Ladies and gentlemen, the Poe toaster

Yesterday (Jan. 19) was Edgar Allan Poe's birthday and I noticed in the news that the legendary "Poe toaster" did not make an appearance in Baltimore. For decades, a mysterious figure has placed three roses on Poe's grave, made a toast and left a half empty bottle of cognac at the site on the great writer's birthday. This is the third year, according to news reports, that he did not show up. Perhaps it was because it was only meant to continue until Poe's 200th birthday (which was in 2009). The world may never know.

A lifelong fan of Poe myself, I can remember taking down our very, very old copies of his complete works from a shelf almost too high to reach, as a little girl, and reading "The Pit and the Pendulum." I don't know why, but that story really appealed to me. Maybe it was all those Saturday afternoons watching Hammer horror films and Vincent Price movies on Channel 48 with my dad, but I'm sure that we saw quite a few Poe adaptions over the years. At any rate, I always wind up going back to him, and there's nothing better than reading Poe on a dark and rainy night when the lights go out.

And as a general fan of mysterious figures and cemeteries, I am sorry to hear that there may not be any more Poe toasts of that nature. I painted my little tribute, above, to the humorous double meaning of the name, but it's meant with great love. I hear "Poe toaster" and, well, that's the first image that comes to mind (maybe it's since I don't drink, but love breakfast foods). I added in the three roses and half-empty bottle as a nod to the real toaster.

And really, wouldn't you want great horror writers' images on all of your kitchen appliances? A big nod to one of my friends who suggested a "Bram Stoker's spatula" or a "chopping Bloch" to continue that idea, though I haven't done any paintings in that vein yet. :)

Valentine Witches revisited

About 10 years ago, maybe nine, I did the painting above on 16 x 20 stretched canvas -- the photo above is not high res but you can tell what it looked like though the colors are muted because of the lighting. I really love that "winter sky" palette -- the pinkish cold tint as the sun sets, and all of the pastel ice cream shades that I associate with it. As much as I love dark and gothic colors, I also like these shades. And for some reason I really, really love "Candyland" images of heart and stripes all among the snow. So, whatever your thoughts are about Valentine's Day, that whole set of images really appeals to me.

And most of all it's an excuse to paint fancy dresses! My witch paintings are always little fantasies of dresses I want to wear. And yes I do wind up making a lot of dresses like that. Stripes and hearts -- and bustles, and bodices, oh my! I haven't made any like that in awhile since my size has been fluctuating the past couple of years but I will always have a strong longing to wear bustles, petticoats and bell sleeves.

For instance, this Simplicity Pattern for Alice in Wonderland and the Queen of Hearts really embodies what I want out of a dress! I have this pattern, so we'll see what happens.

Since I wanted to recapture this image now that I can get a high-res scan of it, I did a 9 x 12 version of the same approximate image. Now you can see how bold and bright the colors should be, though I had to cluster the main parts of the image in the middle. I also wanted to be able to make prints of the image so I wanted something easier to make into an 8 x 10.

This painting is available on Etsy right now.


The snowy season won't be around long though (and admittedly I am writing from a place where it was 73 degrees and I was out in short sleeves today) so my tube of white paint will get a break soon. Even though I was in no danger of seeing "the white stuff" this winter I can enjoy its aesthetic a lot more when I don't have to shovel it. But bare trees and blankets of white on the forest floor will always be beautiful!

Psychedelic Sunday

Maybe it's my proximity to the fantastic Menil Collection lately, a museum in Houston with a fantastic surrealism room, but I've been in a very surreal mood so far this year. It's really my favorite art movement -- that and the Symbolists, and the Pre-Raphaelites, but it's the one that I think stretches the furthest back and the deepest for me.

And on the other hand, I watched Yellow Submarine the other day, a lifetime favorite, but which I haven't seen in awhile. Stir in a healthy helping of going through a Bonzo Dog Doo-dah Band phase this week and you've got an interesting cocktail of images and ideas and weirdness to be swirling around right now.





So with that, I give you some recent paintings. "Lucy the Snail in Dessertland", above, was inspired by a little character that I saw several times in the background in Yellow Submarine, which was a snail with a colorful shell -- but I mistook the shell for a cupcake! I thought that was a nice idea though so I gave this snail a cupcake shell back.

I thought I'd take that idea a step further and make another mollusc into a dessert treat. I admit this is a little odd. I took what I think is an auger sea shell, the long pointy ones that look a bit like an ice cream cone, and made it into an ice cream cone animal underwater.



01.16 - edited to add one more painting, I might put him in a separate post too but I did him last night after completing this entry. It was kind of impossible to resist once I started doing molluscs with desserts. This one doesn't have a dessert as part of his structure though, he's just carrying the ice cream around, but I had to do it once the idea occurred to me!




