Saturday Delay

Harry Boardman's Studio Tour will be up this weekend

It will be posted either Tonight or Sunday.

Sorry for the delay & thanks for your patience.

New Giveaway Art Print & Monstrous Interview

Original Monster # 72 (Zombie Cat) by Harry Boardman

Weeeellllcome....muhahaha.....

Oops - sorry- my Evil Twin took over for a moment there.

Do you like creepies and crawlies and things that go bump in the night? If so, you've come to the right place! Today's featured artist is Harry Boardman of 365Monsters. I stumbled into one of Harry's Etsy shops (365Monsters.etsy.com) a couple of weeks ago and was instantly bitten smitten!


Lucky us! Harry decided to stop by with some of his menagerie. He's also generously donated a matted print, Sunset Parking Lot, for the new Thursday Giveaway. For more about this prize & how to enter the random drawing, see end of this post.

I noticed a few things while making my way through Harry's world. First, these monsters are born of a variety of mediums.

#362 - Original Monster Art by Harry

Also, each one has its own distinct personality. And habitat. For instance, #362 likes to hide by the bed, all the better to catch a pair of unsuspecting toes. You can find out more about individual beasties in both the Etsy listings and on the 365 Monster blog. And you can find out more about Harry right here:

So Harry, why monsters?

HB: "I’m just a regular guy who poses as an artist and who also happens to love monsters. While working as an artist, I usually base my pieces on traditional subjects like landscapes and portraits. But I’ve always created monster-related artwork for fun and wanted to share that on my blog 365 Monsters"

#334 Original Monster Art by Harry

HB: "A little more than a year ago I wanted to challenge myself and exercise my creative muscle. The point was to put myself on edge and take on the sort of task that normal sane people wouldn't attempt. Aside from doing all of that, this project looked simple as a whole but became difficult fast."

Readers, pop back on Halloween to hear more about Harry's past year of living with monsters. He will also give us a tour of his Lair Studio. To tide you over, here are a few more of his creations. And remember Not ...All ...Monsters ...Hide ... Under ...The ...Bed

#285 - Original Monster Art by Harry

HB: "When the hot summer sun rises to a mere 50 feet over the ground in August, my body is drawn to the air conditioning like a moth to flame. Having done this for too too long, the yard is reaching (what we in the biz like to call) meadow status. As I attempted to cut the grass, I found that the shaggedy greenery had taken on a mind of its own and wasn't about to sit idly by and be mowed."

Some...May...Be...Closer...Than...You...Think

#136 Original Monster Art by Harry

HB: "I've used the same ink bottle to create nearly every single monster chronicled here in this blog. When I walked into the studio tonight I found that the ink had taken on a hideous and evil form of its own. As I backed out of the studio I kept my eyes on the rallying ink monsters and focused my sights on survival."

#74 - Original Monster Art By Harry

Harry, any last thoughts on Monsters today?

#274 0 Original Monster by Harry Boardman

HB: "Sometimes all it takes is the right suit."

Like, ehem, most of us Harry has a "normal" side too. You can can catch a glimpse of it while perusing the fine art & portraits in his other online shop, HarryBoardman.etsy.com. He has a variety of originals and prints available and works in several different mediums.


Now onto the Giveaway! Harry has generously donated a matted print of his painting Sunset Parking Lot. The print measures about 5.5" x 7". The Mat measures 8" x10" and will fit in a standard frame.

HB: "I was painting a giant mural in an Italian restaurant not far from where we live. On the last day I finished up and walked outside for a breath of cool air and a much needed break. I looked up at the sky and ran to my car for the camera. I started painting this piece a day later.

That’s what’s so great about painting sunsets. They’re full of color, life, and motion. No matter how similar they may be to each other at times, they are all unique and different. Including the touch of humans is part of my aesthetic.

Prints of this piece in varying sizes are available in my etsy store www.harryboardman.etsy.com or from me directly. I can be reached by phone, email, or snail mail from the “contact me” section of my site www.harryboardman.com."

Sunset Parking Lot by Harry Boardman

Next Thursday (Nov 5) 1 lucky winner will be selected by Random.org to take home this fabulous print. Everyone who leaves a comment on this blog before noon (EST) on 11/5 will be entered into the random drawing. It is that simple.

