La Petite Sorciere

 As a Halloween Artist myself, it only stands to reason that I just love me some Hallowe'en Art....I mean who doesn't, right?  Anything Halloween themed always grabs my attention.  And I fell instantly in love with this spell-binding lil' Sorceress with her pumpkins and sidekicks!  The piece is titled La Petite Sorciere and I simply adore it! So I wanted to be sure to give props and a shout out to a fellow artist, the lovely and talented  Fragile Zombie, from France.   You can check out more of her 'Dark Creations' over at DeviantArt! 

© La Petite Sorciere by Fragile Zombie / Deviant Art

Day of the Dead - Animated Video

Happy Dia de los Muertos one and all!  There are many reasons to love this Mexican celebration....the color, the flowers, the candles, the sounds, the lights, the fiesta, the sugar skulls, the skeletons....need I go on??  It's a lovely heartfelt celebration of those family and friends that have passed on to the other side.  And although it's a celebration of the dead, it's also very much a celebration of life, a remembrance of those lives that touched ours.  This is how death should be celebrated if you ask me...piercing the veil through space and time to reunite with those whose lives touched yours!  Please enjoy the animated short "Dia De Los Muertos" from Whoo Kazoo!

Pumpkin Carving and Poe - Muppet Style

Thought the Halloween Countdown was a good time to go 'back in time' and visit the The Muppets on Halloween!   

First up is the Muppet Halloween short... 

"Zero Mostel reads Poe"...in honor of today's Winners of The Halloween Tree, Edgar Allan Poe Book Give-Away!   

Laugh along as the comedian's fears are "counted and compelled", so they can "quickly be dispelled"! 

And next up is the Swedish Chef who's looking to carve himself up some Jack O'Lanterns and turn them into tasty Pumpkin Pies....but the Jacks have a plan to stave off the massacre.  See who claims victory in this Halloween themed retro short...viewer discretion is advised.

"Swedish Chef Carves Pumpkins"!

Edgar Allan Poe Give-Away

 "All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream."

~ Edgar Allan Poe

When October rolls around, I find myself wanting to read Bradbury and Poe....they embody for me the spirit of Halloween.  I've done a Bradbury "Halloween Tree" book give away in the past, so I wanted to do a Poe GiveAway this year.  I found this really great book of Edgar Allan Poe stories, so I bought one to keep for myself and two to give away during the Halloween Countdown.  But I also wanted to make the Poe Prize a little more fun and interactive if anyone is game.  Worst case scenario....if no one wants a cool free Poe book....then I will have two mondo-cool presents to give to my spooky friends who will totally dig 'em!

Okay...so the book is titled, "The Illustrated Edgar Allan Poe" (Unabridged).  The back cover reads...
"Edgar Allan Poe, master of the macabre, casts his ice spell of terror in these four Gothic tales, brutally exposing our darkest imaginings."  "Piercing illustrations by Lucio Mondini and Jessica Angiulli complement the stories to perfection, and brilliantly imagined pop-ups and illustrations vividly highlight the climactic moments."  "Brave your bloodiest nightmares through these exquisite tales of dread."

The hardcover book itself contains 4 Poe stories including:
 1.) The Fall of the House of Usher,  
2. The Tell-Tale Heart
3.) The Pit and the Pendulum 
4.) The Cask of Amontillado 
But it's way cooler than just a plain ole' book of his masterful tales...this book also includes 6 inspired pop-up creations within its pages.  So it's literally a Pop-Up version of 4 of Poe's spookiest tales.  And the cover art is really cool too.  This is a spooky 58 page book of Poe's tales brought to life in a 3D format, and there's even a glossary in the back to explain some of Poe's terminology.  It's a fantastic addition to your Halloween library and looks great on your coffee table for Halloween and year round!  *See detailed images of one of the pop-up art pages.

