Celebrate the "Father of Fairy Tales" b-day with a giveaway! Enter to win book and print on 1/28

Today's Google Doodle commemorates the 388th birthday of Charles Perrault with 3 illustrations by Sophie Diao (above). An academic and author, Perrault was a member of Louix XIV's court and influenced the design /construction of the Louvre and the famous fountains of Versailles, among other things.

close up of Perrault by  Philippe Lallemand

His most interesting claim to fame, though, is as "The father of the modern fairy tale." Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Bluebeard and others were already spoken of in oral folk tales, shared with children to teach them lessons on morality and act as warnings. 

Perrault, however, wrote them down. He gave these memorable characters (& more) life on the page, writing the tales in a way which entertained the upper class which he belonged to. His stories went on to influence the Grimm Brother's and others. For more info on Perrault and his stories, including where to read some online, check out the links at the end of this post.

Now, let's get this party started! 

On January 28th, one lucky winner will be selected from everyone who comments on my blog between now and then. This winner will receive an English translation of Perrault's Fairy Tales (Dover Children's Classics).

Plus a matted print of Red's Winter Walk. 

Red's Winter Walk by Stacey Merrill

To Enter The Random Drawing: Simply leave a comment on this blog before 1 a.m. EST on 1/28.  It is that easy! If your contact info is not in your profile, please leave an email address so that I can reach you if you are the winner. 

The winner will be announced at noon (EST) on 1/28/16. This drawing is open to all. The prizes have free world-wide shipping.

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Looking for more info about Charles Perrault and his stories? There is a lot to be found online. Here are a few links to get  you started:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Perrault

Who Was Charles Perrault? Why the fairy tales you know may not be as they seem.

Read some of his illustrious tales at Sur La Lune

Happy Halloween

Halloween 2011 W.I.P.

And you were worried about the wolves....

I love Halloween! Sharing this year's spooky doodle. The shading still needs a little work, but I'm pretty happy overall. Click the image for a closer look.

Many thanks to these talent Deviant Art stock photo providers:

sd-stock

Tassastock

AshenSorrow

Happy Halloween!

Illustration Friday - Hibernate

hibernate

Once again loving IllustrationFriday's new prompt- this week it is the evocative Hibernate. Many thanks to stock photographer/model daylight-calling for sharing her wonderful images on deviantart.com. Anybody who pops over here regularly knows that DeviantArt is one of my top go-to spots for models. I was super happy to stumble onto daylight-calling's stock tonight.

Dredging the itunes library for some torpid inspiration led me to Jude's No One Is Really Beautiful.  (The only clean version of "I know" that I could find for sharing is from the City of Angels Soundtrack)

I've also been mulling over a line from Wilde's Dorian Gray, which I'm rereading for for the Etsy Time Travelers Team book club: "The world belongs to you for a season.... The moment I met you I saw that you were quite unconscious of what you really are, of what you really might be."

Toss in an uninvited visit from my regular muse, Little Red, and you've got today's digital illustration for Hibernate. Click the pic to enlarge.

Want to see some more grand yet sleepy art? Check out IllustrationFriday.com. 

Feeling inspired? Post your own & link up before next Friday.

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Technique & Tool chapter from The Pulse Survey

It was great fun participating in the 5th incarnation of Seth Apter's ongoing Q&A project, The Pulse. 130+ artists answered a variety of art related questions . The latest chapter, Techniques & Tools, asks what technique or tool the artists couldn't live without. Some great answers can be found now on Seth's blog, The Altered Page, with links to each artists creations.  (yep, shameless plug - I'm in this round). Click here to check it out - it is interesting to see the mix of responses & styles. Be sure to visit The Altered Page each Sunday for a new installment of The Pulse.

Seth Apter's The Pulse artists' survey

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Entered my giveaway yet? Yep, changing topics on you again. If you answered "no" then leave a comment & your name goes in the hat. I'm drawing 1 random winner next Thursday from anyone who has commented on this blog in the last 2 weeks. By the way, I've been a lazy blogger so comments are light & your odds are good. Winner gets 1 ACEO of their choice from my Artsnark.etsy.com shop.

Well, gotta fly. Hope you are feeling inspired & wishing you a creative day!

IF - Duet

Red's True Love

Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.  - C.S. Lewis

I am finally taking on a belated New Year resolution and tackling the wobbling mounds of unfinished pieces. Though I'm not too thrilled with the end result, I'm calling it a day on this one.

Can you believe this 1st doodle posted here in '08? Sheesh

Last weekend I ignored all of the bad reviews & went to see the latest version of Red Riding Hood. Yep, it was pretty bad... but I do love all things wolfy, so I was happy. I  also remembered that this drawing was faithfully waiting for me. So I had another go. Unfortunately I haven't yet figured out how to photograph the shiny gold bits. The dull rectangles, text & squiggle around Red's eye are a shimmery gold foil that was already on the paper. This adds a nice bit of flash & contrast to the original.

