Prims Magazine... Winter 2015!

Well... the angels of the shadow children made the grade!

Thank you to all of the talented editorial and photographic staff

at Stampington & Company for inclusion in the winter issue!

Reliquary Shrine Doll...Done!

From the inside... out,

From top... to bottom,

It's all about Emily Dickinson's soul-stirring poetry.

Saint Nick...Two-By-Two!

This forlorn fellow is one-of-two Saint Nicholas dolls headed 

for the "Artful Giving" Show in Millville... to help ring-in a bit of

Christmas cheer!  (Sad-Sack... huh?)

Well... this guy will win-over their hearts...

Though the truth is... I'm loving his forlorn counterpart!

These two are paper clay over cloth, a repurposed vintage wool blanket

became their coats and hoods, with fabric remnants on the hoods.

Distressed wooden legs and a wooden base seemed to work.

I did mention to Katie that he reminds me a little bit of...

(are you ready for this?)

Boris Karloff!  

Blessings to you and yours in this Advent season!

Opening Show... Artful Giving!

It was a brisk 31 degrees outside the gallery... looking in!

But the atmosphere inside... was inviting!

Lisa, from the gallery, informed me that one of the three

rough 'n tumble "kindred spirits" sold before she even had 

a chance to set out the dolls for the show... a customer came

through the gallery and snatched him right up!

If you find your way to South Jersey...

be sure to stop by the Riverfront Renaissance Art Center on High Street

 and take a peek!  The gallery is full of treasures!

Artful Giving Show... Millville!

These three rough 'n tumble "kindred spirits" will be in the

Riverfront Renaissance Gallery "Artful Giving" Show & Sale

during the next month... the opening reception is tomorrow night! 

These three fellows are rag-stuffed, vintage toy advertisement transfers

with sculpted paper clay faces and vintage skeleton key arms...

What a hoot!

For obvious reasons... this guy just won my heart over!

Reliquary Shrine Doll for ADQ Challenge!

I can hardly believe that it has been over a month since

I have found my way here... to post!  Shame on me!

Life has a way... of distracting us at times; wouldn't you say?

I have been working this past week on a new mixed-media doll

for the Art Doll Quarterly challenge: "Black & White"

In a word (actually two): Emily Dickinson

This W.I.P. has been inspired and coaxed along 
for about a half-of-century of admiration, 
reading, researching, and even a little "sleuth-stalking"...

 when visiting Amherst, Massachusetts  years ago! 

 The "body" of this mixed-media doll will house some memorabilia                that relates to Emily Dickinson and her work... 

The "house" will eventually be covered with some of her public domain 

poems and pieces of decorative tissue and handmade papers.

Her head is a photo transfer on bleached Osnaburg fabric

(my attempt to keep it "black and white").

Using charcoal pencils and acrylic paint, I have added brush strokes

to the image and fabric, for some added interest.

I hope to post more pics... soon. (wink!)

Down Jersey....Stopping by a Cemetery!

It was an ideal afternoon to do a bit of "leaf peeping"

in South Jersey... ending up in the historic town of Greenwich. 

The Old Cemetery of Greenwich Presbyterian Church

was the perfect place to stop... so many stories to tell,

about so many different lives... lived so well.

(tea-burners, craftsmen, Revolutionary soldiers, doctors, 

preachers, school masters; all with a story that should be told)

At first glance, this pile of smaller stones was unsettling...

only to find out that these are "foot stones" that 

have been gathered over the past three centuries.

At one time both a "head" stone and a "foot" stone

were placed as burial markers. 

In the background... the old brick church; built in 1736.

It originally occupied a 34 by 44 foot space.

The stone in the foreground was placed a century later.

"Hope... aged 24 years, 2 months, and 5 days"

(we didn't measure time much differently, two centuries ago)

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, 

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life."

~Proverbs 13:12 

A Day at the Wheaton Arts Festival

Stroll with us on this glorious South Jersey afternoon,

as we share some highlights from the festival...

at Wheaton Arts in Millville:

From this delicately, detailed carved wren... (Tom Ahern)

To the whimsical work of fall gourds fashioned into birds. (KuKu)

(see who won my heart over...)

From delightful Fimo tree frogs and "friends"... (Small Wonder)

To owls captured in a photographer's lens. (Andy Smith)

From woven basketry, detailing nature's best... (Samuel Yao)

To woven ash that is as traditional as the festival. (Mary May)

From contemporary mixed-media... (Daryl Harwood)

To just plain... contemplative! (Daryl Harwood)

It was a festival... a feast... for the eyes and soul!

Oh... and did we mention "food"???

There's nothing like a chili-dog... on a cool October day!

Angels of the Shadow Children... on the Road!

The "boys" are on the road... (well, actually they have arrived!)

These three are in Laguna Hills, CA for a photo shoot at Prims.

I had to make the call... they were either going to be in

the "Plain and Fancy, Through the Artist's Eyes" folk art show at the

Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts this month...

or fly to California!  (they arrived safely...)

FYI... three other dolls made opening night at the folk art show!

A Collage of Our Carousing!

We had such an enjoyable week-and-a-half away... 

all caught in these collage pics!

From the butterfly exhibit... to the carousel dragon!

From Komodo dragons and more carousel rides...

to discovering, yet another butterfly!

From discovering a great old cabinet in our kids' 1860 

farmhouse basement... to a stash a "treasures" we picked up at a Vermont antique shop... to swiss chard from their garden...

to fresh-picked corn-on-the-cob, some marinated asparagus 

and a little bit of steak thrown in!

It was a joy!

Off To a New Gallery!

I couldn't be happier... I just dropped these three mixed-media dolls off

at the Mullica Hill Art Center & Gallery.  They were all featured in

Art Doll Quarterly for an article "Folk Art That is Functional!"

"The Memory Keeper" (a repurposed three-drawer jewelry box)

"Music Box Angel" (with a nursery theme wind-up music box)

"Angel Assemblage"  (with a vintage, working clock)

Waiting...

Just a different take on some of our "finds" over in

Lancaster County... 

Overnight in Lancaster County...

We just returned home from a relaxing overnight in Lancaster County,

stopping by The Art of Recycle and the Green Dragon Market in Ephrata, Vintage Kollections at Carson's in the Cornfield over in New Holland, 

and today... Shupp's Grove Flea Market in Reinholds.

The Art of Recycle is a treasure-trove of "finds" and great junk;

This trip I picked up more rusty old springs, these greenware heads

wooden beads and some paint... Sigh

The vintage wooden blocks (spelling "Emily") will be integrated

in an up-coming doll; celebrating the life of Emily Dickinson!

Shupp's Grove Flea Market (Saturday only) is our favorite...

nestled in a huge wooded lot with every imaginable vendor

you could ask for... The pics say it all!

Did I have fun "digging" through these German bisque doll remains, or what!

South Jersey's Best!

"It's the most wonderful time, of the year..." (sing along!)

One of Katie's co-workers dropped off the watermelon and peppers,

and the peaches & plums are from a local road-stand.

"Jersey Fresh!"

Vignette... Revisited

Between our gardens and our grandsons visiting... 

there is little time left for much else!  

And so a pic of our favorite vignette, hanging on some weathered 

(circa 1900) green church shutters from Vermont, 

which now keep us company in our dining room.