William Bezek the Artist

In this shirt

2012-01-25T11:07:00.002-05:00

I am lost, in our rainbow, now our rainbow has gone,
Overcast, by your shadow, as our worlds move on,
But in this shirt, I can be you, to be near you for a while,
There's a crane, knocking down all those things, that we were,
I awake, in the night, to hear the engines purr,
There's a pain, it does ripple through my frame, makes me lame,
There's a thorn, in my side, it's the shame, it's the pride...
Of you and me, ever changing, moving on now, moving fast,
And his touch, must be wanted, must become, through your ask,
But I need Jake to tell you, that I love you, it never rests,
And I've bled every day now, for a year, for a year,
I did send you a note on the wind for to read....
... Our names there together must have fallen like a seed...
... To the depths of the soil buried deep in the ground,
On the wind, I could hear you, call my name, held the sounds,
I am lost,
I am lost, in our rainbow, now our rainbow has gone,
I am lost, in our rainbow, now our rainbow has gone,
I am lost.

Victorian Door Knocker:The Ghost of Jacob Marley

2011-11-26T21:53:00.003-05:00

Now, it is a fact, that there was nothing at all particular about the knocker on the door, except that it was very large. It is also a fact, that Scrooge had seen it, night and morning, during his whole residence in that place; also that Scrooge had as little of what is called fancy about him as any man in the City of London, even including -- which is a bold word -- the corporation, aldermen, and livery. Let it also be borne in mind that Scrooge had not bestowed one thought on Marley, since his last mention of his seven-year's dead partner that afternoon. And then let any man explain to me, if he can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without its undergoing any intermediate process of change: not a knocker, but Marley's face. ~ from Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"

Limited edition sculpture, life size head in pallid grey flesh with exposed skull. Overall size 18 inches long x 13 inches wide. Gold leafed and sculpted knocker, vintage doll eye, custom icicles, stained fabric kerchief, and frosty snow on holly and greenery. Indoor or covered display only.

A psychedelic Thanksgiving...Dude

2011-11-24T10:08:00.003-05:00

I didn't grow up with many Holiday rituals unless you count television, which I do not. In my young adulthood I took it upon myself to institute the tradition of roasting chestnuts. They are warm and delicious and fill your belly with old-timey nostalgia. They make you wish you had been born to a big good looking family of well-off Easterners who drank hot chocolate and went snowshoeing in real wool sweaters from Ireland. I had several tastey and satisfying years under my belt until this one year, I was at my folks newly purchased house. My crazy Mother had a plastic grocery bag full of "chestnuts" waiting for me...she said there was a tree on the property. While they all went shopping I prepared and roasted the nuts. And ate a few. The first was bitter. The second more so. The third I spit out. And staring at the drain in the kitchen sink my vision started to quiver and vibrate.

I suddenly felt very sluggish and not myself at all. I sat on the kitchen counter just staring at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on the little black and white television on top of the frige. Staring for hours at the whole parade with all the commercials and screaming singers from bad Broadway plays and marching bands from every American podunk town and horribly written jokes from the morning TV talking heads, not moving at all. Just the occasional blink.

In a stupor, I deemed the nuts unfit for consumption or even my Mother's stuffing. Watching Dad carve the bird was both mesmerizing and terrifying.

I remember chit chatting the whole day thinking I was very clever, but I'm sure I was a complete bore.

The moral of the story? Number 1: Chestnut trees do not grow in California. Number 2: Chestnuts are not to be confused with Horse Chestnuts or Buckeyes. The extract of which Native Americans used on their spear tips to stun their game. Number 3: Never sit and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade from start to finish.

A Wicked Good Show

2011-11-10T09:41:00.001-05:00

The official Ghoultide Gathering 2011 video has been released, we sure had a good time! Music by The Appleseed Collective, who played non-stop for the 2 day show.

I'm at the 4:00 mark posing with my lovely assistant.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T10:52:00.000-04:00

PANDA BEAR "Surfer's Hymn" on Vimeo.

Scenic Design: TIGERS BE STILL

2011-10-21T15:47:00.003-04:00

Put a cheesy plaid sofa and ugly shag carpeting in front of a New York audience and it makes a real statement. Put that same set in front of a Cleveland audience and it could be their next door neighbor's living room or worse yet...their own (shudder).

In my scenic design for "Tigers Be Still" by Kim Rosenstock, Directed by Marc Moritz at the Dobama Theater, I opted for a generic representation of suburban life by making everything white. Not to make a pretty designer-ish set, but to say "these are the pieces you expect to see...they don't need personality or history because from house to house on any given suburban block it's all pretty much the same".

I hope that by making the set a blank white the audience will focus on the characters and their stories.

The one element of personality I used on set was the graphic image of trees. They are important to the script and also because the characters are lost in a forest of their own disillusionment and disappointment.

Oh, and there are also some Chihuahuas locked in a basement just for laughs.

Marjorie Preston, for the Sun News - "Scenic Designer William Bezek has sacrificed a wing of the theater’s seating to create a full living room in stark white. It has the effect of sterility, like a hospital room, and, by contrast, makes the actors seem even more alive."

Dating Service for the Sincerely Dead

2011-10-18T13:17:00.002-04:00

Cordelia enjoys moonlight picnics in the cemetery and arson.

Opal is an avid fungi gardener looking for a soul mate.

SOLD

Griffin collects fingernails and doesn't like to be touched.

Lisette likes screaming underwater and the companionship of short men.

SOLD

Felix enjoys practical jokes, like the time he replaced the formaldehyde with Mountain Dew

and stuffed Mentos in every orifice of his brother's corpse.

SOLD

Aurelia's hobbies included ricochet target shooting.

SOLD

Milton thinks a woman should be kept in the kitchen, and in the bed, and maybe her head in the garage.

SOLD

These fine candidates are all available and looking for a permanent situation for the modest fee of $225.

The Big Halloween Blog Sale!

2011-10-09T20:13:00.010-04:00

HAUNTED CANDLE SET
SOLD!
Terrified Taper and Petrified Pillar

Scuplted in Paperclay, each about 6" tall

JACK O' LYNN AND KITTY

SOLD!

Paperclay and cotton batting figures mounted to treat box, about 8" tall

THE VINEGAR DOLLS

Sculpted head and limbs with a wooden jointed body, 10" tall with removable Halloween hats

CHARLIE AND CECILIA

DERRICK AND DELIA

TOBEY

SOLD!

DUDLEY

SOLD!

EDDY

LA CATRINA MILAGRO

SOLD!

One of a kind Day of the Dead doll, 26" tall

COLONEL PUMPKIN

23" tall, sculpted head and soft sculpture body

JACK-JACK THE PUMPKIN CLOWN

23" tall, sculpted head and soft sculpture body

PUMPKIN PETE THE CLOWN

23" tall, sculpted head and soft sculpture body

THE SINCERELY DEAD DOLLS

14" tall, made in the manner of antique china dolls with sculpted head on shoulder plate and inset eyes, sculpted arms and legs with a fabric body, removable hats and bonnets.

MADAME ET MONSIEUR SET

SOLD!

with doll stands

JUDGE BROWN AND HIS WIFE LULABELLE SET

SOLD!

THE DREAD WITCH FELICITY

Who smokes cigars made from the shavings off children's knees!

THE WITCH HELGA

FLORENCE

SOLD!

Who choked on a chicken bone!

LOUIS

SOLD!

Who had a fatal Lobotomy!