The IllustrationFriday prompt Duet has so much potential. Are you playing along this week? If so, do tell & I'll be by to check it out. If not, it is still worth clicking through to IF & seeing what others have have been inspired to create.

Regarding Little Red & her Love: the question remains will they serenade the moon together ? Or is it true that " One beast and only one howls in the woods by night. The wolf is carnivore incarnate and he's as cunning as he is ferocious; once he's had a taste of flesh then nothing else will do" ?

 

These sentences open Angela Carter's short story The Company of Wolves. I've been reading her collected shorts in Burning Your Boats, which include some juicy takes on well known fairy tales.  I've always loved the old stories but the last few years the characters have been creeping up on me again.  I've been picking up everything from The Brother's Grimm to Chesterton at the local library -  makes me want to paint again....

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On a final note, any comment left before 4/7  enters you in the random drawing for a piece of art (value $20 or less) from Curioddities.etsy.com. Click here for prize details and an interview with the artist,  Clara Boo, who's is a fan of the dark side with a wonderful sense of humor.

Almost Wordless Wednesday - She's Just No Good

She's Just No Good Etsy Treasury by Wintergarden

Are you a Red Riding Hood fan? Check out this fantastic treasury created by Wintergarden. I found several new favorites.

New to "treasuries"?  To create a Treasury an Etsy seller comes up with a theme, then features several pieces available on Etsy that fit the topic. Treasuries are a fun way to search for items or just enjoy some eye-candy. While viewing the featured photos, the shopper just click an image for more info on each piece.

The Mysterious Case Of Dr. Varulv

Will the Good Doctor join the search?

Or is he missing too? 

The Harridan says he's been gone three days

And she's found something in his garden.....

Created for Mixed Media Monday's "Shrines" challenge - click here to see other takes on the prompt or to add your own. MMM is now a monthly challenge, so you have until November to enter.

Also inspired by the Mix It Up With Melange prompt "Spooky". Click here to view other entries or submit your spin.

Oh...and I just found out it fits into Alter It Monthly's "To Spook Or Not To Spook" theme. You can visit that fun site by clicking here.

By the way, this piece is now available at  ArtSnark.etsy.com.

And for Musical Monday, something from the Good Doctor's collection...

What are you listening to today? Click the button below & share a link to your Monday tune.

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Just a reminder - only a few more days until the 10/14 random drawing for Myke Amend's "Spooky Steampunk Bag Of Awesome". Leave a comment to enter or  Click here for details.

Mix It Up With Melange Challenge - Wander

Red's Walk

Little Red has found her way home from Ybor City just in time for this week's Melange challenge prompt, Wander. She'd been hanging out over at Arts On 9th but they are in the process of moving to a larger space.

Though I'm rather attached to her, I've added Red's Walk to my ArtSnark etsy shop. Just click on the photo above to visit listing.

If you were visiting here last year, you may remember this piece's early stages; here it is pre-color. I started with some torn scrapbook paper glued on to 8 x 10 canvas board. Then I cut text (printed from an 1834 copy of Red Riding Hood) for the dress & trees. The basket is woven from tiny calendar pages. Red was drawn in pencil & ink. Final colors are from markers, watercolor, colored pencils & paint pen. The final piece is sprayed with a UV resistant finish and mounted under glass. I made a thin wooden shadow box insert so that the piece does not touch the glass.

If you get a chance today, pop over to the MelangeOnEtsy blog & see what Wander-ful pieces have been added (Check the the comment section for links). This challenge is open to anyone working in mixed media so if you are feeling inspired please leave a link to your piece.

Monday's Muse, Music, Full Moon & Monsters

Listening to the Late Great Warren Zevon tonight when I remembered

Hey, its Musical Monday!

I know Monday's almost over, but click the button & play along if you've got the time.

Full moon tonight & the Art On The Darkside prompt is Darkside Wolves. Click through to see some great ones. I really love this Werewolf Family Portrait from Janene's artsngardens:

Werewolf Family Portrait
by Janene

The wolves have been slinking through my art for a while. The prompt got me to pull out the neglected WIP Red's True Love (gah- 6 months went by fast). Decided Red wasn't acting coy enough so gave her some Veronica Lake hair. The 1st image is from a scan

& the second is a poor excuse for a photo (note to self: Get some decent lighting)

Still a long way to go on it.

Over at Maternal Spark they're asking What Inspires You This Week?

I'm going with the Full Moon. How about you?

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If you're interested in entering this Thursday's Giveaway, just leave a comment before noon (EST) 7/9 . To find out more about this random drawing & the customizable prize, CLICK HERE

3......2......1.....It's Monday's Muse time!

3 New Listings.......2 In The Bush......aaannnd 1 W.I.P

The studio spring cleaning trickles on... And Inspires! I keep finding stuff I forgot I had - cool random things, nifty supplies & finished artwork... Over the next couple of months, I'll be adding some older pieces to Artsnark's Artifacts on etsy (in addition to my current creations). Many are Polaroid transfers that have been framed & are ready to hang.

