Sakura Con 2014

Well, my sister convinced me earlier that we should sell again this year at Sakura Con. I thought she was crazy - one year of intense preparation and stress was certainly enough!

But, I'm crazy too and I agreed to give it another run ;-)

Being aware of what I needed to have to be prepared, I knew I could offer a more solid performance this year. And when I think I can improve, you better believe I'm going to give something another attempt! So, after months of hard work and planning we found ourselves again in Seattle on April 18th & 19th to sell some artwork (BUM-BUMMM!!!).

(the escalator at the entrance to the convention)

(note:  because this was my second year at Sakura Con, I'm not writing about the experience in as much detail as I did for my first year - for a more detailed review of the Artist Alley experience, click here )

My sister had to set up our table initially without me - she hadn't checked the hours we'd have access to the Artist Alley the night before the convention and my work schedule conflicted. She went with my new sister-in-law Laura and they set up, but unfortunately she didn't remember how I put things together last year (sigh). So we got in very early on Friday so I could unbuild/rebuild some elements of our display.

 Alicia had decided that this year she didn't want to emphasize selling much jewelry, so the focus of our entire booth was the prints and bookmarks (with just a few extra things on the side). I also bought a pair of fake cherry blossom branches to put on the top of our booth. For some reason when I think of artist alley booths I think of fake cherry blossoms. . . so I wanted to have some!

(Alicia sitting at our table after we'd properly set up)

Luckily, we timed our arrival well and had plenty of time for set up. Although if I do this next year, I need to remember to get painter's tape. . .

This year I had 6 additional prints (!)  and created a whole new range of bookmarks to match.

(my view of the table from my seat behind it)

 My sister Alicia also offered two prints of her artwork and a couple of bookmarks as well.

You can see all the prints I brought to sell here

This year, our big performers yet again were:

 I was surprised that this time Inuyasha actually outsold Sesshy! (by 1, but still!). I actually sold out of Sesshy 8x10s. 

The rest of the lineup was pretty tight - there were a few surprise dark horses in there, but all of the prints did very well overall. 

(it's difficult to take a discreet shot of people looking at my art, but I managed this one of a cosplayer dressed as a TARDIS)

We actually took in more money this year than last year, which floored me - our first day was quite slow and I was honestly worried. Luckily our second day we more than doubled the sales of the first day - it was a busy day! Being busy made the day go by very quickly, which when you're sitting behind a table for 8 hours you appreciate :-)

Not to mention how much I appreciate the people who took the time to look at and comment on my art. Being at a table, talking to people about your artwork - it's a wonderful, meaningful experience. Each interaction is a treasure. And I still find myself feeling surprised and flattered when people buy my work. One girl purchased over $40 in prints and I found myself starting to blush!

It was interesting because my experience with the group overall was a bit different from last year. I got more comments on my overall technique than I did on any particular pieces. People didn't seem to connect as strong with individual pieces, there were usually several that they commented on and debated between when purchasing. Maybe because I had more strong pieces to sell this year? I'm not sure why the difference. Also, not as many people recognized my piece from From Far Away - although I did end up with one fan who was over the moon about an Izark necklace my sister made from a drawing I created ;-)

(a photo I snapped as I was walking around Artist Alley - lots of people!)

Like last year, there are things we took away that we would do differently - but nothing major. All in all, we had a really good time.

Alicia asked if I will plan to sell again next year. . .my answer is a resounding "we'll see" ;-)
~m.d.

Seattle Sakura Con 2013

Once upon a time, I did this crazy thing. I decided to go along with my sister to sell as an artist in Artist Alley at Sakura Con (an anime convention in Seattle, WA). And, many months of hard work later, on March 28th I found myself driving up to the Washington Convention Center to set up my display.

 

(driving under the convention center, in all its glassy glory)

 

Artists can come in and set up the day before the convention begins, so my sister and I took full advantage. We headed into the chaos of booth construction and found our own little half-a-table in the 500 section of the Artist Alley.

And now, the fun began.

