Category: Publicity

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First Weekend in Banff: Slow Start, Strong Finish


The first weekend of the Banff Christmas Market has come and gone.

I still have to produce my regular editorial cartoons each week. Normally, I draw Monday’s cartoons on Sunday, but that’s not happening for the next month. It means I need them done by Thursday. After three or four days of being ON for ten to twelve hours at the market, I’m not sitting down to draw for a few more hours when I get home at 6 on Sunday night.

I’m trying to get ahead and have a few extra ready so I’m not scrambling. I’m still up at 5 every market day, but that time is usually spent updating sales spreadsheets, answering emails, and doing the support work before heading back to Banff for the next weekend.

So Monday through Thursday is my usual drawing, shipping, and admin work, only in a tighter window.

The weekend  started slow. Thursday and Friday were unnerving. Saturday and Sunday rallied and I ended up with very good sales. Not my best weekend, but nowhere near my worst. In a year when I was already nervous about the economy, better than average feels like a win.

Who Are the People and Pups in My Neighbourhood?

My neighbours on both sides have become friends over the years. Both are couples, we’re all similar age and sarcastic humour. Somehow the organizers keep putting us together, and we’re not about to correct them. We give each other the gears all weekend and the laughs help keep the long days lighter.

A Canmore vendor I’ve known for twenty five years was across from us. The highlight of her weekend was her family adopting a Bernese Mountain dog. Terrible timing for her, but they were on a long wait-list. Her husband and daughter drove to BC to pick him up and brought Max by for a short visit. I’m not a let the dog lick your face guy, but Max got one in. I didn’t hate it. I hope he comes by again.
My People

I never take it for granted that people buy and collect my work. It still floors me that these critters connect with people the way they do. Many of you reading this have been with me for years and I’m grateful for it. Because of your support, I get to do this for a living.

And sure, I complain about the work sometimes, especially when I’ve been stuck in my head for too long. But when I see you in person, it reminds me to be thankful.

Two of my most loyal long time collectors, Tracy and Sheldon, showed up unannounced from Calgary. Seeing them at my booth was a great surprise. They always come to Expo, but this was their first Banff Christmas Market. They came to get their Christmas Bear tote bag and calendar in person, and show their support. They will be away during Expo this spring and it just won’t be the same without them. Thankfully they stopped by during a quiet moment so we had time to visit before they went and checked out the other vendors.

Another long time supporter came by to add to her collection. She found my work years ago and has come to see me a few times. I am great with faces but sometimes blank on names and it drives me nuts. I kept thinking it was a D name. Debbie? Nope. Sorry, Diane. As soon as she said it, I blurted out her last name. So it was in there, I just couldn’t find the file folder.

And then there were a lot of people I didn’t know but who had bought my work somewhere else. From my booth, the Calgary Zoo, the Calgary Expo, Stonewaters, Discovery Wildlife Park, or any of the stores that carry my stuff. Kids recognized stickers. Adults recognized prints. Plenty of people said things like, “Our friends have that otter,” or “We have that bear in our bathroom,” or “We get your calendar every year.”

Always nice to hear. I said, “Thank you” a lot this weekend.

More Dogs

One of my favourite parts of this market is that they allow dogs. You don’t bring an untrained dog to something like this, so most of them are well behaved. But with all the smells and activity, a lot of them show up hoping for a treat. The greeting is often, “Nice to see you, any cookies? No, alright, bye.”It is annoying when a dog makes eye contact with me while I have a booth full of customers and I have to choose between doing my job and abandoning my post for a furry face. Very unfair.

Prints and Products

I keep detailed sales records so I can order smart each year. Every weekend is its own thing, though, and there are always surprises. What sells one weekend might not move the next.
Calendars sold very well. I don’t expect to have any left by the end. My 11×14 prints always do well. There are the obvious bestsellers, but every animal finds a home with someone. I sold several tote bags, and the new Christmas Bear design has been well received.

The die-cut stickers are moving quickly. No surprise there. They make great stocking stuffers. I always get a little nervous telling people they hold up on water bottles, vehicles, snowboards and whatever else people throw at them. I want to be honest about the durability.

But people keep proving they work. I get photos of stickers on kayaks and vehicles that have survived multiple seasons. My booth neighbour has a year-old Sasquatch sticker on her rear window that still looks great. Serena at Discovery Wildlife Park has a water bottle that gets knocked around and chewed on by bears and the stickers still look good. Teeth marks, sure, but the colour holds.
The clincher was a little boy who showed me his Otter Bottle, please pardon that the photo is a little blurry. This bottle is covered in stickers. Most are faded or peeling, but mine is not. They bought it last year. According to his parents, it has survived five rounds of summer camp and countless regular dishwasher cycles. That settled it for me. Jukebox Print makes a solid product and I’ll keep ordering from them. And I will continue to confidently use the term, “dishwasher safe.”

