In 1994, I was living a relatively sheltered art life in west Texas, making my colored pencil art, and displaying it in an outdoor booth setting at two or three local art shows. Most of my artwork fell into the “decorative” category. I made landscapes, still life, commissioned pet portraits, and southwestern drawings. For my own fun I made what I called ‘fantasy landscapes’. They had trees and fairies in the drawings. I made those for myself, with no other expectation for them.
I met some nice people while showing some of my fantasy art at one of the local shows, and, long story short, I was introduced to the wonderful world of science fiction/fantasy conventions.
When it was first described to me that I was a Science Fiction artist, I asked, “Isn’t that about space ships and Buck Rogers?”. My art is definitely not that. It was then explained to me that the science fiction and fantasy continuum has space ships and Buck Rogers on one end, and J. R. Tolkien of the other. I was on the Hobbit end. That made sense.
I attended my very first “Con” (short for convention) in August of 1994, in Dallas Texas. Galaxy Fair and Art Con V. It was a huge convention. I can’t begin to tell you of the relief I felt while attending that convention, after years of not fitting in to the art scene of normal people. Here was my niche market, and my fans! I was HOME! I began making fantasy art in earnest, and have not looked back. I still make the occasional pet portrait, landscape or still life, but those are for my own fun. I am “officially” a fantasy artist now.
I am going to link to some websites about scifi conventions. I can in no way describe the variations and the diversity of these conventions, and the sheer joy these gatherings create.
I am so very impressed with the longevity of the conventions. Some celebrate their 30th and 35th anniversaries.
They are created with ALL VOLUNTEER efforts.
Read that again, and let that sink in. Most marriages don’t last that long on an all volunteer basis. Philcon (Philadelphia Convention) has been being held since 1936. http://www.philcon.org/2007/
Some, not all, of the conventions focus on science fiction and fantasy literature and art. For the ones that do, I send my artwork, via the mail, to these conventions. The volunteers who organize these Art Shows that operate in conjunction with the convention, display my art, sell it, and return the unsold work.
I can’t begin to describe my gratitude to these wonderful volunteers.
There is that Hug Shirt thing…
Leslie
http://www.neoengel.com/con_rules.html
http://www.noreascon.org/users/sflovers/u1/web/index.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_convention