Still looking for our pixel artist! I've had a few amazing people reach out (shout out to Cazwolf, whose sprites and portfolio impressed me and reminded me of a good game I should play someday), however, budget-wise, I wasn't ready to proceed. I have to think very far ahead to ensure we have the runway to finish the whole game, and many reached out that were beyond my budget.
A few also made great resources, but raised some concerns about maintaining a similar style to what we currently have. We're going to try a few assets together to see if it's a match, but still keeping our options open.
I've updated the first post: I am specifically looking for an individual artist. I don't see the point of working with another team while already having a small team assembled (I've always preferred to work in small teams of 5-10 people) though we remain open to outsourcing some aspects later down the line.
If you're a solo pixel artist who fits this, feel free to reach out, I'm definitely going to give you one answer or the other and I don't bite! (Unless provoked)