Category Archives: Halloween Artist Bazaar

Full Worm Moon

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Full Worm Moon
-By Angelique Duncan

March 12th will be the Full Worm Moon. This will be the last full moon of Winter for 2017. The March full moon is known by many names, but is most commonly known as the Full Worm Moon. This full moon will occur a week before the Spring Equinox and will be visible from March 11th-the 13th and the moon peaks on March 12th. Although not a “super moon” this years moon it is thought will be particularly bright given it’s timing and placement in the night sky.

The March Full Moon became known as the Worm Moon because it coincides with the coming of the signs of Spring. As the ground begins to warm worms began to appear under shimmering light. Robins on their migration back north descend to feast upon the squirmy delicacies as a meal in the early morning. Many in North America believe that the coming of the robins signals the official end of winter. To the Native Americans it is the worms who are the true first signal that the ground has thawed and it is time for planting.

A full moon is not the only phenomenon in which worms glow. There are naturally occurring glowworms that are found in woodland caves all over the globe and a rare species found in wetlands in the North American south particularly in the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau. They are also one of few species that exist in the Arctic Circle. Caves in New Zealand and Australia are touted as quite the visual spectacle of hundreds of glowing worms hanging from cave walls.

The female of the species is usually the worm that actually has the glowing ability. They glow from bioluminescence luciferin and the reaction of fluorescent proteins reacting to minerals and oxygen that is emitted from the tail end of their bodies. The most common glow is that of a yellow or green, however those found in North America glow a stunning bright blue.

It is believed that glowworms have magical powers. Before electric light and battery operated light sources were collected and put along pathways to create light and safety for foot travel at night. The worms would also be placed in lanterns for their magical light. Sometimes the worms were distilled in water to create glowing liquid for illumination. Their magical powers were also sought after for medicinal purposes.

Folklore states that if one sees a glowworm on their path while traveling they will have good fortune. However one must never step on a glowworm, otherwise the joy and laughter will be removed from their household. It is also thought that if a glowworm crosses the threshold of a house the head of that household will perish.

Sadly, varieties of glowworms are increasingly becoming extinct and are being added to many nations list of eminently endangered species. Most glowworms are falling victim to urban expansion and invasions of humans in their natural habitats. Glowworms are sensitive to noise and particularly light pollution. They also are declining in their populations due to chemical and insecticidal pollutions that have been introduced into water sources. Some species populations are fading due to warming of their environments and extreme weather changes that are causing their natural mating and birth cycles to become off kilter.

This full Worm Moon get out and enjoy the first rights of Spring. While you are looking up to the skies to witness the full bright lunar occurrence, remember to look down and see if you can spy an emerging worm. Be grateful that Spring and warmer weather is on the way bringing with it birds and flowers. If you should see a glowworm count yourself lucky as you will be bestowed with magical good fortune.

Painting “Full Worm Moon” copyright Angelique Duncan -Twilight Faerie

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Featured Artist Interview March 2017: Twilight Faerie

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To find where Twilight Faerie sells her wares visit her on her artist page on HAB. 

Interview with Angelique Duncan of Twilight Faerie:

Which pieces of your artwork are you most proud of, currently for sale or sold? Share an image of it if you have one.

I am most proud of “The Great Pumpkin of Sincerity”. It is a 16×20 acrylic painting on Bristol board. This was the first piece I painted with the intent to put out in the public sphere to sell. I have been painting my entire life, however as a lot of artist do, had trepidation about selling my own paintings. I entered the piece in the Faces of the Great Pumpkin Art Contest 2013 held by Cult of the Great Pumpkin, figuring the best way to get over my hesitations to put my paintings up for public scrutiny was to put one in a contest judged by the public. It didn’t win, but I am grateful I entered the piece and still very proud of it. Since painting the Great Pumpkin of Sincerity I have continued to paint and have several paintings and prints for sale along side my vintage Halloween and floral work. I am never happier than when I am painting.

Name an artist(s) whose work you admire and what influence have they had on your art?

The influences on my art come from old storybook illustrations and the (now) vintage greeting cards I used to receive as a child. I love the imagery of animals and Halloween creatures living a parallel world to ours. The artists whose work I admire the most are Arthur Rackham and Beatrix Potter. In my opinion, they are the masters of children’s art, color and mood. I could only hope to be able to capture a tiny sliver of the imagery they have created.

