Felipe the Flaming Salamander, WIP
15×20 Gouache on Illustration Board
Y’all know the saying “running around like a chicken with its head cut off.” I figured it’s more efficient to say “running around like a headless chicken,” but whenever I say it, people go, “what?”
I’ve been running around like a headless chicken all week. I’m leaving for Con on the Cob on Thursday, and it’ll be the first time I’ll have an exhibitor’s table at a convention. I’m also entering 3 6×2′ panels in the art show. Preparation for this includes the following:
- Painting “Felipe” specifically for Con on the Cob (at one of last year’s Quick Draw competitions, a “flaming salamander wearing cowboy boots at a taco stand” was suggested)
- Matting, backing, labeling, and bagging all my new pieces
- Laying out the art show panels so I know how much art I can hang
- Labeling non-show pieces with prices to sell at the table
- Buying and labeling a portfolio for unmatted sketches
- Buying and filling a print binder
- Getting prints made
- Creating and uploading notecards and magnets to Vistaprint (their notecards are nice quality but say “www.VistaPrint.com” on the back)
- Buying ungodly amounts of candy to draw people to the table
- Buying a 29 cent ACEO frame at the resale shop only to find that a 1/8″ frame border swallows up a lot of the ACEO
- Buying a 49 cent jar at the resale shop for animal shelter donations
- Purchasing a receipt book
- Researching vendor taxes in the state of Ohio
- Designing and ordering from Kinko’s a 3×1.5′ banner. It looks awesome and cost ~$50.
- Creating a small pricing sign (for prints and commissions)
- Pilfering binder clips from the office
- Panicking
- I think that’s it.
Luckily, I have most of these done. However, it’s the first of the month, so I should update my website. And as you can see, I still have half of Felipe to paint. *runs around like a chicken*
p.s. I underpainted with three warm orange washes and it is working really well. You can layer gouache as long as you aren’t heavy-handed and use the right tools. Illo board soaks up paint fast, so it’s much easier to layer than Gessobord.
Meg, so far this looks awesome, you’ve got to promise to post this when it’s done. I love the idea…and I think salamanders are cute!
Isn’t getting ready for a show fun? Makes you wonder how and why some people do them every week-end year round. Good luck!
What a hoot. Great fun with salamanders.
Add a mailing list clipboard to your list, Meg. Make a box for name, one for address and one for e-mail. Fill out the first one as an example, and read them while their there, in case it’s illegible.
Thanks, Rita. I will definitely post it when I’m done. Should finish tomorrow. Leaving day after tomorrow. Don’t know how I’m going to get a nice 300dpi image of it…
Casey, awesome idea. I have a handy-dandy notebook ready for that purpose!
Hey! – fine blog with Animal Rescue Site Store