On an unrelated note, I also completed a painting I've been wanting to do for awhile. My ghost bottles print has an extremely well-viewed and liked item and I took the idea of ghosts in bottles and transported them into lava lamps for this piece, "Spectrum of Psychedelic Spectres." The original ix 6 x 12 inches but I also made a print that is 8 x 10 inches on photo paper, and it has a wide border at the top and bottom to make up for the strange size.


Here is the painting (above)...


And here (again, above) is the print.


Some of the other things I've been messing around with are the surreal alien landscape paintings I did about three years ago (in January) and working on presenting them as prints. I don't think I ever gave this piece below a more complicated name than "Alien Moon" but it's one of my favorites. I kept the original but I have prints of this now available.



And finally, on the psychedelic theme, I uncovered this painting I did in 2010 and decided to bring it out to share, with some of the flora and fauna of the warmer climate that I am currently enjoying, with flowers known as firewheels (or Indian blanket flower) and passion flowers, as well as my little friends the lizards. I wound up calling it "Sunset in the Magic Garden" (below):



I am working on something for Valentine's Day right now and a few other odds and ends I need to scan or write up a little something about but it's a busy time for art right now -- and enjoying the nice weather and lack of snow, and later sunsets!

Fundraising for a friend

A friend of mine is facing some expensive veterinary surgery for her beautiful black cat, and I thought I'd chip in by donating all proceeds (before shipping cost) from the sale of prints of my black cat painting "Guardian of Pumpkin Woods." I also sold the original and have donated the proceeds from that painting. The prints are 5 x 7 and are $8 each, plus $2 shipping in the US or $4 shipping elsewhere. I have some in stock right now and can ship next business day after purchase - I will continue to donate proceeds from this print to her fund as long as there is a need.

The original was inspired by my own black cat, Voudoun, and I have two more black cats in my life as well, so they are pretty near and dear to my heart, as are all cats! My white cat Shizuka is the love of my life as well, even though she gets fur all over all my black clothing. :)

I have a few other 5 x 7 prints back in stock too, and most of my prints can be custom ordered in other sizes depending on the size of the original (if the original was 5 x 7 for instance, a print that is 8 x 10 will look like it's been blown up too large, so check individual listings).

New art for the new year!

I didn't manage to get one of those "end of year" things going this year but I do have a "first of the new year" to share -- immersed as I am in surreal and psychedelic things lately I feel like doing some circus inspired art despite the fact that I have never been to a circus or particularly interested in them. But the images are stuck in my brain, so what can I do but obey! This is "Hydrangea" so-named because her three-headed snake is something like a hydra...and I like hydrangeas, the flowers. She seems very pretty, innocent and flower-like.

I don't think I've done a lot along these lines in the past (circus themes) -- here is the most prominent, "Night Circus in the Pine Barrens," still available on etsy:



I have several two-headed woman paintings that I will have to repaint in order to offer them as prints (the originals were done and sold before I had access to high-resolution scanning that would allow for print-making):




'Lili et Rosa" was something I painted about 10 years ago, maybe 9...I think I would definitely like to do a new version of this so I can offer her as a print.


And continuing that theme, another painting which I unfortunately didn't record the name for so I will have to come up with a new one!


Finally, one that I do have a print available for, since I think she has kind of circus or carnival atmosphere to her...


So that's where things are at right now. I'm watching a lot of colorful arty movies and reading some surrealist books so that should be fueling some more things in the months to come...and I am in no danger of seeing any snow right now so I guess I am well out of the winter art mindset already!

Dark side of the holidays

I'm delighted to now be a member of the Etsy Dark Team - still dotting a few i's as I update all my pages to reflect that, but I thought I'd celebrate by posting a few "dark" items of gothic sensibility that I haven't shared in awhile. Above, "Mistress of the Purple Tower" was the first painting that I did in 2010 or the last in 2009 -- I remember working on it right on New Year's Eve into the morning.

For a sampling of the kind of things the team offers, just type EtsyDarkTeam in the search field in Etsy, visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EtsyDarkTeam or the blog page at http://etsydarkteam.blogspot.com/.



"She felt bad for the beetle and wished to release it from its glass prison" is the overlong title for this little painting, which I did in 2008 when I started doing small paintings to illustrate little images that seemed like they belonged in old gothic stories. Women with candles, ghosts wandering through towers, and all the other things that have come to dominate my recent doodles. I wanted to give them names that sounded like sentences from a strange story.


"The pomegranate seeds glistened like blood" is another in this little series -- a ghost haunted by the blood red fruit of the pomegranate in a cold tower. As a side note, this has very wintry colors to my mind -- the ice blues and the berry blood red.

