Another Road Trip, part 2

Our little corner of Spectrum

The reason we trekked all the way out to Kansas City was to attend Spectrum Fantastic Art LIVE 2. This is second year for this particular convention, and while it is still trying to find its feet, we both think they've hit on something good here. Walking out on to the floor can be a bit overwhelming, there's so much amazing art, so many different styles and mediums, and well, just really great art everywhere you turn. You want to talk to everyone and get their story, learn new techniques, talk shop and find out how they are surviving in this crazy world of art. A lot to take in for such a short weekend.

Whenever I had a chance to escape from our booth and check out the rest of the show, I always forgot to take pictures. So here are some quickies I took on one strafing run.

Omar being interviewed. Possibly for a documentary?

Donato, with his super slick professional-looking display

Justin Gerard and Cory Godbey, being happily thronged upon.
Cory had won a Spectrum award the night before, so that added an extra twinkle to his eye, I'm sure.

The rug in the convention center was pretty wild. No diving allowed!

Charles Vess' very large watercolor painting

I'm a big fan of Virginie Ropar's work.
Here's one of her sculptures, with her working in the background on another one.

Articulated doll by Marina Bychkova

At the request of another artist, I had brought along my hair bling so I could teach her how to do it and also put some in her hair. (For those who don't know what I'm talking about -- hair bling is a kind of very thin tinsel you tie to your hair, and it comes in all sorts of colors. It adds a little shine or sparkle to your hair and around December it makes people think you've been walking too close to Christmas trees.) Once I have done one person's hair, usually more show up to get theirs done, which is what happened at this show. Charles Vess was one of those who tracked me down to get "blinged". I love it when men want it done, my ultimate goal is to put some in a nice long beard. Haven't had a chance to yet. Guys with long beards tend to not like other people messing with them. Either that or they are hiding treasure in there and they don't want me finding it. Probably food. Ew. Second thought, maybe I don't want to do that.

Me putting bling in Charles Vess's flowing locks

Saturday night was Award Show night, so they rolled out the red carpet and fed us a yummy BBQ buffet at the Midland Theater. The theater itself is a work of art, lavishly decorated with velvet, carvings, dark wood, marble. You know what I'm talking about. My camera couldn't handle the splendor, so I didn't get many good photos of the interior. Opulence, just think opulence.

On their way to the Award Show, the Spectrum big mucky-mucks.
(l-r) Peter de Sève, Greg Manchess, Irene Gallo, Cathy Fenner, Arnie Fenner, Jon Foster,
Charles Vess, Terryl Whitlatch, Brom, and Tara McPherson

Omar and I, inside the theater, eagerly awaiting the start of the show

Here comes the mother ship! Oh no, wait. It's just a light fixture.

Allen Williams winning Gold for Concept Art (yay Allen!)

Evenings are a time to wind down the day and gather in smaller groups for dinner or drinks or both or neither to talk. Talk about art, not talk about art. Just talk. Talk talk talk talk talk. Most artists I know live pretty secluded lives. It's just the nature of the business. Quiet and alone, you get your work done. And then when you go out, you go OUT. Gotta make up for all that alone time. Most everyone is hoarse by Sunday. If you're not, that means you got some sleep. Or you brought honey.

One of the things on everyone's mind all weekend was the weather. There were severe thunderstorms forecast, and with them, tornado warnings. They were forecast to come in just in time for break down of the show, which means everyone would be hauling their art out in some pretty rough weather. Not something we were looking forward to. We lucked out, though. The bad weather didn't hit until just before sunset, so I think everyone had already packed their art and left by then. We had gone out to dinner and had just returned to our hotel when the skies opened up with a humdinger of a thunderstorm.

A real gulleywasher

We hit the road for home the next morning, with more thunderstorms skittering around us. Tornado warnings were still in effect, and we were happy to get outta there. I know of a few people who were flying out that got stuck for a few days more than planned because of the weather. We drove through one storm Monday, and while it wasn't too bad for us, I believe it was part of the line of storms that  decimated Oklahoma City, a very sobering thought. After one last crazy thunderstorm caught up to us while we rested in Indianapolis, the remainder of the trip home was fairly uneventful.

The cleanest food in town

Traffic jams are the perfect time to pause and reflect

Another Road Trip, part 1

So, last week we packed up trusty ol' Snubby and headed west to Kansas City, MO. Traveling from the east coast in Massachusetts, it's fascinating to watch how the landscape changes as you travel. Somewhere mid-Ohio, the land rolls ups its sleeves and gets down to business in serious flatness. Mind-boggling flatness. Endless flatness.

The midwest. Brown flatness. Green flatness. Yellow flatness.

Breaking up all the flatness is a cornucopia of billboards, mostly either quoting bible scriptures, or the exact opposite of that: advertisements for adult video stores. It is truly a conflicted land. When you cross the border into Indiana, you enter Tom Raper world. This guy's unfortunate name is plastered on every billboard, selling everything you can think of, or so it seems. He must own half of the state or something.

On our way out west, we decided to stop in St. Louis, MO and do some touristy stuff. We wanted to see the Gateway Arch, and it was definitely worth the stop. We even took the tram up to the top. The tram is very small and akin to an old-school sci fi egg-like pod. Five people squeeze into each tram pod. And I do mean squeeze. It has a tiny door with a window so you can see the inner structure of the arch as it clanks and clunks it's way to the top. I found this video on YouTube that gives you a good idea of what it's like going up. Definitely not for the claustrophobic, agoraphobic, or those prone to flatulence. The view from the top is pretty spectacular.

The view from the top of the arch, straight down. See the teeny-tiny people and the teeny-tiny cars?

So, the Mississippi River was a bit high, ya think?

Standing on a flooded road, I stick my toe in the Mississippi.

Once Upon a Time...

 

"Once Upon a Time" is a card game published by Atlas Games. The premise of the game is to tell a story using the fairytale elements on the cards, while trying to guide the plot toward your Ending Card. Omar did all the illustrations on the cards and packaging for the current edition, and also for the forthcoming expansion sets. In the video below you can see the game in action, being played by Wil Wheaton, Amy Berg, Mike Phirman, and Chris "Doc" Wyatt...