House of Shadows

Hi Everyone!  I’m pleased to introduce three new features that were added to the House of Shadow’s Blog this week. The first is a page entitled “Featured Work”; designed to build a photographic record of the 5 Star Artists series.  Only one artist is listed at present because the House of Shadow’s Blog is only five weeks old.  But as time goes by, I think this feature will benefit new visitors and improve  the process of searching archives. The Featured Work Page is still in the conceptual phase and will be refined as I continue to evaluate site enhancements.

The second new feature is a page entitled “Coming Soon”.  The purpose of this page is to give readers an idea of what they can expect to find posted on this site in the coming weeks.  The third new feature is a page navigation link found at the bottom of each page in the “Coming Soon” section.  I’m evaluating the functionality of a site enhancement tool, which should improve the way related pages are grouped together.  As the content of the site grows searching archives should be much easier with an improved navigation system.  If these navigation links get good reviews from my readers I will apply them throughout the Blog.

I would be such a happy blogger if you take a few minutes to look at these new features and let me know what you think.  You can post your comments by clicking on the tab at the bottom of this post, or forward them by e-mail to: mail@houseofshadows.net

The picture of the aging tombstone above is one of my favorite examples of what an old stone would look like in a heavily shaded, abandoned cemetery. After years of exposure to the weather the stone erodes and gives a foothold for the moss to take over.  Admittedly, I am addicted to color and texture so I’m drawn to this picture.  I’m not sure if I want to go that extreme with my finishing details but it is a possibility.

There are so many ways to build tombstone props from Styrofoam and a  wide variety of finishing techniques offer you many choices.  Think about the overall look you want in your cemetery before beginning the building process.  Give it a history and the vision begins to drive your decisions.  I have posted some links that provide excellent examples of the possibilities.

Keeba’s Tombstones provides a comprehensive tutorial for  both building and painting tombstones.  Merlin’s Celtic Cross is excellent, but the Reaper is truly phenomenal.  The Rat Popin’ tombstone is an incredible, but advanced project.  I listed this link because it shows the potential for what can be accomplished with Styrofoam and a lot of talent.  The builder of this project carved some of his ornaments, but there are many ways to find objects that are ready made.  My husband laughs at me because I’m always looking at things  with an eye for the potential to cast it for a project.  I recommend Thurston James book “The Prop Builders Molding and Casting Handbook” as a reference if you are not experienced molding and casting.  The book is listed in my store; you can find a complete review by clicking the link in the listing.  The picture of the stone in the Mourning Cemetery is an exceptional example of how to add a lot of texture to your project.  These are only a few examples, but they can give you an overall reference that will get you started if you are a new builder, or perhaps show you some different  methods if you are more experienced in building Halloween props.

Keeba’s Tombstones

http://www.hedstorm.net/HAUNT/instructions/tombstones/index.html

Merlin’s Celtic Cross

http://www.hauntershangout.com/home/MyCelticCross.asp

Merlin’s Reaper
http://www.hauntershangout.com/home/reaperstone.asp

Rat Popin’ Tombstone

http://usersites.horrorfind.com/home/halloween/chrisscrypt/graves_01.html

Mourning Cemetery

http://www.mourningcemetery.com/Projects/crane/index.htm

I hope you will enjoy viewing the work of these home haunt builders.  Until next time …

Thank you for being our guest at the House of Shadows.  We hope to see you again soon!

This is the seventh post in the series exploring cemetery art as a method for planning my “Beloved” prop to display in a Halloween cemetery. If this is your first visit to the House of Shadows Blog, or you want to read this series from the beginning, go back to “Stories In Stone” posted on November 27.

This is a picture of the dress I bought on eBay to use for my Beloved Project

With a bit of apprehension, I will allow you to look inside my musty brain to see how it puts all of the information I’ve been gathering together to make some early decisions about my Beloved project. Not everyone needs this kind of a planning process, some people are comfortable jumping in with both feet and getting started. That process doesn’t work for me. As you read through my thoughts, I think it will become clear why a detailed planning process is important to me.

The questions below are examples of how you might check your thinking, if you want, or need to make the best use of your time and investment in your Halloween hobby.

