Autumnal Snapshots....

Hello and a merry Halloween to you! We are back from our adventures in the Ozark Mountains and what beautiful things we saw! The trees were brilliant, and while the weather was sometimes volatile, it was on a whole spooky and fun. Follow highway 62 B and come with...

We stayed at the always beautiful, dazzling and haunting Crescent Hotel this time. I was fully prepared for some spookyness to ensue...which it did....but most of it had to do with ancient plumbing in our room (the radiator started gurgling, hissing and spitting steam at 7:30 am our first morning....) The first evening I was sitting on the bed and the closet door just started opening....Will saw my face and said "What?" When I told him what happened, he went to the door and poked it and it was pretty loose on the hinge....why must men always be so practical about spookiness?

However, it didnt take much to make this luxurious Victorian hotel spooky.....

Built in 1886, this hotel was originally built to cater to the rich families who flocked to the Ozarks to partake of the healing effects of the natural springs so plentiful in the region. In the off-season the hotel was home to a school for well-to-do young women and then when the age of decadence faded....the hotel was bought by a quack doctor who made it a 'cancer cure hospital' where all sorts of heeby-jeeby things took place...they still have the autopsy table in the basement ;)

You can see it on the ghost tour! Or you can see the hotel explored by TAPS on Ghost Hunters, this is the link.

Audrey, however, was more interested in the food ;) everything served at the Crystal Dining Room is completely delicious, and now Will and I are addicted to the coffee served there...Mmm...
Audrey and I in the lobby....this was as close as she would condescend to sit with her ol' mama.
There are so many beautiful farms and fields and woods in the Ozarks....just one of the many little picturesque farms we saw there.
Of course, we enjoyed shopping down town in one of the cutest little downtowns I've ever seen....Wilson & Wilson Folk Art is where I left a lot of my money. Blakely Wilson, the owner, is so sweet and always recognizes us when we come in. We even happened upon a store with rabbits roaming around inside. Needless to say, Audrey almost had a fit of happiness when she saw them....she mauled many a store dog/cat/rabbit.... ;)
Then it was time to go.....

But not before we took in a little more of the autumn prettiness....

and hugged a few more critters....

****

Hope these photos put you in an autumn mood! And I hope you have a lovely and safe Halloween....Can you believe that tomorrow is NOVEMBER???? How the time has flown....

Tasha Tuesdays Post # 6

Happy Tuesday.....

I admit it....I am totally looking forward to the Christmas season this year. I know I wont have to wait long--- we will be bombarded with Christmas Music the day after Halloween, and many stores are already displaying their Christmas decorations.

A big part of the anticipation for me probably has to do with the fact that Audrey is now getting old enough to really enjoy the season--- to be excited about the magic and pretty things, to love what she finds under the Christmas trees (babies are generally just puzzled by Christmas I think, lol)

I've been thinking a lot too about what kind of Christmases and traditions I'd like to create for my family; I dont want it to be a gluttonous free-for-all where we overspend and buy a bunch of *stuff* that gets tossed out of boxes on Christmas morning in an effort to see "what's next? What didja get me? Is that all?" I want Christmas to to be quiet and appreciated. To have a few quality items but more importantly family togetherness, creativity, and gratefulness. Is it possible??? We shall see.

I've decided to try for a handmade Christmas this year. And who is the lady to look to for inspiration on this? Why, Tasha, of course!

My stab at little embroidered pins

According to Tasha, her Christmas preparations began in June when she would start knitting mittens and scarves and making little stuffed animals (all by hand of course) in anticipation of the Christmas season. She would then hole them away in a chest in the attic until the Christmas season began.

If you've ever looking for something to get you into the homey holiday mood, I highly suggest her book "Forever Christmas" by Harry Davis or the Christmas DVD "Take Peace" about Christmas at her home.
I am very proud of this dark green cowl I made recently! It didnt take long and i'm thinking a few of my friends might get this warm little gift for Christmas....

