How an ugly ornament becomes a keepsake.
I was experimenting with glitter glue, thinking about doing some Christmas crafting. I knocked out a sloppy and quick ornament. I set it aside to dry. I thought later I'd see how the stuff looks and if worth making something really nice.
I forgot all about it. My niece was visiting the other day and in my workroom playing. Later that night I decided to clean. I reached for the ornament I made to throw out and noticed a little note beneath it ...
So now this fairly ugly and sloppy experiment has meaning and memory. It's going to hang from my tree for years to come.
I forgot all about it. My niece was visiting the other day and in my workroom playing. Later that night I decided to clean. I reached for the ornament I made to throw out and noticed a little note beneath it ...
So now this fairly ugly and sloppy experiment has meaning and memory. It's going to hang from my tree for years to come.
A Train for Joey
Randomly searching You Tube yesterday for old TV shows I worked on yielded a episode of HGTV's Outer Spaces and gave me something to blog about today. Being art director on the show was always hard work, often challenging but sometimes a bit mind numbing. Every yard had similar basic needs week to week...painting, landscaping, fence fixing and so on. So when unique and just plain fun projects could happen, I jumped on them. On this episode I got in trouble for my enthusiasm.
This particular season of shows had already done a few yards with kid's playhouses in the spotlight. The network wanted us to stop including them for awhile (and "over the top" projects in general). Guest designer Rick D'Amato's plan for this backyard was to take the family's love of trains and create a modern Americana feel. Any ideas for the family's son Joey was frowned upon, although Rick, myself and few others really wanted something. Especially when there was one undefined empty space and a train playhouse would be a fun compliment to the planned station platform inspired feel of the back porch.
I just decided to make one for the yard anyway. I promised producers it would not be big or too "over the top". I even remember saying it would be a small detail, just a minor addition. Yea, well...that changed when I started to make it. I couldn't help myself. You can hear host Susie Coelho's surprise first seeing this "small detail" in this clip (at the 3:00 minute mark)...
The segment showcasing it in depth was not planned. Joey's train was impossible not to see from other parts of the yard and had to be addressed in more detail. I knew I was in trouble and a phone call from a perturbed supervising producer at the home office was in my future. In the end, the family liked it and made Joey really happy...
Evolution of a Cartoon
October 1980
My Scarsdale, NY Halloween window painting contest entry.
My Scarsdale, NY Halloween window painting contest entry.
October 2008
My niece Devin.
My niece Devin.
November 2008
My last cartoon for the 31 days of Halloween on Para Abnormal.
My last cartoon for the 31 days of Halloween on Para Abnormal.
For a Laugh, Help a Unique Museum...
Click on image to enlarge.If in Maine next week go see the show. If not, donations are always accepted. Visit Loren's site Cryptomundo for all the details and view all the other fun posters here.
A Prop a Month...
...that's the plan.
One of the great joys to Halloween is it gives me reason to make stuff I've always wanted to make. Unfortunately I'm often distracted from working on things until the last few weeks before October. By then of course, my ideas are so many that certain ones have to be nixed, like my crashed UFO this year among others.
There's no good reason to wait till the season gets closer when it's too much fun to create for. Especially when I can take time to up the quality of my props and make them what my vision is. So look for monthly updates on these projects, a early countdown to 2009.
This Halloween I discovered many yard haunters go far beyond mere holiday decorating. They create temporary public art installations. The level of detail and quality is made all the more special in that it's only displayed for just a few weeks, in some cases, just for a few hours on Halloween day. This inspires me to no end. It really makes Halloween a unique and special holiday as one of the most artistically driven.
I'm putting together a long list of these inspiring homes and will post soon.
One of the great joys to Halloween is it gives me reason to make stuff I've always wanted to make. Unfortunately I'm often distracted from working on things until the last few weeks before October. By then of course, my ideas are so many that certain ones have to be nixed, like my crashed UFO this year among others.
There's no good reason to wait till the season gets closer when it's too much fun to create for. Especially when I can take time to up the quality of my props and make them what my vision is. So look for monthly updates on these projects, a early countdown to 2009.
This Halloween I discovered many yard haunters go far beyond mere holiday decorating. They create temporary public art installations. The level of detail and quality is made all the more special in that it's only displayed for just a few weeks, in some cases, just for a few hours on Halloween day. This inspires me to no end. It really makes Halloween a unique and special holiday as one of the most artistically driven.
I'm putting together a long list of these inspiring homes and will post soon.
'08 Halloween Epilogue: The End
Here I end my well over a month long series of Halloween posts. I'm going to take a blogging break for about a week. Para Abnormal cartoons will continue daily so please visit if you haven't yet!
I've decided to keep the custom decor making creative flow going with Christmas. I'm planning on decorating a little more than our usual 2 strands of lights this year. Mainly because I believe the neighborhood thinks we're some weird cultists only into Halloween. I wanna assure them we have a less dark side.
I say goodbye to a fantastic Halloween 2008 by sharing a book written and illustrated by my Niece...
'08 Halloween Epilogue: One Last How To...
Paint a paper lantern orange. Cut out a face from black construction paper and glue on. Plug in light and Enjoy!
'08 Halloween Epilogue: My Niece's Mad Monster Party!
My niece Devin wanted to have a Halloween party this year. It was held at my place on the afternoon of the 31st. Click on images to enlarge. Month's back, Devin and I sat down to start planning. We searched online and flipped through catalogues for ideas...
A week before the event, she came over to help with some decorating. I taught her the ancient ways of cemetery fence installation and the arcane mysteries of hot glue...
Being her party, Devin became very demanding as to what she wanted. Her critiques were endless with no concept of time and money. I soon found a way to get her to approval...
Friday the 31st came. There was a chill in the air and leaves falling everywhere, it was a real east coast feeling Autumn day in Los Angeles. Everything was ready, except I was unable to use my coffin this year...
The guests started to arrive and the place filled up fast...
To greet the kid's...I dressed as the monster, my brother Ted was Dr. Frankenstein and Devin's dad Paul was head of security...
Ted's role soon became overall party entertainer and toy parachute de-tangler. Paul found himself the owner/operator of a graveyard day care center...
Early on there was some social awkwardness. Witches stuck to their covens, Superheros teamed up...
Princesses had their "clicks" and Jedi's kept to themselves...
That sooned changed when the games began. Here Dr. Frankenstein and the monster demonstrate the rules to "Pin the Stem on the Pumpkin"...
A scavenger hunt was held. Kid's looked for the hidden pieces of pirate Capt. "Broken Bones" and the key to his treasure chest containing the party favor bags...
No Halloween party is complete without bobbing for apples...
Everyone seemed to have a great time... kids, parents, grandparents and little zombie cheerleaders...
Even the monster made friends (although he suffered a few bruises from several unprovoked lightsaber attacks). Sadly, grouchy old man Myers broke the party up...
'08 Halloween Epilogue: Oh So Tired
I struck the yard decor today in about an hour and a half. The irony of all set design. The strike always goes fast while prep and set up takes days. With that and many other things I accomplished today... I'm beat. So, what I promised I'd post today will be tomorrow. Goodnight.
'08 Halloween Epilogue: Various Pictures
With a heavy heart I'll disassemble and pack away the decor tomorrow. I'll also be posting more than a few final Halloween Epilogues and say goodbye to the holiday. In the meantime, here are some various pictures of the yard decor this year...
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