Golders Creaky Gate

A new ACEO or two

2011-01-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Clearing my workspace out for the new year is not only a physical act for a mental clearing of the creative clutter. I do seem to need a certain amount of 'art' clutter to get my inspiration in gear but by the end of the year my space starts to resemble - oh heavens - a scene from those hoarding news articales. Time to re-organize.

After looking around at the stacks of buttons, boxes of paints, teetering piles of paper, I decided to start resorting tomorrow. Just the sheer amount of clutter started my mind thinking about steampunk genre. And since I always come back to animal art I decided to combine the two and paint this little steampunk weasel. To be listed soon for sale:

Strings Forte Please!

2010-12-10T17:42:00.000-08:00

I just love the little porcelain ornaments Zazzle has come out with this year. I'm busy adding all of my 'Wild Things Orchestra' members to those designs available in my shop.

My newest is a green crocodile playing his violin. I think no one will challenge him for first chair. I have several more to be added but if you have a budding musician - ahem make that budding classical musician - then take note of these adorable ornaments. Tuck one away for a special occasion.

Christmas Angel Icon

2010-11-24T21:18:00.000-08:00

Even before I took a course at Mesa State College in Colorado on Russian history I was fascinated with religious icons, all religious art in fact. I would find Greek Orthodox churches wherever I traveled and go to see the marvelous painted walls and ceilings. And although not Catholic, I studied all the saints and their symbols in art so that I could recognize them in sculpture, paintings, illuminated manuscripts, etc. It was a whole quiet language that I found I could read in color and symbols.

This painted icon is assembled in a very traditional way, the back is pieced and left rough. Knotholes are not filled. But the front is richly painted in shades of blue and gold - the colors of heaven. The columns at the sides are painted in a brighter type of golden paint along with the angel's halo.

Icons were necessarily smaller works of art as they were often carried from town to town by the priests for worship services. This one has a slim base (about 2" deep) with a shelf at the bottom to hold rolled up slips of paper written with the applicant's prayer requests. I have not painted one of the 'named' angels of scripture but a simple angel of the night skies with stars and a sliver of the moon.

This is not necessarily a Christmas item but could be displayed year round.

It is my monthly item for sale at the American Holiday Artists Marketplace. If you're heading on over there to see everything on offer this holiday season, check out this sweet, sweet ornament from artist Vania Cruz-Perez:

I think it would be a perfect gift for someone with a new baby this Christmas. A little boy's first ornament. Nothing like a artisan crafted ornament - you won't find one like it at every card shop!

Time perhaps this weekend to get out the boxes of holiday decorations and relive wonderful past times. If you're like me you always smile at the one-of-a-kind things, the unique, the vintage pieces of times gone by.

Happy hunting thru old things from the attic and browsing thru new art too!

Golders

Spooky Old Owl

2010-09-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Just listed on ebay is this watercolor owl. I live waaaaaay out in the country and in the eucalyptus trees behind my house I have a nesting pair of great horned owls. This last year they hatched a chick. A very large chick. One day he got a little disoriented and flew into my bedroom window! Thankfully owl and window were not harmed but he was a huge baby and sat for a while getting himself together. Time enough for me to grab my camera and walk right up within arm's length and take some pics. When he flew back to mamma his wingspan was impressive.

Ornament Giveaway Winner!

2010-09-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

Our Holiday Ornament Blog Giveaway is over and the winner for my blog is 'Jill' of That's My Cat! Jill, congrats and please drop me a message (my facebook identity is 'Golders DeWitt') so I can get your mailing address. :) Thank you everyone who participated! More fun stuff coming from the American Holiday Artists' Marketplace.

Golders

American Holiday Artists Studio Marketplace

2010-08-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my marketplace tent for this virtual Christkindlemart!

Please look around! I work mostly as a painter. Acrylic on wood surfaces, acrylics and oils on stretched cavas, and watercolor on professional weight watercolor paper. My subjects vary but I always return to painting animals of all kinds. Dogs, cats, wild animals including my favorite hedgehogs seem to pop up all over. I paint pigs in suits, dogs with crowns, all sorts of silliness.

To celebrate our American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace debut we're hosting an online Christkindlemart! Please read the previous post for information on how to win my give-away gift of a porcelain Christmas ornament.

I'm giving away this Christmas ornament imprinted with my whimsical painting 'Hedgehog Sled'. It's made of high quality porcelain (2 7/8" round) and comes with a red ribbon for hanging.