Is This AI?

I heard this question more times this year than ever before. But the signs I put around the booth worked. I watched people point them out and say, “Look, not AI.”

Some told me they were glad I had the signs because they don’t want to support AI art. Others were annoyed that I even needed the signs because they felt it should be obvious.

The little video display I added this year was a great idea. Plenty of people watched it and asked more questions about the process. Instead of explaining digital painting, I could show it.

Here We Go Again

I spend most of my time alone at home and I like the solitude, but markets like this are important. They are good for sales, yes, but they are also good for my head.

Meeting people who enjoy the work is a reminder to stop being so hard on myself. When winter settles in and days get darker, it is easy to slip into a low mood and wonder why I am working seven days a week, most weeks of the year. At times it feels like it doesn’t matter.

But people say such kind things at these events and it can be uncomfortable. Years ago, I learned the best response is a sincere “Thank You.”

When I see people smile or laugh because of something I painted, it makes me want to paint more.

So even though the market is exhausting and I am already looking forward to a break, I know the experience is good for me. My art is not for everyone. Nobody’s is. But when it connects, that is something. When I am burnt out and questioning everything, sometimes I need to see that connection face to face.

My buddy Darrel knows me too well. He sent me a text on Monday asking, “Are you all recharged from a bunch of smiling faces?”

Not yet, but heading in the right direction.

I’m heading back to the Banff Christmas Market Friday morning. Hope to see you there.

Cheers,
Patrick

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The Banff Christmas Marathon

On Thursday morning, I’ll set up my booth for the Banff Christmas Market and doors open at 5:00 pm for Twinkle Night. It’s going to be a marathon month, balancing drawing my syndicated and local editorial cartoons from Monday to Thursday, then selling my whimsical wildlife art at the Banff Train Station from Friday to Sunday.
There won’t be any time to paint until just before Christmas, but I’m glad I finished my latest commission on Saturday morning. At least I won’t have that deadline weighing on me. I enjoyed working on this piece, and best of all, the client was very happy. I’m looking forward to sharing it with all of you. But that won’t be until after I get the metal print and deliver it to the client.

Prep for this market is the same as any big show. Updating inventory in the point-of-sale system, signing and packaging prints, creating price signs for every metal and canvas print, plus all the other signage around the booth. I added a few small acrylic signs this year because I know I’ll be asked (or accused) if my work is AI. That’s just the landscape now.
But with a growing backlash against AI art, I’ve read that more shows and events are prohibiting anyone selling it. So, if the little signs create an opportunity for discussion and education, I’m happy to provide that.

I’m also introducing a digital picture frame that will loop a silent video of my painting process. Making that video took more time than expected, but I think it’s ready.

Rather than reinvent the booth, I just try to improve it a little with each show.

If you were at the Banff Christmas Market last year, you’ll find me in the same spot in the train station. It’s a big list of vendors in different tents and buildings. The organizers of this event are excellent and really know what they’re doing. Several of us asked for the same locations again, and they delivered. We’ve got a nice little neighbourhood at that end of the station. Plenty of camaraderie and goofing around, which makes the slow periods a lot easier. And customers feel that positive vibe when they walk in.

Once the booth is set up on Thursday, I won’t have to tear it down until December 15th. I won’t get any time off for the next month, but the commute is only twenty minutes so it’s just like going to a regular retail job, though with much longer hours. My boss is the worst.

A lot of people on the Christmas market circuit have to juggle accommodations and travel, which gets even trickier in winter. Many of my neighbours at the Banff Market come in from out of town every weekend and I feel for them. That’s a bigger expense, which creates more sales pressure.

I wanted to record a video showing all the products I’ll have on offer this year, but I just don’t have the time. The business of art always takes more time than the art itself, and editing video always takes more time than recording it. I’m already stretched thin.

Instead, I’ll try to shoot some video during the market and share that closer to Christmas when the dust settles.

As usual, I’ll have stickers, magnets, ceramic coasters, 11×14 prints and larger metal prints at the booth. I introduced tote bags at the Calgary Expo this spring, but this will be their first appearance at the Banff Christmas Market. I’m curious to see how the Smiling Tiger, Otter and new Christmas Bear designs do. I’ve already sold several of each this season, and I won’t be surprised if I’m sold out by the end of the year.
Last year, I underestimated demand for my calendars and had to reorder halfway through the market. Then sales slowed and I had to hustle to move the leftovers in January. This year, it looks like I might have ordered just about right. Calendar sales have been brisk for the past month and I’ve sold more to subscribers than ever before. Thanks to all of you for that. I still have plenty of stock to get me through the markets. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I sell out before the final weekend. Better that than leftovers again.

These markets are always a question mark. You can order based on previous years, but it’s still guesswork. A new painting might sell like crazy at the Calgary Expo, but barely move with the Christmas crowd. Or the reverse.

