Wise Old Owl...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all well. A lot to share as usual. First, as some of you may know, I carry limited edition Carnival button sets in my shop. Well, they really are limited edition and I have one set left! Grab it while you can. But this also means, a fresh button set is on its way. The new set, called Old Salts, will be in the shop by January. I thought I would give you a sneak peek of the sketches and final art. They're colorful and cheeky, just the way we like it around here!

I have listed the Death Crow Dandies in the shop for purchase. They're original scratchboard pieces, perfect for gift giving or keeping (I won't tell). My scratchboards tend to go quickly, so if you like it, go for it! Here's the final piece I didn't show last week:

I think I had mentioned buying the Avalanche letter press calendar for my studio from Oddball Press recently. Well, I finally got it the other day and it's wonderful. The detail and the sight gags when you look closely are priceless. (I snapped a shot here for you.) This calendar is cheap and you'd be supporting a great Etsy seller if you got one! (Plus, all us cool kids are doing it...)

As many of you followers know, I love antique/junk shopping. Well, my Dad was visiting this past weekend, so we went antiquing and I found the greatest little thing. I love wax seals, I have a few. Well, I found a Wise Owl seal with glitter wax in its original box! I had to try it out immediately and look at how great it is! I'm going to have to write someone just so I can seal their letter with the Ol' Owl.

Now, I am not a car fan. I love classic cars, but I know nothing about them and talking about engines and horse power puts me to sleep. However, have you guys seen Black Beauty from the new Green Hornet movie? Holy smokes. I want it. Amazing lines and guns and green headlights. Sigh. There's a video all about it and a pic here:

Let's wrap with some weird news, it's been awhile. This one is a doozy. Did you Kiddies read about the home in New Brighton, PA that had been a problem for years? First, the owner was breeding dogs there, then they moved out. Then, neighbors saw "scores" of rats coming out of the home and called authorities. The house will be demolished, but not before they attempt to exterminate 95% of the vermin (a foot deep in some spots), in an attempt to prevent them from running into neighboring homes. Check please. No thank you. Gross.

The house is like this, only with rats, not candy.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

The Dark House...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all doing well this fine Monday. The weather is just nasty up here in the North, perfect weather to get creative, I say.

A lot share. First, I have completed a new series of paintings for a December show in my gallery entitled The Dark House. Definitely inspired by The Addams Family and things of that nature, the best part of this series is the way it will be displayed. The smaller paintings depict various rooms/people inside the Dark House, so when it's hung, strings will connect the smaller shots with their place in the bigger piece. Kind of like this picture:

You can see more shots of the series on my Flickr page, and I'll give more details about the show as it gets closer!

I have also created some new scratchboard pieces entitled the Death Crow Dandies, perhaps for the shop, we'll see. I have one more to go to make 4, but I think they're coming out splendidly, don't you?

Oh! And last piece of business, the garland is doing really well in the shop, so I will be listing more this week; different colors and styles, all handmade. So if you're interested, peep it out.

I have found a designer that I want you Kiddies to meet; Caleb Owen Everitt's work is obviously inspired by design trends of the past, but he puts his own modern spin on them, creating an aesthetic that's aged to perfection. Take a peek. I'm sure you'll feel inspired like I was. I want him to design my life. Haha.

Speaking of work inspired by past aesthetics, have you heard of Max Dalton? Well, you should know him. His work definitely speaks to 60's style illustration, and his fake album covers (like the ones below), are the bees knees. You really can't help but smile when you see his work...

Let's wrap up with a movie recommendation, shall we? Of course. I'm sure you've heard of Soylent Green, if for no other reason than the famous quote "Soylent Green is people" which is definitely overblown and really, so obvious by the end, the line is unnecessary. Regardless, I watched it again the other night and it's kind of good. If you like "The Future is Going to Really Suck" movies, this one is for you...

Plus, you get to watch Chas Heston run around the entire movie in a standard police issue pimp scarf.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

100th Post Giveaway!

Hello Lovelies!