Thank you for coming by and be sure to visit the other aHa artists' tents listed below for this fun give-away event. The winners will be posted on our individual blogs on Sept. 12th.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Alycia's Art

Back In The Day
Originals

Elysian Field Originals

Fantasy Whispers

Folk `n Fiber

Folk Art By Penny

Folk Art From The
Heart

Ginny Diezel Studios

Golders Creaky Gate

Granny Wolf Originals

Grunge Goddess Primitives

Howling Mood Designs

Lowell Country
Designs

Mother's Dream
Artworks

Seasonal Whimsies

Skellyton Art

Smirking
Goddess Studios

The Christmas Corgi

The Goode Wife Of Washington
County

The Snippets

Whimsical Endeavors

Wings And Paws
Whimsies

AHA Celebration Grand Opening Plus Giveaway!

2010-08-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

The aHa Studio Marketplace will be open for business August 25th!

And to celebrate this momentous occasion the artisans will be participating in a Blog Give-Away! The Give-Away will run from August 25th to September 25th. The rules are very simple and you have a chance to win more than one prize.

Here's how it will work.

First, each artisan will post a picture of their item for the Give-Away clearly marked on their blog. Next, each artisan will have chosen a number.

All you have to do is post a comment under the picture of the Give-Away item. Now if your comment corresponds with the artisan's chosen number, then hooray you win the prize for that blog! So the more comments you post, the more chances you have to win the prize on that blog. Easy!

Each of us have listed our fellow aHa artists on our blogs, so just check out everyone's blog and comment on that blog's Give-Away item and you'll have a chance to win that prize too!

All contest prizes will be posted on August 25.

Good luck and thank you for participating in the American Holiday Artists' Studio Marketplace Great Give-Away!

Those Black & Browns

2010-08-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

My toy Manchester terrier had a fit when I suggested he dress up as a girl........ so a facebook friend who has a female Manchester kindly sent me some pics of her dog Kasha to use as a reference. This is sweet Kasha wearing a feathered bit as a hat. She told me also her favorite color is red. I agree she looks stunning in her scarlet accessory.

I like how the piece came out and she will be in my 2011 animal art calendar.

Obsessed lately with animals balancing bits and bobs on their heads. Teacups, feathers, cupcakes. Sometimes when I look at my pets I picture all kinds of things above their ears. Is it my imagination or do they keep looking at me out of the corners of their eyes when I'm sketching? Maybe they are nervous about what next will be perched between their ears.

A Wild Things Orchestra member is on my drawing board, along with some angels, an owl, and some Halloween witches. Not enough hours in the day!

I am also excited about the launch of a website featuring the holiday artists' group I belong to. Very cool! I will post a link as soon as we are live.

Golders

A Balancing Act

2010-08-01T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mr. Fatty (such an unfortunate name don't you think?) is my sister's cat and well, he is very fat. He looks for all the world like a Birman but we'll never know because he was a homeless cat. He has issues. All the animals I know have issues. His is allergies and a tiny squeaky voice which seems to get smaller the larger he gets. He's not a smooshy cuddly cat. He's a hard, firm football of a cat. And he's often cranky because he always wants more food than he is given. Heaven knows how large he would be if he had all the food he wanted. I suppose he would have to have a motorized cart to trolley him from one side of the house to the other. So he remains cranky.

I have drawn him for inclusion into my 2011 calendar. It's summer, then it's November and I have to have my calendar ready this year. So here sits Mr. Fatty. I figured as long as he was cranky I would put a teacup on his head and a mouse in the cup. And a parasol in the mouse's hand. Mr. Fatty remains cranky, balancing it all. I have added him to some other print products so if you are interested you can click on the title and see what is on offer.

I'm tipping my parasol to you. Golders

Neglected Blog

2010-07-04T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have sadly neglected this blog. Poor little blog. Not because I haven't been creating art, but because I have been working like crazy on my this years Christmas card designs. Not in the Christmas mood you say? Over 100 hundred degrees and sweltering? Yes, me too. However this is the time of year they need to get created or they won't be born in 2010. The later it gets in the year, the more my seasonal art demands it's space and attentions from me. And I don't like to rush art. Rushed art is poorly made art. Art no one can be pleased with, artist or consumer. Here is my completed penguin orchesta member, long finished and sold.

Bang the drum slowly

2010-05-26T19:18:00.001-07:00

Underwashes are finished and now layering of colored pencil begins. Often I use many colors underneath when the finished subject is seemingly, solidly another color. But without the underlayers, the finished work would be too flat, too uninteresting.

