Every day is a holiday at The Rare Hare Studio.......

Opening day at the Fulton Street Artisan Market,  over 100 vendors on display.  Join us as we celebrate the 10th year of FSMA

Fulton Street Artisan Market

This Sunday starts the opening day of the FSAM and the market is 10 years old this Sunday.  Join myself and many other talented artist's and crafter from 11am to 3pm

Come watch me and other artist paint live this Thursday for a live competitive art contest in Grand Rapids!

Join us on April 16th, Thursday, for an exciting night of Ultimate Painting. To battle their way into the international tournament, Local Grand Rapids artists will compete for the title of UP Event Champion and spot in the Regional Finals at the end of the season. Winners move on, all the way up to the Ultimate Painting US National and International Live Painting Championships.

UP35 – Grand Rapids, MI
Thursday, April 16th @ 7:00PM

The Pyramid Scheme
68 Commerce Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Tickets $10
http://ultimatepainting.com/event/up35/

WHAT IS ULTIMATE PAINTING?Ultimate Painting (UP) is a live event series celebrating artistic talent. Painters create their best work in only 20 minutes, across 3 rounds, while the audience votes to choose the winner. Music plays, drinks rise, and audiences witness paintings emerge from the minds of their favorite artists. Winners advance, and Art Stars are born!

Here comes Peter Cottontail.............
hopping down the bunny trail, hip-pity, hop-pity Easter's on its way.

Dressed in his Sunday best, Peter is all ready for Easter this year.

See him and more at The Rare Hare Studio Etsy store

Here comes Peter Cottontail,hoping down the bunny trail..................

Some rabbit portraits I have been working on.......

You can find them in my Etsy shop

   It has been quite a while since I have posted to this blog.  I am going to try and change that, do better, keep it up to date.  I have been painting and creating many new pieces.  Much more is swimming around in my mind waiting to be turned into reality. Many items have been added to my Etsy store.  I am also working on a new website and have some exciting upcoming events coming up this Spring and will continue sharing them here on this blog.

You can also find me on Facebook , Twitter @ rarehare1 and Instagram
 

Great Seducer

http://www.thalo.com/contests/view/791

Art in Caledonia

Open the Door
Promoting the Arts in Caledonia

Local artists from around the community are showing of their talents.  Go to the Arts in Caledonia Facebook page and "vote" (like) your favorite door.

 


My door entry

2014 Fulton Street ARTisan Market

Be sure and stop down to the market tomorrow and say hello.  The Fulton Street ARTisan Market is the place to be.  https://www.facebook.com/FultonStreetARTisansMarket    

Christmas Through Lowel

This weekend Christmas comes to Lowell, Michigan.  Over 500 artist and crafters will be offering their work for sale during this annual Holiday event.

You can find The Rare Hare Studio at house #20, Hangin with Friends on Cumberland Road. Artwork, handmade soaps and lotions, cards, turned wooden bowls, wall quilts, fresh pine swags and so much more is offered at this location.  Stop by and say hello and check out the news interview about the event below.

Christmas Through Lowell

 

Halloween Memories

Halloween Memories

            Not only is fall my favorite of the four seasons, but it also has my favorite holiday in it, Halloween.  I’m not sure if it’s the decorations I enjoy, orange and black, skulls, hissing cats and carved pumpkins with crooked smiles and glowing eyes or if it’s the idea of dressing up, pretending and being someone that I’m not even if it is just for one night.  

            I’m pretty sure my love for the holiday comes from my Mom and her Mother, my Grandma Ethel.  Grandma was a sewer and creative.  My Mom and her sister always had homemade costumes that Grandma had made as well as costumes for other cousins and neighbor kids.  We have old black and white pictures of the Devil, Little Bo Peep, Peter Pan, Santa Claus, and so many more beautifully made costumes.  My brothers and sister also had costumes like the Three Blind Mice that they wore each with little dark sun glasses.  My Grandma Ethel passed away when I was very young, I’m not sure if I was four or five, but I know she looked on as my Mom carried on her sewing of costumes for me as I grew up.

            Carving pumpkins was always Dads department.  The entire kitchen table was covered in old news paper.  He would cut the lids and get them ready to be cleaned out……..of course I would always wrinkle my nose and pull my hands away in disgust after just touching some of the pumpkin slime.  Dad would always clean out my pumpkin.  Once cleaned out the fun began. It was always a hard decision, should the pumpkin have slanted eyes or traditional triangle ones?  Should it have a smile with many crooked teeth or a big wide round mouth, it was always a thing to ponder?  Once the carving was done and candles were brought up from the basement and placed inside the pumpkins they were placed on the back porch where they were lit and glowed throughout the night.   

            Growing up in the country and going to a small rural school from kindergarten to 6^th grade things might have been a little different.  On Halloween it was a party, I’m sure the teachers did all they could do to try and teach on that day.  I remember we would have class till lunch and when we got back from lunch we would all be excused to put on our costumes.  Each class would line up outside and a parade was formed as we would walk through the streets of Mears.  Parents and Grandparents would line the side walk as well as Mears residents; it was such a fun and exciting time for every kid.  Back at the school cider and doughnuts would be handed out for the kids and community.