Please be sure to come back on Halloween to see Harry's laboratory, I mean, studio and hear more about his life with monsters. See you Saturday....muhahahaha.....

You can see more of Harry's art in these places:

http://365monsters.blogspot.com
http://365monsters.etsy.com
http://HarryBoardman.etsy.com
http://www.portraitsbyharry.com/
http://www.harryboardman.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harry-Boardman/9012343994

ALSO, if you're in Doylestown, PA Friday 10/30 drop by Estetiks on 5 Main St. for free music, food & to see Harry draw Monster #365. Info on the event is on Harry's facebook page.

2 New Winners - who will it be??

Welcome back! I can't believe it is Thursday already?! Where does the time go?

Thanks for the great response to the prizes listed last Thursday. Today we get find out who the lucky winners are. Will it be you?

Prize #1 is a vibrant hand dyed scarf from AJ over at StormOne.etsy.com

Want to see more pics of the scarf or read about AJ? CLICK HERE for last week's post. OK, random.org has spoken and the winner is

Congrats BETSY !!!

Ready for random drawing #2?

Prize #2 is 100 Custom Printed Postcards from Uprinting.com


CLICK HERE for last week's post which has prize details. The lucky winner of this prize is

Congratulations In Juneau!!!

Betsy & In Juneau, I will contact you today with info on how to collect your prizes. Many thanks to all readers who left comments & entered these drawings. Special Thanks to AJ of StormOne and Uprinting for their generosity!! Please click through & visit their sites if you have the time.

Check back here later today
I'll be announcing a new giveaway prize!

Plus we'll have a visit from an artist whose creations are perfect for Halloween. Be forewarned ... his muses can found under the bed, in your closet or perhaps in your darker dreams...muhahahah...

RTT or Random Tuesday Terrors ... EEEK!

Clean Your Room!

Nah, it's not that scary - just messing with you....

Also not THAT random - when I flushed my brain today all that came out was some cobwebs & lots of Halloween stuff. And since there's no way I'm cramming it all back in, here you go. For More info click the pics:

Blood Is The New Black by Barbara Moustafa

I've been a huge fan of Barbara M. for a couple of years now. She has a great sense of dark whimsy in many of her pieces. You can view more of Barbara's art in her DeviantArt Gallery & etsy shop.

Pop on by the Dark Artists Guild. They've got creepy stuff to share all year long.

Dracula Bot by BoltsandBots

Ok, not so scary but I couldn't resist. You want scary? Maybe you should go with the Borat Bot.

Count Dracula by M.S.Corley

I've found a new fave on etsy - M.S. Corley Illustration & Design. There's a whole section called Horrors of Literature! What's not to love?!

Gothic Rose has been in my bookmarks forever. Looks like a fun place to visit

GoodNite Goon by Michael Rex

Back to the theme of Not So Scary - here's what Little Dude & I were reading tonight.

Free Vintage Poison Labels from Spookshows.com

A couple of my faves for you DIY types. Click thru for more free images

free vintage Halloween cards from VintageHolidayCrafts.com

Twilight inspired art by Deborah Bohm

Ok Ok it's Twilight inspired. I think this one fits for Halloween too. If you're a fan, Deborah Bohm has Twilight Art over at her blog Deborah Dare Art. She belongs to the The Outsider Artist blog & they have a bunch of the movie inspired creations posted right now. If you're not a Twilighter ...just play nice, go visit The Un Mom - Goddess of Tuesday Chaos (also not an Edward fan) & wait for the sun to come up....

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Want to see more of my Halloween Faves? Click Here for the Oct 13 post which features lots of etsy finds for All Hallows Eve

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By the way have you entered this week's random drawings? If not click for details & pics of prizes.

I'm hosting:
StormOne's Hand Dyed Scarf Giveaway - ends 10/29
Uprinting.com's 100 custom printed postcards Giveaway - ends 10/29

Also I'm sponsoring a giveaway over at Poppy's Place. Enter to win my Original Drawing Waiting for Spring - ends 10/30

Studio Tour Saturday #10 - Ronald Ceuppens

Got your passport?

Today we're off to Belgium to visit the artist Ronald Ceuppens in his studio.

