Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!!!

Wishing a loving, safe and Happy Halloween
to all in our entire extended Family!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Pumpkinfest - tomorrow!









Almost all of my hand-made goodies on sale tomorrow at Pumpkinfest in downtown Franklin! From OOAK sculptures to Cackling Coffins to wearable glow in the dark Skull Pins to Dia de los Muertos decorated skulls, you'll be sure to find something to fall in love with and bring on home for the Halloween season.

Please stop by the CREEPY PUMPKINS booth #71 (in front of Baskin Robbins on Main St.) and say hi! We'll of course have tons of free candy too, so come grab some before it's all gone (I cannot guarantee that I won't eat it all!).

See you there...!


Monday, October 15, 2012

Behold! - - - the Micro Skull!

Where did it come from? (um... me) Where will it end up? (well... most likely on a WIP)
Stay tuned for more details!!!


Sunday, October 7, 2012

Work in Progress: La Madame de la Morte

Just a peek... she's a bit shy right now, being so underprepared for viewing by so many eyes...



Front view of La Madame
Funny how she originated. I'd been doing a slew of glowy sculpey skull pins for the upcoming Pumpkinfest, and fashioned one with long teeth and a gaping jaw. I wasn't happy with how this particular one hard turned out so I cut the jaw off and was about to smush it all up but just let it sit there for a day or so. I kept looking at it and finally it just sort of took off by itself. 
I try not to 'plan' too much when I'm creating; I'll have a general idea of what I want to make, then just sculpt/paint away, and see where it leads to. In this case, the finished product is La Madame. Not quite a Dia de los Muertos type but similar in that feel. I painted her teeth, eye and nose sockets with a very faint sepia tone, to gently enhance them.

La Madame wears a sheer material as a dress, which allows her skeleton to subtly show through. A knitted shawl is draped over her shoulders, and behind, she trails a long, burgundy velvet dress train lined with midnight lace. A beaded necklace adorns her neck, as do a braided gold belt around her waist. Her crown is a crimson material rose, which sits regally atop her braided black hair (fine yarn).

La Madame is a one-of-a kind polymer sculpture, with material as her garments. She is approx. 6" in height, and is mounted on a plank of wood that measures 4" wide.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

*** COMPLETED! *** Meet Bobby, the Hopeless Romantic

Introducing Bobby, the Hopeless Romantic!

Some folks are destined for greatness... and Bobby fits well into that category.
More than just a pretty face, indeed!


You can tell just by looking at him that he's a real sweetheart - why, what a winning smile that is! He's a gentle soul who loves flowers, kitty cats, and old time romantic movies (he's not in the least bit embarrassed to admit he loves a good 'chick flick').

His dashing good looks aside, Bobby's also a really great dancer. He took to heart the old saying 'Live like there's no tomorrow, and Dance like nobody's looking" because he discovered that cutting a rug with gusto comes quite natural to him. And no wonder, with a unique physique like that, he's proven he's much more than just a pretty face with two left feet! It's a well-known fact that the ladies dig a guy who can move on the dance floor, and with Bobby's flawless dance steps and unabashed verve for life, how can a gal not fall head over heels in love with him? 
Bobby's left side

Bobby's hoping that the one Miss Right who eventually comes into his life will appreciate him for who and what he is... and hopefully, not trip over that long tongue of his!
His best side
He looks pretty good from the backside, too!

Miss Right will be guaranteed a swell guy, one who loves the simple things in life, like sunset walks on the beach. She may not be able to hold his, um, hand, per se... if you catch our drift.

                                              *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Bobby is a hand-made, one of a kind sculpture, created from polymer clay and acrylic paints, and sealed with a polyurethane varnish.
He has special glow in the dark elements, too: hold him up to a light source for a few moments, then turn off the light and you'll see his teeth and eye glow!
Bobby is mounted on plank of custom painted and sealed wood.
Approximate dimensions:
5" L x 2 1/4" W x 2 1/2" H; weight approx. 8 ounces







Tuesday, September 18, 2012

***COMPLETED!*** Fenwick P. Mossbottom, guardian of the Pumpkin Patch

Meet Mr. Fenwick P. (for Pewham) Mossbottom!
Your faithful servant, at the ready.

