This is the sixth year I have been participating in painting the Wicked Windows in my hometown, Westfield, NJ. The month of October is spent celebrating the work of Charles Addams. Charles Addams, creator of the Addams Family, illustrator and cartoonist for the New Yorker magazine, was born in Westfield. Visitors spend the month celebrating his work and enjoying events and activities for all ages. The macabre of Halloween coincides perfectly with Chas Addams’ work.
This year’s theme is “Wild” and I was assigned Reves Smoothie Cafe (awesome place) and it’s 8(!) windows. I wanted to incorporate some smoothies into the work so I went with a huge octopus so the tentacles could sport a smoothie or two. I wanted my octopus to have personality of course, so I went to work making the best fierce expression I could get. The painting took 10 hours, a few smoothies and one parking ticket to complete.
You can hop over to my design site here, and see past designs for the windows. Visit the Addmasfest website for all the details of the festival.
I was honored to be selected for a special exhibit this year for “Wild: Charles Addams and Edward Gorey Curious Creatures” at the pop up Elm Street Gallery. I painted a 54″ fiberglass lion for the “menagerie” and I went kind of weird… the face all creepy but colorful and the body with the faces of Addams’ characters in the spider web. There’s even a hidden spider lurking on his hind leg that’s pretty hard to spot. My family was invited to the opening of the gallery, which has the works of Charles Addams, some never before displayed works of Edward Gorey, and some cool pottery creatures by local kids that were really fun. Stop by 122 Elm Street this month if you’re in the area and see these works and the rest of the artist menagerie of animals.
I promise not to bombard you and only to tell you about good things when they happen.