Cheers! 5 Years!

Hello Lovelies~

I hope this week finds you doing well out there! This is a milestone post for me. Why? Because with this post I have been blogging here at Stapelia for 5 years. That's a good long time for a blog to last and so many things have been shared with you loyal readers. During that time I: started an art print business, a photography business and a vintage men's goods business, I have had my work published in The Huffington Post and Laughing Squid, I have collaborated on over 200 conceptual photography projects, I got an actual photography studio and my work has grown by leaps and bounds! This is a perfect time to take stock in my progress and I am very proud of all I have accomplished with the help of some pretty amazing people. Most importantly, I still love doing it, so here's to 5 more!

Speaking of business, there's so much to share this week! I mentioned last week painting that parasol for that children's hospital out in Seattle. Well, that is done and is winging its way out to the West Coast and I am really pleased with how it came out. Take a look. Fun, huh? I hope it adds a bit of cheer to that space and helps them raise funds for such an amazing place.

And I mentioned last post that I had found an amazing piece that I would be offering very soon in STAG. Well, I finally had time to take some shots of it and here it is! This is a vintage Sportsman brand bird hunting coat in amazing condition. This coat weighs a ton and it is fashioned out of rubber and heavy suede with a liner. Those buckles in the front and the name, really give it some great touches. Why is the coat so heavy? No clue. But I suspect it's to protect the hunter from bird shot, which is amazing. Such a neat piece and it can be yours very, very soon.

I am all about neat old pieces this week. A friend recently gave me this amazing vintage doctor's bag that her father used for years as a veterinarian. So much history here and yet the bag still looks great. I cherish this piece, so I decided to restore the leather and brass fittings to make it into a neat shelf piece. I've gathered all the necessary tools to make it pretty again, now I'll get to work. I'll take a shot when it's done.

This past weekend, I went up north to a small town called Monmouth, to see a good friend perform in Doubt. The show was amazing, and I had wanted to see the inside of that theater for years. It is absolutely beautiful inside. Roughly 100 years old, this theater and library were built in literally the middle of nowhere for the people in Monmouth and neighboring towns. The craftsmanship and architectural details were astounding for a space in such a rural area. Wow. People really valued craftsmanship in everything they did back then no matter the location. One of the many reasons I adore old architecture. Take a look at some pics I took.

And speaking of beautiful, here are some pics I took of a beautiful sunset I saw when I was down at my studio in Saco the other evening and also some pretty, fresh flowers. Such a rarity this time of year. I love them.

And speaking of vintage beauty, I want to wrap up with an amazing company I recently discovered that makes gorgeous vintage-inspired signage of all kinds. I found the Sideshow Sign Co. via Pinterest and I was blown away. The website, the fonts, the construction by hand of all these beautiful signs, I was in heaven looking at it all. Some people really just get it. They get great aesthetic, they understand craftsmanship, they maintain a consistent level of quality. This company gets it. Take a look at some examples of their work. Amazing.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Glittery Goblins & Sunny Islands...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all doing well out there! Things here are so good I can barely stand it. To start, exciting news, I recently shot the crew over at Jack Tar 207 (an alternative lifestyle blog and creative team out of Portland), as you all know. (I've actually modeled for them as well.) They're doing great things in photography and fashion and just a whole ton of different things. Well, they were just featured on The Huffington Post! And one of my photos was featured in that article. Very exciting stuff for me personally since I enjoy and respect The Huffington Post immensely. Congrats, Jack Tar!

What else? Oh, I had mentioned a post or so back that I was hired to shoot the Color Rad Color Run up in Brunswick recently. Well, I finally have a couple of shots from that day to share. Because I had more studio experience with lighting etc., I was asked to shoot the photo booth at the end and I was so happy to do it! Great opportunities for those color-covered candids. Take a look! (That baby with the white-blue eyes was my favorite...)

As I mentioned last post, I've really been trying to build the lifestyle portion of my portfolio recently for new client work: people doing everyday things, scenic views, day-in-the-life type shots. Well, I decided to try to grab some Labor Day shots over on Peaks Island this past weekend. What a beautiful island and a perfect time of year: a perfect combination of colorful island flowers, bright boats and also some early fall foliage. I managed to shoot some real winners! Here are a couple and you can see the rest over at my Flickr feed.

