Art

The Story

I don't know her name, but locally she's known as the Witch in the Woods. She treks through the forest and marshland twice a day, hunting and gathering. She places items in an old black sack (what the children refer to as "her death bag").

I know what you're thinking. After such a long hiatus, you're posting a scrap of burlap?

This is a preview of the ensemble I'm making for my latest project. Lots of firsts happening in this one:

A) It's a sculpture of a human being

B) I have to make clothes for it

C) It will have a base

Let's go back to today's topic of clothes. I am not a seamstress. I do not own a sewing machine. I haven't made a piece of clothing since Grade 7 Home Economics (and if memory serves, I made a pillow in the shape of a D. Not clothing).

But when I started sculpting the hag, and she had such an organic feel to her, I decided I would cheat myself if I didn't give her actual clothes.

This is an image of her shawl. I made it while watching the Russia vs. Canada hockey game (trying not to fling it across the room as both arms shot into the air for each goal). It's burlap with the edges tied in knots and weaved with twine to make a hem. Then I knotted some more twine in different sizes and tied them to the edges. A little brown and white paint, and voila.

She has simple (very simple) footwear, a babushka (peasant scarf), a dress (more of a wrap) and a scarf belt.

More to come.

"Novelist Amy Tan digs deep into the creative process, journeying through her childhood and family history and into the worlds of physics and chance, looking for hints of where her own creativity comes from. It's a wild ride with a surprise ending."

While she focuses many of her points toward the experience of a writer, I believe she raises some interesting ideas for all creative people (especially in the first half of the video).

The second half gets more...existential. But it's still interesting because it shows her process of creating, plus asks all those questions about opportunity and luck, and how success might all come down to being focused and then seeing the opportunities all around you (be it for work or in life).

I thought it might be interesting for fellow 'creatives' that read this blog.

I've started experimenting with scary snowmen, and snapped a quick photo to show you the first two out of the gate.

Decided to go with a classic look for one, from his carrot to his buttons. And the other has a snow-skull for his head.

I'll take some nicer photos when I get them set up in their winter setting. I have two shows coming up in the city, and I need to update the table display to reflect the change in season. I'm fairly excited to have it all set up because I've never done a creepy Christmas display. It's like rediscovering Halloween and Christmas decorating all over again.

My only apprehension as I travel down this path is the unavoidable references or comparisons to Nightmare Before Christmas. It distracts me during the creation process, and I've already steered away from a couple of interesting ideas because of it. It's a bit frustrating.

I know I can't stop people from equating Halloween-flavoured Christmas decorations with Tim Burton, and I'll try to infuse these pieces with Ghoul Friday Flair until they brim over with my own artistic signature. It's the best I can do.

I love this image of "Animal Theatre" by Zhang Xiaotao in the Iberia Center for Contemporary Art.

Check out all the photographs of skeletons taking over in the photographer's flickr account.

One of the benefits of being a vendor at a Halloween market is that you never know who your neighbour will be. Mine was James Fisher.

Fisher is a local artist and creator of Rue Morgue Magazine's "Disfigures of Speech" column. The print I purchased - pictured right - is from that collection.

Fisher is also the creative mastermind behind Zircocircus.com where you'll find links to more of his artwork and illustrations, along with some macabre melodies he's put together. I know a number of you folks are looking for new music to use in your haunts, and this might be the fresh sound you're looking for to replace some of your stale standbys. You can hear some samples on his myspace page.

With both prints and CDs priced at $10, you can't go wrong.

Fisher spent the whole day sketching the faces of lucky customers onto prints of delicious monstrosities (so the head of the customer was now atop a skeletal form, or a creature, or even decapitated). By the afternoon, it was rare to see his portrait chair empty.

And on top of it all, he's a nice guy. Offered me some of his pasta, gave me his sunglasses to wear when the sun was melting my eyeballs, and entertained me with friendly conversation.

Quick reminder that I will be at the Bazaar of the Bizarre today. I hope to see some of you there!

Artists, clothing designers, craft-folk, publishers and other independent makers of all things exotic, whimsical and macabre are encouraged to join us for this eccentric emporium of curious crafts.

11 to 7, Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 6 Noble Street (North off Queen St, west of Dufferin) in Toronto.

This post is late in the day not only because I've been running around, but because I couldn't decide which Kathy Staico Schorr piece was my favourite.

I still can't decide, but I chose this one for the post.

Check out her wonderful blend of surreal art with a vintage Halloween flair, all waiting for you on her website.

Recently, Apricot Mantle was interviewed on Sketch Theatre.

If the colourful B movie inspired images aren't enough to catch your attention, perhaps his framing technique will:

I wanted to give them more. Carrying the same thought that went into the drawing and letting it overflow into a themed frame! Even though my frames still confine the piece, they act as an extension of the ideas or story of the piece. That way when the viewer sees it hanging up in the gallery their subconscious mind will tell them that there is something different about this Apricot Mantle piece.

Rhode Montijo has a quite a few websites (they are all the same site technically, but with different theming) reflecting various mediums: one for comics, one for children's books, one for artwork and one for...well...any other projects.

This last section is called Curiosities and that's where I found this Halloween sketch. There are more figures in the image so be sure to check out the blog post.

There is also the start of a pumpkin wizard figure that is adorable and begging to be completed, though it seems it will have to wait.

I first discovered Montijo's work when I stumbled across skeletown.com. I never thought I would be a fan of combining light pink with skeletons, but Montijo makes it work.