303-202-0203
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas! May it be purrrrrfect! ....Speaking of, Jack is back, donning his latest holiday fashion. I made an extra top hat this year, just for him. We borrowed the mini scarf from one of my snowmen, and voila!... You can also watch a fun animated time lapse from our holiday photoshoot on my Instagram page, HERE! Enjoy!
Cheers,
~ Johanna, JP and Jack :-)
Have you picked up a copy of the November 2017 / January 2018 issue of Where Women Create Magazine yet? If so, turn to page 70 for an 8-page article featuring Johanna Parker Design! We received the exciting news at the start of this year that we would be included in the holiday edition. Keeping in mind the release date, I quickly switched gears and made a collection of winter-themed originals to include in the mix. When summer rolled in, JP and I blocked out some time to take the photos of my studio space, and now we're in print! It's been a long time coming, and those that have acquired a copy to read my story will know why. We submitted plenty of photos for the editor to choose from, and obviously not all could make the cut. So, I am including several more here for you to enjoy! It's a beautiful magazine, so please keep an eye out for the issue on the stands or order yourself a copy directly from Where Women Create - HERE! Enjoy the peek into our home and my cozy sunroom studio space...
A sneak peek at my article intro includes me sitting at my drafting table where I illustrate…
This was the secondary portrait photo we took, showing me surrounded by my space
An old family shelf now houses both art supplies and one of a kind folk art pieces.
We enjoyed taking the photos for this article. I styled and composed most of the images and JP helped adjust the settings and played with the various camera and lens technicalities. In my opinion, it really does take a team...
This vignette shows a snapshot of various holiday art projects all grouped together. It's a fun mix of my printed graphics, rough pencil sketches, a painted art panel, pattern repeats and illustrated gift tags ~ All a variety of designs that I could easily delve into on any given day!
We chose this mischievous pair of holiday folk art characters, a rare, grinning red cat candy container and a standing snowman, to accompany me in my portrait.
A hand-me-down hoosier hutch from mom is now the keeper of art supplies, fabric swatches & collectibles that inspire new designs.
In the corner, the bare bones of an old lampshade offer easy hanging for a handful of my original ornament bell characters.
An original owl sculpture, perched atop a decorated ball, keeps watch over my studio space.
Like I say in my article, my sunroom studio space is by far my favorite. Even though I have been sculpting my folk art originals for well over a decade, I've only been crafting in this sunny room for a couple of years. Get the issue to read more about my journey through time to find the right inspired space for making my art.
A wall nook of my hanging aprons creates a soft backdrop for my jolly ball-shaped Santa and winter kitty ornament bell.
A closer peek at my shelf reveals a sweet penguin kettle cup and an owl ornament bell. Everything from feathers to vintage pottery and glassware add functionality and design inspiration to where I sit to sculpt and paint.
Paintbrushes and pens surround a sweet Santa egg cup character.
I'd be remiss not to include a holiday crossover or two in the mix. Here, a ghost of Christmas Past howls from the corner of the room. With a cobweb collar and holly-winged bats, the lines of Halloween and Christmas begin to blur....
A festive snowman egg cup whistles a merry tune!
A jolly snowman head, donning an illustrated top hat, sports an enchanting smile.
Collectors interested in adopting some of the one of a kind pieces pictured here and within my magazine article are encouraged to Join our Mailing List for news and updates coming soon. We will be releasing pieces in a couple different ways during the month of December. At random, collectors will be able to CATCH a special one of a kind, directly from our website. And, we will also be hosting a few select auctions, again here on our site, and accepting your best offers. Stay tuned for more information once we finalize the details..
Many thanks to Where Women Create for including us in their current edition! I am honored to be included amongst a medley of talented artisans. It's a joy to realize a dream, and we appreciate our friends at WWC for supporting that vision.
Now, go get a copy!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays...
~ Johanna, JP and Jack
October 31st is here, and we gave Jack a different look this year! While I typically make a special paper hat for our furry friend to wear, he sported a mini-sized strand of my Vintage Halloween Pennants. Really, what a ham! He was fully engaged for this shoot. I placed him on an old picnic basket, draped his fluffy coat with Halloween flags, and he basically played along for the camera. JP snapped the shutter while I kept his attention at play. Enjoy a handful of photos from our Halloween photo shoot day!
Happy Halloween dear friends!
xoxo,
~ Johanna, JP & Jack
Here's one of the first lucky photos JP snapped ~ Jack sitting proud with puffed chest and eyes to the lens!
I'm readjusting his Halloween finery here... He didn't seem to mind one bit...
What a good boy!
He tries it out for size....
