Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Avoiding Mrs. Churchstone

"Avoiding Mrs. Churchstone"
©2015 Julie L Miller/HaggisVitae Studio

Time for another pumpkin-headed being to walk the streets. Meet Mrs. Churchstone. She is quite sweet though the town folk may disagree.

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF FALL!




Thursday, July 30, 2015

Lots of new lamps from my ole brain box...

I've been working quite a bit lately, prepping for the Philly Folk Fest. It's a huge event, so I'm truly stressing over having enough inventory. If it all sells, I will be dancing in the streets... I'll even wear bells on me feetsies! Getting started and set up to do these outdoor festivals is an expensive proposition. Will be whirling ecstatically like a dervish if I make back what I've spent. Maybe?.... please? ;)

New lights are happening. And I have to say, I'm so happy with each and every one, for different reasons. They will be hard to part with. Sometimes I feel like I need to hold on to a piece for a while, and get to know it and live with it, other times, I don't feel as attached. These guys I'm really attached to. One has already sold (Signals), and there are some request for info about a few others. If you have any interest in any of these, just email me or message me through my Facebook artist's page. Or, if you'd like a custom lamp designed with your ideas incorporated. I can even use family photos, etc. Just so it fits in with my aesthetic, I'm happy to work with you! In other words, no purple unicorns leaping happily over rainbows. Think dark, vintage, dusty, science-y. If you're not sure, just ask.

UPDATE:  SOLD! Most recently completed is "Bestiary" which has Medieval mythological monsters as its theme. This one contains a glass eyeball charm with a connected vintage watch gear, an image of some crazy12-legged beast of the dark ages, an ancient key, a dark lizard winding it's way nicely along the top, standing guard. Along the bottom there's vintage braiding. I tinted some handmade papers for the top of this that allow the gold paint to sparkle through. The colors are sort of golden/golden green and jewel tones with lots of darkness intermingled in the design. If you are interested in purchasing this one, just click here.
"Bestiary" by Julie Miller


"Bestiary" by Julie Miller

"Bestiary" by Julie Miller

"Bestiary" by Julie Miller

"Bestiary" by Julie Miller



"Signals" This one incorporates a mandible, brass bells from India, a small glass cabochon with the face of a cherub, and various anatomical illustrations. The feet are copper leafed.





Next, working backward is this ode to the bats of the world, "Mad As The Night." Created this one in an old beehive clock case that was a bland dark brown. Added details like a vintage moon glass cabochon, a large rusted washer, aged silk cording, handmade paper (the patterned red you see), a vintage cabinet hardware closure, some mammal bones found by a friend, and some leather braiding at the bottom.




And the first one I made using one of the bones (found in the woods by a good friend and gifted to me in a bag... I love my friends), is called "Osteographia." This is a small nightlight sized piece just as the first one in this blog post. I will be so sad to see 'im go, but he is going to a good home! Materials include, a mammal femur (again, a gift from a friend found in her back yard), vintage medical illustrations, a small glass vial of pigment, and a heart glass cabochon (as well as metal bits and wires and such.)


Last but not least is this piece with one fish, that turns into a bunch of fish when the light is turned on. The quote is "Below the surface, there is no alone." So the title of the piece is "Below The Surface, There Is No Alone."This little lovely incorporates a little fly/wasp glass cabochon, antique braiding (around sides and back), upholstery tacks, a small glass vial containing fish bones (found in seagull uhhhh, regurgitations near my sisters house on the Chesapeake), and one of the brass domes I had custom made in India! Phewww... that's a lot of stuff. When the light is off, our fish friend swims alone, but after dark, when the light is on, his friends come out in numbers.





Thanks for having a look, and again, if you are interested in any of them just contact me or head to my website where I have them for sale, and do it soon, as these lights seem to get snapped up very quickly. If you can, come on out to the Philly Folk Fest! Look for the tent with all the HaggisVitae signage.

Cheers!

Sunday, July 5, 2015

This Fading Half-light

From my newest Children of the Apocalypse series. These are more serious than my other Vintage Fictions pieces that end up being full of dark whimsy. I think it's the music I'm listening to when creating them. Steven Wilson's "Hand. Cannot. Erase" and Sufjan Stevens's "Carrie and Lowell"—both CDs about loss and death. Sounds depressing but both are very beautiful, thought-provoking, introspective, and poetic.


