Эпизоды
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Meet doll maker Kaf Grimm of Grimitives. Every doll born in her studio has a stitched heart. That’s Kaf’s way of putting a piece of herself into every creation. “Grimitives are my grim children, and each and every one is different. So, it's hard picking my favorite, and it's also hard letting them go when I'm finished with them,” said Kaf.
Kaf is passionate about preserving history, which is evident in her choice to collect and use vintage materials. Her studio, built on top of a historic foundation, is full unexplained happenings. Where are strange voices coming from? She is also deeply connected to the ocean for inspiration and relaxation. She can be found beachcombing for objects to incorporate into her works.
Her dolls reflect her playful sense of humor. A Santa doll with a crab craw for an arm becomes Sandy Claws. Warm childhood memories also appear. Her nostalgia for being in the Girl Scouts manifests itself in her Zombie Scout dolls.
Kaf also shares her encounter with one the greatest spooky artists of all time, Cape Cod travel tips, why she had to be under the supervision of a security during one of her first jobs, the job that was the height of her career, and more.
Mentions:
Barnstable Village Ghost Tour: https://www.facebook.com/CapeCodsHauntedHistoryTourCo Bridgewater Triangle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgewater_Triangle Edward Gorey house: https://www.edwardgoreyhouse.org “Houses with History” TV show: https://www.hgtv.com/shows/houses-with-history Mayflower Market Days show: https://mayflowermarketdays.com Mistletoe Acres Tree Farm: https://www.mistletoeacres.com Who’s Afraid of an Old House TV show: https://www.hgtv.com/shows/whos-afraid-of-a-cheap-old-houseVisit Kaf online: https://www.grimitives.com
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Meet Deven Blackwell, the creative force behind House of Blackwell, a gathering of her limitless artistic endeavors. Some of her current offerings are spooky decor, tutorials, and patterns. Her diverse set of experience includes graphic design, art, writing, hair styling, and sewing.
Deven is especially known for her spooky cornhusk creations. She loves to create phobia-inducing creatures such as bats and spiders. While she learned cornhusk crafting as a child in Texas, her talent remained dormant until 2020. Bored and unable to celebrate Halloween in the traditional way, Deven fashioned a witch out of cornhusks. Soon she was hooked and creating non-traditional works out of an age-old medium. Her mission is to dedicate herself to innovation while honoring traditional techniques.
Deven also shares her best costuming tip, why she loves her 100 century-old sewing machine, how costumes are communication tools, and introduces us to her studio assistant, Nugget.
“I noticed that a lot of my work has to do with taking old techniques and reapplying them in modern contexts. Sometimes new things are not better. Sometimes older things can be the right fit for people and their needs.” - Deven Blackwell
Mention: Etsy’s Gone Gothic Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/etsysgonegothic
Visit Deven online: https://www.thehouseofblackwell.com
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Пропущенные эпизоды?
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Meet artist Stephanie Tiongco of Stevi T Fiber Art. Stevi’s needle felted animals look so real, you’ll swear they are breathing. In this episode, you’ll hear how Stevi creates anthropomorphic dolls and her unique approach to incorporating antiques into her artwork. She discusses her involvement with doll organizations, giving valuable insight into the world of doll making and collecting.
Stevi’s artistic journey has taken her from making dolls for her daughter to showcasing her work on national television and art shows. Her creativity and tenacity knows no bounds – from dying her fiber in a cauldron to transforming her home into a haunted house.
Stevi’s work blurs the lines between art and reality and is driven by her love for animals. Many people who come into her booth at shows mistakenly think her work is taxidermy. She stated, “I love the art of taxidermy. My animals are not, but I want them to be as real as possible. So, if you think it's real, then I have done my job well.”
