My Head is STILL Spinning!!

What a weekend!!

The journey to the fourth annual Ghoultide Gathering was not without challenges, but in the end proved to be yet another amazing experience...

We awoke Thursday morning to discover the tropical storm which drenched most of the northeast had done further damage to our already shaky roof, resulting in a steady drip drip drip on the bedroom carpet....A quick trip to the attic, a few pieces of cardboard, and many towels later we were on our way despite the continuing storm. This was taken somewhere in central Pennsylvania (and yes, that's a sparkly tarantula on the dashboard of the Beetle, hehe)....


We arrived at the hotel around 2AM, were awakened by housekeeping at 8, and at 9 received a call sharing the news that a very dear friend had passed away the night before. More on this in another post. Danny was an amazing person, and deserves his own tribute. Needless to say I was shaken, but was also reminded by friends that Danny had spoken about my work just the day before, and in his typical theatrical fashion would have reminded me that the show must go on....

Before I post photos of the event, I must add that none of this would have come together without the extra mile put in by the amazing Scott Smith and Stephanie Rawson. I've been doing shows for more years than I care to remember, and the Ghoultide Gathering is head and shoulders above the rest - truly a magical experience! Scott and Stephanie, if you're reading this, you quite simply rock. ;)

For those who were unable to attend, Here's a little peek at some of the displays (and temptation for next year, hehe). It's far from complete, as I'm not comfortable taking photos without the artist's permission, and several of the artists had left by the time I shot these. I'll begin with three photos of Scott Smith's incredible work. I think my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw these, hehe..




This was the first time I got to see Vergie Lightfoot's amazing creations up close and personal, and all I can say is WOW! A shot of a portion of her table...


And a close-up of my own personal favorite, her dancing cat...


Wood carver Ed Pribyl (Exquisite work, and I especially LOVED his Poe!)


Deb Schoch of Hop Hop Jingle Boo's extraordinary work:


Pat Murphy's wonderfully whimsical bears...


My friend Pam Gracia, of Soft in the Head fame. How *FuN* are these??!..

Laurie Harden of Monkey Cats Studios (these pieces were practically flying out the door!)


Paul Gordon's work - just stunning (Check out the pumpkin gal on the piano!)

Nicol Sayre's elegant primitive dolls...


I need two photos to show you Sheila Bentley's work - she makes the rest of us look like slackers, lol...


It was such a delight to see Johanna Parker's work in person - her pieces always bring a smile...

Vaughn and Stephanie Rawson of the Whimsical Whittler - just gorgeous...

The uber-talented Will Bezek's creations (LOVE the vampire brothers!)...

The super gifted Allen Cunningham, who I had the honor of displaying along side. The detail in his work is just phenomenal....

And the extraordinary creations of Kristen Beason - not much was left at the end of the day, and it's easy to see why! LOVE her work....

And finally, my own display, or part of it. There's a large painting too, but I'll share that later. ;)

I'll post photos from some of the other artists as I find them and/or get the artist's permission. I just don't like to post someone else's work without their say-so, and always appreciate it when I'm asked as well.

There were other highlights from the show, but I was having too good a time to take photos, hehe....Some of the artists and collectors got together at Macaroni Grill for dinner Friday night, and WHAT a good time!!! I only wish the evening could have lasted longer, and that I'd had a chance to speak with everyone in more depth. And as if the necklace last week wasn't enough (I wore it to the show!), two of my collectors gifted me with MORE presents! Two charming paper cuts, one beautifully framed, and a whimsical, hand built ceramic tea pot from Washington State...You both know who you are, and I'm completely overwhelmed!!

A few of us also let our hair down Saturday night with Mexican food and margaritas - FUN, and we hope to do it again next year, teehee!

Finally, Scott and Stephanie presented all the artists with complimentary magazines and a bucket of goodies which included a Scott Smith postcard and a casket cookie made my Kim Short Herzog, who was also a participant. Due to the rain, I missed getting outside to see her yummy creations in person....What can I say, except when it rains I get a little like Madeline Kahn in Young Frankenstein ("the hair, the hair!") Hehe....

Soooooo, yes. That's about it. Except to say if you love art, and you love Halloween, start planning your trip for next year!!! You'll be glad you did and so will I. The best part of any show is meeting other Halloween enthusiasts in person. See you there!!

♥ Carolee