From a fresh tree lighted with candles, advent celebrations, a home cooked meal, and a late-night walk to find a creche in the woods, all of Tasha's holiday traditions are simple and magical--- and all done by hand. No last minute trips to Target or (God forbid) Toys R Us. It's all done by hand. And it's all beautiful and memorable. I'd like that for my family as well.

My little drawer of knitted goodies, perhaps a place to stash future gifts?

So, this is my goal. A simple, home made, hand made Christmas. Tasha will be my inspiration. And while I know I'll probably never be as efficient as her in this respect, I will do my best. My goals for the holiday season:

* Try out Tasha's Dundee Cake Recipe

* Try my hand at gingerbread cookie animals, one of Tasha's specialty

* Knit, paint or bake many of my holiday gifts

* Look for simple (and inexpensive) ways to start holiday traditions for Audrey

* Attempt to make a home made meal for one of the holidays....Tasha's cookbook will be very important for this!

So...guess I better get busy!

Have you started thinking about Christmas yet? Would you like to do anything handmade for your holiday, or try something new? I'd love to hear your plans....

postcards and Paintings...

As much as I love fall, its hard to believe it is actually here. The leaves have turned and the trees are slowly losing their leaves...soon it will be the bareness of winter and it all seems to be going so fast. No wonder then that my mind is wandering to Christmas.....

And with the season of little remembrances and getting in touch with loved ones, I am very pleased to now have holiday postcards in my shop:

The holiday pack includes 6 sweet little cards in two designs; Winter Blessings and All is Calm, All is Bright. They came out so lovely with softly rounded edges and vintage style 'postcard' backing.
For the past few days I've been working on a few paintings at once--- some Christmasy (I love my latest Santa!) and some sort of swash-buckling, lace wearing, folky beauties. This painting is a pretty large one done on a big heavy wooden plank:
She's nearly done! Just have to finish the details.....

Also--- I am going to be out of town Wednesday through Friday this week. The 29th will be our 5 year anniversary and we're running away to the Ozarks to enjoy the beautiful autumn mountains and each other's company. I'm going to leave my etsy shop open but orders wont be posted until I return.

Til then....

~H

Sarah's portrait

It's a bright autumn day today....outside my kitchen window the sun is shining through a cloudless blue sky on the yellow leaves of the fall creek. It is all quite golden and lovely.

Lately I've been obsessed with things early American...the art, the fashion, the lifestyles....thinking about things more homespun and simple. Watching an awful lot of Pride and Prejudice.

Wanted to share with you one of my latest commissions, a piece that was so wonderful to work on because of all that is behind it. This is Sarah's Sanctuary:

This is a portrait of a woman named Sarah Pease who, very long ago in our country's early years, was charged with witch craft and imprisoned. Fortunately for Sarah, the governor of Massachusettes put an end to the whole crazy epidemic before Sarah was tried (and she most likely would have been found guilty, as no one seemed to be found innocent). But not before she had spend a year in prison, kept from her family and children in dire conditions.

Sarah survived the witch hunts and went on to live and care for her family. Nearly forgotten to history, she was in recent years discovered by her descendants, one of which is the lovely Alyson from New England Living. I created this portrait of Sarah for Alyson as a tribute to her nearly-forgotten ancestor.
This photo came out a little dark...my scanner is having emotional problems at the moment ;) but in the background owls watch from leafless branches, and a tiny village with a small white church are nestled in the landscape. The ocean breaks far in the distant. In her hands Sarah holds a bouquet of bittersweet, a fitting flower for her, I think.

Alyson has written so eloquently about her search for Sarah and time spent in Salem. I highly recommend taking a moment to visit her stories on Salem and her ancestors.

Now, I suppose, it's time to paint.....

