Candy Apple Darkness...

Hello Lovelies!

Well, fall is in full swing, and the wind definitely has a bite to it. I hope this Monday finds you all doing well out there.

I have finally completed the Zom-B-Vex series! With 15 pieces in all, it is my largest (and most popular) series so far. And, due to a number of requests, I have decided to offer a 15 month calendar featuring each piece. I will list this calendar in the coming weeks. It would make a perfect holiday gift for those who like to laugh... and/or kill zombies. Take a look at some of the final pieces!

I posted few weeks back that I sent a Halloween illustration to my sister in Oregon. Well, she's framed the piece and she sent me a pic to share with all of you. I love seeing my pieces framed in their new homes, so if you ever buy a piece I'd love to see what you do with it!

Well, fall means fair season and I look forward every year to one fair in particular up here. The Fryeburg Fair has been around for years and it really offers the full fair experience. (And by fair experience, I mean crowds, food, rides, cheap souvenirs, livestock, music and freaks. And by freaks, I don't mean of the sideshow variety...) I was not disappointed this year on any score. It was a beautiful fall day and I took tons of photos. I will be posting most of them on my Flickr page this week, but here are a few good ones.

So, I have found yet another very creative photographer out here. Oliver Scott's work spans several different subject areas, including still life, cinematic, and people. But one of my favorite series of his, mixes books and 3-dimension elements and cut paper to create photo illustrations. Sort of like Thomas Allen's work. Hard to explain, but some examples are below. Neat stuff.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

The First of Octember...

Hello Lovelies!

So much going on in the Mill this week, it's a bit crazy... in a goodway. First of all, I have finally completed the huge painting I was working on entitled Psychopomp. It came out great and if you're local, you can see it this Friday at the gallery. If you aren't local, you can see more shots on my Flickr page here.

The final pieces in the Zom-B-Vex series will be going up this week as well as candid shots of the models on the Flickr page for your enjoyment. These are really over the top, so stop on by and check them out.

And, if you like Zom-B-Vex, or any of my prints, then you are in luck Lovelies, because I'm having a print sale today until Friday; buy one $20 print, get a second half price. A perfect chance to pick up those prints you love.

And last order of business, I have finally finished my big girl, all-grown-up artist portfolio to show to galleries and potential clients! I'm trying to familiarize people with my work separate from my business so I can start taking commission projects and so forth. Take a look here and tell me what you think.

And I'm happy to report after weeks of having our entire upstairs hall torn up, we finally got our flooring put in last week! Whew. It's beautiful and once the trim goes down, I think it will make our hallways look more of the period than the carpeting we had in there when we bought the place. Take a peek:

I was delighted the other day to learn the name of an artist I have admired since childhood. I'm sure you've seen his work, he has painted hundreds of famous movie posters including; Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, among others. Drew Struzan's work is absolutely amazing, his likenesses are spot-on, and his composition elevates his work to an art and not a mere illustration. Sigh. Can you tell I'm enamored? Take a look:

So, what do you get when you mix 70's fros, funk, Pam Grier and bloodsuckers? That's right, you get Blacula and the sequel; Scream, Blacula, Scream. And I found a used double-feature on DVD last week. Now, I haven't had a chance to watch them yet, but I don't think I'll be disappointed, and you should rent it if you like corny horror...

...and vampiric 70's mutton chops...

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Hack & Slash

Hello Lovelies!

Whew, it has been a busy week as usual over here at the Mill. First off, as promised, I have posted no less than 6 new Zom-B-Vex pieces! They're crazy and dark and I think you'll enjoy them. And as always, a big thank you goes out tothe costumers, hair stylists, studio and models who made this a success. Thank you all. One more photo sessionand this series will reach its crazy conclusion. Here are a couple, take a peek!

Oh, and in case you didn't know, Stapelia has a Flickr page here with some fun candid Zom-B-Vex shots, add it to your contacts for future behind the scenes action.

Secondly, I mentioned many posts ago about a pair of old figural head lamps I found for a steal because they were in really rough shape. Well, they have been rewired, repaired, repainted and revivified and they're beautiful. Take a look, I love them. They now cast a lovely dark-countenanced glow upon our Tower Room.

Speaking of portraiture (not that we were), I have found an amazing creative duo that I wanted to share. Billy und Hells really take it to the next level. I love the unlikely subject matter and the way they take flawed faces and make them beautiful. Moving stuff.

