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After a road trip to the wildly successful Silicon Valley Comic Con, it is good to have a local con (even if it means putting up with the dreaded downtown LA traffic) this weekend. So WonderCon has moved for this year from Anaheim, which is in the middle of some heavy renovations and expansions, to downtown Los Angeles. Some will say this is good, others will say it is bad; nonetheless we shall be there ready to go on Friday.

Our booth will be set up in artist alley this year at D-16. We will being trying to cram our ever expanding wares upon a single table, which we may expand to two tables for next year. One of the new items will be 13″x 19″ sizes of some of our more popular prints due to growing interest in the larger sizes. These are printed on high quality paper and will sell for $30 apiece or 3 for $70. Due to limited space we will only have a limited amount of prints in that size available.

More to come next week as we will have a small break before we head up to Seattle for Emerald City Comicon.

– Shawn and Diana

The post WonderCon and new sizes of (certain) prints… appeared first on Ghoulish Bunny Studios.

Lots to do, lots to do… and so little time. You would think we would be old pros at this now, but damn if the butterflies don’t start a fluttering around this time. Paying for shows, flights, hotel rooms, airbnbs… and a whole slew of other things that will cause a bit of anxiety. But it is worth it as we love traveling and seeing everyone at the shows, which will start off Saturday with a one day horror show.

The 4th Annual Spook Show at the Halloween Club in La Mirada is here on March 5th and it will be our third time doing it. It keeps getting better and better each year; artist, crafters, vendors, food trucks, music, and much more. One of our favorite small shows, plus it is a great way to start off the con season. The show is free, but you must RSVP your free tickets to gain admittance. It is from noon til 7 on Saturday and family friendly.

There are plenty of more shows in the coming weeks, so everyone have fun and we hope to see you soon.

The post Con season begins once again… appeared first on Ghoulish Bunny Studios.

Cosplay at big wow comicfest 2015

Just this past weekend I tabled for the first time at Big WoW ComicFest, a fun little Comic Convention in San Jose, California. My friend Tamara from theMystic and I took a road trip together and shared a hotel to save on costs.

As often at Cons,  I was dazzled by the many creative cosplayers who attended the show.

I made some cool new friends and picked up a few fun goodies to add to my collection. The one to the right was from Brandon Dicks and the Cthulhu print and comic book was from ComiXpress.

I had the opportunity to hang out with my friend Rick from ZOMs. He was gracious enough to help me out at my table.

Overall I thought the show was well worth the trip.

Thank you to everyone who came to see me. I will see you in September for Wizard World San Jose!

The post Big WOW ComicFest Recap appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

With so many shows to prep, art to make and projects to work on, it has been a challenge to keep up with blogging. But I wanted to jump back in here and post a recap of all the shenanigans that has been going on with our business and the many things to expect from us in the future. So here goes:

Following a prosperous if somewhat grueling marathon run of Knott’s Berry Farm Holiday Village that took up all of December, Shawn and I took a much needed hiatus from the business for a couple weeks. We took a road trip to Denver to visit Shawn’s family. After we returned, it was back to prepping for the first show of the year, Salt Lake Comic Expo. This was a much smaller event in relation to Salt Lake City Comic Con in September but our sales were only down by a little. Still, we had fun, ate great food and made some new friends.

Long Beach Comic Expo, I will have to admit, was a bit disappointing. I always try to be open and honest about my experiences at various cons. Many times I hesitate to publicly talk about the shortcomings of a given Con and will debate with myself as to the best way to describe an unsuccessful show without bashing it. But because I strive to be more transparent about my experiences running an art business, I will go ahead and share my experience. Long Beach has always been a tough area for me to cultivate a following. I am not sure why that is. My first Comic Convention was Long Beach Comic Con. That was 3 years ago. While in most shows my sales and fan base expends every year, in LB it seems to stay at the beginning level of that very first show. Last years LBCE was surprisingly good for us and that gave me a glimmer of hope it would improve for many years to come. However, I think that the show expended too quickly, adding significantly more vendors without bringing the attendance that would justify that expansion.  Again, I can only speak from my own experience. Although I spoke to many friends at the show who also saw a significant drop in sales.

