In 1977, I was in 7th grade. Weird how the year coincides with the grade I was in over time. I was in junior high and was a total dork. Braces, long, straight hair, glasses, and to top that off, I played violin in the Orchestra. And even more dorky? I was in the "Mime Troupe." Mime was a big deal back in the day, and we had a pretty big Mime Troupe! I was part of that group during all three years of junior high. Feel free to laugh...silently. ; )

On the other hand, I was VERY outgoing, not shy in the least, and oddly enough along with that, I was an AVID reader. A new magazine was going to show up on the shelves while I was still in the 7th grade that was going to steal my attention. In 1978 Omni magazine was born. Dedicated to science, ideas of the future,  and my favorite....SCIENCE FICTION!  The art in each issue would attempt to bring alien landscapes to life, creatures and beings from imagined faraway places to light and stories to scare and enthrall. This was before Alien and around the time Star Wars was released.

My parents surprised me and subscribed to the magazine for me and I waited eagerly each month for the new issue to arrive with the protective plastic package, with my name on the label. One month I received my new Omni, and the artwork inside of it was of a style I'd not seen yet. It was dark, with muted blacks and grays in a truly foreign style....ethereal and strange. It was the artwork of H. R. GIGER. 

Who was this man? And did others see what I saw in his landscapes and in the strange, beautiful women's faces? I was completely captivated by his work.

H.R. GIGER passed away on Monday 5/12/14. He was 74. His resume is long and amazing. Giger's work is difficult at times to view. Not all of his landscapes, paintings, and views were what some would consider "normal." Much of this work contained sexual scenes with all sorts of body parts and machinery. I wasn't aware of this artwork until much later, years after Alien and the Omni issue that caught my attention.

However, as disturbing as some of his works are, there are many that are truly intoxicating, entirely unique and all of an artistic standard few artists can reach, including me, by far.

When I saw the movie Alien, without knowing ANYTHING about it in advance, I was completely
scared, shocked, and in awe. I knew the minute I saw the alien ship and landscape that Giger had contributed to this movie. Of course, when the creature showed his "face" the first time, there was no doubt in my mind. After the movie, with an excited heart, I waited for the credits to roll and there it was, scrolling up the screen, "Alien design H.R. GIGER. "

I am saddened by the death of this incredible artist, creator and designer. I will miss his contributions to movies in the future. If you aren't sure of where you might have seen his work, other than that of his Alien, here is some info. for you:

Conceptual art for unreleased Dune film (was never finished, but his artwork is online and in the Giger museum. )  (not the horrible Dune directed by David Lynch)

  Dune

Poltergeist II the Other Side.

Species  (designed the alien half of Sil, main character and the creepy Ghost Train in the dream             sequence)

                      Sil, from Species

Album covers for Debbie Harry, Emerson-Lake & Palmer and more.

Prometheus (space jockey, derelict ship, influenced the design of the derelict ship interiors  and the look of the Engineer.)

Giger will continue to influence artists and film makers I am sure, in the future. In December of

2013, a friend's cat had kittens, and the cat died just 6 days after the babies were born. (This is relevant. I promise.)  My daughter and I bottle-fed the 4 kittens until they were large enough to separate, two going back to my friend and two staying with us. One of the kittens and I bonded rather strongly, and he is a gorgeous white and gray almost siamese looking cat. I named him after H.R. Giger and call him Giger. 

I was going to send a photo of my Giger to the "real" H.R. GIGER, but wasn't able to get one to him before he passed away. I wonder if he would have liked his furry namesake. 

Thanks for reading! 

Quinn

HR GIGER MUSEUM SITE

I do not own the artwork rights nor do I intend copyright infringement. 

Just wanted to write about my artist idol, H.R. GIGER. 

          If you would like to read an interesting novella that was in an early issue of Omni, check out

The TV movie was a major disappointment, so don't bother watching. 

Story is fantastic, hope you like it. 

Paintings at the Library

The Georgetown, Tx. Library is showing my work until April 29th at about 3:00.
I haven't posted earlier about this show, due to being consumed with Prom preparation, a friend's illness and more.
 https://library.georgetown.org/quinn-hendersons-winged-heart-art-in-the-galleries-this-month/
There are new watercolors on display and a few new Acrylics. If you like Poppies and are planning on touring Georgetown this wknd, during the Poppy Festival, I do have some new Poppy paintings at the Library.

                                    Watercolor Poppies on Yellow
                                     (more vibrant in person)

All the paintings are upstairs in the balcony area and down the hall where the classrooms are located.
I thought I had better put a few paintings here so as to show what is actually on display.
The photos aren't that great, so if you are interested in one or would like to see better quality photos, message me and I can send you better photos. If you are in the area, I'll be happy to meet up with you to show you one or more of the paintings in person.

Watercolor Carrots

Watercolor Iris                                                               Watercolor Bluebonnet

    

 

Acrylic Large Cherries on Aqua  

Acrylic Smaller Cherries on Aqua 

                                    Acrylic Abstract Seascape

Hope you like the artwork! Thanks for looking and hope you get a chance to visit the Library Display of Winged Heart Art Paintings. These are just a sample...all styles of artwork in Acrylic, Watercolor and Mixed Media. 

And, if you are planning a wedding, don't forget I hand paint custom designs for Brides on Boots and pumps. They do need to be leather! A keepsake you can wear after you say, " I DO!" 

Valentines or HEARTS & LOVE day!

