A Peek at Art Licensing & How Products Take Shape...

Ever wonder how a licensed product takes shape? Well, I have devoted a whole BLOG Post to explaining my experience, sharing the steps from A to Z. To illustrate the process, I am showing how we developed last year’s Black Cat Mug from rough sketch, to clays, to revisions to final. Many of you have asked how an idea becomes a licensed product. So, I hope this post sheds some light on the mystery as well as how you can help to ensure that our designs do make it all the way to production. Read the entire article, now posted to our New Blog on our Website!

ENJOY!
~ Johanna

Project Green Gables Update...

Hi all! It's time for an update... August has crept in, so I'm juggling all sorts of projects right now including our front gable design! I've been snapping a few "work in progress" photos of my steps along the way and will include those in this post. At this point,  each half of the gable is completely filled in with layers of papier mache. If all goes well, I have just one layer left to apply which will create the woody texture and other detailed elements in the scene. Stay tuned for more photos in a week or so...

* After I pencil-sketched my design in place outside on the the front gables, JP removed the halves and brought them indoors for me to work on. Then, I roughly outlined the art in black marker pen.

* Scrolling vines, perching birds, dots, and....

* Flowers of course!.....

* After the lines were drawn, I spent a few days adding layers of papier mache skim coat to cover the plywood. I roughly filled in the spaces between the design with this layer build.

* Once the base dried, I began filling in the elements with a thick layer of papier mache to create dimension...

* The shapes and characters started to pop with this step! All have been drying out in the sun, awaiting the last layer of papier mache that will create the dimensional texture I hope to achieve. Wish me luck, and check back for more updates soon! (And yes, Jack enjoyed watching me work in a novel place. He was initially intrigued with my project, although I think he's sleeping in this photo :)

Mixing it up with Red, White & Blue!

Hello friends! I know it has been far too long since I have blogged. I miss writing and sharing photos of my work, and I miss having the extra time to do so. Thus far, this year has been a busy one, brimming with creative projects, family visits and volunteering for the community. I told JP that we really needed to snap a few quick pics in the workshop just to reassure folks afar that we are still alive and creating! So, today, JP captured a few photos while I added the final layers of papier mache patch to my in-progress collection of patriotic characters. The Americana-themed subject matter is a rare genre for me as I often jump directly from spring to Halloween. But, the requests from collectors to make a few red, white a blue guys have begun to echo more and more. So, I set the orange and black paints aside for a palette more reminiscent of 4th of July! I look forward to painting these pieces soon and watching them come to life! Currently, I have nine pieces in the works. The plan is to host an Americana Web Sale in mid to late June. So, stay tuned for more information to come! And Join my Mailing List if you have not done so. Enjoy the photos, and thank you for taking the time to visit my blog!

Wishing you a Happy Summer!

~ Johanna



* There I am filling in the voids and smoothing out the face of a Lady Liberty bust. Each piece goes through a process of many layers of papier mache between periods of drying...



* More patching was also necessary for an Uncle Sam ball character underway. As I do not use underlying forms, manufactured spheres, etc… to build my pieces, each has a hand formed feel. I do try my best to even out the ball characters to balance their appearance. Some may notice that my folk art is organic in form.



* Here is a sneak peek at pair of patriotic egg cup characters. JP just finished sanding these little guys, and they have been yearning for paint!



* And of course, Americana art is not complete without a bald eagle!

To keep in touch with my progress, make sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram….

Works in Progress...

Yes, it's me, coming up for air from my workshop! Times are super busy, and I try not to look at the calendar as the reality of the date gives me both shivers and waves of heat all at once! I can imagine that my fellow Halloween & Holiday folk artist friends are feeling the same seasonal pinch. I know I should have spent the day painting, but I also know that it's fun for my collector friends to catch a glimpse at my creative process. And as the days tick by, I know I will have less and less opportunities to play. So, I am offering a preliminary peek at just some of the characters that are coming to life in my workshop. Keep in  mind, many of these fellows are still rough and will need finishing, trims, glass glitter and an occasional paper party hat to top him or her off. I have a feeling you will see less and less of me as I push through the last month to finish my collection of Halloween originals and prepare for my upcoming shows. So, Hello & Goodbye & See you soon! ENJOY.....

~ Johanna

(PS ~ Make sure to swing back by my blog on Tuesday for a sweet Giveaway!)


* That's me sharing a smirky-smile with too much on my mind.... art, art and more art ~ And then there's my other life - eat, sleep, clean, business, shop, book-keeping, and the list goes on! Where are my elves??????


* More hoot hoots on the way!...


* A Halloween bunny who adores candy corn carrots!


* A group of egg cup characters in the rough...


* A sweet ghostly guy with a purple patina...


* Decisions, decisions....


* A leg-less cat sitter, owl and Jack await more details...


* A sweet black & white cat wonders when I will make her collar and add her trims... I wonder this too!

Works in Progress...

Just thought I would share a peek at what is in the works this month. A bulldog on a ball, a cat on a moon, a pinocchio-nosed jack-o'-lantern and a witch with a wild "do" are becoming fast friends in my workshop studio. More characters are underway, and I am pondering the idea of hosting a web sale with a summer carnival twist. We'll see! The current cast of characters may end up in the Halloween vault, but that's the beauty of these guys as they can swing either way :)  Stay tuned and please Join My Mailing list to receive my next newsletter with all the details!

By the way, if you are an artist, craftsman, painter, etc... What are YOU creating? Do tell.....

Best wishes,
~ Johanna

Work in Progress...

Well, given that it's mid August, I decided it was time to switch gears from my sculpting frenzy in order to focus on my painting... What's the point of having a collection of unpainted, naked sculptures when their coloration and pattern really bring them to life! So, this past week, I began to add paint to my various one of kind characters! I have much to do yet, and I realize that I tend to be more meticulous and particular with my painting as each year goes by. I know I should be whipping these guys out by now, but on the contrary ( and much to my frustration ) it seems to take me longer. Oh well. For those of you curious, I snapped a quick pic of my workroom counter....


* A mix of Halloween folk art characters either await paint or a coat of clear finish...

You may also have noticed a couple of new badges on the upper sidebars of my blog. At right, I created a graphic and link to Denver's 4th Annual Halloween Trunk Show. Some of these originals will be offered at this fun event! Click on the badge to visit a collage of images from last year's show along with the date and time details. I hope many of my local collector friends will join us!

Also, at left there is a text link below a graphic referring to my Artist Interview. If you click on the text link, you will be routed to Sally Evan's website. She features creative entrepreneurs, and it is my honor to be her current guest feature! You can purchase either a down-loadable audio file or disc of our hour-plus long conversation. I think you may find it interesting, hopefully inspiring, useful and an insight into my life and career path..... THANKS to all for your interest....

Back to work!
~ Johanna