Everything Recycled Art Market!

We are exhibiting in a new Denver-area Show, and it's just 3 weeks away! So, next month, please join us at the . . .

* DETAILS *

Anyone who has been in our house knows how much I love to decorate with old vintage elements. And, the folk art sculptures that I create are fellow companions to this eclectic style that is often inspired by cast-offs from the past. So, when I heard that the Everything Recycled Art Market was coming to our neighborhood, in the emerging 40 West Arts District, I was certainly intrigued! After much consideration, I am up for the challenge and have decided to exhibit! With less than 3 weeks to prepare, I will be one busy artist, crafting away in my workshop! The art created and offered at this new show must include recycled elements, so I will be sifting through my stash of old buttons, rusty bits and fabric scraps to create a fresh collection of originals from recycled parts and papier mache. On the list to make and bring are button covered standing birds, owls, character busts and pressed illustration art magnets. We'll see what else I come up with between now and then! I will also bring my new collection of whimsitive summer notepads. So, swing by, say hi and marvel at the imaginative designs that myself and other artistans will be offering. We will be located in the big A&E Fine Woodworking warehouse, just north of Colfax Avenue & off of Teller Street in North Lakewood. And, the fun doesn't end there.....

On display, just steps away in the 40 West Gallery will be the annual INSPIRE Art Exhibition. This time, the theme is RECYCLED ART & VIVID COLOR! With any luck, I will have a dimensional owl Artscape piece hanging and available for purchase at this exhibit too. And if you time it just right, you will catch 40 West's Trash Fashion Show!  Here's the rundown for a weekend full of creative inspiration:

* Everything Recycled Art Market *

{ We'll be HERE! )

Saturday, June 8th: 10am - 6pm

Sunday, June 9th: 10am - 4pm

7175 W. 16th Place, Lakewood, Colorado 80214

Stay for Lunch or Dinner as Food Vendor/s will be offering their eats!

Trash Fashion Show

Saturday, June 8th: 1pm ($5 donation admission)

On the EDGE Theater Stage @

1560 Teller Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80214

40 West INSPIRE Art Exhibition: 

RECYCLED ART & VIVID COLOR

Saturday, June 8th: 12pm - 4pm

Sunday, June 9th: 12pm - 4pm

40 West Gallery @

1560 Teller Street, Lakewood, Colorado 80214

For more information, please visit 40 West Art's INSPIRE page!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

~ Johanna & JP ~

Flower Power Web Sale!

I don't know about you, but this year, Spring has been so very slow here in Colorado! Temps are finally warming up after several bouts of late season snow and chilly cold snaps! We ALL have had severe spring fever, but thankfully, the grass is greening, the clover is emerging and some perennials are starting to bloom! During our weather woes, I had the idea to create a flower themed collection of originals to celebrate the commencement of May. As the thought evolved, a new concept blossomed so to speak, and I designed a handful of ball character "Flower Keepers" that double as small vases for delicate floral bouquets. Each is inserted with a polymer vial that can hold water and keep your cut flowers fresh! And, each Flower Keeper includes a decorated cork topper! Fortunately, my experiment was a success, and these pieces came to life in my studio while the flowers began to bloom outdoors. I spent the weekend picking little posies, arranging them and snapping photo vignettes of these sweeties. As dear as they are in our cottage home, I will be offering them this Wednesday evening on my website. In addition to the Flower Keepers, an original trio of my butterfly egg cup characters are back by popular demand! In all, I will have a small collection of 7 originals to offer, so please visit my Folk Art Originals page on Wednesday evening! You are welcome to Join my Mailing List for more specifics regarding the sale.  Thank you for your interest!

Happy Spring!

~ Johanna

* Save the Date!

* A peek at 2 of the 4 Flower Keepers, each displaying their floral panache atop my kitchen shelf...

* Hearts are a'flutter! This trio of butterfly egg cup characters just landed...

* See you on Wednesday for more delightful flower empowering creations!

Happy Mother's Day!

