2nd Annual Spook Show and a Little Demon

2nd Annual Spook Show; February 8th, 2014;  Halloween Club La Mirada, CA; 7-10pm

For 2014 I made a resolution to try to get out in public with my art work more often.  As many of my friends and family already know, I'm exceptionally shy and am happiest at home hiding from the world.  Unfortunately I think that over 60% of being successful as an artist now-a-days is getting out and being seen with your art, so, my days of hiding and hoping that my art will do all the work for me are now numbered.  (I know.  That's a little snarky and my math is off, but I'm also a cynical introvert with a mean sense of humor . . . so yeah.)  I did okay last year at Bats Day, emotionally.  I discovered that if I have a table between me and strangers I can be more relaxed and friendly (and the midori sour my non-drinking butt had didn't hurt either).  At the end, Bats Day 2014 was a very rewarding experience and I hope to do it again this year, BUT while I'm waiting for that, I am also making myself go out and do at least 3, if not 4, OTHER events this year.  One for every season.  :)

The first event, and we'll call it the 'winter' one is coming up February 8th, 2014 in La Mirada, CA.  I'll have a small table set up at the 2nd Annual Spook Show hosted by the Halloween Club.  Apparently it will be Zombie/Circus themed so feel free to dress up!  Since things at the 'day job' have been INSANE lately I won't have time to make anything new that's Zombie/Circus themed, but I'll be bringing my Bats Day set up with me so I'll have plenty of my sugar skull jewelry, prints, and original artwork with me, plus some of my newer items (cosmetic bags, coin purses and what cell phone cases I have left on hand).    Most importantly, or should I say, what I'm most excited about, is that I will have my last 6 sets of Devious Desserts Classroom Valentine's with me!!  So, if you missed out last year or you want to get another set, swing by and get them before they're gone.

the Boogervampire's Devious Dessert Valentines.  28 cards and envelopes featuring 4 different designs for $10

Check the Halloween Club's event page on Facebook for more details.  I'm sincerely hoping that the hearse car club turns out again this year.  I missed out on this event last year cause I had the awesome opportunity to attend a puppet construction workshop and I REALLY wanted to see all the old hearses.

This little guy will be at the Spook Show in addition to the Mothra Painting.  It's 2"x3" gouache.

In boring, artsy fartsy exploration news, I tried a new brand of gouache out over the weekend.  Well, new to me, anyway.  As I've mentioned in a couple of previous posts, I picked up some neon colored gouaches a couple of years ago.  I don't get to use them very often, but when I do I get SUPER excited.  Well, I noticed that when I'd go to use them with my Windsor Newton gouache and mix them the same way that I was taught to prepare my Windsor Newton gouache, it would get this strange white film at the top.  I tried not to think too much of it, but I noticed it seemed really thinned down and when the palette dried up it looked fine, but it just didn't set well with me.  So a couple months back, when I was at the local art store, I took one of the brand's fliers home with me and found out that this particular brand of gouache (Holbien, if you're curious) is actually an ACRYLIC based gouache.  I didn't need to add the water I'd been taught to add.  In fact, I didn't need to add the Ox Gall either, unless I wanted a higher viscosity!!  So I picked up a basic mixing set and sat down to doodle with them this weekend.  The durpey heart/bat/demon thing you see above was the result of that doodle session.  The paint truly does function like an acrylic.  It's thicker, and if you add ox gall it helps the paint flow, and even though it seems like its going to have crazy brush strokes, once it dries it's pretty darn flat.  Both the texture of the paint and the finish!  Pretty impressed.  Supposedly the color you mix is the color that dries and it's supposed to be a bit more durable with less bleeding than regular gouache.  I'm not sure if I'll be a total convert to the Acrylia Gouache by Holbien, but I'm definitely going to fiddle with it more once I'm on my next break from work.

So, to wrap this wordy and very art thin post up, if you live in Southern Cali, specifically Orange County, come get your dose of Halloween early on February 8th from 12-7pm!  While you're there, if you think of it, come see your pal the Boogervampire.  If you're lucky, I might even be having a panic attack and my husband will be applying Jam to my nose. (Yeah, that's an Alice in Wonderland/Disney reference.  So what!)