Halloween Paintings

My Mom is one of the major reasons behind my love for Halloween.  Ever since I was a child, she always did whatever she could to make Halloween, and the month leading up to it, as exciting as it could be.  What I remember most are her paintings.  In particular, I'll never forget the Ernie and Bert pumpkins she painted one year.  They were perfect.  I know most people prefer carving pumpkins, and that's great, but thanks to her, I'd much rather paint them.  She's always been crafty, and just about every year, she makes little things here and there to add to her collection and, more importantly, my memory bank. 

It's very early for Halloween related art, but when she heard I was making a blog that nobody reads, she knocked out two quick paintings for your viewing pleasure.  I love them.

She painted this Pumpkin Patch in a matter of hours using nothing but her mind and Folk Art Acrylic Paint.  She's never been one to create nasty, gory images.  I'm actually happy she doesn't because I think it would be weird to have a mom that's into flesh-eating zombies and blood.  I love my Mom's paintings so much because they're innocent.  Far too often, Halloween is portrayed as an rated-R horror movie and, while that is fine at times, it doesn't always have to be.  Halloween can be fun.  Halloween can be cute and, even for a 24-year-old man, Halloween can be girly.  That's what my Mom brings to the table with her paintings and I like that it can appeal to everybody.  Even if you hate Halloween, you'd still love her art.

For me, the classic monsters are the epitome of Halloween.  I remember, when I was about 7, I went to Pizza Hut with my Dad and they had the Universal Monsters plastered on everything.  Their snarling faces provided so much to the ambiance of that time and, because of that one day, Pizza Hut has become a Halloween tradition.  Sadly, they don't get into the Halloween spirit like they used to, but the memories remain and I'll still do anything to grasp at nostalgia.

In this painting, my Mom portrays the monsters in her own way and, once again, it's innocent.  I doubt I need to do this, but from left to right, we have the Mummy, Frankenstein, The Witch, Dracula, Ghost and The Wolfman.  The Pumpkin gets an honorable mention.  They're all smiling and the blood on Dracula's chin is about as gory as my Mom can get.  Again, I like it that way.  However, I like to pretend that these monsters aren't really monsters at all.  No, I think they're really just kids dressed up on Halloween.  They've been Trick-or-Treating all night and now, just as the sky is ominously turning purple, they're posing for one last photo before they dump out all of their candy and begin their sugar rush.  That's the type of innocence I derive from her paintings.

My Mom is already working on more Halloween art.  She loves creating new things and I always enjoy seeing what she'll come up with next.  Whether it be a Halloween painting or a Christmas stocking, she always impresses me with her talent and ability to tell a story through art.  As somebody who attempts to create my own, I can appreciate the time and energy spent in each new piece.

As she creates more and puts the finishing touches on works already in process, I'll be sure to post them here.  Even if nobody reads these blog posts, I like knowing her art is out there to be seen.

Bobble Monsters

Fall is in the air here in New Jersey.  I love Summer and all that comes with it but, once we reach September, I'm ready for the heat to subside.  Let the Sun take a break and have the wind pick up the slack.  Usually, we don't begin to feel that chill in our bones until late September but, thankfully, things have already begun to cool down around here.  Oh yeah, it's hoodie season.

To celebrate the unofficial return of Autumn, the Halloween Bobble Monsters are making their Holidaze debut.  Things things are about 8 years old, and I couldn't tell you where we bought them, but I thought they'd enjoy being photographed outside and displayed here for nobody to see.

First up, we have The Witch.  I've never named these Bobble Monsters before, but I think it would be a more interesting read if I did so right now.  So, let me see.  I think I'm going to name this Witch.. Bridget.  It's not a very menacing name and, in fact, it's my girlfriends middle name, but I've been to Salem, MA enough to know that Bridget Bishop was the first person to be put on trial and executed for being a witch.  So, this tiny green Bobble Monster is named in her honor.  Of coure, the ghost of Bridget Bishop will most likely be making me a visit now, but that's to be expected when you mention the Salem Witches.

