Scary......

I just had to put up some photos that I took in the dark at my neighbors' fabulous Halloween house. On the right is the poltergeist that floats in the second story window, with the fantastic lighting adding to the spooky effect. It isn't just stationary either, it floats and moves around up there....and looks so awesome. I love to go down and just stare at it. My photo doesn't really do it justice, but I had to capture it with a picture anyway!
Left is another display in the haunted graveyard. The detail work on these witches is incredible. I wish I could include sound effects, too, as they are such a part of it all......the howls, moans and screeches add so much! Their house has gotten a lot of media attention lately. It's fun to turn on the news, and they're reporting from the house. I also picked up the paper last night, and lo and behold, there's an article and a big photo as well. As neighbors, we're all supportive of their efforts, and we understand the tourism and traffic that comes with it all. It's only for a short time, it's so much fun to help them put it together (some of our tree branches decorate the graveyard) and getting all decked out in our scary costumes to help haunt....such a blast!

Time for a little Halloween fun.....

Couldn't resist some Halloween fun here! My neighbor's house on it's opening evening of Halloween fright! He has a matching set of gargoyle adorned posts at the entryway. The gargoyles, of course, spew forth fog, along with the numerous and well placed smoke and fog machines. There are scary creatures filling the front lawn, standing on the lawn, coming out of the lawn, and hovering in the trees.
The photo on the right is just a fraction of the dungeon in the garage. There's a scary medical lab with bubbling cauldrons and beakers filled with creepy creatures. In the back you walk through darkened corridors filled with ghouls and scary sounds galore. There's even a haunted pirate ship! I want to go back when it's really dark and get some photos then. It looks so neat in the dark- especially the poltergeist that floats on the second story. I hope my photos will do it justice!

Hospice....

I feel very fortunate to have been asked to hang a show at Hospice. Such a beautiful facility. It's a life transitions center, focusing on counseling and support groups for people who have suffered losses. I never knew such a wonderful place existed. They wanted artwork that was not controversial in any way; artwork that was uplifting and without a heavy message. That suits me to a tee! There's enough stress, bad news, financial meltdowns, etc. blaring at us all day from the 24 hour news channels, newspapers, and media outlets galore. I don't want it adorning my walls, too! So I like to focus on positive images in my artwork. When it takes as long to paint as it takes me, I sure don't want to wallow in misery for a month.

I hope my artwork helps to uplift anyone in need. And I'm so grateful to have a show in such a wonderful place.

Taking shape.....

Hard to believe there are hours and hours put in since the last time! But it's beginning to take shape. It probably helps me in that I have NO clue as to what it actually is that I'm painting! I know it's an engine of a custom cycle, but as to what each little individual pipe or wire is.....! It helps in that it requires me to focus soley on the shapes and their relation to each other, the values, etc. It will really look different when I put in the large darks, and also the areas of bright

green will make it look altogether different! I got a lot done one day last week, helped out by Turner Classic Movies! I had a lot I had to do that day, art business wise, plus the endless housework and yardwork that accumulates. However, I turned on the TV and found one of my favorite Hitchcock films, "Shadow of a Doubt" just beginning! That was it, I decided. So for 2 hours I put aside all distractions, painted like mad and listened to a great film. Maybe I can enlist in that channel to help me get more work done!!

A Halloween diversion...

Couldn't resist a little Halloween diversion here! This is my neighbor's home- all decked out for Halloween. This is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a fully, decked out dungeon in the garage, complete with an electric chair and a bubbling laboratory. In the second story over the garage is a ghostly spectre that floats with a backlight....at night it's fantastic! It looks just like the ghost from the movie "Poltergeist" that floats down the stairs. Soooooo cool!

They have free tours, but will accept donations that they then give to Women and Children's Hospital. We love all this- it's so much fun to go and help "haunt", plus the ghostly sounds and foggy mist overtake the neighborhood.
Maybe I can do a painting of the house and all it's adornments. I couldn't resist getting some photos. Amazingly enough, not everything is out yet.....and the dungeon in the garage rivals a movie set.

Can you tell we love Halloween?

Getting there...

Boy, fine detail work does take time! It's coming along, more slowly that I would like, of course. I'm certainly not one of these painters that can do a painting a day! I enjoy seeing the motorcycle come to life. This one has a lot of light values in it, so I've punched in a few deep colors to help give it some shape, which helps give me direction.
I've purchased some new brushes, and it's been fun to break them in. I hadn't realized how long I had been using the same ones, and it's been helpful using some crisp new ones with their fine points and springy touch. I really like the Cheap Joe's golden fleece brushes. They're not very expensive, yet they last a long time and retain their shape quite well.
I wonder if I'll be singing Christmas carols when I'm finishing this one up? Maybe!!!