Halloween 2008

Halloween is almost a memory and we had a wonderful day. Thought I would post a few photos. This was the first year my daughter really understood what was going on. We went over to my Father in Law's house for trick or treating since he goes all out on the yard decorations as you can see.

Have a spooky day!

Thanks to everyone who voted on my pumpkin on the This Old House website. My pumpkin was in the top ten!!

Headless Horseman Sculpture

Just finished my first sculpture, doll, figurine, whatever you want to call him,
of the Headless Horseman. He has been sculpted in paperclay and sits atop a wooden candlestick. He has his spooky pumpkin head cradled in his arms. Around the candlestick I've painted a night time cemetary scene with the Hessian's horse waiting patiently by his grave. Everything has been hand made or painted. I am so excited with how he turned out, it will be hard for me to give him up!
This may be my last Halloween piece for a little while as I will be switching gears soon and painting for Christmas and Winter. I am so sad, I will really miss Halloween!
I wil be listing The Horseman on Ebay later today.

Halloween Art Giveaway

Head on over to the EHAG blog this week for a SPOOKTACULAR Halloween giveaway! Just leave a comment to be entered in the contest.

Please vote!

I entered my Headless Horseman pumpkin design in a competition on the This Old House website. Please take a moment to go to their website, scroll through about 10 pumpkins and vote for my design. I would really appreciate it! :)
Thank you- Jen

Great Pumpkin Carve 2008

BEST OVERALL!

I am so happy to write that we won the pumpkin carve this year!! Our prize was a beautiful rocking chair and since I already have one from the 1st carve we won, my Mom got to take this one home. Her and my brother helped scoop out the guts and thin the wall so my design would stand out. I was very surprised that we won because there were some really nice pumpkins there. I had a hard time taking photos of the others since there was a large crowd but I managed to snap a few. One of my favorites was of the Halloween Tree. I actually had a design drawn out of a similar tree as a back up so glad I decided on the Horseman again. He never lets me down. In fact they had some really cool cutouts of the Hessian all around the main entrance.

White Pumpkins

I love white pumpkins and have been wanting to paint a sign featuring them for quite awhile. I finally painted a few on my new sign featuring a group of Halloween friends.

BEWARE: Capybara May Bite

Yesterday we took a trip to a very cool place called Lake Tobias Wild Life Park. My husband had taken his special ed class there in the spring and thought that we should go before it closed for the season at the end of October. It is located in the foothills of the mountains north of Harrisburg, PA. It was a perfect, crisp autumn day and the leaves were prettier than they are here in Lancaster. I would have to recommend this place to any animal lover in the area, it was quite an experience for only $9 a person! In fact, I can't wait to go back in the spring. I took so many photos it was hard to choose which ones I would include in this blog. Here are a few including a humorous sign (to me at least) that greeted us as we entered. The best part is the safari ride in a roofless school bus. We got to see, pet and feed numerous animals including bison, elk, rhea, llamas, sika deer, yak, fallow deer, Watusi cows, highland cows, zonkeys and long horns. They were all as gentle as could be!

~Jen (I scratched the capaybaras on the back and they loved it, not one bite:)

Click on photos for a larger image.

Spooky

Time to brush off my witch costume. Halloween is almost here!


I tried to dig up some of my spooky photos but I could only find two I took in Amsterdam a few years ago. I have some great photos from New Orleans but they are not on my computer. If I can find Marie Laveau's grave I will definately post it.

The one below was taken in Dam Square. There were these beautiful old buildings and right in the middle was a very weird and slightly tacky looking carnival. The devil was at the entrance for the fun house ride. I think this has a look of Heaven and Hell with the angelic looking sculptures on top of the Royal Palace.


The entryway was also taken in Holland. I am drawn to anything with skeletons so I had to snap a photo. I wish I would have found a graveyard to take a few photos in!

Halloween Party

Vanessa Valencia of A Fanciful Twist is hosting a most amazing, magical Halloween party starting today on her blog. It is a must see for the Halloween lover!

Sleepy Hollow Box

I found this cool book shaped box ages ago at the art/craft store and have been wanting to paint a Headless Horseman on it. I have to say it took more time than one of my signs! On the inside I've decoupaged a really pretty scrapbook paper with a black and grey bird pattern. I think it would make a superb gift for the Sleepy Hollow fan.
Thanks for looking!

Coming Soon!

This is a detail image of a sign I am putting on ebay tonight. The sign will be personalized for the high bidder. I think it would make a fabulous Christmas gift!

My second Headless Horseman painting on masonite. This one is larger than the last,
it measures 11" x 14". It's called "Horseman's Lament". I thought that maybe the HH and his steed get tired of wreaking havoc and just wants to rest in peace.

Landis Valley Museum

If you are ever visiting Lancaster County, please be sure to check out the Landis Valley Farm Museum. We went today to their Autumn Harvest Celebration and had a wonderful time. It's only a few miles down the road from us and we have never gone before except for their annual herb faire. I think they used this museum for a backdrop in some of the scenes of Oprah Winfrey's movie "Beloved". I had the opportunity today to photograph many of the beautiful animals - turkeys, sheep, draft horses and cows (I think I have to make a painting from my sheep photo). Zoe loved the live music everywhere we went. There were two ladies playing violin and guitar on a porch and she went up and talked to them and dance on the porch. It was so cute! Here are some pictures of our day. Click on each one for a larger view.