Every sincere pumpkin patch needs a guardian to ensure the young developing gourds are well watered, stay free from pests (and naughty neighborhood lads looking to cause mischief), receive plenty of careful pruning, and of course, be showered with oodles of love. Loyal to the end Mr. Mossbottom is, and thus remains on-hand at the start of the Halloween growing season to tend to his plump round charges.  

Fenwick knows foremost the delight that all gourds and pumpkins truly are - come autumn, his beloved Mum would cook savory pumpkin stews, laden rich with curry and heavy with sausages, onions, and carrots, served in a hollowed-out shell. And, for the much-anticipated dessert, what else, but a freshly-baked, crumbly-crusted pumpkin pie with home made whipped cream slathered atop each steaming slice. The scrumptious aroma of the sundry pumpkin meats mixed with brown sugar and cinnamon would fill the air and nostrils, bringing instantaneous and uncontrolled salivation upon those who breathed deeply the headiness. Quite simply, a thing of magic, indeed.
Guardian of the Gourds

"Aye, the pumpkins, they be a gift that keeps giving," sayeth Mrs. Mossbottom in all her motherly wisdom, and anyone who has ever been enamored with these magnificent vegetables will agree: you can get so many wondrous things from the many diverse species the garden can produce. Why, you can even roast the seeds for a crunchy delicacy beyond words!
A smiling pumpkin rests on a bed of genuine moss behind Fenwick.
Also shows details of bottle of pumpkin ale!

This has been imbued upon Mr. Mossbottom to no end. Just donning his swanky stovepipe tophat and traipsing through the patch to become entangled and entwirled within the vines brings a sense of giddiness to him. It is a season he dearly loves... almost as much as the special high-octane pumpkin brew he creates and enjoys on the sly. Of course, time marches diligently onward, and with it, dragged along kindly old Mr. M in his continuous pickled state. Having enjoyed many a bottle of this secret sauce he stashed carefully away amid the bushes and prickle thorns, the likes of which have rather torn away at his once dashing suit, which is now threadbare and tattered, and becoming as mossy as the floor of the pumpkin patch he tends to pass out, face-first, in. 

However, that's all perfectly fine and okay, Fenwick reasons, he's doing his job, and will staunchly do so till the very end of time. 

                                           *   *   *   *   *   *   * 

Fenwick P. Mossbottom is a one of a kind sculpture, hand made from polymer clay, painted with high resolution acrylic paints and sealed with a matte sealer.  His sparse tufts of hair is comprised of synthetic wig strands. His suit is black cotton jersey; his stovepipe tophat is black felt. 

His pumpkin is also a creation of polymer clay and acrylic paint, and sits upon a patch of genuine Tennessee forest moss.  

Approximately 6" in height and 6" in width/depth. Mounted on a plank of wood that is hand-painted to reflect the joyous Halloween season.

Monday, August 27, 2012

New project...

Have not come up with a name for this fella just yet, but once his body is finished (you see he's but a lonely head on a stick at the moment) it will come to me.
I think he's saying, 'Blecch!'






Thursday, August 23, 2012

***COMPLETED!***... GHOULIO: a Cautionary Tale for Children

My funny, macabre little sculpture is finished and mounted!

As the title says, GHOULIO is to serve as a frightening, wild-eyed messenger of cautionary advice for all greedy children who would dare to give in to their gluttonous ways come Halloween. A handsome devil he is (a former male model, can't you tell?) but don't let his good looks charm you. Don't think for a moment that you adults are safe! ... no, not at all, for GHOULIO is well aware that you, too, can be equally as naughty and covetous of abundant free candy and is ready to swoop down and get you! 

In other words, this is not a time for selfishness, lest ye be dealt with in a manner most unsavory... and to get snatched by his clutching, sinewy monster arms means no escape. And if there's any indication by those tiny, faint drops of blood around the 'Welcome' sign that he means it, then take heed, one and all!

GHOULIO is completely handmade (by my gnarled, arthritic hands). His head and arms are sculpted from polymer clay, painted with a variety of acrylic colors, and sealed. 



He is mounted on a plank of wood that has been treated, painted, and sealed. His billowing black cape is cotton jersey material, and his sparse, scraggly hair is spun cotton webbing.

