muses & monsters

I first heard Josh Ritter a couple of weeks ago when he played his tune The Curse on Studio 360 . It has been rattling around in my head since. (& yes, I do live under a rock and had never heard of Ritter before). Sorry if the video is cropped - here's the link - just remember to come back, okay?

So when I heard a snippet again on NPR this morning, I cashed in some Amazon credits & picked up his new album, So Runs The World Away. (By the way, the band's drummer is also a puppeteer. He writes about the making of the video here).

S.R.T.W.A. is great background music. I know that doesn't sound like much of a compliment. But in the studio it is. Studio music adds to the ambiance without interrupting the thought process. Wow - that's not coming out right. Hopefully you know what I mean....

Do you play music when you are creating?
If so, what keeps your Muse happy?

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I Love Monsters!

I spent my formative years watching as many cheesy horror movies as I could get away with. I remember sneaking downstairs at 3 a.m. to catch Boris Karloff in the 1932 version of The Mummy (catch the trailer here.). I got totally busted & had nightmares for weeks.... but it was worth it!

I'd watch anything even remotely creepy, but my favorites starred Vincent Price.

Vincent Price by Lucas Soriano

I loved his velvet voice & dramatic flair. His flicks introduced me to Edgar Allen Poe. Plus he always seemed like he was having fun.

You can find Mr. Price all over YouTube. One of my favorites is his appearance as the mystery guest on What's My Line. If he were still around Vincent Price would have turned 99 yesterday - Happy Birthday Mr. Price!

May 27th was also the 88th birthday of Sir Christopher Lee. In the 70s & early 8os no weekend was complete without one of his monster flicks.

Christopher Lee by Lucas Soriano

Of course where would Dracula have been without Dr. Van Helsing?

Peter Cushing by Lucas Soriano

Another of my childhood favorites, Peter Cushing, would have celebrated his 97th birthday on May 26. Years ago you could watch him battling beasts on Saturday TV & then solving crimes as Sherlock Holmes on Sunday.

Happy Birthday, Gentlemen!

If you have few minutes give these guys a google. You might be surprised by what you find. You can watch many of their movies & interviews.

Peter Cushing is the subject of a fun song by the JellyBottys:

And Christopher Lee is into metal - who knew?? Ok, lots of people....but I live under a rock, remember? Find more about his foray into "symphonic metal" on the recently released album Charlemagne By The Sword And The Cross


Another thing you'll find all over the web is lots & lots of fan art. My favorite by far is the fantastic work of Lucas Soriano.You can view more of his art over at cowboy-lucas.deviantart.com/ as well as on his blog lucaselvaquero.blogspot.com. Please, check it out if you get a chance & tell him just how cool he really is!

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Final Note: If you haven't yet entered the random drawing for Tortuga Tile Works Ma & Pa Deathhead Mosaic, click here for photo & details. 1 winner will be selected on 6/3.

Misc. thoughts & digital collages

..Nothing contributes so much to tranquillize the mind as a steady purpose — a point on which the soul may fix its intellectual eye.

- Robert Walton in Frankenstein


1890 meets 1990 in this altered self portrait.

It amazes me just how lost I was for most of my life (but especially back when this photo was taken). The creative urge was present yet I was fragmented & easily distracted. It was only about a year ago that I started feeling comfortable in my own creative skin. I wake up each day with new images to make. (For more info on my "jump start" click HERE)

Don't get me wrong, I am far from found & still searching. But now I seem to have a map, albeit an invisible, intuitive one. The last 15+ years have brought many responsibilities. I am still easily distracted and can get frustrated by the lack of studio time. But something has clicked & I feel lucky to realize just how much I'm enjoying the journey.

Where is all this coming from? Some talented wonderful people I "know" are having challenges of their own just now. It has caused me to step back from my grumbling & appreciate how fortunate I am. I too have been lost in the dark and in despair. I guess this is my awkward attempt to let them know that they are special, they are loved & that this too shall pass. Your friends, family (& fans) really are here for you.

Ok, switching gears. When I started typing today, I intended to post about a few new pieces in my etsy shop, ArtSnark's Artifacts. This is my 1st attempt at selling prints. I generally prefer to make one of a kind pieces but decided it was time to get some of my digital collages out of the computer & into the world. Please let me know what you think. They are being sold matted but I'm still a little vague on what pricing should be.

I was a child and she was a child, in the kingdom by the sea...
- from Annabel Lee by E.A. Poe

Poe's Muse

Edgar Allan Poe's wife (& cousin) Virginia died of tuberculosis at age 24. When she died Poe is said to have realized that he had no images of her & had a watercolor portrait made of her corpse. This is the only image of Virginia known to exist. She is thought to be the inspiration for the many tragic women found in his writings. Poe's Muse is a blending of Virginia's image and a 1848 daguerreotype of the author.

You seek for knowledge and wisdom, as I once did; and I ardently hope that the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been

- From Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mary Shelley's Portrait

In the summer of 1816 a group of friends were forced indoors due to inclement weather. They entertained themselves by reading ghost stories. The host, Lord Byron, challenged his guests to write their own frightful tales. Mary Shelley, then 19 years old, created Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley's Portrait fuses an 1840 portrait of Mary with a page of her original manuscript and an illustration from the 1831 novel.

Anything will give up its secrets if you love it enough...

-George Washington Carver

Lady Slipper Orchid

One of my 1st memories is of the lady slippers which grew in the dark woods behind my grandmother's house. I remember reaching for the lush pinkness & being told not to touch. Somehow I was made to understand that these flowers were special. Almost sacred, although that word came much later.

Decided to play around with drawing & painting on this print. I digitally altered my photo of a Paphiopedilum Orchid. After printing, I went over it with watercolors and colored pencil. You can't really see the details in the above pic so here's a closeup:


Hey, if you've made it this far, thanks for your patience today! Seems I had a lot more to say than I realized ;-D Though I don't always get back to you, all comments are read and greatly appreciated. Also if you leave a comment before noon (EST) Thursday May 28, you will be entered in this week's random drawing. This Thursday's amazing prize has been generously donated by Etsy seller SlyViolet. For details and photos of this fabulous prize CLICK HERE. Thanks again for popping by