Halfway to Halloween

Damn! I went the whole month of April (and a week or two in March, too) without posting anything.

Following the inundation of rain last month, my posting here got disrupted and I found it difficult to get back on track. Still I've been slowly working on props and learning new techniques at a local make & take group (thanks, Hauntforum, for introducing me to a great bunch of people).

I've been thinking, though, about what it is we do. Of course there's a large component of selfishness that goes into the props we build and the scenes we create. The admiration from family and friends is nice, and there's the part that allows us to have an outlet for whatever creativity we possess that doesn't get a chance to be expressed in other means in our regular lives.

But a large component is the joy and happiness we get from sharing all of this with others. Yes, with our friends, families, and trick-or-treaters, but also with each other. Without the generous nature of others I would never have been able to create -- or even to make the attempt to make -- the props I have, however poor the effort has been to the original design.

Because SpookyBlue (and others) provided some detailed instructions on how to do papier mache, I was able to make ground breakers and can plan for other props to populate my haunt this year. Due to Pumpkinrot's incredible talent, we have a high ideal to shoot for in our own creations, and because of a regular stream of links to other haunters' haunts and props on his site, I've found many other talented artists to emulate. Stolloween has given me some new ideas on where to take papier mache next. The Hauntcast podcast gives me a dose of monthly haunting fun that keeps me occupied -- and smiling -- as I work on my props. And the people I meet with monthly at the M&T have been teaching me new techniques that I can add to my display and take the haunt to another level.

In short, the Halloween community is a very giving one, despite our otherwise selfish reasons for doing what we do.

So, as we've hit the halfway to Halloween marker (shouldn't there be a celebration or something?) I just wanted to thank all my fellow haunters for providing me with the inspiration to take my own haunt to the next level. I have a long way to go to match your level of skill and dedication, but it's a fun journey I don't mind taking. I'm looking forward to the next six months of prop building and then the Big Day. Has it been six months already and do we really only have six more months to go? I gotta go. I've got haunting to do. Thanks!

Rich

Present at the Creation

Being there at the birth of genius is a rare event. Watching a masterpiece unfold is a special occasion that more often than not is hidden from view from us mere mortals. And maybe rightly so. Like the magician that won't reveal his secrets for fear that once the illusion is brought to light he will be diminished in the process, few artists allow the public to view their work until it is created.

After all, how many times have we built a prop, not even close to being a masterpiece, and have received skeptical looks from family members? Yet, I admire watching an artist like Bob Ross -- using little more than a palette knife -- turn smudges, smears, and cuts into a pretty convincing landscape.

Alternatively, reading books about the creating of a literary masterpiece is just as enlightening. Horror master Stephen King gave us a peek behind the curtain of how he creates his bestsellers in his book "On Writing." (okay, I'll admit, I haven't liked a King book in years, but his early works were compelling). For anyone that thinks they have a novel inside them, this is a must-have addition to your library.

Or the compilation of the notes of J.R.R. Tolkien by his son Christopher that allows us to see "The Lord of the Rings" come to life is a special treat. I find myself absorbed almost as much by the process as by the actual product.

Okay, so what's my point? Haunters, Halloween enthusiasts, and those with simply a love of seeing art created are getting that rare opportunity to see how a master creates his work. The genius of the incredibly talented Pumpkinrot is being slowly revealed as he has been going back to his "haunt theory" roots and is creating a new piece based on it. However, he's also giving us mere mortals an unprecedented look behind the scenes of how he creates his artwork.

The Skull Witch (she started as the Gray Witch) is not so much a step-by-step tutorial, but rather a progression of a project that even at the outset was already a masterpiece. Now as it develops it takes on more depth and detail. It's impossible not to fall in love with this.

I'm looking forward to learning at the knees of this true master craftsman and artist. I recommend others follow along as well.

Rich