A NEEDFUL GHOUL

SOLD!

Sculpted head and hands, Lambskin wig, mounted to wood base 16" tall

ROCOCO ZOMBIE

SOLD!

Life Size One of a Kind Sculpture

Two piece constuction (torso and legs), 6'6" tall...that's some big hair!

Sculpted in paperclay and epoxyclay over wood and plastic armature with inset antique glass eyes.

She holds an electric candle lamp with a flicker bulb.

She wears a custom made removable/wearable ladies costume gown size 8/10,

earrings, necklace, cameo, and buckled shoes.

Her hair has been lacquered and permanently "powdered",

she wears black feather plumes, dyed fabric roses, and a large black spider in her coiffure!

Minor assembly will be required, as she will be dismembered in 3 boxes. One for her torso, one for her bloomer clad legs, and another for her arms....Muuuuwwahhhhahhhhaa!

La Catrina Milagro

2011-10-09T14:23:00.001-04:00

"La Catrina Milagro" is another one of a kind Day of the Dead doll. She is 26" tall with a sculpted head, inset eyes, lambskin wig, and a purple linen and satin walking suit with an umbrella.

Her sculpted body form has the proper edwardian shape.

Not the typical Jack O' Lantern

2011-09-25T11:15:00.000-04:00

Dia de los Muertos heads with eye and mouth inserts.

And a Celtic Green Man lantern with velvet leaves.

Commissioned Victorian Death Portrait

2011-09-23T15:09:00.000-04:00

Poor Auntie Prudence...

she died from "the fits".

A Coven of Witches Three

2011-09-22T19:45:00.000-04:00

Let me introduce Helga, Olga, and the dread Felicity....

She smokes cigars made from the scrapings off children's knees!

The Sincerely Dead

2011-09-21T21:40:00.001-04:00

They are finished and ready for their trip to Ghoultide Gathering. The Sincerely Dead Dolls are 14" tall and constructed like antique china dolls, only they're dead. Each original head with inset eyes has a shoulder plate, sculpted arms and legs, a soft jointed body, and a unique costume which includes a hand stitched top hat or bonnet that is removable.

I have a good time while I am sculpting and imagining what their final facial expression was when they died. Some went peacefully, while others went quite abruptly!

Here are Madame and Monsieur, instead of the expected guillotine they were poisoned by their children.

Cedric had a massive heart attack.

Judge Brown and his wife Lulabelle vowed never to be apart, so they died together in bed of natural causes.

Sweetie MacFerguson died from a broken heart.

Marshall died of Melancholy.

Crazy Virginia died of the Vapors.

Louis was given a fatal Lobotomy!

Molly expired on the prairie from heat stroke.

Caroline died from Syphilis, the naughty girl.

Florence choked on a chicken bone.

And Mr. & Mrs. Darcy? Well you'll just have to read the book to find out.

Pardon me, but your baby looks a little emaciated

2011-09-15T11:49:00.000-04:00

A Halloween tree ornament with spun cotton skeleton baby, vintage lace and ribbon, in a black pram.

Paper Turnip

2011-09-13T13:20:00.000-04:00

Paper mache turnip lanterns with vintage crepe trim. Primitive style with crackle finish and lots of antiquing.

They have an "optical illusion" bright orange finish inside so they appear to be lit.

La Catrina "Paloma Negra"

2011-09-08T15:45:00.001-04:00

I am working on four La Catrinas this year and got the first finished just in time for this weekend's Spookytime Jingles Soiree in New Hope PA.

"Paloma Negra" is 26" tall, has human hair, glass eyes, and an eye patch over her blind eye.

Halloween'ers are the best!

2011-08-14T11:30:00.000-04:00

When I do the Halloween art shows, I get a chance to see the same people year after year. It's always so frantic that we only get a few moments to talk, but they still feel like old friends to me. My friend Jann has been collecting my work since my first "Halloween and Vine" show and she was kind enough to share photos of my pieces in her display.

I love the way Jann seeks out black and white pieces and introduces just a little color here and there.

In just a handful of days it will be show time, and I am looking forward to chatting with my collector friends. We Halloween'ers of like minds!

A Needful Ghoul

2011-08-12T10:14:00.000-04:00

AHHH CANDY!!!!

The small and tall of it...

2011-08-07T10:39:00.000-04:00

Last year's little pumpkin faces grew little bodies this year. I made several of them for the shows. They are a wee bit o' cuteness at 6 inches tall.

I liked them so much, a few of them grew up to 2 feet tall.

Meet Colonel Pumpkin, a rather distinguished Southern Squash.

And here is Jack-Jack, the Pumpkin Clown. I made their tambourines too!

Look who I dug up...Holly Zombie!

2011-07-17T10:28:00.000-04:00

She's been dead since the 70's, so she's not as cute or sweet as I remembered. In fact she's a little moldy and mean.

She's out in the garden watering. That's curious, those flowers don't look very good.

"Oopsie! How did that weed killer get in the watering can?"

This piece is featured in the Ghoultide Gathering group ad in Art Doll Quarterly magazine.

YIKES! only 58 days left

2011-07-11T09:26:00.002-04:00

It's the usual chaos in the studio.

I can't believe I only have two months to finish everything!

There are body parts everywhere.

Oh! The carnage!

Spooky faces looming just like that deadline.

Are you mocking me?

Village of the Damned candles. They look so weird in this unfinished phase.

A shallow grave!

I'm scared Mary.

GOOOOD! Muuwahahaaaha

Halloween in June? It is on my street

2011-06-25T10:42:00.005-04:00

The other morning there was an amazing commotion happening, our beautiful neighborhood was being transformed into a trick or treater's paradise by Paramount Pictures.

Set decorators were busy for most of the day unpacking boxes of Halloween decorations.

It's more appropriate than they realize since I am two blocks up the street in my studio surrounded with my Halloween creations for the upcoming shows.

This Hollywood trickery is for the Paramount film "Fun Size" directed by Josh Schwartz, due out in the fall.

Our streets are very green and lush in the summer so we were told they would digitally alter the colors. Something tells me they won't come close to the real thing...as seen here.

Hundreds of local kids had a blast going trick or treating on their summer vacation, I wonder if they really got any candy?

I have to admit, Halloween in June is pretty much a perfect summer for me...except I could do without all the trucks and surly security guards!

What I'm playing in the studio

2011-06-08T20:08:00.000-04:00

More like, "what song is playing and I drop everything and dance my ass off in the studio".
I'm sure by the end of summer I will hate this for hearing it too many times, but that is three months away...

A little blog shy...

2011-06-08T11:07:00.010-04:00

I had every intention of blogging the last few weeks, but I worked in the studio instead. There's about 156 million blogs online so I don't think the world is going to stop spinning if I am not a regular contributor.
I've been working on lots of new Halloween goodies, some cute and some creepy.
I'll be selling at two shows this year, and here on my blog.

This will be my third year at Ghoultide Gathering in Northville Michigan. This year's show is extended to 2 days of shopping in the scenic Halloween Village.

Spookytime Jingles Soiree is a relatively new show in New Hope Pennsylvania that seems to be gaining steam. I won't be making it out to California this year but some of my friends I have met there will be doing this show too, so I am excited about that.

And my first ever web sale for those who can't attend the shows.
Okay then, back to work for me!