Then there are the other variables. The economy, the weather and visitor traffic can all boost or sink sales. You do what you can and hope for the best.
Tickets are now on sale on the Banff Christmas Market website, where you can book timed entry slots in advance. It’s a good system and once you’re in, you can stay as long as you like.

One of the perks of the location is that it’s right next to Banff’s free overflow parking lot. You don’t have to pay for parking like you do almost everywhere else in town. As for the scenery, it’s pretty spectacular.

They’ve built a great holiday atmosphere at the event with live music outside, a courtyard with food vendors, cozy fire pits, free professional pictures with Santa and a real Christmas village vibe.

Hope to see you there.

Cheers,
Patrick

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Remember When This Was Fun?

Yeah, it’s been one of those weeks. But it came with a weird benefit.

One of the hardest parts of recording YouTube videos these past few months has been getting over perfectionism. I’ve watched too many “how-to” videos about lighting, audio, editing software, production values, storytelling, countless unimportant details that only served to keep me from hitting record and publish sooner than I finally did.

Sometimes it feels like YouTube is a cult, all serving the Great and Powerful Algorithm. Then again, that pretty much applies to all online life.

It gets exhausting.

But since I was already there, standing in the kitchen with a pile of prints I needed to sign and package, I threw my phone on a tripod, clipped on the wireless mic, and just talked. Regular kitchen lights, no script, no plan, only a little more organized than a rant.

You’ll see plenty of hard cuts because the original video was almost three times as long before I sliced and diced it with abandon. I came very close to deleting the whole thing, but ultimately decided it was worth sharing.

If you’re an artist thinking you might want to turn it into a business, and you can’t imagine doing anything else with your life, there will be days when you wonder if you’d have been better off not doing so.

Regardless, I didn’t have the energy to obsess over perfection this week. No music, no B-roll, no intro. Just whatever was left in the tank. Here’s the video.

 

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From My First Wacom to the MovinkPad 11

It seems funny now to think back to my first little 4”×5” Wacom Intuos tablet in the ’90s. The first drawing software I used with it was a great little program called Painter Classic, and I only used it because it came with the tablet. I am not a hoarder, so I recycled it a while back, but took some photos for the memories.
Eventually, I got Photoshop and have been shackled to Adobe’s subscription model ever since. Remember when we were allowed to buy stuff, instead of renting it forever? Yeah, it’s a sore spot.

While software and hardware have come and gone in my decades-long career, I’ve always drawn on a Wacom tablet or display. I started upgrading Intuos models as they came out, but at some point, I set my sights on an early Wacom Cintiq.

For those unfamiliar, the Intuos tablets are pressure-sensitive drawing surfaces connected to your computer, mapped to your screen. You draw on the tablet while looking at your monitor. It sounds awkward, but it isn’t.

You don’t stare at your mouse when you use it. Same concept. 

Plenty of pros still create amazing work that way. I keep a spare in my office and could probably still do my full level of detail on it. I should test that claim one day.

But I wanted a Cintiq, a display on which I could draw directly on the screen. I’d seen them in art magazines and behind-the-scenes features about movie concept artists.

At Photoshop World in Las Vegas in 2010, I was thrilled to win the Guru Award for Illustration and Best in Show. When they announced the prizes, they said I’d won a Wacom Cintiq 12WX display, a smaller version of the large one I use now. So, I went to their booth on the trade show floor, eager to pick it up, and that’s when I met Pam.

It turned out the prize was actually a tablet, not a display. The announcer misspoke. Hey, mistakes happen, and I didn’t want to make a scene. But Pam told me she’d see what she could do, and the next morning, they said they’d honour the announcement.

That’s how I got my first Cintiq, because Pam made it happen.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve had several chances to work with Pam and Wacom. I’ve done demos at Photoshop World, been part of webinars, and recorded videos for new products. Once, Wacom even hired me to demo their gear at a packed event in Calgary. I remember opening a shipment of their displays and thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?”

In 2014, I gave a talk at the Banff high school about editorial cartooning and digital painting, and Pam supplied several Intuos tablets for me to donate to the school.

So yes, I’m loyal to the Wacom brand, but mostly to Pam. She’s been the constant, and has always been great to work with. When the right opportunities come up, ones I’m suited for, she still reaches out, and sometimes, new gear comes with the work. To the guy who bought his first tablet in 1998, that would have seemed surreal.

My loyalty to the products comes from experience. Wacom devices are built to last. In a world full of planned obsolescence, my Cintiq 24HD display has been on my desk since 2012. It’s massive, solid, and still does its job for me every day. Pam now calls it a dinosaur. She’s not wrong, as they’ve had several updated models since, but I love it like someone loves an old car. Here it is when brand new, 13 years ago, along with my Otter in progress, still one of my bestselling paintings. Wait…is that a Blackberry?!