Turns out I'm quite handy with planning and construction - the display was my design and I took on most of the building too (as is logical, since I understood the design the best). My first display design ended up not working (we were attaching wire racks directly to our PVC pipe frame, which then became too wobbly), so we tried Plan B (which luckily I had sketched up as well when I was figuring out possible layouts for our display). Plan B had the racks supporting themselves independently in an L shaped display, and it turned out excellently.

first display (in progress) = fail                                                 second attempt = SUCCESS!

And so, the filling of the display  began. But only to a certain extent - most of the product was coming with us the next day. You can see my nice big prints on display though :-)

Then, dawned March the 29th. . .and I, with only four hours of sleep and a bag full of grapes, ventured in the early hours once again north to Seattle.

(hehehe. . .too perfect!)

(my sister and cousin, both of whom came the first day with me!)

And thus, once again, we descended upon the convention center . . . although now, it was much more crowded with excited Sakura Con attendees. Luckily for us, we had about an hour to prepare before the doors opened on the Artist Alley.

 

(Katherine and Alicia getting everything ready - Alicia, my sister, sold her jewelry at the con which is what they're setting up)

(other artists getting their booths ready)

Aaaannnnddd. . . . ta-dah!!!  Our little four feet of artistic glory.

(no. . .we don't take ourselves very seriously. . . )

And thus, 2 days of an incredible adventure began. Sure, that adventure was spent mostly sitting doing nothing that can be labeled "productive" (I did a lot of people watching, joking, and staring off into space), but there were shining moments that made the slow parts sooo worthwhile. Moments when groups were gathered around my booth, and people (staring up at my large prints overhead) struggled against each other to be the first to get up to my table. Moments when friends from the online website where I post my fan artwork came up and introduced themselves to me in person. Moments when people smiled and told me my artwork was really good, or would use awesome adjectives to describe what I had created, and I could tell from their faces that they really meant every word. The moment when the girl recognized Izark and Noriko from "From Far Away" - and bought my print. And the woman who spent $30 on prints and bookmarks. And the native Japanese man who told me my kanji was "incredible" with true admiration in his voice. 

Another moment - or moments, I should say - was every time someone wanted to pay to own a piece of my artwork. It may seem weird, but as an artist, that's an incredible feeling. When the couple dressed as Marshall Lee and Fionna begged me to sell them my display 11x14 when I was all out, even though there were a couple dings and scrapes on that particular print. . .and insisted on paying full price for it. "It's pretty much a family portrait!"

And, of course, there are the cosplayers. . .

It was two exhausting days, but two days of concentrated awesome in moments of glory. And I will never forget it.

Prints that sold the most? These two were the stars:

Although, this piece also sold very well:

 

As did this one:
 

Those were the most popular prints. But I sold a smattering of everything - every piece I made sold at least one bookmark (can you believe that?!). And I sold a unicorn horn headband and a couple zodiac key chains too!! Financially speaking, I made back everything I spent preparing and even cleared a profit!! So how can I not be thrilled?! :-)

(the streets of Seattle filled with Con goers)

Plus, the weather during the convention was beautiful. So it made for two days of beautiful long drives.

What more could I have asked for?

Some people have asked me if I will do it again. I don't know if I will. Fan art is fun, but when it becomes about profit it changes how you creatively approach ideas. And I don't know if I feel up to creating enough new fan art (and getting involved in enough new fandoms) to keep myself competitive in that field. But it is a lot of fun. We'll see.

What I'm taking from this experience really is being encouraged as an artist overall. I feel brave, like I'm proved myself - and it's a good feeling. A feeling that I will take to some of creative projects I've put on hold as I've prepared for the Con (that I can now resume). To ideas for artwork I want to pursue. 

I always feel like calling myself an "artist" is a ongoing battle - that I must prove myself worthy of the title. The label of "artist" is not something I feel I can just take and wear, like a hat or a pair of shoes. It is not something that becomes a part of me I can put on and forget.  I would say it's more like a crown whose weight constantly reminds me of its presence. A symbol greater than myself that if I want claim to, I must fight battles and defend my right to it. Prove myself worthy as its wearer.

Well. . . battle = won. At least for today :-)

And so, it's farewell for this year, my Sakura Con friends . . .

(my sister at our booth right before closing the second day, note that several of the large prints have been replaced with smaller ones because they sold out!)

Thank you for the incredible, incredible adventure!!! ♥

~md