Halloween Hanging Moon Candelabra and a full Moon Lantern!

A few WIPS that got whipped out...

Hanging three moon candelabra.....

And below, my favorite single large double sided moon of the year so far... he has orange tinged eyes that really stand out from all the grey...extremely Halloween... I've become partial to everything grey and white and black for Halloween lately, too.

AND, he just screams "Maniacally Happy!" and "Not-Quite-Right"...ALL at the same fun lovin' time!!!

Perhaps a psychological self portrait??? Only kidding.
I really DON'T know where they come from.

New Moon and a Few Different Kinds of WIPS
Here is my latest moon, This one is a twelve inch, a rare size for me to do anymore. He is pictured with a star ornament and a black cat carved wooden ornament, still un-finished. The black cat was actually a carved hideous tabby with chunky fat legs and body and too large gotesque eyes. I found him at a salvage place and started by re-carving him all over to make him a svelte Halloween kitty...and of course have painted him black but not added any features yet. It was fun whittling him down and completely changing him..he even may have a few ribs now!

And here are some painting sketches for a a recent commission. Finished paintings will be 48" x 24". They will be old world pastoral landscapes, one with sheep the other with cattle...ok these pics aren't the best but will show more on this project and a few other projects in this genre later!

My children start school in the morning, first day this year! I think we will all be going to bed soon so we can get an early start... I've promised them my pancakes for breakfast...(maybe even pumpkin ones!) then maybe I can get back to some studio work! I feel I have gotten behind, half done projects are littering the studio and several things still need to be packed and shipped! It couldn't be a better week for school to start, but I feel sad saying goodbye to summer, it was a perfect one. This time of year brings me a sense of nostalgia for seasons already past, as well as anticipation for fall and fun still to come. Still, strangely, I'm filled with a stirring AND a yearning...hard to put in words.

Tree Root Man.....
See what we found today, nature's effigy, the Tree Root Man! Doesn't he look ancient and knarled and wise? Perhaps he is an oracle and will divine your future if you approach him the right way. Make him an offering of some kind? Sit patiently at his feet?

Here are some of his bretheren...reaching towards the water, in slow but barely discernable ecstacy......

On our way down today, it was so beautiful out I can't even describe it. Breezy and warm, but NOT hot. Late August! I couldn't be FOUND inside today! Jim went and got me a new innertube for the stroller's busted tire, so the kids, Angus and I grabbed our gear and the girls grabbed their bikes and we all took off!

I bring up the rear, Danny runs ahead...he always takes off his shoes when we reach the trails... its so soft and muddy and good on feet...





I love how each turn in the trail is full of exciting possibility! We can't wait to see what we might find next!

Danny finds many rocks, as usual, and then he scores this box turtle!

Once we get to the water, I become engrossed in all the details. Lots of these pics are blurry but the beauty was there...I love this creek's shallow rocky bottomed portion..

Bold remnants of color shot accross the water and lay on rocks here and there... yellow and red...hints of fall for sure!!

So peaceful. Makes you glad to be breathing.

I love this one...

More roots that appear to be in a slow but fluid motion...

Nature's art....

The girls love to climb...

Here are a whole clan of root men.... one part in particular looks like a big lipped sea monster baring teeth, see it?

Ellie points to some lichen growing on this tree's base...

Angus, always on the sniff and hunt...

A favorite little deep spot that Cassie loves to get in...the mossy log is a great perch to walk out on and test the water...

Danny and Angus sitting beneath me for a bit on the mossy log, with the SECOND box turtle we found, this time by Ellie!

Danny told me he was making the turtle a bed...

And after a day like today we'll all sleep well in our own beds tonight!

I know....




Because the Tree Root Man told me!!

Parade Lantern!
This is my version of the German antique lantern found in the Mark B Ledenbach collection!
I have made a similar one before but never this size! This one stands 9 inches high and the hanger adds another 3 or 4 inches. It has a removable bottom plug, painted paper inserts for eyes and mouth and cut paper teeth. It can sit by itself on a table or hung form the hanger. He could be a cute candy container for a child, too! He will be varnished with a thick glossy polyeurathane. Will probably put him on eBay tonight for a seven day auction!

Adorable little jack!!!

Moons on a stick!
Here I have finaly wrapped up a few Halloween commissions and am ready to move on to some fun things to list on ebay! At the same time I have to start on some large paintings that were recently commissioned. Old world looking pastoral landscapes that will be hung as a pair. I also have decided to paint a special Halloween painting on the arched board that has my sister's skull carving. I want to juxtapose an old world romantic landscape autumn backdrop but with creepy Halloween figures walking through... I know one will be a witch, possibly a moon man and a devil. I can't wait, and now that school is starting next week I may can really get some things done!

Speaking of getting things done, I needed to go for a run/walk tonight with the only 2 youngest kids that are home...I really wish I had my camera to depict this disaster. My rugged double jogging stroller has seen who knows how many miles.... I have used it with all three kids, since babyhood.. logged an unknown amount of miles on it, have had to replace tires atleast once, innertubes even more. Truth be known, I am HARD on some equipment. So, tonight I find one of the tires is flat, won't hold air, and has a hole in the innertube. I know the bike store is closed so I run to buy a can of fix a flat...things going well...tire filling up...I'm feeling victorious...untill I try and disengage the can..break off the valve stem and spray a noxious fuming blast of chemical crap all over the stoller and everyone nearby! I can still smell it now! No run for me! My poor ignored body will have to wait till tomorrow. The dog is way hyped up too. Maybe I can get the kids to bed and stay up late and paint! I'll throw in some pics of last night's trek to the creek, (and you'll see why I hate to miss it!) instead, when aforementioned stroller was still in use. It serves many a function, mostly to carry water, nets, discarded shoes which may or may not be needed, camera, bucket, rocks, clothing, various,... and dog leash, discarded... and Danny's scooter, since he alternates between riding scooter and riding in stroller, we basically galavant through fields and trails, then woods, like a motley troupe of gypsies! Oh and we had fun climbing Lord Of The Ring-ish looking Tree roots that grow up the creek banks... it was almost dark!!!

Lichen growing in soldier-like formation...



Gorgeous glowing rimmed clouds, like I'll have to paint soon...

More lichen...I love the pattern and texture...

a blurry but still serene shot of the trail and angus...I like the brightness of the puddles...another one I want to paint...

My favorite trail....

I love when the sunset lights up the trees limbs at the edge of the woods!

the sky is a feast for the eyes....

Going down to a nearby favorite creek spot....

Earlier, on the way, sun still up... Ellie and cassie..

Incredible tree roots...cave like area behind them...where you can hide like a hobbit!

Yours truly, in the almost dark, trying to climb up and over... photo courtesy Ellie... I had already given Danny a boost up...

And this one is just too dark to see it...oops...I think its Cassie climbing?? Or maybe us both?...

Its never too late for a fun nature adventure, and I'll never be too grown up to play in the woods in the dark!