Friday, May 29, 2009

Artaholic
I am about to head out for a fun weekend trip to Tennessee with my sister to see our oldest best friends, also sisters! But I'm such an artaholic, I almost can't bare to part with my various projects that are in process for a couple of days! After I get back Sunday I'm home for 4 days then heading out again for a week down to Mississippi! More family down there than I can shake a stick at, and I'll be attending a family reunion too. Black eyed peas and cornbread, oh and shrimp, fresh! Oh,banana pudding, iced tea...sliced tomatos! Lizards and hot pavement...horses and cows... I have some of the best childhood memories of visits down there and its always a thrill to return. Strangest childhood memories...my great grandmother and I chasing armadillos with a clothes basket, I had a white chicken that was my favorite and it rode, literally, perched on the back of my bicycle, and then would lay an egg for me on the painted green carport! Oh! I used to catch those green anole lizards that change colors, like 40 in a day. I'd keep them in an empty cool whip container or mason jar. I made little leashes out of yarn for them. I got in trouble for chasing my Pop's bull through the fence while riding horses...and having to peel shrimp by the cooler load! Hot and humid already I bet! Lots of treasure hunting in weird old salvage and antique stores, photographing, hiking and plundering creeks and swimming spots. Still, I get antsy about leaving my work! Anyone else that way?








See ya'll later!

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Skelly Head Lamp...
I just love how this turned out. I made a skelly head to fit on a lamp, and this glows like a ghostly apparition in the night! The hat I made out of two liter bottle plastic. Its covered in fine glitter and accented up the middle with clear glass stone shaped buttons. He's up for grabs on eBay now...I'll be posting better photos later, as I am still working with a borrowed older camera... untill my new one arrives!




Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Wicked!!!!


To bid on this moon, visit http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=260418376787
















Rat Snake Moon
I finished off this moon this afternoon and not long after my son Danny, he found this rat snake in our yard. This is our third snake find in a month! Seems like when its rainy and spring they're just out and about. I thought it would be neat to photograph him coming out of the lantern. This one is smaller than the beautiful and gentle large one we had a few weeks ago, actually, I think this one is a "she" and she is smaller and not as laid back. Maybe I'll do some shots of her in my current jack o lantern too before saying goodbye.







Sunday, May 24, 2009

Jack and Skull Stand Complete!
Here is my latest...a jack o lantern with painted witches flanking his broad toothy grin, and a creepy horned bat hovering out of the smoke above his nose! The painted stand has a skull with wings painted on it, it is ceramic. The base is painted with orange and black checks. I thought about adding more, but simpler seems more my style. (I admire people who can really gussy up piece with tons of tiny detail!) Hmm, I wasn't sure about the paper eye inserts, I thought he was scarier eye-ball-less. Ha. All Beistle inspired stuff from 1930 or so, I just go nuts over the old illustrations and love bringing them to three dimensional life!








Friday, May 22, 2009

Lanterns in studio...
Here are the places I work, inside and out...

Here is my oldest daughter Ellie, 10, who loves to sit and talk with me while I work. She is also a great help!
In progress,




Back to the studio for me...I tend to work on many things at once and then pick and choose things to finish off one at a time. I'm at stage three on my lanterns and have to keep it all moving forward. Have a beautiful day!



Wednesday, May 20, 2009


Morning Walk....
My little man Danny and our 5 month old doberman lab mix, Angus, on our morning walk. I have this jogging stroller that I can pile everything on and really go for miles, this creek and woods are nearby, we love to go to plunder and play. The banks are so steep I had to carry Danners down on my back! He had such a time with his little net. We gathered more plants for our aquarium and it was a gorgeous morning. There is moss growing like carpet on the rocks down there. I don't know what I would do without my daily nature trecks! I have lots of Halloween art in the making, too, but the sunshine and woods are so much more interesting!








Heres to many more mornings like this one....life is good.