            As night grew closer on Halloween and after such excitement at school I remember always being so anxious.  After a quick dinner it was a staring contest between me and the clock on the wall.  Six pm could not come fast enough. The sky was always dark and growing darker, wind would howl through the trees and I would run across the street to the elderly neighbors for my first trick or treat stop, remember I grew up in the country and their house was the only one I could go to without needing a ride in the car.  We would make our way around our rural neighborhood going to family friends, maybe make a few stops in Mears and then head into Hart, the BIG city.  There were neighborhoods and houses were right next to each other and I could go from house to house collecting candy. As the night went on it would be quick stops at Aunts and Uncles homes, Cousins and close friends.  We always seemed to finish of the night at Uncle Marshals and Aunt Rhoda’s, to this day autumn is not complete until I have had the spice cookies that Aunt Rhoda always gave out for Halloween.  They were filled with all kinds of spices, crinkly and covered in sugar.  After she passed away it took me years to find the recipe, but I did.

            Once home Dad would get on the floor with me and we would dump out my bag of treats.  We would sort the candy, chocolate bars, sweet tarts, taffy, licorice; pop corn balls and the list would go on.  We would count each item and see how many pieces I got.  I would always give him the pieces I didn't like.  The night would come to an end and bed time was at hand but I always knew the candy would be there in the morning.

            Tomorrow is Halloween, as I’m sitting here writing this it brings back so many fond memories of Halloweens past.  Mental snap shots play through my mind of favorite costumes, trick or treating at family members homes that are no longer with us, carving pumpkins.  It was a magical time as a child and it still is, just because I grow older each year the magic of Halloween never fades.

Happy Halloween to all 

The Witch

    Historically the witchcraft label has been applied to practices people believe influence the mind, body, or property of others against their will or practices that the person doing the labeling believes undermine social or religious order. Some modern commentators believe the malefic nature of wit chcraft is a Christian projection. The concept of a magic-worker influencing another person's body or property against their will was clearly present in many cultures, as traditions in both folk magic and religious magic have the purpose of countering malicious magic or identifying malicious magic users. Many examples appear in ancient texts, such as those from Egypt and Babylonia. Malicious magic users can become a credible cause for disease, sickness in animals, bad luck, sudden death, impotence and other such misfortunes. Witchcraft of a more benign and socially acceptable sort may then be employed to turn the malevolence aside, or identify the supposed evil-doer so that punishment may be carried out. The folk magic used to identify or protect against malicious magic users is often indistinguishable from that used by the witches themselves

The History of the Witches Broom

            Brooms have long been connected with witchcraft, almost universally portrayed as medieval-style round brooms and associated with female witches.  Despite the association with women, in 1453, the first known case of claiming to have flown on a broomstick is recorded, confessed by the male witch Guillaume Edelin. There are, however, prior records of witches flying on sticks or similar objects, usually that had been first greased with a magical flying ointment.

            Anecdotally, the broom served another purpose during periods of persecution. Witches and other magic practitioners would disguise their wands as broom sticks to avoid suspicion. It is also a tradition that brooms have been used by some as receptacles to harbor temporarily a particular spirit.

            Today the broom is included in lists of ritual tools in many pagan guide books, where it is often referred to as a besom. A broom is sometimes laid at the opening of some covens' rossets. Representing the Element of Air, brooms are utilized in the purification of areas. They are used to sweep ritual circles clean of negative energy. The high priestess or high priest walks clockwise, traces the cast circle and sweeps with the broom a few inches off the ground. This practice can be used in addition to or in place of incense to purify a ritual space. It is often employed by those allergic to incense, and during rituals practiced in smoke-free areas. It is also a technique associated with "kitchen witches" who use what's on hand to work spells.

            As a tool of purification, decorative brooms are sometimes hung near doors to cleanse those entering a house.

The History of:
The Jack-O'-lantern
The Jack-O'-lantern first showed its glowing face many years ago in Ireland.  Legend has it that they are named after a miser named Jack.  This old man was said to be so greedy that when he dies he could not enter heaven, and the devil wouldn't take him because he would always play mean tricks on him. As a result, Jack was doomed to walk the earth until Judgement Day.  People in England and Ireland originally carved beets, turnips and potatoes to make their lanterns.  After the custom reached American carving faces in pumpkins became the accepted tradition.  Happy Halloween

Many new items in The Rare Hare Studio Etsy shop

So many new items have been added to the Etsy shop at The Rare Hare Studio, Halloween, Fall, Christmas and so many other categories are over flowing with original one of a kind art pieces.  Stop by and see....

Final FSAM day for the season........

Another Fulton Street Artisan Market is coming to an end.  This coming Sunday, October 7 will be the final day of the 2012 season market.  Many great artisans are still planning to be there, stop by for wonderful hand crafted art, perfect gifts for the up coming holiday season.

The Rare Hare Studio will be there with new Halloween items, watercolor paintings and many other unique items.

Images of Fall......

Nature's beauty at its finest....

End of Summer

The days are growing shorter, the nights are cooler and autumns bounty is ripe on the vine.  Sure signs that Fall is on its way. 

As we move in to my favorite time of year my studio is over flowing with fabrics and paper in orange and black, pumpkins, witches and little black cat's. 

Some exciting news is coming soon from The Rare Hare Studio. Be sure and stop back to see what it is.

Hints of Fall.......

For me one of the signs of fall are pumpkins, gourds, and squash. I'm currently working on a series of acrylic paintings.........Come on Fall

It has been way to long....

It has been way to long since I have been here and I'm actually embarrassed to see how long it has been. I will try my best to stay better in touch and start posting more of my work. You can find me most Sundays now through the end of September at the Fulton Street Artisan Market in Grand Rapids from 11am to 3pm.

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