• Is your display area large or small?

My Halloween cemetery display may be started in the back yard and moved to the front yard over time. Either way, both yards have about the same dimensions 60″ x 120″ feet. I have plenty of room for large props. In fact, large props will be more effective than small props.

• Will visitors view your props close up, or from a distance?

If the graveyard is displayed in the backyard, props will be viewed close-up; less viewing distance means the scale of the lettering is less of an issue but I also think it takes away some of the “creepy factor”. Displaying the graveyard in the front yard means props will be viewed from a distance so details need to be larger so they can be seen. The difference between setting up in the front or the back is security. We live on a heavily traveled six lane street with a lot of walking traffic in front of the house at all hours of the night.

• What is the overall theme of your display?

My taste is very traditional. Our home and the homes around us were built in the early 1900’s in a historic area of our city; that is the time period I would like our displays to reflect. Our displays will never depict blood and gore for two reasons: 1) I think illusions are more powerful, like a noise heard faintly in the background, something you feel or believe you see lurking in the shadows, etc.; and 2) I have two year old grandson and I want him to enjoy the display… not be traumatized by the experience.

• Will the prop be heavy or awkward to move?

I gained useful insight from my friend Terra’s experience about designing grip space into a prop with a larger base. I also think if I position the mourning lady’s figure in a more upright position I can build a smaller, more vertical prop that requires less wood framing to keep the prop as light as possible.

• What are your time and budgetary issues?

Early retirement means I have more time than money. I have medical issues that limit my ability to do physical activities for extended periods of time, so planning early allows me to fit the project into the budget and work at a pace that fits my lifestyle. My next steps will be to make a supply list, check off what I have and gather supplies I still need. I can begin by checking off the dress. √

• Will the prop be weather proof in rainy conditions?

Rain is a big concern for me because I live in the Pacific Northwest. This prop will be well-sealed with the process Terra used. She applied an undercoat of monster mud, then three coats of Drylock  were used as the top coat to waterproof her Beloved prop. The prop was exposed to rainy Fall weather for a month and showed no signs of weather damage, but using this process to seal the project means you have to plan in advance for the loss of detail that will occur.

• How and where will you store large props?

Right now I am lucky to have enough space in the tack room in my barn. But this space is limited so a plan for the future is necessary. We have room to build more outbuildings on our property, or we can rent storage and transport the props in the truck. I would prefer to keep them at home.

Other things I need to consider are modifications to the design I’m using as an inspiration to eliminate the weak points, remembering that my prop will not be made of concrete. Overall I feel the design I have chosen is a good candidate for the project. Now I have to wait for dry weather because the prop will be too hard to get out of the basement if I started now.

In my next post I will be providing links to painting and distressing tutorials that I think are helpful. Until then …

Thank you for being our guest at the House of Shadows!

I have always been known as a detail person, both my in career life and in my home life. If you have been following this blog you may have already guessed that planning is one of the details I enjoy about designing my display.

Today I’m going to discuss some factors to consider in planning for a Halloween graveyard display. This might not be as important for you as it is for me because I have an overactive mind …and I want to do it all. So working through a planning process helps me narrow possibilities down to a list that is practical. A quote from a respected friend helps focus my energy. He said, “If you don’t break your projects into small steps you will work too hard and get less than desired results. It’s like using a five gallon bucket of water to fill a tea cup. All the water splashes out and you end up with very little water in the cup for all your efforts.” That philosophy guides this series so if you can use help with that type of focus stay with me as I continue to develop my personal “bucket list” for designing a “Beloved” tombstone.

This monument appeals to me as a concept for my Beloved project!

The Pros:

• I’m naturally drawn to objects and styles that are classic designs
• I love the curve of the small pedestal the angel is resting her head on
  
• The masonic symbol is easy to recreate, but could be replaced with other designs
  
• The wreath details are easy to duplicate using silk greenery coated with monster mud
• The shape and details of the monument would cast nice shadows when lights are on at night
• The higher base could be useful in building a more compact prop than traditional designs

The Cons:

• The position of the extended arm and hand are a vulnerable breaking point
• Shell ornaments on the corners of the pedestal are also vulnerable to breakage
  
• Size of lettering is limited by the pedestal shape and hard to see from a distance
• Without the Angel’s wings, rescaling of the pedestal will be required for better balance

In my next post I will break these pros and cons down to explore how they fit into my overall plans for the future of my Halloween display, skills and resources, and space as it relates to both display and storage. The questions I pose should easily translate into your own planning process. Until then …

Thank you for being my guest at the House of Shadows. I hope to see you again soon!