Now for the fun and interactive part....I'm posting some fun  Poe Trivia to see just how well you know Poe.  So take the trivia quiz and interact by posting your score and your favorite Poe tale or poem, in a comment using the Halloween Honor System, and you are then officially registered for the Poe Prize.  I'm sure you can be trusted to be truthful, because the score won't matter or determine which two Poe Fans get the book...that will be done by a random blind draw just in case there was anyone tempted to fib about their Poe Prowess.  Just click on the small purple Edgar Allan Poe Quiz Link below the last image, to go straight to the quiz, then come back here and leave a comment with your score and favorite Poe Story in it.  It's as easy as  that.  The winners will be posted on Wednesday's Halloween Countdown Post. The winners then need to email me at artfulgypsy@cfl.rr.com and leave the mailing address where you'd like your Poe Pop-Up Prize Book mailed.  It's as simple as that.

© Poe Typography - Frank Trebillac

Edgar Allan Poe Quiz

Shaggin' on Halloween

For today's Halloween Countdown post....I wanted to take the opportunity to share two of my favorite creative things mixed into one....Halloween Art and Shag!  Unless you've been living under a decrepit old rock somewhere....you've surely heard of the artist Shag?!  Aka...Josh Agle?!  Well all of his work is superb of course, especially all his retro Tiki stuff.  But I have a special affinity for any and all of his art that I would deem in the Halloween realm.  That includes Disney Haunted Mansion art, the Classic Monsters, and the Dark Arts.  My biggest Halloween wish would be for a Coffee Table Book of all Shag's Halloween themed art...I would keep it out year round.  So for today's countdown I thought I'd share a few of my spookiest favorites and send you a link to see more of his work if you're interested. 

The Wolfman

Creature from the Black Lagoon

Frankenstein

Bride of Frankenstein

Dracula

 

Day of the Dead Headed Your Way

Sugar Skull Pumpkin from crumbsofglory.tumblr.com

The 'Day of the Dead' is headed your way just in time for Halloween this year! Is it just me, or does everyone just love the colors and details and sugar skulls associated with Dia de los Muertos?!  This is a Mexican celebration that honors those who have passed on.  It's no depressing, morose affair geared to cast gloom and sadness....but rather it is a colorful, festive cacophony of light, sound, colors, flowers, candles, dancing and skulls....lots of artistic skeletons and skulls.  And the celebration is a joyful one that encourages people not to fear death, but to embrace the memories of those passed on and celebrate them with fond remembrance.  I have been a collector of Dia de los Muertos art and relics for quite awhile.  I suppose it's a natural progression for those of us who love Halloween to also love the aesthetic of the Day of the Dead.  And when I first started collecting, there was little merchandise to be found locally in stores, and what could be located, would usually sell out very quickly.  
Fast forward to this year...and I've noticed something very interesting while making my Halloween rounds...many of the stores that carry Halloween merchandise, also have Day of the Dead items in stock this year....Michael's, World Market, Kirklands, Home Goods just to name a few.  I find this a most exciting development, and welcome addition to my Halloween procurement activities.  Below is a photo I took of the Day of the Dead shelf at Michael's.

Day of the Dead Merchandise at Michael's

But I also discovered something else....apparently 'Dia de los Muertos' has seeped into the American mainstream consciousness, for in addition to an increased presence of Day of the Dead merchandise and brand packaging, there are also several 'Day of the Dead' animated movies slated to premier this year as well...that's new!  

The first one oddly enough, will be called "The Book of Life".  This full length animated movie by Reel FX Creative Studios and 20th Century Fox is slated to hit theaters mid October.  What a perfect time for this movie to debut.  "The Book of Life" is, according to IMDb...."set on the Mexican holiday, the Day of the Dead, and tells of a young man named Manolo who is torn between what he wants to do (play guitar and win the heart of the girl of his dreams) and what his family wants him to do. He ends up traveling across three different worlds to find himself." 

