Tote, Book & Note GIVEAWAY!...

Hello Friends! I am giving away a bag of eye candy treats to one lucky winner who can guess the magic number between 1 and 100. Included is a hot-off-the-press copy of the new Halloween with Matthew Mead Book! And, when you turn to page 136, you'll see that I have signed the 2-page article that features a fun Q & A between me & Matthew regarding my Halloween art. This collectible edition will arrive in my illustrated "Happy Halloween" owl treat bag tote alongside a matching owl notepad from my collection. It's a super fun trio of Halloween delights, and I wish you the best of luck in snatching this fun set for yourself!

UPDATE:  We have 2 WINNERS!!!
I'm feelin' that Halloween love tonight, especially after just reading ALL of your sweet messages! Two of you guessed the magic number:  10 (the month of October) + 31 (Halloween) = *41*
So, since I have an extra Tote, Book & Note, 2 sets will go out to:
PinFeathers & mbrcutie!

Congrats to you both, and please EMAIL Me with your shipping addresses. Many many THANKS to all of you for playing along and admiring my work! You inspire me :-)

So, all you have to do is GUESS the WINNING NUMBER between 1 and 100 for a chance to win!

The Winner will be announced here on my Blog this Sunday, September 2nd!

It's EASY to Enter. See the details below...

How to Enter :

* First, leave your lucky numeral guess in the comments portion below this post. Please include your thoughts on why you want to win!

* For a second guess, SHARE news about my GIVEAWAY (including my Blog Link) on your favorite social networking sites ~ and yes, Pinners are welcome too! Then, return back to my Blog to leave another comment entry.

* Follow my Blog for a third guess ~ Click to join & follow on the right column sidebar here on my blog.

Remember, this contest takes place here on my Blog, so only guesses made in the comments portion of this Blog Post will be entered. If you have any issues leaving a comment via my blog, you are welcome to EMAIL ME, and I will include your comment.

(....and, If nobody guesses the correct number, I will do a drawing from those who guessed the closest. And, if 2 or more of you guess the winning number, I will do a drawing from those lucky names) 


Have FUN & GOOD LUCK to ALL!

Best Wishes,
~ Johanna



Follow me on Facebook for future Giveaways, news & event info to come...

Works in Progress...

Yes, it's me, coming up for air from my workshop! Times are super busy, and I try not to look at the calendar as the reality of the date gives me both shivers and waves of heat all at once! I can imagine that my fellow Halloween & Holiday folk artist friends are feeling the same seasonal pinch. I know I should have spent the day painting, but I also know that it's fun for my collector friends to catch a glimpse at my creative process. And as the days tick by, I know I will have less and less opportunities to play. So, I am offering a preliminary peek at just some of the characters that are coming to life in my workshop. Keep in  mind, many of these fellows are still rough and will need finishing, trims, glass glitter and an occasional paper party hat to top him or her off. I have a feeling you will see less and less of me as I push through the last month to finish my collection of Halloween originals and prepare for my upcoming shows. So, Hello & Goodbye & See you soon! ENJOY.....

~ Johanna

(PS ~ Make sure to swing back by my blog on Tuesday for a sweet Giveaway!)


* That's me sharing a smirky-smile with too much on my mind.... art, art and more art ~ And then there's my other life - eat, sleep, clean, business, shop, book-keeping, and the list goes on! Where are my elves??????


* More hoot hoots on the way!...


* A Halloween bunny who adores candy corn carrots!


* A group of egg cup characters in the rough...


* A sweet ghostly guy with a purple patina...


* Decisions, decisions....


* A leg-less cat sitter, owl and Jack await more details...


* A sweet black & white cat wonders when I will make her collar and add her trims... I wonder this too!

Art-Affect!

I often have this tendency to stamp a logo on something and turn it into a series! My days in TV news graphics left a few impressions here and there I believe ~ hehe... Well, I am starting a new feature here on my blog called "Art-Affect." Sometimes my art can inspire an artistic affect in the imaginations of others. Clearly this happened to Marsha Gruberman, a secret admirer of sorts! Last fall, she surprised with me a collection of photos that made me smile. Well, let's take a look at the first image:

Immediately, I recognized a very familiar face in her photo! On a creative whim, she carved a pumpkin into a cat, much inspired by the expressive black cat characters I create. This was her note:
"My name is Marsha. I've admired your beautiful Halloween folk art figurines, and they inspired me to carve a cat pumpkin this year. I wanted to share some of my photos of it - I hope you like it. You're work is absolutely beautiful!"

Well, thank you for sharing Marsha! Your cat pumpkin is adorable, and by the way, YOU are too! Notice Marsha's faux fur ears, cuffs, trims and her Johanna Parker Design Black Cat Tee!



Marsha explains that she had an unexpected ice & snow storm during that week in October when she was carving her annual pumpkin. "I did it with no power in the house and photographed it outside where snow lay on the ground with my Siberian Husky looking on in the background! LOL. I have had a passion for drawing, painting and photography for many years - so with each Fall I look forward to decorating my home for Halloween, and I try to make a unique jack-o-lantern. Last year (2011) your beautiful art work inspired me to do the cat pumpkin!"



Well Marsha, you did an amazing job carving this fun character by candlelight! What a fun story!



