Fear Not the Dead, Pool Your Thoughts to Love Instead

Welcome back to our occasional, and not-generally-scheduled update of what's going on around the THC studios!

• Valentine's Day Sale! You have until 2/14 to get 25% off anything in the Etsy store! Click HERE to shop, use code LOVE16 when checking out - no minimum purchase! 
  
• FREE VALENTINE'S DAY CARDS! Last year, I did a fun Valentine's Day bonus for our Patrons (Join us! Get cool stuff!), and this year, I've chosen the best of them and created a free, downloadable, printable sheet of Valentine's Day cards. While you're there, consider becoming a supporter for as little as $1 a month, it makes a huge difference, and you can show your support and reap the benefits! Click HERE to get the full-size version. 
  
• Will's superheroine comic, Morel, has officially launched its own webpage - www.morelcomic.com - check it out! 
  
• Commissions have been flowing in! Check out Indi's Commission Page to get on the list! Watercolor commissions have been hot, get signed up for a truly one-of-a-kind, frameable artpiece to call your own. (Pictured here: a camera-phone pic of the 18x24 "Sylph" cover art, from the upcoming Sylph video game.) 
  
• 2016 Tour Poster! We've got most of our shows lined up for 2016, so take a peek and see when we'll be in your neck of the woods! 
  

2015: By the Numbers

Welcome back to THC's occasional update of what's going on around the studios. It's December, and we're fast coming up on another click of Earth's odometer, so I thought I'd take a moment for retrospection before we slide into 2016.

2015 was a hell of a year. Let's do this by the numbers:

17: Number of conventions THC attended this year as artists/vendors. That's pretty far down from 2014's 38 - we'll be finding a happy medium between those two numbers for next year, I'm sure!

321: Number of posts on our Patreon page. MOST of those posts are patron-only exclusives, like works-in-progress pictures, full .psd files, high-res, watermark-free files, sneak-peeks, and Patron-exclusive stock art. We launched the Patreon officially on 1/15 of this year, and it's been a wild ride already!

63: Number of watercolors completed this year (that I have scans of - there were probably at least that amount that got discarded). Here's a collage of some of my favorites:

426: Number of pages in the final release of Into Dreams: A Gina Harwood novel, which was released on June 11, 2015. 

74: Number of commissioned paintings or drawings completed this year (not counting a few at conventions). Again with the collage, though this will probably be the last one, as they're surprisingly time-consuming. 

8: Stock Art pieces released to the Patrons after introducing the concept late 3rd Quarter. 

7: New Fan Art prints in the entirety of 2015 - Crowley, Charlie Bradbury, Arya Stark, Xena, Tyrion Lannister, Seven and Four. I've got one underway and I'm looking to expand this number a bit in 2016 - I wanted to cut back, not cut out fan art altogether! 

3: Other Milestones I couldn't figure out a way to fit into the "Numbers" theme. In addition to all of this, we also created and released Shroud of the Avatar: New Beginnings - our first (but not last) foray into officially licensed comics. We also created and released the Geocaching Pinup set and the MD Expansion of GoCache to commemorate GeoWoodstock XIII, held ten miles from where we live. :) 

2015 was the 4th year since Tortoise & Hare Creations took its first shaky breath, but it's been - by far - the busiest. THANK YOU for being here with us, and I hope you're just as excited as we are to see what Year 5 brings to THC!

Remember, Remember...

Welcome back to THC's occasional update of what's happening in the studios. Here's what's new and on the horizon here for us! If you like what you see, come and join us at www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations - don't miss out on one more month of our exclusives!

• "Autonomy" - Thank you to everyone who attended the opening of my watercolor show at the Fine Arts Company, and congratulations to the new owners of original art! The show continues at the Garland Groh location until early December, and then for a few weeks at their new Valley Mall location. Stop in and check it out if you're in the Hagerstown, MD area!

• 

  "Tang" - Indi Martin, 2015 - Watercolor

• Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday SAVINGS!!!! Clear out your holiday shopping list by taking 25% off ALL prints - now until December 1st! Use code THCROCKS when checking out of our Etsy store! https://www.etsy.com/shop/TortoiseHareCreate 

  

  ENDS DEC 1ST! Don't miss out!

