Halloween Show

As I'm wishing all my Ehag friends well this weekend at the Ghoultide Gathering, I'm also happy to show a few pieces of my Halloween artwork in my town's gallery, State of the Art (so named, I imagine, because it's on State Street). The show wasn't entirely ready yet when I stopped in today but two of paintings were in the window and looking quite nice. I bought a cool tile skeleton from Maggie Mowery and already have him hanging in my kitchen. I really want one of those skull paintings! This gallery does a wonderful job of showing local artists and artisans.
I also really want that carved Easter Island Moai for my garden!





Saw this pretty rose on my way out to the car. I love how it looks next to the peeling paint.



I've also been dying to check out this little cemetery around the corner. Most of the graves were unreadable. The one I could read was from the early 1800's. We have a lot of these old forgotten cemeteries around here.



I like how the picket fence has made cross-like shadows on the tombstones.
Hauntingly beautiful.




One last thing... a little pumpkin painting on canvas.
Currently for sale on Ebay!

Graven Images

I have a thing for cemeteries, the older the better. I've been wanting to visit this Lutheran graveyard in Manheim, PA for over a year now. I could see from the road that the graves looked old and may have some interesting artwork carved in them, but I never had the chance to stop until this week. When I'm in a cemetery I do not dwell on death as much as I do life. Most of the graves were for people with a German heritage, some were in German, many you couldn't read at all. I wonder what these people did in their life. Did they contract a disease or illness that we have eradicated? Did they have a good life? Arrive here on a boat from Germany? So many stories that will never be remembered. I thought that Manheim's founder Henry Stiegal would be here but I couldn't find him...


This angelic face looks pretty happy.


An interesting stone with a pinkish color to it belonging to Hier Ruhl. I liked the carved flowers. The two rosettes on the corners remind me of PA Dutch hex signs.


The gorgeous carving on this stone has stood the test of time. I like how the face has a body. I don't see this very often.


A man who was in the Revolutionary War. How neat is that?


Here is a man who died when they were 25 years old in the early 1800's. I find it odd that someone who lived so long ago, and for such a short time, still occupies valuable real estate.


You see a lot of these graves with a weeping willow. I like how a real tree is trying to grow in front of it.


I like this photo. A robin, symbol of hope and renewal, in an old graveyard.