Little Drummer Penguin

2010-05-20T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is about 5 washes in of a gold ochre watercolor lightly brushed in. Sometimes I only use this amount in the back, sometimes as many as 20 layers. It may look uneven but won't be by the time I'm done. I've painted long enough not to panic midstream anymore. I don't really 'see' the image as it is but as it will be. As long as I save my whites and lightest shades, I am on course. And it makes a difference to work on 300lb paper. Lighter, cheaper paper just doesn't give the same results. Not when you look at the piece up close. Hang in there, little penguin.

Work In Progress

2010-05-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Lest anyone think I am snoozing on the sofa popping bonbons into my mouth, I thought I would do a show-and-tell version of one of my Wild Things Orchestra player ACEOs. That would be a WIP, or Work In Progress piece to you non-artist types. I tried valiantly to dress a flamingo in a tux ad get him to stand behind a set of drums, but no. Just would not do it. Flew off to eat some shrimp in a bayou somewhere. So, I coaxed a penguin - an emperor penguin no less - to sit for me. He wanted a brightly colored tux but I convinced him it just wouldn't do.

You thought these little things started life more 'formed' than this? Oh no, they are a struggle to get presentable. I start usually with a larger than needed size of Arches 300lb. watercolor paper. I like to edit at the end in terms of how to crop it to size. ACEOs must be exactly 2.5" x 3.5" or they are not ACEOs. I do a simple line drawing in pencil first to get a feel for where my background will be. And since the penguin will be mostly black, I choose to have a lighter tone behind him. So I will start laying in washes of watercolor next. Stay tuned.

More Spoonflower

2010-05-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

I just received a photo of this finished project, a retro type quilt-square pillow using (among others) my pink cupcake hedgehog fabric. This is just too cute! You can find her other creative ideas at Scrummy Things on Facebook.

My painting has taken a back seat to fabric design lately. I'm warning other artists it is very addicting! I put together this version of my 'Wild Things Orchestra' and have ordered a test bit of the fabric to check the size of the print out. I can see several projects using this pattern.

'Wild Things Orchestra'

2010-04-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

I have to admit a growing addiction to Spoonflower. A wonderful company that prints custom fabric, I have had more fun working my designs into fabric-friendly formats. And the fact that people have bought them tickles me too. The above print is my cupcake-hat-wearing-hedgehog. Sweet, sweet, sweet! The success of this pink cutie inspired me to create the 'Spikes On Trikes' bit of nonsense below. Great for pajamas, sundresses and quilting.

The next to fall out of my hedgie-focused consciousness was a version of 'Hedgehog Tea'. It's available in both yellow and blue.

See the full hedgehog collection at Spoonflower. I do believe it won't be the last of my hedgehog nutty fabrics.

White Rabbit

2010-03-24T09:09:00.000-07:00

I made this White Rabbit hanging ornament of paperclay, wood, and sculpey. Also I've added a glass bead between the little brass fittings holding his watch. I painted the hands on a vintage watch face. So now he's perpetually late. :)

His collar is made from stiffened fabric. His eyes are a combination of sculpey clay and vintage buttons. I think I've spent far too much time on him frankly, but he was so much fun to make I got carried away. Sigh.

I have little legs piled on my work table grumbling at me because they have no bodies. I tell them I will get them attached. They have to wait their turn. This is my dogs least favorite word. 'Wait'

I'm not too fond of it either.

The Rabbit is on eBay (just click the title to see more).

I am on caffeine.

Art Nouveau Thoughts

2010-03-18T09:49:00.000-07:00

I created this design for a challenge at Spoonflower. Voting closes March 24th I think. The colors are dictated by the challenge rules to specific shades only, which made it more interesting to follow. See all the entries here.