And speaking of photographers and quirky portraiture, Dave Mead photographed a ton of men who competed in the 2009 World Beard and Moustache Championship. Now, beards gross me right out for some reason, but these are beautiful. Take a peek:

Urban Outfitters always has some craziness that I'm coveting, and here is the latest thing; totem cups. Yeah, that's right, a cup set that stacks and looks like a totem pole. Here is the white set... but uh, they also have it in shiny gold. *drool*

Let's wrap up with some crazy news, shall we? Did you read about the Massachusetts man who took delivery of a slab of bologna... stuffed full of cocaine? Yeah, that's right, someone tainted the best meat on Earth with drugs. I don't know if I'll be able to recover from this misstep Folks, but, I'll try...

My bologna has a first name, it's C-O-K-E-something.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Sparrow Bride...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all doing well. It's a misty and overcast dayhere at the Mill which feels like some early fall weather... my favorite season. In fact, to kick off theHalloween season, I did a little piece for my sister Abigail and enclosed it inside my favorite copy of my favorite book, Ray Bradbury's Something Wicked This Way Comes and sent it off to get her in the spirit. We both love Halloween so very much.

Take a peek at the art I sent here:

What else? Oh, a couple more days of voting for my Light Lunch tee over at Threadless. If you have a second to score it, head on over. I would be ever so grateful. More tee designs to come, so standby!

And, as promised, there are 6 new Zom-B-Vex pieces going up this week and they are violent, crazy, over-the-top, and tongue-in-cheek, just the way you like 'em! Prepare yourselves.

I have found some outstanding artists I want to share with you. The first artist, Mathiole, I found via Threadless. He's a legend on that site, and his shirt designs transcend tees into the form of art. Plus, he has a really unique style that my eyes adore, a pleasing mixture of soft and hard, innocent and jaded. I love it. Take a peek!

And speaking of great illustrators, I have been an EC Comics fan for years, and it occurred to me the other day, I haven't mentioned "Ghastly" Graham Ingels on this blog yet! A major oversight on my part. EC Comics came out in the 30's and 40's and had such titles as Tales from the Crypt (sound familiar?), The Vault of Horror and The Haunt of Fear. Graham Ingels did the Haunt of Fear mainly and his ink work and sense of drama was unparalleled. Even in black and white his work achieves a sense of suspense. Take a look and read more about him, or better yet, get an EC Comic!

Let's wrap up with a movie review, shall we? Sure. I had fond memories of Waxworks I & II when I saw them for the first time nearly 2 decades ago. I remember them being clever and strange, and anything set in a wax museum is fine by me (see my House of Wax review here). But man was I off. On the one hand, the costumes, horror movie references and sets are pretty neat. On the other, the acting, dialogue, plot and logic are about as strong as an old lady's handshake, which is to say, they're pretty weak. During most of the "major plot developments" I was too busy looking at the cheap wigs to pay any attention to the plot, and really, it wasn't necessary to follow the movie anyway. It's worth a look-see if you haven't seen them yet, but don't expect much. 4 out of 5 corncobs.

Yes, this movie was less well-executed than this waxwork's nose and also less terrifying than said waxwork. Double fail.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Candy Winds...

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all doing well this fine Monday! I have a lot to share with you as always. First, the Island of Misfit Toys series is finally complete,there is abefore and after shot of the raw materials and the finished product below. I like to paint on a mixture of found objects and new canvases to create a more eclectic feel to my work. These pieces will on display at the Sylvia Kania Gallery September 3rd!

I am also submitting another design to Threadless entitled A Light Lunch this week. Hopefully it will be approved for rating, the image is below, it will also have some fun glow ink on it. I will make a post this week when/if it's approved so you Lovelies can take a look and vote if you wish!

And lastly, get excited you guys, because there are more Zom-B-Vex pieces coming starting early next week, and these are even crazier than the last ones... if that's possible.

Speaking of crazy, I wanted to pass along a crazy good photographer to you Lovelies. I was turned on to the work of August Bradley via Choklit Chanteuse's great blog. I find people everyday who do this elaborate Photoshopped aesthetic, but the thing I feel makes one photographer stand out from the crowd, is the underlying intrigue, artistry and vision that is conveyed by their work. I've featured many photographers who have these three things and if you take a peek at Bradley's work, the same thing becomes apparent. Lovely, lovely work here.

If you're ever near South Africa and need a place to eat lunch, stop on by The Cargo Hold Restaurant. This place looks crazy! The restaurant was built to replicate a phantom ship that sailed the South African coast, and there are aquariums and other details that make you feel like you're really in a shipwreck while dining. I love theme restaurants! I wish South Africa wasn't so far away...

And lastly, while doing some research for the online comic a friend and I will be producing very soon (it's going to begreat Kiddies!), I stumbled across a great online comic: Agnes Quill. Heard of it? Well, take a look at some of those stories and I think you, like I, will be pulled right into the plot. The artwork and inking are amazing and they even have some printed books out. Take a look!

I mean, is that a ghost vacuum? Wonderful.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...