Here's wishing my dear Mother and all the moms out there, a very lovely Mother's Day! When May rolls in, our hearts draw closer to those that are so dear, those that have nurtured us and inspired us to look within and find ourselves. I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the creative spirit that my mother ignited in me! It is a pleasure to create such whimsical folk art on a daily basis, and I know that my mom's artistic touch and encouragement ushered me along this creative path that I do so enjoy.
As always, Thank You!

Love,
~ Johanna




*  Pictured above is an original "Flower Keeper" - a new concept debuting in May! These collectible ball characters can be filled with water to keep your delicate bouquets fresh. Stay tuned for my "Flower Power" Web Sale, debuting this coming week on my Folk Art Originals page. Join my Mailing List for more details.

 

Flower Power Works in Progress....

April showers bring May flowers, and lots of color too! Visions of vivid blossoms and vintage green hues have me in a floral forward mood. As a result, a small collection of originals are blooming in my workshop! I have designed a new series of cork topped "Flower Keepers." Playing off of my classic ball character, these special sculpts have an inner vial that can hold fresh water. Simply pop the chapeau-style cork, fill with water and add a delicate bouquet of garden grown delights. I am anxious to paint these pretties and see them come to life! And back by popular demand, I have also made a handful of butterfly egg cup characters that too will be splashed with a painterly floral theme. The full collection will be offered via a Flower Power Web Sale this May! Stay tuned for their release date, and join my Newsletter for all the details!

Ta-Ta for now! I'm off to smell the flowers.......

See you in the garden,
~ Johanna :)



* This little girl anxiously awaits a final sanding and then many coats of pretty paint!



* A view overhead reveals the polymer vial that tunnels down into each piece....



* And this nature-inspired collection would not be complete without a whimsical wide-eyed bird!



* It looks like it's time for paint!



* Butterfly egg cups in the nude are surrounded by their wiry wings...



* The wire wings are such a special and tedious detail. From start to finish, one set takes over an hour to create.... I rarely time myself, but this is what I discovered today! Darn, I wish I could speed up that process a bit.

Stay tuned for my Flower Power Web Sale in May!

Vanished like a Ghost!

Goooooood Evening friends! I know it's about time that I reappear from my vanishing act. The days just fly by, and all of the sudden 4 months of a new year have practically flashed before my eyes! I feel like my art has been fading in and out of existence ~ a sort of push and pull between my creative bliss and a steady involvement in several community volunteer efforts. The tables are soon to turn however, and that means that my workshop table should soon be alive with more papier mache and paints! I really miss it, and look forward to getting papier mache under my nails again ~ I can't believe I just said that :)

This is also the time of year that I design prototypes for my licensees, and the majority of my submissions for 2014 have been created from my illustrations. Hence, my creative time as of late has been at my drafting table and in front of computer screen vs. that messy old workshop of mine. And, so you know that I have not completely faded away, I want to share one of my latest illustrated renderings with you! Speaking of Ghosts, this is my Ghost Genie to be fabricated into a standing figurine and offered through Bethany Lowe Designs next year...



* So many of you have inquired about my ghosts, so finally I will have a collectible reproduction to offer to you!



* Inspired by the movement and flowing curves of this character, I created a composition to frame him. The hope is to apply this fanciful image to various products, such as art in frames, pillows, napkins, plaques, etc... Please leave me a comment if you have more ideas for me!



* And, here is a sneak peek of this ghost's posterior! Rendering his backside is fairly simple: Reverse the image, blend out the faces and front accessories, and voila! It's the profile views that are a bit more challenging to imagine and interpret on paper and screen..... ALSO, those of you that follow me on FACEBOOK were recently asked the silly question: "How you prefer your SPIDERS?" If you missed it, GO take a peek to see the other flat art illustration that I have in the works to add to my collection of 2014 Halloween figures!

I look forward to sharing this final Ghostly character piece with you when it releases next summer! In the meantime, keep an eye out for my latest Halloween figurine coming out this year! For those of you who howl for Owls, you will adore this sweet collectible piece. I just received my samples last week, and they are ever so fun! Look for "Perched Owl on Pumpkin" (not the most exciting name - LOL) coming to a gift shop near you. Or, you can visit my list of online vendors that carry my licensed designs and inquire about this Fall 2013 piece!






