Dark things...

Hello Lovelies!

Another week has passed and I have juicy and wonderful things to share with all of you. In fact, this whole post is going to be about things you need to check out.

First, if you are in the Portland, Maine area and you like live jazz, you need to stop by Blue. I went there with friends last night to see a quartet and it was atop knotch. The atmosphere is dark and intimate, the acts they get in are amazing and they have a good wine list and menu. Check it out!

Funny anecdote for you all. In 2 weeks, I am throwing a roller skating party for my Sweetie's birthday and I'm making everyone wear 70's clothing. That's right. Well, we went into the good old Salvation Army yesterday to start putting some outfits together and I was shocked/surprised by the amount of polyester up in that joint! I thought it would be mainly 80's, but no, we scored some great finds. I will be taking many photos and will of course share with all of you, the vintage craziness... Standby for that. (And that's a photo from Roller Boogie, a 1979 classic starring Linda Blair. Seriously.)

Speaking of vintage clothing, if you like the retro look, you need to check out Plasticland. This site carries tons of really cute, unique retro clothing and accessories. Below are just a couple of items I'm personally coveting...

I have discovered a wonderful artist that I'm sure those of you who enjoy pulp art may already know. Phil Hale, is an illustrator and painter (who unfortunately, doesn't have a portfolio site) who utilizes a photo realistic style juxtapositioned with morbid and fantastical subject matter to create an atmosphere of silent and imminent dread. I love his work. Here are a couple of his paintings. Creepy, creepy stuff.

And, let's wrap up with a movie review, shall we? Of course we shall... I'm going to recommend a new one to you Lovelies because it's one of the better ones I've seen in awhile. Orphan. Holy smokes is this movie wack. This flick takes the typical sociopathic adopted child scenario to a whole new level. And the twist at the end??? I won't spoil it with too many details, suffice it to say I was pleasantly shocked. Go out and rent it... now.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams.

Heeeeere's the Winner!

Hello Lovelies!

First (because I know you've all been anxiously waiting to hear), the winner of the giveaway is Noella! She will receive the entire Alice in Wonderland print set free. Congratulations Noella and thank you all for entering, your movie and book suggestions will keep me busy through the winter.

More business to discuss then the fun parts. My Seahorse Palace photo made it to the front page this week, which is always a bit gratifying.

And, I have listed three new photos in the shop; Sky Full of Amusement, Onion Rings and Dark Car. These were all taken at the Fryeburg Fair up here in Maine that I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Fun stuff. (And yes, all of those rides were that close together, no Photoshopping there folks... crazy.)

So, I went thrifting today for a new project I'm starting for a gallery show I'm in this December. I've decided to repurpose old frames/plaques into new pieces of artwork. I'm really excited about these pieces and if it comes out half as good as it looks in my mind's eye, I think you'll like it too! Here are the pieces I will be converting to art. Yes, they look rough now, but you just wait...

And I picked up this totally neat old photo in a tin frame while I was out. Sweet isn't it? I swear everyone was stylish in the 40's... Sigh.

This new project I'm doing was partly inspired by one of my favorite artists; Mark Ryden. If you don't know his work, go to his site. Wonderful, whimsical, dark and funny. He gets it. Lovely work. Anyway, he has a new Blood series that's perfect as always (can you tell I'm a big fan?) and it uses old frames and small scale to make a big statement. So, I decided to create a series mixing old and new and small size to create a wall arrangement in the gallery. Here are some of his Blood pieces...

And let's wrap up with a little movie-related bragging on my part. A theater up here in Maine was showing The Shining on the big screen last week and I got to see it with friends. Talk about amazing. I'm not a huge Stanley Kubrick fan in general, and I like Clockwork Orange better, but on the big screen, you really get what he was doing with The Shining. It was amazing. Truly. If you ever have the chance to see it at a theater... go.

Until next time: Unpleasant Dreams...

Put on a mask...

Hello Lovelies!

So much to share as usual! First, this will be the last post before the post next Sunday (November 1st), announcing the winner of the giveaway! A ton of great suggestions so far... I'm glad you Poppets get it. For those just coming onboard, the giveaway that ends October 31st is for an entire set of my Alice in Wonderland photo illustrations ($65 value). All you have to do to enter, is give me a movie or book idea you think I'd like and leave your email or shop name so I can notify the winner. Less than a week left!