Then, there was that brief moment where he realized that something odd was wrapped around his neck! I quickly distracted him from licking it off...
Sweet profile...
Paw in motion, ready to bat at my little distractor that I sometimes use...
Back to calm and cool... Jack has had his portrait taken countless times, so this is old hat... Hence no hat this time around.. LOL :)
Showing a little tongue and fang in this one!
A snuggle hug after the session ended....
... Those lips....
What a charmer!....
And, we'll end it with a touch of spookiness for Halloween! Hope you're not too scared! Thanks for stopping by for a little furry fun and behind the scenes black cat cuteness...
Get this look in our Store's DIY Printables page! The complete set comes with 6 unique designs that I have illustrated. Download and Print as many as you wish for personal use. Print 'em big or small and ENJOY them each fall!
Last month, in the midst of my Halloween-mania, I entered one of Spoonflower's weekly design challenges. The theme was Vintage Halloween, and well, how could I resist? When the results came in, I placed 4th out of several hundred entries. Being the Spoonflower newbie that I am, I was thrilled to make the top 10! We did our high-fives and moved on to show preparations and the endless Halloween art to-do list! Then, a few days later, I received an exciting invitation! Spoonflower's team had taken notice of my Spoonflower Shop and all of my Halloween patterns for fabric, gift wrap and wallpaper! They detected my passion for October 31, and found the timing just right for a Halloween Edition - Meet the Designer Spotlight! Of course we said yes, and with just the weekend to shoot photos for their Q & A Blog Post, JP and I got busy! You can enjoy the full feature on Spoonflower's October 9, 2017 Blog Post. I am honored for the feature and look forward to making many more designs for fabric and the like...
This post includes some photos and bloopers that we did not submit. But, they're fun, and we thought we'd share them here... Enjoy!!!
This is my "portrait"..... Spoonflower only used my face in their marketing. I thought I would share the whole scene - A busy table with many of my Halloween Spoonflower designs strewn about as well as our Halloween fire screen that we made years ago, all surround me in the image. It's symbolic of my head which is often immersed in Halloween art.
A peek at our living room table has my Halloween fabric swatches and illustrations scattered about. Composing an image and taking photos usually means moving furniture around and making a grand mess. There's no way around it in our tiny home!
Action shot - talking while shooting - I'm probably offering a snarky response to the camera man here... :)
And who's the man behind the camera? That would be JP! I had him sit for me so I could frame up the shot I wanted. Then, we adjusted the soft focus from there. Notice we swopped out the spiky air plant and pottery combo for one of my owl sculptures.
Let's face it. I don't sew ~ it's been years since I sat down at a sewing machine! But, I do love designing patterns for other people to craft with. Spoonflower asked me to photograph some of my projects using my fabric. Fortunately, I had ordered a fat quarter of my Jack Vine Sitter design, so I whipstitched a rather crude, doughnut scarf to wear. I asked JP to focus on the scarf and to keep my face blurry while I looked away. There were too many distractions, so it was hit or miss. Jack wanted to know why I was sitting on the floor, and of course, he got involved. This scene was more funny than serious and difficult to keep a straight face. :)
Spoonflower asked me to submit photos of things, animals or places that inspire me. Our black cat Jack is always an inspiration. We chose another more Halloween-centric photo of him that you can see on their Blog Post. But, this was the runner-up.
This photo shows a glimpse at one of my Printable Halloween Pennant Garlands. The same pattern work is featured on various designs in my Spoonflower Shop too.
This is my favorite silly pic from the day! Again, I asked JP to pretend to be me so that I could help to frame up the composition that I wanted... So, this is his version of me... LOL! Notice, he's drawing with his index finger.. I'm not that good yet :) You'll have to go to Spoonflower's Blog to see the actual photo that we shared...
I sat on one of our rock walls for this photo with a large Moonflower plant in the foreground... You'll see me sniffing one of the blooms in the Spoonflower Article. JP art-directed that pose... :)
Here's a close-up of a furled Moonflower bloom. I absolutely love these flowers. Look at the spiral-shaped curls on the tips! It opens to reveal a large white trumpet-shaped blossom with a soft purple cast. I find it gorgeous and very inspirational to this spiral-loving artist...
Our garden inspiration shoot occurred in the midst of a painted lady butterfly migration! With each step, a flurry of Halloween-hued wings would scatter and resettle on surrounding blooms. It was magic! Spoonflower included this photo in my Q & A, but this view offers a closer peek at the character of this intriguing insect.
This year, our garden is full of orange poppies and bees! They go hand in hand, and I captured this photo to express the mystery and whimsy of nature that offers more artistic inspiration for me.