"Alone Again" is a 9 x 12 painted in very early 2009 to reflect the cold and distant feeling of winter. I like that feeling in winter actually -- in January, when the holidays are over and there's nothing but a dismal grey sky, grey trees and maybe snow, depending on where you are. I would always take a vacation week at that time of year just to be alone and read and paint. This is a nice little reflection of that feeling.

My coupon code HOLIDAY20 good for 20% off is still active as of this writing, Dec. 3, and I will leave it active at least for a little while longer, in the spirit of things...because why not!

Handmade for the Holidays

Candy Cane Witch makes me want to eat the gingerbread house I have in the other room! Well here we are, the big weekend, the weekend in which I will probably not venture out of the house/woods because I don't like crowds and I don't need anything they sell in the mall. Because like many people, I would rather give and receive something that is made by myself, by a person I know or an artisan or craftsperson who cares about their work, than something produced en masse. These gifts don't have to be expensive, and thanks to the Internet, you can get a gift from far away from a like-minded Maker-of-Things, without having to leave the house. That's what the Handmade for the Holidays idea is all about.

I won't be able to spend any money myself this holiday season, but I do have a variety of original art and prints available in my Etsy shop if anyone would like to give the gift of art this year, some with a winter theme, many with a year-round appeal if you like fantasy, gothic, fairytale and psychedelic art. See my Winter Art Round-Up post for a winter-focused list, or just browse my shop. The prints are all of a size you can easily get a pre-made frame for, and much of the original art is also a standard size.

For the people close to me, I will be making gifts this year, either artwork or knit/crocheted items. Last year I was able to give something to many people I know, because I spend my free time at home knitting instead of grappling for position in an overcrowded store.

Here is a selection of some of the handmade items that some of my friends and online acquaintances offer. Art, music, fiction, scented goodies, graphic arts, handspun fiber and much more. And I included some interesting blogs and podcasts that friends of mine are involved with as well. I will keep adding to this as more friends make suggestions to me, and I will link back to this post.


Art:

Bethy Williams Interdimensional Art

http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/bethywilliams

Photography:

Deirdre Ryan Photography (New Jersey area)

http://www.deirdreryan.com
http://blog.deirdreryan.com

Music:

Dark Holler Arts
(including the band I am in, Stone Breath, and friends)
http://www.darkhollerarts.com/

Lycia
http://www.lyciummusic.com

Mike Hamel and the Amber Lamps:
http://reverbnation.com/mikehamel

Korperschwache
http://www.korperschwache.com/

Lettering and Letterpress:

Word Illusions (custom ambigrams):
http://www.tiffanyharvey.com

Presse Dufour (design and letterpress)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/pressedufour


Fiction:

Hyacinthe Raven (her new book is "Dial 999")
http://www.realityasylumbooks.com/

Tara VanFlower ("Violent Violet")
Ebook:
http://amzn.com/B003YCPG1O
Paperback:
http://www.cafepress.com/tara_vanflower.460011264

Fiber Arts (art yarn):

Three Ravens:
http://www.threeravens.net

Terry Had a Little Lamb:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/terryhadalittlelamb

Perfumery and Bath:

13 Gypsies Perfumery:
http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/13GypsiesPerfumery

Sideshow Soap Co.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SideshowSoapCo

Conjure Oils
http://www.conjureoils.com

Possets Perfumes
http://www.possets.com

Jewelry and Accessories:

Od Peacock Jewelry:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/odpeacock

Peach Fuzz Jewelry:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/PeachFuzzAccessories

And I also wanted to promote some friends' work on the internet, in blog and podcast form, here are some projects that some friends of mine are involved with:

Painted Lady Finger (nail polish and beauty products blog):
http://www.paintedladyfingers.com

Pre-Recorded Late Night (free improv comedy podcast)
http://pre-recorded.com/

Miss Gender: A Transgender Woman Tells Her Story
http://missgender.com/


Thanks for looking, and happy holidays!

Winter art round-up

Everyone already seems ready to start in on the holiday season in the first days of November, and since mail order can take time, I'm not going to wait any longer to launch my own winter art for the season! I'll continue to post new things as they become available, since I have a lot of painting planned. I will link back to this post whenever I post new winter art though, since it's nice to have it all in one place. I love painting snow for some reason -- that color scheme really appeals to me and I love the magical worlds that can be created with snow and ice as the themes. I hope to offer some more child-friendly art with snowy witch themes, maybe some winter animals like owls and penguins, and some gothic graveyard in the snow art as well, as the season progresses.

Commissions for the holidays can be accepted at least through the end of this month, looking at my schedule so far...I'll post a note if I get too busy to take on new ones but for now, I'm good to go!

Above, "Haunted by Snow Ghosts" is the newest original painting I have in my shop with a winter/snow theme. It is 7 x 9 inches which is a nice size for gift giving. Ghosts aren't just for Halloween, I think they are wonderful in winter too!