Mentions:
George Dante Taxidermist: https://wildlifepreservations.com New York Faerie Festival: https://www.nyfaeriefestival.com Old Mill Village, New Milford, PA: https://www.oldmillvillage.org Original Doll Artist Council of America: https://www.odaca.org United Federation of Doll Clubs: https://www.ufdc.org/ Wunderkammer Taxidermy Show (NYC): https://wunderkammernyc.comVisit Stevi online:
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/stevit Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevi.tiongco Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Stevit_alpaca_encounters -
Meet paper mâché artist, Jorge de Rojas of HohoHalloween. Halloween has captivated Jorge since childhood and was a key influence in helping him adapt to his new country. His career journey has taken him from make-up and costuming, through a detour in nursing, and then back to art due to a fateful life event. The common thread in Jorge’s diverse career is the desire to make people smile.
His world includes everything from devilish ornaments to mischievous goblins. His inspirations include 1930s cartoons and his vintage Halloween collection, especially the die cuts. Collectors cannot get enough of his one-of-a-kind creations and reproductions by ESC and Company help expand his reach.
This episode is filled with Jorge’s light hearted storytelling, his art show adventures, and his vision for a Halloween world.
“Halloween is where dreams of childhood and past memories come to life. It culminates with the smile I see on people's faces when they connect with my work. That's the happiest and the most satisfied that I feel” - Jorge de Rojas
Mentions
All Hallow’s Art Fest (Petaluma, CA):https://www.halloweenfolkartsociety.com/about-the-show-1 Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween: http://www.bewitchingpeddlersofhalloween.com ESC and Company reproductions of Jorge’s work: https://escandcompany.com/collections/jorge-de-rojas Old Ghosts Odditorium (was in FL, now online): https://www.oldghostsfl.com Over the Garden Wall, Episode Two: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/over_the_garden_wall_2014_2/s01/e02 Wicked Bread Company (Plantation, FL): https://www.wickedbread.comVisit Jorge on social media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hohohalloweenbyjorgederojas Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HohohalloweenbyJorgedeRojas -
Jana Seven's journey into doll-making is a captivating tale of passion and creative drive. From her early childhood days spent doodling on office paper to her illustrious career as a children's book illustrator, Jana's art has always been a part of her life.
The transition from illustration to crafting one-of-a-kind Rag and Bone Dolls stemmed from a burning desire to create something tangible and to exercise bringing the sweet beings that live inside her head to life. Jana uses the rawest materials, like twine, sticks, clay, wood, and antique fabric to involve a feeling of timelessness.
Jana finds inspiration in eerie places, like an abandoned subway, ghost towns, and seaside cemeteries. However, her intent is to never scare anyone. All of her dolls have loving souls and driven by their stories. Other inspirations include folk music, odd stories from history, and musing on mortality.
Mentions:
Darksome Art & Craft Market: https://www.darksomecraftmarket.com/ Dogtown, MA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogtown,_Massachusetts Morbid Anatomy: https://www.morbidanatomy.org Mutter Museum: https://muttermuseum.org Provincetown Smallpox Cemetery (MA): https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/provincetown-smallpox-cemetery Rochester Subway: https://www.rochestersubway.com/rochester_subway_history.php Tarantella music: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TarantellaVisit Jana’s website: https://www.janaseven.art
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Stacey Bear, a talented artist and antiques dealer, traces her creative roots back to making dollhouse miniatures as a child. She still has a fondness for creating treasures in a small scale. Her spun cotton ornaments and dolls are highly sought out by collectors.
Her work is a fusion of historical techniques and her own innovations. Stacey started collecting cotton ornaments and wanted to learn how to make them herself. There was no internet or instructional book at the time so she experimented and figured it out.
Her creations are born inside her 1812 farmhouse surrounded by beautiful antiques in Pennsylvania. Stacey’s studio is stuffed with stunning antique fabric, tinsel, old buttons, and trims. Sometimes Stacey will have an idea for something to make, but other times, an amazing piece of fabric will speak for itself.
