expectations has been a lot of fun- it isn't the anxiety-inducing scroll that Twitter became, and I'd love to follow even more artists on there, so if you have one, drop it in the comments!

That said, I'm really struggling with remembering to post to Mastodon, Cohost, and Inkblot regularly.  I don't know what to post to Cohost that wouldn't be just a repeat of what I'd post on Mastodon, and since I don't know too many people using Cohost or Inkblot, there just isn't much incentive to remember to post.  

Where are you moving to when Twitter dies?  What pocket of the internet is going to be your new home?  Let me know!

Louisiana Renaissance Festival

On Saturday, we braved the cold and wet to drive out to Hammond for the Louisiana Renaissance Festival.

While I enjoy reading about how our ancestors lived and love historical reenactment programming, I am not interested in reliving or dressing like a Tudor woman.  That said, I did use this as an opportunity to wear a Lilliputian-inspired outfit (still working on those props).  While we definitely went to shop a little, experience bagpipe music, and overpriced turkey legs, I also went to see if perhaps a booth or tent at the Renaissance Festival might be a good fit for me.   I have a little Recon Recap coming out soon, so if you're curious, you'll have to watch to find out!

New to the Public:

Tuesday, November 15th: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhFn6O3Mgw0&t=2s

Sunday, November 19th: A New Hairstyle- Watercolor Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rirAorUcZuc&t=2s

Sunday, November 20th: What Art Supplies at 5Below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goshOxi6wS8