Last month, Pam asked if I’d do a video about their new Wacom MovinkPad 11. I’d already seen a positive review from another artist, so it was an easy yes. We worked out the details, and I was pleased I’d get to keep it. Sometimes that’s not how it works with demo products. She even included a case, which I would highly recommend as it functions as a little stand and pen holder, too. 

Wacom will share the video I created a little later, but it’s already up on my channel, with permission of course. Rather than repeat what I said in the video, I’ll let you watch it.

But I’ll say this much: I didn’t sugarcoat it. This is the best mobile sketching display I’ve ever used, and yes, better than my iPad Pro. If I’d had to return it, I would’ve asked to buy it. They now have a larger MovinkPad Pro 14, but I honestly don’t feel like I’m missing anything. While the pro specs are impressive, I’m not as on-the-go as some people and don’t need something that powerful. This is the one I would buy, and it’s absolutely the tablet I wish I’d had more than 25 years ago when I was learning to draw and paint digitally.

Full disclosure: I was compensated for the video, and the sponsorship is clearly stated on my YouTube channel. But aside from some technical stuff, Pam gave me full creative freedom on the two variations of the video I recorded. This post, however, is mine, and it’s from the heart.

When politics, the news, and the noise of the world get to me, as it too often does, painting fur, feathers, and the little dimples on a critter’s nose is often the antidote. I’m at my very best when I’m drawing on a screen.

Enjoy the video.

Cheers,
Patrick

 

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Post Expo Perspective


The Calgary Expo is always exhausting but usually a positive overall experience.

This year, I went into it feeling burnt out, mainly because of how closely I’ve had to follow the rapidly changing news lately and how much it has personally bothered me. I think I foolishly thought Expo might fix that.

Many things that could have gone wrong in preparation and execution went as well as expected. I got my hotel and booth early, load-in went well, there were no problems with setup, and it seemed off to a good start. Even my new payment system worked flawlessly all four days.

But earlier in the week, I realized I wasn’t looking forward to Expo like usual. I went into it feeling a little desperate for a good show. So, when sales were slow, and the whole vibe felt off, I considered it might be my fault, that I was failing to project the right attitude.

Talking with other vendors throughout the weekend, however, with a noticeable drop in customer traffic, it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t just me.

We couldn’t help but speculate amongst ourselves — what was going on?

Was it the new layout? The events portion of the show moved to the second and third floors of the new BMO Centre. In previous years, attendees would end up in retail spaces while moving between panels and talks. When people left those scheduled events this year, it seemed like many just went outside or crowded the exterior aisles on their way to somewhere else.

Perhaps it was the economy. With all the bad news flooding across the border these past few months, people are nervous and watching their money. It seemed like many had less to spend, and I saw far fewer new people in my booth than I’m used to. I’ve never seen a quiet Saturday at the Calgary Expo; it’s usually a crazy busy day. My best sales day this year was Friday. That has never happened before.

I’m used to each year proving as good or better than the year before. I’ve never had a down year. My friend Ryan had a booth a couple of aisles away from me. He was right when he said, “Every year can’t break records.”

Because I keep meticulous records and inventory, I know that this year’s sales were down 16% over last year. That may not seem like much, but this is an expensive show. The price of my booth, electrical, insurance, parking and hotel all went up this year. So, depending on the year, the first 35% to 50% of sales cover that initial expense. That’s before I factor in the cost of my product.

For this show, 16% off the top is significant. I didn’t talk to one vendor who said their sales were good this year.

The show was still well worth my time and investment, and on the last day, I rebooked for next year as I always do.
At the show’s end, tearing down took about an hour and a half. But the line-up of cars to access the loading docks was ridiculously long. I have a sturdy hand dolly that transforms into a robust cart. It was quicker for me to haul my booth out in three trips through two large halls to the other side of the building where I had parked my car. That took another hour, but it was better than sitting in a long line of vehicles for all that time.

I’ll admit that I felt a little sorry for myself on the drive home Sunday night, that the show wasn’t as good as I’d hoped or expected. But after some sleep and time to reflect, I have corrected my perspective.

While the goal is always to introduce my work to new people and find new subscribers, and there weren’t as many of those opportunities this year, the best part of Expo is all of you who keep coming back to see me year after year.

With a sincere hand-on-heart, I want to thank my many repeat customers, collectors, subscribers and supporters who showed up this year.

I met several people who came to the show just because they read about it in A Wilder View, some of whom I met for the first time. I often think what I write on my site and in my emails is self-indulgent drivel, but you keep telling me that you look forward to each email and enjoy what I share.

One enthusiastic subscriber who’s been buying my calendars from Australia for several years just immigrated to Canada and came to Expo to meet me for the first time. In an email exchange after the fact, he said, “You’re such a positive and inspiring person.”

Feroze, are you sure you’re reading MY emails?

I kid.