So, as some who've followed this blog for a long time know, I used to paint. A lot. Painting was my primary artistic medium and I was fairly prolific. Well, when I fell head over heels for photography, I found I was too busy to produce both, so my painting fell to the wayside. Now, the only time I pick up a brush is if I get a commission (which, I find I actually get those more than when I was trying to get them), or when someone very special has a birthday or other special event. Well, it was the latter that got me to bust out those brushes recently to create my latest piece: Space Goblin. Like my artistic photography, most of my paintings are bright, whimsical and completely twisted. This little murderous goblin is no exception. Oh, and glitter. Lots and lots of glitter... Take a look!

And let's wrap up with this amazing artist with an amazing Etsy shop that I found recently: Derrick Castle is the owner of Straw Castle and he is a crazy good artist. His illustrations style is woodblock meets vector and his subject matter combines Native American imagery with motorcycle gang art and some Colonial America mixed up with skulls and southwestern influence. What? That's right. Take a look:

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Mohawks, Bouffants & Stags...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope your week is going well so far out there! A lot to share. To start, STAG is finally open for business and ready to roll. There is a Stag Facebook page for following all things man-related, but I will also post any neat finds or new product drops here or to my STAG Flickr album for your perusing pleasure. (Basically, I'm making it as easy as I can for you to shop!) I am always listing new things, so if you need special gifts or want to treat yourself or someone you love, stop by.

That photo up there is actually my Dad back in the day, I posted it for Father's Day because it fit so perfectly with the Stag look. I hope everyone out there had a great Father's Day! I sent my Dad a card because he lives 5 states away, and I spent the day with my Sweetie's Dad and family out in the sun. It was quite lovely.

And speaking of my Sweetie, I've been all about photographing crazy hair lately, so when I saw her sporting this 'hawk, I just had to snap a pic!

And speaking of crazy hair, I finally got a frame and painting light for the bouffant painting I shared with you guys from Brimfield a month or so back. She looks just perfect in her dark corner. I can't believe she was only $15!

I have recently been working on a project that I'm shooting the beginning of July. (I'll give you a hint, it has to do with the below image somewhat, but add in classic cars, cat fighting and craziness and you're getting warmer.)

My point is, in the course of my research, I've been looking at a ton of classic cars and I stumbled upon a site that you may enjoy if you like neat auto trivia: Hemmings. Heard of it? Well, this blog is just absolutely over-flowing with neat old car stuff. Check it out!

I want to wrap up with yet another corny/gross movie recommendation from the 70's. Wow, that era was just chockfull of crazy, wasn't it? The latest movie, is Squirm. Heard of it? Well, the basic premise is there is an area in something like Alabama or Mississippi where the earthworms have teeth and are violent. Add to the mix a freak lightening storm and some downed power lines and you know what that means... yep, killer worms. There is nothing even remotely plausible about this movie (and almost the entire cast are redheads, which begs the question: Why? Since this wasn't a plot point) and yet, I couldn't look away. It's definitely corny, but not so bad you want to stop watching and you'll get some laughs if this is your thing. Let me know what you think if you watch it!

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Killer Sweets...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all doing well out there. I have been busy as usual over here in the Mill.

To start, I recently finished a brand new series of paintings entitled Killer Sweets, a couple of which are displayed below. The rest are displayed on my Flickr page here. If you're local to Portland, Maine, they are displayed at Dock Fore until the beginning of next month. Fun little pieces that deal with dessert and death... just the way we like it around here.

And speaking of paintings, if you're ever interested in purchasing my original work, I have a portfolio with a painting section here that you may peruse at your leisure. All of these works are for sale and you may contact me directly if you're interested. I ship worldwide!

My Sweetie and I decorated the house for Christmas over the weekend and it's almost done. This is our living room by the glow of the twinkle lights. I love it, and every year I'm happy when the lights are up.

Most of our decorations are vintage, and I try to add a new piece every year from our forays into junking. This year's addition is this pair of blown glass mercury candles with trim. Beautiful, aren't they?

This homemade pine cone turned mini tree is my all-time favorite decoration and it gets a place of honor every year on our mantle.

While we're on the topic of the holidays, I have a great item and shop for the Holiday Gift Guide this week Kiddies! First, the item of the week (and really, it could be the shop of the week, because come on people... so cute), is from Hine on Etsy. The print below is entitled Holiday Surprise Gift and it's perfect in every way. That teeny red octopus? The wallpaper? Needless to say.

This is so cute I want to explode!

And the shop of the week is Something's Hiding in Here. They have a wonderful blog here, and their packaging is beautiful and then there are the items themselves. Like these mitten cupcake toppers. Sigh. I love it. Oh! And if you have a boy in your life who likes to dress up, they have a new shop Forage, that's nothing but bow ties made from vintage material. Really? Yes. They're that cool.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...