"Snowflake Witch" is an original 9 x 12 painting currently available. I have previously painted a very similar image but I wanted to create a new one so that I can offer her again, and also have new high resolution images available for future print-making. Right now if anyone wants a print, contact me and I can make one up in 5 x 7 or 8 x 10; they will be added to my regular shop stock in the future.

"Shards of Color" is another original currently available in 9 x 12 with snow, ice and pastel colors - great for kids or adults, a gentle but surreal little piece.

"Snow Snail" is another surreal snow painting, and the newest print I've added from a relatively recent painting (I sold the original about two years ago I think). A faceless figure is led through a snowy landscape by a strange snail. I have a 5 x 7 in stock but since the original was 8 x 10 I can make that size upon request as well.

"Snow Cauldron," also in stock as an 8 x 10.

"Candy Cane Path" has a childlike feel and would fit nicely in a kid's room or for a witch-loving adult.


"Valentine Witch" doesn't have to wait until February, she's a winter witch who just happens to have some hears on her wings and dress. :)

I'll post more as I do them, and probably continue with winter art well past the holidays if the mood strikes me...it's hard to stop once I get started!

Little tiny canvases and movie-inspired art

A local art store was having a special on wee tiny 2 x 3 canvases so I have loaded up on them and am obsessed with the idea of making "quadtychs" -- like a triptych, I guess, but there are four paintings in each. This is my first one but there will be more -- basically each will show a continuous scene, but in four parts. They can be displayed side by side continuously, like so:

Or framed individually, or arranged as a square, or whatever! I am very thrilled by them anyway . :P More are planned!

I keep uncovering more and more images that I needed to either update or post anew -- for instance I had some paintings on ArtFire, but I closed that shop for now and I never moved the art back to my Etsy shop. I'm in the process of doing that but in the spirit of Halloween here are a couple that I put up with sort of horror themes.

"She Kills With Colors" has a title inspired by giallo movies, though the image suggests sort of a devil woman who hypnotized her victims with psychedelics. Doesn't it? If it was a movie ~I'D~ want to see it, that's for sure.


And "The Devil Wants a Wife" is inspired by things like pulp horror book/magazine covers or movie posters, from anywhere in the mid-20th century. I've always wanted to do lots of things along those lines but I keep getting sidetracked...

While we're at it I also was able to update the image for this piece, which I had previously photographed but the scan gives it a much more clear and crisp appearance on a computer monitor. This was inspired by the Jean Rollin film "Fascination" which features a cloaked woman with a scythe, but I wouldn't suggest searching for the film if you're at work or in another environment where naked ladies might not be good to have on your screen, because Jean Rollin films are full of them.


And with that we are one day closer to actual Halloween, which is different from the one that I celebrate which is pretty much continuous, though I still never go to parties. :P

Halloweekend!

"A lantern lit the shadows" - now available as a 5 x 7 photo print.

Ok yes I am not the first person to use the phrase "Halloweekend," I admit. :P

I have a pile of new art waiting to scan and post, that is very much along Halloween lines but of course I am posting it just right around the big day itself. No matter! I pretty much observe Halloween all year long -- it just dropped to 57 degrees in Texas today and I hear it is supposed to be snowing this weekend up north where my mom, cats and turtles are hopefully putting on sweaters.

I can't wait to share some of my new work, which ranges from cute to grimly gothic, and some completely unrelated somewhat abstract things, and a little sci fi, but I've been going through my winter art box and finding a few treats to put back in my shop for the season as well.

In the meantime I thought I would gather all of my monochrome ghost paintings/prints here in one spot for fun and for reference in case anyone wanted to see them. Up top is a new print of a painting that sold a little while back -- I wasn't sure how the dark colors would reproduce in a print but I think it worked out just fine! Right below are a couple of more recent pieces still available as originals:





Now, below here is a ghost I painted several years ago who is still available -- again, I think watching too much Dark Shadows inspired it. I also did a commission recently for a variation on this image, of the goddess Hekate, which I will post just below it with some of her symbols around her. It was a joy to create this image and I am grateful to the person who wanted it, for entrusting me with it!

And now, the Hekate variation:



Finally, my most popular piece, the original sold three years ago to a friend and I didn't think it would reproduce as a print because there's so much dark coloring, but another friend asked for a print so I made one and it looked great! Now it has more views, hearts and treasuries than anything else I have on Etsy, and whenever one sells I list another. The original was 8 x 10 so I probably won't offer prints larger than that, but right now I still have a 5 x 7 up for sale.



So there is some grim and occasionally cute dark gothic ghostly stuff for you -- I keep this stuff available all year of course, but for some reason people seem to be more interested in it in October...