I went to a superhero themed costume party last night and how much fun was that?! We got all decked out. Here are some pics of us ready to go. (Mystique wasn't messing around, her costume was amazing.)

Oh, and one of the Sword Swallower pieces was featured in a great Treasury this week. So many other neat carnival-themed photos in there too. Love it.

It's no secret I am a big fan of the Morbid Anatomy blog. You wanna know why? Oh, because every post is sheer awesome and talks about things I've never heard of. Case and point, a recent post talked about Cabaret du Néant or Tavern of the Dead in Paris circa 1899. This tavern had a death theme down to the coffin tables and a meander through some catacombs guided by an undertaker. More details at Morbid, but how much does it make me wish I had lived in 1899, in Paris? Awesome.

And, let me wrap up with another favorite movie of mine based on a book by William March; The Bad Seed. The book is very good and pretty astute for its day (1956), and the movie is even better. Like so many movies about sociopathic children, it covers the various nefarious doings of one Rhoda Penmark. Wow. Really. Just watch it. Between the killings and the manipulation and the internal struggles of her mom and the acting, it's first rate gang. Truly. *Shudder* Enjoy.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Pulp Halloween...

Hello Lovelies!

As Halloween approaches, there is a whole lot of awesome going on at The Stapelia Company and just in general and I can't wait to pass it along! First, a reminder, that the 1 Year Anniversary Giveaway goes until Halloween (October 31st), and I will announce the winner November 1st. All you have to do, is comment on any blog post that mentions the giveaway with a book or movie you think I'd like and your Etsy shop name or email address so I can contact the winner. (If you're just coming over to play, the giveaway is an entire set of my Alice in Wonderland art illustrations.)

Ooo! I went to a pumpkin carving party last night and it was a blast needless to say. I was dared into making my own pumpkin design since I was "The only one in the room who could draw" so I went for the zombie... take a peek!

And, I just listed the third scratchboard piece in my Night Revelry Series, the Vampire Boy. He's fun, feisty and comes with a wonderful letter pressed matte from Yee Haw Industries! Perfect for that last minute Halloween gift.

I, like most people, really enjoy the pulp covers from the 3o's and 40's; they're colorful and bold and scandalous (just the way we like it here)... Well, imagine my delight when I came across a spread in Harper's Bazaar UK that features Claudia Schiffer as the young ingenue in various pulp fiction-inspired fashion shots. Here are just a few... needless to say. Wonderful.

And, another wonderful find for design enthusiasts in particular is the Grain Edit, a site dedicated to wonderful graphic design. My personal favorite was the interview with Hatch, a San Francisco based design team who makes wonderful things. I especially loved the paper ephemera and research and sketches they used to come up with the packaging for Jaqk Cellars, a wine label. Love it. Go take a peak!

Let's wrap up with a movie review because it's been awhile and it's October, the perfect month for Halloween movies. I want to recommend a personal favorite of mine; Elvira Mistress of the Dark. (Yes, that's both a movie title and a character name folks...) Why is this movie so great? Let's start off with the hilarious puns and sexual innuendos, then we can move on to the 80's era clothing and hairstyles (including banana clips, pumps with jeans, and of course, mullets), and finish up with the totally ridiculous plot and characters. Oh, and the ending is worth the price of admission... Love it. Own it. Recommend it. Now go find a copy!

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Fairs, Owls & Full Moons...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, fall has really set in up here in Maine and that means it's fair time! I went to the Fryeburg Fair yesterday up north. I go every year for the food, the rides, the photo opportunities and of course, the people watching. I wasn't disappointed on any front this year. I got some really good photos that I'll be adding to the shop soon. Here are some others I took because is there anything cuter than fuzzy draft horse hooves? I think not... (And yes, those rides were about to hit each other.) Crazy.

I picked up a really cute Halloween decoration the other day to add to my collection. I can't resist an owl and this guy had glitter too which makes him darn near perfect. Love it!