Actually, this is a tale of 2 studios. Ronald moved earlier this year so we have pictures of both the old an the new.

When first encountered his wonderful online shop Fleurographie on etsy, I was completely blown away.

It is full of fantastic etching which are both delicate & powerful.

Herteman, original etching by Ronald Ceuppens

There is an ethereal quality to many of them. Some invoke a kind of organic silence. Others have a playfulness about them.

2 headed bird, original etching by Ronald Ceuppens

Click on any of the art to find out more about Ronald's creations. I also strongly recommend you visit his website www.ronaldceuppens.be to fully enjoy the amazing variety of his artwork.

Vlindermeisje II (Butterflygirl II) by Ronald Ceuppens

Let's start with Ronald's old studio. What an inspiring ambiance!

RC: My old studio has a lot of nostalgia. It was the cottage where my grandmother used to stay during summer, so there are a lot of memories for me there which you can find in my work.

RC: I feel it has been this space that gave me the opportunity to start making my work and the direction I've followed the rest of my life.

RC: I am a graphic artist who enjoys nature. I like taking long walks and the itineraries of these walks are found in my work, reduced to their abstract form.

Flowerbird, Original etchng with 2 plates by Ronald Ceuppens

RC: Using sketches & objects collected during these walks, I make the designs for my prints.

RC: Reproduced in a repetitive manner they give rise to serial work in which each work speaks individually.

Ronald at work.
(This photo is from a Sept. 09 article in Ariandre at Home)

RC: View from my old studio, how I miss that place.

What's Ronald up to lately? Visit him at fleurografie.blogspot.com find out. Now, here are some shot of the new space.

RC: The reconstruction of images made up of such fragments is a way of preserving the memory of a place.

RC: In my work, I try to translate nostalgia for the past into a search for future pleasure.

Thank you, Ronald for sharing your studios with us. I just love the light in both of these spaces! It is a real pleasure to see "where the magic happens" and hear some of your thoughts that go into creating such enchanting art.

Wingboy by Ronald Ceuppens

Please be sure to stop by and see some of the wonders & reflections of Ronald's world:

http://fleurografie.etsy.com/
http://www.ronaldceuppens.be/
http://fleurografie.blogspot.com/

And pop back here next Saturday for a special Halloween guest. Thanks for stopping by.

Note 2011: Cottage photos have been recently removed at artist's request

New Giveaway Part 2 - 100 custom printed postcards

Hey there! How's things?

Have you entered the giveaway for Prize #1 yet? It is a hand dyed scarf by AJ of StormOne on Etsy. CLICK HERE to view the scarf & for contest details. Just remember to come back & sign up for this fabulous customized prize from the generous folks at Uprinting.com

What would you do with 100 postcards of your own design?

That is what the staff at Uprinting wants to know. (& I'm a little curious too....). Leave your answer in comments below to enter the random drawing for 100 custom printed postcards. It is that easy to enter! Next Thursday (10/29) at noon (EST) there will be one lucky winner of this great prize.

Please note, this contest is only open to residents of USA & Canada. FREE UPS Ground Shipping in the US (Canadian residents pay shipping and taxes. Offer not available to residents outside of the US and Canada).


These postcards measure 4" x 6" on 14 pt gloss cardstock. They come with full color printing on both sides.

Now, I must note that the thoughtful folks at Uprinting.com are also giving me 100 custom postcards for hosting their giveaway. These guys are too awesome! I'm waffling a bit on what to print, but I'm probably going to go with copies of Red's Walk on one side. Not sure yet about the other side. Any suggestions?

Red's Walk

So, what'cha waiting for? What image would you put on your postcards & why? Can't wait to see all of your creative answers....

New Giveaway Part 1 - Hand Dyed Scarf by StormOne

I have 2 new giveaways for you today!
Winners will be randomly selected at noon (EST) next Thursday 10/29.

The first prize that will be given away is this fun Hand Dyed Large Cotton Scarf by AJ from StormOne.etsy.com

If have visited this blog on Saturdays you may remember AJ's great space, colorful artwork & fun clothing were featured in Studio Tour #4 . CLICK HERE to visit AJ's studio.

