Thursday, October 29, 2009

Hallow's Eve is Nigh...





In my travels visiting relatives in Tennessee a few years back, I came across this
 amazing grave of a Civil War officer. I wish I'd photographed the stone in greater detail
 so that I knew his name.
The decorative cast iron is rusty and blackberries have over taken it, but in all
of it's disrepair, it is a thing of beauty. He must have been an elegant fellow.




My workbench and latest Papier mache' creation, a Belsnickle. I'm still working on his boots
 and am trying a black undercoat on for size to aid the antiquing effect.



Although this is the height of the season, and I should have been working on pieces,
 I've used these last few weeks to prepare for Halloween night and organize and tidy
my overflowing work benches. You know that feeling of when you know you have that one particular tool,
bit of fabric, or supplies of various sorts, only to spend more time looking for it than had you simply gone out and bought another? Sometimes the studio has a mind of it's own and during the night, it rearranges things and puts them somewhere... never to be seen again... or, at least not until after you no longer need it. Perhaps it's poltergeists but, in this case I rather think not.




For the last 35 years or so I've always eerily decorated the house for the Trick or Treaters.
This was a delicious dinner table set with a Boars head as the main dish, Coyote skull
for the appitizer and of course, blood red wine and pumpkin crudete'. All on
anitique china and elegant crystal.
Some years it's been a laboratory and others the appearance of an abandoned house, complete
with a months worth of saved leaves strewn on the carpeting and vines growing through the walls. Not to worry, the indoor leaves aren't the norm but we were fixing to get new carpeting so I thought, what the hey!




This year I've decied to do everything outside and hope that the weather holds up. We've been having alot of wind but it's supposed to be perfect the next few days.
I'm working on "Count Karlo's Pandemonium Side Show of the Mysterious". This eerie carnival
 appears from the mist on Halloween night, and just like Brigadoon, by morning, there is nout a trace
of it ever having existed but perhaps the faint smell of popcorn and cider in the air.
I'll post photos Nov.1st.. this is assuming mist is photographable.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Goats and Goblins... sort of



So many friends have been posting wonderful photos of the pumpkin displays in thier area, so I thought
that I'd give it a go.
These were taken at Roger's Gardens, a well known nursery in Orange County. Here in the city we often need to create the flavor of fall and bring the country to us. I just love these little Goat carts!



These Daylillies were so stunning in person and I hoped the color impact would repeat in the photo.



Rogers does such a fun job at display and this year they created an attic/basement situation,
complete with lots of old trunks, odd antiques to furro the brow, and of course
lots of orange and black goodies for sale.
If you're ever in Newport, Ca in the fall, I recommend a peep at Rogers for fun.

Hey!



I wanted to mention that my friend Jennifer Macneill-Traylor of
"Gypsy Mare Studio" is hosting an exciting Halloween Giveaway on her blog!
Click on The Mare's Tales on the right.
Check it out for a chance to win some of her lovely art!


Sunday, October 4, 2009

Missy Hefner

      I thought I would post a photo of our kitty, Missy Hefner



Hefner? Any relation? Well, yes actually. Her story began about 10 years ago when we were prevledged to tour the Playboy Mansion West, with our bird club, the Avicultural Society of America. Unbeknown to many folks, Hugh Hefner has beautiful gardens, a wonderful collection of birds, fish, monkeys and even rabbits... in addition to the well publisized bunnies, etc.
We, my folks and I, had just lost our cat "Punkin Puss" of 18yrs and about halfway through the tour of the greenhouse the staff informed us that they had two litters of kitties that were looking for homes. Awwww. The timing was perfect and we picked the tiniest one of all. I carried her little self around the rest of the afternoon and even up to the spacious Squirrel Monkey cages. As I stood there, peering into the cage looking for the mother and baby that we'd been told about, it happened. Amazingly all the other monkeys parted the way and from above the mother with her baby clinging to her, came down to investigate the tiny kitten. She reached out her little arm wanting to touch the tiny ball of fur, but did I dare let her? What if...I thought. I decided to turn the kitten around so that she could barely touch the back of her. It was such a special scene to witnes this curious little monkey mother, reach out and touch the kitten with the most tender of caresses. The kitten stayed calm and my goodness it was a serene picture.
On the way home, we tried to come up with a name for our little Miss of the month and hense,
"Missy" Hefner came to live with us. :-)



Missy is very happy to pose for me when I need inspiration for Halloween Cats and perhaps she takes after her relatives in seeking the limelight.



HAPPY OCTOBER ALL!!