Countdown Begins...

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all doing well out there. So much to share this week. To start, one week from today, the huge secret project will be revealed! With it will come 12-month calendars and a whole new set of art prints for you to enjoy. So, get excited. The final clue for the giveaway on the Stapelia Facebook page is below. {Remember, the first person to name all 5 clues in order next Monday October 3rd, gets a great prize, so like the page and write them down! [Descriptions are fine.]}

Clue #5

I had a wonderful opportunity recently to photograph a couple of children with CLOVES Syndrome and their families for the CLOVES website. Learn more here. What fun we had! We all went apple picking and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was a pleasure shooting this one, and the families and kids themselves were so dear. Take a look at some of the shots below, and more are posted on Flickr.

I have yet another shoot coming down the pike for your viewing pleasure next week, so stay tuned! (Hint: It involved my new skeleton Bernard, who, en route to the shoot, was asked to pose in a bridal party shot. Haha!)

I just found yet another thing about the Victorian Era that makes me wish I'd lived back then. Via the blog Spe//bound, comes these photos of Le Cafe de L'Enfer, a hell-themed cafe in Paris' red light district from that time period. I almost can't believe someone opened this up back then. The demons in the bar itself, the elaborate facade?! This is better than the 'death' themed bar I mentioned many posts ago... amazing stuff.

And while we're on the topic of the macabre (which, we're always on that topic around here, aren't we?), I found the beautiful work of UK photographer Ellen Rogers recently and I'm amazed. Her female-centric work looks like old hand-colored travel postcards and the props and costumes? I'm really in awe. Oh, and she has a new book out which I plan to yank up as soon as I can. Take a look:

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.