Nother Update: forgot to discount the additional background prices, adjusted for that.

Update: Just wanted to throw this up here real quick, then it's back to replying to notes. So in order to make it more than just a half month's worth of discounts (since I only ended up posting this halfway through December) I'm extending the discount period to January 10th, so anyone who's still interested has until then to grab one at the prices below!
If I haven't gotten back to you yet, don't worry I will had Christmas things to deal with and I've been distracted with packing up the house to sell (long story).
So here's a late MERRY CHRISTMAS! and and early HAPPY NEW YEARS to everyone!

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Hey guys! In the spirit of all these holiday sales going on, I've decided to offer one of my own! For the month of December only, I'll be having all my digital commission options on sale! _{Digital only because all my traditional supplies are back in my dorm in Savannah lol.}
This is also to scrape up funds for general college expenses, and a possible trip to Washington DC sometime in the spring to help rally against the python bills. The more money I can pull together towards that, the better. When I get back to Savannah, I'll open up for traditional stuff again as well.

This includes both paintings and icons, and to make things easy I rounded out the discounted prices to a solid number, so here's some of the deals I'm offering!

Digital Sketch:
Outline only - $10 $6!
Sketch w/ simple colors - $20 $14!
Shaded sketch - $20 - $14!

Digital Black & White:
Detailed Headshot - $20-$40 $14-$34! (+10 for background)
Detailed Full Body - $35-$55 $24-$44! (+10 for background)

Digital Color Painting:
Detailed Headshot - $30-$50 $24-$44!(depending on detail/complexity)(+8 for background)
Detailed Full Body - $50-$80 $45-$75!(depending on detail/complexity)(+$16 for background)

Icons:
50x50 - $10 $7!
100x100 - $15 $12!

How to Request
If you want to snag one of these, then either shoot me a note here on dA or e-mail me at bbcaskin@gmail.com with the info of: What option you want, and a good description or references of what you want drawn. The more specific the better for me! After what you want has been established I'll be quote you an exact price for your commission.
With larger commissions, I'll send you several in progress shots to make sure things are exactly how you'd like them. With the sketches, it's easiest for me to just get them done in one motion so I won't be able to provide an in progress shot, I will allow some minor tweakings to the final product if needed.

Payment
I can accept payment through paypal, and cash/checks through the mail. Paypal is preferred, mostly because this time of year mail can take a while, and I'm only going to be at home through December.
If paying by Paypal be sure to include your deviantART name somewhere in the payment! My Paypal address is bbcaskin@gmail.com

Openings
As many as I can get!

1. *Dragoness77 - 50x50 icon
2. ~Xovq - PAID - B&W full body
3. *Drache-Lehre - digital sketch + digital sketch with color
4. *unyko - PAID - Simple digital painting
5. ~ksilebo - Colored full body
6. *beastofoblivion - Two sketches
7. =Enaxn - Colored full body
8. =Glimmer-Dragon - Colored full body
9. ~tabithacat -
10. *dScHuNai -
11.
etc...

Edit: Fixed the permission settings, so you guys can actually join it now XD

Hey guys guess what...





I MADE A GROUP!

FOR KHREED!



GO CHECK IT OUT!

#LandOfKhreed

It doesn't have an icon, or anything cool like that yet... but give it a bit, and it'll be AWESOME.

Also feel free to submit any Khreed related art you might have!

USARK has sent out a new e-mail with their proposed plan for opposing HR2811 and S373.

but before I throw that in... Adam Wysocki just put up together an AWESOME fact sheet about the python bans, their current status, and what can be done to contact your representatives/senators about the issue.

GO READ IT: [link]
If you have the means to meet with your representative or senator, I would STRONGLY URGE YOU TO DO SO. I'll actually be looking into this myself as well, to see if I can do something before I head back to college.

Now here is what USARK's plan is:

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Just clairfying again that the following is not mine, it's from USARK.
Original link: [link]

<sub>S373 aka the Python Ban goes to “Mark Up” before the Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee on Thursday, December 10, 2009. If passed as written this bill could add ALL 40 species of Python, and possibly Boa Constrictor to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. This would ban the import, export and interstate transport of ALL animals listed. Last week USARK led a very successful grass roots campaign to oppose S373 in the Senate EPW committee. The Reptile Nation weighed in and the committee got our message. Now the bill will go to “Mark Up” where it can be amended.