Mentions:
Susanna Wright: https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/settler-colonialism/susanna-wright/ The Artisans Tent at The Zoar Village (Ohio): https://the-artisans-tent-at-zoar.com/ The DC Big Flea Antiques Market: https://www.thebigfleamarket.com/dc-show Wright’s Ferry Mansion: https://www.wrightsferrymansion.orgVisit Stacey’s website at: https://www.momentosartandantiques.com/
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This is Kristen Stafford, your host of the Halloween Art and Travel Podcast. This is your source for the stories behind the Halloween artists and collectors who capture your imagination. I’m excited to share my 2024 season with you – the 6th season of this podcast.
Over the summer, I’ll be releasing new episodes on the 23rd and 30th of the month, now through October. Once we hit high spooky season, September and October, there will be even more Halloween art fun for your ears. In addition to episodes on the 23rd and 30th, there will be surprise bonus episodes – always on dates that contain the number 3. Subscribe and follow in your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss a single one.
My June guests are Stacey Bear of Mementos Art and Antiques and Jana Seven of Rag and Bone Dolls. Which one do you think may have a skull buried in her bedroom? Listen to find out!
This season, I am trying something new, an episode built by our community of listeners. Let’s build an episode on kitchen witches. I’d love you hear YOUR stories of creating or collecting kitchen witches. You can send message me on Facebook or Instagram, or through my website at halloweenartandtravel.com. Better yet, send me a voice clip. The kitchen witch episode will be released in October, but I need your feedback by September 23.
I’m also excited to share a special project I’m working on with blogger, collector, and past podcast guest Jorene Lomenzo of Shivers of Delight. Jorene and I have often dreamed of a guide for collectors…that dream will become a reality later this fall…with the ta-da – Halloween Art Guide for Spellbound Collectors.
The Guide will provide biographies from Halloween artists along with the history of Halloween art shows that have helped the Halloween art movement grow into a year-round passion for spellbound collectors. In addition, the site will host essays about Halloween art collecting, documenting collections, and the growth of the movement from a variety of authors as well as provide news and updates about Halloween artists, shows, events, and publications.
When the guide is ready, we will share it on our social media.
Now go enjoy, episode 57, an interview with artist Stacey Bear.
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Austin Phillips, a skilled figure maker and expert in ventriloquist dummies, has turned his lifelong passion into a full-time career. His fascination with these mechanical dolls began at the age of five when he received a ventriloquist dummy from Santa. From that moment on, Austin was captivated by the artistry and entertainment value behind these unique creations. As he grew older, he honed his skills in figure making by experimenting with different materials and his dad’s power tools. Austin's dedication to his craft led him to seek out renowned figure makers, learning directly from them and gaining invaluable insights into the art form.
Today, Austin not only creates one-of-a-kind ventriloquist dummies, but also restores historical treasurers including puppets and figures from coin operated games. His attention to detail and commitment to authenticity make him highly sought out by both collectors and performers around the world.
Austin has performed as a ventriloquist since childhood and most recently headlined in a spooky Victorian show filled with tricks and illusions. In addition to his figure collection, his studio in Maine is filled with his stunning collection of vintage Halloween decorations.
Mentions:
Haunted Overload, Lee, New Hampshire: https://hauntedoverload.com Musée Mécanique, San Francisco: https://museemecanique.com Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky: https://vhconvention.com Vent Haven Museum (world’s only ventriloquist museum), Fort Mitchell, Kentucky: https://www.venthaven.orgVisit Austin’s web site at: https://www.phillipspuppets.com
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Meet Tracy Mahaffey, a talented stone carver and memorial artist who creates lasting stories in stone using only her hands and simple tools. Out of her studio comes gravestones, memorials, architectural work, and sculptures. Tracy majored in sculpture in university. At that time, she thought all memorial work was done by computers and sandblasting. When she found people making memorials by hand, she knew she had found her tribe.
The low-tech nature of the job appeals to Tracy. All of her work starts with a sketch on paper. Then the sketches become full scale drawings, which are transferred to the stone with carbon paper. All sculpting is done with a mallet and chisel – that's it. Stone carving has changed little since ancient times; tools are now made of stronger materials but the processes are the same. The beauty of a hand carved inscription is the human hand. You want to see the variations.