GHOULIO's dimensions are 10" L x 4.5" W. Weight: approximately one US pound.


He would find a perfect home in a kitchen, mounted near a cookie jar or cabinet that's known to stock candy. I'd be wary of this guy, he means business....







Monday, August 20, 2012

Heads and hearts and skulls, oh my!

I had so much fun sculpting anatomical hearts last Saturday! I was on a roll, I tell you, and spat out not one, but three of them. (In the background are some of the Day of the Dead skulls I've been working on as well)

The center heart is special: it has a big slash in it, and will be 'stitched' back up.

Not content to stop there, I continued well into the wee hours of the night, creating a funny, odd character with bugged-out eyeballs, and long, gnarly-veined, sinewy arms with spidery, bony fingers. I have a definite plan for those but won't post more pics until 'he' is done.

Excited about the Pumpkinfest in Franklin, Tennessee! Yes, I will indeed be sharing booth space with my friends from EVIL PUMPKINS (the Coffinberrys - Tanya and her husband Jeano). This is gonna be huge fun!



Just a few photos from downtown Franklin during the autumn. A small town established in 1799, but big on history and yes, many hauntings. After the Pumpkinfest draws to a close, I'll be taking part in the Cemetery Walk through some of the oldest graveyards. I mean, what better way to end the evening, eh?

Click the links to read the Heritage Foundation of Franklin's blog about this year's Pumpkinfest, as well as a local blog from a longtime resident:

Heritage Foundation: Pumpkinfest

Pumpkinfest in downtown Franklin, Tennessee






Saturday, August 18, 2012

Be still, my beating heart...

Van Gogh was just a bit off the mark, when he sliced off his ear as an ersatz Valentine's Day gift for his sweetie. History does not record what exactly her reaction may have been, but you don't need to be a Rhodes scholar to imagine that she probably did not exactly jump for joy!
My latest creation is a small, anatomically-correct human heart (made from polymer clay and soon to be painted as realistically as possible). It will go to good use, you can be sure. More photos as this project continues.
A real heart-on

I'll admit, this was the very first time I have ever tried to sculpt one. Harder than I thought but definitely a load of fun. I had to wear my new bifocals, and look at it under a super magnifying glass, particularly as I added the  muscle striations and arterial network (whew! that was a test for hand steadiness and nerves). 
Now that this one is ready for the oven and once it's cooled down, it will get that paint job and then onward to completion (I ain't saying; you'll just have to check back in the days to come). 


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Consider yourself one of the family...

So sang my childhood idol, Jack Wild, in his Oscar-nominated performance as The Artful Dodger, in the 1968 movie musical 'OLIVER!' (which also won Best Picture of the Year for a million good reasons).



And anyone here who enjoys Halloween is certainly one of the family! 



I always enjoy a little late night snack...

Plus I wanted to blog about this new venture I have here. I created "MacabreWebs" as the real outlet for my artwork. 

It seems that I'd relegated my older main blog ("The Quirk Shop") as a sort of all-purpose one, with my life events, pets, photos, etc. and it just sort of lost focus on what I'd initially created it for: that of featuring my hand-made art.


That said, I also have an Etsy shop in the works. Just ironing out the particulars such as getting a small business account to accept payments and all that jazz. Once that is done, I'll post a live link badge here touting it. Heck, I even have MacabreWebs business cards being delivered! How much more official can I get, I ask you?



At the end of October, if all goes well, I'll be sharing booth space in downtown Franklin for the annual 'Pumpkinfest' with my friend Tanya Coffinberry of "Evil Pumpkins" fame, selling our spookalicious goods for the Halloween crowd. 



So that's about it for now! Very excited and ready to get busy craftin' here!!! You never know what will pop up from my feverish little brain...




In the meantime, check out Tanya's Etsy shop. I have a couple of her creations and love them. 

Deadite necklace. Isn't he charming?


She and her husband Jeano (lead guitarist for Nashville horror punk rock group, The Creeping Cruds) are phenomenal artists! They create scary, funny little characters called "The Deadites" which, like the Evil Pumpkins, are all made with a tiny pinch of the dirt from the "EVIL DEAD" cabin (remember that classic horror movie?). 




Evil Pumpkins on Etsy