Utah State Fair Here I Come!! WIP Done

It's always a great feeling when you can pull a piece out of trouble and then finish it. I changed the lettering on this painting with my husband's help as a consultant. We discussed several font options using photoshop to do mock ups. What a great way to use Photoshop! Then I had to try my hand at painting the lettering we chose. After some prayer and several deep breaths..lol, I tackled the lettering where I surprised even myself! So I will sign and seal this painting, then it is ready to go.

My dilemma now is to decide which sculpted piece I will enter in the creative arts competition of the fair. My husband's first choice is this Santa

I wonder though if this one might be better?

What do you think? I will probably go with the Santa, but I would love some feedback on this! Thanks in advance! Don't forget to get signed up for our AHA Studios Marketplace giveaway and then visit the other give away blogs for more chances to win! Scroll down to the opening announcement for more details. Hope you have a wonderful Monday!

WIP for the Utah State Fair

My apartment is turned upside down because we are getting ready to move so I used my kitchen counter and cabinets as my easel today. It actually worked out great! I'm not done with this, and may want to make some changes to the lettering, but this is where I'm at as of now. Utah State Fair here I come? Lol

Getting Excited about the Fair!

This is actually a tease as this is NOT the painting I'm entering in the fair this year. I have a special fruit painting in mind, and hopefully will be able to finish it tomorrow, or at least get most of it done. This is part of my inspiration though as I painted this years ago and it now resides in one of my collectors homes. I searched in my photobucket account for this photo because I like the lettering and want to use a similar style for my new painting but alas, I couldn't find it. Luckily for me, even though I've made many changes to my website over the years, the photos I've shared are archived there, so whaalaa! I found the photo and now I can continue with my newest creation. I love that I can consult with my husband on my art ventures and he will come up with really great ideas, so stay tuned, I will share with you soon the idea he had, and hopefully it will all pull together.
Just a reminder to scroll down to our AHA Studios Marketplace opening announcement and get your name in the hat for the giveaways I have, then follow the trail to our other give away participants. You can win more than one prize if you are lucky!

American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace is now open! Check out our give away!

The unveiling! American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace is now open so come on by and see what we have to offer! As part of the celebration we are having give aways, so follow the links below, after you've left a comment here...... and get in on the fun! Thank you for your support of our wonderful group of artists, we hope you enjoy what you see, and find something you just can't live without. :-)
American Holiday Artists Studio Marketplace

Blogs
Suzanne Urban Designs
Seasonal Whimsies by Susan Vanderhoek 
Folk N Fiber Blog
Alycia's Art
Back in the Day Originals
The Christmas Corgi
Elysian Fields Originals
Fantasy Whispers
Folk Art By Penny
Folk Art From The Heart
Ginny Diezel Studios
Golder's Creaky Gate
Granny Wolf Original Art Dolls
Howling Moons Blog
Lowell Country Designs
Lynn Bernier Portfolio

Thanks to those who pointed out the above links weren't working. Just as an FYI our new marketplace has a glitch that hopefully gets fixed today. Thanks for stopping by!

American Holiday Artists Studios Marketplace to debut.....

The creative elves at American Holiday Artists have been hard at work creating a marketplace where you can easily find the best in year round holiday art. Tomorrow we are having the official unveiling of our new site! Many of our artists are going be having a give away on their blogs, so stop by tomorrow for more information! Follow my blog and you will get the update right away. :-) For now, a sneak peek at the two items I will be giving away.

A set of Christmas art pieces to give you a jump start on the season! See you tomorrow!

A Santa A Day #5

A Victorian Style Santa that used to be a hair product bottle. He's carrying vintage fruit and leaves. A true, one of a kind collectible.

A Santa A Day #4

One of my latest Santa creations for Reasons to Believe. This is a very tall gourd Santa, 18" tall, with antique fruit and cinnamon sticks in his bag of goodies. The bells on the "strap" are all hand crafted by me. He is dusted with vintage mica "snow" and is ready to go!

A Santa A Day #3

Santa #3 is a gourd creation, with added features made of air dry clay. I use layers and layers of color to achieve depth and over all warmth along with shape to each Santa.

 This Santa has a gathering of antique fruits and leaves to add to his over all old world charm. Thanks for stopping by!

A Santa A Day #2

 Whew! I though the photos were going to come out gigantic. As it is I don't know why blogger is set up one way one day and another the next. Anyhew....here's my second Santa to share. Can you guess what he was made from?

It's a re-purposed item with clay over it, not a gourd this time. He has antique embellishments on his hat and is dusted with vintage mica snow.

A Santa A Day

A wrinkly crinkly old elf, this Santa is my first Northwoods Santa of the season. Painted with layers of maroon, burgundy and reds, this Santa has a warm and cozy feel.

Hand sculpted pine cones and vintage mica "snow" add to the warmth and soft glow of this handsome fella.

He stands about 13" tall. I put felt dots on the bottom of all my creations so that they are easy to slide on any surface without marring it. You can see more of my Santa creations at Reasons to Believe.

Santa Santa everywhere!

A sneak preview of my collection of Santas, some due to head to Reasons to Believe soon. I have a couple more to finish and then the good folks at RTB can choose the ones they want for this year. More photos, close ups are coming shortly. :-)

Wickedly cool gourd hag and black cat

Hee, hee, she's a looker isn't she?! Such a hag as this has never been seen.

A gourdeous little witchy,
with her broom and shawl,
ready to haunt the night...
come on, now don't you bawl!

If you see her taking flight,
don't just stand and stare...
cause if you're caught outside?
You had better beware!

This handsome black kitty is feeling meowvelousy good! From his paper mache hat, to the box on which he stands. Both the witch and this cat are gourd creations, with details made from air dry clay. All hand painted and detailed with vintage lace, real wool curls and antique buttons, Gourdelia, is ready to haunt a new home. Mac the cat is a make-do with a gourd head, wood spindle, and paper mache box stand.