Spookshow at the Halloween Club in La Mirada 

This was a fun, free one-day pop-up Halloween themed event that took place in the costume store parking lot. This has definitely become one of my favorites and I hope they continue to bring this show back every year. Despite the warm temperature that day, the turnout was pretty damn good and everyone was having a great time. Our sales were up from last year. It’s free for vendors with a $25 deposit that got returned to us a week later. The crowd was just really great and enthusiastic.

Emerald City Comic Con and Mosnterpalooza

Double show weekend for Shawn and I. I fly out to Seattle for ECCC, while Shawn tables at Monsterpalooza in Burbank. Like last year, this was one incredible weekend of sales for both of us. What can I say… Emerald City Comic Con is really great show for both vendors and attendees. The people Pacific Northwest seems to have a healthy appetite for unique and original art. Monsterpalooza is more of an industry show. It feels a lot more like a trade show that has evolved to include a healthy mixture of artists, writers and horror themed artisans.

Next Up: WonderCon in Anaheim. Dealers Table DSL- 10. Hope to See you there!

And now for more great news:

1. You might have already heard, Shawn and I are changing the business name to “Ghoulish Bunny Studios”. This new business will include my artwork, plus Shawn’s writing and videos.

2. We are working on a picture book. Me illustrating and Shawn writing. We will be setting up a kickstarter for it.

3. More new art. I am trying really hard to finish work that I have started a while back. And I try to produce at least one new piece for each show.

4. We are phasing out certain products to make room for more. Many of the mini prints we offer will be retired so that we can make room for…

5. Sketchbooks. I already put my first one out this year. my next one will have more pages, more drawings and a better quality print.

6. Spooky stores from Shawn. He as been working on his writing and coming up with some great little short horror stories. We are going to put together a book of his work that will also include illustrations from me.

7. New website and online store “Ghoulish Bunny Studios” where you can shop directly from us. More products will be added, more artwork available and Shawn’s stories and videos.

So far this is as much as I can share at this time. We are always expending, changing and evolving. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the years. We strive to produce quality work and products for our fiendish friends.Thanks for reading!

The post Convention Recap and the Start of Ghoulish Bunny Studios appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Looks like I am not taking off as much time as I thought. I have signed up for two small one day shows in the coming weeks; I go a bit nuts if I stay in my studio for too long.

The first show I am doing is Carnival Noir in downtown Los Angeles this weekend on July 12th. This is a wild event at the Club Monte Cristo; there will be DJs, dancing, magic, burlesque, and plenty of vendors there. This is a 21 and over event only with drink specials and good times for all. Tickets are on sale here.

The following week I will be at the Egyptian Theater for the 4 Hour Film Festival Double Feature and Carnival Masquerade on July 19th. The films being shown are the two classics Freaks and Nosferatu, both amazing and creepy films to chill you to the bone. There will be the Cirque Berzerk along with other live performances. This is also a 21 and over event and tickets are available here.

Have fun and keep creating…

–Diana

The post Some new shows coming up soon… appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Hiding behind the tower of mini prints.

This has been on my mind for awhile and on the long road trip I had more time to think about it. The business has grown so much in the past couple of years and the direction I want to take it has altered slightly too. The upcoming year there will be some changes, expanding products offered, a book in the works (Shawn get back to writing!), plus some creative, weird stuff from Shawn (I said get back to writing!), along with first and foremost a change in the name of the business.

There are many reasons for the name change, some minor, but  the major one has been growth. I use to share a six foot table with my friend Koko Candles and now I can barely contain everything on an eight foot table, much less a six foot table (which is why I am exploring having booths at certain cons next year). This rapid rate of growth could not have happened without someone very special in my life, Shawn. He has been supportive of me through all of this; he has given me creative ideas, does a lot of grunt work for me, and as he says his official title is, Lifter of Heavy Things. He is very much my partner in this business and I am appreciative of his contributions to the growth of it.

Shawn thinks he is in the new Mad Max movie.

So on a long trip through the desert night of Arizona, Shawn and I started kicking around different names… some good, some hilariously bad. During the banter we had going back and forth it got me thinking; I love the darker side of things and Shawn loves horror (he always disappears from the booth during horror cons to spend money), and we always seem to be on the road lately. The name crystallized in my mind and it just seemed so appropriate. Without further ado I present the new name of the business…

Gypsy Ghouls

This will not be an immediate transition, so Diana Levin Art will still exist. I will still be creating new art and jewelry to have at the shows as these will be the cornerstone of the business as it expands.

