Halloween Art and Travel Kristen Stafford: Halloween Art Collector and Podcaster

Stacey Bear, a talented artist and antiques dealer, traces her creative roots back to making dollhouse miniatures as a child. She still has a fondness for creating treasures in a small scale. Her spun cotton ornaments and dolls are highly sought out by collectors.  

Her work is a fusion of historical techniques and her own innovations. Stacey started collecting cotton ornaments and wanted to learn how to make them herself.  There was no internet or instructional book at the time so she experimented and figured it out.  

Her creations are born inside her 1812 farmhouse surrounded by beautiful antiques in Pennsylvania. Stacey’s studio is stuffed with stunning antique fabric, tinsel, old buttons, and trims. Sometimes Stacey will have an idea for something to make, but other times, an amazing piece of fabric will speak for itself.  

Mentions: 

Susanna Wright: https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/settler-colonialism/susanna-wright/ The Artisans Tent at The Zoar Village (Ohio): https://the-artisans-tent-at-zoar.com/ The DC Big Flea Antiques Market: https://www.thebigfleamarket.com/dc-show Wright’s Ferry Mansion: https://www.wrightsferrymansion.org 
Visit Stacey’s website at: https://www.momentosartandantiques.com/ 

This is Kristen Stafford, your host of the Halloween Art and Travel Podcast. This is your source for the stories behind the Halloween artists and collectors who capture your imagination.  I’m excited to share my 2024 season with you – the 6th season of this podcast.  

Over the summer, I’ll be releasing new episodes on the 23rd and 30th of the month, now through October. Once we hit high spooky season, September and October, there will be even more Halloween art fun for your ears. In addition to episodes on the 23rd and 30th, there will be surprise bonus episodes – always on dates that contain the number 3. Subscribe and follow in your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss a single one.  

My June guests are Stacey Bear of Mementos Art and Antiques and Jana Seven of Rag and Bone Dolls. Which one do you think may have a skull buried in her bedroom? Listen to find out!  

This season, I am trying something new, an episode built by our community of listeners. Let’s build an episode on kitchen witches. I’d love you hear YOUR stories of creating or collecting kitchen witches. You can send message me on Facebook or Instagram, or through my website at halloweenartandtravel.com. Better yet, send me a voice clip. The kitchen witch episode will be released in October, but I need your feedback by September 23.  

I’m also excited to share a special project I’m working on with blogger, collector, and past podcast guest Jorene Lomenzo of Shivers of Delight. Jorene and I have often dreamed of a guide for collectors…that dream will become a reality later this fall…with the ta-da – Halloween Art Guide for Spellbound Collectors.  

The Guide will provide biographies from Halloween artists along with the history of Halloween art shows that have helped the Halloween art movement grow into a year-round passion for spellbound collectors. In addition, the site will host essays about Halloween art collecting, documenting collections, and the growth of the movement from a variety of authors as well as provide news and updates about Halloween artists, shows, events, and publications.   

When the guide is ready, we will share it on our social media.  

Now go enjoy, episode 57, an interview with artist Stacey Bear. 

Austin Phillips, a skilled figure maker and expert in ventriloquist dummies, has turned his lifelong passion into a full-time career. His fascination with these mechanical dolls began at the age of five when he received a ventriloquist dummy from Santa. From that moment on, Austin was captivated by the artistry and entertainment value behind these unique creations. As he grew older, he honed his skills in figure making by experimenting with different materials and his dad’s power tools. Austin's dedication to his craft led him to seek out renowned figure makers, learning directly from them and gaining invaluable insights into the art form.  

Today, Austin not only creates one-of-a-kind ventriloquist dummies, but also restores historical treasurers including puppets and figures from coin operated games. His attention to detail and commitment to authenticity make him highly sought out by both collectors and performers around the world.   

Austin has performed as a ventriloquist since childhood and most recently headlined in a spooky Victorian show filled with tricks and illusions.  In addition to his figure collection, his studio in Maine is filled with his stunning collection of vintage Halloween decorations. 

Mentions: 

Haunted Overload, Lee, New Hampshire: https://hauntedoverload.com  Musée Mécanique, San Francisco: https://museemecanique.com Vent Haven International Ventriloquist Convention, Fort Mitchell, Kentucky: https://vhconvention.com Vent Haven Museum (world’s only ventriloquist museum), Fort Mitchell, Kentucky: https://www.venthaven.org 
Visit Austin’s web site at: https://www.phillipspuppets.com 

Meet Tracy Mahaffey, a talented stone carver and memorial artist who creates lasting stories in stone using only her hands and simple tools. Out of her studio comes gravestones, memorials, architectural work, and sculptures. Tracy majored in sculpture in university. At that time, she thought all memorial work was done by computers and sandblasting. When she found people making memorials by hand, she knew she had found her tribe. 

