White Cat in Autumn Grove...

With far, far too many profound emotions and words to say, and not nearly enough time or space to reveal them... I remain silent, content instead to feel these emotions swirling inside me, after having spent this past Halloween down at the remote camp site at Daves Hollow with our small group of dear friends. These are the times that mean the most to me, deeply and spiritually, celebrating the true meaning of All Hallow's Eve.

While there on Halloween night, I finally got the chance to scatter some of Yeti's ashes during the evening, keeping the rest to put in a special urn I have at home on my desk.

I constantly thought about how terribly I missed my tiny white cat with the vivid green eyes - my funny, smart, extremely vocal constant companion of over 17 years - as we were on our way home. It's a truly lovely drive in breathtakingly beautiful country, and the day was one of those that makes you feel so very alive: a vibrant autumn offering that was crisp and chilly yet sunny, with puffy clouds stippled against the sky like marshmallows melting in a hot cup of blue curacao. Yeti was an unrepentant sun worshipper, and used to go with me for walks in the sun on days like this, where she'd stop and position herself for maximum ray absorption. To say the realization of this first autumn without her was painful is certainly an understatement, and I kept fighting tears as we drove on.

Mark and I decided to stop at a small antique store near Fayetteville that we'd passed by on many occasions and always swore we'd go in and have a little walkabout one of these days. As we pulled up, I saw an incredibly vivid grove of trees that absolutely burst in fall foliage colors. Red fire, orange fire, burnished gold and bronze, evergreen, all framed by a huge sleeping craggy brown oak. Seeing stuff like that always makes my heart and soul sing; no better way to describe it.  

I got my camera out to snap off a few photos, and as I looked again, I noticed it: a tiny white cat sitting in the sun.

Perhaps she just dropped in to say hello to Mom...

So much to catch up on!...

A very well-defined orb, above Mark's head
The haunted Hermitage Hotel looms beyond...!

I have so many photos from so many events to finish, and so much to post about here:

The Horror Hootenanny... Doc Satan's Halloween Hoedown... Mount Olivet Cemetery... and of course, Halloween night spent with our small close group of friends down in Daves Hollow.

Just a few of the Jack O'Lanterns carved, plus the Ofrenda
at Daves Hollow on Halloween night

Yes, it will all get done... in time! Time is a precious commodity, and we never seem to have enough of it, do we.

I'm realizing I seriously need to reorganize this site, and set up a separate page for each event to properly convey the photos I take - and lordy, I seem to take a LOT, judging by the count of pics on my Canon: 1,010 of them! And that's just this past month's worth! Eeek.

Guess no time like the present to enjoy time off this Autumn, and get busy doing it all. Keep ya posted!

A lone tree I call 'The Sentinel' as dusk falls
across the way from our campsite at Daves Hollow

Late in All Hallows Eve, and it seems a lot of
spirits are out and about!

Doc Satan's Halloween Hoedown!

Just a few daytime pics from our huge Halloween party last Saturday, taken a couple hours before all the action of the evening...

Sam (the character from 'Trick or Treat') beckons you
to walk down the path and join us at the Bonfire

The Cemetery (homage to 45 Grave's classic, landmark album
on tombstone in rear) 

Jack Effigy welcomes you!

StumpHenge gateway and Mr. Bones

Closeup of Sam, who became the highlight of the party
(I created him from mixed materials)

Happy Birthday, Bela Lugosi...

Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó

Born on this day in the town of Lugos, Hungary, from which he took his stage name of 'Lugosi.'

A very handsome, distinguished man of stage and screen. So much of his look reminds me of my Daddy, from the black hair to the piercing blue eyes that sparkled when he smiled. 

Yes, Bela, you gave me nightmares. Thank you, good sir. You are missed.

RIP - October 20, 1882 - August 16, 1956

The Monster Factory: in high gear!

Having rendered herself un-employed (as of yesterday, yay!) in order to devote her complete waking hour energies to full-time monster making, she began to question her sanity... but was pleased as punch with the creations issuing forth from her studio.

A bevy of Monster heads and Zombie babies 

I just wish somebody would actually *PAY ME* to do this... perhaps one day?

