I have been biting my tongue for weeks, dying to announce my latest “Backbones” charity mission, and if you’re one of my art collectors drawn to the horror side of my work, this is your chance to own something VERY killer, while supporting an amazing cause at the same time. Especially if you’re an animal lover like I am.
For those not familiar with the annual event, it is a free 3-day LIVE fundraising variety show featuring celebrity guests, comedy, music, and more on the ArieScope Pictures website.
This year the online event will take place Friday July 25th – Sunday July 27th, and during the event you can go to Arwen’s Silent Auction Page and bid on exclusive horror memorabilia, art, collectibles, and more to help raise money for the cause, including the 16″ x 20″ canvas print of “Daddy” that I have donated (pictured with me above).
And it gets even better… Not only will the winning bidder receive my limited size canvas print signed by me as the artist, but it will also be autographed by legendary horroractor Kane Hodder and Hatchet creator Adam Green!* Making it a VERY exclusive art piece to own in your collection!
😉 For those of my art collectors that want to get first dibs before the live variety show starts this weekend, you can do so by starting your BID HERE!
Coming together with fellow horror icons and fans to support a cause like this is a powerful reminder of why the horror genre has always drawn me in. It’s not just about the guts and gore on screen, but about the incredibly passionate and heartfelt community of fans and celebrities I’ve had the privilege of encountering over the years. A community that has welcomed me with open claws and is always inspiring me and helping me push the limits of what I can do as an artist.
If you can’t afford to bid right now, please take a moment to share this post with those who may be interested. It’s not only a personal creation tied to a franchise I adore, but as someone who has always admired the creative minds of Adam and Joe, and whose work has deep roots of inspiration in the horror genre world, having my artwork selected by them to be part of this event is truly an honor. Even more meaningful is the opportunity to use my talents to help save the lives of sweet, deserving dogs like Arwen!
Stay Strange & Magical! LDG Nicole
* Kane Hodder and Adam Green will be signing this piece at Flashback Weekend Chicago the weekend AFTER this auction has closed. Therefore the signatures are not visible in the photos provided. The item will be autographed and then shipped to the winner.
So I discovered that sometimes doom scrolling actually pays off, especially when you follow Instagram profiles that share advice and encouragement for artists and the algorithm hits just right. That’s how I stumbled across Mural Mosaic. As soon as I read about their Global Roots project and how they’ve orchestrated hundreds of collaborative murals involving thousands of artists from around the world, my creative heart yearned to be part of it.
Invented by artist Lewis Lavoie, Mural Mosaic’s Global Roots Project brings together individual 6″ x 6″ canvas tiles, each painted by a different artist, that are arranged to form one large collaborative mural. When you receive your kit, it includes everything you need to paint your tile, such as supplies, instructions, examples, a deadline, and details on how to submit your finished piece.
Each artist is assigned a specific mural project and color that is not revealed to you until you receive your kit in the mail. How fun is that?! For me, I got the color green, which meant I could only use a specific green color palette when painting my tile. I also learned which mural my tile would become part of which will be America Connects – Nature’s Reflection. The subject is completely up to the artist allowing you to be as creative as you would like to be. Between the green color palette and theme, I immediately knew what my heart was set out to paint.
My inspiration came from the song “It’s Not Easy Being Green” that was originally performed by Jim Henson as Kermit the Frog on Sesame Street. What started as a simple tune about the color green quickly became a heartfelt anthem about self-acceptance. Over the years, it’s been interpreted as a gentle reminder that being different can be hard, but those unique qualities are what make us special. Kermit’s words have resonated with generations and turned this little song into something truly meaningful and iconic. It also felt like the perfect fit for the mural’s nature-based theme. In the original performance, Kermit sings from his swamp in the quiet beauty of his natural habitat (flies and all). His connection to nature, and the way he reflects to find peace in simply being felt like the perfect harmony for my submission.
When I began painting my tile, I kept Jim & Kermit’s message close to heart and this was the end result…
I actually completed this painting a few weeks ago, but with today marking the anniversary of Jim Henson’s passing, it just felt right to wait and unveil it now. Sharing it with my art collectors today feels like a meaningful way to remember and honor the incredible legacy Jim left for all of us.