Animator Jorge Gutierrez co-wrote and directed the movie.  He said, the art in this movie "takes its building blocks from Mexican folk art, old Mexican movies and stories from my childhood."  The art work is indeed richly detailed and vibrant, just as you'd expect to see during the colorful and festive Dia de los Muertos celebrations.  I especially love the night lighting and village scenes...which remind me of some of the magical night scenes found in Coraline.  Regardless, the movie will be coming out at the perfect time of year, slated for October 17th, making it a must-see for the upcoming Halloween Season!   
The other slated Dia de los Muertos movie is an animated film by Disney's Pixar Studios. However, there was a rather cringe worthy controversy that plagued Disney earlier this year when they actually had the audacity to try and trademark the phrase "Day of the Dead" / "Dia de los Muertos"!!!!!  Are you kidding me?  Yep, they actually felt they had a right to co-opt an entire culture's long standing traditional holiday, along with merchandising rights for Day of the Dead paraphernalia!  Eeeegads!  Now I love Disney, and I love Pixar Studios even more....but that is down right arrogant, absurd and totally unacceptable!  And apparently the Latino community felt very much the same about it, and took to the inter-web to voice their objections!  Thankfully, someone at Disney came to their senses and the trademark request was withdrawn.  Besides, where would they have gone next....Christmas, Hanukkah, or (shudders).....Halloween?!  That's just preposterous...but moving forward, the Pixar movie itself is still a good possibility for 2016, and it will no doubt be terrific!  

In the meantime...be sure to add   "The Book of Life" movie to your October activities this Fall!  And check out "The Book of Life" Official Movie Trailer below.

 THE BOOK OF LIFE encourages us to celebrate the past while looking forward to the future. (Official Movie Trailer Below)

All "Book of Life" Images © Reel FX Creative Studios / 20th Century Fox

Oh the HORROR of Frozen!

As most of the world knows by now....Disney's Frozen has pretty much taken over the world.  And I must admit that I really like it too.  I liked that Elsa was basically.....well, a 'Good Witch' in a way!  I felt as though I could relate to her steely reserve and controlled manor....and her need to finally just "Let It Go"!  And besides, the Snowman's name was OLAF!  This obtuse and strange name (at least by American standards), also happens to be my husband's middle name.  And frankly, over here on this side of the pond, not many had ever heard of it before Frozen unleashed its icy magic on the world.  Now his funky name (that I refused to bestow upon our son), is known by millions of children and parents around the globe. Who would have ever 'thunk' that, ha!   

But anyway, it appears we have another classic case of 'good girl gone bad'!  Yep, as the world at large was being mesmerized and hypnotized by those crafty Disney Sorcerers of the big screen....many of you, including myself, may have failed to notice the  
'Dark Side' of Frozen!  It was right there all along, you just had to be paying close attention.  But just in case you think I jest, or you refuse to believe that everything has a 'dark side', even something as seemingly innocent as Frozen ....then have a look for yourself at the video proof below .  Even Frozen could pass for Horror if only it's 'CUT UP' in just the right way, muhahaha!  :o)
(© Disney / Bobby Burns / The Frozen Horror Trailer / YouTube)
 

The Wacky Werewolf & Haunted Halloween

I'm a big fan of Hoops & Yoyo!  Do any of you love this overly-excitable duo as much as I do?  They are those funny cartoon characters from Hallmark.  Hoops is a Pink Cat and Yoyo is a Green Rabbit.  They love coffee, cookies and most any treat, and they like to have FUN...so we have something in common right there.  But these perpetually happy lil' guys are also prone to getting overexcited, talking really fast and yelling....Ha!  I've gotten some of those talking birthday cards from friends with Hoops & Yoyo on them, and they are the funniest!  So since it's Halloween, I thought you might like to join along with them in singing "The Wacky Werewolf" song!  It's got wonderful Halloween animation to get you in the mood for some Trick or Treat.  



Also wanted to give a heads up for the Premier of their Halloween Special coming up on the Hallmark Channel.  "It's not 'normal'...it's 'PARANORMAL"!  Yes, it's "Hoops & Yoyo's Haunted Halloween", and it's sure to be a real 'not so scary treat', so set your DVR's for this Friday night, October 26th to catch the Premier at 7/6c on the Hallmark Channel.  But no worries if you miss it, as they'll be airing it again on Halloween Night, October 31st at 3/2c!  Here is a short preview clip....