The greatest influence on my work is the illustrators of Halloween greeting cards from the 1970’s. Unfortunately, given the temporary nature of art used for greeting cards as mere ephemera, many of these artists never received notoriety in the art world and their names are obscure. The imagery of those cards has always stayed with me; jovial scarecrows, prissy sweet faced black cats, wide-eyed ghost and grinning Jack o Lanterns. It was an era of Halloween imagery that was friendly, whimsical yet still had a tinge of spooky and I try to emulate that style in my Halloween art.

In the realm of modern Halloween art, I am tremendously grateful to Heather Gleason of My Eclectic Mind for having discovered Twilight Faerie way back in the day and encouraging me to sell online and to challenge myself to always strive to do greater things. Her work is magnificent and inspiring.

What would you consider the highest honor or greatest goal you would like to achieve with your art?

The greatest goal for my art is for some one I have never met to be so compelled to want to hang or sit my work in their home. If a person looks upon one of my pieces and feels as fondly and attached about my art as I do the art and decorations in my own collection, then I have contributed to some ones happiness and to me that is the highest honor one can achieve with art.

What Halloween costume that you got to wear in childhood was your favorite and has the fondest memory for you?

The fondest memories from childhood of a Halloween costume are of a witch’s hat I had when I was about five years old. To me it was the most beautiful magic hat there ever could have been. It came from TG&Y, a discount store that has long since closed its doors. The hat was made from a glossy black-coated cardstock with a ruffle on the edge that was made from black crepe paper with a silver foil trim. The hat had a large moon with a cat arching it’s back surrounded by stars painted on with shiny silver glitter. I loved that hat. I wore it proudly several Halloween nights years in a row, until one Halloween it was drizzly and damp and miserable for trick or treating. I wore my hat, not realizing paper and rain were not a good mix. The hat was destroyed.

Years later, when I was in my early 30’s, I found the exact same hat in a lot of vintage Halloween items at five and dime store in the Village in West University Place in Houston. (another cool store that has closed forever). At the time the original hat I had as a child was maybe $3.00 at most, I paid $25.00 for the new one but it was money well spent to have that hat again. It is now a part of my Halloween decorations that are displayed each year…and yes I have been known to wear the hat around the house gleefully as I decorate!

What is your favorite Halloween icon? Why do you identify with its imagery?

My favorite Halloween icon is the Jack o lantern. The Jack o lantern is the quintessential ambassador and embodiment of all things Halloween. I like to believe that every time a pumpkin is carved into a Jack o lantern and a lit candle is place inside its cavern, that pumpkin has fulfilled its Halloween destiny. Each grimacing, grinning silly or scared faced pumpkin lit by candlelight is keeping the spirit of Halloween alive through the ages.

If money and wherewithal were not an issue, what would be your dream way to spend Halloween?

I have had some very happy Halloweens in my lifetime. I have loved them all whether it was trick or treating as a child or throwing a huge Halloween bash in adulthood or just handing out candy to kids.

If money were no object my dream of the perfect Halloween would be to throw a huge Halloween extravaganza of a party surrounded by folks who share the same enthusiasm and reverence for the holiday. Everyone would have extravagant costumes and every corner would be decorated in orange and black and Halloween bric-a- brac. There would be a decadent Autumn feast with overflowing bowls of baked sweets and candy for desert and never ending pumpkin ales and honey mead. We would have a carved pumpkin contest, silly parlor games and fortune telling. While this party was happening there would be a constant stream of raucous kids Trick or Treating at the door. Outside there would be a fire pit where folks could sit around and tell ghost stories under full moonlight. In the woods would be a decorated haunted trail for folks to meander through with lanterns. To finish the celebration there would be a costumed Halloween parade through the street with all the neighborhood children. That would be a Halloween night for the ages!

Gargoyles and The Grotesque

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Gargoyles and The Grotesque
-By Angelique Duncan

Have you ever been walking in an urban area at night and thought you saw something move in the shadows or felt that some one or something was following you? When you look, nothing was there. Or was some one there after all. There is the possibility that feeling of being watched was a Gargoyle or perhaps a Grotesque that indeed was watching you.

For centuries they have loomed above us on the tops of buildings ever watchful and present. They can take the form of animals and winged things, monsters and demons and even sometimes something human. To some they are frightening and to others comforting.

The original purposes of Gargoyles were to act as a waterspout to direct rainwaters from the roofs of buildings. Some appear with long necks with their mouth agape to release water; others appear intertwined in the architecture or buildings. The name Gargoyle became associated with all creatures found in the design of buildings or statues that were made of stone. The word Gargoyle literally translates to gullet or “throat” thus how the rainspout monsters arrived at their name. Ornamentals and stone statues that depicted winged creatures or animals were referred to as Grotesques. Eventually the term Gargoyle was used for all stonework depicting creatures.