Even though this is precisely what I always wanted, I’ve never been comfortable with so many of you having my art on your walls or stickers on your cars, kayaks and water bottles and that you say such nice things about my work and writing.

Many of you have way more prints, stickers, magnets, coasters and other pieces than I thought you did.
Though I saw them all weekend, Tracy and Sheldon took these photos of their collection Saturday night and shared them by text. They rotate their prints in what they call Critter Corner. When I saw these photos, I joked that I felt like a drug dealer and it might be time for an intervention, especially since they bought more prints and tote bags this weekend.

You two would be dangerous if you weren’t such lovely people.

I was reminded this weekend that so many of you have large collections. You know who you are, and I only refrain from listing all your names because I would forget somebody, and I don’t want to offend anyone.
Long-time collectors also bought canvas, metal and acrylic prints this weekend. I have more of those orders to fill this week. I talked with former commission clients and ones whose paintings I’m just about to start. I got the usual gentle pressure about the book, which I never seem to gain traction on, and a few offered welcome suggestions on which animals I might consider painting next.

I can’t adequately express how humbling it is that you enjoy my artwork this much.

So perhaps I needed a lesson this year at Expo that even when sales are down, it is just one event in one year, and it comes and goes so quickly. All of you who continue to allow me to do this for a living, whether you can show up to Expo to show your support in person, were already here before the show, and you’re still here afterward.

I need to remember that it’s a gift that, once a year, I get to see so many of you in person. Because every time I do, you make me want to make more art.

Thank you.

Cheers,
Patrick

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A Cartoon for the Calgary Expo

The two sides of my business rarely intersect. But while there’s nothing political about my whimsical wildlife animals, I have sometimes used one of my paintings in an editorial cartoon. Just recently I used my Angry Bear painting in a cartoon about the stock market.
I’ve used a polar bear or two in cartoons about climate change. And when Kevin Costner was the parade marshal for the Calgary Stampede in 2022, I used my portrait of his Yellowstone character, John Dutton, in a cartoon.
The Calgary Herald currently runs my cartoons more than any other daily newspaper in Canada, and they’ve been publishing my work for more than twenty years. How often, depends on how the editor of the day feels about my work in general. Everyone has their favourite artists.

The income from syndication comes from volume, where many customers pay a lower rate to run the same cartoon. When I draw a Calgary Expo themed cartoon, I’m not doing it for the money. It’s for my own enjoyment and to promote the event. I drew this Calgary specific Expo cartoon this year, knowing full well the only paper that might run it was The Calgary Herald.But it’s also fair comment about a positive event that brings a lot of people and revenue to the city. Though many refer to it as Comic-Con, it is so much more than that, a massive fan experience with 100,000 people coming through this show in four days. Some are there to get a celebrity photo or signature, others to add to their pop culture or art collections, and many come for the cosplay, to dress up and let their freak flags fly. I suspect most people come for the spectacle, to run away with the circus for a few days.

We’re in the final week of a federal election and defending against an unwarranted trade attack from our formerly closest friend and ally, so I had no idea if the Herald would run a silly Expo cartoon right now. But, I drew it anyway and enjoyed the work. While having coffee in my hotel room this morning, it was nice to see the cartoon published in today’s Calgary Herald.
If you’re coming to the Calgary Expo, I’ll be chained to my booth from opening Thursday to closing on Sunday. I set it up yesterday, and I’m ready for the chaos. Come by and say Hello!

Cheers,
Patrick

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The Calgary Expo 2025

Artist Alley is part of most Comic Cons and Expos. As the name suggests, it’s a section for artists and independent creators. Each space is often a single, no-frills table, ideal for smaller budgets or those who fly to shows with only their product and a banner or two.

At my first Calgary Expo as a vendor in 2013, that’s where I planned to be. But a vendor I knew talked me into spending a little more money to get a Small Press booth. It had a bit more space and a pipe and drape backdrop between the booths. It was great advice, and I was in Small Press for the first five years.
This was my first year setup, and I was thrilled I got enough sales to cover my expenses. Shonna helped me out the first couple of years, but I’ve long been able to handle this show solo. She works hard at her own job, so I don’t need her to come and do mine, too.

While most of these paintings are retired, a few are still popular today in prints and with licensing clients. Nobody is more surprised than me.

Shonna and I laughed this week, talking about those first years. There were no YouTube videos to tell you how to prepare for a show or what equipment you’d need. There were no pay terminals connected to our phones; it was all cash sales. You had to learn by watching other vendors, looking at their setups, and asking for advice from anybody and everybody.

Fortunately, other vendors had been where I was and freely offered tips, tricks, advice and supplier info. I do my best to pay that generosity forward when newbies ask for help.

The Expo grew yearly, and Artist Alley moved to the Big Four building. As part of that redesign, they eliminated the Small Press section. I had to decide if I wanted to step backward and leave the main building or invest in more space, equipment and inventory and become a retailer with a full-sized 10’x10’ corner booth.