"This Fading Half-light"
by Julie Miller
©2015 Julie Miller/HaggisVitae Studios 

So check out those two CDs and see what they bring out in your own creative endeavors. Would love to hear what music inspires you to create. Leave me a comment. I'm always looking for new suggestions.


Saturday, July 4, 2015

Turn On Your Bug Light

This new little one is called, "A Minor Insect King." It stands about 6" high and has a little night light bulb inside for a soft glow. I loves 'im. He is currently seeking a forever home and is available on my website.





Friday, July 3, 2015

Philly Folk Fest is approaching way too quickly!


I promised that this year I'd be much more faithful to my blog. Well, wow did I suddenly get busy. This is a good thing, and maybe a lesson in not putting too much pressure on myself. It's now July but really beautiful outside here in PA. I'm in my studio working which makes me truly joyous. Right now I'm busy scrambling to get a huge inventory of things ready to populate my tent at the Philadelphia Folk Fest in mid August. I'm a bit nervous about a show this big when I really have only done one other outdoor festival and it was just a day event. Anyway, I'm producing work that I'm really pleased with. Would love it if everyone could come out and support the musicians as well as all the artisans in the marketplace section of the fest, which as I'm told, is just inside the main entrance. Look for me and my huge banner that says "HaggisVitae Studios."
Tweak the pup loves the banner!



I'll also have these three pieces sitting outside the booth, hopefully speaking to passers by, inviting them into my strange little world.


In addition to these painted pieces, I'll have pinback button sets, lots of monster paintings, some smaller raven paintings, vintage fictions pieces, limited edition fine art prints, posters, wallet cases and so much more. Come join me! I'd love to say hello. I'm sure it will be hot and crazy and fun and for this introvert, sensory overload. But I'll be there with bells on, probably literally.

AUGUST 14, 15, and 16, 2015


For more info click here.



Wednesday, January 14, 2015

My Artwork on a Billboard? Whaaaaaat?

Yes, it's true. I was one of six winners in the ArtPop competition to have my artwork displayed by Adams Outdoor Advertising on billboards throughout the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. I'm so excited I can't even put my feelings into words. ArtPop partnered with ArtsQuest and Adams to bring this program, already happening in Charlottle, NC to the Lehigh Valley. Please take a peep at my video and some stills from recent days. If you would, I'd love to have you follow ArtPop (not the Lady Gaga page) and support them. Wendy Hickey is really trying to spread the word and get this program started in many cities in the US and maybe eventually take it abroad. As always, thank you for your support. And if you want to see my billboard, it is on 476 (what was known as the northeast extension of the PA Turnpike) about 2 miles north of Allentown. The tough part is that you have to travel northbound to Jim Thorpe!!! Where you can do a u-turn and head back to Allentown. Two miles before Allentown, you'll see the billboard on the southbound side of 476 up on a hill. Would LOVE for you to share your thoughts with me.

OK, here are some videos and photos! First this little video I made...





Me looking like a dork, all proud and happy. Thank you husband Bill for taking these photos!


Below is a photo of the winners from left to right:

Theo Anderson, Olaf Starorypinsky, Michael Hess, Julie Miller (me), and Hong Tatt Foo. 
Matt Halm was the "People's Choice" winner through an online vote, but is not pictured here.


Hope you can all go see these billboards. It's artwork instead of advertising meant to make our area more beautiful. More on all this soon.

Till then, HAPPY NEW YEAR and stay well!


Thursday, December 18, 2014

A New Wee Art Lamp


Just finished this little art lamp today. It's called "A Wealth of Pennies" and is only about 7" high and 6 wide. It's got lines from a poem I wrote a while ago on the top and bottom front edges, "Tossing magic around like a wealth of pennies" and "Transmuting nickel silver into finest liquid gold."

I'll have to do a video of it so you can see all sides and see it switched on. Inside it has a wee candelabra night light bulb, so it's completely safe to have it enclosed. Makes for a nice warm glow.

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