The Final Blog Post

2011-05-21T10:22:00.001-04:00

In case you haven't heard, THE rapture is supposed to begin today at 6pm, do you think that's Eastern Standard Time or more like Mountain or maybe Central? It just couldn't be West Coast since they're such a pack of sinners.
I guess the ground is supposed to quake and open up and all the dead people are going to fly up out of the ground into the sky, it should be pretty cool...I'm heading down to the cemetery with a picnic dinner as soon as I get this posted.
After that it's supposed to be all out mayhem for five months until the world ends on October 21st, so I figure I won't have time for any more blog posts. I'm totally bummed that there won't be Halloween this year, but they're saying there could be zombies which is kinda like Halloween...maybe I'll just go ahead and pass out candy on the 21st to the zombies.

The up side is that after all the commotion dies down I'll get to see some people I have really been missing.

It seems that most of this information is coming from a learned Bible scholar, Harold Camping, an 89-year-old televangelist who owns Family Radio, a vast international network of Christian radio stations. Camping has been predicting 'The End' for the past two decades. His previous prediction in 1994 didn't occur because of his mathematical error....but I'm sure he couldn't make the same mistake twice.

Well, I guess that's about it, I hope you have a nice afterlife!

Good Times Are Golden

2011-05-02T11:23:00.001-04:00

I just found out I have won a "TOSCAR" from the University of Rochester's Todd International Theater Program for Best Costume Design. Working on "Emperor of the Moon" with Director Matthew Earnest and the other designers, actors, and crew was one of the highlights of my year. I am very honored, thank you!

Easter Hare...um, hair

2011-04-23T10:54:00.001-04:00

You gotta admit, it takes balls to walk around with this hair, yes...big pastel colored balls.

Designing "The Underpants"

2011-04-05T11:48:00.007-04:00

The Underpants was written in 1911 by Carl Sternheim and recently adapted by Steve Martin. The town is gathered for the King's procession when innocent Louise Maske accidentally loses her underpants in front of some spying gentleman and from there the comedy begins.

The set and costume design flirt with the Edwardian era and give a jaunty nod to German Expressionism and The Threepenny Opera. These are the kinds of creative choices working with Director Matthew Earnest can inspire. Sure, the Electrolux vacuum and starched doilies are another era but they scream of the bourgeois trappings found in a middle class apartment like the one belonging to our Theo and Louise Maske.

Louise's not so frumpy house dress was styled after one I found in a 1910 Sears catalogue selling for a laughable $2.25.

I used vintage bits for the costuming adding to the final look. The white buttons down Louise's house dress are white glass from the 1930's and all the lace used is circa 1900. I had a bolt of antique ribbon to trim out the undergarments.

I am thrilled with the wall of windows that sometimes looks comically whimsical and at other moments gives you an angst filled sense of being spied upon.

Once again Matthew Earnest displays his expertise in his casting, the ensemble is brilliant together and all are from the Cleveland area. They deftly handle the range from slapstick comedy to touching personal moments.

I think the set functions really well, a lot of action takes place in the cozy kitchen area and all the practical light fixtures give the large space an intimate feeling. The characters enter and exit through the center stage door, except the upstairs neighbor Gertrude Deuter who just hops through one of the windows.

Yep, made the corset too. I can swing a hammer and craft frilly underthings.

Joe Carmola's lighting design was perfectly moody.

"Anyone wearing these is looking to be taken seriously" says Theo of the over-the-top bloomers I made from embroidered and sequined bridal lace.

Even the men weren't spared from my costuming shenanigans, check out those sock garters.

Louise looked lovely in her Sunday church suit and hat I made from a real 1910 sewing pattern.

She was a sweet china doll in lavender and antique lace...

Until she did the table dance like something from a bad strip club.

The story also calls for a pair of German Flag underpants!

"Somebody is coming...it's the KING!"

Matthew let me film his eyes in black and white as he ogles his subjects through the windows and speaks in a booming voice.

It's mayhem when the group learns that the King himself will rent a room to be near a certain pair of underpants.

The End

Cast:

Greg Violand as Theo Maske

Katie Nabors as Louise Maske

Sally Groth as Gertrude Deuter

Randy Muchowski as Frank Versati

Kevin Charnas as Benjamin Cohen

Mark Seven as Klinglehoff

Directed by Matthew Earnest

Scenic and Costume design by William Bezek

Lighting and Technical design by Joseph Carmola

Sound design by James Kosmatka

Stage Manager is Libby Burchmore

Artistic Director of the Beck Center is Scott Spence

Crew: Clint Felker, Deanna Cechowski, Matt Lengauer, Carter Salis, Tony Weishar, Mark Zach

Tech Week for "The Underpants"

2011-03-30T12:53:00.004-04:00

After a solid month of work, we all gather for tech week, also known as hell week. It's a lot of hours at the theater in final rehearsals when everything comes together and we work out all the kinks.

It's really something to see your original concepts fully realized as a finished set.

I am happy with the costumes, we have had some fun with the girls hair styles, and I really like the campy look of the silent film star make up.

My Hercules is playing the comic barber Benjamin Cohen wonderfully and it has been really great to work together.

The play opens April 1st at The Beck Center here in Cleveland. I'll post pics of the full production soon.

I'm a little bit Edwardian...I'm a little bit Rock n' Roll

2011-03-08T23:22:00.005-05:00

The following is a typical day for me lately: WARNING don't try to make any sense of these events as they are completely random.

I wake up at 5:30 when the next door neighbors slam their car doors about 25 times before they leave for work/school. I lay in bed pondering just how an Edwardian gentleman would tie his cravat.

After coffee, I spend three hours hand washing undergarments and wool suits from 1910. The water was seriously dark brown with crud.

I finish hand stitching turn-of-the-century lace onto this blouse for a sweet actress with a petite little figure.

I make some circa 1910 props.

I read an hour of the current book on my beside table, "Atonement". I languish in the descriptions of the weather, the room decor, the play of light on water, the glance of an eye, and the magnificence of period clothing...only to drift off for a 20 minute nap.

I wake abruptly because Molly and Laura are coming to supper...I tell myself, you gotta get cookin' bitch!

It's a lovely evening but my mind keeps wandering to those pesky Underpants!

I am wondering if I have all those costumes just right...no, I've got to re-think them.

And the set design needs rearranging.

I find myself spending a lot of time considering what life was like in 1910 and trying to find the humor in it.
"The Underpants" is a comedy after all.

It's even having an influence on the new glasses I am considering.

Definitely old school peepers.

And then at the end of the day, I drift off in a hazy shade of the past, and over hear conversations that are private and sentimental...and savour the quiet before those car doors start slamming again.

Comedy Fest: NY Fashion Week 2011

2011-02-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure which is more laughable, the fashions or the fact that people take this all very seriously.

It's like a three ring circus with clowns,

and some bearded ladies.

I know the point is to be more shocking than the others, thus grabbing every one's attention, and it works.
Each year we can hardly wait to see what wool they will be pulling over our eyes...er, I mean weasel.

This designer made an outfit from Victorian wallpaper and a lamp shade. Bet you haven't seen that before.

Then there is the same old tired schtick someone inevitably parades on the catwalk each year. Like, "you should really wear your underwear on the outside this year".

Or, "this year it's all about men in skirts". Yeah right, that's just never going to happen.

Never I tell you.

Never say never...this fashion victim was spotted down at the Walmart.

Almost as annoying as skirts, are these new suits by Thom Browne. I wonder if he's ever seen an average man in shorts? They look nothing like these skinny gym rats.

