Vacation Land...

Hello Lovelies-

This is going to be a random post folks, I'm warning you right now. First, I would like to let you all know that this blog was nominated by We Blog Artists for a Lemonade Award! Now, I'm not 100% sure what that means, but I'm flattered and grateful. (Maybe it means people aren't bored with this blog, we don't know...) Stapelia will also be featured in another blog shortly and I will link up to that when it posts. I'm very happy that people appreciate what I do!

Secondly, I am part of the Etsy Maine Team and there is an ACEO competition going on right now on the Maine Team Blog. Basically, it's a challenge to all Maine Team members to create a Maine-related ACEO (2 1/2" x 3 1/2" art trading cards for those not familiar) from recycled materials and post it to the blog. Well, here is mine folks entitled: Vacation Land. I really had fun with this... fingers crossed because they're all good! 

And lastly, it's random news/observation time. Apparently in December, the town of Brighton, Michigan passed an ordinance making it illegal to be "annoying" in public, "by word of mouth, sign or motions." Violators can be ticketed and fined. I guess Richard Simmons, Liza Minelli, Kenny G., and Miley Cyrus will need to steer clear... Sigh. I wish Maine had this ordinance. 

Until next time: unpleasant dreams.

Spies, Smokers & Scary Dolls

Hello Lovelies-

As promised, the new female spy illustrations are up in the shop! I am really excited about these ladies; dangerous, heartless and lovely they're a deadly combination. Here's a sample:

Also, I am in love with a shop on Etsy, and while I'm not a doll fan (I mean, who is NORMALLY?), I puffy heart the little beauties at Loopy Boopy. They're creepy and cute and look like you'd went them to be a pet, a child or maybe a nice monster under the bed and really, who am I to decide which?

As I sit here listening to Shania Twain's I Ain't No Quitter (does that mean she IS a quitter, and yes, I'm a longtime fan and YES it's a good song), I am in a strange mood, a mood that calls a lot of things into question. No, we're not getting political or deep here folks, I'm talking about some of the crazy junk I have up in the mill of course! Like this little lady:

Have you guys ever seen one of these? It's a Smoking Fiji from Japan back in the day and I have a couple. Why do I love them so much? Is it because they smoke and stereotype? Uh, yes and no, I just like the smoking. It puffs out like this little lady is actually enhaling! Nice, huh? Or at least interesting? 

Let me leave you with this random bit of news; did you hear about the alligator that ran up on a baseball field and attacked someone here recently? Now, I think they're okay, but I don't think that's what the coach meant when he said "go deep" folks. Until next time: unpleasant dreams.

Girls who spy...

Hello Lovelies!

So I've been working on a new set of illustrations for the shop that I'm really excited about. I can't reveal anything yet because they are still in the sketch phase. But they play with the idea of female spies throughout history. (Not ACTUAL female spies, just women in period clothing because history is a bit boring to me.) The point is, they're going to be neat and I will probably post them this weekend.

I wanted to share with you kids some pics I took down by the pier near where I live. It was a beautiful day and the post with the face on it made me laugh for some reason. He looks like Redi (sp?) Kilowatt in concrete.

There's a really cool gallery in Portland called SPACE that's very progressive and they always have something neat going on. Last night, I went to an artist show-and-tell night where people had 6 minutes to talk about slides of their work. It was interesting and I saw some neat works and it made me realize most artists should get reps to do their public speaking for them while they stay in the studio. But overall, very neat. If you live near Portland, check it out.

Oh, and a random bit of strange news as usual, did you kids hear about the courthouse in Florida that is completely infested with mice? Mice, running around during trials and sleeping in peoples' purses? Literally so many, they're falling through the ceiling? The facility manager said he's "Put down a few traps" but really folks, is a few going to be enough? Sounds to me like they might want to look into a blow torch and some gasoline at this point.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams.

Lurking...

Hello Lovelies-

Well, as the title suggests, we're going to the dark side tonight. First up, I've listed some new art prints in the shop that I'm really excited about. Illustrations and photos (including the clown prints and the elephant one I showed in a previous post), and with the Vivera inks and Epson Premium paper these prints are really beautiful folks, trust me. Here are a couple I listed, the first based on the writings of Ray Bradbury, the second Edgar Allen Poe:

Also, I'm totally puffy hearting a new illustrator I found today on Friday Illustration. (Think Corpse Bride meets Rankin Bass.) He works in the Red Nose Studio and his three-dimensional puppets are to die for. Really, the work speaks for itself so check it out, but I was also fascinated by his blog where he shows his process and some sketches. VERY neat. You'll love it if you're a Tim Burton fan like I am.

And, speaking of puffy hearts, I have to show you my most favorite pen in the world. Here she is:

I found it at an antique store and sent it to the Fountain Pen Hospital (no lie, it exists) and had it restored and now, I do all of my inking with it. Speedball has nothing on this Wearever.

