Gone Buggy!

Hi all! I'm just taking a moment to share a sneak peek reminder image for this Sunday's June Bugs Web Sale of originals. The collection is now complete, and on June 26th, I will be sharing a medley of whimsical folk art bugs with you. Stay tuned to my Folk Art Originals page for more details and the buggy update! Thank you for your interest in my one of a kind collectible characters.

Best Wishes,
~ Johanna

Bzzzzz... June Bugs Web Sale!

Hi Friends,

Once again, it's been a while since I've been in touch, and that goes to show that I have been a busy bee! Right now, my sunroom studio is filled with wire wings and delicately curled antenna, all awaiting to be attached to their whimsical bug companions. I have sculpted a collection of 10 one of a kind folk art bugs, including bees, butterflies, beetles and more for my June Bugs Web Sale! With the garden in bloom and the pollinators bouncing from one flower to the next, I was inspired to take a moment (or, in this case, a few months) to celebrate and create my interpretation of these garden characters. It's been a fun diversion from my classic fall & winter holiday palette, and I am looking forward to sharing them with you on my Folk Art Originals page this month!

I invite you to join me, so please Save the Date: Sunday, June 26th

Please Join my Mailing List for the Start time and more details.

Happy Summer & Enjoy the Garden!

~ Johanna

 

Happy Hallowbaloo...

We're finally back from exhibiting at the Hallowbaloo in Washington! It was a long journey's drive across beautiful mountains and valleys, but we made it to and fro, thanks to JP and his mastery behind the steering wheel! THANKS to ALL my dear collector friends who made their own trek out to see us and adopt some special Halloween folk art characters. It was a pleasure to see you! It was also a treat to reconnect with fellow Halloween artist friends and meet others that I had only chatted with online. Big Hugs to the guys that wove the big Hallowbaloo web and created a memorable day for both artists and collectors alike! And, another big thanks to my parents for hosting us at their lovely home and for letting me borrow all those cool antique props! There's no way we could have stuffed all that into our VW beetle! hehe! As shows are always such a frenzy from A to Z, I did what I could to document the event from behind the camera. Below is a small collection of images along with a couple of photo collages that offer a glimpse of the Halloween magic at the Hallowbaloo. ENJOY....

(And don't forget.... I'll be exhibiting at the 10th Annual Halloween Trunk Show in Denver on October 10th! I hope to see you there!)

* That's me smiling big before the start of the show!



* A trio of jacks with overhead bats topped off my mom's cupcake stand. These guys were popular, and fortunately I made a few more for the Denver show! (I still need to paint them!!)



* More of my Halloween originals were displayed in rustic antique cubbies...



* BOO! An original ball ghost character and other sweet friends awaited collectors...



* An arrangement of my pressed paper illustrated owl ornaments were popular at the show! I made a few more for the Denver show too...



* Here's another peek at my Halloween folk art originals, perched and waiting to meet and greet!



* That's me and mom all decked out for Halloween! She was truly donning the orange and black from head to toe! After all, she's my Halloween Mommy as I was born on October 31st!



* JP sneaks a peek from behind the spooky window!



* More Halloween characters brought smiles and delight!



* Here's one of two collages, depicting fellow Halloween artists and their creations... I sure hope I captured everyone!



* And this second collage captures more of the enchanting creations...



* Lastly, here's a peek from Friday night after we set-up! Mom & Dad, living just minutes away, came to help!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all of YOU!






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Hallowbaloo Peek-a-BOO...

My oh My! My last blog post was 3 months ago! I guess it's about time I popped in for an update. It's evident that scheduling 2 Halloween art shows this year has kept me rather busy!! I think I spent my whole summer, crafting in the workshop! Now that September is here, the Hallowbaloo Show in Redmond, Washington is just around the corner.... I have been adding the final touches to this special collection and photographing them as I go. Although I have a few more to finish up, I thought I'd share a sneak peek-a-boo at some of these unique guys. I am taking over 30 one of a kind Halloween folk art sculptures as well as some handmade ornaments featuring my pressed paper illustrated designs. With my parent's house so close to the show, I will have my pick of some of mom's antique treasures to help prop my table and add interest to my display! (Thanks Mom!) So for now, I am focused on completing this collection and preparing for the journey. I look forward to seeing old friends, meeting online friends (finally in person) and making new friends too! See you soon!!!

For now, ENJOY this PEEK-a-BOO....



*  A sweet cat plays Peek-a-Boo, peering out of a pumpkin jack...



* A quartet of Jacks are topped with illustrated paper bats...



* A pair of Halloween hued bulldogs promise not to bite....



* Spooky fun egg cup characters raise their arms in Halloween glee...



* Bees can Bee for Halloween too!



* An autumn hued owl strikes a perched pose for Halloween...



* We've got a few sitters, just sittin' around!



* This Halloween carnival cat can balance!



* A jack-o'-lantern's container base is painted with a jolly melon man & face...



* Oh Bats!



* Two black cats grin with illustrated hats. "Happy Frank" in the foreground is my first "Folk Lantern!" I had visions of making an entire family of these folk lantern characters. But, after realizing how much time it took to create this concept, I only made two. An owl folk lantern counterpart will be headed to Denver's Halloween Trunk Show in October. (He still needs paint!) WISH me LUCK!

I hope to see you at one of my Halloween Shows this season!

Happy Haunting,
~ Johanna






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Calm Before the Storm...

It must have been an intuitive feeling that JP had early Saturday afternoon. My parents had stopped by to say farewell before they flew back to Seattle. I had placed my new camera on its tripod out in the garden, awaiting to take a few family photos. The weather was beautiful as we said our goodbyes. Then, JP suggested I "play" and take a few photos for fun. And FUN it was!... I snapped all sorts of close-ups which I will share with you here. Then, sprinkles started to fall and as we ran inside, torrents of rain and hail replaced the raindrops, and we watched our garden in dismay. Again, our garden was pelted on Sunday with heavier hail and rain after which flooding took its place. All is peaceful again, but the garden sadly took a beating. There is always hope, and we'll see if the plants will arise to the sun's warmth and rays. For now, the photos offer fond memories and an acute perspective on nature and its wonders...
~ Johanna


* A bee crawls up and over the bloom of a Bachelor's Button flower...


* A Green Lacewing stops to rest on a spent Alium bloom...


* These poppies just "popped" before the storms rolled in. We enjoyed their paper-thin blossoms for only a few hours, all of which have now fallen to the ground...


* A special peek at the life of a roly-poly in his armored suit as he climbs across the yellow bloom of a sedum iceplant...


* A bee extracts nectar from the violet blooms of a wild geranium...


* Yellow Yarrow, just beginning to pop, glows for the camera...


* A bee-like insect with a peculiar hovering habit searches for the center of this tiny Snow in Summer bloom...


* Tissue-light petals in brilliant red open to the skies... I'm afraid most of these flowers were lost in the storm...


* A bee grips the edges of the tiny Catmint flower in search of sweet nectar...

Please click on the images for a larger view. I cropped them all so you could see the intricate detail, but the subjects are interesting shown in their surroundings as well. I do wonder what became of these small insects and how they could possibly survive such a violent series of storms....? If the storms stay away, perhaps my garden will have a chance to recover ~ There is always hope.
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