I guess yellow lipstick is also a spring accessory for men, headquarters must have forgotton to mention it.

Some designers just aren't very realistic about average people's bodies. Except this guy, Siriano. If you have some weight issues or maybe smuggling a conjoined twin...this is the frock for you.

I have a practical question with some of these carnival float dresses, how do you get from home to the party?

You cannot fit all this fabric in a car, no way. Are you expected to walk 20 blocks in $30,000 gown?

Maybe less is more when it comes to fashion.

please, make it end...

2011-02-22T18:38:00.000-05:00

I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger. I blame it on the weather. The snow is so festive in December, but in March it's a real buzz kill. In that spirit here is a rather lack luster blog entry just so I'll have more than one pitiful posting for February. I'll have two.

In between snow and ice storms I've been keeping busy with work. Just parts of planned work that will come together later...nothing finished to show right now.

A gang of china doll zombies for fall.

And, some more Vinegar Dolls and Catrinas coming soon. But that's all you get to see right now.

Here is a salad (from my friend Arta) that has been a sunny spot this long winter.
Peeled and sliced oranges over greens: frisee, spinach, or even shaved fennel are good.
Top with sliced scallions and salty oil cured olives. Drizzle with a little olive oil and finish with cracked pepper. The tart citrus takes the place of vinegar.

It makes this:

Taste like this!

An Old Goat with Braces...(sigh)

2011-02-09T12:01:00.004-05:00

I should have had braces when I was a kid, but that didn't happen. So now I'm in my 40's and I need them to keep my teeth. That's right, crooked teeth banging together over a lifetime can get loose

and (gasp) possibly fall out.

I have to wear upper and lower retainers all day, every day, for quite some time.

And what is even more embarrassing is my speech. I sound like everyone's favorite baby sitter, Miss Shelly Marsh from South Park. Good times people, good times. I hope you all feel sufficiently smug with your straight and perfect teeth.

Coming Attractions

2011-01-17T16:14:00.001-05:00

I have the pleasure once again to work with Director Matthew Earnest on the stage play "The Underpants".
I am doing costume and set design for this naughty comedy set in 1910 Germany. It was recently adapted by Steve Martin from the original book by Carl Sternheim. The play opens in April at the Beck Center for the Arts here in Cleveland Ohio.
It should be fun, I'll keep you posted

Hey there, Sassy Brows!

2011-01-02T14:49:00.004-05:00

The subject of eyebrows has been popping up lately. Our niece just got an intervention from her two meddling gay uncles because she was plucking her way into the land of the Chola. Goggle it.

What is it with you people and your brows? Sure they get a little bushy and need some trimming and shaping from time to time. But do you really want to take them off completely and then have to draw them back on with an eyebrow pencil or a ...red magic marker?

I can see some appeal in giving yourself a set of brows each morning that make a real moody statement for the day ahead. Like, "Wow! I'm so surprised today!", or "Arrrgh! I sure am pissed at the world today". But then you're committed to that one mood all day long. I have enough trouble in my foggy AM haze just figuring out what to wear let alone deciding which eyebrows to put on.

I think I prefer a little more flexibility in my personality. I like eyebrows that move around and reflect the words coming out of my mouth. Your brows can be a really helpful visual aid in getting your point across.

You could be some genius talking about quantum physics but that person across from you is fixated on your brows and thinking "what a dumb ass".

It's not just strictly the ladies either. I've been noticing more and more douche bag men getting their brows waxed.

Many would assume that it's the gays...but no, the major brow criminals seem to be the clueless hetero-metrosexuals. Maybe they think the effeminate brows look less threatening and therefore more likely to get them laid?

I don't really want to spend too much time deducing their motivations. My opinion is that men shouldn't be waxing anything at all...except their backs. Please. As for the rest of it: trim it, clipper it, shave it, whatever, grown men look good a little hairy...except their backs. Please for chrissake.

Maybe it just seems like a quick fix solution to some unhappiness in your life. You know, literally "putting on a happy face"? But that doesn't explain the pissed off Chola brows.
Why don't you just go see a counselor and work through your problems instead of taking them out on your appearance?

Maybe give your motivation some thought before you take those brows off, because they don't always grow back. And don't think you can take a short cut to drawing them back on by tattooing them instead. It never looks right and like any tattoo they will fade to some weird color. Just ask Remy, the Filipino lady down at the diner on Judah Street with the green eyebrows.

If I can leave you with one thought it would be "subtlety". You have to make the best of what nature gave you with just a little tweak here and there. End of story. Your eyebrows should move and be made of hair and not look ridiculous. Put the tweezers down.

Black Eyed Peas for a New Year's hangover.

2010-12-31T19:56:00.001-05:00

It's a southern tradition to eat black-eyed peas on New Year's Day for prosperity. What better way to get your mind off that Champagne headache, just stand in front of the stove with some hair of the dog and do something productive in your misery. If you add rice it's called Hoppin' John and here's the recipe that I use:

Ingredients
•1 pound dried black-eyed peas
•2 small smoked ham hocks or smoked beef bone (if you don't eat pork)
•2 medium onions, divided
•3 large cloves garlic, halved
•1 bay leaf
•1 cup long-grain white rice
•1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chile peppers, juices reserved
•1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
•1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
•3 ribs celery, chopped
•1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
•2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
•1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
•3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
•3/4 teaspoon salt
•4 green onions, sliced

Preparation
In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone, ham hocks, or beef bones, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic.

Add 2 1/2 cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

Hey, you can never get your fill of Black Eyed Peas... Happy New Year!

Accepting another year with grace and dignity

2010-12-22T12:50:00.001-05:00

As we prepare to chalk off another year, I am thinking about aging. We're all doing it all the time. My own dark mop of hair has thinned and started to turn silver. I have wrinkles. I realize there is no stopping this process...I just want to make sure I get it right, more precisely, do it well.

This all came to a head last week on an outing with friends. We gathered at the jazz club down the street for drinks and a show. We stayed around after to chat with the piano player. And so did this boozed up gal in her late sixties who flirtatiously hung all over Hercules and I. She was your typical botoxed, dyed blond trophy wife with eyebrows frozen in the middle of her forehead giving her that constant wide awake yet really surprised look. Of course she was a skeleton with petrified grapefruit boobs that defy gravity...nothing new here. What was personally shocking was her outfit. She wore skin tight jeans, a skin tight little t-shirt that showed off her surgically tightened belly, and the biggest insult of all, fluffy cream colored UGG boots. This was a Grandmother dressed like a sorority girl. It was pathetic and I was sorry for her.

Why has this become the status quo in America? Why are we so terrified to get older? Just look at these train wrecks.

This is either Carrot Top in drag or Jackie Stallone.

Burt Reynolds just can't stop tinkering with his face.

I always thought Daisy Duck was really sexy, how about you?

Dave Clark and surgery number 5.

Wow! Hair dye is the least of Bruce Jenner's problems.

Just because you rocked it in your 20's doesn't mean you get to rock it forever...Angus Young.

David Gest thinks you are never too old to be in a boyband.

Ebony and Ivory, live together in surgical harmony.

I realize celebrities are an insecure lot, the need for constant validation is what drives many of them into the business in the first place. It's just a shame they go to such horrific lengths. When I start to freak out about my fading looks, Hercules reminds me that "self confidence is the most attractive thing you can wear". And he's right.

