2013 wrap up

dear dave,

saying goodbye to 2013.  A good year, but looking forward to a fresh start in 14!

Did a lot of repeating in 13 - shows at dolcezza (a huge success), and another at Axis (so so). Reprinted a lot of prints - park, consequences, bear owl, I chews you.  Some fun new commissions, but other ones I super struggled with.

That was the big story of the year though: commissions!  Lots of prints of dogs, and some wedding things, and nursury things.  For the most part good.  After I buckled down, I could find my way in the design or drawing.  Others were (are) much harder to figure out.

Towards the fall I started to feel burned out and bogged down, so I turned down a few jobs that were weighing me down (and didn't seem to have a great finacial reward).  That was a good feeling.

Buzz went well with cards and prints, but not like the first year.  Still going, but I could see it slowing.  Cards went well in spring, but I think my lack of new designs hurt later in the year.  Halloween was a little over ordered, and Christmas was way too late.  Nice to be in PULP!, and good sales of cards in Trohv (and Buzz really), but I can do better in '14.  PAPER SOURCE.

Speakeasy was fun, but I lagged it big time once 90% were done.  But all worked out.

Great business with Hallmark in the Fall, and can only hope that continues!  So out of my hands though.

Shirts went well, but can be soooooo much better.  Trohv and street fairs.  MCA fall was GREAT, MCA spring sucked.  Skipped Hyattsville, 17th st was good, and Dog Days was GREAT.  (alexandria show good too)

Late summer I finally made the jump to Alternative for american, and am still transitioning.  KEVIN was a huge instigator, but fit on him is still a little wacky.  Now that I've come around to liking thier old fabric, they switch to thicker new.  Still have this big desire to go brighter, but always reel myself back becasue of the transfers.  A constant constraint and limitation.

Happy to revamp my site, with new shirts and pics of Kevin and Allison.  Anxious to move forward with all that.  Keep the variety going, and the push towards new.  Way too reliant on OTTER and SQUIRREL.  Wish I could move on.

<more about prints>
Not so new and experimental.  More mini's and smaller things, and a lot of reprints.  Not a lot of room time-wise to make new things, so when I did, I was usually pretty conservative.  I look back of the days when I made JAKE, GAGGLE and branches, and can't believe I was so adventurous.  I want to get that spirit back.  I've become way too lazy, taking easy paths, and focused on the sale.

Thinking minis would be a big, and they kind of were, but not so much.  Feedback and sales are always so hard to interpret.  For the holidays they are perfect, so in '14 I just need to load up with them in the fall.

Creativity and inventiveness are such a function of sales, and movement.
make > sell > make
Withought the sell, the make gets stalled.  Blah Blah Blah (13 was kind of a stall)

Anyway, moving on:

Kevin - awesome inspriration for Branddave moving forward.  So happy to have found him!!!!
Buzz - big hopes for navy yard.  Anxious to switch everything out, and do better.  More More More.  Better quality prints, and consistant sales.

Trohv - smae as buzz, bith more tees.

Hallmark - fingers crossed

Corcoran - hope spring will be the end for me there, but I don't know.

ok - tired of writing.  Goddbye to 2013, and bring on 2014!!!!!!

2012 Wrap up

2011 Wrap up

2010 Wrap up

2009 Wrap up

ps - how could I not write about the studio upstairs??  A big source of angst and upset all fall.  A great space, and full of potential and excitement.  But int he end, I was overwhelmed, and afraid of all the pitfalls.  The technical lease just sealed the deal.  Really regretful, but can't look back.  I don't get to enjoy all the benefit, but I'm also relieved of all the burdens (finacial and mental).  Anyway, had to include.  A big part of 2013, for better or worse.