The Druids Keep, Autumn Edition

I always have too much fun painting the windows at Druid's Keep. The city window is a beautiful thing, and I have to be mindful that the charm of it is being able to look out onto the streets and see what is going on, and who is walking by, and what the weather is doing, etc. When I paint this window, I do my best not to take that away. That's why I go with the high-low-high format, so as not to intrude on the people-watching.

The Druid's Keep has a dart team, so my original idea was to show the Druid aiming a dart at a creepy old tree.

 Then I came across their dart team logo, a skeleton Druid, and I fell completely IN LOVE! I kept the same basic idea, but instead of a flesh Druid we have a Skele-Druid. I also used glow in the dark paint to accent the bones on the inside of te window, so it looks super cool at night with the help of a flashlight app. 

(Tracing the original image- so what, I cheat) :-)

(You can see him glowing!)

(End of painting day #1 at night, from the outside of the bar) 

One of the dart team members suggested a full moon over the Druid. It did look a little bare, so after I added some pale yellow outline to the leaves, I added bats and a moon. 

(Finished window, from the outside)

(Finished window, from the inside)

The best part about this was figuring out how to make it look great from the inside and outside. You paint reverse (details and outline, then block color) and then you paint forward (outline and details again). Making it look easy since 2012.

How To: Jackolantern Night Light: A Halloween Lantern Craft Project!

Halloween is approaching and even though its still eighty degrees out, people are pumpkin crazy already! Pumpkin beer, pumpkin lattes- how about those pumpkin shaped apple cider sippers from Millburn Orchards?

Those little guys are just begging to be reused after you empty them of their delicious nectar. Here is how to make them into adorable little lanterns.

Materials: 

-pumpkin shaped sipper bottle  (from your local orchard, possibly the dollar store or the seasonal aisle), 

-plug in night light or battery operated tea light candle (make sure the night light is the low wattage kind- do not use a scentsy/scented wax warming night light, because they get hot)

-black acrylic paint or a fine tipped sharpie/oil paint marker 

-xacto blade

Cut a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin. If you're doing the standalone night light for the battery candle, you can trace the candle to get the right shape. Paint in the face on the pumpkin sipper. Turn off the lights and turn on your candle or night light. Voila! There's your five minute fall craft project!

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You can also use one in your jackolantern carving!