Featured Artist Interview April 2017: Harvest Moon Studio

To find where Joy of Harvest Moon Studio sells her wares visit her on her artist page on HAB. 

Interview with Joy Parisi of Harvest Moon Studio:

Which pieces of your artwork are you most proud of, currently for sale or sold? Share an image of it if you have one.

My favorite piece is my reverse painted silhouette Halloween https://www.etsy.com/listing/202474519/original-painting-reverse-hand-painted?ref=shop_home_active_14 lamp.

Name an artist(s) whose work you admire and what influence have they had on your art?

I grew up with Norman Rockwell and Grandma Moses. I really love folk art and vintage landscapes. I also like the work of Linda Nelson Stocks.

What would you consider the highest honor or greatest goal you would like to achieve with your art?

I recently had a customer give me a custom order. She had purchased a Halloween lamp from me about 10 years ago and told me that it holds a place of honor in her home. It is the first decoration to go up and the last to come down. It doesn’t get any better than that.

What Halloween costume that you got to wear in childhood was your favorite and has the fondest memory for you?

I had a princess costume that was beaded and very ornate. I loved it!

What is your favorite Halloween icon? Why do you identify with its imagery?

I would have to choose a witch on a broomstick with her black cat on the back.

If money and wherewithal were not an issue, what would be your dream way to spend Halloween?

I would host a vintage party complete with costume and decorations. Back in the early to mid 1900’s Halloween parties were huge. It’s just not like that any more.

Featured Artist Interview November 2016: Harvest Moon Studio

To find where Joy of Harvest Moon Studio sells her wares visit her on her artist page on HAB. 

Interview with Joy Parisi of Harvest Moon Studio:

At what age did you discover your love of Halloween?

I have always loved Halloween. I have so many fond memories from a very young age of dressing up and going to family & friends trick or treating. Also, the yearly watching of “The great pumpkin Charlie Brown” with my parents.

What is your fondest Halloween memory?

Some of my fondest memories of Halloween were when I was little, we used to have a Halloween costume parade and party at school. My Mom used to come in and bring home made chocolate Halloween decorated cupcakes with witches, bat, cats etc on them. Then we had trick or treating to look forward to after school.

How do you celebrate Halloween?

We would always have a Halloween party when I lived at home complete with decorations, costumes, bobbing for apples etc. As I grew and had my own family we would invite my kids cousins and friends over and I would make home made pizzas and cupcakes – all kinds of goodies and have a pumpkin carving party. Then we would all go out trick or treating. At the beginning of October we would watch a Halloween movie on Friday nights. So we pretty much would celebrate Halloween starting the beginning of October.

When did you start creating in your medium and what training have you had?

Always having a love of arts & crafts, I started at a young age with all different sorts of things. My parents found a Halloween picture that I had drawn some time in grade school recently so I guess I’ve been at it for a while.
I have been working with acrylics & oils for about 15 years and started selling Halloween stuff almost exclusively for about 10 yearsrs or so.
I have had minimal training along the way. Most of it has been all self taught.

What was the inspiration to create what you create when did you know
you wanted to create Halloween?

I started painting reverse glass lampshades with a family member – while she was doing florals I wanted to paint a Halloween scene. It just came naturally, it was something I just felt and wanted to do. So that is how I started and enjoyed it much more than the florals…