~H

Some new paintings

A few days ago I finished two new paintings and finally got them listed on etsy :) They really couldn't be more different.....First, there's Wilamina:

The text embedded into the image says "I've waited ever so long..." Oh, this girl is a gothic heroine to be sure. I have a feeling that her eternal waiting has to do with lost or unrequited love. She has waited so long, in fact, that she's now been covered by lacy spider webs and a few (very sweet, Im sure) little spiders. She is wearing a large dark taffeta dress with a pansy (for remembrance, of course) pinned to her bosom. She is a lovely girl though....and now in the shop for closer inspection.

My second painting, however, is about as different from Wilamina as you can get! This is Joy and she is a little holiday girl:
Joy would be perfect to display for the holidays and beyond since she isnt explicitely about Christmas.....I love to paint winter coats and hats and shawls and gloves! You can find her here in the shop.

Happy Friday!~

H

Silhouettes~

So...yes. I do have a small Christmas tree up. If they give out awards for 'nuts who put up a tree before Halloween' then I am a good contender for winning! However...I put the tree up more as a means to display my newly made silhouettes than to get into the Christmas spirit (although, if I'm honest, I am really looking forward to the Christmas season this year!) I mean, dont they look a hundred times nicer displayed like this than in a big pile on my art table???

I plan on displaying my silhouette ornaments on this tree at my next craft show...and I think it looks lovely....

And guess what my friends.... I made a few slightly larger (and prettier!) silhouette ornaments yesterday and they are in my etsy shop NOW!!! As much as I love the round papier mache ornaments, I think these are so much more interesting....they are done on small (3x5") wooden plaques, aged to perfection, and lined with lace edging. They look sweet on a tree, or even hanging on the wall or off the knob of a pretty old dresser. Even dolly loves them (she really is such the camera hog....)

These silhouettes are currently looking for new homes:

"Dashing Mr. Winters"

"Lady Charlotte"

"Young Miss Amelia"

I hope you like them :) I do plan to make more! And I plan on filling the little tree for Deluxe in December (Actually, i think I will have two trees at Deluxe, so hope shoppers are in the mood for ornaments!!)

Just out of curiosity, what kind of silhouettes are your favorite? men? women? children? couple sets? I have a feeling I will be creating many more...they are just so fun!

I'd also like to point out that I draw and paint each silhouette by hand. None of these silhouettes will ever be created using a stencil. So each will always have its own unique personality and is handmade from start to finish :)

Happy Wednesday....

H

Shady Endeavors

So this weekend I started playing around with a new idea. Silhouettes. I love the look of them. And it seems everyone else does too--- they're hard to find around here and when I do find them, they're a bit rich for my blood. I've had the idea to paint them for a while....and finally sat down to experiment...

Overall, I love how they came out. However, I did come across some stumbles and glitches with just the particulars of creating these ornaments, and i think I can do better. So this batch I wont be selling....but I think I'll take my better ideas and create something lovely for the shop, and for Deluxe (I got my acceptance letter into the show this weekend!)

I think this one is my favorite....
These are the backs....this is where most of my glitching occurred ;) they didnt come out perfect, but I'm thinking I might do a little silhouette tree for my bedroom this Christmastime, and they'd look sweet on there. It's rare I allow myself to keep my own creations. Most of the time I make things with the idea that they will be leaving home for bigger and better places ;)
So what do you think? Good idea? I hope to make some even more gorgeous....

Also--- I've got two new paintings to list and share with you. Hope you love them!

And dont forget, tomorrow is Tasha Tuesday! I've got an extra-special one lined up....

~H

Hello, Dolly....

A striking young lady has come to stay with us, and we are so enamored of her. She's come all the way from Oregon in her delicate white dress and matching hat and little pet crow. When I lifted her out of the package, my eyes got a little misty! I was instantly in love....

This gorgeous creation was sent to me by doll artist Christine Crocker of Deerfield Farm House. I was so pleased when Christine approached me a while back to do a trade. I painted an early American style portrait inspired by her dolls and grand daughters and she made me this gorgeous, gorgeous girl....