Well, this is my 100th blog post and to celebrate, I'm running a little giveaway. The details are as follows:

You can get this for free! ($40 value)

If you follow these easy steps:

1.) Visit The Stapelia Company's shop HERE, choose your favorite item and post a link to it in your comment below. (Hearting is optional.) :)

If you want to enter more than once, you can get additional chances to win by doing the following. (So I can verify that you've tweeted, blogged or Facebooked about this giveaway, please put the links in your comments!):

1.) Share on your Facebook or tweet about this giveaway. (2 additional chances)

2.) Blog about this giveaway (3 additional chances)

Giveaway ends AUGUST 9th, 2010! Winner will be announced August 10th.

Good luck!

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...

Down the Rabbit Hole...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope this post finds you all doing well. I have so much to share! Whew. So, first, my Hortensia the Bearded Lady piece has been featured over at the Totus Mel blog, center for all cool things steampunk. I was happy to get one of my gals up there! Thank you.

I am also wrapping up my three scratchboard pieces that I mentioned in my last post, part of my Night Revery series. These three gems are perfect for Halloween or anytime and they come framed in letter pressed frames from The Curiosity Shoppe that I just got in the mail today! These pieces truly are great and so is the Curiosity Shoppe, check it out. I will be listing these this week.

I am also working on an exciting series of paintings for the Down the Rabbit Hole curatorial at my gallery. That's right, for October, all the artists of SKG are doing Alice in Wonderland related works! Now, I already have an art photo series based on Alice (because I'm obsessed), so I decided to do some paintings this time. "But on what?" I asked myself. Then I found 5 old shoe forms in a junk shop and they were perfect. Here is a taste of the series, the Queen of Hearts. I will age these so they look like they're years and years old and I will post them all for you next time!

I have also found some fascinating new things I wanted share. You all know I'm a sucker for macro photography so it should come as no surprise that Slinkachu's pieces fascinate me. Go to the site and see the little world that's been created. It's cute and wonderful.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Morbid Anatomy blog, I regularly mention various wonderful posts that bring to light things I've never even heard of. Well, here we go again with a recent post on the Anatomical Machines of the Prince of Sansevero created between 1763 and 1764. These amazing pieces were meant to be detailed portrayals of the male and female anatomy that at the time was of course a mystery for the most part. Go to the blog to read the tale of scandal and mystery and scientific discovery that surrounds these two amazing pieces.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Show & Tell...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, it was a busy weekend for The Stapelia Company. I did the Picnic Art Show here in Portland and it was wonderful! The people were great, the work was spectacular and the people watching... well needless to say. I took some pics of the booth as promised and my booth-mate Meghan of Meghan Donahue's Jewelry and I even got into the local paper! Check it out...

Also, I am working on a few original pieces for the shop for Halloween. I am delving back into scratchboard because it's perfect for creepy Halloween work. This series will be entitled the Night Revery series. There will be 4 in all and they will come matted in mattes from The Curiosity Shoppe so basically they're going to rock. I'll keep you posted. Here are some preliminary sketches...

I am also working on 5 pieces for my gallery that will be part of the Down the Rabbit Hole exhibit for October which will of course be both Alice in Wonderland inspired and wonderful. These are in the very beginning phases so I will keep you posted my Lambs.

Speaking of wonderful, I have found a new letterpress studio that pretty much embodies my aesthetic in everything they do. I love it all. Aesthetic Apparatus does both design work via letterpress and pieces of limited edition artwork available on their site. If I had unlimited wall space and resources what wouldn't I buy from these kids? Really... Here are some examples. Check them out.

And let's wrap up with a new story, shall we? Of course we shall. Did you all read about the new drug Latisse that's supposedly able to thicken your eyelashes? Originally intended to help burn victims recover and thicken their eyelashes, this drug is now being purchased by women who feel their eyelashes are "inadequate." And speaking of facial hair, Brian Peterkin-Vertanesian recently petitioned the Guinness Book of World Records to recognize "Wally" his 6 3/8 inch eyebrows as the world's longest... Come on folks. Really? All the issues in the world and we have this? Unbelievable...

And let me say to wrap up, I just learned that Patrick Swayze has succumbed to cancer. What a damn shame. Poor thing. A great actor and a good person, he will be missed.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...