ARTIST: Rachel Garrison

(Search results for “Johanna Parker”)

WHERE: Lewisville, Texas

CRAFT: Sculpture, Paint, Art Doll Design, Needle Felt, Sewing, Fabric

Texas based designer, Rachel Garrison, is a 4th generation folk artist that has been creating for as long as she can remember. Rachel creates whimsical vintage inspired works drawing inspiration for her Halloween folk art designs from antique German Halloween decor. From Jack-o-lanterns to figural, decor she does it all. Each piece has its own distinct personality and is brought to life with intention to bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart.

Rachel first discovered Johanna’s works displayed in a curio cabinet when visiting a long time crafting friend and Halloween enthusiast of her mother’s. Inspired by the thoughtfully planned construction and folky charm of Johanna’s sculptures, memories of these pieces loomed in her mind. Following in the footsteps of her mother, well-known for her feed sack fashions, Rachel went on to build a business making vintage reproduction patterns and dresses. As time went on, visions of Halloween folk art haunted her thoughts. When Rachel learned that Johanna’s folk art was being reproduced through Bethany Lowe, she felt encouraged to follow her own passion and nurture a career as a full time folk artist! Now, she enjoys bringing Halloween joy to the world and credits Johanna as her “folk hero” for inspiring her along the way.

With the advent of Johanna’s Partners in Craft makers movement, Rachel reached out to share her own JPD-inspired handmade concepts. Rachel’s playful designs feature needle felted heads on trick-or-treat, Halloween-themed art doll fellows. Rachel infuses her whimsical fashions and playful, hand-sculpted accessories to create a complete character, utilizing her various talents. Each piece captures her skills at sewing, sculpture, fashion and felt, all in one! These designs are infused with both Johanna’s iconic characters and Rachel’s styling and talents. With much research into age-old patents, Rachel has also been creating a growing collection of papier mache molded lanterns with JPD style and vintage appeal. These stunning conversation pieces capture Johanna’s characters in a large format, and each is hand-painted with numerous layers of paint to achieve a timeworn look. What a playful collaboration! Keep an eye out for what’s to come. Enjoy and collect from this growing family of handmade folk art collectibles from VanDolls Folk Art + Johanna Parker Design!

Social: Vandolls_FolkArt