I am so amazed at the detail that went into this little miss. Her body is delicately crackled, she has dark glass eyes and real hair under her bonnet. Christine made her up all in white in the style of her more Halloween-ish Queen Anne dolls. She even has a crow on her arm.

I have been in love with Queen Anne dolls since I discovered them here online. They appear often in my paintings (check out the girl in my banner in the center...yep, she's holding a Queen Anne!) Christine is among some of the finest doll makers out there and I feel so blessed to have one of these fine dolls in my own collection. I--- and Audrey!--- will always treasure her!

Every angle is gorgeous, I love her real ponytail hanging down her back....

Thank you SO much Christine! I heart her with all my heart!!!!

And while we sit and stare at dolly.....I am settling into new inspirations. I've got some ideas for new things to try. My inspiration was a little wayward the past few days, but I spent a rainy afternoon curled up with my girl watching Pride and Prejudice (that always helps!) and getting in an inspired state of mind. I hope to have more to share with you soon....

~H

In which she knits, reads and ponders art....

Click, click, click went the knitting needles.....

And now it's done....

Last night curled up in bed I finished this scarf--- my masterpiece (to date). I've dragged this project around with me, even to Indie Emporium (and got photographed doing it, haha!) and am pleased with how it turned out. Sure, I got distracted a few times and lost count so some stripes are larger than others....but it ended up pretty even, and I've decided to give it to my husband because (gasp!) he has never owned a scarf.

The colors are cream and a cinnamony-taupe...sorta reminds me of a nice coffee...or cocoa....

The past few days I've just wanted to curl up with my knitting or a good book (I'm currently reading Audrey Niffenegger's new book "Her Fearful Symmetry." I fear that it isnt as brilliant as The Time Traveler's Wife...it sorta doesnt even seem like the same author. But the characters are all weirdos, and there IS a ghost involved, so I'm gonna finish it just to see what happens in the end....)

I've been thinking a lot about my art and the direction I want to go in, now that Indie is over. I always seem to do a bit of self-evaluation after a big show. Feel the need for change, to try something different. I've been wondering recently if (as much as I do love collage) I have painted myself into a bit of a corner with it (lol). I wonder if I need collage as 'my thing', if my art would fall flat without the extra layer of texture the collage brings.

Before I stumbled upon the wonderful world of collage, my girls were done in water color....
I'm sorta wanting to try new mediums but am uncertain of how it would be received. However, the whole collage painting process is rather drawn out....I dont just sit down and paint usually. There's a lot of work-stop-work-stop involved. The base collage is usually done ahead of time so that it can dry a good 24 hours before I even start painting on it. Sometimes I long for the simplicity of sitting down with a piece of paper and just painting.....
So. I'm just putting that idea out there. maybe I'll start playing around with the old watercolors, if they havent completely dried up....just thought I'd see what the thoughts were out there. And maybe get up the gumption to try something new.....

~H

Commission: Carolyn

I wanted to share with you a little commission I made for a family member. My cousin recently had a baby, which she named Carolyn-- after her grandmother. Carolyn was my own grandmother's sister. In honor of little Carolyn's legacy, I was commissioned to create this portrait of "Grandma Carolyn" as a young girl. I think it came out very sweet....

As the holiday season approaches, I am nearing my most popular time for commissions. I was asked several times at Indie Emporium this weekend if I do commissions and the answer is yes! I do a lot of family portraits, children's portraits and wedding portraits.

I work from digital photographs of each person in the portrait, so all you do is email me the photos and we'll chat a bit about color scheme, setting, little touches you'd like added or meaningful quotes you'd like added as well. It's always a fun process to make someone's idea come to life and create something to treasure for years to come.

If you're interested in a commission, I do have a commission page on my website with some basic info, including prices. Or feel free to email with any questions....

PS: Been adding some new items to my etsy shop! Go have a look!~

Tasha Tuesdays- Post #4

It's another chilly autumn Tuesday....and you know what that means....it's time for Tasha Tuesday!

