During January and February the province of Corrientes, in Argentina (my country) suffered from bushfires so extenssive, that about 11% of its surface was lost.
Within thise fires, Iberá Wetlands (home to a stunning biodiversity, and one of the best-conserved natural grasslands in the continent) was severely affected. The grasslands, marshes, wetlands and forest patches of Iberá are home to a stunning animal diversity: capybaras, caymans, maned wolves, peccarys, pumas, otters, giant anteaters, tamaduas, marsh deer, pampas deer (one of the most important populations of this endangered species), yellow anacondas, monkeys, snakes, tortoises, armadillos, small marsupials and countless amphibian, fish and bird species. Formerly dssappeared species there (like red-and-green macaws, jaguars, bare-faced curassows and giant otters) are being re-introduced by Rewilding Argentina.
The massive fires resulted not only a severe loss of vegetation, but also in countless animals dying, or suffering from injuries either due to burns, or due to smoke inhalation.
These animals are being rescued, and taken to Aguará Conservation Centre, where they receive veterinary care, food and shelter, until they can be released back into the wild.
So, here's how it goes. Donate a certain amount, send me a screenshot of the donation, and I'll draw you a picture of your choice. The bigger the donation, the more complex the art will be!
Where to donate:
*** Rewilding Argentina (half of the donations go to Aguará Conservation Centre):
*** Centro de Conservación Aguará (Corrientes)
Transferencia bancaria- CBU: 0940099324004316420082 Tel: 3795-048496 / 3795-112270.
https://www.bancodecorrientes.com.ar/nosotros/donaciones-centro-aguara
(si son de Argentina, siéntanse libres de mandarme una nota y arreglamos los precios en pesos! )
https://diariolarepublica.com.ar/notix/multimedia/imagenes/fotos/2022-02-27/472845_grande.jpg
*** Red de Veterinarios de las Catástrofes
Suspendieron las donaciones de momento, pero estaré atenta por si las reabren: https://vetmarketportal.com.ar/nota/2275/nuevo-comunicado-de-la-red-de-veterinarios-en-catastrofes/
Price sheet: (note: some of the art below is outdated, since I'm having visits over and had to put this sheet together fast. The art will be better quality than those!)
- I will not draw sexual content, fetish art, or any kind of hate art.
- I can draw human and anthro, but keep in mind they take me a lot longer to draw than feral animals. I'll send you WIPs!
- Regular marking patterns (spots/stripes) aren't considered Intrincate.
-For very intrincate character designs (aka: multiple marking patterns, multiple pairs of wings, individual scales/plates covering the entire body, many accesories, etc), please keep in mind I have very little free time. If I feel a design is too complex, I will politely let you know and we may arrange something, e.g. simplifying backgrounds. As a guideline, all of my OCs have designs I consider simple!
OMG, Daily Deviation!
That was such a sweet surprise to wake up to! T_T
Thank you so much, and shout out to the amazing SleepySundae for suggesting it!! 
Here's a journal!
Does people read journals in this hell site anymore? They've made them impossible to find! Anywho, here's a journal. Skip if you don't care for walls of text!
As of today, I'm 35 years old. I'm still pissed at DA for getting rid of B day announcements, because I don't know anyone's Bdays anymore. A nice side of community that was wiped out.
Long story short, Awka is officially entering its last "arc" or part. I'm excited, but also equal parts terrified, because it will be many pages still, but I will also have to wrap up what has been my most complex project so far. I don't think this story to be perfect by any means, and I know I'd do some things differently if I write it nowadays, But it is what it is, and I love it for what it is.
The thing is, I look at my old art and I keep feeling nostalgic over the variety I used to have. Nowadays I keep being called a "deer artist" and.... I don't want that for myself xD because I've always enjoyed variety, even if my main comic is about deer and conflict with other deer.
So I WANT, and have every intention to incorporate more variety, but I keep clashing upon the inevitable: I do not have enough free time, and what I have, I mostly use it to work on my comic. I know I say it a lot, but life is hectic and simply doesn't cease to be, I have way less time to draw now than when I was younger. I also indulge in other hobbies and life activities besides work, and as a result, my art is suffering from some serious lack of variety, which "weekly obscures" doesn't entirely cover, even if it offers something. All of this makes me feel my art is not looking anywhere as good as it could, my pages are rushed, and I keep feeling more and more discontent with my own art.