The low-tech nature of the job appeals to Tracy. All of her work starts with a sketch on paper. Then the sketches become full scale drawings, which are transferred to the stone with carbon paper. All sculpting is done with a mallet and chisel – that's it. Stone carving has changed little since ancient times; tools are now made of stronger materials but the processes are the same. The beauty of a hand carved inscription is the human hand. You want to see the variations.  

Tracy has created memorial art in a variety of styles ranging from Puritan to art deco to the look of today. Her favorite era is our era. She currently works in marble, limestone, granite, zinc, bronze, and clay.  

Working with a family to create a memorial for their loved one is a privilege. She loves hearing family stories and condensing them into a story that can be told in stone. The process is truly a collaboration.  

Tracy is optimistic about the future of memorial arts and is happy to share her knowledge by teaching. She’s impressed by the talent and passion of others in her field. Her hope is that people in the future look back and say that the 2000s were a wonderful time period for this art field.  

The art available in cemeteries around the world rivals that of fine art museums. Tracy recommended the following cemeteries for their beauty and amazing monuments:  

Bonaventure Cemetery in Savanah, GA: https://www.bonaventurehistorical.org/ Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, NY: https://www.green-wood.com/ Monumental Cemetery of Staglieno, Italy: https://staglieno.comune.genova.it Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Boston, MA: https://www.mountauburn.org/ North Carolina Soapstone Tombstones: https://vitabrevis.americanancestors.org/2019/09/signature-in-stone/ Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, RI: https://swanpointcemetery.com 
The Atlas Obscura article I found Tracy in is here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/hand-carved-gravestones?fbclid=IwAR1Cn51SwV3drjpHZcr_gnboAONKqACLm5Oq6vTT8MhWY9iSWqkIbUIgjg8 

The book Tracy recommended is “Sticks & Stones” by M. Ruth Little 

Visit Tracy’s website at: https://www.tracymahaffey.com 

North Carolina glass artist, Sarah Band, is inspired by science, anatomy, and creepy stuff. As a sculpture major at San Francisco State, her ambition to create a large kaleidoscope led her to her first encounter with glass. Sarah was hooked as soon as she saw someone blow out molten material.
In a craft medium like glass, the blower needs a strong understanding of chemistry. Sarah explains the process of using different metal oxides to create various glass colors. She also highlights the intersection of science and art in her work, drawing inspiration from scientific discoveries and her upbringing in a family of physicists. Both science and art begin with observation and the desire to learn about the world.
Sarah does two types of glass blowing: furnace and flameworking. The furnace glass is the traditional Venetian style with long metal pipes and a big hot furnace. Flameworking is the process of bending tubes of glass over a flame.
The more skill a glassblower has, the thinner they can blow out the glass and the more colors they can use. Colors are challenging because they heat up at different rates. There are no breaks when creating a glass work of art; the artist is constantly reheating and turning the glass so it doesn’t explode.
Visit Sarah’s web site at: https://www.sarahaband.com/
Mentions:
·        Cat Viera (@catvierapottery), teacher at the North Carolina Pottery Center (Seagrove, NC): https://ncpotterycenter.org
·        Sawtooth School for Visual Arts (Winston-Salem, NC): https://www.sawtooth.org
·        Starworks Gallery/Studio (Star, NC): https://www.starworksnc.org

LeeAnn Kress, is the color loving artist behind Charmed Confections. Her candy shop of sculpted art invokes Willy Wonka, childhood memories, and Halloween magic. She aspires to evoke happiness and nostalgia in her collectors. 

Details unknown to collectors hold special significance to LeeAnn, like the number 13 representing her father's birthday. Art is not just about creating visually appealing pieces; it's about sharing a part of herself with the world. Every piece is infused with inspiration from her life or her family.
 
A switch from a telecommunications job to artistry wasn't a difficult decision. Her passion had blossomed after work hours, eventually becoming her dream job. In addition to Halloween, LeeAnn has also created fairy art. She’s honored that her work has been reproduced by Bethany Lowe.
 
LeeAnn is exhibiting at the All Hallows Art Fest in Petaluma, CA this year. In this episode she shares a preview of the wonders collectors will find in her booth.
 
“I want my art to give collectors back those memories of Halloween and trick-or-treating... I want them to feel the love and care that I put into the details and to really love it.” - LeeAnn Kress
Please visit her website at: https://charmedconfections.com 
Other mentions: 
All Hallow’s Art Fest in Petaluma, CA: https://www.halloweenfolkartsociety.com/about-the-show-1 Autumn Brillance Magazine: https://www.autumnbrilliancemagazine.com/ Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland, CA: https://www.bishopspumpkinfarm.com Holiday Pizzazz Shop: https://holidaypizzazz.com