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 :)



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



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



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



* It looks like it's time for paint!



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

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...



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



* 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!



* 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!






* 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

Happy Easter to You!...

Wishing you love and light, with a "spring" in your step and whimsical wings to carry you to your dreams.

xo,
Johanna, JP & Jack



* My first one of a kind butterfly egg cup duo!

A Spring Tussie Mussie for You...

When 2013 commenced, I dusted off two bins full of all the illustrations that I have created over the last ten years. JP reminded me that it was a shame to keep all of those pretties locked up in a box, and that perhaps I should rediscover long-lost works. I enjoyed the process, reminiscing over this and that and marveling over some compositions that never even left my studio. Eventually, I came across a spring cone that I illustrated one decade ago. Excited by the imagery I dreamt up for this sweet design, I was inspired to scan it and remaster it, so to speak. After several hours of touching up my old line art, I pressed print, and Voila! The results are below, and since tomorrow is the first day fo Spring, I am going to share it with you!

We hope this project inspires, excites you for Spring and "eggs-you-on" to CREATE!  Get out your scissors and glue and go digging in your drawers. DOWNLOAD and print this sweet tussie mussie, decorate and fill it with delights! Make one for yourself and one for a friend. In fact, wouldn't it be delightfully fun to hang a treat-filled cone on a neighbor's doorknob or wall-hook, ring the bell and run? And if that sounds too fanciful, I'm sure your kids will play along! Make it fun, and enjoy the process of creating something with your hands amongst family and friends.

Now, promise that you'll send me photos!.... It's all about sharing, so I'm giving you this file. In return, you share your finished photos or perhaps images of you, the crafters creating and/or decorating your cones. Please EMAIL ME your photos for the purpose of sharing or post them on my Facebook page.

Happy Creating!



* Since we did not have any Easter candies on hand, I looked around the house for vintage finds that I could add to my cone. Above, a trio of porcelain roses peer out of a bed of paper grass, serving as a sweet topper for this adorable cone.




* And here's our Gift to You:
Download & ENJOY our Free Printable PDF file to create your very own Spring Cone!



* After I glued my cone, I decided to accent it with two white pipe cleaners and a piece of vintage white lace. I altered their white color by adding a few squirts of pale green and soft brown paint to about 2 tablespoons of water in an old cup. Blending those ingredients with a brush made for a nice wash which I applied to my accessories.



* And the result was a lovely aged chartreuse hue ~ lovely matching textures to adorn my spring cone! Of course, this is just one idea from a myriad to choose from. Get creative and dig through your drawers to see what may surface..... twine, ribbon, string, tinsel, old buttons, felt, pom-poms, rick-rack, fabric scraps and the list goes on!... Have fun!



* Here are just a few ideas for gifts and /or decorative spring displays in your home! I am thinking that  a chocolate bunny would certainly look cute in one of these cones..... What else? Please share.....

We look forward to seeing what you create...

Happy Spring!
~ Johanna

In a Spring Mood!

Hi All!

I have been absent from the blogosphere as there has been a lot going on in my life. The story is a long one, so I will not go into detail. But, let's just say that my focus diverted from my art to a neighborhood open space park. And, my husband and I along with countless neighbors have been moved to protect this wildlife habitat that we all love so dearly from future development. It's interesting as I never considered myself an activist, but motivations can quickly shift when the thought of something so special and rare is under threat. We do feel that our message is being heard, and we are very optimistic that this divide will actually bring all those involved, much closer together.

My workshop lights have been out for days at length, and so I am now trying my best to play catch up! I had hoped to offer a full collection of original spring delights this season, but it's looking more like a small handful will actually be ready by Easter. And of course, Easter is early this year too - Shucks! I am still working on a few ball character bunnies and a couple of egg cup guys. So, if you are interested, please check my Folk Art Originals page from time to time as the majority of these will be spontaneously popping up as Collector's Catch pieces, later this month. You may just Catch something special for Spring!

For now, here is a sneak peek of what I am painting in my workshop. These bunnies are far from complete, but at least they have eyes!! I still need to add their final touches, patina and trims. Thanks for checking in on me....

~ Johanna



* A pair of chocolate-hued bunnies and a vanilla cream rabbit patiently await multiple coats of paint...



* Another view of the same scene.... hehe! Butterflies are this year's spring theme :)