What A Difference Some Paint Makes!

I love this time of year. The hustle and bustle of the holidays are over and a new year is just around the bend. But by Christmas, my studio often looks like a craft store exploded...not a pretty sight! So to usher in the new year, I always like to start with a clean slate...or I should say a clean studio.

But this year, I wanted to do a little more than just scrape the papier-maché off the walls and scrub the paint from the floor. I wanted to make my work space more of a "creative space." My studio is not large, approximately 8 feet x 12 feet. I do have a much larger work area outside of this space that I do the real messy stuff in, but my primary space to create is my studio. The white walls and no-nonsense approach to my space were previously very utilitarian - it got the job done. But that's exactly what it was feeling like...a place to work, not a place to create. In a recent issue of Studio's magazine, some wonderful work spaces by some wonderful artists were showcased; Johanna Parker, Scott Smith, Dani Nelson...all featured amazing spaces that were not just a place to work, but a place to "create."

I realized after reading the magazine that my work area doesn't have to be all work and no play. Just adding some color to the walls could transform the space into something much more creative! And add color I did...orange, yellow and black! Since I love creating Halloween-inspired art all year, I felt the colors would perpetually keep the mood going. For me, painting the walls these colors was a step outside my comfort zone, but I can honestly say that I'm loving it! The space now feels like a creative sanctuary and not a utilitarian work room.

 Now, if I can just get past the feeling that I need to keep it clean and pristine, maybe I can actually start getting some work done.

Chicken Lips on Spookytime Jingles

Wow! Has it really been a month since my last post?! I've been so busy with my Christmas shows and getting ready for the holidays myself that I find it tough to get everything done that needs to be done!

Thankfully, I managed to get two new characters finished just in time for the December update of Spookytime Jingles . Say hello to Jingles the Snow Angel and Petey the Party Pumpkin. Okay, so Petey is not really a new character, but a new version - standing atop a wooden block with vintage Halloween scenes decoupaged on the sides.

Both creations are looking for a good home. Stop on by Spookytime Jingles and take a look to see more photos of each.

The Angels Have Arrived!

What a productive weekend I had! The stress of getting ready for the Harvest Festival is easing, ever so slightly. I've been so overwhelmed with the encouragement of my fans and friends. Thanks for all of the wonderful, positive comments on my blog and Facebook. Those comments really help to fuel the creative fire! You are all angels in my book!

And speaking of angels, I just finished up 6 for my upcoming show. New this year are angel tree toppers. I've also managed to get a couple "rolly-polly" angels completed as well. I really went out on a limb creativly and painted these in not-so-traditional Christmas colors. The mustard and green combination feels so good to me, I want to paint everything these colors... including my studio! The colors have an almost spring-time look to them. And what is so strange is that I generally don't gravitate towards pastel or tradional spring colors. I've learned that if the creative urge is there, don't fight it.

 

And REALLY venturing out of my comfort zone, I've been making some figures without eyes and my signature "big smile." They take on a much different look this way. Don't worry, I'm not giving up on those big teeth, it just feels good to let the creativity direct me down different paths sometimes.  

Gentlemen, Start Your Brushes!

Holy Cow! Do I have a lot of painting ahead of me! My next show (Harvest Festival) is now 4 weeks away...and I've still got lots of work ahead of me. The good news is that I finished the last of my sculpting yesterday. All the figures are sanded and gesso'd. Now it's time to put the brush to the acrylics and paint like crazy!

I love the painting process. I think it goes way back to when I first started to learn ceramic painting in the late 70's. My mom and I took a class at a local ceramics store and learned all about dry brushing, antiquing, etc. Some of the techniques I still use to this day! There was something so magical about walking through the store and looking at all those unfinished pieces and just imaging the possibilties of what I could do with them. My biggest achievement at that time was painting an entire nativity set (including shepards, cows AND sheep). There was a total of 10 pieces in that set. Took me 4 months to finish.

Now, I look at the 50+ pieces I have in front of me to paint in less than 4 weeks, wishing I had the stamina I did back in 1979.

Okay, enough nostalgia...back to work!

A Great Day at the Village Venture

This past Saturday was my 8th year participating at the Village Venture - a wonderful arts and crafts show along the tree-lined streets of historic downtown Claremont, CA. The sky was gloomy and threatned rain all day, but the crafting gods were looking down on us and held back the mositure until 30 minutes after the show...what luck!

 

Set up started at 6:30 am. Who knew that the sun wasn't even up at that hour! I asked the show promoters for a new booth location this year as I had spent the last 7 years set up next to the Folk Music store's performance booth. The music is wonderful, but the sheer volume made it impossible to talk with customers. My new spot was centrally located right on a busy corner - perfect location!

 

The show officially opens at 9am - my first customer was there at 7am! She came early to watch me unpack and get first pick. That's dedication! Here she is making her decision...thanks Holly!

The gloomy weather really put people in the shopping mood. I had the single best sales day of any one-day show, ever! Thanks so much to Marty, Jeff and Wendy for helping me setup, teardown and wrap and bag all those sales. And a big thank you to all my friends, fans and collectors who came out to support me.

My BIGGEST Day of the Dead Creation EVER!

I just finished up my largest Day of the Dead figure so far to date. It may not look like it in this photo, but this fellow stands at over 13" high and is about 9" wide. I always like to make at least one LARGE piece for each show I attend; call it a "show stopper!" Something to really grab people's attention as they pass by my booth. The larger size also made it much easier to paint in all those intricate details on his face.

This bone-daddy makes his debut at the Claremont Village Venture, Sat. Oct 23rd. Hope to see you there!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

Halloween is still several weeks away, but I've put the orange and black paint away for now. It's about time I start working on holiday creations. I have to admit that a bit of melancholy comes over me when I know that the mad Halloween-rush is through. I still have one more Fall show to attend, but just about everything is completed for that show. Creatively, I find it tough to switch gears so abruptly, so I like to ease into it slowly. I may start by looking through some old Christmas catalogs, or books about Vintage collectibles. I remember as a kid, I found it easy to get into the holiday spirit when the Sears Wishbook would arrive in the Fall - does anyone else remember that? I know I'm really dating myself with that reference ;)

Somehow, this weekend I found the Christmas spirit and starting in-head first on some snowmen. Now I'm anxious to get working on those Santas, angels and gingerbreadmen.

And before you know it, I'll need to get out those pastel paints and start getting enthused about eggs and bunnies. Wow, where does the time go?!