To this day, I still get people asking me why I’m not in Artist Alley. The simplest answer is that I like having more space and professional pipe and drape dividers. An artist in the retail section stands out more than one squeezed in among many others. I also pay an electrical fee each year to power my lights, a service not available in Artist Alley.
The BMO Centre has been under renovation for several years, and the show’s footprint has kept shifting. With the convention centre expansion and renovation completed this year, it’s a massive change, and Artist Alley is finally back with the rest of the show.

The other day, I chatted with a subscriber who works for a wholesale customer. She’s more involved in the online Expo community than I am and shared that some of the Artist Alley vendors were disappointed or upset that the show is now under one roof.

I understand their fear of change, especially if the divided venue is the only thing they know. They’re likely unaware the show only split when it got too big to contain itself. Putting Artist Alley in the Big Four building was a compromise, and back then, many were upset and disappointed at the split. This year, it’s a welcome reunion for those who remember the good old days.

As this is my tenth year, having experienced both options, I have no doubt that having the whole show back together will be an advantage for vendors and attendees alike. With no requirement to leave one building and enter another, people will spend more time in one place, which means everyone will get to see everything.

I hope the Artist Alley vendors find out it’s probably a good thing for them, and I want them all to do well.

Five days in one location means you can get to know your neighbours during the slower periods and before opening each day. I always learn something from other vendors, even if they’re new. I’ve had mostly good neighbours in my ten years of Expos, but occasional challenges have occurred.

Two years ago, a collective of three or four young women selling their costume jewelry had boundary issues. They pushed into my booth several times, threatening to knock my art off the walls. They hung out in front of or IN my booth with their friends, or they cranked up their club music, making it difficult to talk with my customers.

Last year, however, I was next to a couple of young guys from Grande Prairie who were friendly and fun to be around. They politely asked if they could hang a banner off my grid wall on their side, and I was happy to accommodate them.
This was my booth in 2019, one of my best spots ever. During setup, the booth next to me was a no-show, and the vendor on the other side of the gap asked the organizers if he could take some of that space. They agreed. He excitedly came to me and said he’d only take half of it, and I could have the other half, a generous gesture on his part. We both expanded our booths and even had storage space between us.

Another reason I loved this spot was that it was next to one of the widest aisles beside a wall and a straight line to one of the loading doors. On teardown, it was pouring rain that year. The vendors around me cleared out quickly. After I packed everything and it was time to load out, one of the show staff offered to let me bring my car inside. I parked beside my booth, loaded up comfortably, and drove out the door.

This was likely the only time that will ever happen at this show, but it sure was a treat.

The most familiar faces at the Expo are my wonderful subscribers, customers and collectors who come back year after year to support my work. I see several of the same vendors, too, but I only know a few. It’s a busy show, with 100,000 people attending over four days, so spending time outside my vendor neighbourhood is impossible.

One vendor I know has been at this show for about as long as I have. Brock is a talented scroll saw artist with pop culture and entertainment-themed work that fits this audience perfectly. We chat each day of the show, before opening, or when he and his family come by my booth to get some new prints and stickers.

Because I’m usually at the show by myself, they’ve always been so kind to offer to watch my booth if I need a bathroom break. Several of my long-time collector friends do that, too, and it’s greatly appreciated. I bring my food, so that’s the only time I need to leave my space.

This week, the Expo updated its Exhibitor List to reveal booth numbers. I was delighted to discover that, for the first time, Brock and I are next-door neighbours, our corner booths forming the end of an aisle block. What a great start to the event.
Though everything I need for Expo is here and mostly ready, I’m still working on last-minute prep and drawing editorial cartoons to keep my newspaper clients supplied while I’m away. The Monday after the show is Election Day in Canada, so I must also have that morning’s cartoon done in advance.

To you diehards who attend every year, I look forward to seeing your smiling faces once again.

If this will be your first Calgary Expo, please stop by and say Hello. I love seeing the shell-shocked expressions on people who have never been to this circus. You’re in for a real treat.

Cheers,
Patrick

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Art, Uncertainty and Friendly Fire

If I were to give one piece of advice to aspiring professional artists, it would be to diversify. Find as many income streams as possible so that when one inevitably falters or fails, it doesn’t mean the end of your business.

At the peak of my editorial cartoon career, I had more than four dozen daily and weekly Canadian newspapers regularly running my cartoons in almost every province and territory. While it continues to be a valuable part of my business, today, it’s no longer the full-time income it was. But I’ve had time to pivot because I lost one or two papers at a time, with several clients instead of just one.

Thankfully, I developed another side to my business with my whimsical wildlife, which continues to grow. That revenue also comes from several different sources.

I wholesale my prints and vinyl stickers to places like The Calgary and Toronto Zoos, Discovery Wildlife Park, and Stonewaters in Canmore.