ZomBaby beckons you!

The 2011 Horror Hootenanny in Nashville...

I have SO many photos to process (over 250) and so much to say about it... but just don't have the proper time to devote right now, so I'll leave it at this: it was a BLAST! A stellar success and the most fun I've had since last year's Hoot. Dr. Gangrene did a great job, as did everyone else who was a part of it. Of course, I went overboard on the ghoulish monster makeup (see pic below) but it was to be expected. I think the bald cap and pointy ears freaked a lot of people out... hee hee hee.

Mark and me, scarin' things up at the 2011 Hootenanny

Overall, a great turnout of people, many fantastic bands... and I'm already at work on the next one!

Dr. Gangrene and Sheree "Little Bloody Dead Bo Peep"

Me and Sheree with the awesome Wolfie Von Crud
from the Creeping Cruds

By far, this guy was the scariest zombie in the place!
A truly amazing makeup job!

Sheree and me pose for our latest 'portrait'

I have LOTS more photos to come in the next few days.

Thank you, Ray Bradbury...

For all the magic you sprinkled inside my head. It germinated, took root, and grew into long, craggly branches of fertile things both wonderful and scary. October autumns always feel like a Bradbury novel to me, and to so many of my friends here in Nashville.

"Martin knew it was autumn again, for Dog ran into the house bringing wind and frost and a smell of apples turned to cider under trees. In dark clock-springs of hair, Dog fetched goldenrod, dust of farewell-summer, acornhusk, hair of squirrel, feather of departed robin, sawdust from fresh-cut cordwood, and leaves like charcoals shaken from a blaze of maple trees. Dog jumped. Showers of brittle fern, blackberry vine, marsh-grass sprang over the bed where Martin shouted. No doubt, no doubt of it at all, this incredible beast was October!"

- The Emissary, Ray Bradbury

Day of the Dead Cackling Coffin

I've finally finished the grand bit of handmade swag that Sheree and I (as our Wicked Witch Productions biz) will be giving away at this year's Horror Hootenanny in Nashville. I sent a few photos to Larry (Dr. Gangrene) and he absolutely loved it! 

(I am less than happy at how the photos turned out - this thing looks a helluva lot better in person)

Deep purple on the outside, encrusted with faux jewels, stars, and roses in an homage to Dia de los Muertos. The skull and swirly leaves below it are crafted from Sculpey, and painted with an array of acrylic paints and sealed with a satin finish.

The inside was lined with a really fabulous blood-red crushed velvet that Mark found for me at a neighbor's yard sale.

When you open the lid, the coffin makes an evil cackling sound. As I was trying to finish lining it, I grew tired of hearing the ongoing laughter, so I came up with the idea of placing something over the light sensor to keep it quiet but easy to remove in order to hear it. I found a tiny resin rose with a sticky back that I put over the sensor, and came up with a poem:

Remove the Rose and you will hear

The laughter of the Dead

Return the Rose and then the Dead

Will sleep in Peace again...

I'm also including a scroll I made about the origins and rituals of Dia de los Muertos that I rolled up and tied with a black satin ribbon which will go inside the coffin. And I have to say, I had a total ball making this, as my creativity just flowed like water. The weather had turned cool and breezy and very Autumn-y as I sat in my studio with the side door opened wide, playing inspiring music like Dead Can Dance (very appropriate, eh?), watching early fall leaves float down to the ground, and feeling like Halloween was just around the corner. 

Well, I plan on doing a whole bunch more of these as my signature 'Day of the Dead Coffin Cackler' series, and will really go to town with the designs, get truly ornate and wild them. I already fashioned a whole slew of skulls that are ready to be used for this purpose (some which are made from that fun glow in the dark plasticene clay!).

Oooh I 'm so excited about this being given away at the show in October! 

Sculpting Skulls!

A sculpting I will go, a sculpting I will go....


Just a small selection of the many skulls that will be used this Halloween. The large one in the lower center will likely end up as a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) skull, as it's got a certain innate character of such to it. 