Working on this small canvas felt surprisingly big. It was my chance to contribute a tiny part to something much larger, a collective celebration of reflection, nature, and creativity. Every brushstroke reminded me of how meaningful it is to find connection through art, even when we’re all painting different pieces of the same picture from all over the world. It is now displayed in my art “space” room amongst a gazillion other things that fulfill my Jim Henson obsession.
For those who would like to follow the journey of the mural process, they have a live grid page where the individual tiles are gradually placed as title submissions come in. The mural location is set to be revealed and the mural unveiled in Autumn 2025! As I get more information I will keep everyone posted.
In the meantime, my fellow lovers and dreamers who feel a connection to this piece, there will be 8″ x 8″ canvas prints and t-shirts available in my Etsy shop and I also have an 8″x 8″ canvas print currently in production for my art collectors to see in person and purchase at a discounted price* at Closet Collectibles (in Crete, IL.) when I do my next art drop!
Although some of these particular creations are also available to purchase in my online Etsy shop keep in mind that they are available at a discounted price* for in-store clients and all framed prints (decorated or in plain black frames) are only available to purchase in-store as well. So make sure to pay Closet Collectibles a visit for your unique gift purchases and don’t forget to tell them Living Dead Girl Nicole sent ya!
Stay Spooky & Magical, LDG Nicole
*Price is discounted from online store prices. Etsy listings reflect the unfortunate amount of shop and transaction fees they charge us artists to sell online. If you are local or traveling to Illinois, I encourage my clients to save money and see my work on full display by shopping my artwork in person with my consignment partner, Closet Collectibles where they truly support my creative endeavors to the fullest as their resident local artist.
That “back to reality” feeling set in hard this Monday morning after Frank and I were away on another amazing, extended weekend with our horror community at Flashback Weekend Chicago!
Friday started off on a little bit of stressful note because Frank had to drive around for over hour looking for parking in the hotel garage(s). While he was doing that I was standing in the longest hotel check in line I have ever been in. None of this was at fault of the convention but more so the hotel itself. Ironically a majority of the folks I talked to in line were also split up from their group or significant other because they too were outside looking for parking as well. Later we found out that the hotel was hosting another event which had never been an issue before but they also now offer some sort of shuttle service where they let people park their cars there at the hotel garage for days after they shuttle them to the airport. Great perk for them, not so much for those of us actually staying at the hotel.
Once we got all our bags and our big cart full of raffle prizes unloaded from our truck and into our hotel room, we hit up the registration booth where we were greeted by the (always) amazing convention staff and picked up our VIP Ultimate Weekend passes and swag bags. We then decided to refocus our energy on getting a bite to eat and a drink at the hotel bar to cool off from the all the initial chaos. Once we were more relaxed we were ready to have some fun and headed to the convention floor to scope things out, get first dibs on vendor merch, and of course all the fun shenanigans a horror con brings. As always we had a blast the rest of the day and into the evening hours. The hotel may have been chaotic at the start of the day but it’s also one of the coolest ones around. I always joke that it feels like a shopping mall inside which is why I think the 80’s kid/90’s teen in me feels right at home whenever we are there. We also love getting a room with a balcony so we can take in the night sky and watch the planes fly over us.
For Saturday I represented the real OG of Cabin Fever by rocking my Cavity Colors Dennis shirt. I still think Matthew Helms should’ve been a guest for the cast reunion (even though I know that not all guests requests can be made you still can’t convince me otherwise 😆) but I also think I just wanted to yell “PANCAKES” with him and show him my best karate ninja moves. I would say the shirt choice was a success because when we started the day off meeting Eli Roth he immediately pointed it out.
This year was less celeb guest art gifting and more focused on being reunited and networking with our Midwest horror fam, including the one and only insanely talented Chad Savage of Sinister Visions. I stocked up on some of his Halloween art stickers and we were so happy to be able to catch up with him. Even more so later that evening when he was super ghoul to drag Frank and I out of the “shadows” to come mingle alongside him while he made his rounds during the after party festivities.
Fun Fact:Do you remember the Save The Date postcards we sent out for mine and Frank’s Halloween Masquerade wedding reception in 2009? Well…Chad was the talented artist who designed those for us!
We also met up with our September Son Films and High On The Hog movie fam who we got to enjoy drinks and lunch with while we hung out and caught up on all the great things they currently have in the works. As always we reminisced about our mutual friend Sid (Haig). It’s pretty obvious that we all feel a sense of emptiness every time we are at these horror cons without him. It’s also nice to have friends who can relate to what I can only describe as a bittersweet mix of gratitude and loss whenever you see his face on something but don’t see him sitting behind one of the guest tables or across from you at dinner. It’s moments like these that we are all reminded of how much of a blessing Sid was to all of us and how we will always have a unique bond because of him.