More dark things to come…

And finally lest I forget to thank the people who also have made this growth possible, the fans of my art. Thank you so much for your support and love, I could not do it without all of you.

Keep dreaming and creating…

–Diana

The post Times are a changing (along with the name)… appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Commission Sketch of Chris Hemsworth.

After a whirlwind tour of the southwest, I am finally home and ready to take a nap. Yet there is no rest for the wicked, new art to do, a book to illustrate, shows to prepare for, and generally going crazy… in a good way. So where to begin? Let’s start with a short recap of the shows I attended.

First up was there was the Long Beach Comic Expo which this year expanded to two days this year. This turned out to be a great move as attendance was great this year and everyone had a great time. We had an odd placement for our table that had me a bit worried, but it all worked out quite well. Lots of great costumes, fun panels for all ages, plus perfect Long Beach weather, what more could one ask for? Next year they are holding it earlier in the year on February 28th and March 1st, plus they are moving into the larger halls, roughly about five times of the space they had this year. So they are going bigger and better, hopefully they are not expanding too big, too fast as I love this convention and want to see it continue for years to come.

Maleficent and Evil Queen looking good… I mean evil.

Then it was off to the surface of the sun… I mean Arizona for the Phoenix Comicon, which was a fantastic show. There were over 77,000 fans in attendance that kept me and Shawn busy through the weekend. I was amazed at the cosplayers that braved the heat in full costume, brave dedicated fans they are. On a note about Phoenix, I love this show so much that next year is a big thing is happening. Drum roll please… I am moving out of the artist alley into a booth for the show next year. It is amazing and nerve wracking at the same time, but the correct move as my business moves forward and grows.

The minion of Mystical Apothecary

Shawn and I stayed in Phoenix for the week (thank you Keith), as we had a show the following weekend, Mad Monster Party. This was a small horror convention that took place in downtown Phoenix. It was a fun little show (lots of fun because we were next to our friends from The Mystical Apothecary) that has promise if they bring it back next year, lots of cool fans of horror showed up and there were some great celebrity guests to meet. One of the problems was that since it was the week after the comic con and there might have been some fans that were too worn out to come to this event. There were also some people that seem to find out about the event by happenstance and were unaware of the Mad Monster Party before hand. Their main show is in Charlotte, NC and that one has a great turnout; so maybe with some patience and love, the Phoenix show will grow to attract more attendees.

Taking Bumblebee down… plus Justin and Hilary Orr photo bombing.

Finally we headed north to the Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con, a show I vended at last year on their inaugural show. Taking place at the South Point Casino (which is quickly becoming one of my favorite casinos), this year it was bigger and better organized in the placement of tables and booths. Attendance was up this year, but sales were down slightly, but overall a successful show. Thanks to our booth neighbors of Abe Lopez and Stuart Smithee; also thanks to the photo bombers supreme of Justin and Hilary Orr from across the aisle.

With Abraham Lopez… and Nic Cage?!?

I have a few weeks off before San Diego Comic Con (sadly still no booth, but I will have art up in the Sails Pavilion gallery there), so I must go work on some new art pieces for the upcoming shows.

Have fun and keep creating…

–Diana

The post Home once again, at least for a moment… appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

We ain’t afraid of no dinosaur!

I realized that I have not posted in a while. With all the shows I have been traveling to, I barely had time to keep up with my blog. Since I have posted, I was writing about the Wild West Fest at the Calico Ghost Town in Yermo, California. All around it was a fun show; we stayed with my in-laws at a nice hotel in Barstow for the weekend of the show. It was also my birthday so we all went out to eat the legendary Peggy Sue’s Diner on Sunday night.

Then it was off to Seattle again for Emerald City Comicon.  It was an amazing show, with wonderful people. I have to give a big thank you to Sarah for the help at my booth (allowing me a few moments of rest to stretch my legs). The atmosphere was electric and everyone has my gratitude for making me feel so welcome up there. One of these days I will get Shawn up there so that I can leave him at the booth and go explore the city hehehe.