* And, as I did with the illustrated ghost rendering above, so I did with this fun owl! He started out as a flat illustration, and after they spun their Halloween magic, the talented manufacturers that work with Bethany Lowe Designs brought him to life!

Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek into my creative character process....

Best Wishes,
~ Johanna

Happy Easter to You!...

Wishing you love and light, with a "spring" in your step and whimsical wings to carry you to your dreams.

xo,
Johanna, JP & Jack



* My first one of a kind butterfly egg cup duo!

A Spring Tussie Mussie for You...

When 2013 commenced, I dusted off two bins full of all the illustrations that I have created over the last ten years. JP reminded me that it was a shame to keep all of those pretties locked up in a box, and that perhaps I should rediscover long-lost works. I enjoyed the process, reminiscing over this and that and marveling over some compositions that never even left my studio. Eventually, I came across a spring cone that I illustrated one decade ago. Excited by the imagery I dreamt up for this sweet design, I was inspired to scan it and remaster it, so to speak. After several hours of touching up my old line art, I pressed print, and Voila! The results are below, and since tomorrow is the first day fo Spring, I am going to share it with you!

We hope this project inspires, excites you for Spring and "eggs-you-on" to CREATE!  Get out your scissors and glue and go digging in your drawers. DOWNLOAD and print this sweet tussie mussie, decorate and fill it with delights! Make one for yourself and one for a friend. In fact, wouldn't it be delightfully fun to hang a treat-filled cone on a neighbor's doorknob or wall-hook, ring the bell and run? And if that sounds too fanciful, I'm sure your kids will play along! Make it fun, and enjoy the process of creating something with your hands amongst family and friends.

Now, promise that you'll send me photos!.... It's all about sharing, so I'm giving you this file. In return, you share your finished photos or perhaps images of you, the crafters creating and/or decorating your cones. Please EMAIL ME your photos for the purpose of sharing or post them on my Facebook page.

Happy Creating!



* Since we did not have any Easter candies on hand, I looked around the house for vintage finds that I could add to my cone. Above, a trio of porcelain roses peer out of a bed of paper grass, serving as a sweet topper for this adorable cone.




* And here's our Gift to You:
Download & ENJOY our Free Printable PDF file to create your very own Spring Cone!



* After I glued my cone, I decided to accent it with two white pipe cleaners and a piece of vintage white lace. I altered their white color by adding a few squirts of pale green and soft brown paint to about 2 tablespoons of water in an old cup. Blending those ingredients with a brush made for a nice wash which I applied to my accessories.



* And the result was a lovely aged chartreuse hue ~ lovely matching textures to adorn my spring cone! Of course, this is just one idea from a myriad to choose from. Get creative and dig through your drawers to see what may surface..... twine, ribbon, string, tinsel, old buttons, felt, pom-poms, rick-rack, fabric scraps and the list goes on!... Have fun!



* Here are just a few ideas for gifts and /or decorative spring displays in your home! I am thinking that  a chocolate bunny would certainly look cute in one of these cones..... What else? Please share.....

We look forward to seeing what you create...

Happy Spring!
~ Johanna

In a Spring Mood!

Hi All!

I have been absent from the blogosphere as there has been a lot going on in my life. The story is a long one, so I will not go into detail. But, let's just say that my focus diverted from my art to a neighborhood open space park. And, my husband and I along with countless neighbors have been moved to protect this wildlife habitat that we all love so dearly from future development. It's interesting as I never considered myself an activist, but motivations can quickly shift when the thought of something so special and rare is under threat. We do feel that our message is being heard, and we are very optimistic that this divide will actually bring all those involved, much closer together.

My workshop lights have been out for days at length, and so I am now trying my best to play catch up! I had hoped to offer a full collection of original spring delights this season, but it's looking more like a small handful will actually be ready by Easter. And of course, Easter is early this year too - Shucks! I am still working on a few ball character bunnies and a couple of egg cup guys. So, if you are interested, please check my Folk Art Originals page from time to time as the majority of these will be spontaneously popping up as Collector's Catch pieces, later this month. You may just Catch something special for Spring!