My online store is not a significant source of revenue, but my art sells well in person at the Calgary Expo and Banff Christmas Markets.
Because of the work involved and the fact that I need to leave room for painting more wildlife, I only accept a few pet portrait commissions a year, but that’s also a reliable source of income.

Finally, I’m fortunate that my animals have commercial appeal, and my art style is attractive to licensing clients. Companies put my art on their products and pay a royalty percentage on sales.

Harlequin Nature Graphics in Victoria has sold some of my images on T-shirts for many years. Pacific Music & Art adds my art to cards, water bottles, coasters, magnets, trivets and more. If you visit the Calgary Zoo gift shops, you’ll see my prints and stickers on shelves next to my art on Pacific products.
Licensing allows me to reach a much bigger audience than I could handle myself. I already spend more time promoting and selling my animal art than I do creating it. If I tried to do the work my licensing clients do, I could never paint anything.

These businesses aren’t only in Canada. A company in Cyprus licensed my artwork for the Happy Color app, and clients in the UK and the US have licensed my work for several different products.

The current fabricated tension between Canada and the US threatens to devastate the economies of both countries. We all know why it’s happening and who is solely responsible. Whether you agree or disagree politically, you can’t argue against the evidence that this is devastating for the markets, cross-border trade and the formerly amicable and mutually beneficial business relationship between the two countries.

In acts of defiance against divisive tariffs and 51st state rhetoric, many Canadians are avoiding US products. Though it has long been our number one tourism destination, travel to the US for business and tourism has plummeted to the point where airlines have eliminated some routes to select American cities.

Every Canadian individual or company who works with or for US businesses is now in a difficult position. How do you promote these services and products while understanding and supporting the fact that Canadian customers aren’t buying from American companies right now?
One of my favourite US licenses is Diamond Art Club. Before the pandemic, I had never heard of this hobby, but it has a massive and devoted following. The sample product they sent featuring my Otter painting impressed the hell out of me. I didn’t have time to assemble it, so I gifted it to one of my American subscribers.

Diamond Art Club has been friendly and professional, my images sell well, and they always pay me on time. I love working with this company. In addition to the six designs they’ve got on offer, I’ve recently found out two more paintings are in the design and production pipeline.

Many years ago, I was licensed with The Mountain, a T-shirt company out of Vermont. I especially liked the connection as my French last name, LaMontagne, directly translates to The Mountain.

The owner, a talented artist in his own right, was great to work with. The Mountain sold my designs on shirts for several years. The relationship ended when the owner sold the company, but licensing contracts often only endure for a few years anyway.
While not one of my bestselling prints, my Ostrich painting was very popular as a T-shirt, and it showed up in the strangest places. I saw Jack Black wear it a couple of times. Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne wore it on their show, as did a character in a Netflix series. Subscribers spotted the shirts and sent me screenshots from hockey and basketball games.
A little over a year ago, many years since our previous contract, The Mountain contacted me about licensing the Ostrich again. An ostrich ranch in Arizona sold many of those shirts, and I suspect they might have been the reason for the request.

The Mountain was recently sold to Liquid Blue and was again under new ownership. I took the opportunity to suggest that they consider some new designs, and they were receptive.
Licensing agreements can be exclusive, but many aren’t. Even then, a company that produces the same product won’t want to sell the same designs. In our online world, it doesn’t matter if they’re not in the same physical area because anybody can buy anything from anywhere.

So, the designs I submitted to The Mountain were different from those currently sold by Harlequin Nature Graphics in Canada.
With licensing, contracts to negotiate and sign, and promotion schedules, product launches can take time. While a company plans how and when new designs are made available, it’s understood, if not explicitly laid out in the contract, that the artist doesn’t talk about it.

I have known these 8 new shirts have been coming for the past year. Their designer(s) did a great job adapting my images to their signature shirts, and they look even better than their previous designs.

But as bad luck would have it, these new T-shirts have launched in the middle of a trade war, where Canadian companies and consumers are actively avoiding US products, and the Canadian dollar has dropped. A year ago, I would have been excited to tell you about these designs and introduce them to my Canadian wholesale clients. But today, promoting these products to Canadians is rather pointless.

We know the situation, so I won’t go off on a political rant. We know how we got here. The fear is that there is too much damage done, and we won’t be able to get back, especially since none of this is close to finished. And just like during the pandemic, what the world looks like on the other side is anybody’s guess.

In the meantime, I will continue to adapt and diversify.

Cheers,
Patrick

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Failure to Launch

With a website and email list, keeping up with regular posts is important, especially when there’s an implied promise to anyone who subscribes.

But what if it’s been weeks, and I haven’t got any new work to share? Or what if I’ve got nothing upbeat and positive to write about? Everybody talks about the value of authenticity, but when you’re struggling with unrealized expectations and unmet goals, is it better to go a month without posting, or do you bare it all and risk the unsubscribes from people who just want to see another funny-looking animal painting?