But that will only happen if the infamous Monsterpalooza does not fall on the same weekend as ECCC, like it did this year. Here is Shawn to tell you more. Shawn here and I have three words: It… was… awesome! I had a great time, though I wished Diana was there so that I could have walked around to check out more things. Oh well, there is always next year. All the fans were amazing and thank you to everyone for supporting Diana. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Beware the Gotham Bunnies

Thank you Shawn, so following those two shows was Wondercon. Oh how I love this show and it is one of my favorites. Not only did I get to see all my regular fans from SoCal, but Shawn being there allowed me to leave my booth from time to time to browse the artist alley. I got to catch up with some friends and meet some amazing artist for the first time. This was also the debut of my latest in the Terrible Trio series… the Gotham Bunnies, so cute, yet so evil.

Then I had a rare weekend off, and then it was time to get ready for Texas Frightmare Weekend. I was excited as I had never been to Dallas-Fort Worth, so this was a great opportunity to reach a new fan base. After a less than sterling start of the day (looking at you American Airlines) I made it to the show with only a half hour to set up. But after that it was one of the best weekends I have ever had at a show. It was intense, amazing, overwhelming at times and I can’t wait to go back next year. I may even bring Shawn along for this trip, I think he would enjoy the show very much.

Back to Southern California the following week for the Bat’s Day in the Park Black Market. This is always a fun show to do where I tend to pick up some great little pieces. It is only a one day show, so a bit more laid back and relaxing compared to the multi-day shows. Though being so close to Disney makes me want to go buy a ticket and go on some rides.

Finally last but not least was another trip up to Seattle (seriously, maybe I need to rent a room out there) for Crypticon. This was a great little horror convention with some pretty cool guests. I am starting to recognize a few people that have seen me at some of the area shows and meet some new fans. Thanks once again to Tamara of The Mystical Apothecary for being my traveling buddy once again.

Whoa, I was a bit more behind on this blog than I realized. Mid year resolution, I shall be better about updating my blog in a more timely manner. I have four more shows to do before I take some time off to do some more art and work on some upcoming projects, one of which is a book.

Keep on creating and have fun–

Diana

The post Catching Up with Blogging appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

I want to share this cute little piece I recently painted right before I went off to Keen Halloween. It is a 5″x 7″ acrylic painting on wooden panel. Just this weekend at the Hollywood Farmers market, I sold it to a very lovely couple who buy from me frequently. Just last month they had bought my original Dark Mad Hatter painting. It’s so exciting to have such loyal fans

Although I don’t have the original anymore, I do still have prints available in my Etsy store and will be selling them at upcoming shows. Sizes that I have available are 4″ x 6″, 8.5″ x 11″ and 11″ x 14″.

The post Halloween Night – Spooky Owls appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

Introducing Cheshire Cat personalized stationary note cards from my Alice in Wonderland art series. I am now offering stationary and personalized stuff in my Etsy store.
This set comes with 4 note cards. They are printed on high quality archival heavyweight paper. 5.5″ x 8.5″ in size. Use the notes to write down recipes, letters to friends, thank you notes and anything else you can think off.

The post Cheshire Cat Personalized Stationary Note Cards appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

If you are looking for some unique goods in Los Angeles, Co-op 28 Handmade is the place to visit. This fantastic boutique is filled with an amazing collection of handmade products from local artists and artisans.
I have some of my own Gothic fantasy jewelry in there myself. Come support your local handmade small businesses!

Proudly representing over 115 local, national and international artisans, Co-op 28 is an eclectic unisex co-operative boutique selling jewelry, clothing, accessories, bath and body products, infant and child’s wear, pillows, candles and many more original, one of a kind gifts located on Vermont Ave. in the heart of Los Feliz. Our merchandise is all handmade or produced by independent designers from around the world, brought to you in a warm and inviting space.

They are located at: 1728 N. Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, California 90027

The post LA Boutiques: Co-op 28 Handmade & Vintage appeared first on Diana Levin Art.

A collection of my favorite illustrations of dark fairy tale characters, including Alice in Wonderland, Queen of Hearts, Zombie Girl and more… To order prints, please got to my store now