 Question: How long does a piece take you to make?
Answer: The amount of time it takes to sit down and complete painting is not the same as the amount of time it takes to come up with an idea, figure out the composition and colors, and finally finish a painting. It also varies greatly depending on size, amount of colors, and amount of detail. Some paintings I finish up in a day or two. Some, take a year. Although, it’s not all time spent painting.  The first classic horror movies I watched were at the YMCA summer camp when I was around 8 years old. It was the mid 90s and I was sporting a pair of fancy LA Gear light up shoes which would light up like crazy during the more intense scenes.
 Album covers, gig flyers, and band merch were my first paid art projects. I would sneak into the graphic design computer lab at Kent State University, although that was not my major, and design all day. I couldn’t afford the Adobe design software and this was before their fantastic subscription model, so this was the only way. I know, I’m such a badass.
 Photo credit: Kyle Cheuvront Known as one of the most haunted places in Ohio. You may remember The Ohio State Reformatory, or Mansfield Reformatory, from the movie The Shawshank Redemption. Construction began in 1834, and housed about 5,235 prisoners at one point. In May 2019, I set up my art in one of the cell blocks for the Ohio Halloween & Haunters Convention.
 After years of searching, I’ve finally found a book club worthy of joining. The Spooky Little Book Club is run by Miranda, the blogger at Spooky Little Halloween Blog. It’s a group of like minded book lovers who want to read books that are spooky, supernatural, or fit in the Halloween culture.
 Outdoor festivals are tricky because you have to deal with things like high winds, rain, heat, dogs, children, Port a Potties, questionable food trucks, set up and tear down, and fitting everything into your car. There is a lot to think about.
 This year I'm participating in the Spooky Little Halloween's card exchange. Basically you send a Halloween card and get one back in return. Your Halloween card can be handmade, store bought, a cool thrift store find, whatever you want.
 My first trip to Denver, CO had to include one thing, a ghost tour at The Stanley Hotel. Most people know The Stanley Hotel because it was the inspiration for Stephen King’s novel, The Shining. Or, from the movie Dumb and Dumber. Yep, the stairs where Lloyd trips Mary is at The Stanley. Race you to the top!
 We were on our way to the Nashville Film Festival. I was driving, my sister sitting next to me, and my Mom was in the back seat.
My Mom suddenly asks, “So, why is your art so dark now?” It’s a valid question. See, I used to paint a lot of tropical themes, mermaids, palm trees. So, now that I’m suddenly making shadowy figures, ghosts, and rats I guess that would be confusing.  Believe it or not, Nashville’s art scene does consist of more than mason jars and distressed wood. There is a killer, weird art scene here. It’s just not as in your face as some of the other types of artwork. Which is a shame, really.
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