Evolving and Liking It!

The Road To "Ghoultide" Continues......
When I look at the work I did five years ago compared to what I am doing now it always shocks me. I love the primitive art form but often I find myself going a few steps further and developing my characters more then primitive allows. My characters always seem to shout out at me that they want more....they need a story in order to be complete! Not necessarily a written story but a story in their presentation. I've also found that adding pieces of the past like old lamps, candlesticks, books etc to my characters gives them even more of a sense of age and whimsy! Taking an old clock that no longer works and transforming it into the body of a whimsical Pumpkinhead or magical black cat is exciting and somewhat challenging....but the end result is often a treasure that will bring nothing less than smiles and chuckles for many years to come. My characters still have the rough edges and sanded, coffee stained appearance that primitive design begs for but they have graduated into something even more....a design that only comes from inside me! Being different and unusual is not always easy in a genre that is growing fast and saturated with many wanting to add to their income in difficult times. The collectors out there have a plethora of whimsical and engaging designs to fit their likes and wallets....so the artistic challenge is ever growing! To be different and still in demand is not often an easy task for any artist....but I think the one quality, as an artist, we need to never let go of is being true to what is inside ourselves. Sure anyone can make a mouse but how many can make that mouse sing while hanging upside down on an antique candlestick...if ya catch my meanin'! Be who your inner artist wants you to be and not what is popular ....the challenge is to make "your" inner artist what's popular and to do this is by staying original and growing and developing your skills!