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« on: April 07, 2016, 05:13:20 PM »
When I was younger I spent most of my time drawing. I enjoyed it and I still do. Rarely ever did I show anyone, outside of family, any of my pieces. Wasn't comfortable with anyone else's opinion or input. That changed as time went on. In 1997 at the Fanime at Foothill College I went on display in the Art Show.
It was a big deal since any Con fans could just waltz in and eyeball my fan art. I wandered the Con for a while and eventually checked in at the Art Show to peek at the people viewing my works. When I saw my panels I noticed that a few of my drawings were missing. I was a bit dismayed at their absence. When I asked Kirk, the guy during that time running the art show, what happened he plainly told me that I had sold some pieces. I was surprised on two levels. One: someone actually liked and bought my art. Cooool. Second: I'll most likely would never see those drawings ever again after all the work I put into them.
1997 Fanime was THE first time I sold art works. For 18 years I was one of the corner stones of the Fanime's Art Show, sold every single time, and fans would look for my works there. It's a very nice feeling. I like the Art Show a lot and I'd be lying if I said I didn't like the money too. But, that wouldn't be the end-all-be-all of it. The fact that I've been in an Art Show, marginally counting the NDK's Art Gallery in Colorado but haven't been back to it in over 6 years, is miraculous by itself. Okay so I didn't make any money last year. I didn't have any illusions that sometime down the road something would eventually change somehow. After all, the Fanime is a business and it's still growing. For all that time I've seen the Art Show to be my once a year niche to show off my best fan art, but that future is now in question. I wear a Blue Lantern ring (look it up) and like the best example I can follow, not blindly mind you, of optimism I've seen so far (Judy Hopps) I'll assure myself that something positive will come of the Art Show.