Jack sniffs my giant spider from my Transpac Imports Halloween line. We moved it around a few times to include this fun character in some of the photos... Plus, spiders belong outside..
I'm not sure what's happening here. This was after the official shoot. I put on a sweater as the weather was quickly changing and cold drops of rain were beginning to fall. I watched Jack roam around the yard, munching on grass. JP obviously was still snapping a few candid photos...
Another spider relocation effort. We do this with real spiders too. We save them and take them outside whenever we can. Jack was mildly curious in this photo, but more interested in the sounds of shuffles and chirping from the trees.
Me again at a little backyard garden table, staring off into imaginary land like I often do... Giant spider in tow....This feature was so last minute, I didn't have time to iron my clothes. Bad weather was rolling in, and we just had to wing it... I rarely iron anyway.... :D
We hope you enjoyed a peek at the Behind the Scenes... Now, hop on over to Spoonflower's Blog to read the official Meet the Artist ~ Halloween Edition and to enjoy my Q & A! Thanks for stopping in to take a peek. Let me know what you think of our new Blog format in the comments section below.
By the way, here are all of my Halloween Spoonflower fabric designs, grouped together! I am looking forward to adding more to the mix! Your suggestions are welcome too...
Happy Haunting,
~ Johanna, JP & Jack
I have been waiting for this moment to add a hearty blog post, chock-full of Halloween eye candy! As it turns out, the 3rd Annual Glens Art Walk is just the subject matter for this playful scene. Many many thanks to ALL of you that joined us! From both near and quite far, we enjoyed your company, and it was a pleasure to bring smiles to so many faces! Many weeks led up to the unfolding of this special event, and we were graced with such a lovely fall day. Shoppers enjoyed the warmth of the sun and autumn's palette of changing leaves as they walked from one home to the next. JP and I are so thankful to our hosts, Robert Hickler & Ann Lederer for allowing us to perform our annual Halloween invasion. :) We hope it was a happy haunting! We took lots of photos this time around, and I am thrilled to have a place on our new website where I can share them in the format of my choosing. You can click on each picture for a light box view. Enjoy and do share your feedback too!
Yep, that's me striking a Halloween pose :)
I stuffed old tins, vintage pottery and baskets with my new ornaments!
A grinning black cat candy stand to go with your sweets!
Cubbies were lined with Halloween mugs, candy stands, shelf sitters, candles & other delights...
Frightful or Fun? Heads of Frankenstein, toothy-grinned Draculas, spooky black cats, mummies and owls were all there to tempt collectors of my vintage Halloween style!
A Halloween assault on the eyes! EEEK!
The old white shelves that house my originals here came with our 1939 home. It served as a double door to hold canned goods in our basement. Whomever made this years ago would be stunned to think an artist showcases her one of a kind folk art in each nook, but that's how I roll! I love it :)
I think this has been the busiest fall on record for our biz! In between a medley of photography requests for Artist Features as well as Q & A's, responding to the influx of inquiries from our new website, (some of which I still need to tend to!) a mounting list of licensing deadlines, and many other distractions, I was really biting my nails over completing this year's collection of Halloween folk art originals in time for the show. I had to forego a few pieces that just weren't going to meet my timeframe. And, there were quite a few long days in the mix. But, in the end, I was able to complete 22! With a goal for 30+ sculptures, the shelves may look a little bare, so, bear with me :) We did what we could without completely losing our minds. But, I did come close a few times... Despite my Halloween-mania, I think this year's collection of one of a kinds turned out quite swell :) Farewell my little dears and enjoy your new adventures!
JP shares a smile at his new and improved check-out station! We had a nice tucked away space to process orders, store trays of reserved pieces and a wrapping station in the back.
My displays were overflowing with all the latest characters that debuted this fall! We had a medley of Halloween ornaments, shelf sitters, ceramic plates, mugs, candy bowls, salt & pepper shakers and the list goes on! That's why I called it the Halloween invasion...
The other white cubby shelf is a recycled find. We cleaned it up and for several years, it housed our collection of music CDs back before iTunes was a thing. Now, it's become basement storage, but it works just perfect for this event. We do shuffle a lot of stuff around when doing a show. For example, tins on my dresser that hold earrings and such, get to take the day off and display ornaments instead. Vintage lamps are pulled from their plugs and glow in another home! We also grab stools and carts that function for us at home and use them as props for Halloween. Needless to say, our house gets a little stripped when we do the big move, but it's an excuse to dust and clean before it all gets put back! And, we're only carting these goods just a few blocks away. Love the ease of that!