The thing is, not only I feel I need a rest myself (if only because I'm tired of sleeping 4-6 hours every night), but also, I want the last part of Awka (again, it will be many pages still) to look GOOD. There's gonna be chaos and action and I don't want it to look bleh, comics are a visual medium. I wanna be more content with my art, too. But I am the kind of artist who thrives on variety to stay inspired. I go crazy when all I ever complete are comic pages xD (I have so SO many non-comic WIPS). What is more, I did make that status about a possible extra-one shot page based off That's Freedom Guyra, but nobody seemed interested. Big Sadface, but that was comic too I guess.
And here's the part where many will frown, I guess: I will keep working on Awka (in fact I have MANY pages in WIP state) but I will take a temporary hyatus from posting them. Pages will still be completed, without pressures. In the meantime, I will pump up variety in my gallery: OC paintings, fun side character stuff, more Weekly obscures, landscapes and so on. I also intend to take a few comissions. Aka, all that I always want to do more of, but simply don't have the time to complete (I even have this crazy stack of WIPs!), because I'm focusing what little free time I get to work on my comic and "having" to update it. I also want to make human fanart, but I will probably make a Twitter for it, because Deviantart is going to hate me if I draw humans xD; even though I used to do it very often years ago. I need to wash away this "deer artist" face and recover my diversity in subject!
Remember I also have several completed pages of Uninvited, some of which I'll upload, but I don't wanna burn them off at the same time.
So yeah. The hyatus won't be very long, but I really, really need it in order to properly work on my comic, the way it makes me happier, and also, with results that will yield you better quality. Also, going back to pages, and fixing them when I later realise there's pacing issues. Going back and fixing crappy BGs... and so on. I guess, if you were planning to re-read Awka, this is a good time to? Hell, I might do it myself in order to polish minor stuff like dialogue flow, if needed be. Also, if you're reading here: now that he's officially shown his face, would you be okay if I changed Punque's name to Fuinque? (another plant). This is, because "Punque" sounds too similar to "Punco", Firkü's girlfriend (I've been thinking of this for a long time, but I couldn't really ask before the character appeared in the story properly).
So yeah, that's it. I'm gonna be pretty busy tomorrow, but I'll have two celebrations, one on Thursday and another on Friday... plus probably also one when I visit my parent's house, sometime later next week.
Hope you're all alright all of you who read and support my comic, thank you kindly for it. I hope the hyatus feels fast, and and I hope you will enjoy all that I have prepared for the last part ^^ because I promise, it will be very eventful!
(... I will also comment and reply, I've barely had any time to do that at all, and i desperately want to fix it)
Awka
Figured it was about time I made a journal that I've been thinking about for a good while. And since I never took down notes of the things I wanted to write, I may ramble.
While there's still a GOOD chunk of story left to tell, and several major scenes yet to happen, the story is approaching its end, and it's such a strange sensation. On the one hand, it will be amazing to have uploaded that last page, and see it fully materialised. In the other hand, getting to the end of the story will definitively feel like a change to me, for Awka is doing alot of things that I won't do again in future projects.
Even if I have other future stories planned (and scripted! and even partially sketched), Awka probably will be the hardest one to tell for a simple reason: it has a huge prominent cast. And hard as it is at times, I am very happy and satisfied that I managed to do. I do not think the story is perfect by any means, but I love it deeply at the same time. And I find ity hilarious, but Awka is actually an experimental story. I am 34 now, and were I to write the story again today, it would be different in alot of things. It may not be a plot point, but something that feels very personal to me about this comic (and that I'm not sure how evident is for readers), but for me it tangentially relates with me when I was a college student.. mostl likely because I came up with it back during that time. I'm 34 now, and life's very different to what it was back then (spoiler: 30s>20s). IDK how evident it comes out in the story, but Awka si this young adult who is no longer living with her father, and trying to make her own path, while still counting on family and friends. It may be super basic, but it's immensely personal for me... and it's perhaps what makes me love this story so much. I've often heard one should write for the audience, but I really do it for myself, and then share it with people. I'd feel like i was doing comissions, if i did it for others! and comissions are work. This comic (as well as Uninvited, and my future prohect after Awka) are very much hobbies, and will always be.
It's also allowing me to include a dumb young romance between two young dumbasses, which is a thing I learned to love, as I used to not include any actual romance in my old comics, just already formed couples that were.... there. Can I say it's very fun, and very endearing getting to explore them? Romance and attraction are beautiful things, and such an important and emotional aspect in our lives when you get to experience them.
