Proud Daughter....

I wanted to share some fun news for those who like to peruse the pages of home decorating magazines! My parents' colonial home was chosen as one of Country Sampler's favorites and is featured in their current HOME TOUR EDITION! Back in the spring of 2005, Country Sampler published a nice article showcasing my mother's folk art and her primitive decor in their home in Washington state. And to our surprise, they have featured it once again! I will post a few teaser images below, but do go get a copy if you'd like to read more and see other photos of her unique, period-style decorating. Yes, clearly my inspiration to design, decorate and create with my hands has been passed down from my creative mother :) Congrats to you Mom!

Love,
~ Johanna


* Look for this cover at the stores.....


* The article opens with this inviting photo of their dining room, one of my favorite rooms in their house.... CLICK to enlarge...


* A snapshot of their upstairs bedroom, laden with blue & cream ticking and other woven textiles... CLICK to enlarge...


* A warmly lit vignette including a patriotic pair of my retired designs produced by Primitives by Kathy...


* Instructions on how to make my mom's German style sheep..... Baaaaaa
CLICK to enlarge....

By the way, my friends “photographer/stylist/writer” duo Donna Pizzi and Philip Clayton-Thompson of Blackstone Edge Studios did my mom's photo shoot! Their photography also made the cover of this issue. (The two of them also photographed my home in 2005 for Cottage Style magazine)
PHOTOGRAPHS, © 2008 Emmis Publishing LP

~ The full article is 8 pages long and features other intriguing rooms, including their kitchen, keeping room, living room, laundry and master bath....Go get a copy! :-)

* A photo I took last summer of the exterior of their red, center chimney home...

Happy HallowGreen!...

In the spirit of Leprechauns and all things Green, I have created another fun cross-over Halloween piece! EHAG's March challenge was to create something in the HALLOWGREEN theme, and what fun! So, once again, I'm offering another unique and collectible candy cup for my Halloween collector friends....

You can click on the images below to visit my eBay auction starting none other than tomorrow evening, on St.Patrick's Day! Thanks for looking :)

~ Johanna


* My first black cat in Leprechaun garb.... What a fun blend!


* Is that a pot of gold?...No, it's a jack-o'-lantern but of course!! :-)


© 2008 Johanna Parker Design * All contents on this site are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission.

Studio Pics...

Well, I know I am a little delayed in taking photos of my studio like I had promised back in January, but better late than never, right?! At the start of the year, I was on an organizational kick, clearing out the clutter and making more space for design work.

JP had the great idea of splitting a funky old white shelf in half, and then framing my drafting table with 2 short shelves on either side. Now, it's not in my face any more, and much of the clutter has been resorted and stored into mesh drawers. The shelves now serve as a place to house my colored pencils and pens, other art supplies and just inspirational art objects.

The old window frame that hovers over my desk has been a fun element for color and creativity. Rescued from a pile of cast-offs, I painted it magenta, hung it and have been adding little trinkets, vintage finds and other artists' works on it now for several years. I often gaze at it as I enter my imagination. The first reaction of those who step into my studio room is always a treat! Their eyes pop open as they absorb all the colors and whimsy of the characters and collections that live on the upper shelves of the walls. Words like "carvinal" and "eye candy" are often blurted out... Yes, it's a bit unusual, but I have a good excuse! I'm an artist, a bit eccentric and enjoy visual forms of expression! :) Enjoy the photos.....

~ Johanna


* Me, at my drafting desk.....


* A wide shot of my workspace.... This is where I illustrate.... (my messy papier mache workroom resides in the basement)


* Me again, contemplating a drawing.....


* My funky window of inspirations and other goodies that keep me company as I illustrate...


* From the window, a vintage Halloween JOL smiles down at me, along with one of my illustrated candy boxes, and a fun paper '31' ornament made by artist friend, Kitty Forseth.....


* Me and my pal Jack!

Field Trip ~ BIG CATS!...

It's March 1st, and a simply delightful day for a field trip to visit one of the country's largest wildlife sanctuaries here in Colorado. We made a spontaneous trip to meet JP's sisters and family for a self-guided tour of the grounds. I didn't realize this refuge was so close to home, so we drove out to Hudson to support the admirable efforts to save abandoned and abused wild cats, bears, and other beautiful creatures.

The refuge is called The Wild Animal Sanctuary, and they have a series of suspended bridges, platforms and lookout towers where you can look out and below at over 100 cats, including lions, tigers, spotted and black leopards and mountain lions. I took some photos to share with my friends in blogland, so enjoy!

~ Johanna

* Ahhh, I only ~wish~ I could curl up and snuggle with these furry creatures, but I think I will just leave that to my imagination!..... Time for a cat nap.....

* This is a great overhead zoom I got!.... Looks like I was standing directly over this sleeping beauty, but a bridge kept us apart.....


* Wow!....Big lazy lions were sun-bathing in a distant field.... Their composure reminds me of our domesticated cat companions.....


* A zoom on this lazy lion......


* A tiger laps up water on our warmest day of the year so far......


* Look at the exotic patterns on this dark-colored tiger..... wow!


* A lioness relaxes next to her large bathtub.... she looks so gentle....(from a distance)


* A colony of blackbirds perching in this old, crooked tree caught my eye as we were leaving the grounds.... I'm drawn to natural compositions such as this.....

As always, I have birds and cats on the brain :)