I was so happy to be invited to Archon 44 (2021) as a guest last weekend. Archon was held just outside of St. Louis in Collinsville, Ill., Oct. 1-3, 2021. (Coincidently, Archon 2019 was my last in-person convention prior to the pandemic.)

The con had a strict policy that required proof of vaccination or proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours. Illinois also had a mask mandate in place. With those two parameters, as well as smaller-than-usual attendance and social distancing measures in place, I felt comfortable attending and participating. The committee – and the new art show staff – did a great job with everything and the con very much like its pre-pandemic events.

At the con, I had art in the Art Show, including display of four original watercolors, several mixed media originals, and prints in the printshop. I also had a full schedule of panels, as well as a show-and-tell demo of my artistic process.

Friday, Oct. 1, 2021
4 PM – Art In Black and White – Making your art come alive without color.
5 PM – Adding Depth in Two Dimensions – If your 2-D art looks as flat as a 2-D pancake, then this panel is for you.

Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021
6 PM – 25th Anniversary of First Contact: TNG’s Big Screen High Point! – Borg! Time Travel! Action Picard! Does the movie hold up? How did it affect later Star Trek series?
7 PM – My Secret Weapon for Art – There are the traditional drawing tools like squares, compasses and French curves. But maybe you prefer to draw your planet with a Solo cup. What’s in your art tool box?

Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021
10 AM – Personifying Animals in Your Art – From Disney to Furries, people like animals acting like people. How do you create believable human/animal hybrids?
NOON – Art Demo with Allison Stein