Tracy has created memorial art in a variety of styles ranging from Puritan to art deco to the look of today. Her favorite era is our era. She currently works in marble, limestone, granite, zinc, bronze, and clay.
Working with a family to create a memorial for their loved one is a privilege. She loves hearing family stories and condensing them into a story that can be told in stone. The process is truly a collaboration.
Tracy is optimistic about the future of memorial arts and is happy to share her knowledge by teaching. She’s impressed by the talent and passion of others in her field. Her hope is that people in the future look back and say that the 2000s were a wonderful time period for this art field.
The art available in cemeteries around the world rivals that of fine art museums. Tracy recommended the following cemeteries for their beauty and amazing monuments:
Bonaventure Cemetery in Savanah, GA: https://www.bonaventurehistorical.org/ Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY: https://www.green-wood.com/ Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno, Italy: https://staglieno.comune.genova.it Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Boston, MA: https://www.mountauburn.org/ North Carolina Soapstone Tombstones: https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2019/09/signature-in-stone/ Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, RI: https://swanpointcemetery.comThe Atlas Obscura article I found Tracy in is here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/hand-carved-gravestones?fbclid=IwAR1Cn51SwV3drjpHZcr_gnboAONKqACLm5Oq6vTT8MhWY9iSWqkIbUIgjg8
The book Tracy recommended is “Sticks & Stones” by M. Ruth Little
Visit Tracy’s website at: https://www.tracymahaffey.com
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North Carolina glass artist, Sarah Band, is inspired by science, anatomy, and creepy stuff. As a sculpture major at San Francisco State, her ambition to create a large kaleidoscope led her to her first encounter with glass. Sarah was hooked as soon as she saw someone blow out molten material.
In a craft medium like glass, the blower needs a strong understanding of chemistry. Sarah explains the process of using different metal oxides to create various glass colors. She also highlights the intersection of science and art in her work, drawing inspiration from scientific discoveries and her upbringing in a family of physicists. Both science and art begin with observation and the desire to learn about the world.
Sarah does two types of glass blowing: furnace and flameworking. The furnace glass is the traditional Venetian style with long metal pipes and a big hot furnace. Flameworking is the process of bending tubes of glass over a flame.
The more skill a glassblower has, the thinner they can blow out the glass and the more colors they can use. Colors are challenging because they heat up at different rates. There are no breaks when creating a glass work of art; the artist is constantly reheating and turning the glass so it doesn’t explode.
Visit Sarah’s web site at: https://www.sarahaband.com/
Mentions:
· Cat Viera (@catvierapottery), teacher at the North Carolina Pottery Center (Seagrove, NC): https://ncpotterycenter.org
· Sawtooth School for Visual Arts (Winston-Salem, NC): https://www.sawtooth.org
· Starworks Gallery/Studio (Star, NC): https://www.starworksnc.org
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LeeAnn Kress, is the color loving artist behind Charmed Confections. Her candy shop of sculpted art invokes Willy Wonka, childhood memories, and Halloween magic. She aspires to evoke happiness and nostalgia in her collectors.
Details unknown to collectors hold special significance to LeeAnn, like the number 13 representing her father's birthday. Art is not just about creating visually appealing pieces; it's about sharing a part of herself with the world. Every piece is infused with inspiration from her life or her family.
A switch from a telecommunications job to artistry wasn't a difficult decision. Her passion had blossomed after work hours, eventually becoming her dream job. In addition to Halloween, LeeAnn has also created fairy art. She’s honored that her work has been reproduced by Bethany Lowe.
LeeAnn is exhibiting at the All Hallows Art Fest in Petaluma, CA this year. In this episode she shares a preview of the wonders collectors will find in her booth.
