Month of Fear - Darkness

It's the final challenge for Month of Fear!  And for Halloween day we did the challege, Darkness.

This is a new type of book for me, a Jacob's ladder book. I painted each panel with a bad luck image. This is one of my smallest yet, measuring 1.5 inches square. It's really best seeing it in motion, so here's another video.
 

A video posted by Alice Stanne (@stannedbyme) on Oct 31, 2016 at 1:02pm PDT

Month of Fear - Metamorphosis

It's the fourth, and final complete week of Month of Fear (though we will do a challenge on Halloween) and the challenge is Metamorphosis.

I took my inspiration from various mythologies about shape shifting creatures including the Celtic selkie, Japanese kitsune, Hindu naga, and Greek story of Actaeon. I doubled down on the metamorphosis by it possible to flip the characters so you place different heads on difference bodies on different legs. This is another tiny book, measuring 2 x 4 inches.

A video posted by Alice Stanne (@stannedbyme) on Oct 26, 2016 at 4:20pm PDT

Month of Fear - Wicked

It's another Month of Fear! Those of you who are familiar with MoF know it's a weekly art challenge for the month of October with plenty of spooky themes and a variety of artists  that post every day.

The first challenge was Wicked.

For the Wicked challenge I drew inspiration from Roald Dahl’s creepy short story “The Landlady,” about a lodger who doesn’t quite seem to realize the danger he is in from his cryptic, taxidermy loving landlady. I made a small pop up book (2 x 3.5 inches) illustrated with watercolor paintings.

So many of my books are becoming so interactive that I think the best way to experience them is with a video, so I made one with my phone.

Pop up book selfies are hard! #wicked #monthoffear #monthoffearart

A video posted by Alice Stanne (@stannedbyme) on Oct 12, 2016 at 10:08am PDT

Month of Fear - Danse Macabre

It's my final piece, and the final day of Month of Fear!

When I was younger I spent a lot of time at my younger sister’s ballet recitals. Though most of it was a snooze-fest for me, the best performance was the little kids who had absolutely no coordination but were trying their damndest. This inspired my Danse Macabre piece, which I didn’t research much, but I’m sure obviously translates to “Dances Adorably”. I started with a mummy but as these characters devolved it didn’t really fit anymore, I would like to try and add it in for the classic horror film superfecta.

Month of Fear Appreciation Post

Artists (counterclockwise from top left): Sam Guay, Jenna Kass, 

Tim Paul, Rovina Cai, Serena Malyon, and Shannon Knight

As we turn the corner from crisp chill October to downright cold November we see the end of another Month of Fear. I've loved working on this project for the past three years. It's always so inspiring to see the work of other incredible artists and it pushes me to make the best art I possibly can. It's our final week this week, with the theme Danse Macabre, so catch one last look at Month of Fear!

Month of Fear - What Lies Beneath?

This week's Month of Fear challenge was What Lies Beneath? I made a box that opened with multiple panels to reveal different pieces of anatomy. There's a brain made of cork with thoughts pinned to it; a ribcage made of paper covered a heart painted on a stone; a stomach embroidered full of knots. The lid of the box is indented with a silhouette.

Month of Fear - Mirrors

Month of Fear is back in excellent form! This week's challenge is Mirrors, which led me into learning about the various death beliefs of the Victorians. Text reads:

Immensely obsessed with death, the Victorians believed that mirrors in the homes of the deceased needed to be covered to prevent the departed soul from being trapped behind the glass, unable to pass over.
The Victorians also believed that if a mirror in your home fell and broke of it’s own accord, it was a portent that someone in the home was going to die.

Cut paper on mirrors mounted in a handmade board book, measures 4.5 x 4.5 inches.

Slipcase Week - Day 3: The Little Books of Fear

Today features a set of books each made for the Month of Fear blog. Since both are about my fears, I decided to made them into their own little series, drawing inspiration from the set of Golden Books I had growing up.

Month of Fear - Demons Within

Last week challenge for Month of Fear was Demons Within. I decided to go with demons within the home and made this small pop-up book featuring some household demons I created:

This short compendium includes Pedulefur, who steals individual socks from the drier; Tenentium, who takes up all the valuable space in the closet; and Mucilagosa, who is responsible for the pink scum ring around the tub.

Month of Fear - What Are You Afraid Of?

Have you noticed a change in the air? Crisper leaves? More ads for pumpkin flavored things at the coffee shop? Well, ladies and gents, it's October and that means it's time for another Month of Fear! It's the same story as before, a piece a week, inspired by different challenges. This week was "What Are You Afraid Of?"

Though I guess I'm technically an "adult" I still find myself afraid of the dark. It makes me jumpy, anxious, and I find myself walking a little more quickly than usual towards the nearest light.

I decided to double down on this challenge month, and have challenged myself to make not just an illustration a week, but a book a week (albeit probably pretty tiny books). The panels on this one measure in at just 2.25 x 2.25 inches.

Be sure to check out Month of Fear and see the incredible work coming in from so many artists:

http://monthoffear.blogspot.com/

Month of Fear - What Was Your Childhood Fear?

This past weeks challenge for the Month of Fear was to make a piece about our child hood fear. I was pretty spooked by closets when I was little, imagining what could be in different ones. So I decided to make a little book about it.

Month of Fear - Recurring Nightmare

One of the challenges for Month of Fear was to make a piece about your worst recurring nightmare. I am not a big dreamer, so I did mine about the lack of sleep, which for me, is even worse. I get so caught up in my own head, twisting and turning through my thoughts, and it's stressful and exhausting.

Month of Fear - What Lives Under Your Bed?

Our first challenge for the Month of Fear was What Lives Under Your Bed? I went with a variety of different whos and whats, this was my end result.

Worth clicking to check out a larger version.

Month of Fear!

Just as February was the Month of Love, October is the Month of Fear. This month I will be participating in another monthly challenge, this one centered all around fear! Unlike February, which was a daily challenge, October will be a weekly challenge with each week having a different theme. This week's challenge is What's under your bed?

My post doesn't go up until Friday, but some other wonderful artists have started posting already and their work is intimidatingly incredible.

Visit the challenge blog here: monthoffear.blogspot.com

Header by Jeanine Henderson