Brrrrr...

It's COLD today! There's about 4-5 inches of new snow outside. The Christmas trees are really pretty, tho.

I'm still working on my seated Santa, but I still have one or two that I haven't shared with you yet. Today I have a vintage-look Santa in a floor-length robe. He doesn't have a hood attached to his cloak, but wears a traditional Santa hat.

He has a solemn expression, kind of like a Belsnickle Santa. He is painted in barn red, several shades of tan, ivory, grey and white. Oh, robin's egg blue for his eyes and mittens. It doesn't really show up in the photos.

I gave him a sholder bag, and left it empty. I may go back and put some toys in it, maybe not... Do you think I should?

Well, I hope the photos are clear enough this time. I still can't get a good closeup! Hope you have enjoyed him, and thanks for coming back!

Talk to you soon,

Maggie

TINY TRIPOD

Well, I bought a TINY tripod Friday. It's 4" tall. I'm not sure that it will help me get sharper photos, but it's really cute. I think it helps as far as my shaky hands. So, here goes:

Today's Santa is holding a swag of pine needles and pine cones. Or maybe it's a bough?

He wears a red fedora hat with a sprig of holly tucked in the brim.

I hope you like him.

I am going to open a new Etsy store sometime this week. Etsy won't let someone change the name of their current shop, so if you want a new name, you have to get another email address, and open a new shop. I will call my new shop Off My Rocker, and there will be no feedback to read on Etsy until I make a sale.  To search for the shop in Etsy, type in offmyrockermaggie. If you would like to view some of my eBay feedback, I have also changed my ebay name to offmyrocker-maggie. Nothing listed presently, but you can at least read my feedback as a seller. I haven't been listing my artwork much in the last few years, but I plan to start selling again.

All comments are welcome. Have a great day, and please come back soon.

Later,

Maggie

No Photo Today

I'm still here. I've changed the appearance of my blog, but it's still me. I may change it again, if I find a template out there that I like better. This template came from The Cutest Blog on The Block.

Not posting a photo today, because I need a new camera. The camera I have been using only has 6.0 megapixels, and it just doesn't take really clear pics. Factor in that I can't hold my hand still long enough, and you get really blurry photos. So, I need at least a 12.0 megapixel camera, and a tripod would be a good idea, too. Does anyone have a favorite digital camera that they can recommend? Or maybe I only need a tripod? Hmmm... That might be the way to go. Get a tripod first, and if I still have blurry photos, then I can spend the $ on a new camera.

I am presently working on two Santas. One of them is seated on a faux rock. He's really looking good, if I do say so myself. Probably be 7-10 days until he's finished. Don't forget to check back for him. And, I'm still searching for the type of musical movement that works in a jack-in-the box for my Hallowe'en WIP.

I was excited to see that I have three new followers, and I'm not related to any of them! Thank you! I will stop by your blogs today.

Well, I hope you all have a really good day. See you soon!
Maggie

Blue Santa Claus

Good morning! It's been a few days since my last blog, and I don't want you to forget me. How have you been? And, what have you been up to?

Remember when I said I had started on a Hallowe'en project? Well, I didn't get very far, because I decided it should be a jack-in-the-box, and I don't know how to make one that pops up when the music ends. I began an online search for the appropriate musical movement, when the urge to create another santa hit. I guess I'll keep working on santas until I get inspired to do something else. The one I am working on presently is a little different. He won't be ready for another few weeks.


Today I would like you to meet another of my paper mache santas. Blue Santa isn't the most colorful of my santas, by any means, but he does have his charms. I don't know if the real Santa wears red every day, do you?

When I started him a month ago, I had more of a Belsnickle in my mind, but he evolved into a gentle bird watcher. My characters always know who they want to be better than I do.

Here he is, lending a helping hand to a Cardinal family on moving day. One bird perches on the roof, and a smaller one peeks out the round doorway.

He stands about 11" tall. He is almost entirely paper mache. Santa's face is partially done in paper clay. The birdhouse is a seperate piece, also hand made, that hangs from one hand by a cord.

Like all of my pieces, he is OOAK and completely handmade by me. All comments and suggestions are welcome.

Does anyone out there know where I can find the type of musical movement that will work with a jack-in-the-box? I found a bunch that are the hand crank type, but none of them have an attachment that will make the lid pop open.