Bead Elf

2010-02-27T11:12:00.001-08:00

I had been working on this elf doll off and on for quite some time, like some of my larger dolls and have finally finished it. It's about 22 inches head to toe and fairly heavy too. The head is hand sculpted from paperclay and the bead ruff is wired into place and is mostly glass beads. I hand painted some large buttons to match, which I used to joint her legs in place. My plans usually start out simple and then I can't stop. Art dolls just ask to be embellished. Her cap was a plain periwinkle color but then I started painting a lace effect. I had planned a simpler harlequin painted body but as you can see, I just liked where the design was going. I guess that's why I did such an over-the-top bead collar. A simple one wouldn't do any longer. Some very successful art doll makers have this down to a science. All their creations have a sameness to them that must please the collectors. I do understand that a certain look and style is why collectors are repeat buyers from some artists. But I like the unexpectedness of following how a piece flows and am selfish enough to want to enjoy every piece I make. :)

Insect Art Dolls

2010-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

A fascination with all things winged is responsible for this little wasp art doll. It started with the small vintage linen circles to be used for her wings, I heavily startched them and then used tiny doll buttons to attach them. Her face is hand sculpted and her cap is painted on, then I used Preciosa glass flatback crystals. They are not clear, but a smoky topaz color that flashes a rainbow of colors in the sunlight.

Her arms and legs are button jointed. She will sit unaided on a shelf edge, a small chair, any doll prop really.

She needs a buggy friend I think.

Hedgehogs In Shamrocks

2010-02-14T12:53:00.000-08:00

New Hedgehog art for St. Patrick's Day. I put these little hedgies on items at Zazzle. Magnets, mousepads, cards,etc. It was just Christmas and within a few weeks will be March. Will warm weather be far behind? I poke around in my garden and see tiny green starts on my rosebushes already. I've added some new varieties of roses this year and am curious to see how they look in real life as compared to the catalogs. I've been looking for old roses such as Woburn Abbey, but all the references online end with companies no longer either carrying the lines I'm looking for or the companies are no longer in business. Sigh. I particularly like the older shades of orange, peach, pinks. I have a couple of Tropicanas but they tend to a redder, darker orange than the ones I remember from years ago.

Under The Sea

2010-01-31T18:24:00.000-08:00

I've stretched my Christmas break time out as long as possible so back to the worktable! Above is my little Navy Duck. His hat is removable and I like how his feet transition into the hardwood dowelled stand. He's just cheery. I have listed a group of sea themed primitive items just now. A mermaid with her pet catfish, a blue whale, a funny little Lobster Girl, and this guy.

The blue whale is stuffed and quilted and has hand made button loops holding his mouth on. He's not meant to be unbuttoned but if he were I painted some fish bones and an anchor in his belly!

I have hedgehogs and cats on my brain, along with nursery rhymes dancing thru my thoughts. Stay tuned.

Blue Angel

2009-11-30T16:56:00.001-08:00

'Why don't you have any new art listed for sale? Huh, what have you been doing?'

Let me tell you being retired is hard work. There's all that holding down the sofa happening. Late mornings and early to beds going on. Reading a Stephanie Plum book. Talking to my dogs and oh, ok, ok. I really have been hard at work, upping my products in Zazzle. Sculpting some new faces for spring fairy dolls.

But here is a new Christmas angel, done in blues and golds. Listed on eBay.

Hope you like her.

Clock Man

2009-11-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

The Clock Man Cometh

Still rambling on in blue, 'Clock Man' somehow appeared in my thoughts and I felt him insisting on having his personality made visible in cloth and a round hand-sculpted face. Some figures almost ask to be made, and their details just are obvious to me. His 'watchworks' were a lot of fun to paint.

His boots are painted on in metallic gold. He's button jointed with vintage golden buttons. You have to supply your own tick-tock conversational noises.

Bless The Beasts

2009-11-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Blue is the color of heaven. Painted in blues, my work this week is a guardian angel for the animals. I've hand quilted the wings and made a small dog and open-eyed cat for her to carry. She hangs by a blue ribbon.

I've been in a rather blue mood lately. Not blue-sad, but the color blue motivated. I see blue everywhere. Blue sky, blue water, the last of a few straggly blue morning glories blooming, blue fabric, blue paint. Aqua blue, robin's egg blue, hydrangea blue, periwinkle blue. Living with blue is very serene, calm, and peaceful. Like taking a nap on a fall afternoon in the hazy sunshine.

I don't believe I'm thru with blue just yet.

While I think about that I'll go have a nice hot cuppa tea in my favorite blue teacup.

Ladybug Ladybug Fly Away Home

2009-10-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

This week I took some time out to paint something for my great-niece Elizabeth who is having her bedroom redecorated. She lives in Tucson AZ and in preparation for a new baby coming into the family, she and her brother Alex's bedrooms are due for a new look. Can you tell she likes ladybugs? This painting was done in acrylic (yes, groan, the dreaded acrylics) on a 16x20 stretched canvas.

Someone told me that no good ever comes from giving family art. Heh heh.

