Read All About It..........HalloVine Wine For Sale.....Now...

Hallow.........
Let no wine be released before it's time.........as the saying goes! However, the time has come for the 2006 HalloVine Cabernet Sauvignon to be released. This is the fifth release of HalloVine wine. It had it's humble beginnings back in October 2003 when the first HalloVine wine, Vintage 2000, was released at Madonna Estate Winery. Better Homes and Gardens Tricks and Treats Magazine included the debut release of the wine in their fall special interest publication. And to add another cliche.......the rest is history. A cult Halloween wine was born. The wine was crafted for three years, then a break for two years, and finally the rebirth of the HalloVine wine tradition in 2008. Each vintage has had a different one-of-a-kind collectible Halloween label which was designed by an artist, who is well-known for creating Halloween art. I am proud to say that the meaningful re-birth label in 2008 was created by well-known Halloween folk artist, Jack Roads. This year's label was colorfully designed by Halloween folk artist, Iva Wilcox, who is the founder of the very successful Tinsel and Treasures Show, that was just held September 12th in Alamo California.


READ ALL ABOUT IT, And Order Now!

With Halloween becoming such an important, and fun holiday it is only fitting that the perfect wine has been created to celebrate the holiday. Each year my husband sets aside a special lot to be aged specifically for HalloVine wine. This year the Cabernet Sauvignon HalloVine wine was made from grapes grown in the famed Rutherford bench of the Napa Valley. This wine has aromas of cassis, toasty oak, chocolate and berry jam, on the palate, with a hint of spice it is balanced by a richness of sweet toasty French oak. It has an ample, yet elegant tannin structure, and a smooth lingering finish. A perfect sipping wine for waiting by the fire on Halloween.

First the grapes from the vineyard above...........now come to the winery to be set aside for HalloVine wine.

Waiting for it to age,,,,,,,,,,,,


And now perfection is released.......A perfect combition.........the fine wine of Madonna Estate, and the artistry of the label from Iva Wilcox.
If you would like to order HalloVine wine to celebrate, and make Halloween memories.
The wine retails for $24.00 a bottle. Produced in very limited quantities, I encourage you to purchase yours today before it disappears! You may order wine online www.madonnaestate.com or by calling Brette at Madonna Estate Monday through Friday (Pacific Time) at 1-866-724-2993.
The minimum order for shipping the wine is three bottles. You may order fewer bottles of “HalloVine” wine if they are combined with other wines from Madonna Estate to make the minimum order of three. Here is a link to the other wines of Madonna Estate.

Thank you! And enjoy!!

To Market To Market

It's almost time for the second annual Tinsel and Treasures Folk Art Show........see box in sidebar for details, and here I thought my days of speed.....were left behind me at college with all my other bad habits. Now I have a new reason for an upper....... I am again confronted with an age/old thought...........my art does not have an identifiable look. Even though I have resolved in my mind my non-look is a look.........when a body of work is gathered together for a show it looks like a collaboration of several different artists.......but that's who I am..........what I am, and what I find at the moment. I rest my case.....
Kitty CATdaver........has her apron on ready to go......Thanks! Karen O..........for the great background catdavers..........I put this picture you sent to good use.......and with Oh such an air of sophistication.

Elephantinitis......... you dump it......he'll carry it!

Two faced partier......no wonder she is so skinny..........
Black Cats working their mojo...........

Ghosts of financial spirits passed............actual wanted men!

I'm not for everyone!

BOO BLING and HALLOWEEN SWAGGERS

It's time for Boo Bling! It's that time of year when Halloween jewelry abounds around my neck, and on my person. Although during the year, I secretly always manage to wear something covert Halloween. Halloween swaggers around this time of year as well. It's the time to acknowledge that you love Halloween, and not accused of being a fanatic.

Swagger.......one

Hanging Halloween.....

Halloween Dogs Go Wild!

Punkin Head Around Yer Head....

Haunting Memories.............

Faces.........from the past..........updated to the future..............still bring haunting memories......

Keepers of the pins......hat and otherwise........

Swaggered Versions of Baby Faced Nelsons.............

Climbing the Emigrant Hill Of Dreams...

Haunt Couture

More Keepers of Pin......

Sprites from Ellis Island.......remember!

ImPODsters............