For the curious: A water bath is used to separate the image from the Polaroid backing. The flexible image can be stretched or altered. It is then adhered to the paper (or other surface). I like to use a nice thick paper so I can embellish with watercolors & pencils. Once it dries, the final piece is then treated with a UV resistant finish.

Here is a pic of Red Bicycle in its shadowbox frame. For more info just click on any picture.Next up is the Apprentice Box. Just messing around. It's been sitting on a shelf since December. Figured what the heck, might as well list it. Lots of cool stuff on the outside: antique pocket watch parts, misc gears and metal bits, original drawing & photo, the words inspire, strength & discipline and a red feather. The inside is lined with a maroon felt-type material

The Saga of Little Red Continues.....

Finally finished & listed the WIP I posted 11 days ago: 2 In The Bush

And this saaaad & lonely canvas has been clogging up my easel for maybe a year now. I'm selfishly posting this crummy picture as incentive to finish it! Hoping that I won't be able to turn my back now that it's "out there". Love to complete it by the end of April, but in the words of the great Lyle Lovette:

It was a fact of life that no one cares to mention. She wasn't good but she had good intentions...

Speaking of good intentions, if you have a few minutes please pop over to Maternal Spark, the inspiration for all Monday's Muse posts. She's been taking care of a sick little one the last few days & I'm sure she could use some blog-love :D

Just a quickie & New WIP

Scheduled a few too many things today so I'll try to be brief....

1st I really want to thank all of you who have taken the time to stop by & leave your encouraging comments. I've been lax on responding & for that I apologize.

There are some great new houses on the OzBushfire Etsy shop. I will post pics & artist links soon, probably tomorrow. Went to do it yesterday but got distracted - after a challenging day, I really needed some "art therapy". Little Red was on the prowl last night so I let her stretch her legs on a new canvas.

WIP - 2 in the bush

I've never been a series kind of person, always flitted from 1 technique or idea to the next before getting all the ideas out. But Red's become an icon - figure I'll just let her hang out a while. Once she has her say, she'll move on.

Speaking of....gotta fly...if you time pop by papercutsbyjoe & check out this amazing piece - a merging of his wife's profile & tree branches. My newest fave!

Illustrated Friday - Breezy

Red's Escape

This 12x12 mixed media on canvas is available in my etsy shop. Just click photo to go straight to details.
Thanks for popping by! Red's Escape was inspired by Illustration Friday. If you get a chance please go check out the other entries for Breezy

Mind Wide Open February Challenge -Dream

Then through the shady forest

the little maiden went
And though her steps were fleetest
the day was well nigh spent

from an 1863 version of Red Riding Hood

Red's Dream

The sleep of reason breeds monsters - Goya

Gail has posted all the entries on her blog. Over 20 wonderful pieces representing a variety of styles & interpretations! Worth checking out if you have the time - just visit here

SNEAK PEEK - Red's Dream

Playing with a piece for the MWO challenge - Dream. Pop on over, say hi to Gail, snag the image & play! You've still got til Midnight tomorrow to enter....C'mon....you can do it!

Here's a sneak peek of the piece I sent in. It's just the center but I think I may like the crop better than my full piece....harumph...I suspect I will have to tweak it more in the future ....

Even if you don't get around to interpreting Gail's lovely image, check back with her on Sunday. She'll be posting all the submissions to her blog then. And if you pop back here this weekend I'll have the full piece up eventually.

Happy Creating!

Red's True Love

Took a break from the Holiday Madness to push some pencils around. As with all my WIPs, who knows when I'll pick this piece up again, but here's phase 1.

Monday's Muse - A Classic Combination

I can't believe it is already Monday again!

(click above to visit the great blog Maternal Spark)

Today's Muse is Procrastination ….. & Possibilities.

Through my own foolishness, I have become Queen of Procrastination lately. When I was younger I had lots of practice avoiding things, but now it happens by accident more often than choice. My studio/home office/Santa's workshop resembles hell on earth. I can't even show you my planner because it is lost under piles of stuff. To be honest, I am deeply afraid to find my To Do list - I feel overwhelmed as it is. So, I'm supposed to be cleaning this pigsty & instead I'm typing away .......

Sorry about the rant, now for the Possibilities! As I scrape away layers of accumulated stuff, scraps of paper, items to repair, etc. I keep finding lots of really cool materials & many many unfinished projects. Last night I uncovered my markers & a fairy-tale collage started in October. I gave up on cleaning & started coloring. Here is the latest incarnation:

Not done yet. I know what I want to add and I know it is here....somewhere! Time go pick up some more

Red's Walk

Finally back to the drawing board. It seems like I haven't done anything creative in a very long while. I've a series of finished pieces in my head. Now it is time to finally get them down. Mind, they tend to take on a life of their own.

Like a child in the woods, they sometimes get distracted and wander off the path.....

Here is one in progress. The text is from an 1834 copy of Little Red Riding Hood. It will be interesting to see where she leads ......