Calling on all the committee members again may not be the best way to influence them. They know what we want and how many people in the Reptile Nation care about this issue. We don’t feel that just calling them again will be effective. USARK is calling for a MASSIVE email campaign directed to all major media outlets to try and draw attention to the issue. If we can generate 10’s of thousands of emails we will create a media story that will bring attention to this issue that politicians and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) don’t want. This has to be a massive effort. We are facing annihilation as an industry and hobby. NOW is the time to stand up and make a difference. Every single person who participates WILL make a difference!

We also want to contact President Obama. He has declared that he wants to be more accessible to the American public than any President before him. He has set up a website and email portal to address issues of lost jobs. If S373 passes thousands of jobs will be lost and thousands of American families will be bankrupted at the hands of ambitious politicians and incompetent government agencies. Please contact the President and let him know you don’t want his government to destroy your hobby or livelihood!

Please follow these simple steps:

1. Contact The Media; Pythons Politics & Destruction of the American Dream Campaign. Click on this link to send a hard hitting email to all the big media outlets:

[link]

2. Contact President Obama. Click on this link to let the President know you oppose S373 and the destruction of American jobs:

[link]

Obama Sample Letter: cut and paste in whitehouse contact portal above

President Obama,
S373 aka the Python Ban is being considered in the Senate right now. It will destroy thousands of jobs and bankrupt thousands of American families. The bill has been sensationalized and politicized and has no basis in real science. In fact a report generated by USGS to justify this bill has been called unscientific by an independent panel of scientists. It is being pushed by powerful special interest groups and it will hurt me financially. It is a confiscation of my personal property rights and will not solve the problems proponents claim it addresses. This is clearly a situation that has become politically driven and ignores science that does not support S373. Please do not allow politics to trump good science and sound policy. This is wrong and you promised in your election campaign not to allow situations like this to occur. Please stop S373.

***Join the Reptile Nation!


Forward this Alert to everyone you know... your friends, email lists, forums, social networking sites... everyone! This will only work if EVERYONE participates!! We must generate 10's of thousands of responses. Do it now! Go, GO, GO!!!!!</sub>

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To be honest I'm more excited about finding the fact sheet that Adam put together.. THAT's the kind of thing I've been wanting to get for you guys! a full arsenal of information about how to respond to this issue, and how to respond to it intelligently and effectively! Spread that link around as much you can guys! Here it is again even:
National Python and Boa Ban Fact Sheet

Or for a short version just use: natpet.org/pythonbantruth

Added more info the bottom.

New alert from USARK, the following is quoted directly from them, to read the post, go here: [link]

I'm spamming you guys with this because it's serious, and can't be ignored. Please take time to read it, and spread the word as well. We need to alert any and all reptile owners, and even enlist as many non reptile owners as we can to help us out.
Ball Pythons alone make up a HUGE portion of the reptile nation, and if all sale and trade of them were to suddenly be ceased, it would cause a massive collapse of the market and everything tied into that (rodent breeders, caging, supplies, heating/lighting, etc), and that's just one species. Not to mention the overall fact that there is absolutely no need to ban these animals nationwide period.
If you have any questions at all, I'm completely open to answering them or explaining things on this issue.

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_{This is from USARK, I didn't write it myself, I'm simply re-posting.}

"The Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (EPW), Subcommittee on Water & Wildlife held a Hearing on S373 aka the Python Ban today at 2 PM. Senator Ben Cardin, Chairman, presided. Senator Bond and Senator Levine were the only presenters. Senator Bill Nelsen, the Bill sponsor, was not in attendance to present on S373. The Hearing was brief and more of a formality in order to move 9 different bills forward quickly.

Some of you that are following USARK on Twitter got the blow by blow during the hearing. Dan Ashe, Deputy Secretary of US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), testified on S373 recommending that the Bill be amended to include all 9 snakes addressed in the recent US Geologic Survey (USGS) Report on large constrictors. Chairman Cardin indicated that USFWS should approach Senator Nelson regarding amendment. Robert Bendick of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), while acknowledging problems with the science in the USGS Report, also recommended amending S373 to include the 9 snakes.

