Halloween Treasure Trove!

We are counting down the days till Denver's 7th Annual Halloween Trunk Show! In less than a week, Leo's Garage will magically transform into a Halloween harvest shop filled with delights from myself and fellow artisan vendors. Admission is free, and the fun kicks off at noon this Saturday. We'll be open until 6pm, so make sure to save a little spot for us in your schedule on the 29th! You can even join us for lunch or a sweet treat as homemade yummies will once again be available for your enjoyment.  Well, it's just a few days away, so I better focus and do a little hocus pocus in order to be ready...



WHERE:  Leo's Automotive - 1563 S. Pearl Street, Denver, CO 80210
WHEN: Saturday, September 29th * Noon - 6pm
WHY? Why not!!  :)  We LOVE Halloween!

Take a peek at images from Last Year's Trunk Show...

See YOU there, or Beware!  :)

~ Johanna

A Tease Before Showtime...

Well, I have officially hit the frenzy season! My workshop has been a creative chaos of vintage-hued orange and black characters. Shipments of my licensed designs have been arriving in troves, so I spent the last few days signing various pieces, pricing each and safely packing them in preparation for Denver's 7th Annual Halloween Trunk Show! Amongst all the fun, this year's offerings will include my special, limited edition "Black Cat on Hat" pictured below. I was able to get a hold of 10 of these guys as only 80 were reproduced by Bethany Lowe Designs. It appears they never went public, so they are rare and a fun, signed-&-numbered catch! So, with that behind me, I am intensely focused on adding the final touches to my 2012 collection of Halloween folk art originals. I pour so much time and attention and detail into each piece that it will be a race against the clock to complete and of course, photograph each piece before my shows. Then, I have to sort them into two groups, some of which will debut at the Trunk Show while the others will be on display and available at The Ghoultide Gathering one week later! As usual, please wish me luck!

I snapped a few close-ups today of just some of the faces that have been staring back at me for weeks and weeks it seems. I look forward to finishing them as soon as possible so that I can share them with you!  Enjoy, and I hope to see you soon....



* Above, is a peek at my "Cat on Hat" limited licensed edition of only 80 pieces... These were produced in factory from an illustration of mine. It is fun to see one of my drawings intended for notepaper, take on 3-dimension! (I will have these available at Denver's Halloween Trunk Show)



* A trio of Halloween friends now have their crepe paper bow ties, but still await their glass glittered brims...



* A few one of a kind shelf sitters line up for final trimmings...



* A collection of spooky birds have just received their party hats, and now I must paint their brims to complete their festive look!



* A sweet series of bats await a little more paint and last minute accessorizing...

I feel like I'm a fashion designer for the imaginary world of folk art characters that live in my head! Now, if I just had time to figure something festive and fun for ME to wear to this year's shows..... I'm not even there yet...eek!

Well, that's all for now! I know it's just a tease, but it's all I have time for..... If you want to see more, then please join me at one of my upcoming shows!!!

Happy Haunting,
~ Johanna

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