A Font, Named after Me?!!!...

Well, I must admit that this is certainly a unique honor! My Halloween collector friend and typeface designer extraordinaire, Jason Walcott of JAW Arts.com, recently designed a font and named it after me!.... He surprised me with the news over the summer, so I have been anxious to see the results. Jason designs typefaces for Veer and actually has his very own Font Foundry named Jukebox. The typeface he designed and named after me is appropriately titled "Johanna Whimsy!".... What fun! It's a beautiful font and what a special honor..... Thank you so much Jason as you certainly captured the whimsical spirit of my art and masterfully translated it to alphabet form..... Amazing!....

~ Johanna



To purchase this whimsical font, please visit Veer's Website.....
For more fun, tour Jason's Vintage Halloween site too..... No surprise, this is how we met!....

Images from the Gifts for Yule...

Last weekend we celebrated the 11th Annual Gifts for Yule Show in Denver, but with a twist! This show, rich in holiday tradition, had a new face this year as Sam Robinson hosted it for the first time at the Historic Phipps Tennis Pavilion. Wow, what a beautiful setting for any special event! You will see from the photos below that the artisans enjoyed a glassy rooftop above our heads as our showroom featured a fabulous arched atrium ceiling. There was no need for special spotlights or other lighting as the sun rays filled our booths with natural light. The character and history of this special place was quite captivating. Thank you all who spent your weekend shopping with us! As always, we appreciate your kind words, smiles and support, and I hope you enjoyed our new, yet ancient location :)

~ Johanna


* A quick photo taken the last hour as exhibitors put the final touches on their displays... Look at that amazing glass ceiling!


* A snap of me peeking through my display of Santas and candy ornaments...


* One of two entrances... like stepping back in time....


* A wide shot of my booth featuring a festive theme of red & white...


* Red Belsnickels in various sizes enjoy the company of whimsical snowmen...


* A peek out back on an unusually warm November day reveals a sea of brick patterns and architectural elements that intrigue the eye....


* A quick look about and you see a gorgeous climbing tree, sprawled across a time-worn brick wall... What a peaceful place to enjoy the outdoors....


* Back inside and after the intense lunch rush, a few shoppers rest and enjoy hot soups and muffaletta sandwiches created by the talented Erika McNeish... Yum!


* My tall hutch, housing a current collection of my holiday one of a kinds....


* A feather tree displays candy-inspired ornaments that I designed for Primitives by Kathy....


* More of my holiday reproductions, including snowmen candle holders were a big hit!...


* A snap of Sam Robinson's long table of goodies for the home...


* A comfy seat above the exhibiting space below offers a different perspective...
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Ready or Not.....

Well, once again I'm down to less than a week to complete a collection of holiday originals for a folk art show, this time in Denver... Where did the time go, and why did I not manage it better I ask myself--well wait a minute! That's ALL I've been doing since early October--that is sculpt, sculpt, sculpt, sand, illustrate and the list goes on. Either I'm just too slow, or there is not enough time between Halloween and Christmas. I think it's a combination of both really, and it always catches up with me this time each year.... OH the life of a holiday artist!..............I whine to JP that the snowmen are not finished yet and that the hats are not glued, and oh why can he not paint like me as I certainly could use the help!! I am sure that the conversation sounds odd to those unfamiliar with my line of work! :) And now here I am whining to you when I really should be working!....... Well, it's too late anyway to go back to work...

A few days ago, I stepped away and glanced back at my messy workspace... A scattered crowd of naked snowmen and Santa heads peered back, crying out for paint to bring them to life. I ran off to grab the camera and snapped a few photos of my progressive mess... This behind-the-scene peek at my not-so-tidy craft room is quite common this time of year. Oh well..... You know what I'll be doing this week.. paint, paint, paint!...

Wish me luck ~ Johanna


* Unfinished sculptures crowd my counter space and leave me little room to work!...


* Rough idea sketches for this year's holiday collection jump off the page and materialize in three dimensional form....

© 2008 Johanna Parker Design * Designs are the property of Johanna Parker and may not be used without permission.

A Peek out Back....

Our Indian Summer has just been delightful with warm days and autumn leaves, rich in my favorite earthen hues. The sunny days allowed JP the opportunity to put the finishing touches on our custom-made garden shed which he built from the ground up! It's truly amazing what he is capable of creating...I can't wait till next spring when I can use it to its fullest with my very own potting table and a window that I can peer out and spy on the feeding birds. I find much inspiration in watching the critters out back. Here are some of my favorite snaps I recently took while watching nature in action...

~ Johanna


* An adorable flicker forages for ripened crab apples from our backyard tree...


* A cropped image of my beautiful garden shed just built by hubby JP....


* Squirrels munch on seeds scattered by the birds from the feeder above...


* An autumn-hued butterfly extracts the nectar from a dandelion flower...


* JP spotted this tiny mouse high above the ground, resting in a mass of bittersweet vines...


* Another view of our new garden shed which we enjoy glancing at each day... JP laid the mosaic-like stone foundation that surrounds the shed & tree... It has become a stage for daily wildlife viewing...