• New Patron-exclusive stock art available now! "Tree Village," #2 in the Fantasy Buildings series comes free to all Patrons of any level with a non-watermarked high-res .jpg, the original .psd file, and a license allowing them to use the image in any one project. Join now and get access to all kinds of stuff! https://www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations 

  

  "Tree Village" - Indi Martin, 2015 - Wacom in CS6
• Commission MADNESS! This season has been the busiest EVER for commissions, so if you've been looking to get some work done, check out my rates and example pieces for each (as well as the current estimated start date for work): http://indigowarrior.deviantart.com/journal/Artist-Bio-and-Rates-528468095 

  

  "Flora & Lightning" - Indi Martin, 2015 - Watercolor on Board. Painted for N. Glasscock

We're finishing up our schedule for 2016, watch this space in the next update to find out where we'll be in the coming months! :)

Bittersweet October - Mellow, Messy, Leaf-Kicking, Perfect Pause Between Opposing Miseries

Welcome back to THC's occasional update of what's happening in the studios. Here's what's new and on the horizon here for us! If you like what you see, come and join us at www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations - don't miss out on one more month of our exclusives!

• 3rd Quarter Wrapup video - congratulations to Joshua L. for winning the Dissolution layout page, the limited Dean/Sam vinyl stickers, and the very rare Flip the Bird card! The 4th quarter is going to be a VERY GOOD quarter to be a patron of THC - join NOW and don't miss out on the rewards! www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations
• Commissions are open! Get on the list and check out the examples to determine which rate you need: indigowarrior.deviantart.com/journal

Commission painted for Bad Yoga Tribe (c)2015

• The Patrons have voted! This quarter's stock art theme is Fantasy Buildings - and YOU WANT THESE! They're (likely) all going to be fully painted, and are FREE to use for any of our patrons - at ANY level! 
  
• Watercolor show at the Fine Arts Company in Hagerstown, MD is creeping closer!  November 14th is the Meet & Greet - mark your calendars! 
  
• Changes to our Upcoming Appearances
• CANCELLATION: Going Caching - Rome, GA - unfortunately, THC will not be present at this amazing Renaissance-themed event. We hope to catch you next year!
• 10/30-11/1 - AnimeUSA, Washington, DC
• 11/14 - Meet the Artist, Fine Arts Company, Hagerstown, MD
• 11/22-11/23 - VA Comicon, Richmond, VA

Thanks for checking in! See you at our Patreon page - www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations

Title Quote by Carol Bishop Hipps

September Days

Welcome back to THC's occasional update of what's happening in the studios. Here's what's new and on the horizon here for us! If you like what you see, come and join us at www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations - don't miss out on one more month of our exclusives!

• Crowley - With Crowley, the planned four-piece Supernatural set (Dean, Sam, Cas & Crowley) is now COMPLETE! Prints are available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/245653826/crowley-supernatural-series?ref=listings_manager_grid or get the FULL Supernatural set at a discount here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/245653704/bundle-full-supernatural-set-four-prints?ref=listings_manager_grid   
  
• Full time-lapse greyscale-to-color video - see how Indi's most popular paintings are created start-to-finish, and get a view of Charlie (Felicia Day) from Supernatural to boot! Subscribe to our channel to see all of our video projects: https://www.youtube.com/user/Tortoiseharecreation
  
• Stock Art! More stock is being uploaded weekly at our DriveThruRPG site - if you need art for anything, check out what we've got: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/8677/Tortoise-amp-Hare-Creations 
  
• New Patreon Stock Art Bonus! Every quarter, our patron will be given SIX new pieces of stock art that they own and can use for any project - the quarter will have a theme, and all six pieces will be part of that theme. This month's theme is the lovely horse, so I'll be drawing anything from the humble pack mule to a frightful Nightmare. These are FREE to all of our patrons! Check out the first one and sign up to join us today! https://www.patreon.com/posts/stock-art-pack-1-3255910 
  
• Commissions are currently open - get on the list today! http://indigowarrior.deviantart.com/journal/  This is Altrar the Ancient, painted by commission for Realmwares.com 
  
• Appearances - Updated our 2015 "We Create Dwarf Planets" tour poster for the remainder of 2015 - we run specials at all conventions and festivals, come out and see us if we're in your neck of the woods! 
  

August is the Sunday of Summer

Welcome back to THC's occasional update of what's happening in the studios. Here's what's new and on the horizon here for us!

• Stock Art! Lots of titles have been added to the stock art section, including a bunch of floating pencils that will add depth to your game or campaign - check it out! Running a sale until the end of the month - all items are only $2.95, and come with alteration rights to make your project shine. http://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse/pub/8677/Tortoise-amp-Hare-Creations 
  
• Arya Stark is finished and available for sale! https://www.etsy.com/listing/241216315/arya-stark-game-of-thrones-series 
  
• November is coming fast! Preparing a large series of new watercolors for the show at the Fine Arts Company in Hagerstown - mark your calendars now, the meet & greet will be November 14th from 6-8pm! 
  