When You Come To The Bridge Just Cross It!

Hi Everyone! I’ve missed writing my regular posts for the past couple of days. It seems I had more than my share of computer challenges. But these challenges did in fact answer a question that has been on my mind for years, “Is it better to be born with great beauty, or with an extra dose of the stubborn gene so prevalent in my Montgomery heritage?” The answer for me is clearly to enjoy the extra dose of genetic tenacity (in addition to my great beauty, of course). Without my deep-seated Scots-Irish temperament I would have probably given up on Wordpress, Wordpress plugins, my Amazon Associate Store, and my Blog this past week. However, today is a special day of celebration for me. This post marks a 30-day milestone for me as a blogger and web page problems solver. I’m actually glad that I’ve been challenged along the way. Facing challenges is my preferred method for learning. Often times I find that when I come to the proverbial bridge that must be crossed things are actually better on the other side.

This week I was challenged with a number of Wordpress plugin updates that either didn’t work at all, or didn’t work as well as the previous version. Then my computer started running like a slug and I discovered one of my hard drives is dying, which required transferring everything into another drive. It slowed me down a great deal and admittedly I’m not the most patient person when it comes to working inefficiently.

But the good news about all these events is they forced me to resolve some formatting problems I was having with my Amazon store. The page was just the tiniest bit to big to fit this blog template. I tried to work around it by using a Wordpress plugin that I really wasn’t crazy about. When the plugin update refused to work, I decided to quit trying to find a short cut and fix the real problem. If you have visited my Book and Movie pages in the past I’m sure by comparison you will find the new “Store” page is a big improvement. I’ve had a chance to add some new books and will be adding movies tomorrow. There will always be new items and categories added along the way, but anytime you can’t find what you want listed in the store, just use the Amazon Search Box on the sidebar. My Amazon store helps support the cost of maintaining the House of Shadows Blog and buy a few hobby supplies now and then. Anytime you purchase something from Amazon by using a link on this page I am credited with a referral. Credits are not limited to books and movies as long as you enter Amazon through the link in the side bar, or through my store. So enjoy your shopping and know that I appreciate your support! I also appreciate my viewers and subscribers. You make this experience worthwhile.

I will be continuing my series on cemetery art and the “Beloved” project Saturday, December 6. In the meantime, I’m going to take a time out and just enjoy a little Rest In Peace!

Thank you for being our guest at the House of Shadows!

This site has had 1,673 page views in the first 30 days online.

This is the third article in the cemetery art series; which is a study of the expression of sorrow through body language used in grave markers and monuments. If this is your first visit to the House of Shadows or you want to begin reading this series from the beginning go back to the post of November 27, “Stories In Stone”.

I had a epiphany of sorts as I searched through pictures of graveyard art to study statuary representing grieving. My search began as a way to plan for the design of my “Beloved” prop based on a typical scene of a grieving widow draped over what is assumed to be her lover’s tomb. I have seen “Beloved” props inscribed in two different ways. One is a simple inscription on the tomb that reads “Beloved” and the other has the additional inscription “Beneath this simple stone, my beloved sleeps alone.”

As I continued to look at pictures, it occurred to me that often times a monument represents grief over the loss of an infant or child. So my first assumption of a prop depicting a wife mourning the loss of a husband was a limited perspective. A “Beloved” prop could be designed to express the grief of a mother who mourns the loss of a child. You might say, “If a woman is mourning the loss of a loved one, what difference does it make if it is a husband, child, or infant?” While it is true that you may not see a difference in body language, you might see a difference in the ornamentation used on the tomb. This would open more possibilities for how you want to design your prop to make it uniquely yours.