“I want my art to give collectors back those memories of Halloween and trick-or-treating... I want them to feel the love and care that I put into the details and to really love it.” - LeeAnn KressPlease visit her website at: https://charmedconfections.com
Other mentions:
All Hallow’s Art Fest in Petaluma, CA: https://www.halloweenfolkartsociety.com/about-the-show-1 Autumn Brillance Magazine: https://www.autumnbrilliancemagazine.com/ Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland, CA: https://www.bishopspumpkinfarm.com Holiday Pizzazz Shop: https://holidaypizzazz.com -
Stephanie Hodge’s journey into running an online shopping experience, Holiday Pizzazz, began with the simple desire to help collectors find their dream pieces. She experienced the supply and demand dilemma in collecting and decided to help fill the gap. She is motivated by driving availability of products for collectors and showing artists that their skills and talents are appreciated. Holiday Pizzazz carries artist reproduction pieces for all the popular holidays in the US, including a full selection of Halloween.
In this episode, Stephanie shares the fascinating processes of how artists get their reproductions to market. She highlights key players including Bethany Lowe, ESC, and Magenta.
Stephanie has connected with many artists over her years of collecting. From Johanna Parker to David Everett, she’s found artists that put their hearts into their pieces. She deeply understands the importance of positive feedback and appreciation for the artists we collect and love. Show your support for artists by commenting on their posts and reaching out to manufacturers to express interest for the artists they collaborate with.
This episode includes tips for creating beautiful displays, current trends, and how to protect yourself from copycats in the industry.
Visit Holiday Pizzazz's website to explore their online shopping experience for holiday home décor: https://holidaypizzazz.com/
Contact these vendors to encourage them to keep bringing us pieces from our favorite artists:
Bethany Lowe: https://bethanylowe.com/pages/contact ESC: https://escandcompany.com/pages/contact Magenta: https://www.magenta-inc.com/pages/contact-us -
Joanna Barnum’s world is one where her brush creates the macabre, bringing to life Halloween iconography, emotions, and fantasy using hauntingly beautiful watercolors. Joanna was initially skeptical of watercolor, but fell in love with its chaotic and expressive qualities during art school. She was also influenced by Stephen Gammel’s illustrations in “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.”
Watercolor’s unpredictable nature has taught Joanna how to balance control and chaos. She likens watercolor to dancing – there's a plan, but she needs to leave room for the organic side of it. While some think that watercolors are only soft and pale, Joanna shows us how they can be vivid and bright.
Joanna loves to paint haunted houses. While some collectors see references to books and movies when they look at them, for her, it’s a reflection of her love for old decaying buildings. Her art often represents layers of history, sometimes including past injustices. As she travels, she takes pictures of old houses to serve as inspiration for future works.
Joanna lives in Harford County, MD, with her husband Mike and dog Zephyr. She encourages listeners to go all in on whatever brings them joy, and reminds artists that they don't need permission to create what they want. Make your weirdo heart happy.
Travel Recommendations from Joanna:
Haunted Overload (New Hampshire): http://www.hauntedoverload.com/ Ledew Garden Glow (Maryland): https://ladewgardens.com/Event-Calendar/Events-at-Ladew/-Garden-Glow Westminster Church (Edgar Allan Poe’s grave in Baltimore, Maryland): https://www.westminsterhall.org/Visit Joanna’s web site at: https://www.joannabarnum.com/ You’ll see a wonderful gallery of her work and visit the Events section to see all her upcoming shows, including Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween and Dragon Con.
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Shrink down and enter into the fantasy world of Michael Robbin’s Halloween themed miniatures. From humble beginnings collecting Polly Pockets, hear how a retiring artist’s gift becomes the catalyst for his artistic journey. Michael’s passion will inspire and delight you.
Michael envisions his miniatures living in a friendly, storybook-like world where pumpkins, witches, and other magical creatures reside in harmony. He discusses the importance of facial expressions and storytelling in his work. Michael laughs that he’ll put a face on anything.
In this episode you’ll learn tips for starting your own collection, how being on a design challenge TV show impacts his work, the difference between UK and US collectors, where he loves to spend spooky season, and so much more.
Michael encourages artists to be adventurous and step out of their comfort zones to create something unique and unexpected.