Thursday, May 14, 2009

Witch Trumeau
My sister and I have ben in the business together of designing and making 17th century style trumeau mirrors for the decorative arts market, and thought it would be fantastic to start an elegant line of haunted decorative mirrors, frames, and paintings. We made this one and it is available on eBay now. The moon floor lamp shown was one of a pair and both are sold, but we are already on the hunt for some more vintage floor lamps and I came accross about three the other day. These are large and cumbersome to ship, so I will be saving them for future shows. My idea is to create one of a kind large scale beautiful pieces such as lamps and these mirrors, and smaller table lamps and lanterns for the few of us who enjoy this type of look year round, or for those who have a room or entire house decorated for Halloween year round! We have a few more designs in process now and will be working on some half this size as well. The next one will be all black and orange shades and be reminiscent of the 1920's era decorative halloween graphics. I can't imagine anything more fun!

















Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Electronic fubars!

Electronic Fubars and New Art
Hello all...on top of dropping my camera and breaking it Sunday night when I was attaching it to usb import because it shocked me, now my computer has a nasty malware virus and I can't even upload pics. Thank goodness I got a few of this past weeks work on here before, but they're not the best. This moon with the stand has more painted face detail than in these pics now since I've taken these, but I loved how it turned out. Hoping to list it on eBay tonight, too. I think mercury is retrograde right now...old school astrologers relate this to fubar communications and other seemingless random screwed up events. This may explain my inability to get anywhere this week...anyone else out there getting this?
Argh!!!












JOL and Skeleton Stand!
Here is another Jack, a smaller version with a painted stand. He will go on eBay tonight!


Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Luke... the best dog that ever lived.

I had to say goodbye over the weekend to my dear and beloved dog, Luke. I will miss you my fine friend. He was 13 and a half years old, and my constant companion.

It is my conservative estimate that in twelve and a half years we logged over 14,000 miles running together.....

Think I'll have to stick to biking now.


Monday, May 4, 2009

Beistle Jack Complete!!
I have completed my piece de resistance of Halloween! This was a comission, and is about the funnest thing I've ever made! The eyes and nose and mouth have paper inserts...lots of texture on this guy and painted detail...He is truly the 1920's cardboard character come to life in three dimensional glory! About 15" deep, I almost can't bare to part with him! Maybe I'll do another to keep myself.








I love you Jack!!!


Untill next time....




Saturday, May 2, 2009

Creek Day!
Yesterday we packed up the kids and headed to the creek! The woods are fresh and green, the water flows crystal clear through this creek, its very wide and shallow in spots and deep enough to swim in others. There are vines hanging from the trees athat the kids can swing from like tarzan off of the banks! We catch fish and minnows with nets to put in our aquarium. The surrounding woods look like a jungle...rays of sunlight pour through in spots, but its always cooloer and pleasant down here, even in the hottest part of the summer....

My hub Jim sits on a log..he did most of the photography!

The trail goes for miles down along the creek, and looks like this... Ellie and her friend Allyson lead the way...

Here they are churning up the water!!

On the way in, and a cool fallen log you can jump from!

Danny and myself, he was having trouble keeping his wet cut offs on!!

It was a great day! Today we are tilling our garden, and I have to finish a large Beistle style jack O Lantern commission! More pics to follow!





Friday, May 1, 2009

Black Rat Snake!
Yesterday I caught the most beautiful black rat snake. They are gentle and harmless and will eat their poisonous brothers, the dangerous copperhead. Its always a pleasure to interact with one of these gentle beauties. Spring is definately here, with summer on the way!
Ellie and Cassie my daughters were thrilled too...

Danny, their little brother, also was excited!

Here he is in my arms, see the beautiful black and white speckled belly? This one has such a gentle temperment. Will release him today.

Today we are going hiking through the most beautiful creek you ever saw with nets to catch fish for our aquarium. The kids will get to swim and play, the creek is wide and shallow with a gorgous sandy bottom. More pics of that adventure to follow!
To see what I listed on eBay last night, visit