There is another detail that also offers flexibility. I’m designing my prop based on a dress I bought on eBay. However, many mourning figures are portrayed by simply using fabric to drape around a body. This effect could be recreated in a prop by loosely sculpting a body shape from wire, using a wig head, and draping the shape with burlap before applying monster mud. Sometimes the hands show and other times they don’t, so you can choose to attempt sculpting hands or just give an illusion of hands under the cloth. So don’t let the lack of the right dress or garment stop you from trying something different than what you have already seen.

Here are a few more pictures to study before I move on to ornamentation tomorrow. My mind is becoming over stimulated with possibilities now …

Thank you for visiting the House of Shadows Blog. Come back often!

Dedicated to Sophie

May 1993 - Nov 2007

It’s been a restful day and we have started putting up the decorations for Christmas. My husband is a huge fan of Christmas and loves to have the house decorated as soon as we can. I always feel we should at least wait until after Thanksgiving…but if he had his way we would have the house decorated for Christmas all year long. I have a useful tip for the ladies of the house; guys if you are reading it can just be our secret. I don’t like to decorate for holidays until I have done a thorough house cleaning. So in exchange for my agreement to get the Christmas decorating done, my husband cleaned all the hardwood floors, so ladies don’t forget to negotiate for those good bargains at home. Now before you guys feel too bad for my husband let me tell you our floors have a Swedish oil finish and all you have to do is mop with water mixed with a touch of vinegar…and I have an electric floor cleaner that makes it a snap. But even with those conveniences, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate his help around the house.

As I plan my Halloween projects for the year, I can see some of my ideas will work for both holidays. And I have promised my hubby I’ll make a large Nutcracker prop for next Christmas and a life-size Santa for the year after. I have a beautifully illustrated book with a Nutcracker on the cover that will be my inspiration for the first project. I can see I’m going to be very busy in the studio next year.

When we put up the tree we always light the fire and drink hot chocolate. Our canary, Shakespeare, loves listening to Christmas music, especially if Bing Crosby is signing. Shakespeare adds an extra touch of festivity at Christmas by signing along with the music. We picked him up from the breeder right after Thanksgiving, eight years ago. His first experience with music at our house was the music of Christmas I think that’s why he enjoys it so much. Although Shakespeare loves classical music, and Frank Sinatra, his signing is always most animated when he listens to Christmas music.

Our dog Alistair is a Jack Russel Terrier with boundless energy and more than enough love for everything in life. He is nine years old and spent his first Christmas without his older sister, Sophie, last year. Sophie, our beloved Schnauzer, was six years old when I brought Alistair home. She was absolutely befuddled by this little creature. We had to follow her around with a towel to wipe the drool from her beard for two weeks because she was just so excited and confused by this puppy that all she did was constantly hover over him and drool. They were the best of buddies and it was difficult to put her down. She rests in a special place in my garden. We’ve watched the strangest phenomenon for over a year now. I planted a yellow pansy over her grave. It flowered all that first winter and into the spring. It continued to flower in the hot summer when all the other pansies died out. Sophie’s pansy gets full sun all day long…it should not have survived the summer sun. However, it’s never quit blooming since the day I planted it. In fact, as I write this Blog Sophie’s pansy is blooming just as bright and sunny as her personality was. I like to think it is her way of saying thank you for caring enough to do the right thing for me. She is missed but will never be forgotten.

Now on to the topic of the day. This is the second post of pictures I’m using to evaluate the expression of grief through body language to plan my “Beloved” project. If you are just joining us and want to catch up with this series you can go back to November 28 to start reading from the beginning. The pictures I’m posting today show the mourning figures in a horizontal position, which is the traditional position used for “Beloved” props I’ve seen. I find looking closely at pictures helps me develop a vision in my mind’s eye for how I want my project to look. I may see a hand gesture I like in one, ornamentation in another, fabric draping in another, etc. If these pictures provide a reference for you sometime in the future, then I’m meeting one of my goals for this Blog.

This series will continue tomorrow with a few more pictures of statuary and Tuesday I will begin to look at details of ornamentation. Until next time ….

Thank you for being our guest at the House of Shadows. You are invited to come back often!