Check out Michael's work at:
https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRMiniatures https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/MichaelRMiniatures https://www.instagram.com/michaelrminiatures/ https://youtu.be/UuwiQmuTjR4 (clip from The Great Big Tiny Design Challenge, look for the double basin by Michael)Find him at these shows:
Good Sam Showcase of Miniatures (San Jose, CA, October): https://www.goodsamshowcase.org/ London Dollshouse Showcase (London, December): https://dollshouseshowcase.com/ Miniatura (Birmingham, UK, Fall): https://miniatura.co.uk/next-show/ Tom Bishop Show (April, Chicago): https://www.bishopshow.com/Enjoy these shops while visiting York, UK:
https://www.yorkghostmerchants.com/ https://yorkshiresoap.co.uk/imaginarium -
Step into the magical world of David Everett, where spooky meets mischievousness. In a strange twist, a man who was scared of skeletons as a boy, now creates them with his sculpting tools. The unique name for his business, Chicken Lips, came from a family brainstorming session. David proclaims his spirit animal is a chicken and he loved the humorous angle of incorporating the expression, “as useful as lips on a chicken.” In his studio, you’ll find David creating Halloween and spooky twists on other holidays, such as a skeleton Santa.
His recent relocation to Arizona has inspired him to create cowboy skeletons and cactuses with menacing faces. The animated holiday specials by Rankin/Bass, such as Mad Monster Party, inspire him and give him a dose of nostalgia. Another favorite is Disney’s Haunted Mansion, which he used to visit twice a month when he lived in California.
Play-Doh is a deep tie to his childhood. It’s one of his favorite scents and he still keeps a can on his desk. He uses it to make quick sculpts to test out ideas. It helps him feel like a kid again.
Our guest shared his thoughts on the impact of AI on creatives. He is concerned about deep fakes and disinformation. As a graphic designer, he sees how it is a creativity tool and he’s excited to see how it will help him and others with the design process. Artists that embrace AI can thrive and create new, interesting works.
David’s advice to creatives is to create what you love – your audience will find you if you are truly passionate about what you are doing. He feels blessed to have such enthusiastic collectors.
David releases new artwork on the 13th of every month. The best way to stay in touch with him is to subscribe to his monthly email newsletter via his website.
Check out David’s work at:
His website: https://www.chickenlips.biz/
His Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chickenlips_davideverett/
The Chicken Lips Group on Facebook (ran by collectors, not David): https://www.facebook.com/groups/294862334682411/
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Enter the fantasy world of Paul Haigh, a chemist turned potter, who creates weird stuff for weird people. His work is a blend of his fascination with horror, mythology, science fiction, and games like Dungeons and Dragons. Ultimately, Paul sees his work as an escape from the real world.
Paul is known for his face jugs, which are wheel-turned jugs with faces stuck on them. Traditionally, the faces are abstract or even cartoonish, but Paul enjoys making his look realistic. Originally face jugs were made by enslaved people in the American South. There are many theories on the original purposes of face jugs, ranging from religious practices to grave markers. It is common for the expressions and features on face jugs to be scary. The creepy faces may have been designed to scare off evil spirits or to keep children from consuming booze stored inside. This type of pottery fell out of favor in the 1920s but was later revitalized by potters to sell to tourists.
Sculpting realistic human faces is a challenge. Our brains are specialized in recognizing human faces and we can easily spot mistakes. It took years of practice for Paul to be satisfied with his work. There’s a lot of broken pottery from when he was still learning.
Paul enjoys interacting with collectors at art shows. He loves that a significant portion of his collectors are women over 60. With their wisdom and confidence, they no longer care what others think of them and they collect what they want.
Paul lives in central North Carolina, near Seagrove, the pottery capital of the United States. Highway 705, which runs through the region, is nicknamed the Pottery Highway. Paul was a potter prior to moving to NC from New Hampshire. One of the highlights of creating pottery in NH was his wood firing kiln, made from 30,000 pounds of brick with a 15-foot chimney.