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Raises the Dead

Hope everyone had a fun weekend! We had Movie Marathon weekend at our house. Two of the movies I blogged about earlier and had been dying to see came out this past week...."The Odd Life of Timothy Green" and "ParaNorman"! And they were both wonderful in completely different ways. On top of that, my Mom forced us to go watch "Snow White and the Huntsman" with her as well....so that's 3 movies this weekend....whew! And although they were all good, "Timothy Green" and "ParaNorman" were my favorites. And I'd love to give each a plug. But today I'll start with "ParaNorman".
I knew I'd love ParaNorman on content alone....a kid who sees dead people, zombies, witch's curse, etc. But I did not know how VERY much I'd LOVE it!

The animation was stellar to say the least. The ultra-talented 'claymation' artists at LAIKA managed to bring life (and death) to this film in so many wonderful ways. And the characters are so lifelike and nuanced in their peculiarities....that it was just a joy to watch. To read a fascinating account of what goes into a production of this magnitude, check out this link, The Art and Making of ParaNorman. It is really amazing and fascinating to see the tremendous amount of work and artistry that is involved in such a process, and it really gives you a great appreciation for their efforts.
There are so many small and relevant details to take note of, like my favorite one...the city's intentional resemblance to Salem, Mass. When we first started getting a look at the story's fictional town of Blythe Hollow, I leaned over to my husband and kids and said, "hey, it looks just like Salem!" And it did too, right down to the city's dark history of the Witch Trials, complete with hanging judges. When I got home I researched it to see if that was intentional, and sure enough, they had scouted out the whole area, taking over 4,000 photos just so they could get the feel of the spooky, witchy vibe of Salem and New England absolutely perfect. They wished to have their story based on a 'real' place instead of somewhere fictitious. Also, check out this great ParaNorman Photostream on Flickr for a fantastic behind the scenes look at the sets and claymation characters! (just scroll through the images on the right to seem them all)

And there's plenty of fun horror movie and Halloween theme references to catch....like Old Horror Movie posters on Norman's bedroom walls. and Donovan's "Season of the Witch" playing in the background.
What I wasn't expecting with this movie, but was pleasantly surprised to find...was the humor! This movie is funny and smart, on top of the fabulous animation. It was equally appealing to the kids and the adults in the theater as expressed through the constant laughter emanating from both.

And like many of us Halloween Fanatics....Norman is misunderstood, and his love of things on the 'dark side' just appear creepy and macabre to those who don't share his interests and idiosyncrasies.

I can't wait for this one to come out on video, it will definitely be added to my Halloween collection. But even more....I can't wait to be able to pause it and take in all the little spooky details that made it so great. This movie is the type of creative undertaking that deserves to get attention! So if you get a chance to check out ParaNorman, you should....I can't imagine anyone with a love of the 'Dark Side' not appreciating the top notch animation and witty humor!

Oh....and a little FIY....if you stay through the closing credits, you get a special little treat!

The Witch, The Cat and The Owl

There is nothing I enjoy more than stumbling upon wonderfully Magical and Creative things by sheer accident and/or dumb stroke of luck. So tonight I went on YouTube in search of something and there I found a sampling of "recommended" videos that I can only presume came courtesy of the YouTube marketing department. How creepy nice of them to invade my privacy monitor my viewing habits so that they could recommend further viewing material for my enjoyment. But lo and behold, the first video I see has a cartoon Witch on it, so of course I had to take a look. And I'm so happy I did too. For what I found is a cartoon that I can honestly say I've never even heard of before tonight. Now I'm sure there will be those of you who've known about this for ages, especially my friends in Europe....but this is the first time I've seen it, and I wanted to share, just in case anyone else has been in the dark since the 70's.