Forget the weirdo celebs, men like these are MY role models:

This is the epitome of growing old gracefully for men. Steve Martin said "as the face gets worse, the cloths have to get better". Good advice.

A lesser man would have chosen a ball cap and trainers.

Michael Stipe accepted hair loss with dignity and learned to dress himself properly.

Nickleson Wooster is one of the snappiest dressers in America. He has great personal flair but always remains age appropriate.

So here's my 2 cents worth of advice:

1. Don't cut your face up and rearrange it.

2. Be aware of the fads but don't rush out and buy them, your wardrobe should be built on classic pieces.

3. If your hair goes gray don't dye it, everyone does know but they are too polite to say anything.

4. Don't let yourself get fat, staying fit is the best defense.

5. Stop comparing yourself to others, be courageous enough to be an individual.

Costuming: Aphra Behn's "The Emperor of the Moon"

2010-12-17T17:02:00.003-05:00

I previously posted my sketches, now here are the photos from the finished production. Yours truly was responsible for costumes, hair, and make up. It was great fun, although a challenge, since the boys were girls and the girls were boys. There was no stock to pull from on this one...each costume and wig was custom made for the actor.

Yes, I even made the straight jacket.

A teenage girl's angst, Elaria is confined to her bedroom for meeting with her beau against her Father's wishes.

Watch out, your Father is in a mood my Lady!

Cousin Bellemante reads a love letter from her beloved Charmante.

The girls plan a deception to win their Father's approval of their beaus.

The Father receives an ambassador from the Moon (really a beau in disguise) who tells of a marriage proposal from the Emperor himself.

Harlequin and Scaramouch are rivaling suitors to the girl's Governess, Mopsophil.

Both sneak into her room for a chance meeting...

But are interrupted by Bellemante who is in the mood for writing poetry.

Her beloved Charmante shows up and they quarrel.

Elaria and her beau Cinthio show up and quarrel too.

Planning to beg for forgiveness for their bad behavior.

The girls are amused over the foolishness of a man in love!

The beaus ask for forgiveness by doing some interpretive dance moves

But wait! The Father's key is heard in the lock! Run!

They've been naughty entertaining the beaus in their boudoir, they have got to hide...but where?

Scaramouch reveals the tapestry he has prepared as a surprise for Doctor Baliardo's return.

"Yes, the workmanship is excellent...but I am sure I heard voices"

Where have you hidden them?

'Twas the moon people come to us in dreams...ya, that's the ticket.

The wooing of Mopsophil, Scaramouch has almost won her until Harlequin shows up in disguise as his jilted wife.

This is when it got a little Victor/Victoria for me. I had a woman costumed as a man disguised as a woman.

Another attempt at disguises to win the hand of Mopsophil.

She has had it with their constant fighting.

And chooses neither.

Oh! My wounded pride!

Hark! The music of the spheres...the moon people are coming!

They are dressed as commanded for the royal visit.

"with any luck we'll be married soon"

The astronomer Kepler announces the first visitors...

The twelve signs of the zodiac crawl through the window onstage.

They sing and dance.

They herald the arrival of their Monarchs.

The Prince of Thunderland and the Emperor of the Moon make their entrance.

A royal wedding takes place.

Just then, the Knights of the Sun arrive to claim the hand of Mopsophil.

They duke it out.

And he's down!

And the winner is Scaramouch!

"Scaramouch? My servant Scaramouch?" The Doctor realizes he's been had.

It is explained that this great charade was planned because no mortal man could ever measure up to the Doctor's fantasies of the inhabitants of the Moon. He sees his error and accepts the marriages of his Daughter and Niece to their true loves.

The Doctor sees his fantastical obsession for the first time as everyone else...just the moon in the night sky.

The heart felt epilogue is spoken.

The principles take a bow.

The entire cast and Director take the stage to thunderous applause.

CREDITS:

The University of Rochester International Theatre Program presents

Aphra Behn's "The Emperor of the Moon"

Directed by Matthew Earnest

Scenic Design by Sean Tribble

Costume Design by William Bezek

Lighting Design by Derek Wright

Sound Design by James Kosmatka

Original Music by Patrick Johnson

Voice and Acting Coaching by Danny Hoskins

Production Photography by J Adam Fenster

STARRING:

John Amir-Fazli as Mopsophil

Kelsey Burritt as Harlequin

Sullivan Kidder as Elaria

Melissa Martin as Charmante

Andrew Polec as Bellemante

Esty Thomas as Pedro/Kepler

Christine Rose as Scaramouch

William Vezinaw as Cinthio

AND THE ZODIAC CHOIR:

Jacqueline O'Donnell, Mohammad Seraji, Matthew Myers, Laura Nichols, Douglas Zeppenfeld, Greg Corrado, Sarah Joseph, Grace Interlichia, Nina Desoi, David Bang, Paul Vegara, and Amory Kisch

Cold in Cleveland

2010-12-16T15:56:00.000-05:00

I know it's Winter...but give me a break already!

These are the frozen shores of Lake Erie.

There are actually chunks of ice in the water like Antarctica.

This is our lighthouse buried under all that ice. It's a good thing it has been automated and no one resides there anymore.

Diary of a Beaver

2010-11-07T11:48:00.002-05:00

You know, as in "busy as a beaver"? I've been doing so much lately that in comparison those furry brown dam builders look like couch potatoes.

I was home from New York for a week before Halloween. Just enough time to prepare for our most loved holiday. We had all the goodie baskets ready for our favorite little ghouls.

All Hallow's Eve was a perfect night with the most amazing orange sunset that dazzled the tops of the autumn trees down our neighborhood streets, it looked like some magical movie set.

The hearse and graveyard were a big hit.

Hercules loves to get dressed up to scare the kids. He pretends to be a mannequin and then....wham!

We have the best neighbors, like Ms Katy.

Scoping out the next batch of kids, he refrains from scaring the little ones.

I passed out candy and treats at the front door, and our friend Arta flew in on her broomstick to say Ciao.

November 2nd, 6am
I pack up some of the costume pieces I've been working on and get back to New York.

My current home away from home, the costume shop at the University of Rochester.

I got a chance to try one of the wigs I made on the actor and do some test makeup for a quick publicity photo shoot. I can't wait to see them completely dressed. Back to work now....

LIST No.13: Random things that scare me

2010-10-22T13:31:00.003-04:00

Rotting Vegetables

Diana Ross

Ventriloquist dummies and hairdos from the 1960's

Mental illness

Saying goodbye to someone I loved

Walking alone in the woods

Cats

Leaving the house without pants

Bad art

Big breasts

Autumn in my hood

2010-10-17T18:17:00.000-04:00

Time for the annual walk around my hood with the Canon. Cleveland Heights is probably the most beautiful neighborhood I have ever seen, especially in Autumn.

To The Moon

2010-10-13T19:39:00.003-04:00

Director Matthew Earnest will be staging Aphra Behn's "The Emperor of the Moon" at the University of Rochester this winter. I have been hired as the costume designer. 'Tis a late 17th century farce and Matthew has already put his creative spin to the play during casting. Most of the boys will play girls, and vice versa. These are some of my initial costume sketches, I just want to capture the feel of the period without doing strict historical clothing.
Cinthio is the only character cast as the correct gender, I plan to make the most of it as you can see.

Charmante is played by a very pretty girl that should make for a charming boy.

Harlequin as a French clown of course. I can't wait to make this crazy wig.

The girl's Nanny...kinda like if Mary Poppins was played by a drag queen.

