Monday, May 31, 2010

Halloween in May!

Well, it's the last day of the month, and luckily I was able to complete two, one of a kind Halloween delights, available tonight! Inspired by the May Opening of our EHAG Emporium which promises to offer an array of handmade Halloween collectibles, I created a sweet Witch-on-a-Ball character and a grinning Black Cat! For those of you who have been asking for my happy-spirited witches, here is your chance.... "Bella Boo" is featured on our EHAG Emporium and you can see additional views of her below! "Grinning Gus" is yet another cheerful, one of a kind black cat from my imagination, so scroll down to see more!... Please email me at: johanna@johannaparkerdesign.com if you are interested in adopting one of these characters! Please include the name of the piece, and THANK YOU for stopping by! Hope you had a wonderful Memorial Day.....

~ Johanna :)

Bella-Boo-for-blog

" Bella Boo " ~ SOLD
6.75" tall x 3" wide
A hand-sculpted & painted original papier mache witch, dressed and ready for the the pumpkin-carving season! Details of interest include her hand-formed conical hat, sculptural hair and illustrative imagery. Soft vintage green hues add a glow to her skin and repeat in the vine, stem and hat details.... Signed & dated, 1/1.
$325 plus shipping

Bella-Boo-face

Bella-Boo-profile

....... and . . . . . . .

Grinning-Gus-for-blog

" Grinning Gus " ~ SOLD
6" tall x 3,25" wide
A hand-sculpted & painted original papier mache cat, dressed and ready for Halloween night! Details of interest include his hand-formed conical hat, dimensional face and illustrative imagery. Stylized cobweb lines surround his base and hat with a happy spider dangling at front.... He wears a hand-sewn vintage crepe paper collar, and black glass glitter trims his party hat. Signed & dated, 1/1.
$305 plus shipping

Grinning-Gus-face

Grinning-Gus-profile

* © 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Photos and designs are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission

Sunday, May 23, 2010

WIN my Art in Country Sampler Magazine!

When Saturday's mail arrived, I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of the July 2010 issue of Country Sampler Magazine! I had a good feeling that a few of my summer-themed folk art designs could possibly be gracing its pages... So, I flipped to the Country Treasures section, and spotted my work! My illustrated watering can & bird garden trays, offered by Primitives by Kathy, practically jump off the page, and are pictured as one of Country Sampler's reader Giveaway sets! I must admit, I am thrilled that CS wanted to share my art with their readers, and so I urge you all to enter! It's simple, so click HERE for a chance to WIN! Also, rumor has it that the editors fell in love with the photo of my new patriotic standing bird, offered by Bethany Lowe Designs. So, they included him as a featured product, proclaiming him "America's Tweet-Heart"..... I am very honored and blessed for the recognition and the opportunity to share my work with so many others! Look for your copy at the store, and tell your friends about this fun giveaway...

July-2010-Country-Sampler
* Here's a sneak peek!....

CS-Garden-Tray-Giveaway
* I painted these sweet garden style trays, inspired by the cheerful colors in my home and my love for nature. I welcome you to ENTER to WIN this set for your home...
Best of luck!

And, if you would like to purchase these summer-themed goods and more, please visit my List of Online Vendors who offer my products.


Country-Sampler-Patriotic-bird
* What a joy to see this little tweeter included in the magazine!
Soon, I will be offering a handful of these SIGNED USA birds along with a few pairs of my new Uncle Sam & Lady Liberty candy containers, signed as well! So, please join my e-mailing list to be included on that update as it will be a private e-mailing list sale.
EMAIL to JOIN at: johanna@johannaparkerdesign.com

Have a happy week!
~ Johanna

Magazine PHOTOGRAPHY, © 2010 Emmis Publishing LP
Photo of bird, Courtesy of Bethany Lowe Designs
© 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Designs are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Introducing "Rhyme Time Originals"...

A clever thought occurred to me today as I was creating my auction page for "Owlexander Web" here. Perhaps I could write a matching poem to accompany this unique character. Hmm, I love rhyming words to create whimsical descriptions, so to include a short poem would be quite a treat! So, this spur of the moment idea is how "Rhyme Time Originals" began. This sweet little owl will be the first in a limited series of eBay exclusive sculptures to be offered as a Rhyme Time Original. And, as time permits, I will be creating a small sampling of original pieces with a rhythmic story to be told. I know, perhaps it's silly, but so is my folk art! As it goes,"Owlexander Web" has just listed on eBay tonight, so CLICK HERE to visit his auction page. Best of luck and thank you so much for your support and interest! (A peek at his poem is included below)

ENOY!
~ Johanna

Owlexander-Web-Rhyme-Time
* Original Art & Poetry by Johanna Parker...


" With mesmerizing eyes, glowing in the night,
Owlexander Web the owl is soon to take his flight.
Dressed in festive finery, he's ready to be seen,
By all the trick or treaters on the night of Halloween.
He spreads his wiry wings, and sits atop a ball,
And waits for all his owl friends to hoot their eerie call.
When Halloween arrives, it’s likely you will see,
The wings of Owlexander flying high above each tree! "

Owlexander-Web-zoom
* Winner of this collectible Halloween owl will receive the signed poetry tag as well...

