A. L. Raden

No luck today 😅 I got in in the first four minutes but the rooms for all nights I was looking for must have sold just as I was going through checkout. Felt like Boromir a few times struggling to my feet when a room popped up randomly but ultimately no dice. Two more tries at hotels to go, though!

Trying out the DragonCon hotel hunger games for the first time today and chose my Star Trek red shirt sweater to wear.

Fingers crossed for a lucky day, but it would be a *little* funny if, as a newbie, I miss out in traditional redshirt fashion 😆

Either way, we’re living on geeky vibes today!

A design preview for a hard enamel pin of a blue dragon standing on/crouching over a teetering pile of books while writing on a scroll with a quill pen. The whole scene is a bit messy - there's bits of paper and scrolls stacked on or sticking out of the books and ink spilling down the pile of books. A black magical swirl loops around and through the whole scene.

ICYMI: The pre-order store for my Mythical Bards enamel pin campaign is OPEN and a new dragon bard was added (and already unlocked)! I do love a good storytelling dragon 😊

Heading into production soon, so excited! 🎉

Pre-order store: mythical-bards.backerkit.com/hosted_preor...

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I'm glad you love them! Thank you so much! ^_^

The last 2-3 months has been *chaotic* (good, just nonstop!) but I have an open long weekend and just spent the morning giving my garden some much needed TLC. I haven’t felt so relaxed and at peace in a while ☺️ and now I get to spend all afternoon drawing, with no distractions. It’s a good day!

a close up of a man 's face with the words `` it 's done '' written on the bottom . Alt: Frodo, after the one ring melted back into the fires of Mount Doom, and the weight of the world is lifted off of his shoulders, saying “It’s done.”

Me, after surviving my first Ren Fest weekend (and the accompanying HUGE thunderstorms, humidity, new setup, etc.) as a vendor. Super grateful for the opportunity, everyone who stopped by, and the excellent people in my life who helped! Also ready to rest this very tired body 😅

It’ll still be open a little next week! This gallery tends to have like a two-day opening weekend with a little more fanfare (sometimes related activities or performances, etc.), then sort of open gallery hours set over the next week or so which are still really lovely. You didn’t miss it! 😃

You should definitely check out the show if you can! I was really impressed with the variety and quality of art - one of my favorite shows at this gallery recently, actually 😊

If you like dinos, please check out the show! I stopped by on the opening night briefly and was really blown away with all the excellent art. Definitely check it out!

Close-up of a charcoal drawing of three baby ankylosaurus dinosaurs breaking out of eggs. Their eggs/nest is surrounded by ferns.

More new art? More new art! 😀

I'm playing a little bit of catch up to share some new pieces from the last month or so while they are currently on display. These baby ankylosaurs debuted last weekend in the @oacmn.bsky.social Paleo Art Show! They'll still be on display August 21-22 at 6-9PM.

Close-up of charcoal drawing "Chez Flambeau," showing claws from a dragon's hand lowering a chocolate decoration onto a Victorian sponge cake with strawberries and raspberries scattered around it.

New art? New art!

This dragon chef, adding the finishing touch to a delectable Victorian sponge cake, debuted at CONvergence in July, but will also be on display at the WorldCon Art Show in Seattle this weekend! Yes, chef!

12 lemon blueberry streusel muffins on a cooling rack

Breakfast focaccia with eggs, sausage, cheese, and tomatoes. Seasoned with rosemary from my own garden and sea salt from a family trip to Alaska, so a little extra special!

I don’t cook often, but it’s my husband’s birthday, so I made my first ever focaccia (a breakfast one!) and lemon blueberry streusel muffins with a lemon glaze and they both turned out delish. I’m so proud of these! 😊

Friends, I have finished the storyline in “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” and I have THOUGHTS. 👀

Who else has been playing this and/or has finished? (No spoilers without hiding them in the comments, please, it’s a pretty new game still!)