What's a person to do when they pass by a bowl full of PODS in an artefact, desgin and salvage shop http://www.artefactdesignsalvage.com/ at Cornerstone Gardens http://www.cornerstonegardens.com/ . I mean this California art and garden complex is amazing. I want everything in every shop, and out on the grounds too,........ right now! Just back up the truck, no make a that a whole fleet of trucks .........drive them to the vineyard, and I will be a happy woman. However, instead for now I will settle for some pods. When I purchased them, like most things I collect......I did not know how I would use them in my art.......but I knew they would be transformed.........like everything else I pick up. I find myself always saying.......when I purchase something..........this is not going to stay this way.........it will be transformed! Like I, being a magician, would turn a knitted baby sweater into an elephant. That would be a little disconcerting to a Thrift Store clerk.......I am not sure they would share a vision of seeing anything but a knitted baby sweater. I might add I have an entire barn, container, and warehouse full of things waiting to be transformed.

This is the end result for the PODS later they may have a reincarnation but, for now..............they became ImPODsters...............I could have called them POD HEADS....but that was too reminiscent of the 60's, so instead......... because it is almost Halloween.......and the PODS surely would have their masks on, they became ImPODsters...........

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Help save the ImPODsters.........from oblivion!

HalloVine Wine

Yay..........the new HalloVine Label is completed, and it's a beauty..........Thanks to the multi-talented artist Iva Wilcox! She really has captured the fun spirit of Halloween in this label, and with so many beautiful colors. Iva is a very busy artist, so we, at Madonna Estate, were thrilled when she agreed to share her artistic vision for the label with us.

Besides adding label designer to her list of accomplishments, which to name a few include; collectible Halloween , and other Holiday Folk Artist, water colorist, teacher, jewelry designer, and Tinsel and Treasures show founder and organizer. Please see information on the second annual Tinsel and Treasures Show by clicking the box on the sidebar. She has also created a blog link on this site where you may learn more about the participating artists. To see more from Iva, you may visit her website by going to http://www.ivascreations.com/. My favorite saying when you see her work is........."Prepare to be amazed."

HalloVine Wine will be for sale soon, so you may stash it away in preparation for the Halloween season. .............which to my way of thinking should be all year long! It's the perfect combination of fine art, and fine wine. Thanks again Iva........we love this label, fifth in the series of collectible HalloVine labels from talented Halloween loving artists. I will keep you posted when we release this wonderful tribute to Halloween from Iva and Madonna Estate.

Odd Curiosities

I must point out that like most artists, I have more than one artistic perspective, but I admit that I have always been especially drawn to all things odd and curious..........which, of course, in one way or another has a major influence on what I create. Around the time of Halloween seems an appropriate time to come clean with this confession. After all, Halloween knows no boundaries when it comes to the odd and curious.
One such library I would be interested in visiting would be the Welcome Library. Now that sounds inviting doesn't it with the word wellcome? It was in fact founded by Henry S. Wellcome, a wealthy, eccentric businessman who made his fortune in pharmaceuticals. The Library, when opened in 1946, became an unparalleled resource of over 2 million items spanning 3,000 years. It contains rare and surprising objects from anthropology, fork art, alchemy, and witchcraft, with a mix of more traditional medical archives.

Here are a few oddities from the archives that may lead to future art inspiration................................?????????????

This is A Malingerer's Guide........disguised as a book of matches these little bits of propaganda were air-dropped during World War II. They were a guide on to how to fool medical officers, so you could come home alive...pointing out that the war was nearly over, and no one would blame you for not wanting to be one of the last to die. Maybe this was a pre-sixties war protest.

I like the idea of doing a little matchbook of instructions in this format.........or maybe a flipbook.

This is wound man........with multiple injuries..........looking for symbolism here......and something scary.

Illustration of the parts of the body.......... architectually...... interesting concept.

Manuscript amulet to be worn for protection...........Amulets are fun to make........like the idea of animaluts.......

Artistic microscopic look at the water from the River Thames.............this has lots of possibilities.

Religious body parts............. pieces of eight?

AND NOW>.....From the Library, or Otherwise?......Inspiration, or Inspired Curiosities?

A CATABULL.....relative of the cannibal.....keeping score......

Catatonic 2.............

Eye-Cons...


Markey de Salude............Steals the hearts and tosses the rest away!

Chick's Peep Show.............

I would be that person who would sign up every time for the tour of weird, and wacky museums, and libraries of the world for artistic inspiration. It would take a big chunk of time, because there are many of them. Care to join me?