Be sure to check out this very special issue to discover some great artists and handmade gift ideas as well as the Creature Features page of my portfolio website. There you can find this spotlight as well as some of the other fun and unique places my art has been featured over the years.
It’s never easy to say goodbye to the greatest holiday of the year, but I always find that sharing my annual costume and memorable moments with my followers always seems to help me get through the post holiday blues. And speaking of holiday blues I had quite the “Gemstones” on mine this year.
That’s right, not only did I finish my “Voila! No More COVID!” portrait of Walton Goggins and Uncle Baby Billy Freeman, but little did anyone know that while working on it I was also simultaneously working on my Halloween costume to transform into him as well. Needless to say it was a very “Righteous” Halloween this year.
Ta-dah! Look who it is! Y’all can’t start Halloween without no star now.
To top it off my husband Frank joined in on the fun as Teenjus and one of the trick or treaters even told him “I need to read your book more” 😆
As most of you know we got married on Halloween in 2009 and donated the base of our wedding arch to my brother’s Halloween yard display. Each year we try to remember to take a photo under it and it amazes me how my brother has kept it going strong (like us) after 16 years.
We got your miracle right here nerds!
We got blessed with a perfect sunny and crisp Samhain here in the Chicagoland area. My nephew Michael who has pretty much taken over the duties of passing out candy over the years decided to use his role to inspire his sweet costume as Willy Wonka. My great niece Violet chose to be a plague doctor this year because well she’s the ghoulist kid I know and I wouldn’t expect anything less from her. Having my Baby Billy virus elixir prop for my costume could not have been more perfect for taking a photo with her.
And the festivities did not stop there. I was also informed that like my Dr. Teeth costume that was featured in 2022, my Mokey Fraggle costume from last year made it into the Tough Pigs Muppet Halloween Parade for 2025! There are always a ton of great costumes that get submitted for this, so it is always an honor to be chosen by hardcore fans who for many moons have been doing such an amazing job to help keep Jim Henson’s legacy alive for all of us. 🌈✨️
Enjoy seeing me transform? Then be sure to check out a few of my featured past looks on the Skinned page of my portfolio website.
While I continue to ride this rollercoaster that is this nightmare of a job market, one thing holds true. My LinkedIn network has pulled through for me time and time again since being laid off. Wither its buying my art that has helped me financially, reposting/spreading the word about my creations and job search on their profiles, commenting words of encouragement, reacting to my silly Muppet gifs, or sharing opportunities with me, I am honestly so incredibly grateful to all of the connections I have made on there.
Which leads me to Dominique Sahms the Founder and Curator of Artflow Alliance. As an artist herself, Dominique created Artflow Alliance to be a collaborative artist network that connects creatives worldwide. Through curated exhibitions, open calls, and artist spotlights, she helps support artists in expanding their reach, building community, and sustaining their practices.
With that being said, Dominique reached out to me about my work, asking if she can feature some of my pieces in her next Virtual Art Exhibition: Haunted Histories, and I am so honored to be a part of it.
This exhibition theme focuses on: 🕯️Stepping into the shadows of memory 🏚️ Abandoned places and ghost towns 🪶 Cultural myths, folklore, and oral traditions 👪 Family lineage and ancestral echoes 📜 Historical events and overlooked narratives ☠️ The concept of history itself as a haunting force
The exhibition runs from Halloween, October 31st – December 31st, 2025 and the great thing is you don’t even have to leave your home or travel to view and support the artists who are participating in it. Everything can be viewed online via a free, interactive 3D art gallery. Allowing more artists and art collectors from around the globe to participate.
So starting TOMORROW, be sure to visit the exhibition link so you can freely scroll the virtual walls showcasing all the hauntingly beautiful art that is being featured, including my “Maybe Today Satan” and “Nothing Is Trivial” split-face portraits.
While there be sure to leave a ❤️ on the virtual display of my art pieces to show them some love and let me know you visited, and like always sharing this post to help spread the word for us artists would mean the world to us. Especially in this day and age where AI art is in the spotlight. Lets keep reminding the world where the true talent lies.. in human art.
And to celebrate, any of my art collectors who visit the virtual exhibition and then shop my Etsy Shop afterwards can use discount code HAUNTEDHISTORIES to receive 13% slashed off their order at check out!*
And if you are new here, be sure to check out the Creature Features page of my portfolio website. There you can find this exhibit as well as some of the other fun and unique places my art has been featured over the years.
Want to showcase my work in your next virtual gallery exhibition? Let’s connect and chat!
Stay Strange & Magical, ✨ LDG Nicole
*Discount does not include made-to-order, fundraiser, or clearance/sales items. Offer begins October 31, 2025 and expires EOD December 31, 2025.
I am excited to announce that my artist interview feature along with other Halloween themed written works of art are free to read at Cool Hand Frank all this week in celebration of Halloweek! 🎃✨️
So if you didn’t subscribe to their website when the interview first went live in May, now’s your chance to check it out and take a little peek inside this spooky brain of mine as I answer some fun and insightful questions about what inspires me as an artist. 🧠