Mentions:
Carolina Pottery Festival (Shelby, NC in November): http://www.ccartscouncil.org/carolinapottery/
Catawba Valley Pottery Festival (Hickory, NC in March): https://catawbavalleypotteryfestival.com/Holly Arts Festival (Pinehurst, NC in October): https://www.homeofgolf.com/events/
League of NH Craftsmen Fair (Concord, NH in August): https://nhcrafts.org/annual-craftsmens-fair/
Ryan “Humanburger” Jones: https://ryanjonesartwork.bigcartel.com/
RVA Krampus (Richmond, VA in December): http://www.rvakrampus.com/
Star Works NC: https://www.starworksnc.org/
Check out Paul’s work at:
https://www.whmudworks.com/
https://m.facebook.com/Wiley-Hill-Mudworks-108145139230652
https://www.instagram.com/paul_haigh_pottery
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This is Kristen Stafford, your host of the Halloween Art and Travel Podcast. This is where you get the stories behind some of the best Halloween art being created today. I’m excited to share my 2023 season with you – the 5th season of this podcast.
This season, I’ll be releasing new episodes on the 13th and 30th of each month, from now through October. I’ll also drop additional episodes in-between those two dates, but always on dates that contain the number 3. Subscribe and follow in your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss a single one.
I’ll continue to bring you artists that create in a variety of styles and new mediums. My first two guests are Paul Haigh who creates weird stuff for weird people and David Everett of Chicken Lips. Later in the season, I’ll treat your ears to a miniature artist and a glass blower. I’ll also share with you tips on finding spooky furniture to add to your collections.
After needing to put it off last season, I’m finally launching my first ever monthly companion newsletter at the end of June. Visit www.halloweenartandtravel.com and put your email address in the subscribe box so you don’t miss a single edition.
Now, go forth and start getting ready for Halloween. Now that we’ve passed Halfoween, it’s just around the corner. I’ll see you back on June 30, to introduce you to artist Paul Haigh.
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Artist Danielle James (DJ for short), is conjuring up neon lights in her Durham, NC shop. Under the name Hex Neon, she creates custom work, restorations, and teaches classes. Her shop name and logo were inspired by the hex signs on Pennsylvania Dutch barns in Lancaster, PA.
DJ studied metalsmithing and jewelry making in art school. As a student, she got the desire to make small wearable neon pieces. This desire took her to a neon company in Atlanta, where she discovered neon is a VIP pass to really cool historic places. She also loves that she can make a big impact in the neon industry since it is so small and it needs more skilled artists. Besides the lack of skilled artists, another contemporary challenge is clients not understanding the difference between LED and neon signs. DJ gives us a good primer so you’ll know the difference.
Neon workers are called benders, because they bend premade glass tubes. DJ likens it to manipulating spaghetti. Benders skillfully curve the glass, avoiding shrinking the diameter of the tube. Sign colors come from the combination of the gasses pumped inside and glass tinting.
Neon work is exciting and dangerous. DJ uses two different types of torches: a crossfire and a ribbon burner. While neon and argon aren’t poisonous, some signs do contain the poison mercury. Benders must be knowledgeable of safely protocols for working with electricity to avoid serious injury and death.
She gave an overview on the glowing history of neon, from the pioneering French inventor, Georges Claude, to the golden age in the 1950s, to its downfall in the 1980s and 1990s, and the niche renaissance of today. Historically neon has been a secretive art, since some benders only trained family so they weren’t risking training future competitors.
DJ lives a Halloween lifestyle. She makes at least one Halloween piece of work a year. She worked for many years at a haunted attraction doing set design, make-up, and acting. Her favorite haunt job was being a crowd walker, entertaining patrons as a creepy clown. She collects retro horror posters and loves watching horror movies.
DJ closed out the interview by sharing a touching sign restoration she worked on for The Echo Project. This non-profit is transforming a building with a deeply racist past into a civil rights museum.
