Dia De Los Muertos party!

September is a busy month for me.  Always has been - I suppose many of us have the same experience being that September marks a shift from the lazy days of summer back into the routine of school and whether or not you're a student you can't help but get swept up into that energy which is all around.

Now that school is long past for me and even for my daughter I still find that smell of autumn triggers in me a desire for new routines, organizing papers, cracking open calendars and, oddly, the desire to fill my closet with crisp white shirts.  (That last one has never actually happened but still, I have the urge, okay?)

Today, for me, this time of year means a gearing up for Halloween and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead.)  

I've been painting and creating some new things which I have on offer in my Etsy shop, Bones Nelson.

Bubble wands, gift bags, loot bags, fall baby clothes, adult raglan shirts with sugar skulls and new paintings, too.  

All available at Bones Nelson on Etsy.

Ornaments, too!  Every year I make a new set, this is the 4th year - check out which ones I still have available to buy here:  Ornaments

What are your favorite things to do at this time of year?  Have you any projects on the horizon?  Do you like to get organized?  Fill your closet with pressed button downs?  Tell me in the comments! 

Let Me Be Clear - Harper's Canada is nothing but. My Original Painting after the style of Heironymous Bosch

LET ME BE CLEAR. 2015. Sherri 'Bones' Nelson

I have finished this piece today.  it is a work that has been taking shape in my head for a long while.

Let Me Be Clear doesn't feature a single skeleton (sorry!) however it is a surrealist piece where dark and light meet so I hope that it will not only delight regular viewers but also give my fellow Canadians something to think about as they make their way towards the October election.

detail view Let Me Be Clear, Sherri Bones Nelson, 2015

detail view Let Me Be Clear, Sherri Bones Nelson, 2015

detail view Let Me Be Clear, Sherri Bones Nelson, 2015

detail view Let Me Be Clear, Sherri Bones Nelson, 2015

the viewer is encouraged to sift through the many details to find hints at the issues and representations of how I perceive my country to have changed.  A small sample of the issues highlighted in this piece are:

• destruction of our environment & selloff or our resources,
• the devaluation of our currency and the credit/housing bubble
• the PMO's disregard for justice & the Constitution
• the PMO's callous treatment of Veterans and First Nations peoples.

If you have the time I'd love to hear thoughts in the comment section.  The truth is that Canada has suffered under this regime and I hope I have provided a work that can be used as a reference point someday in the future but also as a tool for discussion right here, right now.

Remember -- 

The blackest darkness is broken by a single ray of light.

Each one of us embodies that light.  It's up to us.

SHINE !

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BonesNelson.com Website

I am so excited to announce that I've finally gotten my own website up and running under the BonesNelson.com domain.  Woo-Hoo!

It's still being built, really, but at least it is there and offers some links for people to follow to see and buy my art.

I have also opened up an account / shop with Zazzle so that anyone who would like a POSTER sized version of any of my pieces may email me and I'll set it up for the Zazzle team to create and send to them!  

Here's a link to my website:  BonesNelson.com

And here's the one for Zazzle:  Bones Nelson on Zazzle

Don't forget about my popular baby bodysuits in true Dia de Los Muertos style! on ETSY

Tiny Bubbles... Day of the Dead Wedding and Party Favors by Bones Nelson

Now available in my Etsy Store, Bones Nelson are sets of bubble wands with gorgeous, colorful, festive Dia de los Muertos labels I designed and apply in house.

Day of the Dead for Christmas? Yes! And Krampus, too

if you've never heard of Grub vom Krampus then allow me to introduce you to a fella who has been terrorizing children up in Northern Europe for more than a hundred years now  He's a counterpart to Santa which sort of makes sense when you think about it; wherever there's a good guy there's his arch nemesis, right?  

Jolly Old Saint Nick looks even saintlier when pictured next to old Krampus.  

See what I mean?  

So I've worked on a few designs, stylizing the demonic creature a couple of ways in order to offer a funny, dark alternative to the usual cast of characters.  Have a look:

Gift Tags and Gift bags... I hand cut that stamp you see on the bags - my first time using that technique in nigh on 25 years, I'd say.  (you like that?  I said "nigh on."  I'm not as old as that makes me sound but it kinda goes with the medieval vibe of the photos, right?  sure, right.)  Anyway I loved carving - especially now that Speedball has this soft easy-cut material.  I'll likely do lots more in the New Year.  

For now though Christmas holiday season approaches so I've got a few new items on offer for that.  In the coming days I'll post more, but for now have a look at my little Mexican Folk Art Snowman cards, and see if you might want to pick up a printed set, or buy the file to print your own!

you gotta fill one or more of these, don't forget!

All of this stuff and a lot more is available through my Etsy shop, BONES NELSON .  You can also visit me on Facebook at Bones Nelson Art or have a look at my website (which I badly need to revamp soon) Sherri Nelson Artworks

All the best for Halloween!  
Sherri

August has been a busy month for this Day of the Dead artist! (and that's great!!)

I've been going full steam for the past three weeks, much to mys surprise.  This summer has been cooler than normal and I suppose if I weren't working so much and didn't have to use very hot equipment the weather would be making me a little blue.  Having a busy shop is definitely not something I'm going to complain about but it has kept me from painting.. something I am aching to get back to.  Ahh well, soon! :)

One thing I've added to my offerings are wrapped canvas prints.  The above is my "Tamales" and it is reproduced here as an 11" x 14" canvas.  I paint the sides, which are staple-free, and I include the hanging hardware.  I hope to add more Kitchen Catrinas to the mix soon.

You can always contact me via this blog, but a better way is through my website contact page.  Look for that here:  Sherri Nelson Artworks  or you can purchase most of my stuff via Etsy here:  Bones Nelson

Painting, Packaging, Ordering, Marketing, Designing, Printing, Sketching... !

It's August and finally getting to feel like summer.  The cool weather hasn't bothered me, though - I've enjoyed working in this weather.  And I have indeed been working!  It's wonderful to be busy and have the creative juices flowing.  I thought it was about time I stopped for breath and to make a post here showing what I've been doing lately.

Excuse the watermarks, etc - I've recently been pirated!  My piece entitled "The Cotillion" was being used without my permission so I've gotten a little more concerned about making my online stuff more difficult to copy.  It all worked out in the end, so no worries.  I hope that in spite of my name being all over the following images you'll still get an idea of the pieces that have been finding their way out of my imagination and out into the 3D world.  :)

More to come...