Greetings to all! 🎃🎃🎃
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage, we have remained indoors, locked away in the studio, busily creating the premiere of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE magazine, which is scheduled to launch digitally on Tuesday, September 15th, 2020.
Stepping back to take a look, we're thrilled to realize that there are so very many amazing artists featured in this issue. Especially during such a crazy time in our history, it is clear that we need fun, we need art to enrich and entertain us, and, yes, we need Halloween.
To be able to bring some fall color and joy to all in what has been a very difficult year is a dream come true. A huge and absolutely heartfelt thank you, and all the love in the world, to everyone who was involved in the making of this creative venture. It's been a labor of love to be sure, and even though many 12+ hour days were spent in front of the computer in doing so, it was well worth the time. And yes, we plan on doing it again. And AGAIN!
This will indeed be a regular offering to all who love the autumn season, appreciate and/or collect original handmade artistry, long for crisp nights as Jack O'lanterns emit their soft candle-lit glow and everything that goes with the celebration of Halloween.
This is for YOU.
And now, a quick sneak peek of only a few of the things in store for you within the pages of the very first-ever AUTUMN BRILLIANCE.
California artist LeeAnn Kress is our first-ever Spotlight Artist, and we are thrilled beyond words to have her sweetly magical art in the magazine. From her Charmed Confections studio, LeeAnn works with a gorgeous Halloween color palette, delightful fabrics and settings, creating her sweet and sassy characters that will cast a spell on you. Like us, you'll fall in love with every one of them.
LeeAnn will be one of the many participating artists at the All Hallow's Art Fest Virtual Online show in September 2020!
Ryan Case's characters, creatures, and aliens inhabit a brilliantly-colored panorama that you feel like you could just jump into. This Kentucky-based artist also hosts the occasional art class, teaching kids to paint, as well as doing beautiful pet portraits, offers unique gifts, and more!
Jennie's astonishing works are quite simply breathtaking, like something from a dreamy fairytale. We wish we could just step into her ethereal settings and live there forever. Jennie is also the curator/producer of Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween, a fantastic Halloween art show held every September in Marshal, Michigan. It has to be seen to be believed! We attended the 2019 show and were, well, just blown away.
Look for a layout featuring many participating BPoH artists from recent shows in the premiere issue of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE, too.
What is not to love about a horde of zombies with sweetly comical faces like these (and curlers in their hair, that just kills me! How hysterical is that!)? Sheila Bentley is well-known for her good-natured hags of every variety, dancing skeletons, bats, cats, pumpkins, and everything else in between, all with unique little personalities conveyed by their beautifully sculpted faces. We have long loved Sheila's work and are proud to have her in this issue (and one of her original creations in our personal collection, too).
Victorian Bat necklace by Mourning Glory Jewelry
Avery Applegate of Mourning Glory Jewelry takes bits and pieces of antique and vintage items including tintypes and creates pure magic that is a throwback to another era. We could wear all of her beautiful baubles all day and night and never take them off!
Who doesn't love the happy feeling of those fantastic pop culture collectibles from our childhoods? Retro-A-Go-Go has all the best stuff from that simpler bygone era, from TV shows like The Munsters, movies including Mars Attacks, Halloween masks, classic General Mills cereal characters like Count Chocula and Frankenberry, cool tee shirts and apparel of all kinds, buttons, stickers and, oy vey, so so much more. Literally, everything they have is guaranteed to draw hoots of nostalgic laughter from you!
Irma Gerd Arts 
Zan Asha has tapped into a softly magical world of yore, complete with witches, cats, owls all denizens of old-world European folk tales. Each piece unique, masterfully hand-created out of clay, then fired in a kiln. Zan's works are exquisite and highly addictive. You can't have just one.
You know you like monsters mixed that good old fashioned rock -n- roll energy, and Evil Pumpkins will supply it! Handmade designs run the gamut from high-quality tees to original art pendant necklaces with Dracula, Frankenstein and all your favorite classic movie monsters, evil pumpkin sculptures, licensed pendants containing a pinch of the real dirt from the Evil Dead cabin, music CDs, and lots more, way too much cool stuff to mention here!
That's not all, not by a longshot, folks. You will also find many other cool things, like the always-fun and highly informative Halloween Art & Travel Podcast, with the lovely Kristen Stafford as your guide, where you'll learn all about the Halloween artists who create these wondrous things we have all fallen forever in love with.
Oh but there is much more to be experienced within the coming pages, but you'll just have to wait and see for yourself on Tuesday, September 15th when we announce both here and on our soon-to-launch Facebook page how you can get a full-sized, brightly-colored digital flip-book copy of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE of your very own, for free (yes, for free!).
'Till then, stay healthy and creative... and as always,
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