It’s amazing how often people think art-for-a-living is drawing and colouring all day. I spend more time on business activities surrounding the art than I ever do creating it, as do most creatives I know. Knowing that reality ahead of time is essential if you’re ever considering this profession.

It has become clear that I’ve bitten off more than I can chew this year. I began 2024 with big plans and projects and feel I’ve mostly failed. I work long hours almost every day, but I’m not getting enough done.

The editorial cartoon work can be incredibly frustrating as those deadlines always take priority over the painted work, even though it’s the side of my business with no chance of increasing revenue. Newspapers aren’t about to bounce back.

So the first weekly task, beginning Sunday morning, is to get five syndicated cartoons done before Wednesday for my daily and weekly newspaper clients and one local exclusive cartoon done for Tuesday evening for the Rocky Mountain Outlook. Then, if breaking news doesn’t disrupt the schedule, I can work on administrative work like invoicing, print packaging and shipping, promotional material, writing, and hopefully painting.

I wanted at least two new puzzles for the Banff Christmas Market this year. But because I needed to finish two very involved paintings that still aren’t done, that won’t happen. There’s a long lead time to have them printed and packaged, and I missed that deadline.

Puzzles come with a significant initial expense, and I had to ask myself if I needed to spend more when I already have plenty invested in other stock.

I drove into the city on Sunday morning to drop off a large print and sticker order to the Calgary Zoo. Usually, that’s an opportunity to take reference photos, but with no extra time, I didn’t go beyond the gift shop. After a quick detour to Costco, I was back at my desk drawing cartoons by early afternoon.

Because of the work that goes into selling and marketing my art, with the runup to the Banff Christmas Market, I’m not getting enough painting done, and I don’t know how to solve this problem.

From early November until mid-December, there won’t be any time off. I’ll be at my booth at the Christmas Market from Friday to Sunday every weekend. From Monday to Thursday, I’ll be drawing editorial cartoons, packaging and shipping orders, and the usual admin work, plus the extra with a gift show. That doesn’t leave time for painting.

I’m trying to keep the proper perspective on this. I still have 50 animal paintings available in prints. That’s more than enough for the upcoming market. Though I wanted some paintings in progress finished for this event, I don’t need them. Those I added earlier this year for the Calgary Expo will still be new to people at this venue.

I did two weekends for the first time at the Banff Christmas Market last year. This year, I’m doing four. Unlike at the Calgary Expo, I don’t yet have a following at this event. That means my classic and bestselling paintings are still new to this audience. I will meet plenty of people who have never seen my Smiling Tiger, Otter, Winter Wolf or the grinning gallery of grizzly bears.

I need to retire some paintings in my current catalogue. When you put too many choices in front of people, it gets overwhelming. My printer in Victoria has minimum order requirements, so if I only sell two of an average selling image at Christmas, that costs me more than I made because of how many I had to order.

Art-for-a-living is a business and requires difficult choices. When a painting is no longer popular, it’s time to let it go in favour of testing the waters with new work.

In the past, I’ve put prints in the store as soon as I painted them. In 2025, I will only do print releases twice a year. This will hopefully allow me to get several paintings done, build anticipation, and have a bunch of new releases to promote before the Calgary Expo in the spring and the holiday season in the fall.

It also means I can build new art collections for potential licensing rather than offer new paintings individually. Licensing revenue hasn’t been as reliable as I’d like this year, and it is even down for some clients.

Even with non-exclusive licenses, many companies don’t want to offer the same paintings on the same type of products. So, when images are already spoken for, they’re less likely to attract new clients.

To solicit new contracts, I need to offer them new paintings.

En route to Thanksgiving dinner with family this coming weekend, we’ll detour to Discovery Wildlife Park to drop off a print order, but there won’t be time for a visit there, either. Thankfully, I do have a cabin trip coming up for a weekend break before the holiday frenzy begins.

Then, I’ll get my flu and COVID shots to do my best to stay healthy for the rest of the year. I have a recurring worry that I’ll get sick for one of the market weekends, and my booth will sit empty.

In silver lining news, because of the large print orders I just filled for the Calgary Zoo and Discovery Wildlife Park, and not wanting to leave anything until the last minute, all my prints have arrived for the rest of the year. The online store is fully stocked with prints, stickers and postcard sets. I am still waiting on calendars.

If you haven’t checked out the store for a while, please do, as I’ll retire many of these after they sell at the Banff Christmas Market. Don’t miss out on what might be your favourite. My prints are 11×14, an easy-to-find frame size wherever you buy yours. It’s never too early to start thinking about office gift exchanges or spreading happy animal art around to your friends and family.

As for sharing new work, I won’t promise anything right now for fear I won’t be able to deliver. All I can do is ask for your patience. There’s nobody who wants to see more finished work than me.

Cheers,
Patrick