Painting on a Beautiful Saturday

It is absolutely gorgeous outside and her I sit painting because I forgot about an obligation I had for the business.  Well, the business is coming first today so I'll just periodically look out the window at the sunshine and sigh...   Responsibilities are important to follow through on so back to the studio table I go.  I at least have a pretty good start on blocking in the paint.

Have a wonderful Saturday and Happy Halloween to you!

Laurie

WIP update

The arms, paws and feet are now finished on the bunnies.  Time needs to pass to let them dry and the next step will be a light sanding and paint.  This is good because I'm ready to get back into some color!!

Have a great day and happy creating!
Laurie

Works in Progress

Working on some new pieces in paper mache this week...I know, it seems a bit early for bunnies with Halloween right around the corner, but here they are!  Three new rabbits to finish the details on, a little snowman and a large cone body that is supposed to be a Santa.   I didn't realize how big the cone was until I put it side-by-side with the bunnies.  Hmmmm, may have to rethink that big guy!!  

I'll keep you updated as the pieces start drying and I have some progress to show.  Have a creative week!!!
Laurie

Something Special from Enchanted Productions

One of the joys of being on the internet is that you see work and "meet" artist that are hundreds of miles away, and yet you can communicate with them and become online friends.  Several weeks ago while I was in Michigan, I had the wonderful opportunity to not only type a message or chat on the phone with such a person, but I actually got to meet her!!!  Joycee Stahl, of Enchanted Productions, is a charmer both with her comments and phone chatting, but she is even more funny in person and I am smitten with her and her work!  I want her to move in next door and have coffee with me every morning....now, I like my neighbors, but I don't have them over for coffee often, so this is REALLY saying something!

Joycee and I had talked prior to Michigan, and I was able to acquire one of her gorgeous dolls as part of this trip....her name is "Anna Belle", named after my mother who had a little piece of silver hair appear in her hairline in her 30s, just the opposite of Joycee's doll, but the name was instantaneous!   Isn't she fabulous!  I had taken photos of her at Ghoultide and Machinaw City and they all came out with a weird golden color (Halloween spooks perhaps?), so I took new pictures that show her beauty!

Anna Belle is just full of details...her hair is needle-felted into her head, her eyes are lovingly painted and stitched on by hand and Joycee showed me her fingernails and finger callous to prove it, and the facial painting is magnificent down to the lavender eye shadow!  She has silver tinsel around the neckline, pearl detailing on the bodice, lace at the waistline, a beautiful bow, more beads with boucle yarn from each pearl cascading down onto a gorgeous silk fabric skirt!  She is beautiful!!

Pinch, pinch, she is mine!!!!  For any of you that have admired Joycee's dolls via a photograph, I can tell you that they are even better in person-absolutely fabulous!  I also got to meet two other creations by Joycee, and they were equally as marvelous!

The only problem with Anna Belle is that she is loved TOO much by the Monkey-Cats, Jake and Elwood.  I had her out of the cabinet for just minutes to photograph her and just that quick Jake jumped up to nuzzle with her...and to try to groom her hair!!!  I have a large curved glass cabinet in the living room so she resides on the top shelf and seems to hum inaudible sounds that only the boys can hear to tease them.  Truly, I found both of them sitting in front of the cabinet looking up at her and then turning back to me as if to tell me to make her stop!  You have to love a doll with that sort of ability!  I should call her, "Anna Belle, the Cat Whisperer" !!

I hope you enjoyed seeing her, and I wish for you to meet a kindred spirit in your future like I felt I have in Joycee.

It is back to the studio for me today so I will post what I'm up to next later this week.  Have a great week all!

Laurie

Drum Roll Please.......

Last night I hosted a blog sale and gave you the opportunity to win this little Halloween candy container.  The window was narrow as you only had from between 7 p.m. until midnight to enter.  My husband pulled the number and I counted down the list, and blinked, counted again and it was confirmed, it was Lori Davis!!!

Lori, I hope you like this little fellow.  Email me your address and I'll get him shipped out to you!!

A huge thank you to all of the customers that quickly made their selections last night and made the show a success, and for entering the giveaway!! 

Thank you for your support!

Laurie 

We're Home from Ghoultide!!!

Goodness, where does the time go?!!   I got home very late Wednesday night and saw multiple postings regarding Ghoultide on Thursday, and realized almost a week had gone by already!  Yesterday was unpacking, laundry, mail, and email day, along with some errand running and suddenly the day was over and I realized so was the trip!  Today I was really excited to get into my pictures, and was very disappointed with the quality. Sadly, it was me and not the camera to blame so I don't have much to share as far as booth photos are concerned.    Below is the only decent picture I have from my table and you can see that my lighting was a problem before the show opened.  So sorry to disappoint you!  Oh, and can you believe I won a runner-up for booth display...can't show you why because the photo didn't turn out!  I was honored to be in the company of William Bezek (winner of best display) and Nicole Sayer (runner up) as fellow award winners.

The morning at Ghoultide started with light rain, but what was so lovely was that it didn't seem to dampen the spirits of a single person in attendance.  Below are a few pictures of the decorated grounds.
 

Can you believe this painted pumpkin head by Scott Smith?!!!  You should see it in person!

 
Ghoultide Gathering was thrilling and the talent was just amazing.  So many artists that I have admired for years, and to be in their company was just a dream come true.  Many of us dined together with collectors and friends the night before the show and the sharing nature and good will was just palpable. Thank you to all of you that traveled to Ghoultide and took the time to introduce yourselves, purchased works and gave words of encouragement.  Artists frequently work alone and this contact and feedback is so inspiring and vital to our creative spirits.  I came away filled with ideas and revitalized to create new and hopefully better pieces.

A special thank you to my collectors....I couldn't continue to live this life without you and I am forever humbled that you choose to purchase my work.  Thank you all for making this show such a great success for me and every other artist at Ghoultide Gathering.

Hope to see you next year!
Laurie