#ForThoseWhoComeAfter

A real, actual cabbage in a mesh bag, in honor of Avatar: The Last Airbender’s 20th anniversary.

Best giveaway from Comic-Con?? 😃 #SDCC #MyCabbages

I’ve narrowed my list of #SDCC2025 panels I’m interested in down to just 136 panels.

This con is going for, like, a week, right? 😅

Thank you so much! 😊

In October! Looking forward to it! 💙💙

Thank you so much! 😊

THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by my booth, brought home art, fed my ribbon dragon, picked up a badge ribbon, colored on my drawing, attended a panel I was on, or just said hello - you have my deepest thanks and gratitude! I hope I was able to contribute to some of your con joy, too! ☺️ #CVG2025

The 2025 Souvenir Guide cover illustration for CONvergence, a convention held July 3-6, 2025 in Minnesota. The cover is a take on the very first D&D Player's Handbook cover, featuring CONVergence mascots exploring a dungeon together.

That post-con drop hit *hard* haha 😅 Still marveling in gratitude at what an excellent con this year's @convergencecon.bsky.social was. For me, that included drawing and coloring this year's Souvenir Guide cover! It got turned into a giant coloring page, too! 😊

Thank you so much! ❤️❤️

The CONvergence Art Show award for Best Professional Piece in front of my winning painting, a pointillism painting of a unicorn titled “The Unicorn Breaks Free”

I have no words, only gratitude. My heart is full ❤️❤️❤️ @convergencecon.bsky.social #CVG2025

I am SUPER late sharing this but #CVG2025 is HERE and I am everywhere! I’m in the Dealers Room, my work is in the Art Show, I’m on *seven* panels, AND I found a dragon at my booth that brought along her badge ribbon horde 😄

We are 1.5 days in and so much more fun to go. Hope to see you here!

An enamel pin design of a phoenix bard playing a string of chimes made out of crystal.

My Mythical Bards pin campaign ends in just under 12 hours! I'm so excited to *finally* introduce you to my phoenix with crystal chimes!

The phoenix, tree guardian, and loch monster are all *fully unlocked,* with stretch goal dragon in progress.

Back on BackerKit: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/r...

An enamel pin design of a tree person (tree guardian) bard playing a sousaphone made out of mushrooms.

My Mythical Bards pin campaign ends in just three days! I'm excited to *finally* introduce all of you to my finalized Tree Guardian with their mushroomy sousaphone!

Back on BackerKit now: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/r...

A loch monster bard pin, featuring Nessie playing a driftwood and kelpie harp surrounded by swirls of magical music and storytelling.

Adventurers, our Mythical Bards pin journey is ending in just over a week already and I'm excited to introduce you to our finalized Nessie!

Stretch goals still to come include a dragon, will-o'-the-wisp, and wolpertinger. Designs coming soon!

Back on BackerKit: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/r...

Question: What mythical creature would you like to see become a bard as a stretch goal pin? Vote now for Mythical Bards on @BackerKit!

Hey there, Adventurers! We fully funded our trio of mythical bard pins (Thank you!! 💙💙) but we have some stretch goals that need your insight!

Let me know what mythical creatures you're hoping to see in bard form in our poll: www.backerkit.com/c/projects/r...

The initial set of three pins includes three mythical creatures telling stories with the help of fitting musical instruments:
✨A tree guardian, playing a deep, earthy shroom-aphone
✨A loch monster with her underwater driftwood and kelp harp
✨A phoenix playing airy wind chimes

Free mini storytelling pin for backers in the first 48 hours! The pin features an open book that reads "The universe is full of stories. Make this one unforgettable."

Free mini pin for completing three "quests" in the Pin Quest campaign. Mini pin features a book music box with a glittery lute popping out of it.

I've been a little quiet on the new project front, but wanted to note here, ICYMI, that my Mythical Bards enamel pin campaign launched this week and there are two mini freebie pins possible for backers. Two-ish hours left to access the storytelling one for free! ✨

www.backerkit.com/c/projects/r...