Another wig I can't wait to make...Scaramouch Scaramouch can you do the Fandango?

We shall see...

Hallowed Ground

2010-10-06T22:44:00.009-04:00

I lived in San Francisco for twelve years and heard tales of a small pet cemetery somewhere in the Presidio, supposedly very emotional to view. I must have gone there a dozen times to find it without any luck.

On my way to the airport from Petaluma after this year's Halloween and Vine show, there was a detour through the Presidio because of road construction on the freeway...and there it was. Tucked away under a concrete overpass, a small plot of land so moving I pulled the car over and stood there for a good while reading all the names. It's no wonder I had never found it before. I didn't own a car when I lived in the city and would have had no reason to be on this off ramp.

It was makeshift with hand made tombstones.

A bit overgrown with wildflowers and weeds, but it was lovely just the same.

I thought about my small companion all those years living in this city, the little mutt I rescued from the Oakland pound.

If ever a dog lived his life to suit himself, it was this guy. My friend, the reincarnated Houdini, could escape any barrier and roamed the city at will. He made friends with all the neighbors and visited daily for treats. His motto was "don't fence me in". Sure he was loyal and loving and usually came home at night to crawl in bed with me...but really I think he considered me a roommate as opposed to a master.

He was on a first name basis with the dog catcher and I got more than a few calls to come bail him out. What a character, what a dog. I'm lucky to have known him.

Ghoultide Gathering: a heart warming cold and rainy day

2010-10-04T15:36:00.004-04:00

I am back home from the Ghoultide Gathering show in Michigan. After 100 degree temperatures in California the week before, the cold rainy weather really felt like autumn.

The Mill Race Historical Village was beautiful with the first falling leaves strewn about as the crowd started arriving two hours early.

The fans all waited patiently and chatted in the pouring rain.

Hey, was that Lori Ann or the Morton Salt girl that just zoomed by?

Inside there were last minute preparations being made as we all admired each others work. These wonderful vintage style cotton batting ornaments are by Jerry and Darla Arnold.

Scott Smith oversees some details from a perch above Paul Gordon's fantastic sculptures.

Lori Ann Corelis takes inventory of her beautiful work.

Debbie Hawkins and I had a camera duel.

An unexpected suprise was my table's award for best visual display. I forgot to take any photos, but Debbie sent me some.

I used a lot of fabric leaves that I had painted in a deep red.

The Vinegar Dolls were wearing their Halloween hats and piled in the creepy doll bed I made.

I built display shelves into my tree branches to tuck small items here and there like this paper mache Jack O'lantern with a lithograph face....I need to make more of these next time.

The low lighting and flickering candles gave my zombies a perfectly creepy atmosphere.

I thought Allen Cunningham had the best costume, and don't even get me started on how amazing his work was this year.

Vaughn and Stephanie Rawson, impeccably dressed and standing before their meticulous wood carvings.

It is a delight to meet and talk with the customers and share our love of all things Halloween. What the public doesn't get to see (but I think somehow they sense it), is the fun we artists have getting together as a group. My fellow Ghoultide artists are some of the best people I have known. Looking at these pictures puts a smile on my face.

Sheila Bentley gives good hugs!

Vergie Lightfoot is at one moment a serious artist, the next a comedian

Pam Gracia and Laurie Hardin...so sweet

Nicol and Phil Sayre swapping stories with friends

Scott Smith and Debra Schoch chatting

The lovely Johanna Parker

Pam Gracia, Nicol Sayre, and Kim Short who is as delicious as her baked confections...the best petitfours I've ever had!

The humorous Bill Gilmore and the animated Scott Smith of Rucus Studio

Stephanie Rawson and Pam Gracia light up the room with laughter

Lori Ann Corelis, Don Kolman, and Michael Corelis are in good spirits

Nicol Sayre and Allen Cunningham are clearly looking at two different things.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at Ghoultide Gathering through my eyes...Happy October!

Granny Muerta

2010-09-29T10:53:00.002-04:00

The most cantankerous woman who ever roamed the Southwest.

Born in Mexico City in 1823, she and her husband (who died mysteriously early on in their marriage) set up their cattle ranch on land that would become Texas in 1848. She fought off American militia when they tried to seize her land and even took a bullet in the eye.

She had 10 children, all of whom were fathered by different outlaws, and turned the ranch into one of the most profitable in the region. She held her own with all the roughnecks and couldn't be bullied. She drank, spit, cussed like a fallen woman, and smoked Cuban cigars. Legend says that when she finally died they had to bury her 3 times before she would stay put...they kept finding her corpse up on the porch in her rocker the morning after the funerals.

Granny Muerta is a sculpted corpse bust with eye patch, cigar, and other details under a 5 inch glass dome.

Available this Saturday at Ghoultide Gathering.

15th annual "Halloween and Vine"

2010-09-27T15:24:00.003-04:00

I survived another one, just barely.
I think after 2 years in Cleveland my former California body clock has reset itself permanently to Eastern Standard Time. After a mad rush from SFO to Petaluma, sweaty 98 degree weather for set up, and a late night with Nicol, Lori Ann, and some really good Sonoma wine...I found myself wide awake at 4am staring at the hotel ceiling. I went down to the deserted kitchen and had 3 cups of coffee and did all the dishes the guests had left in the sink.
I arrived at the show site 2 hours early and feeling like one of my zombies.

I wasn't surprised so see people lined up so early...I was surprised that they were there to see me. I am truly humbled by this, thank you Phil and Kat, Judy, Lex, Joan and William, Tracey, Jann, Todd, and a few more whose names I haven't learned yet. Your appreciation of my work makes it all worth it.

That handsome guy there is Phil Nigash of "My Life As A Foodie". Yes ladies he's not only charming, he cooks too.

I wonder if they know how thrilling their eagerness is to us artists?

The others started arriving (some in costume).

Here is Brandi McKenna, Pattee, and Wendy Leaumont, all looking very witchy.

I was too busy during the show to take any pictures, but it was a great turn out and I just about sold everything.

After the show, Adobe Pumpkin Farm hosted a very nice evening for the artists and friends. With the show behind us we all had a chance to relax and socialize in a beautiful rural setting.

I had a nice chat with Ginny Betourne, founding member of Halloween and Vine.

And Dani Nelson was a bundle of fun as usual. After dark we were all treated to a walk through haunted house, called DeMille Manor, that got us in a Halloween mood.

Dani, Brandi, and Wendy looking like Smurfettes under the blacklight.

After another late night I spent the day in airports and was practically strip searched at security. They couldn't understand why I didn't want to put the envelope of cash and checks (that I had worked all year to earn) on the conveyor belt for screening, so therefore I must have been a terrorist. I'm told there was a time when air travel was considered glamorous...we have strayed far from those long lost days.

Now, a little rest this week seems in order since I have Ghoultide Gathering this coming weekend.

Awake Dark Prince...

2010-09-20T18:00:00.003-04:00

Through the dusty viewing window of his coffin, I can see the handsome devil is awake. He has had a peaceful sleep in white satin.

He steps out of his coffin.

He moves quickly with a graceful ease.

Obviously he is a charming Vampire, but he may as well be a rockstar. His eyes are so pale, they are hypnotic.

He introduces himself as Raphael, he speaks with a slight European accent.

I comment on the beauty of the antique coffin, he tells me he preferred his old one but it finally disintegrated into dust. He thinks this is amusing and laughs softly to himself.

