Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Flower Power Works in Progress....

April showers bring May flowers, and lots of color too! Visions of vivid blossoms and vintage green hues have me in a floral forward mood. As a result, a small collection of originals are blooming in my workshop! I have designed a new series of cork topped "Flower Keepers." Playing off of my classic ball character, these special sculpts have an inner vial that can hold fresh water. Simply pop the chapeau-style cork, fill with water and add a delicate bouquet of garden grown delights. I am anxious to paint these pretties and see them come to life! And back by popular demand, I have also made a handful of butterfly egg cup characters that too will be splashed with a painterly floral theme. The full collection will be offered via a Flower Power Web Sale this May! Stay tuned for their release date, and join my Newsletter for all the details!

Ta-Ta for now! I'm off to smell the flowers.......

See you in the garden,
~ Johanna :)

WIP-Flower-Keeper-Girl

* This little girl anxiously awaits a final sanding and then many coats of pretty paint!

WIP-Flower-Keepers-Overhead

* A view overhead reveals the polymer vial that tunnels down into each piece....

WIP-Flower-Keeper-Bird

* And this nature-inspired collection would not be complete without a whimsical wide-eyed bird!

WIP-Flower-Keeper-Group

* It looks like it's time for paint!

WIP-Butterfly-Egg-Cups

* Butterfly egg cups in the nude are surrounded by their wiry wings...

WIP-Butterfly-Wings

* The wire wings are such a special and tedious detail. From start to finish, one set takes over an hour to create.... I rarely time myself, but this is what I discovered today! Darn, I wish I could speed up that process a bit.

Stay tuned for my Flower Power Web Sale in May!



Monday, April 22, 2013

Vanished like a Ghost!

Goooooood Evening friends! I know it's about time that I reappear from my vanishing act. The days just fly by, and all of the sudden 4 months of a new year have practically flashed before my eyes! I feel like my art has been fading in and out of existence ~ a sort of push and pull between my creative bliss and a steady involvement in several community volunteer efforts. The tables are soon to turn however, and that means that my workshop table should soon be alive with more papier mache and paints! I really miss it, and look forward to getting papier mache under my nails again ~ I can't believe I just said that :)

This is also the time of year that I design prototypes for my licensees, and the majority of my submissions for 2014 have been created from my illustrations. Hence, my creative time as of late has been at my drafting table and in front of computer screen vs. that messy old workshop of mine. And, so you know that I have not completely faded away, I want to share one of my latest illustrated renderings with you! Speaking of Ghosts, this is my Ghost Genie to be fabricated into a standing figurine and offered through Bethany Lowe Designs next year...

Ghost-Genie-Figure-Johanna-Parker

* So many of you have inquired about my ghosts, so finally I will have a collectible reproduction to offer to you!

Ghost-Genie-Johanna-Parker

* Inspired by the movement and flowing curves of this character, I created a composition to frame him. The hope is to apply this fanciful image to various products, such as art in frames, pillows, napkins, plaques, etc... Please leave me a comment if you have more ideas for me!

Ghost-Genie-Figure-back-&-profile-Johanna-Parker

* And, here is a sneak peek of this ghost's posterior! Rendering his backside is fairly simple: Reverse the image, blend out the faces and front accessories, and voila! It's the profile views that are a bit more challenging to imagine and interpret on paper and screen..... ALSO, those of you that follow me on FACEBOOK were recently asked the silly question: "How you prefer your SPIDERS?" If you missed it, GO take a peek to see the other flat art illustration that I have in the works to add to my collection of 2014 Halloween figures!

I look forward to sharing this final Ghostly character piece with you when it releases next summer! In the meantime, keep an eye out for my latest Halloween figurine coming out this year! For those of you who howl for Owls, you will adore this sweet collectible piece. I just received my samples last week, and they are ever so fun! Look for "Perched Owl on Pumpkin" (not the most exciting name - LOL) coming to a gift shop near you. Or, you can visit my list of online vendors that carry my licensed designs and inquire about this Fall 2013 piece!

Perched-Owl-on-Pumpkin-Johanna-Parker


Perched-Owl-Illustration-Johanna-Parker

* And, as I did with the illustrated ghost rendering above, so I did with this fun owl! He started out as a flat illustration, and after they spun their Halloween magic, the talented manufacturers that work with Bethany Lowe Designs brought him to life!

Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into my creative character process....

Best Wishes,
~ Johanna


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