Halloween and Vine and Ghoultide Gathering

First I want to report that Halloween and Vine is one of the most exciting and dynamic Halloween shows I have ever attended, but then again those of you that have attended before or know the work of the artists participating in the show already knew that!! The show gave me the opportunity to actually see the work of Scott Smith, Johanna Parker, Lori Ann Corelis, Nicol Sayre, William Bezek, Christy Silacci, Kerry Howard-Schmidt, Vergie Lightfoot, Ginny Betourne, Jorge de Rojas, Katherine Webber, Susie Scott and the list goes on and on...all a visual feast for the eyes and senses!! I don't know how to explain to you how much more impressive the work is to actually see it in person, hold and turn in your hand to see all of the detail and nuances of the surface, and to see it's actual size...especially when the artists' work already looks great in a photograph. The other thing is that every artists I met was just the nicest person...really, really friendly and encouraging and it just made for such a great experience. Equally wonderful were the collectors that came to the show and were so generous with their comments and purchases. Everyone was smiling in the building and that makes for such a great atmosphere that you are just happy to be exposed to such positive energy from people that share a love for Halloween just like you do! (Plus I got to meet Dani, Leah and Melissa!!)

If you ever get the chance to go to Petaluma, I highly recommend the event and the wine...oops, did I say wine?!! We stayed within walking distance of the old downtown and the restaurants and shops were wonderful and the citizen's really love their community, and like to share that with you. It made for that "icing on the cake" you always hope to experience when you are traveling. Of course, good food and drink tend to be a priority for some of us and after seeing myself in the photographs this year I really need to do a little less of the food!! Yikes!

I've included some shots of my table from last Saturday before the show opened.


Poor Scott, I was like a groupie you always hear about meeting someone they admire for the first time!! He was a trooper and posed for a photograph with me. His work is inspiring and if you can attend Ghoultide Gathering this Saturday, October 3, in Mill Race Village, Northville, MI, Scott will be there along with another great group of Halloween artists I so admire! Fellow EHAG artists Carolee Clark, Kristen Beason, Pam Gracia and Lori Brechlin will also be there. It would be so worth the trip, trust me!

There will be other artists posting about both events in the coming days so keep an eye out for some great displays!!

Have a great day!
Laurie