Christmas is coming....

2009-10-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

I know, it's not Halloween just yet - a few more days. But every year it seems there are fewer days between now and then. Remember when you were 9 years old and how slooooowly the days dragged by before the magic of the holidays? Now that I am so much older - oh creakily old! - time has changed it's rhythm. I can hear a whoosh go by my head and it's the sound of calendar pages turning.

I have listed (on eBay) a new Christmas primitive folk art doll. And a cheeky little elf on a stand too. I love making their heads and faces best.

Before time gets so crazy, take a little time out to look around at where a few dollars might make the holidays bright. Choose a place to put your pennies this year and do it! Your own celebrations will be that much sweeter. If you would like a suggestion - please go to the Art 4 Critters website and pick one of our featured animal charities, any one of them would truly appreciate the help.

Art 4 Critters

Christmas is coming,

The geese are getting fat,

Please put a penny

In the old man's hat.

If you haven't got a penny,

A ha'penny will do,

If you haven't got a ha'penny,

Then God bless you.

Golders

The Seven Crow Princes

2009-10-05T18:42:00.000-07:00

Grimm's fairytales were still incredibly true to the original versions when I was a child (back when dinosaurs roamed the earth!). I loved Adrienne Segur's illustrations. If you have a young daughter or granddaughter, find a copy or reprint of 'The Fairytale Book' with her illustrations (original issues will set you back $100-$300 depending on the condition.) Amazon sells a reprinted edition for about $20. To this day I haven't seen illustrations as magical. I believe the story of the seven crow princes is in that volume.

My ravens/crows done in fabric and paint and wood are not in the least like Segur's elegant renditions but they were inspired by hers.

Most of these fairytales have been sanatized for children today but in the original story, the seven princes who were turned into crows were eventually rescued by their youngest sister, who had to cut off her little finger to make the key that would release them.

I don't believe I was traumatized by all the old fairytales I read back then. But then I've always believed children are much more practical than adults anyway. I knew it was make-believe.

Corvids

2009-09-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

The crow is a member of the Corvid family or Corvidae. They are generally thought to be the most intelligent bird. They have been seen taking rocks and using them as a tool to open nuts. Won't catch your chihuahua doing that.

This crow-witch seemed a natural combination. How often have you heard some woman described as an old crow? Anyway here she is for the Halloween season.

My crow art box is made of hardwood (weighty) and I painted all different crows on it. It seemed right that a lot of them are in silhouette since that is often how I see crows against the sky. So I also used sky blue backgrounds. I love these boxes, look for more of them with different themes. My friend, the Sultan of Woodworking, handcrafted these fine boxes.

I gotta crow!
Golders

Silly Bit Of Nonsense

2009-09-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as 'serious' Halloween art? I hesitated to list this headstone creation as I had really 'fiddled it' into being as a giggle. Not a witch or a Jack 'O Lantern,etc. Just a stray thought flitting through that took form.

I really enjoy sculpting with air-dry clay. It can be incredibly smooth and when dry it takes paint like a dream. Feels a lot like plaster. Most doll artists use it for sculpting larger items, if they don't work with polymer clays. I like the polymer clays too, but it has a different feel, more modern, more artificial. Paperclay is just a pureed form of papier mache, a traditional medium for dolls.

I also listed for sale a large Halloween pedestal stand with black cats running around a grinning pumpkin.

Have a great week everyone, Golders.

Arrangement in Grey & Black

2009-09-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

Did you know that 'Arrangement in Grey & Black' is the original title of the famous painting of 'Whistler's Mother' ? The Victorian viewer couldn't quite deal with what was obviously a portrait being tagged as an arrangement, so the title was amended to 'Arrangement in Grey & Black; The Artist's Mother.

But my arrangement is no portrait. A very large Halloween treasure box, a small coffin (or casket depending on where you hail from), and a pumpkin-headed art doll with her own tiny handcrafted pull-toy. The miniature coffin is a wonderful piece with many uses this time of year (or any other time of year if you have a dead parakeet and want to send him off in style). I can see it now: 'Joe Crow', Parakeet Esq., funeral services on Friday next, donations to The Fly-in Bar in lieu of flowers.

I hope you like this week's art offerings.

Golders

Ghostly fun ......

2009-09-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

Dead twins, a skeptical ghost, a phantasm horse, and a shrouded mirror. Shades of pale green and off-white seemed appropriate for these items and I smiled to myself making all of them. I hope you get a giggle out of them too. Listed now for sale on eBay.