• And definitely check out our Patreon to see an INCREDIBLE amount of art that isn't available anywhere else, like this piece, created for ENWorld's July issue. The Patrons get access to a lot of behind the scenes material, so come aboard and join us on our voyage! - https://www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations?ty=h 
  
• Commissions are still open! Currently booked until the end of August, but secure your spot now - my DA journal is kept up-to-date with my current rates and waitlist: http://indigowarrior.deviantart.com/journal/Artist-Bio-and-Rates-528468095 Get work like this piece, entirely in watercolor & ink (with hand-drawn lace): 
  
• And finally, all three Gina Harwood novels are now packaged on Etsy (for signed copies) here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/244518536/the-gina-harwood-series-signed-cycle-one or available in standard paper back or Kindle copies here: http://www.amazon.com/Indi-Martin/e/B00D6O29QA/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1 
  

• Upcoming Appearances 
• 9/11/15: 2015 Metro Event (Geocaching), New Jersey 
• 9/25/15: Baltimore ComicCon (3 day), Baltimore, MD
• 10/15/15: Going Caching (Geocaching), Rome, GA
• 10/30/15: AnimeUSA (3 day), Washington, DC
• 11/14/15: Fine Arts Company (Meet & Greet), Hagerstown, MD
• 11/22/15: VA Comicon (2 day), Richmond, VA

A massive thank you to our patrons and commissioners - we couldn't do this without you! 

Stars are Exploding, and Rainbows are Everywhere

What a fabulous time! Massive leaps forward in equality, and FIREWORKS! - really, I can think of no two things I love more. Welcome to the THC Update for June/July!

• Watercolors!
• I've been doing a lot of watercolor lately, both because I've been dying to get back to it, and in preparation for a November gallery show in Hagerstown! (And because I can shotgun Supernatural while I'm painting ;)) Prints are not yet available, but I'll post as soon as they are!

  

  Check out Indi's Deviant Art for more: indigowarrior.deviantart.com

• Also, we're working on improving our method of making watercolor glazes with naturally collected pigments, and have made a quick How-To video on the process. 
• Also, I've begun fulfilling some commissions in watercolors, so if you have an idea for one you'd like, check out my rates here: http://indigowarrior.deviantart.com/journal/ 
  
• Morel! Normally Morel gets it's own monthly entry, but this month, it get's included in the BIG update. Inclusiveness. :) Check out either the posts tagged "Morel" or Tortoise & Hare Creations' Instagram/Tumblr or Twitter pages to catch up on the story!
  
• Into Dreams! The first reviews are coming in, and they've been overwhelmingly positive. Be the first on your block to get into the series, and get well ahead of the curve! 

  

  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00Z214KXK?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

• Patreon! The second quarter's rewards just got sent out, and there were some GOOD ones, including the last proof of Into Dreams, signed over to winner Eric H.! There are nearly 200 entries in the patron feed - most are patron-exclusive. We have some exceptional plans for our patrons in the coming quarters, and you will not want to be on the outside looking in - JOIN TODAY! 

  

  https://www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations?ty=h

Upcoming Appearances!

If you're in Pennsylvania, make your way out to State College, PA next Saturday, July 11, for BookFest! We'll be there with bells on, and a stack of novels (as well as comics, and art!)

It's Coming Right For Us!

I've decided I kind of like this bi-weekly bullet list of the current THC goings-on, so I think that'll become our standard! So, without further adieu, on to the big guns.

• RELEASE DATE: We're proud to announce that Into Dreams, the third novel in the Gina Harwood series is being released on June 11, 2015! Links to purchase will be posted that morning! 
• Synopsis: Picking up directly after Descending, the third novel in the series sees the Unit fragmented and fighting against an incomprehensible foe. Gina Harwood discovers that there are worlds beyond their own, and struggles to survive in the Dreamlands while tracking her fallen partner, Morgan. Charlie Parker leads the remaining agents on a chase to find a killer, only to find that perhaps something larger - and much, much darker - is pulling his strings. 
• GoodReads Giveaway!: The GoodReads Giveaway for Into Dreams is LIVE! Click HERE to enter, it's free through the fabulous GoodReads system.
• Cover: 
  
• GeoWoodstock Update! GW is being held in Boonsboro, MD on May 23-24,  2015, and we're excited to be bringing some new geocaching-specific items to the table there, like:
• GWXIII Maryland GoCache Expansion - A six-card expansion created specifically to celebrate what makes caching in Maryland so great! These will be debuted at GW, and they will be available for online purchase for a limited time after that. 
  