The three on top were made from a fab glow in the dark polymer clay that I was not so sure of in the beginning because it was very soft, like trying to sculpt a marshmallow! Once I mastered it, however, and baked 'em in the oven, I was pleased with the results. Plus they glow a really cool greenish hue! Mark created the one in the upper center, BTW. I tore off a small chunk of the stuff, handed it over to him, and commanded him to sculpt a skull. I like his, it's got a definite unique charm! Not bad for a first timer, eh?

Ok. Back to the studio I go!


Back again... have painted a couple of these today. Boy, it was fun sitting home alone in my studio on this chilly, blustery day, listening to Halloween music and creating cool seasonal art. I could get used to this, I tell you!

My Dia de Los Muertos skulls

***UPDATED*** - The Man of a Thousand Faces

(UPDATED! - see end of article for additional information)
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Lon Chaney is solely responsible for giving me two very important things in my life.

The stuff of nightmares

The first being the earliest and scariest nightmares I can recall having as a kid.

Seeing him as Erik, the lead in the 1925 silent film masterpiece The Phantom of the Opera frightened me so much, I could not sleep alone in my bed for weeks. I was very young, perhaps five or maybe six years old at the most, and when Mom tried to put me to bed for the night, I cried and carried on and begged to sleep in that big, safe bed of hers and Daddy's. I know that she regretted having let me watch the movie, as surely she did for all the ensuing monster movies I just had to watch over my inquisitive, formative years and was of course mortally terrified by. 

In my mind's eye, I kept seeing that pivotal moment of the movie, where Christine (portrayed by Mary Philbin) sneaks up behind Erik as he plays the organ... and then pulls off his mask to reveal the deformed and utterly hideous features that lie beneath. I'm sure everyone can attest to having been freaked out by that unforgettable scene, solely by the expression of sheer horror Chaney gives the camera: his mouth agape in a silent rictus of terror, revealing the mangled dentition within; his eyes threatening to pop from the horrendous skull which contains them. 

The Phantom unmasked!

I could not shake that image for weeks - and you know, it still haunts me even to this day. The graininess of this dark, atmospheric movie and the pitch of the organ music only served to further embed permanent fear within the limbic portion of my brain, and no matter how many times I have seen it, I anticipate this eerie moment to relive my gut terror all over again. How delicious it is!

Studio publicity of 1925 claimed that the more delicate members of the audience swooned and outright fainted at that revealing moment, and I can totally believe it, because it truly takes one's breath away the first time you see it. It was such an astounding makeup job, the likes of which the early movie industry had never before seen. 

And that is the second most important thing that Chaney gave me - not just my love of silent movies and monsters and all things spooky, but the desire to become as adept as he was in the art of makeup and transformation. He literally changed the burgeoning  film trade by his astonishing skills of flawlessly metamorphosing his physical self into whatever character he was playing - and the man was an undeniable genius at it, which is why he earned the title "The Man of a Thousand Faces." Chaney only hinted at (yet never completely revealed) his innovative techniques, which is a good thing - I say, let 'em all wonder how it was done. A magician never reveals his tricks, right? 


(Legend goes that Chaney used puffs of cotton to enhance his cheek bones, matted down with copious amounts of spirit gum and glue, and utilized fish hooks to pull his nostrils up and flared wide, secured by gluing them underneath fish skin - yes, the actual skin of fish - to his forehead. I can only imagine how incredibly painful and smelly it must have been, but the effect paid off with his tortured performance as the long-suffering Phantom.) 

Like the old saying goes, 'One must suffer for one's art,' and in Chaney's case, that much was proven true.

Lon Chaney (R) and his most infamous role (L)

Of course, Chaney was famous for so many more films (including the Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Unholy Three, and the long-lost London After Midnight), but to many, it was his role as the macabre Phantom that is cemented in the collective consciousness of movie buffs and historians the world over.


In this day of CGI overload, I find it a breath of fresh air to view this film and still revel anew at the artistry which only the human hand and pure imagination could create. I know I am not alone here, with the subsequent legions of makeup artists including Dick Smith, Rob Bottin, Stan Winston, Rick Baker et al, who too were inspired - and initially scared shitless - by the pioneering legacy of the late, great Lon Chaney.