Halloween and more Halloween

2009-08-31T07:13:00.000-07:00

Where ya gonna put your candy corn? That pure sugar revver-upper that's going on sale soon (if not already) and is the sign that Halloween is just around the corner. Everyone has a favorite holiday treat and for me it's those little candy corn pieces. This chalice is made of wood and is just the right size to hold a small bag of candy corn - or other treats if you insist.

I am drawn (no pun intended) to the different faces of Mr. Moon so I have painted a smiling face on the inside of the bowl. It's a pale golden color since all the candy corn has been eaten that first covered his face. He's got candy corn jaundice.

Halloween Chalice

The Witch's Mirror

2009-08-24T06:31:00.000-07:00

A witch's mirror made from vintage crown moulding. The witch's head is sculpted from polymer clay and is wearing a collar and hat made from stiffened fabric and black lace.

"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"

"I'm not a witch at all, I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas."

Maybe and maybe not.

Witch's Mirror

Skelly

2009-08-17T07:52:00.000-07:00

Mr. Bones is finished and listed (finally). He was so much fun to do. He is a reminder to live today. And I just love Skelly-type dolls. I painted his back with a design composed of some of the more recognizable headstone symbols.

Mr. Bones on eBay

What's on the art table

2009-08-12T07:41:00.001-07:00

Mr. Bones, Mr. Bones, O Mr. Bones. I have sculpted this guy's head, er, skull from paperclay. His body is stuffed painted fabric. I am working on adding death symbols seen on grave markers, such as an hourglass, a sickle,etc.to his clothing. They continue to be used today although some of the symbols are lost on the newer generations (ivy for evergreen, eternal life, etc.)

Halloween Art

2009-08-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Time to list some of the fun Halloween items I've been working on. This is a cake plate/display stand - substantial vintage wood item that I've painted with a winsome witch and her black cat. I've had black cats in my life and loved all of them, from Licorice when I was a kid to little Boo, a rescue who stayed pretty much feral all his life. But black cats and big black dogs and white rabbits are the last animals chosen from animal shelters. If you have the opportunity to adopt a pet, remember the cute little dogs nearly all get adopted before that large black dog. I came to dog ownership late in life but my two have nice manners and if I can achieve that, anyone can.

Halloween Primitive Art Doll Cat

2009-08-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

This little (just about 7 inches high) handmade Halloween cat will be for sale this Sunday (8-9-09) on eBay. It's a BatCat! Made from an original pattern of all cotton muslin and then painted and sanded and painted and sanded until the fabric feels a little like old kid leather. I've made it's legs button jointed and the same with buttoned on bat wings. Signed on one of it's legs, it's a one-of-a-kind Halloween cutie. My kitty Ollie was the model for it's golden orange eyes. Not a toy for children (except the grownup kind).

Golders

A new member of the Goldersgang

2009-07-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Caro, signing in here to let you know I have become a member of the Goldersgang nonsense crew. I stuff and stitch and am a general dogsbody. I feel like I'm entering a whole new world and I can speak paint and brushes and gesso. That would be white gloppy stuff to you. I hope everyone tunes in when we start listing these bizarre creations just so I can make more.

The above is a shot of my blooming iceplant. Don't make me have to go back to weeding it.
Ciao, Caro

A Window Into Halloween Fun

2009-07-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

A member of the Goldersgang, a dear friend and a superlative carpenter, made a small windowed coffin for me to fill with a tiny Dracula. The Sultan of Woodwork (as he is known) crafted just the perfect casket for an art doll with fangs. I have my pencil in hand, sketching madly to create a dapper Drac.

up to my elbows

2009-07-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

This summer, despite my few-and-far-between art listings on ebay, has been a busy and creative one. New directions for me, an extended visit to folk art style and off-beat art dolls. When I say art dolls some people may think Marie Osmond creations in high style. Uh, nope. Not even close. These aren't toys, more a figural expression of tilted humor. I am planning on listing the first of these in August. The 'ghost horse' above is just a quick sneak peek. He is made of cotton muslin, painted and sanded, then painted and sanded again. The mane and tail are from a vintage doily stiffened with a fabric medium and then sewn into his seams (no glue), he is painted with acrylics and then ever-so-gently sanded again until I was satisfied with his aged appearance. Even his stand has been carefully painted to achieve an old look and feel. His head is button-jointed on to be able to move slightly. Lots more in my cabinet of curiosities. Golders