And lastly, to leave you with a bit of "HUH?!" as usual. Did you hear the story about the 92 year old Chinese woman who went to the doctor complaining of a belly ache (no, this is not a joke) and upon doing a body scan, they found a dead fetus that had apparently been there for 48 YEARS?! She said she didn't have the money to have it removed back in what, '61?! Uh... I just don't know folks...  Until next time: unpleasant dreams.

V-Day

Hello Lovelies!

Well, yesterday was V-day and it seems opinions run the gamut on this particular holiday from "I loooove it!" to "Kill me." I personally had a wonderful V-day, while listening to one of my favorites; Patsy Cline (who also runs the gamut from melancholy to downright exuberant), I baked a marble cake with cream cheese frosting and I even whipped out the icing kit folks. I also made a card for my sweetie:

Today, I will be working out the final details to get some prints up in the shop. I hope to have those prints listed by tomorrow... we shall see. Come by and take a look.

I also found a really neat website called Illustration Friday that gives folks who love to draw a weekly topic to address via illustration and then you submit your drawing and they have a Pick of the Week. There are some really nice pieces up and it gives lovers of illustration some eye candy too. Check it out.

Lastly, some of you know I collect old cameras, I LOVE them. There's something about the buttons and the little levers that get me everytime. I recently got a Polaroid that I'd never seen before... and the name was the reason I got it. It's called The Swinger and the brochure reads: "Come meet, the Swinger." Now, I don't know if Swinger had different connotations back then, but that's a weird name for a camera, am I wrong? Anyway, until next time: unpleasant dreams.

Delivering the Goods...

Well Hello Lovelies!

The last couple of days have been pretty busy up in the studio. First, I added the finishing touches to the clown paintings, dirtied them all up so they look old and sideshow banner-like. 

Take a look:

I will be offering prints of these clowns at my shop so fear not my Lovelies. Or, you may come by the gallery if you live in Maine and get the originals!

I'm also pulling some of my other paintings out of my shop and putting those on consignment, this will give me room to add more exciting things and it gives me a chance to offer another look at the gallery. These may look familiar if you've ever visited:

And while we're on a circus theme, this is a photo I just submitted to a photo competition recently (fingers crossed gang). This photo was styled, shot and manipulated by me and it touches on the idea of animal cruelty in the modern-day circus. Prints will be available in the shop next week.

Whew! That's all for now Pets. Though I have a bit of sad news for you, the Guinness World Record holder for the longest fingernails just lost 28 feet of nails when she was thrown from her SUV in an accident and they broke off. Luckily, she wasn't hurt, but her fingernails are another story. Needless to say... Until next time: unpleasant dreams.

Yes, Clowns.

Well Hello Lovelies!

I am very excited to announce that I'll be putting some of my pieces into a local gallery/shop on consignment! In anticipation of this, I've been playing around with a new set of paintings... clowns. No, not scary Pennywise ones (though maybe eventually I'll do that), these little (4x4) gems could almost go in a baby's room... almost. (We don't want to get carried away with the sweet stuff.) They aren't done, more magic to do but here's a preview:

Sweet, huh? The last one's going to be the only girl in the gang.

Enough business talk, I've found a new illustrator who I absolutely love: Anke Weckmann. Go check her stuff out, she sells on Etsy too.

And as a last bit of randomness, I was reading an article today that said with the economy tanking out (my new favorite phrase... tanking, not economy) and I guess with winter (???) beard-growing (in men, obviously), is on the rise. In fact, sales of razors has decreased 1% since December and there's actually an International Beard Growing Contest & Championship with 36 chapters in the US. WHAT?! What the heck is going on here?! Not sure folks, what I DO know is too many people have too much time on their hands.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Maiden Voyage

Welcome my Lovelies! 

Like the Titanic and so many other luxurious (and in some cases ill-fated) undertakings, I am taking my maiden voyage. With a sense of humor and a little luck I may entertain you dear readers. More importantly, I'll give you a peek into my world, into The Stapelia Company, into my art and into my random musings which may be the best part of this deal gang because I believe life is a comedy and I have front row seats. No, this isn't some self-esteem seminar, I'm talking about taking those little things you see and hear in everyday life that make you think: "Huh?! What?!" or "Wow! That's cool!" or "Huh...that's not right" and putting a funny spin on them or incorporating them into my art and passing these gems along to you.

Take for example this mask I have in my studio for some reason:

Yes folks, that's the same mask because it's reversible. Now why would you give a child, who can barely see through the eye-holes, the option to flip the mask around and then wander out into traffic on Halloween? And why were these mass-produced? We don't know. And this is just the first of many things I'll be pondering and sharing. 

Until next time... (in the words of the inimitable Elvira Mistress of the Dark) unpleasant...dreams.