SpectrumLive!
There is absolutely no way that this is going to be able to encompass the awesomeness that was SpectrumLive... but here is my overview anyway.
Welp. The weekend started off wish a bang... Or maybe a rattle is a better description. Prior to my roadtrip I went to the shop to get my car checked on and one thing that I asked them to do was to reaffix the engine scratch guard cover thing that is under the car, because it had come loose. Which apparently they failed to do. Because about 2 hours into my 9.5 hour road trip, as I passed an 18 wheeler I hear "CLUNK... rattlerattlerattlerattle" which sounded like it had kicked something up under my car. So I pulled over, couldn't see anything other than the loose scratch guard, which TBH looked much the same as it did before I left, so I couldn't tell any different. And the next 8.5 hours were filled with my stopping every 45 minutes or so to stare at my car in alternating fury and concern as it was randomly rattling/making an odd whistling noise... which seemed to come from the door and the back of the car, not from the stupid scratch guard, and was not consistent in its timing. It just happened more in high winds and there was never consistency. So the trip took an extra hour or so because of all of the stops, and the frustration level was extremely high.
When I got in though it started a weekend of awesome. Hung out with my awesome hosts that evening. The next morning I picked up the fantastic Echo from the airport and helped her get set up, and did the first rounds around the exhibitor space. Lunch was spent with the awesome Noah Bradley Aaron Miller Annie Stegg Mark Winters and Echo. Then some more wandering about the exhibitor space and then watching the panels by the awesome Android Jones and Iain McCaig. Dinner was spent with many of the same people who were at lunch, with the addition of John Stanko Eric Deschamps and Sarah . Dinner was, by the way, amazing. Really good Irish pub/style place where I had their in-house made Corned Beef (Omnomnom).
Saturday began with portfolio reviews, Disney, Wizards of the Coast and Blizzard. Disney was very positive, said I should do more turn around and more graphite work, but that she liked my style, my creature designs, and my believability of moments and emotions. So yay! WotC (Jon Schindehette) said I need to pick... creature design or illos - and if I want to do creature design I need more graphite work and turnaround, and illos need a more western flair with more interesting backgrounds and a stronger value structure (last two are actually my goals for the year so makes sense to me) if I am going to market towards them. Jeremy Cranford of Blizzard basically re-iterated what Jon had said.. so I know what I need to work on.
Meanwhile I attended panels on Artist as a Brand, Art as a Narrative, Worldbuilding and spent lots of time checking out the exhibitor hall, and getting books signed by Brom, Gurney, and Whelan. Saturday night consisted of an awesome dinner with many of the aforementioned folk as well as the addition of Daina Stein and RK Post. Then drinks at the Aladdin hotel, and an adventure in dropping off Echo and RK involving a camera forgotten at a bar, then art forgotten in the car, and the eventual paying of the ransom for the art with a print in the morning. So Sunday morning I got my ransom, a print of 'Avatar of Woe' by RK. Sunday concluded with more socializing, listening to various amazing talks and just general happiness, then the deconstruction of Echos booth and a lovely dinner with my hosts.
Roadtrip back was mostly uneventful, luckily Sunday one of my hosts was kind enough to take my car to the mechanics where they removed that scratch guard and the car stopped making all of the awful noises, and I realized that it is broken into pieces now (thanks guys for attaching that like I asked). And now I am onto work again.
Welp. The weekend started off wish a bang... Or maybe a rattle is a better description. Prior to my roadtrip I went to the shop to get my car checked on and one thing that I asked them to do was to reaffix the engine scratch guard cover thing that is under the car, because it had come loose. Which apparently they failed to do. Because about 2 hours into my 9.5 hour road trip, as I passed an 18 wheeler I hear "CLUNK... rattlerattlerattlerattle" which sounded like it had kicked something up under my car. So I pulled over, couldn't see anything other than the loose scratch guard, which TBH looked much the same as it did before I left, so I couldn't tell any different. And the next 8.5 hours were filled with my stopping every 45 minutes or so to stare at my car in alternating fury and concern as it was randomly rattling/making an odd whistling noise... which seemed to come from the door and the back of the car, not from the stupid scratch guard, and was not consistent in its timing. It just happened more in high winds and there was never consistency. So the trip took an extra hour or so because of all of the stops, and the frustration level was extremely high.
When I got in though it started a weekend of awesome. Hung out with my awesome hosts that evening. The next morning I picked up the fantastic Echo from the airport and helped her get set up, and did the first rounds around the exhibitor space. Lunch was spent with the awesome Noah Bradley Aaron Miller Annie Stegg Mark Winters and Echo. Then some more wandering about the exhibitor space and then watching the panels by the awesome Android Jones and Iain McCaig. Dinner was spent with many of the same people who were at lunch, with the addition of John Stanko Eric Deschamps and Sarah . Dinner was, by the way, amazing. Really good Irish pub/style place where I had their in-house made Corned Beef (Omnomnom).
Saturday began with portfolio reviews, Disney, Wizards of the Coast and Blizzard. Disney was very positive, said I should do more turn around and more graphite work, but that she liked my style, my creature designs, and my believability of moments and emotions. So yay! WotC (Jon Schindehette) said I need to pick... creature design or illos - and if I want to do creature design I need more graphite work and turnaround, and illos need a more western flair with more interesting backgrounds and a stronger value structure (last two are actually my goals for the year so makes sense to me) if I am going to market towards them. Jeremy Cranford of Blizzard basically re-iterated what Jon had said.. so I know what I need to work on.
Meanwhile I attended panels on Artist as a Brand, Art as a Narrative, Worldbuilding and spent lots of time checking out the exhibitor hall, and getting books signed by Brom, Gurney, and Whelan. Saturday night consisted of an awesome dinner with many of the aforementioned folk as well as the addition of Daina Stein and RK Post. Then drinks at the Aladdin hotel, and an adventure in dropping off Echo and RK involving a camera forgotten at a bar, then art forgotten in the car, and the eventual paying of the ransom for the art with a print in the morning. So Sunday morning I got my ransom, a print of 'Avatar of Woe' by RK. Sunday concluded with more socializing, listening to various amazing talks and just general happiness, then the deconstruction of Echos booth and a lovely dinner with my hosts.
Roadtrip back was mostly uneventful, luckily Sunday one of my hosts was kind enough to take my car to the mechanics where they removed that scratch guard and the car stopped making all of the awful noises, and I realized that it is broken into pieces now (thanks guys for attaching that like I asked). And now I am onto work again.