Have a good day, and come back soon.

Maggie

Hallowe'en Art Doll

Did I mention that I love Santa, and that Christmas is my favorite holiday? Well, my other favorite holiday is Hallowe'en. I wish that we could have Hallowe'en and Christmas once a month, at the very least.

Anywho, today I would like to share my OOAK art doll, Audrey. She's all dressed up for a Hallowe'en party in a cute balloon skirt, yellow peasant blouse and black vest.

She holds her mask in one hand, and a vial of batwings in the other.

Oops, hat hair!

Love those shoes!

Audrey with her friend, Berniece, who is disguised as a corpse bride. Berniece was sold last October.

Audrey was made from cotton muslin, stuffed with cotton and polyester fiberfil. Hair is dyed wool. Her face, arms and legs are painted with acrylic paint. Her witchy hat is constructed from watercolor paper, and painted with black acrylic. No paper mache!

Please come back soon, and you're welcome to bring a friend!
Maggie

Gourd-geous Santa

I wonder if living on a Christmas Tree farm has any thing to do with my current passion for creating Santas? I can't seem to stop myself!

Today's Santa was made from a gourd, paper mache, air dry clay and a little bow of organza ribbon. As with all of my OOAK Santas, he is completely handmade by me. He is one of my favorites. He stands 8-1/5" tall, and is 4-1/4" wide at the widest point.

If you look closely, you can see that his wreath is made from gourd seeds!

He is rather round and jolly looking, isn't he?

I thought it would be cute to leave the stem on the tip of his hat.

The base and wreath are painted and antiqued just like the rest of the santa, but I have added a glaze that contains "diamond" glitter to them. It doesn't really show up in the photos.

So, what do you think? Should I buy some more gourds?

Thank's for stopping by today. I hope to see you again.

Maggie

Next blog: A Halloween OOAK Art Doll.



Woodland Santa

I'm back. It's a gloomy, gray day today. I live on a Christmas tree farm, and earlier this morning I could only make out a few rows of trees, because of the fog. Fortunately, it has lifted, along with my spirits. I love living in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, but sometimes the weather can be depressing! You Oregonians know what I mean.

Today I would like to introduce you to another of my OOAK original paper mache sculptures: my Woodland Santa. Like my other Santas, he is made from paper mache, clay, and acrylic paint.

He stands 11.5" tall and he's about 5 inches wide at his widest point.

He's pretty strong, see how easily he carries a christmas tree on his back?

A close-up. Sorry he's a little blurry.

I love the warm colors that I painted him in, but I wish my camera took better photos! Maybe it's the operator ;-). Can you make out the raised pattern at the bottom of his robe?

Here he is shown with some of his associates:

I really enjoy making these little guys, and working in this medium. The finished paper mache sculptures are not thin and lightweight, like paper. They feel a little like they are carved from wood.

I started working on a Halloween piece today. It takes approximately one week (sometimes longer) to complete a piece, so it won't be ready to show for a while. But, I will be sharing some of my other Santas, in days to come, and maybe a mermaid, or a witch...

Hope to hear from you soon,
Maggie

Finally Off My Rocker, and into the blogosphere

Well, I finally figured out how to set up a blog... I think. I've wanted to have a way to communicate with other artists, and to connect with collectors of folk art. I hope this accomplishes both. Maybe I'll even re-connect with collectors of my art from several years ago when I was selling on eBay.

I've recently been sculpting with paper mache. More accurately, it is a paper mache clay, made with recycled paper pulp combined with paste, glue and other ingredients. I got the basic recipe from Jonni Good, a fantastic artist, author, and blogger. Her site can be found at http://ultimatepapermache.com/

I would like to introduce one of my folk art Santas, or other creations, each time that I blog.

First to appear is this folk art Santa. He stands approx. 13" tall. He carries his bag of toys over his shoulder, and is holding a wreath in his right hand. Made entirely from the paper mache clay (PMC) and painted with acrylics. Heavily antiqued, and sealed with poly acrylic. Other views:

I hope you enjoy viewing him, and I'd appreciate any comments. He will be listed later in the year on eBay or Etsy. If you would like to receive a notice when I list him, let me know by email. Thank you!