Meg and Mog is the story of a Witch (Meg), her black striped Cat (Mog), and their friend Owl. With 3 of my favorite things represented (Witches, Cats and Owls)...I knew I'd just have to love it. Apparently, Meg and Mog was a children's book series written by Helen Nicoll, that was first published in the 70's. It was later made into an animated pre-school series, which aired in the UK in 2003. It's a cute little cartoon, but what I enjoy most, is the very basic animation style of Jan Pienkowski. Meg is a well-intentioned Witch dealing with the not-so-good results of her spells. Mog is her talking striped cat, and the 3rd character is a talking Owl. The actual story is somewhat weak, but considering the intended audience was pre-schoolers, I guess I can't complain. The Meg and Mog books appear to be available on Amazon, and the Halloweeny art really gets me in the mood for the upcoming season. I am posting Episode 1 for your viewing pleasure, and a link for Episode 2. Happy Hump Day! :o)

Episode 1


Episode 2 - Meg and Mog Espisode 2

My Poem - Witches Brew

It's 'Witch Week' over here at the Halloween Tree!
And I am serving up a batch a magical 'Witches Brew' just for YOU!

Witches Brew

By Wendy A. © 2010

Cling, Clang

Bing, Bang

It’s time to get the pot

Chop, Chop

Kerplop!

Wood makes the fire hot

Flitter-Flat

Toss, Splat

Adders Fork and Wing of Bat

Growl, Ow

Hiss, Meow

Whisker from Black Cat

Boing…Jump

Whack, Thump

Frog legs add some zest

Two, Four

Add some more

Eye of Newt is best

Spider Legs

Lizard Eggs

Sound of Owl’s Hoot

Shriek, Scream

Toadstool Cream

Add the Mandrake Root

Swish and Pour

A Little More

Jug of Old Moonshine

Lumpy, Bumpy

Shell so Plumpy

Putrid Pumpkin Wine

Smick, Smack

Clickety-Clack

Iron nails with rust

Crackle, Spackle

Pop and Cackle

Spoon of Hag’s Hex Dust

Two will do

No More than Four

Seeds of Rotten Apple Core

Old Swamp Root

And Goblin Fruit

No idea what those are for

Bubble, Bubble

Toil and Trouble

Filled with Excitation

Whirl, Swirl

Capes Unfurl

Chant the Incantation

Rum, Tum

Beat the Drum

Rhythm growing strong

Arms up high

Towards the sky

Dancing all night long

Magic Rising

Hypnotising

Potion of the Shrew

Dance a jig

Now take a swig

Of Magic Witch’s Brew!

Artwork and Poetry © 2010 Wendy A.

(All Rights Reserved)

Halloween at The Artful Gypsy Marketplace

Well, I've been saying this for a long time now and I can FINALLY report that I've accomplished a long standing goal of mine from last year. As it was, I had several people inquiring about where they could purchase my Halloween Art and Poems. And although I do have a website for my photography, I had not yet set up a place to showcase my artwork and design.

So after giving it some thought, I decided to set up an on-line shop on Etsy. Well that was all good in theory of course...but finding the time to get it up and running was a whole other ball of wax. But fast forward a year, and I have taken myself to task and been working hard the last month or two on making good on my promise. So it is with great pleasure that I can now report that 'The Artful Gypsy' (that's me by the way) has set up her 'Bohemian Marketplace' on Etsy.

I began by just uploading some of my digital artwork because that was an easy way to get the ball rolling. But this little Gypsy Witch has been busy in her Apothecary (also known as my studio/office), cooking up lots of Halloween Goodies with more coming every day. There is only about 4 months until Halloween so I knew I needed to get the brew a' bubbling'.
Today I added a few OOAK Original artworks to the shop. OOAK means "one of a kind" and that is exactly what they are. I just added the first of only 3 Mixed Media Halloween Art Boards, and the theme of this one is "The Witching Hour". This was so much fun to create because I am such a 'detail' girl. And honestly, I love this piece so much, that if it doesn't eventually sell, I will happily display it in my own home. It's really, really cool! I'm posting some photos here, but if you want to know more about the piece and all of its special little details, you'll need to read the full description on Etsy because it was way too detailed to post here. Also new to the 'Halloween Creations' section of my shop are 2 OOAK Original Mixed Media Art Witch Dolls. Every Witch Doll that I create will be a OOAK piece. They escaped from the fertile ground of my imagination by way of my 'Wendy Witch' art series. You may recognize their faces from previous artwork posted on here. From there, my one dimensional witches took flight and became full fledged 3D Witch Dolls. The first 2 I created are 'Veruca Lovelace' and 'Sage WillowRoot'. My hope is that they'll eventually find bewitching new homes in which to reside and impart their magic. Each Witch has her own theme and embellishments, and again you can find more details over at the Shop. (And although these photos look like art images....they are actually 3 dimensional, 12.5", free standing Witch Dolls....and they are super duper cute in the flesh! ) :o)
As I create and add new art to my store, I will share it here in the same way that I have been sharing many of my images and photography here the last few years. Hopefully my own brand of 'Art Magic' will find it's way out of my too full brain and into the loving homes of other Halloween enthusiasts. Feel free to pass along the link to my shop if you know of anyone who enjoys Halloween Art or prefers gifts of an original, creative nature as opposed to store bought merch! And a BIG THANK YOU to you all for being my driving inspiration for keeping the love of Halloween alive all year long! :o)
www.artfulgypsy.etsy.com