It is always a joy to see that my folk art can create an Art-Affect on others. Marsha, is clearly talented, and it is fun to see her pumpkin-based rendition of a Johanna Parker black cat! I find myself so busy sculpting my papier mache that it is difficult to find the time to carve a pumpkin ~ I know, the irony right?! So, it was indeed exciting to see how one of my black cats would take shape in this seasonal medium...

If you have a project that you would like me to consider for an upcoming Art Affect feature, please EMAIL ME with your photos. I am looking for clever ways that my work has inspired others. Copycat work is not acceptable, but those of you that have added your own unique twist to a personal project, inspired from my designs, are welcome to submit.

Happy Creating!
~ Johanna

It's Rhyme Time ~ Make Your Offer!

UPDATE:  Wow, the winning offer has come in, and I am blown away by the wonderful admiration and response I received for Moonsong Moe! Many thanks to ALL the generous collectors who placed bids. I am so very grateful to you! In the end, this very special piece will soon be living with Patricia in Oregon! THANK YOU so very much for your support and love for one of a kind folk art!

I do believe it has been a couple of years since I created & offered one of my collectible Rhyme Time Originals! Unique to my line of one of a kinds, these full-figured fellows each balance atop a decorated ball and include a special rhyme that I have written to accompany the piece. "Moonsong Moe" is my first sitting bulldog, and he was certainly a labor of love with delicate details from the folds in his face to his ruffled collar and his tiny tail. Painted in a Carnival Halloween motif of cream, orange, black and vintage turquoise, he is a collector's delight throughout the year! "Moonsong Moe" is a hand-sculpted and painted folk art curio, standing at 8.5" tall, and certainly unique to the world! I welcome you to study the various images of Moe, here below, read his Rhyme Time poem, and consider placing your Best Offer!

Continue reading this post for more details... 

"Moonsong Moe is one vocal guy,
For at night he sings up to the moonlit sky.
A harmonious howl can be heard high and low,
As the man in the moon reveals his glow.
Mesmerized by the face that lights the night,
Moe perches on his ball and sings with might.
Crescent or full matters not to Moe,
As he is under the spell of the lunar show!"
~ Johanna Parker



About this Blog Auction: This is a unique & fun opportunity for my collecting fans to acquire this special, one of a kind bulldog! If you would like a chance at adopting this Rhyme Time Original, I am asking that you EMAIL ME your Best Offer. What would you be willing to spend in order to possibly accept this collectible piece into your home? I am starting the bids at $350. Bidders will remain private, and I will update my blog daily with the highest Best Offer thus far. Those numbers will be rounded down in increments of 50. So, keep an eye on the wheel image above and do reload this page to see current info. Submit your Best Offer/s once OR as many times as you wish within this 7-day period. On Tuesday July 31st at 9:30 pm EST, I will email all the participating bidders with a Last Call, announcing the current highest offer. Afterwards, you will have until mid-day on August 1st to submit any additional offers. I hope to announce the Winning Offer amount here on my blog by Noon EST on the 1st. You have about a week's time to submit your best offer/s. Anyone has a chance to participate if he or she chooses, and bidders can keep track of the approximated offers here on my blog. 

How to Bid :

Please study the various photos below to see if you would like to adopt "Moonsong Moe."

If he howls to you, then . . . . . . . 

* EMAIL ME with the amount of your Best Offer (johanna@johannaparkerdesign.com)

* Title your email: "Best Offer - $ - - - - - "

* Look for a reply / confirmation email that your offer has been received

As you submit your offer/s, you are welcome to identify yourself or remain unknown. Therefore, you may email me from whatever email account you choose as long as I can reach you in the event you are the winner!  I will be accepting offers until Noon EST, August 1st. At that time, I will review all the offers and post the pending best offer amount. The winner will be notified and will have 24 hours to respond, identify him or herself and start the process of finalizing the sale. The piece will be offered to the bidder of the next best offer, in the event the top bidder fails to respond.

As for emailing me with your offers, please know that I am grateful for your support and any bids of affection. Best of luck!...... Now, let's get started :)

Up for Bids is "Moonsong Moe," an original sculpture by me, folk artist Johanna Parker...

 

Crawling out of the Pages...

Even though it's still just July, I recently received a copy of Country Sampler Magazine's September issue! It's a reminder to all that fall and Halloween are just around the corner. I started flipping through the pages and came across a trio of familiar faces. The Country Treasures section on Page 12 begins with a splash of my Candlestick Spiders! What fun it is to see these whimsical characters featured, and I am grateful that Country Sampler acknowledged me as well. These eight-legged collectibles are practically crawling off the page, and if you would like to adopt a few for your home this Halloween, I would suggest visiting the various vendor sites on my Source Links Page! There are a handful of online stores carrying these curios, and I will also have them available at this year's Halloween Trunk Show. So, go find yourself a copy of this zine in preparation for the harvest season, and many thanks to the folks at Country Sampler for including me once again!

~ Johanna



"Double, double, toil and trouble - these adorable accents by artist Johanna Parker can serve either as spider-topped finials or quirky candlesticks. Depending on your decorating mood, outfit the candleholders with grubby black tapers and spread the spiders around your tablescape, or present a united front by keeping the pieces intact."

Magazine photography & excerpt, © 2012 Emmis Publishing LP




BOO!