New Items in ShellHawk's Shop!

Face it. Even Hallowe'en fanatics need serving ware for their tables. Get it at ShellHawk's Creations. Right now! 

Why are you still here? Go already! Sheesh!

Wow! What an Amazing Week! (And It's Not Over, Yet!)

To say that I'm excited today is possibly the understatement of the year. So far, anyway.

I submitted my "Manitou" piece to the Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation for their annual ceramics show, "Feats of Clay."  Here's the writeup:

Lincoln Arts and Culture Foundation will present its twenty-fourth annual juried competition of ceramic works April 23 - May 29, 2011 featuring artists residing or working in the United States, Mexico & Canada. This celebratory exhibition of contemporary ceramic art (sculptural, non-functional, functional) will be held on the property of the renowned Gladding, McBean Terra Cotta Factory, and displayed inside an original 35-foot beehive kiln and in the historic architectural design studio. Access to the exhibit is by tour only.

Placer County's "most unique event," Feats of Clay, brings together the best of contemporary ceramic art displayed in the historic Gladding McBean terra cotta factory. The competition has become one of the most important shows in the nation. A winning entry - or even a piece displayed in the hotly contested (over 1,000 entries are received yearly) show - is an impressive addition to any artists' resume.

I really didn't expect anything of it. After all, I have heard from reliable sources that all sorts of professionals submit for this show without ever being accepted. Considering this was my first year to submit, and the piece is relatively small, and the fact that I still don't consider myself to be a professional- I seriously did not expect to have my work accepted.

I got the phone call yesterday!

Yes, there was as much shouting, screaming, and jumping up and down as when my piece went into the Crocker Art Museum. Even more so, since my piece wasn't part of a student show. I am really stunned, amazed, and stoked! Wheee!

(Big, gooshy thanks to my benefactor and husband, Mr. ShellHawk, for not only being supportive, but essentially bankrolling my artistic endeavors! *kisses*)

And the week isn't even done! I still have Transworld to hit with the Hauntcast crew this weekend! I'll be speaking in exclamation points for a long time! Yay!

O.K. Seriously. I'll try to post some fun from Transworld! (Crap, the exclamation point snuck in again! ;o))

Gifts From ShellHawk's Shop

Buy some. Now. You can even legitimately tell the giftee that their pot came from an artist who has a piece on display in a museum! Head over to my shop, ShellHawk's Creations on Etsy!

Holy Hand Grenades, Batman! Two Years I've Been Writing This Drivel?!

And you first readers are mostly still here! Amazing!

O.K., I'm such a big, fat loser that my two-year blog anniversary came and went on November 3rd without so much as a peep from me. Yup. Two years since my first blog post. Hopefully, you can forgive me this oversight.

I want to thank blog buddy Spooky Blue for being the very first person in the blogosphere to notice and comment on my blog. Spook was encouraging from the very beginning, when I was pretty darn sure that I was blogging to a completely disinterested web. We had been something like pen-pals the previous year, when Stewie was under construction. I'd write with an idiotic question, and Spook would send back a knowledgeable and kind response. (Not, "You freakin' idiot! Stop writing me! Effing stalker!")

Spook, you are still my prop hero and I just think you are da bomb! Your writing is thoughtful and always either inspires me or makes me giggle. Thanks!

Wow, two years. My grandma was a spring chicken of 99 years old. I did my first sculpture, and a bronze at that! Stewie was still new and proud, and at least a year away from looking like he needed neck surgery. I was forty, and wanted to start to do what it was I believe I was meant to do and set my feet on the artist's path once and for all. Now I have a piece in a museum.

The time went very quickly, and the work was, and is, sometimes frustrating, and sometimes disappointing. I'm in the process of learning some new throwing techniques, which makes me feel like I've been busted back down to rank beginner. Oh, well! It's either grow or die on the vine, right? Today at school we're doing a soda firing. I made four or five pieces and glazed them last week in preparation for it, and I'm really excited to be involved in it! Next month, there's a pit firing, so I need to make sure I have some pieces ready for that. I'm pretty sure Mr. ShellHawk would frown on my digging a pit in the back yard!

So life goes on, and hopefully, learning and growing will continue. I hope the same for you, too!

Another Day, Another Treasury

I've got some great company in this treasury on Etsy, and this one, too! Wow! I'm really pleased that folks are finding my stuff!

More Pics, as promised! Here's Jeff Davis getting prepped for a great seminar on how to improve your cemetery-and the guy should know!

I was glad to see the Davises had such a great turnout. Everyone was paying close attention, and since we were at the School for the Deaf, there was a gal signing the whole seminar, too. It was pretty cool!

Of course, as far as Christmas Ape was concerned, he was there to mingle and terrorize people with his mysterious caped ghost costume. I think he may have pooped himself a little when Michael Myers whipped out his knife, though.

I got a nice photo op with Freddy and Jason, pre-dance-off.

The Hauntcast crew, wiped out after a long weekend promoting the show! Ape was particularly tired.

More NHC Pics

In case you haven't seen some of these elsewhere, I thought I'd include some pics here.

Our neighbors were the crew from Professor Nightmare, Inc., and were a bunch of very cool ghouls. They even helped me out with my new camcorder when I needed a little clue about what I was doing...

This delightful artist was an inspiration, too. I'll have to dig out her business card and post her name to give appropriate credit!

I really enjoyed The Gemini Company's booth. I got some brain-shaped lavender soap while I was shamelessly pimping Haunt Cast and my jack-o-lantern pots, and can't wait to use it.

They seemed open to doing an interview soon, so I'll have to jump on that. Very cool people, too!

There were a couple of booths that sold some pretty cool steampunk stuff. I really wish I had gotten more pics of the stuff!

I was disappointed that I had to leave this behind, since I already had enough stuff to take home on the plane. I'm pretty sure I can track these folks down online, though...

Of course, I got to hang with a couple of the boyz from Haunt Cast, and had a great time! Pictured above is the one and only Johnny Thunder, and if you were wondering, yes, he really does laugh like that!

G-Host Chris Baker, Johnny, and minion/roadie Denhaunt took great care of yours truly. Some of the fans that stopped by the booth were surprised that we hadn't me in person before the Convention, but it was true. Though I had tix for the haunt tour, I blew it off to spend the evening with the guys, since I don't get to spend time with them. What a blast!

Denhaunt did a truly impressive job of making Skully, our official Haunt Cast logo, come to life in toxic 3D. Great job, Denny Darling!

Who wouldn't want this book? It's actually a clever puppet-the mouth moves when you stick your hand in. Very well made by Rotten Jack's Creep Shop.

I was very impressed by the time and effort that some folks put into their makeup effects. Top notch job, All!

That's it for now. More soon!