It wasn't long after I started reading about Tasha that I declared to my husband, "this is what I want to be when I get old! I'm going to run around in calico drawing pictures and raising goats!"

Luckily, I have a very understanding husband ;) One that might look a little like Walt Whitman when he becomes an old man--- so you know we're going to be one sexy old couple ;)
This past year I noticed the slight appearance of smile lines around my eyes....I think a lot of women would freak out about this (stop smiling! dont make me laugh!) and I did have a "gee, I guess this means I am getting old..." moment, but then I thought of Tasha and....well, if I'm living on a Tasha Timeline (she was almost 93 when she passed) I still have a ways to go.

I love the photo above, it appears in the book The Private World of Tasha Tudor. A book I highly recommend to you if you want to buy just one Tasha book--- this is the one. Looking through this book inspired me to create these paintings a while back:

"Jane Elisabeth (left) and Goodwife Tudor (right)"

These paintings are done in rich blacks, blues and burnt orange. Very fitting for this cozy autumn season. I decided to put both these lovely ladies (and their stories) in my etsy shop. So, if you need a Tasha remembrance....do take a look :)

Goodwife Tudor

Jane Elisabeth

These paintings, of course, are done in a style and era (the early 1800s) that Tasha felt a kinship to. She felt like she must have lived during that time before because so many things about it drew her in--- the fashions, the daily activities, the style...

I was filling out a questionnaire the other day and it asked "what is your favorite historical era?" I honestly couldnt choose just ONE....so many I love...is 1770s-1950s a big enough era? ;)

How about you? is there a specific era that speaks to you? One that you'd like to go back to after this modern life is done? Are you like Tasha and try to incorporate this era into your daily life?

Let me see....I think today, I will try to do at least one thing that is old fashioned. And since I have a big era of interest, I should be able to find something. What shall it be....

Until Next Tuesday!~
H

Indie Emporium 2009

Well, we are back from Indie Emporium! And it was our best year so far! Everything went so smoothly, and I was so happy to have my booth nestled in among good friends. I had my good friend Holly on one side, and my good friends that I used to work with when I was a jewelry designer on the other. It was so fun! And I had my favorite helper with me too :)

Here are a few close-up of my wares....This year I have inherited a few beat-up old and extremely lovely suitcases that I use to display my prints. I love this top one's silky green interior. The pockets are ideal for storing lots of pretty prints...
Some of my originals on display. Those two front little ones now have new homes :)
My rack of new paintings....Jacinda, on the bottom left, was sold, but the others are still looking for homes and will be on Etsy!
My friend and booth neighbhor Holly from Sweetheartville, we had such a good time!
Lovely Beth, my friend and fellow girly-movie-watcher, at her booth Art by Bethany
My friend and ol' designing pal Tony Li. He sold fabulous knit-wear, photography and pins and also created a line for the fashion show Saturday night.
Me and my favorite bearded sweetie! He helped me with all the loading and setting up (and ran home when we discovered that we'd left half my paintings sitting in the garage ***ahhhhhh!!!***) the only time he left was to get my truck new tires. Awww....
Shoppers and vendors, oh my! This is the big room where I was vending, there was another room packed with sweet booths too.

Tony, Beth and me, excited to get started!

On day two, I couldnt stop staring at all the pretty headbands at the booth across from me (a common danger at these shows) and traded for this beautiful feathered headband from Feather by Feather. The headband's name was Imogen, I love that name!
Well, that's the show! I cant believe another Indie has come and gone. This was my very first show last year....and I nearly doubled my profits. I feel very warm and happy right now! :D

Now, I will start slowly putting the items that didnt sell on etsy, many of them will be new to etsy too. Still have some darling pieces that need new homes! The shop is now active, I took it off vacation mode last night. Now I'm thinking of all sorts of concoctions to make for Deluxe when it opens on Dec.12. After these shows I'm always eager to start fresh and explore new things.

Hope you had a good weekend! And if I saw you at the show--- I am so happy you came! Thanks for stopping by! See you at the next one :D