Now that Bridget the Bobble Monster has her name, let's discuss her appearance.  She is your typical Halloween witch with green skin, warts, a big black hat and orange hair.  Why are witches always depicted this way?  I've never met a witch but, if I ever do, I'm willing to bet she won't be green.  Actually, if she was green, my first guess would be that she's an alien, not a witch, and that wouldn't even scare me.  No, regular old ladies are much more frightening.  Walt Disney had the right idea when he created the witch in Snow White.  Now, SHE was scary!

Of course, like every other witch ever portrayed during the Halloween season, she has to be stirring some form of magical brew in her cauldron.  What could it be?  It appears to be brown or yellow.  It looks like corn, but it could be oatmeal.  Regardless of what spell, potion or posion Bridget is mixing up for all of us, I know I won't be taste testing.  No way.  Just look at her smirk.  She's up to no good.

Secondly, we have a goofy looking skelaton who we're going to name Femur.  Now, really, is anybody afraid of a skelaton?  What is he going to do?  Witches can cast spells, Dracula bites, Frankenstein has super strength and the Wolf Man is, obviously, half wolf.  When you come across those monsters, you know you're in trouble.  But, a skelaton?  I don't know.  I guess he can bite you or hit you over the head with one of his bones, but that's no different than any other living human being.  So, I'm guessing Femur is a good guy.

See, Femur is obviously walking through the graveyard, and that would be scary if Femur wasn't a skelaton.  Now, had this Monster Bobble been a zombie, then this would be an all new ball game.  Zombies are undead beings who have risen from their demise in search of human flesh.  I can think of at least 9 movies based on zombies and rightfully so.  But a skelaton?  I can't think of one horror flick based around a skelaton.  That's why Femur has to be our friend.

Now I feel bad that I've made fun of Femur and his monster race.  It's not his fault he has no skin or special powers.  He's just a bunch of bones looking for a body bag.  Sorry, Femur.. Oh well, on to the next..

Ahh, yes.. I've decided to name our third Monster Bobble.. Dr. Acula.  Eh, okay, that one sucks.  Get it?  See what I did there?  Sorry, now I'm just being a pain in the neck.  Damn, I did it again..

Dr. Acula is doctor of hematology.  He's a very smart man who always wanted to be a vampire.  He appears to be a menace to society, but it's really just a front.  He recently purchased this Dracula costume from Party City and used his Mom's lipstick as under eye make-up.  He knows a good optometrist who hooked him up with some yellow eye contacts and he bought the fangs at Spirit Halloween.  He looks great, he's even posing, but he's just not the real deal.  Dr. Acula is not a vampire, he's just a doctor..  But hey, that's better than being a lawyer.  They're real blood suckers..  Oops, I did it again

Last, but not least, we have our final Bobble Monster and his name is, of course, Frank.  I was going to attempt a bit more originality, but when it comes to this infamous monster, nothing seems to fit better than Frank.  I guess we can call him Frankie, or even Franklin, but I think he prefers the more classic variation.

This is my favorite Bobble Monster because he's so damn happy.  His smile is huge and, considering I've seen bums dressed better than Frank, I give him a lot of credit.  Really, Frank is an inspiration.  He's obviously gone through some type of head trauma.  His clothes are ripped, barely fit him and don't match.  He was born with green skin and abnormally big feet, yet, here he is walking through life with a smile on from bolt to bolt.  If only we could all be more like Frank.  Of course, come at Frankie with a flamed torch and he'll flip his lid.  There's only so much a man can take.

Even though nobody reads this blog, I hope whoever does enjoyed reading about the Bobble Monsters.  They're all very unique and have their own personalities.  In fact, I think I can make some sort of cartoon based off of what I wrote today.  Maybe they can all be roommates or live in the same haunted town.  I'm not sure yet, and I'll probably never develop the idea, but it's fun coming up with one.  We'll see..

Well, until next time, say goodbye to the Bobble Monsters.  Bridget, Femur, Dr. Acula and Frank all big you a fearful farewell, but I'm sure they'll make some type of return before this Holidaze comes to an end.