Autumn Shows, Spooky Bards, and “Steel”ing for Winter Travel

We’re halfway through October! I was able to spend a little time in September re-centering around my work and catching up on a few of the big projects on my plate, but am also knees deep in prep for the fall/winter projects ahead. But first, a brief recap of the summer?

• New “Mythical Bards” enamel pins are in production (and should arrive to me soon!) following a successful crowdfunding campaign in June, plus two brand new charcoal drawings debuted at convention art shows over the summer.
• Participated in my first outdoor event on one of the hottest days of the summer in June. Then participated for the first time at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival (yay!) with a completely revamped outdoor setup (ah!) and having to leave my tent overnight for the first time while we were hit with awfully heavy thunderstorms (AH!). Both events turned out well, I learned a lot and VERY much appreciate everyone who stopped by, and I brought trinkets to the ren fest which is always fun! Just a trial by fire on stress management and preparing for the unpredictable that comes with outdoor events 😅
• Won Best Professional Piece at CONvergence 2025 for my painting “The Unicorn Breaks Free” and got to draw the program book cover for this year. I feel so grateful for both opportunities and the belief from others in my work. 💙💙
• Six events I tabled at in person PLUS six art shows across four different US states over the past few months (mostly in Minnesota, but also Montana, Illinois, Washington, and Texas)!

I went from a brief rest right back into a busy schedule now that October is here, so let’s take a look below at what’s new, now, and next at Raden Studios!

Happening Now: Mythical Bards 2 + Gods & Monsters

More pins? More pins! Mythical Bards returned to BackerKit yesterday (October 21) to bring in even more bards, now with a spooky twist. The first three bards have already unlocked, and early bird rewards are still available until 12PM CT on Thursday, October 23! I’m working hard to wrap up the last three bard designs, but we’re well on our way to unlocking a gargoyle and I’m thrilled these are resonating so well with everyone. This campaign is a short one, running through November 1, but that means I should be able to get this last set of pins into production this year still and we can all welcome the new year with all the bard vibes!

Speaking of gargoyles, my latest charcoal drawing, “Who Guards the Guardians” is up on display *right now* at ALTR gallery for the Otherworldly Arts Collective’s annual Gods & Monsters show. The show will have open gallery hours for just two more days: October 24 at 6-9PM and October 25 at 3-7PM. My spouse and I stopped by for the opening night celebrations over the weekend and it is FULL of delightful horror-themed art. Perfect for the spooky season!

Up Next: Fall/Winter Shows (and Some Magical Travel!)

I have a busy convention schedule to wrap up the rest of the year, including a little convention road travel! There are just one or two more shows I’m hoping to add to the schedule, but as-is there are still several opportunities to see me and/or my work in person and around the country before the end of the year. As always, you can find a full, up-to-date schedule on the Events page of my website. Thanks for joining on this journey with me!

Live Shows (I will be tabling at these live and in person):

• November 7-9 | Twin Cities Con | Minneapolis, MN
  I’m at TCC for the fifth year in a row at the same table I had in Artist Alley last year (F9)! It’s been fun seeing how the con has grown and shifted since its first year in 2021 and it’s always a highlight of my year. I’m working on a few fun new things to bring (including, fingers crossed, some brand new work to share) and am very much looking forward to a fun, energized weekend!
• November 29 | Nicollet Island Fall Park Market | Minneapolis, MN
  Holidays are nearly here, and I’m joining in on just a few holiday markets this year! This market actually runs for two days, Saturday and Sunday, but I’ll be there for Saturday only.
• December 4-6 | Dragonsteel Nexus | Salt Lake City, UT
  Did you know that I’m a Brandon Sanderson fan? Now you do! I found Sanderson through the Wheel of Time book series, which has been in my life since I was about 12 years old, so it’s a bit near and dear to my heart. I’ve since dug into several of Sanderson’s books and, while I’m a little nervous about the winter travel and how persnickity it can be, I’m so excited to be joining everyone at Dragonsteel for the first time this year! We have a lot of fun planned!
• December 13 | Nicollet Island Winter Park Market | Minneapolis, MN
  Fresh off the heels of Dragonsteel, I’ll be set up for just one last day of holiday market-ing in December before I wrap up the in-person shows for a bit of a winter slumber. This one is also a two day show but I will only be there Saturday.

Art Shows (My work will be present in a gallery display but I may not be there myself):

• October 31-November 2 | MileHiCon | Denver, CO
• November 7-8 | MiniARTure | Minneapolis, MN
  Hosted by the Otherworldly Arts Collective, this gallery art show will feature *tiny* works. I’ll have some of mini 4″x6″ original charcoal drawings framed and on display here!
• November 7-9 | Windycon | Oakbrook, IL
• November 21-23 | Philcon | Cherry Hill, NJ
• November 28-30 | LosCon | Los Angeles, CA