John Leach, Potter

Since my body clock is now set for 4:30 AM, it's hard for me to sleep late on weekends. "Late" tends to be around 6:30 or so. So Saturday mornings, I tend to be the first one up. I've started a Saturday morning ritual of watching biographies and interviews of potters on YouTube, as well as instructional videos to keep me inspired and moving forward. I guess it's my adult version of Saturday morning cartoons!

This morning, I'm watching, "John Leach, Potter." John Leach is the grandson of the internationally renowned potter, Bernard Leach and the brother of potter Simon Leach.

For people who are makers, it's a really interesting window into the thought processes of someone who runs a business based on making. He talks about the successes and failures inherent in the making of pottery, and the satisfaction of having done nothing else for his living.

Click on the pic for the video.

The Ghetto Tarot

The Ghetto Tarot. Those who know the old-school, Rider-Waite tarot deck well will be impressed by this wonderful project.

Already fully funded on Indie Go-Go, this tarot deck is a loving photographic reinterpretation of the well-known Rider-Waite deck by photographer Alice Smeets. (Click the link to see the full deck!)

The description:

Welcome to the Ghetto Tarot, a project from award-winning documentary photographer Alice Smeets and a group of Haitian artists known as Atis Rezistans. The idea was to take the classic Rider-Waite tarot deck of 78 cards and create a photographic version of each card using settings and objects in the vibrant ghetto of Haiti.

The first run of the deck is sold out, but if you go to The Ghetto Tarot - Take Two, you can donate and snag yourself a copy of this great deck/project.

Meanwhile, check out the story, below:

For the Birds

I always wonder about the stories of these old, abandoned homes. Who lived there? Why did they leave?

Photo taken shortly before it collapsed.

Story and photo here.

Now for the Glazing!

I ran a bisque firing on Tuesday, and was able to open up the kiln and empty it out yesterday afternoon. Hooray! 

I made a few teapots, which are to be thank-you gifts for some folks who have been helping me out on some projects. I'm really pleased with this first result, since I don't make loads of teapots and therefore don't have as much practice on them as I would like.

  I'm hoping these come out of the glaze firing well! I'll have to figure out just the right colors for them.

Of course, the usual Halloween critters are being glazed, too... I've added Hallowbaloo to my show schedule, because sleep is for suckers!

I really like this little guy. He just makes me happy!

I'm feeling my way towards other figurative Halloween-themed critters. A few ideas have been popping into my brain and percolating. We'll see who springs forth!

Fog

This picture brings to mind the mysterious fog in The Others. What lies in the fog? Can you ever escape it?

Image source here.

Shattered Nightmares

If you listened to the latest episode of Hauntcast, you may have heard of Shattered Nightmares, a haunt in Terre Haute, Indiana.

The haunt was burned down by an arsonist, and it turns out, the owners had no insurance on the place because it was the off-season. 

If you have an extra few bucks around, you might want to give them a hand and help them raise the funds to rebuild. If you don't, maybe you could boost the signal and share this around on your social media pages and blogs?

Go to the Shattered Nightmares Go Fund Me campaign page to donate, and help a fellow Halloween nut recover from this hateful act.

Little Devils

More vintage Halloween costumes here.

Halloween and Vine 2015!

It's such a privilege to be included once again in this year's Halloween and Vine Halloween folk art show! Not only that, but my art is part of the slide show on Halloween and Vine's home page! W00T!

In preparation, my days are beginning to grow longer. Since I have a "real job" now, I've reverted to my old habit of getting up at stupid o'clock in the morning so I have time in the studio before I have to get ready for work. After I get home, I get more studio work done.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat!

The cool thing about it is that I have a chance to try a new technique to give my old standby jack-o'-lanterns some new life. I'll be adding some texture and trying a new firing process. Fingers crossed!

Vintage

Possibly one of the oddest vintage Halloween postcards I have ever seen!

Via Phyllis Godfrey on Pinterest.

Troublemakers

Via Viral Nova.

Dapper

Via My Rant blog.

Hauntcast Post Mortem: Ghouls Night Out

The new show drops today, featuring my interview with caricature artist Bob Lizarraga!

HAUNTING GURU INTERVIEW:Chris will rent a room at the Bates Motel, order up some room service and invite costume designer Alisa Kleckner over for some finger sandwiches.

MARKETING MORGUE:Dick will wrap-up his cliff hanger “The 13 Ways to re-animate your haunt advertising and marketing”

SHOCKTAILS:Johnny and Chris play quarters while reviewing Zombeavers, It Follows and Backcountry in the Last Bar on the Left.

GHOULIE GROOVES:Burning up the Airwaves The Bloody Jug Band drops tracks from their new album, Rope Burn.

THE BONE PHONE:Jennifer Burns from Dorney Park adds a splash of color to the dungeon.

CHARMED POT:The Mistress of Mayhem lounges with caricature artist Bob Lizarraga in her parlor.

MAD PROPS:We can barely contain ourselves over Joh Farmer’s Zombie Containment Chamber

PROP SHOP:Denny musters up the strength to discuss Fiber Reinforced Plastic

NEWS FROM BEYOND:Rev digs up the dirt on the numerous haunt related cons and gatherings popping out of the ground all over the country.

THEATER OF THE MIND:Revenant takes a side tunnel out of the dungeon and explores the haunt potential of the world underground.