Visit me on Patreon!

www.Patreon.com/TheMidsummersNightMasquerade

I am now on Patreon!   I will be posting most of my work on Patreon from now on. This includes, my blogging...which is pretty much me musing out-loud about ideas and thoughts and that sort of thing... photos of my work-in-progress...stuff I'm working on, shots as I go.... any 'behind the scenes' kind of stuff, lots of up-close 'detail' pics of my art which you may not see anywhere else, and future videos I hope to soon be making of my art and progress. As well as, the periodic sale codes for my Etsy shop, which only my Patreon Supporters will be able to access.

Here's the deal...  I've got a page set up on Facebook, but with Facebook's algorithms, even though I am closing in on 700 Followers, hardly anyone is seeing my posts. Which is EXTREMELY disappointing and upsetting to me, of course, and hopefully to those who have chosen to follow my art, too.

With Patreon you are able to see each and every post I make and if you decide to become a Patron of my art, which enables you to help support me in making more and better art content, then you are privvy to the above-mentioned 'work-in-progress' posts, which also includes up-coming tutorials, too.   These are the Rewards a Patron would receive in helping to support my art...access to "behind the scenes" stuff! :D

You can donate anywhere from $1 a month to $10, or more. It's entirely up to you, the Patron, and you can stop and cancel whenever you want with no problems or guilt. However much you can afford is greatly appreciated. :)

You don't 'have' to pay to see my art, of course...I post it on my Facebook and Instagram and periodically even to my Pinterest and Deviantart. BUT, the 'behind the scenes' content will be staying solely on Patreon very soon. I'm working on getting everything switched over as I go. And all the bonus Rewards stuff will 'only' be accessible to my Patreon Supporters. So there are all sorts of benefits to Following my art on Patreon vs anywhere else.
Plus, if you have questions or want to comment, you can do it right on the post and I'll be able to answer you back quickly. :D

Feel free to drop in and say Hi! on Patreon, and whether you choose to become a Supporter or not, you are always welcome to hang out and see what I'm posting to the public, too! :)

www.patreon.com/TheMidsummersNightMasquerade

Greenman Mushrooms

My next logical step up from mushrooms was....Greenman Mushrooms!!!

Each one was handsculpted using Sculpey's Original polymer clay in white and then carefully painted by hand with acrylic paints.

My first one was small and grumpy looking, but really cute and I was soo proud of him!!

 

The next one was larger and MUCH grander, in my opinion...I immediately fell in love with this one. I spent HOURS just painting him. I was trying a watercolor effect technique, which involves lots of layering of watered down acrylic paint. But well worth it!

This one I call, The Autumn Greenman Mushroom!

 

And come Spring, with all the trees budding and the flowers blooming, I had to create this lovely Lady:

I call her The Spring Mushroom Goddess

*She is covered in a multitude of leaves and flowers from butterfly bush spikes, in a variety of colors ...which have attracted a couple of blue butterflies, to a mane of pink and apricot colored rose petals around her face.

I admit to having had a hard time capturing a feminine look to her face after having done the earlier grumpy old-men looking Greenmen...but I think I finally was able to capture the feminine essence in her face. :)

Her mushroom cap, much like the earlier Autumn Greenman Mushroom, is imprinted with knotwork designs and carefully painted in a gradient from light to dark.

My smallest Greenman Mushroom is currently available for purchase in my Etsy shop:
www.etsy.com/shop/MidsummersNightMasq

And now you can find my artwork and more in-depth posts on Patreon!  If you would like to help me to make more and better art, please consider becoming my Patron:

www.Patreon.com/TheMidsummersNightMasquerade

'Whimsical Garden Mushrooms'

Prior to creating my Faery Lanterns, I had decided to pick up some Sculpey polymer clay my fiancee had left laying around the house and play with it myself.    I had been seeing these adorable garden mushrooms all over the place and figured that since I couldn't afford to buy any myself, maybe I'd try making my own.

My first little mushroom really wasn't all that great...but I got better with each one:

And there were more, of course, but this gives you a good idea.   I came to call these my 'Whimsical Garden Mushrooms'.   I made over 20 in a spam of roughly a week...and it actually took me longer to paint these things than to sculpt them!  

Turns out, I have a natural talent for sculpting...pretty cool!!!

I've been selling my handsculpted, polymer clay, garden mushrooms in my etsy:
www.etsy.com/shop/MidsummersNightMasq

I've kinda paused on making those as I keep coming up with new stuff I want to sculpt, but these are fun, so I'm sure I'll be coming back to them before too long. :)

~

And now you can find my artwork and more in-depth posts on Patreon!  If you would like to help me to make more and better art, please consider becoming my Patron:

www.Patreon.com/TheMidsummersNightMasquerade

Faery Lanterns

I haven't posted in a while, but I've been busy. Always creating!!

With the recent new Fairy Jars I was struck with inspiration. I took that idea and added my own twist to it. Faery Lanterns!   My Faery Lanterns are decorated with handsculpted polymer clay accents.  A friend recently commented that in adding these additional clay details, I've created a scene in which the Fairy lives, and not just a jar for her to be captured in.
-This was really neat as I wasn't conscious of this effect 'till she had pointed it out.

I had the idea shortly after watching a YouTube video of Pixie Hill's Fairy Jars and then later a polymer clay video which used these lovely little lantern jars. Inspiration just about knocked me out of my chair!!
-I immediately set to scribbling down notes full of ideas for my own Faery Lanterns and I was thrilled once I had all of my supplies in hand and was ready to start on my first one.  And they have each turned out beautifully!

My very first one:

I was really happy with how this one turned out, it was so cute!!  

And then I had to create a 2nd one:

With each new one, I wanted to try something new, something a bit different than the one before.  So, the 3rd one...I wanted to try some color and a lot more detail:

 -My first ever try at sculpting Foxglove blossoms.

 -And my first ever Fairy Frog!

Each of these lanterns have since sold, but I am currently working on 2 more Faery Lantern commissions and have an idea for a 3rd, soon after.

These are absolutely adorable and make for fantastic night-lights in children's bedrooms, or even as a cute and whimsical touch to a home. :)

Watch my Etsy shop for up-coming lanterns!
www.etsy.com/shop/MidsummersNightMasq

And now you can find my artwork and more in-depth posts on Patreon!  If you would like to help me to make more and better art, please consider becoming my Patron:

www.Patreon.com/TheMidsummersNightMasquerade