PS...stay tuned, as I will be back soon with a 'Dark' new GIVE AWAY!!!

The Shadowman Cometh

It is a known fact that I am always late to everything. So it was no surprise to me that I just now tonight, watched my new favorite Disney Animated Cartoon for the very first time. It was my daughter who watched part of it at school who first came home last week and said, "Mom, we watched Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" today at school, and you would really like it." "It's set in New Orleans, and has Mardi Gras and VooDoo." So tonight we all sat down to watch it and boy was she right! I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it!
I have always been a sucker for Disney's animation anyway. I was totally enchanted by both TinkerBell movies. But this one had the BEST villain of them all, in my humble opinion. Dr. Facilier aka 'The Shadowman', embodies everything that's ever intrigued me about old New Orleans. The rich history and magic of VooDoo, the hauntingly beautiful cemeteries, the bayous, the Cajun people and the back drop of the Old South. It illuminates the culture of the French/American city, replete with its lively jazz music, the raucous Mardi Gras celebrations, the spicy Creole cooking, stately plantations, wisteria covered porches, moss strewn oaks, alligator infested cypress swamps and my favorite Southern mascot....the Firefly!
Dr. Facilier, voiced by Keith David (also voiced the black cat in Coraline), is one of the most fantastically evil villains to ever grace a Disney Animation. Dr. Facilier's Emporium is a feast for the eyes with its tarot cards, voodoo dolls, alters, candles, talismans, potions, masks and other visually appealing tools of the necromancy trade. His booming bass voice, long lean figure and top hat with a skull all upped his creepiness factor. (You can make your own skull top hat here!) But it was probably the 'shadow people', or his 'friends on the other side' that sealed the deal for me. I loved them! My son was very disliking of them however....they really struck a nerve, and I think they scared him just a bit. That is how great they were....fantastically creative animation as always from Disney. But I admit that I also equally loved the lighter animation of the Fireflies and the Frogs dancing on the lily pads as well. Everything about this movie was appealing to me, but most especially 'The Shadowman'! I've posted my favorite song clip from the movie below. It's a fantastic song called "I've Got Friends on the Other Side"...enjoy! (Warning: the volume increases at 1:49 so beware.) And I've also posted for your enjoyment, a little behind the scenes video clip called "Conjuring the Villain", featuring Keith voicing his sinister character, and the villain's brilliant animator, Bruce Smith. If you haven't seen the whole movie....then I highly recommend that you do! (All Rights belong to Disney of course.)

Haunted Easter!

I have a busy weekend coming up, so this may be my last post until next week, depends on how the weekend goes. So I wanted to get in at least one "Easter" post, so here it is. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

When I saw these 'Hallowe'en Eggs' I couldn't help but recollect my favorite Easter cartoon from childhood that I love every bit as much today as I did back then. And that would be the old 1971 stop-motion TV special, "Here Comes Peter Cottontail". What is funny to me about that particular cartoon is the very reason I loved it so much. In case you don't remember it, Peter lost the Easter Bunny competition to old January Q. Irontail. A dastardly evil rabbit with an iron tail, who was voiced by none other than the great Vincent Price. Irontail lived in a creepy cave with his sidekick Montresor the bat, and was comrades with the ghouls that populated Halloweentown. In order for Peter to go back in time and deliver the most eggs so he could win...he had to travel in a time machine with Antoine the caterpillar serving as pilot.