Suddenly I can feel the presence of someone else in the studio. I turn to see another Vampire who resembles Raphael...

I am introduced to his brother Luca.

"The Brothers Vampir" they say in unison with a slight bow.

Each year there is one project that I feel is my best work of the season. Last year it was the Voodoo Queens, this year it's these two handsome Vampire art dolls.

Raphael and Luca, 28 inch tall figures have epoxy and resin heads, arms, and legs. Their bodies are stuffed fabric over an extremely flexible (jointed PVC) animator's armature that will never break like wire can. They can hold many poses and even stand on their own if balanced, just like a human. It made taking photographs of them a lot of fun. They looked to me like a photo shoot for an album cover. Or a Gothic version of Vogue.

The brothers are dressed in 19th century clothing that includes wool frock coats, brocade vests, and very real looking riding boots.

Their pant legs are fitted with elastic stirrups so they will never ride up. And their lined coats are removable.

Their cloudy blue eyes are hand made and inset, and their wigs are made from lamb skin with soft wool dyed to a natural shade with permanent hair color.

Their painted and airbrushed features have been sealed under multiple layers of varnish for durability, and a few top coats of flat varnish for a realistic skin effect. Their eyes and the blood on their lips is high gloss and looks very wet. The blood is my own formula of translucent paint that is very convincing.

Each Vampire comes with his own 30 inch "toe pincher" coffin.

Made of wood, antique ebony finish, with carved wood applique around the lightly frosted glass viewing window. The inside is lined in padded satin with silver rivets for a stylish eternal rest.

The Ghost of a Murderous Bride

2010-09-16T10:25:00.000-04:00

She married for money, a huge family fortune. Her poor groom didn't even make it to the Honeymoon. I wonder what was in the glass of champagne she handed him?

But alas, her guilt got the better of her and now she wanders eternity in her wedding dress and blackened bridal bouquet looking for her long dead Husband.

She will materialize at Halloween & Vine and Ghoultide Gathering.

Family Portraits

2010-09-13T11:12:00.002-04:00

For your consideration: some little oil paintings in antique oval frames of long, long, long dead ancestors...just the thing for some upscale Halloween decorating.

Or perhaps a couple of standing frames for those dusty old Victorian tables in the parlour?

Just keep your fingers away from the gargoyles...they have been known to bite.

The Littlest Zombie

2010-09-07T11:47:00.001-04:00

She reminds me of Cindy Lou Who...but with rotting flesh.
She may be very dead, but she's still as sweet as can be with her big bloodshot brown eyes and a boo-boo on her forehead.

She wanders the neighborhood in her Mary Jane's playing doctor. She has a big girl spoon and a bottle of "medicine". She'll give you a huge swallow and make you feel all better!

This one of a kind, 15 inch sculpture is made from epoxy and paperclay and is mounted to a carved base. She has glass taxidermy eyes and a lambskin wig. She carries a real silver spoon and an antique bottle.

Another Pumpkin Harvest

2010-08-30T11:08:00.002-04:00

From the studio, another batch of pumpkins emerge. This time they are larger at about 5 inches in diameter.

It's funny that without any thought, the smaller 2 inch pumpkins I made have children's faces and these larger ones look more adult...one even looks like a Granny. I especially like the Vampire, "Count Cucurbita"...that's the horticultural name for the pumpkin, squash, and gourd family.

O Halloween Tree! O Halloween Tree! Thy Branches Are So Spooky...

2010-08-27T11:02:00.004-04:00

A black Halloween tree is a lovely sight to behold! Lights in orange, purple, or green and lots of creepy little ornaments to celebrate the spookiness of the season.

I've done some tiny spirits this year as my ornament offering for the shows. Each one is about 5 inches with a sculpted face and wispy wool hair, dressed in a layered shroud of pale grey cotton and silver gauze tulle.
I'm not sure why my brain always says that spirits have blue faces...but it does, so there they are with moaning blue faces.
I am a busy little Halloween Hobgoblin just about now trying to finish all my work in time. Here is a preview of the newest piece. It's getting pretty macabre in my studio. I like it.

Because, sometimes it snows on Halloween

2010-08-23T11:08:00.005-04:00

To me there is something magical about juxtaposing the creepy with the sentimental. Perhaps it is because my happiest memories in childhood were of Halloween and not Christmas.

There always seemed to be a solid line between the two. The festive Orange and Black were packed up in boxes and put high in the garage rafters well before the annoying Red and Green blew into town. But then Tim Burton started creating films for those of us cut from the same cloth...and the line blurred.

I've done these 9 inch tall Snow Skeletons in the manner of old holiday decorations that used to fill the shelves at the Five and Dime, intentionally a little naive in style with vintage 50's Christmas tinsel garland trim.

I plan to invite this fella to attend the obligatory manger scene, that should scare the heck out of those pesky angels.

There is actually no mention of Halloween anywhere in Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands, but I end up watching it every October just to get myself in the mood. Who knows...maybe it will even snow this year.

Little Pumpkins...Big Personalities

2010-08-20T12:09:00.003-04:00

This year's crop of pumpkins are emerging from the studio. Mini pumpkins (2 inches) each with a sculpted paperclay face. I enjoy capturing a personality or expression in clay and after doing 50 random faces you start to recognize some accidental likenesses.

I think I'll leave a few on the vine and see how big they get!

Ghost of a Civil War Widow

2010-08-17T11:53:00.000-04:00

She roams the cemetery near her fallen Husband's grave. Her ghostly pale face and funeral bouquet of lilies are sometimes seen through a haze of black lace and the rustle of stiff petticoats can be heard.

A tarnished locket hangs from her skirts with a faded portrait of her beloved inside.

This 24 inch art doll has a sculpted face and torso.

Very detailed period costuming in satin and vintage lace.

Hand stitched embellishments on her hem and a black petticoat hoop skirt. A coal shuttle bonnet with an antique lace veil over her jet black hair.

One for Halloween and Vine, and one for Ghoultide Gathering.

Triplets escape from the insane asylum!

2010-08-12T14:11:00.000-04:00

A trio of "Bobble Ghouls" ready for the fall shows. Instead of just the head moving, their whole bodies sway back and forth and their chains jingle jangle.

Dressed in fur trimmed red velvet coats and top hats.

Crazy hair, wild bloodshot eyes, needful hands, and some dark bile oozing from their mouths...rather charming fellows, don't you agree?

Off With Her Head!

2010-08-09T12:43:00.001-04:00

I usually avoid the blood and gore. But with Marie Antoinette you just have to go there. I liked the idea of the tragic queen fanning her disembodied head while greeting her guests in the afterlife.
Or perhaps dressed for a Halloween Masque Ball.

Coming soon to the fall shows.

Who is that dashing fellow in the magazine?

2010-08-04T11:23:00.003-04:00

Well, it's not exactly the cover of Rolling Stone, but I think it's cool.
Cloth Paper Scissors' STUDIOS magazine is featuring Halloween artists and their work spaces in the Fall issue.

I have a small spread showing my painting studio on the enclosed porch of our 1920 bungalow. I share the pages with some good friends and terrific artists. You can order the magazine through the link.

Those Little Deaths...

2010-08-03T11:21:00.002-04:00

Our lives are full of those little deaths...we let the past die one small piece at a time.
I recently felt the last shred of my childhood slip away into the black abyss forever. Even though I know it is inevitable, it left a sour feeling in it's wake. These little dollies are my conversation with myself about all this,
appropriately named the "Vinegar Dolls".