The Chaney legacy is kept alive by Ron Chaney, great-grandson of Lon, whose family operates LonChaney.com. It is an awesome site, full of Chaney memorabilia past and present that you can view and, yes, even purchase. 
Please click the link above and visit it!  

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***UPDATE*** September 1, 2011


I am floating on air!!! I am so excited to have received an autograph from none other than Mr. Ron Chaney himself! Here's what transpired: 

In my ongoing mania of late revisiting all things Chaney/Phantom, I purchased the astounding PHANTOM OF THE OPERA classic silents series book from LonChaney.com. This is an historic account of the entire genesis of the story, from Gaston Leroux's original novel to the Hollywood production and beyond. There are so many never before seen photos detailing how the silent film came to be, it made my head spin. I mean, most of these photos have pretty much been lost to time or just plain misplaced and forgotten in our modern day, but to me, the silent film fanatic, it's a treasure trove. I loved seeing actual photographs of the stage that the studio built for it (which faithfully recreated the Paris Opera house) and still stands to this day. And yes, many revealing test shots of Lon Chaney's makeup, instilling the childhood terror in me all over again. The moment this book arrived in the mail, I pored over it, and continued to do so late into the night while in bed, even as my tired eyes were closing in sheer exhaustion. I simply could not put it down. 

A glossy, black, handsome 300-plus page documentary-like book, it also includes the original script, production notes, interviews with cast and crew, and, dear God, so much more. Drool, drool, drool.

Oh yes - before I continue to babble away, how did Mr. Chaney's signature come to me? 

Inside the package that contained the book was also a plastic envelope protector which held an envelope with Chaney Enterprises letterhead. On this envelope was also a much coveted 32 cent postage stamp commemorating the Phantom of the Opera, and right below it, there it was, personalized to me... 

A close-up view:

It will be framed and hung in a place of honor.

***UPDATE!*** - The Haunting of Castle GreenFuzz!

A short note here...

We are preparing for our bi-annual Halloween party up here in the hills! Many fun and freaky things are in the plans to transpire all around the property. The entire back yardage and a goodly sized section of our woods will be filled with yard haunts of all sizes and themes. Mark and I are busily at work on a variety of spooky encounters during these last few hot months of summer. and cannot wait for our guests to witness them all. 

Our first is already up, and ready to induce thrills and chills! What is it, you ask? Well, if I told you, it would not be a surprise, now, would it? Let's just say that, you'll SHIT when you see it!

***UPDATE!***


August 29th - a few additions to the ongoing Haunt here at Castle GreenFuzz includes an antique wheelchair. This squeaky, all-wood with rattan woven seat is an early 20th century gem we found (on Craigslist, believe it or not!). It lends a very creepy vibe to the yard, and will be even more so once it is carrying an 'occupant' (TBA). We set up a quick photo shoot the other night with Mr. Bones and his ever-present bottle of Jack Daniels, right next to the 'Haunted Outhouse' in the 'Funhouse' section of the yard. Yes, kids, we have a HAUNTED outhouse, complete with special effects.


And that's all we're telling... for now. 

A Peek into the Pumpkin patch...

I know, I know, I'm jumping the gun here but do you blame me, fellow Halloween fanatics?

Found this awesome interactive site: Crumpkin's Pumpkins. It's chock-full of colorful graphics, spooky music, even a gift shop with all sorts of Samhein swag. In spite of having tons of housework to do, I slacked off by spending the better part of an hour just cruising around the site, moving my cursor around to experience every hidden goody and finding myself getting VERY excited over it! Pumpkin porn it is, I tell you! Drool... Well, needless to say, the fact that it's less than ninety days till Halloween lights a fire under my hiney to get things in order. 

Since July, Mark and I have been going over initial plans on the layout of the yard. We have several acres to fill full of fun and fright for our party in October - no small task for sure. But it's okay, that alone gets my heart pumping and my creativity flowing like mad. There will be many different stations and themes all throughout our property, including a walk through our Haunted Woods. To say we're striving for LEGENDARY status this year is a serious understatement!

