Halloween is almost here! My friend Stephen is throwing a super fancy, invite only, Masquerade Party at his boutique, Bonnie & Clyde's. Absinthe will be served...danger! Stephen actually hired me to read the Tarot, so basically I get paid to go to a fabulous party! The theme is "The Masque of the Red Death" (1842) a short story by Edgar Allan Poe and later made into a movie starring Vincent Price. The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague known as the Red Death by hiding in his abbey. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, has a masquerade ball within seven rooms of his abbey, each decorated with a different color. In the midst of their revelry, a mysterious figure enters and makes his way through each of the rooms. When Prospero confronts this stranger, he falls dead. Stephen is actually creating 7 vignettes with live models, to reenact a modern "Masque of the Red Death" tale.
It's a dress to impress occasion! Full costumes are optional, but masks are required! I realize the story of "The Masque of the Red Death" is set to the Renaissance period, but I may go with the Victorian or Elizabethan Era. I'm leaning towards the Elizabethan Era! The only thing I'm certain about is that I'm wearing all (or mostly) black and a Venetian Plague Doctor Mask. Some inspirations...
A while back, I wrote about Jill McKeever's line of handmade perfumes and adornments, For Strange Women. This is a follow up post to tell you all how happy I am with my purchases! I finally got around to ordering the Moss & Ivy perfume oil that I had been coveting. It's a deep a green mossy scent balanced out with sweet notes. I think this scent would smell delish on men too! My next purchase was Rosewood Lip Balm, let me tell you, I AM IN LOVE! I'm somewhat a lip balm connoisseur and this is my new favorite! The texture is perfect and the scent of Rosewood never fails to sooth my soul! I'm going to buy the Astral Projection perfume oil next! For Strange Women was a featured seller on Etsy recently, you can check it out here. Jill gave my blog an honorable mention as one of her favorite Internet haunts and mentioned my etsy shop too...how sweet was that!?
The veil is getting thin dear ones, only 10 days until Halloween! Are you ready!? I thought I'd post something for the spirits of lost souls and hungry ghosts, be they living or dead. SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS expresses the profound suffering of the Anima Sola through dark visual narratives and haunted ballads. The music playfully fuses elements of classical, baroque, medieval, and even electronic music, the essence of SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS always remains entirely »GOTHIC«.
Officially founded in 1989, the Germany based SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS is one of the last of the very few dark groups/projects in Europe (in fact, on this planet), who have based the sacred trinity of their music, poetry and visual appearance on the explicit emphasis of the highly individual expression of pain, isolation, depression, token suicides and the desperate search for the »sacred reunion«; all conceived and acted out by SOPOR's sole protagonist … the transgendered and utterly beautiful Goddess (and likewise tragically Butoh-esque creature) ANNA-VARNEY CANTODEA. Despite the fact that to this very day ANNA-VARNEY still refuses to perform her magic(k)al work live in front of a human audience, SOPOR AETERNUS & THE ENSEMBLE OF SHADOWS have long gathered cult status in underground circles worldwide.
ANNA- VARNEY's ritualistic/Jungian art is not necessarily rooted in the grounds of a commonly accepted sense of aesthetics … which is one of the many aspects that gives his/her work its serious and most unique character. Strongly recommended to be approached only with an open heart and mind, the profound darkness (and occasionally subversive humour) of ANNA-VARNEY's multi-layered (yet fragile) art is mainly intended as a spiritual healing-process for the wounded soul.
Ellen Rogers is the last of a dying breed, a photographer who uses film! All her work is analogue and the only digital equipment she uses is a scanner to scan the end result. Her beguiling photographs exude a dramatic sense of timelessness, as though created decades ago. She manifests haunting, ethereal images by experimenting with traditional darkroom processes...black magick!
I received at least 12 emails regarding the design project I talked about in the last post! I viewed all of your websites and blogs...it was so hard to choose someone, everyone is so amazing and talented! I plan to reach out and thank each of you, but I thought I should post something here first before anymore emails come in! Nicomi "Nix" Turner is going to work on this project with me! We already know each other and have many shared interests, which is nice! She sells her artwork under the moniker "The Specimen Jars" on Etsy and is also a fellow member of Etsy's Cabinet of Curiosities Team. Her first solo exhibit titled In Vein, got stellar reviews. Nix is currently busy working on her latest series titled Maidens and Crones, which should total 20 pieces upon completion! She will be showing in Portland throughout the month of November with notable artists such as Gris Grimly and Daniel Martin Diaz! Check out the details below and make sure to take a peek at her blog to see what else she's up to!
I'm looking for a Graphic Designer/Kindred Spirit to help me create product labels for my handmade Bath and Body Care Products! I know exactly what I want in terms of aesthetic (colors, fonts, imagery, ect.) but I need someone to help me put it all together! I can pay cash, do a shop credit or trade! Please email me at ladylavona@yahoo.com