Oh! I have some exciting news to announce! I am doing my first ever GIVEAWAY on November 1st in celebration of Stapelia's one year anniversary. I will be giving a complete set of my Alice in Wonderland print series to a person chosen at random. All you need to do is comment on any post between now and then with a book or movie you think I would enjoy and your email/shop name so I can contact you if you win. That's it! I will announce the winner on November 1st.

I have found some really great artists lately that I need to share. First, Mikey Burton is a designer who also does letter press and a variety of other things. His work is pretty great (and you know I'm a sucker for good design and letter press.) Here are a couple of his event posters. Great stuff.

I'm sure you've all heard of the photographer Diane Arbus, she was one of the first photographers to take pictures of people on the fringe of society; carnival workers, everyday people, transvestites, the elderly. Her work is truly wonderful, it captures the intimacy of the people and their (in many cases) hard lives simultaneously. Also, there is a wonderful movie called Fur that's very loosely based on her life that you should check out. It's beautifully filmed and fascinating. Below are two of her pictures. Love these.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Black is the new black...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, the weather is turning colder up here in Maine and the days are shorter and grayer and you know what that means. Perfect weather for creating new art! (Or, writing how-to articles.) I did an article for My Shopping Connection recently, a little how-to on creating scratchboard illustrations. Go check it out!

I have been so busy, so I'm just going to post a ton of pictures of my new work so you have some eye candy. Sounds good, huh? Below are 2 out of 3 new scratchboard pieces I've listed as part of my Night Revelry series. They come matted in letter pressed mattes from Yee Haw Industries. Very nice. Perfect for Halloween.

Then I listed 2 new art photos that I think bring some color to this fall weather. These pieces are entitled Pumpkin Camaro and Carnival Jewels.

And last but not least is Leonidas the Dog-Faced Boy, the latest addition to my Cigar, Creeper & Dark Circus and Sideshow series. I love how this one came out! I'm doing another shot for this series tomorrow so standby...

I have discovered a wonderful painter on Etsy who's sweet as pie. Alex Kuno does dark and intriguing paintings with subjects and titles that make you wish there was a novel to go with them. The pieces below are entitled The Fog and The Vengeful Dunces. Beautiful.

And I want to wrap up with 2 pieces of awesomeness! As you all know I puffy heart Tim Burton. He recently did a fashion shoot inspired by his movies and aesthetic for Harper's Bazaar magazine that is just amazing. The pics below give you just a taste of the awesome. And, here's even better news. The Museum of Modern Art in New York is doing a major retrospective on Tim Burton's work that opens November 22nd. I'm there. Totally. Can't wait.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

I am the clown with the tear-away face...

Hello Lovelies!

So much to share with all of you. Let's start with old business. First, all of my Alice in Wonderland paintings are now complete and dropped off at the gallery! Hooray. Here's the 4 that go with the Queen of Hearts piece from the last post. Oh, I should take this opportunity to tell you all that if you're ever really interested in a gallery piece I post on here, please send me an email and I will gladly give you purchase details.

Speaking of paintings, I just listed 4 original 3 x 3 inch clown paintings in the shop. These little gems would make perfect stocking stuffers for that odd friend or perhaps in a baby's nursery if you're a progressive parent. (The colors are right at least...)

I have also finally listed the buttons in the shop. I have decided to offer these buttons as limited edition sets and not have them reprinted when they run out so I can make new ones and keep it fresh. Get them while you can! They're quite charming...

And exciting news! I am getting ready to list the first male in the Cigar, Creeper & Dark Circus and Sideshow series my Pets! The photo is taken and almost ready... he's going to be a doozy. I'll show it off next time...

I have discovered a wonderful new (to me) blog that I wanted to pass along. Wurzeltod is a quirky, dark, humorous and at times downright disturbing source for wonderful imagery of the bizarre. I don't even know where she finds this stuff, but find it she does, in profusion. Below are just two (creepy) examples of the work she digs up. The piece on the left is by Tari Nakagawa and the piece on the right is untitled by James Jean. Haunting, I love them both!

And let's wrap up with a bit of news, shall we? So did you read about the pilot in Concord, CA who was stalking his ex-girlfriend with a plane?! What the?! Apparently, he was flying low over her subdivision and neighbors called in to complain about it. He was promptly arrested. Apparently this low-flying business had been going on for a year. Really? I just don't know people...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...