Gargoyles originally took the shape of animals and appeared in ancient Egypt and in Greek and Roman architecture. These animal shapes were used to honor the ferocity of the creatures, to show strength of an empire and they acted as beloved protectors to the buildings. The ancient Greeks believed that the stone animals purified water that came from the heavens and protected their buildings from misfortune.

Many European Gargoyles took on the shape of long necked dragons. This practice came from a French legend of a monstrous dragon that was slain. The legend states that the dragon Gargouille was killed and captured and brought back to the village. Once there its body was set ablaze. However the head and neck would not burn as it was acclimated to high temperatures given it’s fire breathing properties. The remains were mounted to the church as a warning to other dragons and to ward off evil spirits.

In Europe as the Catholic Church grew dragons were replaced by anthropomorphized animal human figures to emulate Pagan imagery in an effort to convert Pagans to Christianity. The imagery was to make the Pagans more comfortable with Catholicism and show that only the Church could offer protection from evil.

As the Church became heavier handed the Gargoyles began to take on more frightening motifs depicted as demons and monsters. Their purpose was to remind sinners that only through the Church could one find salvation. The Gargoyles loomed above protecting the churches from evil and acting as a visual reminder to all of the horrors of hell that awaited those who sinned.

Gargoyles or Grotesques were erected in graveyards and gardens to protect against spirits and as a constant reminder to sinners. It became common practice to place a Gargoyle spout on ones personal home or garden. Some of these personal Gargoyles were to emulate the protections offered by the Church, however some were used to preserve Pagan imagery and themes. Many stone workers would carve the faces of deceased relatives or friends into the Gargoyles to honor them.

As time moved on and the Church had established it’s power the need for the horrific imagery of Gargoyles shifted. People began to feel that were too evil looking and the use of demonic imagery on the church was inappropriate. Many of the original Gargoyles were removed and replaced by decorative animal imagery. The custom of Grotesques in personal gardens followed suit, and the use of stone lions replaced Gargoyles as protectors. This eventually gave way to the use of the imagery of angels and cherubs on the side of buildings and personal statue use for protection. As the modern era of architecture took hold, the use of ornate stonework was abandoned and with it, the need for Gargoyles and Grotesques as protectors faded.

There were legends attached to these antiquated stone creatures history. Some say that they truly could see from within their stone exterior. It was customary for those who respected the beast to nod at them when passing. It is said that the Gargoyle would nod in turn out of respect.

Many believed that Gargoyles and Grotesques would come to life at night and would either fly or prowl over a village or city protecting against evil. They would return to their perches and turn back to stone when the sun rose. Some believed that rain could strengthen the stone creatures powers.

Folklore exist that the Gargoyles that were removed and abandoned from buildings were rewarded for their service of protection by the angels. It is said that they were gathered up by the angels and taken to safe places. The angels gave them the gift of mobility. It is thought that they would hide on the tops of buildings and dark places of cities during the day and would move freely at night. Belief was that they would only show themselves while animated to those they felt were true of heart and enduringly good. For those who were good could look a Gargoyle or Grotesque in the eye and recognize the nobility of the creature. From this a bond based on goodness would be formed.

The next time you are out at night walking your city keep watch of the shadows and up at the sky. You might be so fortunate to see a Gargoyle or roaming Grotesque spared by the angels. If you have confidence that you are good in intentions look them in the eye, say thank you and give them a nod. If they deem you worthy and pure of heart they will nod back.

Painting “Gargoyle” copyright Angelique Duncan -Twilight Faerie
Painting “Oakland Gargoyle”copyright Angela Ryer A. Ryer Studio and available for purchase from A. Ryer Studio on Etsy.

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.

Featured Artist Interview January 2017: The Painted Peep Show

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To find where Blake Roberts sells his wares visit him on his artist page on HAB. 

Interview with Blake Roberts of The Painted Peep Show:

At what age did you discover your love of Halloween?

Between my love of monsters, scary movies, and making costumes, I probably started leaning towards Halloween as my favorite holiday when I was 10 or 11.

What is your fondest Halloween memory?

I can’t say I have just one, but a fond memory that’s ongoing is my annual costume creation process. I spend weeks designing, building, and tweaking my costumes. This usually involves scary movies and multiple glasses of wine (or cider if the weather is cool enough).

How do you celebrate Halloween?

Every year, I host a costume party with custom props and special effects. Recent party themes have included 7 Deadly Sins and Psycho.

When did you start creating in your medium and what training have you had?