An old suitcase reveals my embroidered punkin peep guest towels, a stack of illustrated plates and candy bowls!
Glass candy jars with candy corn pair sweetly with their shelf sitter buddies...
BOO! My meringue-topped ghosts in various shapes and forms have been a popular fave with this collection...
Beyond my spooky display, an open door lead the way to Ann's colorful painted silks...
Across the way, Robert and Ann gave us a portion of their front window to share some Halloween magic. You can see that Robert jumped into the Halloween spirit and made some metal spider webs and skulls.. It's contagious!
Another peek at my front nook....
Approaching visitors were greeted with Robert's contemporary wall art as well as our vintage wagon filled with harvest delights. My giant spiders brought some smiles too :) Later, Ann tucked in her silk laden dress form to complete the scene...
From spooky to sweet, Robert Hickler added a touch of Halloween to his metal cut-outs this year!
A place for bats and owls to take roost....
We had a steady flow of folks dropping in to see the various creations that we all had to offer. It was a perfect day for a walking tour!
Halloween collectors came in clusters to see the latest collection!
A variety of snowflakes, skulls & bats were scattered across Robert Hickler's table...
You can find a giant version of this sculpture by Robert Hickler in Fort Collins' Old Town Square, winning the People's Choice Award!
You can enjoy more of Robert Hickler's portfolio on his website. He has been very busy in his shop making all sorts of magic, including large scale installations for various public places. The mantel guitar sculpture was quite the marvel, and Robert will do commissions at various scales.
The hue happy colors of Robert's contemporary sculptures, marry nicely with his wife Ann Lederer's hand-painted silk scarves. Beautiful patterns and floral whimsies by Ann were displayed on racks in their back sunroom...
Ann Lederer points out her handmade cards while an attendee caresses her lavender-filled eye pillow, all made of painted silk. They smelled divine too...
Their back sunroom proved to be the perfect spot to highlight Ann's colorful work, capturing the light!
More captivating hand-painted silk scarves by Ann Lederer greeted guests upon entering her space...
More captivating hand-painted silk scarves by Ann Lederer greeted guests upon entering her space... Ann does not have a website, but you can reach her by EMAIL, and yes, she does all sorts of commissions, specializing in Prayer Shawls, Challah Covers, Huppahs as well as many other special occasion painted silks for all walks of life.
Year 3 at the Glens Art Walk was a charm! Thank you ALL that attended and came out to support our creative endeavors! We enjoyed seeing you!
At the end of the day, JP played a little air guitar for all of us on one of Robert's sculptures! Teehee! We hope you enjoy the photos! Mark your calendar for 2018 - When the first Saturday of October rolls in, we will roll it out again :)
Happy Haunting,
~ Johanna
Many thanks to ALL that jumped in to count the many pages on our website! We hope you enjoyed the various categories and sub-categories within the Portfolio tab as well as the different aspects of our Store and beyond….
As it turns out, we opened a can of worms!!! Thanks to your participation, we have learned that there is more than one way to count the pages! Some of you more technically-inclined folks found pages that we did not even know about, while others brought it to our attention that by clicking on the tags in both the Events & Blog postings, another flurry of unique URLs resulted! All in all, your count totals ran the spectrum from single to triple digits! That’s quite a range! :) To sum it up, our intent was really to just introduce you to our site! So, we thank you ALL for participating and finding interest in the art of Johanna Parker Design!