For now, here is a sneak peek of what I am painting in my workshop. These bunnies are far from complete, but at least they have eyes!! I still need to add their final touches, patina and trims. Thanks for checking in on me....

~ Johanna



* A pair of chocolate-hued bunnies and a vanilla cream rabbit patiently await multiple coats of paint...



* Another view of the same scene.... hehe! Butterflies are this year's spring theme :)

Thanks for Sharing...

Hi friends! It's time to share the fun photos that YOU have been sharing with us this past week! We are so happy that you enjoyed our "Hearty Hat" project, and it has been a joy to see your pictures. It makes us smile, knowing that this project has created so many fun memories for you! Many thanks to all of you that took the time to share your images with us. Remember, HEARTS are here to stay and not just for Valentine's Day. So, if you haven't had a moment to play, we welcome you to Download and PRINT this special project file, have fun and SHARE! I will be adding more of your photos to this post as you submit them! So, it's not too late to join in on the fun :)  For now, in no particular order, I am posting the sweet photos we have received thus far. ENJOY!

xo,
~ Johanna, JP & Jack



" This is my hat project. Bailey would have no part of wearing what he considers a kitty toy on his head, so I found it a safer perch on the sideboard. " ~ Melinda H.

* Melinda placed her Hearty Hat in a wine glass on her sideboard ~ Clever display concept ~ it looks LOVELY!

" I had so much fun sticking this cute little hat on everything and everyone in my house! Myself, my cat, my bunny, my dolls! LOL Thanks again for the holiday fun, Johanna!! ♥ Happy Valentines Day!! " ~ Kym A. 

( WOW ~ JACK HAS A TWIN! ) (:

" Hi Miss Johanna! Here are the pictures of Joey! That was such a cute and sweet idea to share with everyone! It was hard to get a good picture with the hat staying on him :-) Enjoy!!! " ~ Lori K.

" Simon has a Valentine cat hat thanks to Johanna Parker ;) " ~ Amy B.

" Mag's got one too " ~ Amy B.

" Dearest Johanna,

First, Thank you kindly for sharing this PDF of your wonderful artwork. I had so much fun making it! Second, you and your husband are definitely better photographers than my husband and I. And third, Jack is so much more relaxed and cool with a hat on than Cobweb, our cat. (She's about 80 yrs. old in cat years)......

...But alas, we did the best we could and here's the best two. I'm convinced that these would have come out better in the natural daylight, but it was one of those things where I was like, "Honey quick! Get the camera!" Also I laughed so hard throughout the process of trying to take the photos, because Cobweb had no interest in getting her picture taken, and my husband kept calling himself my "cat-hat slave." All in all it was a fun shoot. So Happy Valentine's Day to you and your family! And thank you again for the hat project! " ~ Amber O.

" Dear Johanna - Thanks for the HAT download!!! Tonight I am hosting a "Valentine/ Birthday" party for a neighbor. The HAT download came just in time to print off for my guests. Still so much to do, tho, before 6 p.m. Just wanted to show you the 1st hat, that became a "plant-poke" until I refine my 'rolling' technique! Ha! Ha! Thank-you again my dear for SHARING. " ~ Jude B.

" Your Hat on Sally King Garden Baby - Happy Heart Day! " ~ Laura M.

I invite others to JOIN in and SHARE your photos! EMAIL me your pictures, and I will post them here!

Happy Valentine's Day!...

From our hearts to yours, we wish you a LOVEly Valentine's Day! And once again, Jack reminds us that cats really can wear hats, even if it's just for a few moments :) We were happy to snap this series of photos as Jack fashioned my "Hearty Hat." Keep in mind that you too can be imaginative with this design, as we are sharing this hat with you! Please visit the following blog post below for a link to print this sweet conical stack of hearts! I welcome you to SHARE your project photos with me so that I may share them too! Wishing you many heart-warming moments and smiles....

xoxoxo,
~ Johanna, JP & Jack