I’ve been drawing ever since I could hold a pencil. When I was very young, I’d make comic books, xerox them, and sell them to classmates for a quarter a piece. Since then, I’ve graduated with an Illustration degree from Savannah College of Art & Design.

What was the inspiration to create what you create when did you know
you wanted to create Halloween?

In 2009, I was laid off from my job and had trouble finding a new gig (this was during the height of the financial crisis). My sister suggested I open an Etsy store to keep myself active, so I did. I started with Halloween greeting cards and expanded from there.

Featured Artist Interview December 2016; Amethyst Raven Designs

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To find where Amethyst Raven Designs sells her wares visit her on her artist page on HAB. 

Interview with Amethyst Raven Designs:

At what age did you discover your love of Halloween?

I discovered my love for Halloween around the age of about 7 -8. It was when I discovered my gothic side and love of new romantic music… The style and Halloween just added to it…

What is your fondest Halloween memory?

I don’t really have a fondest Halloween memory; I have a few Halloween memories’… Two in particular, 1st was 7 years ago, My son was born the day before Halloween and it was quite a dramatic delivery, I had to have a c section, and ended up losing a lot of blood, through the night I took a turn for the worse and ended up having to have a blood transfusion on Halloween… Hooked up to the machines draining the blood whilst the nurses and midwives all dressed up in costumes rallied around =D It was funny…
2nd was 5 years this year my grandfather passed away on Halloween, whilst it is a sad occasion, it is also carries great memories because he LOVED Halloween.

How do you celebrate Halloween?

We celebrate Halloween; by dressing up, decorating the house just have fun. Also as I mentioned my son was born the day before so it is now a great excuse to have a party. 😉

When did you start creating in your medium and what training have you had?

I started creating in the medium I use about 3 years ago… I have had no formal training, apart from fine and tradition art diplomas, I am self-taught with Photoshop and digital art…

What was the inspiration to create what you create when did you know
you wanted to create Halloween?

I gain inspiration from the things around me, and use my imagination, anything creepy, dark and just plain weird if it sparks my interest, then I go with the flow. Creating Halloween style art is just my style… I mix it up sometimes by creating fantasy art… But always prefer the darker side.

2016 Winter Holiday Give Away

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The Winter Holiday Give Away has concluded a winner has been chosen!!

Thank you to all who participated and to all our friends may you have a warm, safe and happy Winter Holiday

Happy Winter and much holiday cheer to all!

How To Enter:

Step 1: Visit one of the contributing HAB artist from the list below. If the artist your spreading Winter Cheer to is an Etsy store contact them using the “contact the owner” tab on the left sidebar of their shop. If they are on the HAB catalog use our contact form. Leave them a message that states your greeting for that spreads Winter greetings and cheer.
Step 2: Visit our Facebook page and “Like” us and comment your Winter Greeting on our wall.
Step 3: Fill out the official Winter Holiday Give Away entry form below.

Official Rules

Entry deadline is Midnight on December 15th 2016 Central Standard Time. The Winner will be chosen at random. One entry per person. Winner will be notified via email. The prize will ship on December 16th 2016. The winners name will be posted on the Halloween Artist Bazaar website and Facebook page. Information obtained will only be used to contact winner in regards to contest. HAB does not release or sell information from our entry forms or contact page. All ages welcome to enter. Members of Halloween Artist Bazaar are not qualified for entry. Contest open internationally, however please note that prize may not arrive before December 25th due to international shipping delays. *Your countries custom charges may apply. * Prize value an estimated $100.00 (and growing as more is added)

Contributing Halloween Artist Bazaar Artists links where to find their wares in order of photo appearance:(check back as the list grows and photo’s of the winnings are posted!)

Twilight Faerie
Jan’s Beads
Sauvage Raven Creations
Odd Origins

Featured Artist Interview November 2016: Harvest Moon Studio

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To find where Joy of Harvest Moon Studio sells her wares visit her on her artist page on HAB. 

Interview with Joy Parisi of Harvest Moon Studio:

At what age did you discover your love of Halloween?

I have always loved Halloween. I have so many fond memories from a very young age of dressing up and going to family & friends trick or treating. Also, the yearly watching of “The great pumpkin Charlie Brown” with my parents.

What is your fondest Halloween memory?

Some of my fondest memories of Halloween were when I was little, we used to have a Halloween costume parade and party at school. My Mom used to come in and bring home made chocolate Halloween decorated cupcakes with witches, bat, cats etc on them. Then we had trick or treating to look forward to after school.

How do you celebrate Halloween?

