The Season Looms

It is time for me to really get to work on my Halloween stuff. Sure I work on it year around, but now it is 90% of my free time and I am loving it. I have a big art show at the end of the month called Monsters & Merriment and I am rushing to get things done for that as well as a few other surprises this year. My pal Ellen and my lovely girlfriend Abigail and I are hard at it. I hope to see a huge turn out for the art show. Keep your fingers crossed for me. 

Ethan Black Mural Maker

So, sometimes I do more than make monsters. I often paint murals and store front windows. Some are horror related, most are not, but I love it no matter what. Here are some samples from over the years.

Inspiration Strikes

I have days where everything must be put aside for the sake of a vision that spontaneously materializes and is too strong to be silenced. Today was one of those days and I am grateful for it.

I am very pleased with this painting and how it has turned out. Now I need to find a nice old frame for it and it will be ready for the Halloween art show coming up at the end of September. I can't wait!

Get the Pumpkin Rolling!!!

The season is fast approaching and I am not near ready. I have a trip out of town and then I must get the pumpkin rolling on my projects for this years haunt. I have many things planned to traumatize my trick or treater friends and can't stand to disappoint them.

Scorpion (Penny Dreadful)

I hate admit it, but I like this show better than anything else on television right now. More than Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead. Penny Dreadful speaks to the heart of me.  Vanessa Ives is played by the remarkable Eva green who makes the show spectacular. If you have a chance to see it, take it. It is rare for a show to inspire me to illustrate something connected while watching it, but this scorpion was very much the result of viewing the show.

The Babadook

The Babadook is one of the better horror films I have seen this year. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend giving it a go. I taught children's art classes this past few weeks and my students were big fans of all things spooky and monster. They asked me to make scary puppets, and so I did. 

Vampire Lover

Last Halloween my beautiful girlfriend and I dressed as vampires and she was a knockout. Her look reminded me of the hammer film hotties of the Christopher Lee era. I love dressing as vampires, I know they get a bad rap and that they have been degraded my more modern films, but the old blood sucking fiends are a favorite of mine. Dracula, Nosferatu, Salem's lot, all did it right. Not all the modern films are bad. Let The Right One In, 30 days of night, Day Breakers are examples of some great vamp films. 

My cousin and I heading to the Halloween party 2014

The Creature Feature gang and friends. 

From left to right (Me, Linda Wylie, Larry Underwood aka Dr. Gangrene, Carrie Galloway, and Donnie Waddell) 

Abigail and I at the epic Halloween party.

Halloween 2007 (Same year as 30 days of Night came out)

Creature Feature event, I don't recall the date. 

Chuck Angel, Larry again, and myself.

12 year old me with the late great Sir Cecil Crape.

My family getting into the fun. I wish they were still cool enough to get dressed up like this. I was around seven when this photo was taken. I love this photo....But not the furniture. 

The Old Days

Way back in my early twenties, not all THAT long ago. I took some photos of my yard haunt and the film came out great. When I look at these images it takes me back. 

The smake behind the house was from burning off the garden.

My parents weren't to fond of ole Scratch. 

My vampire even gave me the creeps. 

I love this picture, the ghost has long fallen to pieces. 

Can't wait to make more memories this year. 

Banshee (bean-sidhe)

Irish lore describes the Banshee as a weeping woman who is a kind of fairy folk. This is not to say that the Banshee is not also a kind of ghost or spirit as these things are all interconnected in Irish lore. Banshees have always been a favorite of mine, I love a keening spirit. The idea is very creepy to me. 

This Banshee was drawn for my Dictionary of Mythological Creature, I hope to have it ready in the next year. 

This Banshee was a digital painting project for a series of illustrations titled Thirteen Ghosts. 

Last but not least is the Banshee I am building for my yard haunt. She is going to be very creepy. I can't wait.