Ghoul Friday's Witch

Ghoul Friday has been one of my favorite online friends for a long time. We first met at HauntForum, where I marveled at her extensive efforts to throw Halloween parties with detailed and cohesive themes. We have chatted back and forth on many subjects, and I was honored to send her this witch when her devoted Yetch purchased it as a Christmas gift.

Ghoul Friday wrote this about her Shadow Farm witch:

"She sits proudly in my Halloween cabinet, reigning over all the other small figures roaming the top shelf. The Witch was one of those items you see and think "I must have that" (of course, she isn't the first figure to inspire such a thought when I look at Dave's shop). I couldn't put my finger on what drew me to her besides the overflowing personality pouring out from her grumpy face. It's this spark of life that I think makes a piece of art "successful", and I'm proud to have her in my collection."

Thanks for the online friendship and your support of my artwork! Good luck in the contest.

If you would like to enter my contest for a chance to choose ant item from my Etsy shop, check this post for details!

Don't Mess with the Ladie's Auxilary

This is one of my favorite old photos that I have collected. There is a wealth of inspiration in these stern faces and hard glares. I certainly wouldn't want to get on the bad side of this group of ladies. I imagine the photographer told them all to smile and this is the best he could get.

I see a singular thought portrayed from this gathering...


"Take the damn picture before we crush your walnuts, Roosevelt!"

An Outrageous Giveaway

I have been creating creepy little things to sell on Etsy for approximately 1 1/2 years now, and have started wondering how all the little creatures I have sent off into the world are getting along. I thought it would be fitting to thank all of you who have supported my habit by offering up a freebie from my shop.

That's right. Anything at all that is currently in my shop at the end of this contest. No cost limit. Anything. Win this contest, and it is yours.

So here are the rules:

• You must have purchased an item from my shop. All past sales are included, or if you haven't purchased yet make a purchase now to enter.
• Send me a picture of your item showing how it is displayed and write a few words about it...how have you displayed it, comments from friends, comments about my shop or artwork in general, I will post your picture and your comments on my blog as your official entry. ( send pix and comments to theshadowfarm@gmail.com ---put 'shadow farm giveaway' in the subject line)
• Contest will run until midnight February 13. In order to allow for shipping time on new orders, you will have until Feb 26th to send your pix and comments.( **see edit below**)
• On Feb 27th, I will choose and announce the winner from all eligible entrants in a random draw.

It's just that easy! Thanks again to everyone who has purchased from me!

Feb 14, 2011 EDIT TO PREVIOUS RULES:
I have decided to end the contest when all new purchases have submitted their contest entries. As of today, 2/14/2011, there is one final customer waiting on the arrival of his purchase and has expressed interest in entering this contest. I will accept entries up to the time of posting the final contest entry. Thanks again, and good luck!

Ada's Kids

I love old pictures. One of my guilty pleasures comes from leafing thru any stack of old photos I can find when I go to a yard sales or flea market. There is something cool about looking into a stranger's past. First off, I have to assume that the stack of photos are not family of the seller. Most likely purchased in an estate sale, there is no connection between the person in front of me and the grainy black and whites I am looking thru. ( at least I hope this is the case).
Anyway, I found this picture at a flea market. It is a postcard photo, and the writing on the back simply says "Ada's kids" There is something very unsettling about this photo. I haven't been able to put this particular find away since I purchased it over a year ago.

I wonder whatever happened to Ada. Somehow I just know that creepy baby brought her to an untimely end.

Clearing out the Crypt

I have decided to part with a few skulls in order to clean out the crypt and hopefully pay a few bills. These are one of a kind, hand painted skulls that were made using this technique. Check out my Etsy store for more info. There are only three of these and when they are gone, they are gone.

Winston the sad Pumpkin

Winston the loves Fall. He loves the bright blue skies, the dried leaves, and the first frost. His whole year hinges on Halloween night, and he schemes, plans, and creates every chance he gets. Winston loves Fall....but now it is winter and it is just too cold to spend time in his shop making things to delight the kids and scare the neighbors. All Winston can do in the winter is sit in his old green chair wishing it weren't so cold.

Poor Winston.

Winston hates the winter.

Meditating Cthulhu

In his boredom, a young Cthulhu experiments in other religions while he waits to be called from the ancient sunken city of R'lyeh. Here we see his Buddhist phase as he serenely meditates. This phase was extremely short-lived, as the vicious elder God promptly decided that peace just isn't his thing.

Time to Clean out the Fridge...

...because I think something in there is past its "Use By" date.

Jack O Lantern Tree

Keep the Halloween spirit alive all year long with this cool wire sculpture tree.
The tree is 6 1/2 inch tall with a natural rust patina. It was hand twisted from approx 100 feet of wire, and has been sealed with shellac for a rich semi-gloss finish. Five handmade Jack O Lanterns are hanging from the tree to make this piece a festive and spooky accent for any time of the year. The Jack O lanterns are sculpted with paperclay, and feature re-positionable wire stems. They can be removed from the tree to be used elsewhere.

Desolate Tree Metal Sculpture

Far behind The Shadow Farm cemetery in a desolate clearing, a lone gnarled tree stands as the only relic of a violent past. It is said that on certain nights in the spring when the new moon is but a sliver on the horizon, this aged resident whispers its secrets as the warming breeze blows gently across its dead limbs.

This sculpture of a gnarled old tree is 100% wire, and has a natural rust patina which has been sealed with shellac. The tree stands 11 inches tall by 7 1/2 inches at its widest point. Approximately 100 feet of wire was used in this sculpture. It is suitable for inside or outside use, and will continue to develop a rich rusty finish if exposed to the elements. This is a new medium for me as an artist, and I believe it holds lots of potential to tell the story of the shadows in my mind.