• Caching Pinups! Three of the four-piece set are now complete, and I'm working on the last girl now - they'll match up in a square with the colors matching the Geocaching logo. I have adored this project, I can't even tell you. Below is the newest completion, "Summer," who is currently available for purchase (11x17 only) at our Etsy store. 
  
• Trackable Aces are back in stock, meaning the full combo pack of GoCache is reactivated at our Etsy store. 
• Shroud of the Avatar: New Beginnings is back in stock (signed copies) at our Etsy store, also!
  
• Watercolor update! We're working on a tutorial (video, possibly) by request on making one's own pigment and paint from natural items - but the flowers are taking a lot longer than anticipated to fully dry (and they have to be FULLY dry... Wood ash, however, works wonderfully, and doesn't require any drying time at all). We've got a fancy new mortar and pestle, and will be getting on that request as soon as all the ingredients are ready to go. 
  

• And last but not least, Upcoming Convention Appearances! 'Tis the season:
• 5/15-5/17: SciFi in the Valley Con - Altoona, PA
• 5/22-5/23: GeoWoodstock - Boonsboro, MD
• 5/29-5/31: AwesomeCon - Washington, DC

We hope to see you! Get out there and enjoy Spring! 

Morel - Chapter One: Sacrifice, Page 6

Here's this month's Morel comic, marking Mushroom Month! Follow W.O. Billman II for all the details on Instagram or Twitter!

April Showers & Growers

Alright, LOTS of things currently happening, so skipping right to the bullet list.

• Shroud of the Avatar: New Beginnings is NOW AVAILABLE to everyone! Head to IndyPlanet to pick up your unsigned print and/or digital copies, or we have signed copies available on our Etsy store ! Check out Portalarium's feature on us HERE! :D **UPDATE** We are currently sold out of the signed comics on our Etsy store - we have more on order, so once they arrive, we sign 'em and bag and board 'em, we'll renew the listing. Apologies for the delay!***
  
• Completed the first of four geocaching-themed pinups, "Autumn." Available for purchase at our Etsy store. 
  
• Next piece for the Dark Unknown Bestiary Project is done - meet the Ettin: 
  
• The GeoPunk broadcast is BACK! What is GeoPunk, I hear you ask? Listen and find out! If you enjoy geocaching, olde tyme radio(e) programmes, and general badassery, then definitely give it a shot. 
• 
• Thank you to our Patreon Supporters, who just pushed us over our first monthly milestone! Join up today! 
• GoCache Expansion! We will have a limited expansion of 6 Maryland-specific cards to celebrate this year's Maryland GeoWoodstock, they are done and in our hot little hands and ready to sell. They'll debut at GeoWoodstock, and we'll have a small number of them that we can sell online as well, for the collectors out there! (Not sure what GoCache is? Click here! Want to pick up a copy? Click here!) Here's the first of a few we'll share before GW: 
  
• Upcoming Convention Appearances:
• 4/17-4/19: 1d4Con - Martinsburg, WV
• 4/25: Creator Con - Silver Spring, MD
• 5/15-5/17: SciFi in the Valley Con - Altoona, PA
• 5/22-5/23: GeoWoodstock - Boonsboro, MD
• 5/29-5/31: AwesomeCon - Washington, DC
• Reminder! May is MUSHROOM MONTH! Keep an eye on this space for lots of Morel & morel (the heroine and the fungus) information. :)

That's it! We'll be setting up our Patreon hangout in the next week or so, it's likely to be a mid-week hangout this time. 

Spring has Sprung!

It's April, and we at THC are ecstatic to finally be able to venture back outside without fifty layers on. And this bright light in the sky - what is that? It's so warm!

Other than today, of course, because it decided to rain.

Here's a few bits and pieces we're working on currently!

• New Print! Tyrion Lannister, available in 11x17 at our Etsy store
• New Dark Unknown Bestiary piece! Giant Spider
• All of the GoCache expansion cards for GeoWoodstock are DONE! We'll share one or two as GW inches closer, but you can check out a preview of one of them at our patron feed: www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations (must be a patron to view)
• May is MUSHROOM MONTH! Join us as we share a bunch of Morel-related items for the best gathering month of the year. 
• Into Dreams, the third Gina Harwood novel is in the hands of the beta-readers, and following a final editing pass, will be finished. I'll have a release date for you in the next update, I think!

We have several more convention appearances on the horizon as well, come out and say hello if you're in the area!