As an artist who loves supporting other artists and small business owners, we purchased a lot of fun things from the vendors this year. I unfortunately won’t be posting our full haul because we actually scored quite a few unique items that are going to be gifts for other people. However I definitely have to share this fun pic taken at the Nightmare 1984 booth. The lover of great mashups and the Jane Lane in me had to have this print. My husband being the big They Live fan that he is (and also has a tattoo inspired by the movie) immediately pulled out his wallet when I pointed it out!
Svengoolie made his annual appearance and this time we got to see him in full action mode filming his show throughout the event. Frank also got to see the Phantasm II car that they had on display. We are not sure if it is the same one we saw at a prior event many moons ago, but either way I always enjoy when he gets the opportunity to see cars that were in or inspired by his favorite films.
Saturday evening we attended the VIP Private Gala Cocktail Reception for the Ultimate ticket holders and celebrity guests. You may remember last year when I donated my framed artwork for the raffles and got some of my connections to send me marketing swag to throw in with them to create prize bags. Well they were such a big hit that I joined forces with Mike and Mia (owners and hosts of the con) to make them again this year. With next month being the 5 Year Anniversary of Sid’s passing and him being such a memorable part of our earlier years at Flashback Weekend, I wanted to do something special in his memory. So I donated prints of the portrait I gifted to him as well as some of the Memorial Fundraiser Necklaces I have in stock. I then still donated the money from the necklaces to his widow, my dear friend Suzie but on behalf of the prize winners.
When I announced that I would be making the bags again this year, so many generous artists, vendors, and businesses jumped on the opportunity to sponsor prizes and get their names in front of horror fans. So much so the bags were twice the size that they were last year and we even had some larger prizes that got raffled off separately from Trick Or Treat Studios (including what Chad referred to as “The Head of Svengoolie!”).
Due to there being so many donations and not being able to see all the amazing things inside the bags, I created and displayed a sign next to them that listed all the prize sponsors along with a QR code that attendees were scanning and taking photos of on their phones as they walked into the event. This QR code led them to a prize sponsor page that lists the website links of all of the prize sponsors so they can easily be found online and we can all support what they do. A smaller version was also included in the bags themselves incase the winners wanted to reach out to them directly.
People in attendance could not wait to see if they had won something and those who did were very pleased. Aaron who was a winner last year really lucked out! Not only did he win again this year but after he did he got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend! She said YES! Making true love the ultimate prize of the evening. A very memorable moment and we were all honored to have witnessed it.
Raffle Prize Bags on DisplayTime for Raffles Prizes!Chad Giving Me a ShoutoutRaffling Off Bag 1Raffling Off Bag 2Raffling Off Bag 3Raffling the “Head of Svengoolie”She said YES!Raffle Winner Aaron & his FIANCE’Raffle Winner & Podcaster SummerCon Social Media Guru KatCon Owners/Hosts Mia & Mike
After all the hard work that went into the bags, it’s always so rewarding to see the excitement of those who want to win and the smiles on the faces of those who do. The attendees who won them really lucked out thanks to all the amazing boils and ghouls who joined forces and donated to them. I seriously can’t thank you all enough for your generosity and meeting my deadline to keep things going smoothly. You made some hardcore horror fans very happy and the event that much more fun for all.
On Sunday we were tired after a very eventful day and evening but we were also pumped to meet up and have a convention Sunday Funday with our friend Jeff from Anthony’s Collectibles. A great way to end a killer weekend before heading back home.
Fun Fact:I first met Jeff through my brother as they are great friends who served in the army together.
Once again I would like to end this by giving a mad shout out to Mike, Mia and the crew at Flashback Weekend Chicago. Like I told Mike when I saw him this weekend, you guys are the reason we have gotten to experience this convention and meet so many amazing people over the last 20 years and we are so grateful to all of you and the hard work and time you dedicate to putting on such a killer show. Thank you Mike and Mia for making our horror community feel like a family. There are many conventions out there nowadays, and we love them all the same, but the heart and soul you put into this one is why so many of us will always consider Flashback Weekend Chicago our forever horror home.