Mentions:
Alleson Buchanan, bender: https://www.radiantneon.com/ Eric Franklin, “The Body Electric” art: https://ericfranklin.com/ Frightland Delaware: https://frightland.com/ Hex Signs of Lancaster Country, PA: https://lancasterpa.com/shopping/hex-signs/ Leticia Maldonado (Tiza), bender: https://www.leticiamaldonado.com/ The Echo Project, Rehab Hate: https://www.rehabhate.com/To learn more about Danielle and her work, visit: https://www.hexneon.com
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Alycia Matthews creates joyful papier mache Halloween sculptures. Her process starts with a terra cotta base which gives her characters a distinctive warm vintage glow. She proudly declares orange her favorite color. She loves to wear orange clothes and Halloween socks all year.
Alycia turns to old black and white movies for artistic inspiration. She can lose herself in studying all the wonderful props. She’ll watch with a sketch pad in hand to capture interesting facial expressions. One of her favorite things to sculpt is the moon. George Melies’ “Trip to the Moon” movie has inspired several of her pieces.
She is a member of the Eclectic Halloween Artist Guild (EHAG) and uses her graphic design skills as part of the promotions team. This juried group of artists has an art sale on the last day of the month, January – November on their blog. Each month there is a new theme. Her favorite was “Creepy Carnival.”
Alycia is recharged by nature. When she’s not creating in her studio, she loves to watch the birds at her feeders, ride her bike, and walk on the beach with her dog, Tucker. She is infatuated with all four seasons and even enjoys shoveling snow.
As a believer in magic, Alycia believes anything is possible. She ended the interview by encouraging us to share kindness and smiles.
Mentions:
Autumn Brilliance Magazine: https://www.autumnbrilliancemagazine.com/ George Melies’ Trip to the Moon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Trip_to_the_Moon Salem’s Peabody Essex Museum: https://www.pem.org/ The EHAG Emporium: https://ehagemporium.blogspot.com/Please visit Alycia at: https://alyciasart.blogspot.com/.
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Jeff Osgood’s bold line of pottery features historic gravestone art that thrills collectors of Halloween, cemetery, and macabre art. His distinctive work is black and white, and filled with gravestones, skulls, crypts, willow trees, and epitaphs. His business name, Clay of the Dead, is a pun of the George A. Romano zombie movies.
How did an Ohioan fall in love with New England gravestones? During middle school, Jeff took a field trip to Boston which included historic cemetery tours. Jeff instantly fell in love the history, craftmanship, and messages of old gravestones. Today you’ll find him taking his students and own kids on cemetery tours.
Jeff worked as a groundskeeper and gravedigger at Wooster Cemetery in Ohio. In college, he majored in film making and created a documentary on a trip he did with his now wife and mother-in-law to collect New England gravestone images. He still uses those images as reference materials and inspiration today.
Collectors flock to his work for a variety of reasons. Some are interested in cemeteries, art, and history. Others cherish his pottery as mementos of deceased love ones. New Englanders have told him it reminds them of home.
His work serves as a memento mori – reminding us to live a rich life. In this way, he finds his work as inspirational, not dark. Creating helps him process the loss of his father. Carving clay is mediative and brings him a feeling of serenity and peace.
Jeff actively seeks out opportunities to collaborate with other artists. He craves how it pushes his craft, and enables things to come into the world that wouldn’t have come out in his solo work. Through collaborations, he’s expanded his work to wheel thrown mugs, urns, figures, jewelry, and linocuts for book covers.
His favorite cemetery symbol is the skull because it commands attention. Jeff ended the interview with his favorite epitaph: “Memento mori. Redeem thy hours. My glass has run and so must yours.” Jeff encourages us to cherish our moments and to be intentional every day.
Mentions:
Author Stephen Graham Jones: https://www.demontheory.net/ Ceramic Artist Curt Hammerly: https://www.hammerlyceramics.com/ Potter Mark Rossier: https://www.markrossierpottery.com/ Jeweler Star Strung: https://www.starstrung.com Podcasts: Spooked, Strange and Unusual, and Pleasing TerrorsYou can find Jeff at http://clayofthedead.com and https://www.instagram.com/clay.of.the.dead/
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