AJ has a variety of hand dyed items as well as original art & greeting cards available at StormOne. Here is what she has to say about this vibrant prize:

AJ: This large cotton scarf has been hand dyed with dharma trading company fiber reactive procion dyes. This lightweight butter soft scarf is 100% cotton and measures 15 x 60 inches. It is dyed a firey Tangerine,F ire Red,Golden Brown,Light yellow and Rose Red in a spiral pattern.

Want to enter the drawing for this great scarf? Its easy. Simply leave a comment on this blog before noon (EST) on 10/29. That's it. Go ahead - you might be the lucky winner! Please note: this prize has free shipping but contest is only open in the USA & Canada.

Want to know more about AJ and some of the processes used to make the art & clothing? Check out electricstorm.blogspot.com. You can also follow AJ on twitter for sales updates at StormOne: twitter.com/storm1sky

Please Note: this is the 1st of 2 prizes that will be given away next week. To find out about prize #2 - 100 custom printed postcards from Uprinting.com click here

2 Winners Today! Are you one of them?

Welcome back to Thursday's Giveaways!
Today we've got 2 fabulous prizes for 2 different winners!

So lets get started......

Inspiration by DJ

The 1st prize is the original mixed media artwork Inspiration from DJs Art on Etsy. DJ was ArtSnark's featured artist last week. She was kind enough to stop by for a 2 part visit. To enjoy some of DJ's art & ideas, Click Here. For a studio tour of her wonderful workspace, Click Here. She also has a blog, djsart.blogspot.com (where she happens to be giving away a piece of my art today).

Random.org has spoken & today's winner of Inspiration is ...
Nancy Lefko!!

Woo Hoo - congratulations, Nancy!

Now lets see which lucky winner gets the custom printed vinyl banner from Uprinting.com.

And the winner is..... Melanie!! Congrats, Melanie!!

For the curious, in her comment Melanie stated that she "would get a banner with my logo and 'The Creators Palette - Art by Melanie' printed on it to use for outdoor art shows on my tent, and indoor arts shows as a welcome banner or on my booth table!"

Winners, I will will contact you today with info on how to collect your prizes.

Many thanks to DJ and Uprinting for sponsoring today's Thursday Giveaways! And thanks to all who left comments & entered these random drawings. Pop back in later today, I will be announcing 2 new prizes whose winners will be picked next week (10/29).

Mix It Up With Melange Challenge - Believe

Believe in your dreams and they may come true. Believe in yourself and they will come true. - Author Unknown

Come play with us! This week's Melange challenge prompt is Believe. Click here to visit the Melange blog. Then check out the comment section where artists will be adding links to their pieces all week. If you'd like to add one of your own, please do. The challenge is open to anyone creating in mixed media.

I uncovered this piece today during the ongoing studio clean up. It is adapted from a photo I took of a nautilus shell about 10 yrs ago. Last year, I tweaked it on Photoshop Elements & printed on archival photo paper that feels like watercolor paper. Wire & bead words were added. Sorry the scan is a bit hard to read. The words are believe, imagine, hope, inspire, dream, create.

The colors were not bright enough, so I went over the piece with watercolor pencils & markers today. It measures 6.5" sq. It is mounted on acid free mat board & has a top mat that is 10" on the outside. I'll finish framing & take some better pictures before adding it to ArtSnark.etsy.com.

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By the way, last chance to enter tomorrow's random drawings. Click following links for details.

At noon (EST) 1 lucky winner (picked from all the comments left this week) will receive the mixed media painting Inspiration from DJ Arts.

Then winner #2 will get a free custom printed vinyl banner from Uprinting.com. This one has a couple of rules, so click for details.

Also if you want to win a piece of my art, Trevi Letters, click here to visit DJs blog by tomorrow & leave a comment

Fairy House and Skeletons - a perfect Sunday

Lucky me , I got to sleep in today!

Temps have finally dropped from the 90s to the 60s. It was such a nice day that we spent it outside. I got to work on a long neglected box.

My husband & son built a fairy house

And found what looks like a bee exoskeleton

while I unearthed a lizard skull & spine

It was wonderful to simply enjoy the day. Its easy to get sucked into work, email, and other less important things. Perhaps I should put the 5 yr old in charge of my schedule more often.....

Hope you've had some fun this weekend & wish you a week full of wonders!