The representative of the Humane Society of the United States was seen urging USFWS to ask Senator Nelson to amend S373 to include 45 species of Boa and Python.


S373 as written would add ALL 40 species of python to the Injurious Wildlife List of the Lacey Act; the entire python genre. If amended as recommended by USFWS and TNC it would add all 4 species of anaconda and Boa Constrictor to the list. That would be 45 species in all. Although the Bill Sponsor is from Florida this is not a Florida Bill. This is federal legislation that would affect the entire country…. Including, but not limited to, Ball Pythons, Chondros, Blood Pythons, Carpet Pythons and Boa Constrictors. If passed S373 will destroy the Reptile Nation!

It is time for a gut check. Have you done everything you can to keep this nightmare scenario from happening? If you have we greatly appreciate your support!! If you have been sitting on the sidelines hoping others will take care of this for you please stand up and help now. We need members and money to fight this legislation. You can make excuses or you can take action! There is Strength in Numbers… Protect Your Rights! In the coming days USARK will ask a lot from the Reptile Nation. This is it. It is now or never. Live or die. This industry and hobby has NEVER been so close to annihilation. Please don’t go quietly into the night.

Next Thursday, December 10, 2009 S373 will go to ‘Mark Up’ before the Senate EPW Committee. This is where the Bill can be amended. USARK has submitted several amendment proposals. We have one week to have an impact! Get involved and get ready to take massive action. We have worked too hard and come too far to let it all go now! ONE WEEK!… Don’t Sit This One Out!!!


‘Get ready for a MASSIVE Grass Roots Campaign Against S373!’

Join the Reptile Nation!

***Stay Tuned For Detailed Instructions on How To Take Massive Grass Roots Action***

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Edit: What we can do to take action now!

Stay Informed
Here are some great links to follow what is going on with both S373 and it's House of Representatives counterpart HR2811
PIJAC's PetAlert Page
USARK's Forums _{New developments are posted in the Reptile Nation News section. I would also highly recommend signing up for USARK's e-mail alerts!}
Ball-pythons.net's Pet Related Laws & Legislation Forum Section _{If there's a new development, it's almost always posted here, and the forum members are very good at finding new links or methods for fighting this and give great insight into the issues as well.}
NO HR669's blog is run by Adam Wysocki of 8 Ball Pythons, and, although it was made for the HR669 issue, he has continued to update it as new reptile related legislation comes along, definitely a good one to follow.

Arm Yourself with Knowledge
One of our strongest tools is being able to tell people the truth about the issues surrounding this.
One great resource I found is this pdf article by Dave and Tracy Barker of VPI: On Burmese Pythons in the Everglades
This is an older article from 2006, but makes some great points concerning non-native species and the issues surrounding them Invasive Species: Animal, Vegetable, or Political?
Colin Weaver of ECRB (East Coast Reptile Breeders) has written some very insightful articles concerning this subject which make some great points, this one being my favorite. The rest of his posts can be found here on his website.

Many more links to come later as I find them all again.


Contact your Senators!
Call, fax, write, e-mail, any way you can, and always remember to be polite and professional in what you say! At the moment we are mostly waiting for the word from USARK as to what to do next, but that can't stop us from continuing to let our voices be known. A google search can probably locate your senators as well as their mailing addresses/phone numbers, I'll see if I can find any kind of link that makes it easier (I just know I've run across several before).
I'll also be working to compile a list of points concerning S373/HR2811 that can be used as starting points for conversations or letter subjects.

I will continue to add to this as I get more info and find more links! Stay tuned to here for more updates and keep spreading the word!

Took me a while to get this in, sorry bout that.

Here's the recap from USARK, including photos and the testimony that was given by Andrew Wyatt, president of USARK.
It also has links to the video cast of the meeting that was recorded. I haven't watched that yet myself, as it's kind of long.
[link]

To give a brief sum-up: It didn't go bad, but it wasn't great either. USARK was able to voice it's opinion, but there was also the people from the HSUS and of other organizations/interests there to bite back from the other side. This is not over by a long shot, and we still need to watch this bill, and it's counterpart S373 very closely.

I should have more to write on this... but my brain is failing me at this point, if I can work something up later I'll post it.