And I also got to play with a set of antagonists who are very questionable at times, but ultimately not evil. And man, I am so ambivalent with the red deer. In the one hand, drawing them is a pain because /SOMANYFACES. But also, I find their interactions to be a blast.
Awka is a long story, and I'm eager to jump into the action again, which will happen soon. Still, I do not wish to pressure myself under a strict schedule, I don't want to tie myself an "upload day", hich was sort of possible last year due to life circunstances, but it won't be this one, at least at the beggining of this year.
Am I eager to reach the end of this story? yes I am! Will I miss it when it ends? of course, but 10/10 I'll still draw the characters on the side. All I can say is, I am hoping to reach to a certain part at the end of this year ^^ (no, I'll most likely not finish it in 2021), and I plan to do it while enjoying the path, without pressures or stress.
Page 117 coming tomorrow, or Tuesday!
Comic contest winners!
And finally, the time to ammounce the winners has come!! I intended to submit this last night, but eyes were aching and I kinda fell asleep too early, haha.
Before anthing else, i want to thank all of you who entered.- All of the entries were absolutely stunning, and chosing winners was extremely hard, for that very reason.
On the plus side, everybody will get a prize for every piece entered!
Again, thank you a ton for entering! ^^ both to this event, and the other ones as well. This year has been a special one, with this contest, the raffle, and the Q&A event. Next year, I will be focusing mroe on an already started project (I have several completed pages already!) and will only take comissions from time to time, everything else will be closed.
So, without further ado: the winners!
*****Contest 1: Panel redraw! ****
Fist prize: custom 7 panel comic page (max 3 characters)
By :iconmerteazy: Why did i pick this entry? Because the dramatism in both the atmosphere and the character's expressinos sent shivers down my spine! I adore how the early winter/late autumn chills were integrated into this particular scene's mood.
* 2nd prize: a custom 5 panel comic page (max 2 characters)
By :icontiny2005: . Again, the wonderfully dramatic rendering and expressivity got right into me! You can really tell Whisker's frustration, as well as Ami's determination, especially with how little expressivity she tends to show, she's transparent here.
But of course, I'm giving a third prize to the other participants!! Both of which were stunning in their mood and energy as well. Honestly, it was extremely hard to pick, between such amazing work!
You win: 3rd prize (2 winners)- a simple, full body character with minimal shading and no BG-
Again, two magnificently interpeted pages, with amazing expressivity and liveliness 
*****Contest 2: Species swap! ****
* 1st prize: a custom 7 panel comic page (max 3 characters)
By :iconsilverdragon76: . This got the prize for two reasons: neat translation into a different environment (flora included! <3 ), a scene re-created, and the story re-imagined as another very real case of native fauna clashing with introduced species. I was espcially impressed at how much the character designs were translated into a different species, with different patterns for the red deer, and every character was instantly recognizable. besides, it's jsut so suiting for each!
2nd: a custom 5 panel comic page (max 2 characters)- two winners!
By :iconweallstilldie: This is just incredibly epic!! Adorable little meeces, turn stunningly badass, with an incredible ambientation and dramatism to the max!! 
I adore, ADORE how instantly recognisable each character is. Wonderful! I'm especially impressed by Mouse!Chaura... man, does she looks badass! She'd probably be scary IRL, being a 200+kg red doe... but man, her mouse form is every bit as imposing! kudos for that
And another second prize! By :icontephra76:- this one was chosen because of how neatly the parallelisms between the very different species were re-imagined, along with the story
3rd: a simple, full body character with minimal shading and no BG (2 winners!)
Again, picking
Stunning and beautifully re-interpreted characters, by :iconmerteazy: amd :icontiny2005:
Please send me a note with the detail for your prizes! the guidelines for them are detailed in the contest's journal entry itself, at the bottom:
And again, thank you all for entering this is something so incredible to me, something so out of the usual... getting to draw comic prizes will be a very fulfilling and fun challenge for me, and I'm equal parts eager and anxious about getting to do them! They'll be a stunning challenge and something like I've never done before. And please, go fav those entries, and watch the amazingly talented artist who made them!! A contest with prizes this big was an one-time thing, so enjoy!! I might do quick raffles and whatnot in the future, but something of this magnitude is special ^^
Here's to many more comics!!