Contemporary Halloween Folk Art and Decorations

This part of the website will give me a chance to showcase the work of some wonderful Halloween folk artists, as well as point out items which have been mass produced as “Fantasy Pieces”. This term refers to any item that is a reproduction of a vintage item, or has been made recently, but with the same production values and methods as the vintage piece. These pieces can be a wonderful addition to any Halloween collection offering a way to round it out, and connect the Halloween memories of yesterday to today's experiences. Please note that none of these items are for sale.

In my opinion, Cali is the reigning queen of Halloween folk artists. Her work is so utterly fantastic, it almost can't be put into words. Her exceptional painting skills are matched by her inventive ability to come up with such great ideas. Most often she takes old, found objects such as clocks, radios, lamps, etc. and covers them with vintage Halloween imagery. Her pieces are truly works of art. Please note that none of these items are for sale.

Greg Guedel is another consummate Halloween folk artist. He hand carves and paints all of his pieces from basswood (linden) or sometimes red cedar. While he also produces exceptionally delightful carvings for Christmas and other holiday genres, I feel that the true vitality of his work comes through in the Halloween pieces. A superb craftsman, artist, and woodcarver, Greg captures all the whimsy and charm of vintage Halloween in his own unique way. Greg continually amazes me with his unwavering talent...just when I think his carvings can't get any better, he'll come up with something new that knocks my socks off! A number of his carvings have been reproduced by Bethany Lowe, but all of the pieces shown here are Greg's original works. Please note that none of these items are for sale.

“Pumpkin Guy Trick-or-Treater” (2008)

“Frankenstein with Decorations” (2007)

Johanna Parker is a delightful Halloween folk artist who hand sculpts her pieces from paper mache, often incorporating wood and other materials to add to the detail. I find the fun and whimsical nature of her artwork to be instantly captivating. These seemingly harmless little Halloween characters that she creates all have a superb undertone of mischeviousness that makes them perfect for Halloween displays. I can just see them all happily cavorting under a full moon on Halloween night! Johanna has a line of items being reproduced by Primitives by Kathy, and most recently has begun to create pieces for Bethany Lowe Designs. Please note that none of these items are for sale.

Pennie Griff is an amazingly talented folk artist who's brilliant ability to paint has made her work highly sought after by collectors. In most cases, Pennie will take a found object and cover it with vintage Halloween imagery. I am in awe of her beautiful use of line and color. This stunning wooden box shown to the left is an example of her incredible talent. I love the intricate weaving together of imagery based on the paper lampshades made by Beistle and Gibson in the 1930s. Pennie's work is consistently awe inspiring! It's a sure bet that this section will be getting more examples of her work in the future! Item not for sale.

“Wooden Candy Box” (2007)

Below are some examples of works by various other folk artists who have caught my fancy. While I do not collect their work on an ongoing basis, I honed in on these pieces that seem to capture that extra special something that I like about Halloween folk art. Please note that none of these items are for sale.

“Halloween Mantel Clock” by Luci (2004)

I wanted to have a special section here to showcase what I think is a unique and often overlooked manufacturer of mass produced Halloween items. The Ino Schaller company of Germany has been making these holiday items for many years. While I know that some Halloween collectors pooh-pooh the Schaller pieces and consider them to be tacky, I think they are wonderful and here’s why…

First of all, they are still made in Germany, just like the original composition candy containers. As with the originals they are “mass produced” in limited quantities, and are made from a substance very similar to the “composition” used to make the originals. Composition is a plaster like material that is often mixed with paper pulp, sawdust and/or glue. Secondly many of them are actually functioning candy containers (although I wouldn't use them for that) as most of them have either removable heads or bottom plugs. And lastly just like the originals, each one is hand molded and hand painted, not machine painted. This gives the Schaller candy containers/figurals a quality that is unmatched by other mass produced items. They are really quite beautifully painted, and the care taken to create them, shows. The photos below highlight these delightful items.



Below are some examples of works by various other folk artists who have caught my fancy. While I do not collect their work on an ongoing basis, I honed in on these pieces that seem to capture that extra special something that I like about Halloween folk art. Please note that none of these items are for sale.



“Crazy Jack” by Linda Wolf (2002)

	“Cat About Town” by Scott Smith (Rucus Studios)—2002.

		“Halloween Mantel Clock” by Luci (2004)
		“Halloween Mantel Clock” by Luci (2004)







		These Halloween items have been mass produced over the last four years or so. They range in manufacturer from Bethany Lowe and Dept. 56 to items marked only “Made in China” or Taiwan. The fact that items like this are so readily available today is a testament to our culture’s recent love affair with nostaglia. I think it's wonderful, simply because it offers everyone a chance to decorate their homes with real flair rather than rely on the generally cheap and disappointing items found in regular stores today.