What was so captivating to me, was how they would crash land through the calendar pages every month that had a holiday to celebrate. And of course October was Peter's trip into Halloween town where he painted the eggs similar to those above, in order to get the inhabitants of Halloween town to take them. There he encountered a Witch among other Ghosts and Goblins. And THAT is the part that always stuck in my memory bank. Not the Easter scenes of jellybeans and bonnets...but Old Irontail and the Hauntingly Happy Halloweentown. I've included Part 4 from YouTube as it is the part that has Peter landing in October at Halloween time! I think we will paint our eggs like this tomorrow for Easter and see if we can find any takers!

Macabre "Fallen Art"

Since January is such a miserable month anyway...I find it as good of an excuse as any to spend more time web surfing. And while I was perusing YouTube, I remembered a creepy little animation that I had saved in my favorites file. So I thought I'd share it here, since most of us tend to appreciate macabre, creepy and otherwise disturbing things.

This is a brilliantly macabre little short film of a somewhat disturbing nature . I can't even remember what I was searching for when I ran across it, but I remember thinking that the animation was so top notch and the subject matter was indeed disturbingly macabre. Yet I couldn't help but be impressed by the work itself.

The name of the short film is "Fallen Art" by Tomek Baginski of Poland. The synopsis says...."In an old forgotten military base far from civilization, a group of deranged military officers nurture their insanity." But a better description was written by commenter, QPhilms...."The generals, bored, fat and needing purpose, give orders to their subordinates, sending men to their doom, replete with medals, to create a macabre choreography. The Dance of Death... war."

The short film won several awards, including a BAFTA. You can read more about it on the Fallen Art website. To get it to play, you may have to hit the HQ button ('watch in High Quality).

My Art / Animation - Magic Is In the Air

Okay my fiendishly fabulous Hallowe'en friends....it is the night before All Hallows Eve tonight! HOORAY! I can't believe it's finally here, and yet I also cannot help but to feel that all too familiar let down of it coming to a close and being gone for a whole year again. Boo Hoo! But no time for whining right now....too much to do. I have to brew up a whole lot of magic by tomorrow, so this good lil' witch has to get off the computer and get to work. May you all enjoy this upcoming Haunted Hallowe'en weekend....go out and make the most of it. Then come and report back with lots of photos! Hallowe'en Hugs & Candy Corn Kisses for you all! xoxo

Photography/Graphics © Wendy A.
(All Rights Reserved)

My Art - Scarecrows Don't Talk

"Don't be silly, Toto, scarecrows don't talk."
~ Dorothy (Wizard of Oz)

"That proves you are unusual, returned the Scarecrow;
and I am convinced the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones.
For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree,
they live and die unnoticed."

I'll be heading out to the Farm today with my 6 year old's class. And I have to be honest and say that I'm not much looking forward to it. Dirty, smelly animals just aren't my thing, and it's supposed to rain to boot. Oh joy joy!

So I figured today's art would be a fitting tribute to what I might find at the farm. At least the kind of spooky ole' farm I'd like to stumble upon. A sinister Scarecrow perhaps, standing ominously in a darkened field, beneath a crescent moon, with it's big pumpkin head flickering in and out, on a foggy, rain soaked night.

Okay, so it won't be night time, and I can do without the rain....but with any luck there will be a sinister Scarecrow such as this somewhere. (Click to view full size.) I then plan to reward myself later tonight by covering up with a warm soft blanket and watching "Trick R Treat". I hope it's as good as everyone says, and I also hope everyone has a great Autumn weekend!

(Oh...and in case anyone was wondering why I title the things that I create with 'My Art', or 'My Photography', etc....it's because I needed a way of easily looking back through my blog posts to make sure that I haven't previously posted a piece before. The memory ain't what it used to be, and I'm too unorganized to keep myself a list. If I don't have them denoted in some way, I would have to look back through every post to be certain. And as the months come and go, that just isn't feasible. Hopefully it will serve to prevent me from posting something more than once. )
Artwork © Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)