Thank you to Strom Peterson and Max at Resident Cheesemonger for making me feel so welcome for Third Thursday Art Walk tonight. It was great fun! Except this introvert did more talking than usual. ‘) I had so many new Brantlers I wanted to make for tonight, but only got around to two.

I worked ALL WEEKEND on Brantlers, to the point where I was questioning my sanity

Made 2 collections, meaning, they are sold together on a board.

Learned many lessons about Brantlers assemblage the hard way tonight. Made lots of notes about what NOT to do the next time. D helped me put together a couple of custom, 3 or 4 sculptures on one piece of wood. He taught how to use the countersink bit. All very exciting stuff. I painted about 15 bases the last couple of nights. This one D and I made tonight, out of a piano rack. I love it! We are going to cut some new shapes on the jig saw. Really, just not enough hours in the day.

Brantlers will be available at the Arts of Snohomish Gallery in March! I have been very busy trying to get a batch made for the gallery. They will also still be available on this website, and with any luck … I will get a shop added very soon. Maybe even my Etsy. All in time. I can only do so much and I am trying to take it easy on myself. The garage is full of branches and my husband is begging me to make a bunch and clear out the garage of “supplies”.

I left the computer today and made my way to the garage to work on Brantlers.

Created a custom Brantlers for a hair dresser friend and called it Tufty with Comb-over.

I am running out of any place to see these in the studio so I am expanding into the living room. On a temporary piece of board. Seen below, Mesquite branch, painted, knitting needles, branches from Jerome, Arizona and some sweet orange branches I found on the side of the highway.

Here was my solution for displays for Greenlake Chocolati Café. It is a small space so I wanted them to compact and easy to hang. Not hang them individually and add many more nail holes in the walls. I used recycled wood for a base.

I also wanted to add a way for folks to ‘take a business card’ if they wanted … and added a bent nail and cup hook to accommodate cards. I decided to add a description, etc on another page, tacked it up like a ‘wanted poster’. All and all I am very happy with them.

I made 4 large skulls but only had time to finish one. It was a full day and my legs are really feeling the ‘standing on them all day’ vs. ‘sitting at the computer’. I kept asking my family, “do you really think people will ‘get’ them”, “do you think people will like them”? As anything project you look at and work on too long, you start questioning the final product.

I had business cards and small tags made … but decided not hang the tags on each Brantlers.

I finally! made a large Brantlers (10.5 inches) yesterday. I have envisioned this larger version for so long that I almost cried when I finished it. This was my vision! This is what I had wanted to do (only larger). It took me making many small versions, figuring out the process, making mistakes, putting the key holes in the wrong place, etc., to finally feel like it was time to tackle the larger one.

I found this first draft in one of my many little books of BIG IDEAS that float around in my purse.

I made 5 of these for an ornament exchange. Added a red bell as a nose, hanging ribbon! Love it!

I have neglected my Brantlers blog. Brantlers was displayed at Greenlake Chocolati Café for a month! That was so exciting. I want to thank Echo for that opportunity. Instead of blogging here I have been blogging about Brantlers there. I will be better about blogging here for updates.

Arts of Snohomish have a few member openings for either 2d or 3d artists right now. And I have contacted them about membership and asking about their jury process. Wouldn’t it be great to have Brantlers in Snohomish?