A New Year Means Time for Reflection

 

"Halloween Haunts"

The start of a new year means time to reflect on my art. You may notice that I often paint a pre-teen girl and a younger boy. You see, unconsciously I am painting our two children, during a time long ago. It is a time I cherish most of all, when the world was still innocent and our family was still complete.

The new year also brings the birthday of our departed 17-year-old daughter Brianna. January 12 ushers in wonderful memories and much sadness. The fact that she is now gone is as fresh today as it was three and a half years ago when she died.

So I keep painting scenes in which innocence abounds, and the world on Halloween is full of wonder and not too scary. My idealized world helps me cope with our loss. Some of you have told me my paintings help you escape to a gentler time and place too.

So as I think about my art moving into 2011, I've realized it has been a source of joy for me during the darkest time in my life. And it continues to elevate me to a better state of mind each time I put pencil and paint brush to paper.

The above painting is available on SpookyTimeJingles.com.

My Watercolors Featured in Celebrate365 magazine!

 

I am so proud to be in the Halloween issue of Celebrate 365, a journal for the ornament enthusiast. There are many other Halloween artists featured too, as you can see from this two-page spread of the quarterly publication. The magazine also offer artist interviews and many photos of ornaments and October 31 inspired art.  Another large watercolor of mine also was featured, in addition to my Victorian Paper Doll Witch wall decor. Publisher Connie Porcher does a great job finding the best in the industry and I'm humbled to be a part of it.

A Haunting We Will Go

My first and only haunted house of the season. The windows have broken "glass" and the illusion of tiny panes.  I've placed little gausian curtains,  all tattered and torn in a few of the windows. The inside is a deep orange, and the very neat thing about this piece is that it lights up! When plugged in, the inside of the house glows orange. There is a large window on the side extension of the house too. The darkened dresden trim really gives it a gothic feel.

If you want more details, head over to my Etsy shop, where I've listed it.

Happy Haunting!