Percy the Pumpkin

Tomorrow (3/31/11) is the latest release of the EHAG Emporium - an exclusive marketplace featuring one-of-a-kind Halloween creations. I will be offering my newest creation...Percy the Pumpkin. Sure, he looks a little scary, but honestly I think he is just misunderstood. All bark and no bite (well, maybe a nibble or two).

Percy is hand-sculpted from papier-maché. His arms were a real challenge for me. I knew that I wanted very thin and expressive hands, but papier-maché was just not going to work for me. I was afraid the medium wouldn't be durable enough and that the fingers could break off. I want my creations to last for years and years, so I knew I had to come up with a better solution. After playing around with lots of different materials, I discovered that heavy-gauge wire, wrapped, heavily decoupaged and covered in gesso gave me not only the expressive look I wanted but also amazing durability!

If you want to give Percy a loving home, stop by the EHAG Emporium tomorrow night at 9pm (EST) to see more photos and to get the details on how you can add him to your collection.

http://ehagemporium.blogspot.com/

Facebook Fan Page

You may have noticed a LOT of your favorite artists promoting their Facebook Fan pages latelty. Facebook has done some major revamping to the good old "fan and business" pages, enticing a lot of us to make the leap. The new improvements actually allow the user to create a more "web" like experince with pages for blogs, photos, updates, newsletters, etc. These new features make it so much easier to keep up with the fast-paced world of the web.

You can view my Facebook fan page here... http://www.facebook.com/chickenlips.folkart

Please stop by and be sure to hit the "LIKE" button - I know, it makes me sound so needy - but doing so will ensure that you are getting my current updates and photos of works in progress.

Ain't technology grand!

Bunny Bones on EHAG

It's time once again for the EHAG Emporium to open it's doors. This monthly update of The Eclectic Halloween Artists Group features some of the most amazing Halloween art you'll ever see! This month offerings will be revealed at 9pm (EST), February 28th.

I'm thrilled to be a part of this fabulous group, and always try to offer something a little bit different than what I offer in my everyday ETSY shop. This month is no exception...meet Bunny Bones!

This boney fellow really knows how to get into the Easter spirit! Hand sculpted from papier-maché, painted in acrylics, stained and sealed. He stands at approx. 12" high. He is a one-of-a-kind piece of art, signed and dated and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity.

 

Bunny Bones is $135 (plus $10 shipping to the lower US 48). If you would like to give Bunny Bones a home, e-mail me here. UPDATE: Bunny Bones is now sold (in record time!) Thank you!

Be sure to stop into the EHAG Emporium and see the wonderful offerings by the many talented artists.

Love - Chicken Lips Style!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and love is in the air! And who better to represent it than Cupid - the ambassador of love.

 

I've made two Valentine's-inspired pieces this year. Unfortunately, the season crept up on me too quickly, otherwise I would've made more. I've posted the two little angels on my ETSY shop. They are both looking for good homes and have a lot of love to share.

Chicken Lips Web Site Overhaul!

Since I spent some time cleaning and sprucing up my studio, I figured it was about time I got in and cleared the cobwebs off my web site as well. It's been a couple years since I designed the site and felt it high time to shine it up, so to speak.

www.chickenlips.biz

Most of the work on the old site was SO outdated! It never ceases to amaze me how my style progresses over the years. I'm not even aware of the change until I look back a couple of years and view the old versus new creations side by side!

Stop by and take a look at my new site - and be sure to sign-up for the new mailing list; subscribers get sneak-peaks at upcoming works for sale and occasional special discounts in my ETSY shop.

www.chickenlips.biz

I wish you all a happy and creative-filled 2011!

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.