• 4/10-4/12: Steel City Con, Monroeville, PA
• 4/17-4/19: 1d4Con, Martinsburg, WV
• 4/25: Creator Con, Silver Spring, MD
• 5/15-5/17: Sci-Fi in the Valley, Altoona, PA

Bits & Pieces from March

Hey, everybody! Wanted to take a moment to catch the ol' website up on a lot of the work going on behind the THC doors.

• Gina Harwood Book 3: Into Dreams
• The final first draft was completed on March 13th, and numbered 516 pages (136,710 words). I've been working nonstop since then on editing, and am on through my second runthrough. My alpha editor is 80% through his read, and once I get and evaluate/apply his feedback, it'll be sent to the beta readers for their reads.
• Into Dreams Giveaway: 
• Like with Descending, we'll be giving away two advance copies of Into Dreams through the fabulous GoodReads Giveaway system. We'll post here (and everywhere!) as soon as that contest opens.
• Shroud of the Avatar: New Beginnings:
• The proof came back perfect, and now we're just waiting on the full order to get printed and come in!
• Dark Unknown Bestiary: New Piece - Giant Insect



• Patreon pledge drive rewards! All Patrons who were signed up to support us by March 20th, 2015 receive an original watercolor & ink sketch card. I had the idea to do a series called "Windows," where they had an overall connected theme, but each piece was interesting enough that a patron would want to own it. These got mailed out yesterday, so patrons should be receiving them soon. 

• New Red Ink blog post: The Pros & Cons of Self-Publishing
• Upcoming Convention Appearances!
• Mar 27-29: (Re)Generation Who - Cockeysville, MD
• Apr 10-12: Steel City Con - Monroeville, PA
• Apr 17-19: 1d4Con - Martinsburg, WV
• Apr 25: Creator Con - Silver Spring, MD

I believe that's all for now! Happy Spring!

Morel - Chapter One: Sacrifice, Page 4

This one is pretty self explanatory. One thing you may (or may not) have noticed is that Donna uses a different font then the other characters. When she was little she had a bad speech impediment, this was fixed through therapy but it tends to give her a slight accent. I will probably touch on this sometime down the road, but for now its a good piece of trivia for you.

-William

Come on, Convention Season!

This weekend marks our first 2015 convention, and we're excited to be returning to Harrisonburg, VA for the excellent, chill Madicon. We enjoyed the hell out of it last year, so we're looking forward to breaking in the season with such a laid-back con. Come and see us if you're in the Harrisonburg area!

Our display is prepped for this year's stock, now including GoCache. Also, we've begun work on the Maryland expansion that we'll have available for purchase at and after GeoWoodstock, and I don't mind saying they look pretty good so far. I had a dream about painting the caching-themed pinups last night and woke up excited to get started on them - but there's several other things that have to come first, so I'm chomping at the bit to get everything done.

I finished another bestiary piece for the Dark Unknown, loving this project. I have a soft spot for true b/w linework pieces, so these are a lot of fun to do. :)

We are still posting several exclusive items per week to our Patreon stream, and we're running our quarterly pledge drive at the moment - we have until Sunday to achieve nine more patrons and every patron at ANY level gets a special birthday package from THC for my birthday! Come on in, the water is glorious. 

We'll be drawing the 1st quarter winner of a piece of original art this Sunday (possibly Monday depending on how late we return from VA), so watch for that news! All patrons are automatically entered into the quarterly drawing, so sign up today to get eligible!

See you in Harrisonburg!

Birthday Presents for Everyone!

Hey everyone! We're doing a pledge drive for the end of our first quarter on Patreon, culminating in my birthday on March 15th! Why is this a special day for anyone but me? Well, my hope was to hit 10 patrons, and we've blasted past that in the last few days, so it's stretch goal time! If we can hit 20 patrons - at ANY level - by March 15th, then everyone gets birthday presents! We'll send a package stuffed with THC loot and gifts to every single patron we have, regardless of their pledge level. So, check out our levels now and jump on! www.patreon.com/tortoiseharecreations

A few other things of interest:

• I'm so close to the end of my first draft of GH3 that I know how many chapters are left, exactly. SOON! I expect to be finished by the end of next week if I keep buckled down.
• I finished "Seven" - Sylvester McCoy as Doctor Who. It's also available on our Patron stream as a high-res, watermark-free file. 
  
• The proof has been ordered for Shroud of the Avatar: New Beginnings! Assuming it comes back with no errors or changes required, we should have that available for sale by the end of March.
• We're putting the final touches on our new form anthology comic, as yet untitled. Stay tuned for more information there!

As always, thank you for your support and your interest! - Indi