Needless to say, in the meantime, we are all absolutely hating the hot, muggy summertime weather, which seemingly drags by at an agonizing pace each day. Ugh, so much sun! The past couple days have brought rain and plenty of thunder and lightning, so a small respite from the heat was temporarily had. Another day closer to The Day... it's all about inching toward the vivid Autumn colors and cooler days and nights, where we get to indulge in revelry with friends and family and enjoy the fruits of the harvest.

But do check out the site below first. Take your time exploring everything, there are surprises around every corner... just like our home!

Click on link below to visit Crumpkin's Pumpkins!

http://www.crumpkinspumpkins.com/#page_top

A Wonderful Autumn, full of Love and Fun!

Mark and I had a blast as usual, filled with fun, songs, friends, food, and more love than I ever could have imagined. Here is a photo of us taken at the Halloween show the Exotic Ones and Secret Commonwealth put on this year in Nashville.

Like our motto says: Growing older is mandatory, but growing up is optional!

Have a happy and meaningful All Hallow's Eve...

Be safe, remember with love and respect the ones who have passed, and most importantly, have a good time making new memories!

I spent Friday, October 29, with dear friends Ethan and Gwen at Mt. Olivet cemetery in Nashville

Halloween tales, pumpkins, friendship, and midnight dancing...

And oh, it was wondrous, indeed!

The Last One Out (the Halloween play our friend, John Davis, wrote and directed) saw a sold-out performance last night at Encore Theater. 

Our freshly carved Jack O'Lanterns and corn stalks await you at theater's entrance

The Secret Commonwealth played live before the show and during intermission. People in the audience laughed, gasped, cried, and laughed again... reliving their own childhoods and coming-of-age in a magical two hours among mutual friends and family. 

John Davis, the maker of magical things

I'm sad that the play's run ends today, but am so proud of John for bringing it to life.

The awesome cast of The Last One Out takes a final bow

Needless to say, Mark gave the show a remarkable and poignant performance as the narrator/grown up version of Jack Daves. Honey, I salute you, and am proud beyond words. Kisses and huggies!

Stopped by two pumpkin patches yesterday on our way out to the show and in the late afternoon autumn sunlight, was bedazzled by the sights and smells and colors that can only be conjured properly during this time of year. The first one was in West Meade, the second, out in the beautiful countryside in Lebanon. Both were delightful! It was a perfect day for reveling amongst the gourds, too, with a dry, cool wind a-blowin' in the bluest of blue skies. 

Blue autumn skies and corn stalks and hay bales and pumpkins...these are a few of my favorite things!

I could live in a pumpkin patch all the time, surrounded by fat gourds, vivid buckets of chrysanthemums, and framed by the striking foliage hues. 

Pumpkins so numerous and colorful, lining up as if they were fat puppies waiting to be adopted.

So many fine, plump gourds! So little time. 

I'll take this one!

There were a few varieties I have not really seen before - namely, the 'Fairy Tale' (aka Cinderella pumpkin) type, which I am completely enamored with. They truly had a supernatural quality to them, and you can easily imagine Cinderella's carriage being transformed from one of them. 

The Fairy Tale pumpkin lives up to its moniker!

It came in several resplendent shapes and colors

Is it possible to fall in love with a pumpkin? Well, maybe not in the traditional sense, of course... but I did. Mark anticipates me bringing home at least a dozen of these exquisite specimens. I'm anxious to grow some of them as well, and will create another new pumpkin patch in our yard early next spring. 

Whimsical hay bales added a cute creative touch

Lest we forget - we carved our own pumpkins yesterday morning. What a joy that is. 

Let the fun begin!

If I could do this once a month (as opposed to just once a year), I'd be a much happier person. Not that I'm sad, mind you, I just derive so much pleasure from it!

Mmm! Guts!

We don't simply toss out the innards - nay! Our kitchen gets mighty busy as we cook plenty of marvelous dishes, from roasting the seeds, to harvest breads and muffins and even a Native American stew with pumpkin, sweet potato, onions and corn. Ahh, the smells emanating from the kitchen are hypnotic: cinnamon and allspice and ginger and nutmeg...

It nourishes both body and soul. 

Lighting the way in our kitchen

John's hearse emanated mystery and magic in anticipation of Halloween