These skeletal children are 10" tall with fully jointed wooden bodies and sculpted head, hands, and feet. They are dressed in "aged" clothing from another era with bits of vintage trims.

Every day a little death
In the parlor, in the bed
In the curtains, in the silver
In the buttons, in the bread
Every day a little sting
In the heart and in the head
Every move and every breath
(and you hardly feel a thing)
Brings a perfect little death
~ Stephen Sondheim

Fourteen zombies came tapping at my chamber door...

2010-07-29T10:32:00.005-04:00

These comical zombies are part of the growing inventory for Halloween & Vine and Ghoultide Gathering, two amazing Halloween art shows coming this fall.

Each head is an original sculpture with hand blown glass eyes mounted to a dusty looking wooden pedestal and wearing one of my millinery creations...I'm a bit like the Mad Hatter these days, everyone living or dead needs a special custom chapeau.

If I knew you were coming...

2010-07-25T16:15:00.000-04:00

Chez Bezek-Charnas has been a busy little bungalow this summer with many house guests. The food has been simple since it's too hot to cook much. This ice box buttermilk cake with peach compote and whipped cream was made from scratch and was delicious. Do yourself a favor and put down that boxed cake mix and make one from scratch, there is no comparison. Sure, that smiling woman on the front of the box looks wholesome enough but she's peddling chemically enhanced ingredients...shame on you Betty!

Most of our meals have been outside under our new festival lights. One night was just bread, some nice cheeses, a truly amazing bottle of Balsamic Vinegar, some strawberries, and lots of tasty wines. The actors were here that night before they all went to perform in New York. It was a beautiful warm evening with fireflies for eye candy.

We had a 14 foot table set up for 12 guests the other night for a Greek feast. OPA!

I hope you are entertaining this summer, it seems to be a dying art. Make the effort and your guests will appreciate it.

How Fun is Summer?

2010-07-17T18:41:00.011-04:00

A new take on one of my Summer faves from the 80's because I am on the verge of being an old Dinosaur! I am Ferris Bueller everyday I can remember to be...

Specimen # 31: The sad tale of Edmund and Eugene

2010-07-15T09:34:00.002-04:00

These are the skeletal remains of conjoined twins, Edmund and Eugene born October 31, 1902.
They inexplicably were gifted with a pair of bat wings, each in control of one wing.

With teamwork and perseverance they learned to use the wings in tandem and soar through the skies despite the disapproval of their nanny.

Tragedy struck the twins (quite literally) at their 5th birthday party as they showed off their aerobatic stunts during a lightning storm to a group of horrified children.
This 14" tall sculpture is comprised of wood, wire, paper clay, epoxy clay, skeleton parts, printed cardboard, paint and gold leaf, and an enameled name plaque in a metal holder...~~available for sale~~ Sold.

La Catrina

2010-07-14T10:30:00.001-04:00

This OOAK art doll standing 27" tall combines two of my favorite holidays: the Mexican Day of the Dead and the American Halloween.

She has a sculpted paper clay head with inset handmade eyes, a soft sculpture body over a wood and wire armature which is mounted to a wood base. A human hair wig in jet black graces her head and real earrings with black paste stones adorn her ears. La Catrina is wearing an elaborate costume designed with bats and Jack o' lantern embroidered tulle layered over orange satin, wired felt hat, antique black crochet lace, ribbons and sculptural hat feathers, paper marigolds and roses. She holds a bouquet of lilies as if posing for a Diego Rivera painting. Sold to Sharon...Thank you!

Dani Nelson, Thank Ya Very Much!

2010-07-13T00:00:00.005-04:00

Dani Nelson (and company) travel the globe to all of the Halloween art shows and is head of an online gallery. She asked me almost a full year ago to be a guest artist and I said..."well of course, thank you very much". Dani not only devotes her time to her own art but also works tirelessly as a promoter of her fellow artists.

These are some of my exclusive pieces for SPOOKY TIME JINGLES as the guest artist for July.

The Zombie Fraternity

2010-07-12T21:08:00.009-04:00

Name: Floyd Gunderson
Cause of Death: Parade Accident
(run over by the Corn Cobb Queen's float)

Taxidermy glass eyes with my special treatment that I learned from Madame Tussaud's and of course...my "gloss" obsession (dry vs. wet and gooey!)

"DIED...you know?"

2010-07-12T21:03:00.006-04:00

That quote is credited to Bette Davis in an interview when they asked her about working with Joan Crawford (puff puff...Died, you know!). I'll be doing a lot of talking about the dead in the coming months before Halloween.

Name: Hattie DeWitt
Cause of Death: Passenger of S.S. TITANIC

Technical Difficulties, Please Stand By...

2010-07-11T18:36:00.002-04:00

I apologize to any followers that have come for recent posts and they are nowhere to be found. I've had some trouble with youtube videos that I had included and just ended up deleting the posts in frustration. Third party involvement can get so complicated don't ya know. As if I didn't have enough to do, I'll try and include only my videos so it doesn't happen again.

Aaaarrrrrrr!

2010-07-06T10:58:00.004-04:00

New fall work: dead pirate head mannequin, can't you just smell his breath?

Summer Gothic

2010-06-23T11:34:00.009-04:00

A monochrome to paint this heart's malaise
that fell into the spell of summer days. ~ graeme king

Just a little photoshop fun with one of my ghostly women sculptures for the fall shows. Max the dog and I saw a ghost on the stairs at G-Fed's house but it didn't show up in the pic so I substituted my own creation.
I'm probably in the 1% of population that find summer extremely melancholy; the suffocating air lays heavy while insects take over the world with incessant clicking and buzzing. Joyful friendships and love affairs will end bitterly in a few months when families scurry back to their serious lives in distant cities. And days, though long and fragrant, are all too fleeting.

Maybe it's just that I read Tennessee William's play "Suddenly Last Summer" as a child, it was in the school library filed in the catalogue under "cannibalism", poor Sebastian. Or perhaps it's because I usually spend all summer preparing for Halloween. I hope your summer is as creepy as mine. I mean that in a good way.

How about a little cheesy summer music? You know you want it.

Caravaggio and me

2010-06-11T15:45:00.003-04:00

I've worked in so many mediums and genres of art but I think my greatest passion is painting. Admittedly, I don't do enough of it any more. It takes a certain focus and the willingness to surrender yourself to it completely. I've had uninterrupted painting sessions that have lasted 18 hours....no food, no rest, just manic painting.

When I went to art school, tired old abstract expressionism was the status quo because nothing new had come along yet. I wanted something different...my hero was Caravaggio. I taught myself to paint like the old masters but with looser strokes like Monet. I enjoyed capturing some one's likeness, not abstracting it beyond recognition.

I left school and just painted...everyday. I created and sold a lot of work, some for almost nothing, some for large sums. I had friends who were painters. Painting consumed my life and I loved it. I keep this huge canvas around to remember that time, and to remind myself that I should be painting.

I saw this image in a dream and sketched it on a 6 foot canvas I had hanging around the studio. I painted on it every now and then over several years, which is never how I paint. I sometimes have a few going at the same time but they are all finished quickly. Painting it always made me think of Caravaggio working on his large, dark, religious paintings.

Some of the models are friends.

Others are composites of people's faces torn from magazines.

I always thought this scene from Derek Jarman's film "Caravaggio" really captured the moments of contemplation that happen between an artist and his work.