Well...Valentines Day is around the corner and how could I not post about my favorite holiday?
No, I don't have a "love interest," but I do love my family, friends and our pets. I think that qualifies!
Valentines Day is special to me because of loving hearts and pink the way I do. Hearts everywhere, cherubs, pink, red, CHOCOLATE and ROSES. Just love it all. Get it? "Love" it all?
So, what better time to post photos of a bride, than in a Valentines post?
The photos are of a bride I hand painted bridal boots for last year. I haven't downloaded or shown them before, so this is pretty special! Her colors were Coral and Mocha. Her favorite flowers are white Daisies and Gerbera Daisies. I put the date of their wedding in the banners flying off of the Hot Air Balloon and their new married name across the Balloon. The couple wants to ride in a Hot Air Balloon, so that was their unique item on the boots.

I think they turned out nicely and had a bit of an old fashioned style to the design as well. The bride loved them and wore them on their cruise every day, with whatever she was wearing to make sure the other passengers new she was a new bride!
                                              
They are doing well, super in love and very happy. I'm so honored to have been able to provide something that meant so much to her.

(additional photos)                                                 
    (Before)

Inspiration

Inspiration. So many things inspire us day to day. Depending on what we do with our inspiration is unique to everyone. A little boy or girl with a very ill parent or sibling might be inspired to become a physician in later years. Another person might have been inspired to become an attorney and later a judge, after watching or reading To Kill A Mockingbird.
We can all be inspired in so many ways to do great things, small things, creative things or to just be extra caring to a loved one or even a stranger.
I find that when I'm inspired creatively it can be the oddest little item that pushes my mind in different directions. Or I can be inspired to create my own version of an item, having been inspired by the original. Not a copy per se, but my own version.  (1st photo, inspiration necklace)

Hence, my button necklace. I've posted the original "inspiration" piece. It isn't completely my style, because of the darker colors and dark chain, however I LOVE buttons, which is why I wanted to create my own button necklace after I saw it. 
I chose a longer chain, in a bright silver tone, wire in shiny silver and some in pale pink. The colors of the buttons are in pinks (my favorite color), mints, yellows, white and teal. One thing that makes this necklace different than my inspiration necklace, is that I included rose and heart charms, a few special beads and pieces I'd been saving for a special project. One of the special items is an acrylic heart bead I wore in the 80's with other hearts. Also, a small pink princess phone I made into a sort of bead with my drill and a thin bit. This little phone was found in a grab bag many years ago at a junk store and I've been saving it since! I think it is perfect on my button necklace.

 These two photos my version of a button necklace. Small phone on upper right of necklace.

I hope to make a bracelet soon, now that I've made a matching pair of earrings. I am looking forward to wearing this set at the big arts/crafts Christmas show coming up in November.

Being creative and obsessed WITH creating has it's up side and it's down side. The up? Heck, just making things and for me, selling them and knowing others like or love the items I have created/made/painted/sewed and put so much love into.
The down? Not having enough time in the world to make everything in my head or getting really close to making an idea a reality, only to not know the technical info. to finish it. (welding for example)

The last few years for me, have been like a creative freight train. I have been making item after item that is new and different and love them ALL. Only a few items I've made aren't moving on to be permanent sold items in my online store and that isn't because they aren't good or pretty or useful. A few items I have made aren't exactly like items that have been produced in massive quantities, but similar enough for me not to continue. Or there may be too many other vendors/crafters/artists making a similar item. While competition is fine and I have done well in the past, I'd rather my items be a tad more unique and special. I also avoid making items that someone else can make by purchasing a kit at Michael's or Hobby Lobby. I won't sell an item that the parts were purchased to just "put together" and call it my own design.

I hope my button necklace inspires you in some way. Maybe to collect buttons or to make your own necklace, or to want to go to the beach because of the beachy colors of the buttons!

I also hope to see you soon at the Christmas Spectacular in Georgetown soon!

Have a creatively inspiring day!

COLOR!!! I LOVE color!!!

Yep, I have to say, COLOR is important to me. Not because I'm an artist and "sewist" and crafter, but just because I truly love color.

Color is powerful. It can encourage a calm, patient mood or actually cause anxiety for some. I would rather live somewhere in between.

Millions of dollars are spent each year trying to predict the new color trends for large paint companies like Sherwin Williams, Behr and Benjamin Moore, among others. Trying to guess what the new colors will be is quite the gamble, but with DIY an accepted term in households today and shows on cable's HGTV network telling us to be brave and take a chance on anything OTHER than beige, more homeowners and diy'ers are tickled "pink" and ready to paint the town Aqua instead of Red!

     I've lived in various houses as an adult and each one was a different style of home. Each was decorated in a complimentary way to the age and type of house it was and with beautiful colors. Not one house I've lived in was painted in builder grade/no color beige or blank white. Not that I am crazy with color...not at all. I just love color and for the colors I use in my home to make people feel welcome and most of all to make me and my daughter smile, no matter which room we are in.

What is your favorite color? Does it change from house to house or when you see the latest perfect pair of shoes? Do you see a gathering of paint chips and feel like running for you life? Here is hoping to adding a bit more color to your world, whether it is in the form of a new neon yellow pair of sandals, a red washer and dryer, a chartreuse (apple green) Kitchenaid mixer, a custom painted SUV in candy pink, or a few gallons of soft Robin's Egg Blue semi-gloss paint on the walls of your master bath. 

Cheers to all the beautiful colors of the rainbow, the colors that surround us and being just a bit more brave the next time we walk up to the paint counter, paint chip in hand.