Owlexander-Web-Half
* Hoot Hoot!

* © 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Photos, designs and concepts are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission

Saturday, May 15, 2010

The Art of the Garden, Indoors...

I'm oddly fascinated by rusty old garden tools and have been collecting them over the years. Perhaps it's the combination of form and color that intrigues me along with the history and ware of each tool. These relics have clearly worked the earth while time and the elements have left their intriguing patina. I had a small stash of these old beauties stored away, found at garage sales and junk shops. So, when my aunt in Texas surprised me with a package of antique picture frames, the old tools resurfaced. I know it would have made more sense perhaps to fill my great-grandmother's frame with a painting or a pretty photograph, but the old rusty tools were calling! I could see the composition in my mind but was uncertain just how I would attach them in an artistic way. Luckily, JP was fast to help....

Garden-claws-framed

JP is a woodworker, so he hoards scraps of wood like I save bits of old crepe paper, trims and buttons. Cut to size, a scrap of bead-board made for the perfect backer. I mixed a batch of papier mache and coated one side, filling in most of the grooves of the wainscot and creating my own interesting texture.

Garden-claws-looking-up

I wanted to mimic the background of my green drip-painted wall so that the tools looked as if they were floating within this carved frame. Luckily I was able to match the hues to create the effect. We drilled holes and wove rusted wire up and over and around the various tools, securing them from the backside. I added a bit of whimsy to some, swirling and curling the wire as I often like to do.

Garden-claws-close

Once complete, we hung this unusual composition on the wall, stepped back and marveled at its uniqueness. These old utilitarian tools remind me of the weary hands from the past and could each certainly tell a story if only they could speak. Where were they used, and what did they help to create, who used them and so on are questions that ramble through my mind. But, who would have ever imagined that these discarded tools would be hanging on my wall?! That's what I love about this story.

Garden-Claws-sidetable

Many thanks to my Aunt Jeri for sending me this truly wonderful old frame which inspired this unusual project. The theme of bringing the garden indoors spurred other ideas as well, and soon, an old trellis quickly became a wall companion. While the wall decor was taking shape, I was excited to learn that I won a lovely garden-themed cone, gifted by artist friend, Nancy Malay. So, when her package arrived last week, I had just the spot for her creation. Thank you Nancy, it looks lovely here.

Nancy-Malay-cone
* Another angle of Nancy's garden-themed handmade cone...

Moral of the story is that the simplest of objects, long-forgotten from the past can find a new life, can create a stir in the imagination and a wonderment if seen from a different perspective. I always try to give these cast-offs a second chance and perhaps even a spot on my wall! I would love to read about what treasures you have created from old, commonplace items from the past. I welcome you to share in the comments section below.

~ Johanna

* © 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Photos are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Me & Mom.....

It's Mother's Day, and although Mom lives far far away from me, I am thinking of her. The chance to visit only comes but a few times a year as the distance between Denver and Seattle is certainly more than that short walk between our homes used to be. Thank goodness for email and the phone as both assure me that she is doing well, meeting new friends and creating again! It truly pleases me that she is "following her bliss" as she types in her emails, staying up late at night and designing primitive folk art. Thanks to Mom, I too am doing the same thing! It's comforting to know that while I am busy at work sculpting or painting a papier mache character, she too is in her studio creating a treasure in textile. It is a long distance bond that cannot be broken with the same driving force to release our creative spirit and share smiles and joy through our creations. Thank you Mom for instilling in me the notion to apply my talents and to create. I am truly grateful and so happy to see you doing the same.....

Love,
~ Johanna

Me-&-Mom

* Photo from last summer's family visit to Colorado. There, the two of us stand on the top of Vail Mountain, holding hands and swinging our arms back and forth. Fun times indeed!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Frightfully Fun Spider!...

So, if yesterday's "Peek-a-boo" post had you intrigued, well here are few more images of my first spooky Spider Candy Cup! He just listed on eBay this evening and over the course of the next 5 days will be looking for a Halloween home. If you would like to provide him a cozy cobweb, please place a bid before Friday night and thank you for your generosity and your interest! You can visit my Spider Candy Cup Auction Here!

~ Johanna

B&W-Spider-Open
* With or without his candy egg cup base, he is quite the whimsical arachnid indeed!

B&W-Spider-Angled
* I designed this special fellow, inspired by EHAG's Black & White Fright Challenge, going on this week!

B&W-Spider-front

Thank you for your interest!

* © 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Photos & Designs are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Peek-a-Boo!

Well, I just snapped some photos of my Black & White Fright EHAG Challenge piece. I know, I know, he's not quite ALL black and white, but I hope that he will do! I have decided to post him on eBay tomorrow night instead of Tuesday, so he'll be a 5-Day auction. Stay tuned for a link to his page with lots more pics. And yes, he's a frightfully-fun spider ~ My first spider candy egg cup! More to come......

Thanks,
~ Johanna

EHAG-Spider-Tease

You can click on the Black & White Fright Logo Badge in the left-side column to visit the various works of B&W EHAG art available throughout the week. Keep checking back as more items will be listing daily!

* © 2010 Johanna Parker Design *Photos & Designs are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission.