Monday, June 25, 2012

It's Giveaway Time!...

In honor of ALL of you, I am hosting a Customer / Fan Appreciation Week, and YOU are invited to join in on the fun! I am offering two of my latest Halloween figurine designs that will debut this fall from Bethany Lowe Designs! These fresh and fun sample pieces are signed by me and will be shipped to their lucky winners! My Juggling Black Cat is up for grabs HERE via my BLOG, while my Balancing Jack-o'-lantern is being offered on my Facebook Fan Page.

UPDATE:  We have a WINNER!

So, the secret winning number to snatch my Juggling Black cat is 23! Why 23?  Well, I made my first grinning black cat in 2003 (and was he ever crude!!  :) But, he was the start of many more to come. So,
break down 2003, and you get 20 + 3 which equals 23!  Many of you came so very close to this number, but only one person nailed it!

Congrats to Marie who left the following comment on June 25 at 9:13pm:
marie said:
"still going with #23 and I just love your work!"
** Marie, please EMAIL ME when you see this, so that I can get your shipping address**

Many THANKS to ALL of you for playing along :)  I truly enjoyed reading all of your thoughtful comments, and they made me smile!!!

Black-Cat-Blog-Giveaway

* So, I have pre-chosen a winning number between 1 and 100 *
To ENTER to WIN my Juggling Black Cat, take these simple step/s:

* Simply leave a comment below with your best guess as to which number it is and include a few words regarding why you want to win!

* Follow my Blog (top right) for another entry with another guess.

* Share my Giveaway news via your favorite Social Networking sites for a third chance at guessing!
(you are welcome to use my giveaway image too!)

* Pin the above image on Pinterest for yet another guess!

On Tuesday, July 3rd I will round up any & all names that guessed the correct number and will draw a winner from that lucky group! If no one guesses the correct number, I will do a drawing from those who guessed the closest.....

Have FUN with this and spread the word for more chances to enter!

Thank you for your kind support and your interest in the art I create! Keep on spreading those smiles:)
~ Johanna


PS: See the post below for a sneak peek of the sweet Jack-o'-Lantern image I am offering on my Facebook Fan Page! Entries to win that fun character will be accepted via the comments section on Facebook only.

Follow Me on Pinterest

Giveaway on Facebook!..

First of all, I hope you ALL entered to win my sweet juggling black cat above!  Now, for those of you that "Do Facebook" I am offering this adorable Jack-o'-lantern cutie to all of my Fans that follow me there! Please click along to my Johanna Parker Design Page to enter to Win!

JOL-Giveaway-&-Johanna

Best of Luck!  :)
~ Johanna

Friday, June 22, 2012

Speaking of Carnival...

I had the pleasure of chatting with Matthew Mead for a fun feature in his new book! He asked if he could interview me regarding my Halloween art and process, and I was delighted to play along. If all goes as planned, readers will enjoy our Q & A with topics that include my latest Summer-Boo Halloween Carnival look! And, Matthew's including a composite image I took of my recent clown and egg cup characters, seen below. "HALLOWEEN with Matthew Mead," published by Time Inc., will be available this August via Amazon and select book stores! So stay tuned for that, and don't miss this Sunday's Web Sale where I will be offering these one of a kind carnival characters on my Folk Art Originals page. Do Join my Mailing list for all the details and start time.

Jolly Haunting,
~ Johanna


Halloween-with-Matthew-Mead

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Preparing for the Summer-Boo Carnival!...

This week, my workshop is a rainbow of colors as I add the final patterns and details to my Summer-Boo Carnival collection of characters! Hues of vintage turquoise, soft green and magenta happily pair with my classic orange and black to create a chromatic celebration! The days are counting down to Sunday evening's Web Sale when this special festive family of collectibles will be up for adoption. So, it's a race to complete the painting process, and add those magical touches, like glass glitter accents and vintage trims, that make these guys extra unique! This morning, I snapped a few close-ups of my unfinished characters in-the-works. Fingers are crossed that I can complete them all by mid-week, take their individual beauty shots, and then make ALL the graphics necessary for the sale. Woooo, it's a lot of work, but I'm getting closer. One step, or stroke at a time. Enjoy the sneak peeks, and do Join my Mailing List for all the details regarding my Summer-Boo Carnival Web Sale!

Cheers,
~ Johanna

WIP-Carnival-Characters

* Here, a cone-nosed jack-o'-lantern sports some festive carnival flare. He still needs a few more textural details before I can call him complete...

WIP-Carnival-Treat

* And, any guess as to what type of character this silly-sweet guy may be?...

WIP-Carnival-Palette

* A peek at my color palette reveals a wheel of hues that excite the senses and remind us of festival fun!

WIP-Carnival-Cat

* Of course, I couldn't host a web sale without a cat or two!  This cutie will have arms and legs and additional trims! EEk, wish me luck in getting this all done...

WIP-Carnival-Bear

* And, I have a feeling this little guy will be quite the charmer when all is said and done...

Make sure to refresh the Folk Art Originals page of my website this Sunday to see all 11 characters that make up this special collection of carnival delights!

Web-Sale-Announce


Follow Me on Pinterest

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Cheers to Dad!....

I am sending some long distance love to my dad on this special day that honors our fathers. Your smile and batty humor keep us chuckling away until we will meet again. Though distance has a bad habit of keeping us apart, our spirits are close.  Thank you for all the smiles and laughter :)

Best wishes to you!

Love,
Johanna

Daddy-&-Me

Friday, June 15, 2012

INSPIRED by 40 West...

It truly was a "whirlwind weekend of the arts!" That's the tagline I coined when writing the Call for Entries application for a very special local event our team of art-loving volunteers were planning and preparing for. And what a joy it was to see our vision come to life, exceeding our expectations! I'm referring to this past weekend's 40 West INSPIRE Gallery show. For those of you who follow ME and / or 40 West Arts District on facebook, you will know that creating, branding and building this arts district has been and continues to be a labor of love. For the past year, I have been juggling my personal art business with the growing needs of this emerging creative district. Fortunately, it's all very close to home, and each inspires the other. We have accomplished so very much in a short amount of time, and last weekend's inaugural gallery opening certainly put us on the map! I sat on the jury and helped curate this unique show, organizing the entry finals into themes that allowed for a fun cross of mediums to mix and mingle. I have to say, my head is still spinning from all the pre-show hype, including my Artist Feature in the Your Hub section of the Denver Post to my interview with the Mayor of Lakewood! Who would have ever known that I would have been so involved with my community! Seriously, I have truly been a hermit for years..... well, that is until my ears started burning about a local arts district just down the street!

Long story short, we had around 550 in attendance at our first gallery event!  WOW! I want to thank all of my friends, neighbors and fans of my work who joined me and the 40W gang kick off our new public studio facility and celebrate our accomplishments and momentum. Below are just a few images from this exciting 3-day experience. Many more photos are available on our fan page!  ENJOY!


 40West-Johanna-with-Art

* That's me in my stylish 40W apron, the day before the show.  JP and I had just mounted my trio of one of a kind carnival characters. I was also handling and dusting off various works of art; hence the white glove!

Carnival-Swing

* A slightly closer peek reveals a cat, a clown sitter and a mouse all ready for my upcoming Summer-Boo Web Sale on June 24th! The full collection of 11 various characters will reveal a more chromatic palette from me with a hint of Halloween. So far, the feedback has been quite favorable, so I look forward to sharing them all with you soon (well, once I finish them!)

The wooden shelf was a last-minute magical collaboration between JP and myself as we scoured the garden shed for pieces and parts. The swing seat is made from 2 faces of an old flower box and the metal brackets were discards, all found on various alley hunts.

40West-Johanna-in-motion

* Here's a quick peek of the front reception room at 40 West Gallery & Studios. Attendees were warmly greeted by staff and were handed a program and invited to meander...

40West-attendees

* Outside, the skies were blue and the sun was shining while waves of people from all ages arrived, anxious to see the art and experience the space.

40West-Crowds

* At 5:30, the warehouse space out back was brimming with folks ready for the ribbon-cutting ceremony!

40West-Volunteers-honored

* 40 West Champions formed a line across the entrance of the very first studio space, while leader Bill Marino praised their efforts and led a round of applause...

40West-Johanna-Community-art-project2

* Afterwards, I oversaw the community arts project where mostly children, along with a few willing adults, added paint and patterns to canvas squares.

40West-Johanna-Community-art-project

* The kids jumped right in with no inhibitions and began painting what inspired them!

40West-JP-volunteers

* Up front, JP was sipping wine and mingling with guests... I like my man in an apron!

40West-Abstractions-Exhibit

* The sunny, front "Abstractions" room was a big hit with its variety of mediums from glass, mosaic, textile and stone to oils, photography and acrylics...

40West-Kids-Art-Exhibit

* Guests marveled at the varied children's exhibit in the large warehouse space out back.


40West-Johanna-Children's-display

* For most of the youth on display, this was their first opportunity to show their work in a gallery setting! I was reminded of the importance of nurturing the artist in every child, recalling when I too was a budding artist. The thrill of seeing my drawings on display in public exhibits certainly inspired me! (Thanks Mom :)


Again, if you would like to see more images, please visit the 40 West Fan Page ~


I feel very fortunate that we had such a wonderful turn-out with ample smiles and energetic excitement. The experience has me inspired as I complete the last few characters for my Summer-Boo Carnival collection, soon to debut on Sunday, the 24th. Following that festive web sale, I will be continuing my collection of Halloween & holiday originals for my fall and winter shows. So, you know where I'll be ~ in the workshop!!!

Cheers,
~ Johanna