I originally based my page tally by just surfing through our site and counting all the pages that I built. I reached a TOTAL of 50 pages. But, due to the various ways, perspectives and definitions of counting web pages, we have decided to enter ALL the participants that submitted a count. We LOVE that you all jumped in and took the time to play with us. So, out of a medley of enthusiastic participants, here are the names we drew:
- Kristyn Cooper (Ghost Candy Bowl)
- Kimmy Blankenburg (Count Dracula Sitter)
- Elizabeth Anderson (Owl Mug)
- Veronica Chavez (Jack Salt & Pepper Set)
——————— The List Below is my original Total: 50 unique URL pages (excluding clickable fullscreen photos, outside links to other sites, and any .PDF printable download pages) But, it looks like I may have missed a few.... :-0
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/win-it
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/johanna-parker-design-newsletter
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/about/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/portfolio/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/portfolio/#/folk-art-originals/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/lucky-list
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/halloween-folk-art
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/spring-folk-art
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/christmas-folk-art
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/valentine-folk-art
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/every-day-folk-art
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/collaborations
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/2017/7/31/grand-opening-giveaway
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/my-blog-has-a-new-home
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/contact/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/portfolio/#/licensed-designs/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/portfolio/#/illustrations/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/vector-art
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/ink-dye-illustrations
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/public-art
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/mixed-media
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/portfolio/#/surface-design/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/portfolio/#/artful-living/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/portfolio/#/licensing-catalog/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/events/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/events/glens-art-walk
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/store/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/store/#/collectors-catch-originals/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/store/#/spoonflower/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/store/#/signed-reproductions/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/store/#/roostery/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/halloween-cat-jack-pennant-garland
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/spooky-night-halloween-pennant-garland
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/crow-tree-halloween-hat
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/halloween-party-hat-with-cat
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/halloween-stacked-jacks-hat
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/tangerine-dream-pennant-garland
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/natures-frolic-doodle-pennant-garland
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/natures-frolic-garden-pennant-garland
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/nectar-love-pennant-garland
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/garden-delights-medley-garland-pennant
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/cart
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/?category=Floral
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/printables/?category=Halloween
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/store/#/resource-guide/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/print-share/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/press/
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/?tag=Johanna+Parker
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/?tag=reflection
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/?tag=Johanna+Parker+Design+blog
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/?tag=giveaway
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/?tag=raffle
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/blog/?tag=halloween
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/events/?tag=Glens+Art+Walk
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/events/?tag=Glen+Creighton+Neighborhood
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/events/?tag=Lakewood+Colorado+artists
https://www.johannaparkerdesign.com/events/?tag=art+show
What FUN, albeit a little more complicated than first imagined! Thank you all for participating and appreciating our new website! We hope you visit often and share it with your friends...
xoxoxo,
~ Johanna & JP
Hi All!
After a few months of sifting through photos, writing LOTS of descriptions and learning the capabilities and quirks of the web templates on this new platform, we finally launched our new site on July 1st! It's been a long time coming, but what a joy it is to have a fresh face on the web :) We then took a month to really test it and make sure things were working smoothly. NOW, on July 31st, we are Celebrating our Grand Opening! A Newsletter will be going out tomorrow to announce the fun news as well as other upcoming events! And what's a Celebration without a GIVE*AWAY and PRIZES?!! That said, we are hosting a fun "Count" so to speak! To help acquaint you with our new site, we are inviting you to COUNT the pages for a chance to WIN one of 4 hand-picked Artist-Signed prizes from the "Count" Dracula and friends group, pictured below! For the details, visit our "Win It" page! We'll be accepting your tallies via EMAIL through August 11th, and the 4 WINNERS will be posted here on our BLOG!
ENJOY your Visit and HAPPY COUNTING!
~ Johanna
Hi Friends,
Accompanying my new website, is a place for me to Blog, here, all in one place!... It's crazy to think that I started my original blog on Blogger, 10 years ago! Those of you that have followed along with me there have probably noticed that my frequency of posts have dropped over the years. There was quite a blogging frenzy going on in 2007, and I jumped on the Blogger wagon like many. It was much more dynamic then, and folks were blog-hopping, leaving a trail of comments, enthusiasm and chatter along the way. It was an exciting time for sharing stories and images and creating a sense of camaraderie amongst friends ~ kind of like visiting each others homes for tea. Then, social media (Facebook) stole the show, and I noticed that folks were staying in one place and chatting on one platform vs. hopping all over the web from blog to blog. Makes sense I guess, but losing a majority of my blog audience to Facebook kinda took away the fun of blogging. Whenever I had a new blog post, I felt the need to proclaim the announcement on Facebook, and I probably still will. I guess it's a necessary evil these days.... :-0
That said, I'm trying something new that will perhaps inspire me to blog more ~ one can only hope! My blog on Blogger is feeling a bit stale, so it's time for a fresh face. For now, I will keep my old blog where you've always known it to live at: johannaparkerdesign.blogger.com ~ There are so many stories, and features, and bits of news that I cherish from years past over on that platform, and I certainly don't want to say goodbye with a click. I'll continue to keep my Flickr photostream active as many of the photos in my old blog posts are linked directly there. As time permits, I will look into transferring all the content and images from my original blog over to my new site here, hosted by Squarespace. I hear it can be a time-consuming process, reformatting all the photos and text. And, honestly, that's not on the top of my list right now. So, until I have more information, we'll link back to the past on Blogger to see 10 years of Johanna Parker Design's journey. And, we'll look to the future, here on my new website!
Thanks for following along and offering support and feedback along the way. I am excited to try something new, and I hope you enjoy the journey with me.
Cheers,
~ Johanna
To see the 10 previous years of blog posts via Johanna Parker Design, you can bookmark and peruse her original site on Blogger: www.johannaparkerdesign.blogger.com