We would always have a Halloween party when I lived at home complete with decorations, costumes, bobbing for apples etc. As I grew and had my own family we would invite my kids cousins and friends over and I would make home made pizzas and cupcakes – all kinds of goodies and have a pumpkin carving party. Then we would all go out trick or treating. At the beginning of October we would watch a Halloween movie on Friday nights. So we pretty much would celebrate Halloween starting the beginning of October.

When did you start creating in your medium and what training have you had?

Always having a love of arts & crafts, I started at a young age with all different sorts of things. My parents found a Halloween picture that I had drawn some time in grade school recently so I guess I’ve been at it for a while.
I have been working with acrylics & oils for about 15 years and started selling Halloween stuff almost exclusively for about 10 yearsrs or so.
I have had minimal training along the way. Most of it has been all self taught.

What was the inspiration to create what you create when did you know
you wanted to create Halloween?

I started painting reverse glass lampshades with a family member – while she was doing florals I wanted to paint a Halloween scene. It just came naturally, it was something I just felt and wanted to do. So that is how I started and enjoyed it much more than the florals…

Haunted Forest Art Event 2016

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Here you will find interpretations of the theme Haunted Forest from participating HAB members.

Haunted Forest Art presented by the following:

Jynxx Designs
Art By Sarada
Twilight Faerie

HAB online shopping catalog:

HAB on Etsy

HAB on Etsy:

HAB on Etsy

Happy Frankenstein Day!

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Frankenstein Day -By Katrina Sosnowski

Happy October everyone!
I know we are all excited for Halloween, but did you know there is another day to celebrate this month? The last Friday in October is Frankenstein Friday! Here are some fun facts about this special day;

The Origin of Frankenstein Day:
This special day was created by Ron MacCloskey from Westfield, New Jersey in 1997.
Frankenstein Friday celebrates he birth of Frankenstein and its creator. Frankenstein is one of the best-known horror characters, dating back to the 1800’s. I can’t imagine the Halloween season without the presence of Frankenstein, lurking somewhere in the darkness.

Frankenstein was born in 1818 when Mary Wollenstonecraft Shelley, at the age of 21, wrote the story “Frankenstein”.
Frankenstein’s Mother: Mary Wollenstone Shelley
Frankenstein’s Father: Boris Karloff

To celebrate this day, you can read the novel, or see a Frankenstein movie.

Ron MacCloskey, the creator of this special day, awards “The Franky” each year to someone who has made a significant contribution to the promotion of Frankenstein. Maybe next year, you will receive the coveted “Franky” award.

I know we will be celebrating Frankenstein day at my house this year, how about you?

Katrina Sosnowski is proprietor of Gothbunny Gifts that scare and sparkle. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and her fine sculpted jewelry and gifts. Visit again next month for more from HAB members contributing to the Spooks Gazette.

Bold October – A Poem by Marjorie Burney Willis

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Bold October -A Poem by Marjorie Burney Willis
-Posted By Angelique Duncan

Bold October is a poem written some time ago by my grandmother, Marjorie Burney Willis. It was originally published in an anthology of Texas Poets that was produced by the Texas Poetry Society at some point in the 1980’s. Outside of her poetry that was published by the Texas Poetry Society and the American Poetry Society, this is the only remaining poem left from a lifetime of writing. She used a type writer, back before desktops and laptops and hard drive back ups. The lifework of poetry was lost in a “shady incident”, never to be recovered. Majorie; affectionately named “Grin”, passed away in 1994. Her poetry rest with her in a cemetery in League City Texas.

Bold October

“When old October comes blustering across Texas,
The whole countryside gets the heebie-jeebies.
Winds howl across streams…
Giving cyotes and coons the shakes…
The possums and skunks the jitters…
Crows fly sideways, flapping glossy wings…
Cawing over cornfields…
Chaparral cocks dart from hystack to haystack…
Snakes slither through wind-swept grasses.
High above it all,
Wild geese get the jimjiams…
Hogging the Texas skyways…
Honking like dudes in fiveo’clock traffic…
While the sun cowers behind clouds…
Not daring to peep or come out.
But bold October keeps coming
Across Texas….
Niether looking where it’s going
nor caring.
©Marjorie Burney Willis

*Bold October is copyright Marjorie Burney Willis circa 1980’s and no part of this poem may be reproduced or copied.*

Angelique Duncan is proprietor of Twilight Faerie Nostalgic and Capricious Objects. Check out her artist page to find links to her shops and vintage inspired traditional holiday art. Visit again next month for more traditions and folklore.