the ghost gallery

this old painting i did decades ago now hangs in my room beneath a shelf of plush lions, tigers & bears.. it's an inner child themed storybook style watercolor called 'escape' based on a grand dream from childhood in which we snuck out our window one night & rowed away in a little rowboat toward the big full moon.. i love that it's in my room now, it was like foreshadowing, from that little corner of the room under the window to this room now where i look out my window at the moon & all the surrounding trees & green, we finally did it, we ran away up to the snow & the trees & the river, & we didn't have to say goodbye to our beloved kitties, we took them all with us <3 this is one of the first paintings i put up in my ghost gallery hallway up at my gumbyland & gallery website 20 something years ago ~

this carousel horse painting now hangs in our stairwell gallery ~

along with several others ~

like this cold comfort scene ~

i've enjoyed being able to display my art around the house ~

from the stairwell gallery to the toy room ~

like these frog & toad paintings i did for my son's room when he was small ~

& of course gumby ~

toxic loved to paint ~

so art has been a kind of therapy for me all my life ~

it's always been a way for me to express the things i couldn't say in words ~

who knew i'd end up filling an entire online gallery ~

from studies & drawings to abstracts ~

it's been a blast trying out every creative idea over all the years ~

& having fun with filters & photoshop digital effects ~

creating entire themed art albums ~

i had to add on a second ghost gallery hallway ~

moving on to full installations ~

or what i often call dollscapes ~

& eventually adding on a third ghost gallery hallway made up of entire albums ~

that i call the rows of never opened doors ~

this page leads to the ghost gallery or specifically to the rows of never opened doors ~

click the links in this post for more, & please come in & visit anytime you are curious ~

lastly, here's an old self portrait i did as part of an art studies course ~

bren

Comments

[ghost]

#infj #blog #depression #radiohead #mentalhealth #pdx #geology #bigfoot #portland #oregon #ghostgallery #photography #twitter #rowsofneveropeneddoors

over the weekend we went for a couple of drives, including along the nehelem river nearer to the coast looking for rocks.. i spotted a dear deer in some trees & caught her on film <3 just like this:

'Just then a Fawn came wandering by: it looked at Alice with its large gentle eyes, but didn't seem at all frightened. “What do you call yourself?" the Fawn said at last. Such a soft sweet voice it had!
"I wish I knew!" thought poor Alice. She answered, rather sadly, "Nothing, just now."
"Think again," it said: "that won't do."
Alice thought, but nothing came of it. "Please, would you tell me what you call yourself?" she said timidly, "I think that might help a little."
"I'll tell you, if you'll come a little further on," the Fawn said. "I can't remember here."
So they walked on together through the wood, Alice with her arms clasped lovingly round the soft neck of the Fawn, till they came out into another open field, and here the Fawn gave a sudden bound into the air, and shook itself free from Alice's arms. "I'm a Fawn!" it cried out in a voice of delight. "And dear me, you're a human child!" A sudden look of alarm came into its beautiful brown eyes, and in another moment it had darted away at full speed.'

..but yeah we're rockhounds, so i added pix here to my around the bend photo album to finally wrap that one up since it's pretty big & time to start a new one..
https://friendlyghost.typepad.com/photos/around_the_bend/local-bigfoot-sighting.html
& here's one i call backroads as well: http://brensgumbyland.com/ghostgallerybackroads.html (sound up)

i've experienced another dark dip into depression back on the pink moon where i reached out to my therapist again.. realized it was the 2 year anniversary of losing my mom on the pink moon back in 2020.. maybe had something to do with it?
i hate when i feel like i've lost all my colors, nothing scares me quite as much as that.
https://youtu.be/sHISL8dgikk

don't know if i'll stick around on twitter or not going forward? we'll see.. but if you're someone who follows me there please let me know & follow me on insta, youtube or here at typepad & let me know, i'll follow back.. just in case.

p.s. look for our newer album over right in the sidebar..

[ghost]

i've mentioned my boredshopping weakness?
well i blame these ads that constantly pop up with the latest dover coloring books, vintage stickers or cat related toys i must have, right?
but lately whatever formula decides my preferences seems to be way off & thinks i'm perhaps a millionaire?
& that i need these yard items:

https://www.designtoscano.com/products/jurassic-sized-brachiosaurus-dinosaur-statue-1-ne100055?sku=RFUNXXXNE100055&utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=freeshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItriB95rL9wIVDgeGCh0OAQFyEAEYASAHEgKBzPD_BwE
https://www.designtoscano.com/products/the-jurassic-sized-t-rex-dinosaur-statue?sku=RFUNXXXNE80126&utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=freeshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqKSPuMHG9wIVTepkCh0Mfwz-EAEYASADEgI1p_D_BwE
yeah i think our neighbors already wonder about us..

ok so these 2 i actually do need.
https://www.designtoscano.com/products/reaping-solace-the-creeper-sitting-statue-large-1-ky30860?sku=MMYSXXXKY30860&utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=freeshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIz5Cki4_G9wIVBV5iCh02Qw-eEAEYASAFEgK48vD_BwE
https://www.designtoscano.com/products/ascending-evil-climbing-skeleton-wall-sculpture-cl6669?sku=MMYSXXXCL6669&utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=freeshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi977wZvL9wIVBl9iCh3lkgvPEAEYASACEgLluvD_BwE

i finished my muchness dollscape but am awaiting the music that will accompany it before i link it here.. the music as always is integral & essential..

& after wrapping up the around the bend album i've now begun a new photo album for our adventures going forward here (sound up) http://brensgumbyland.com/ghostgallerythelostalbum.html
it only has a few pertinent pix in it so far, including my current bedside reading choices..

i had another setback the other day as i hit my head on the corner of one of our kitchen cupboards while hurrying around.. not fun. it induced a headache & another meltdown as i felt like an idiot for bringing it onto myself.. better now & hopefully i have a bump of wisdom like gumby? not another invisible crack in there to cause more problems? please? alice & i both need bubblewrap helmets for our own protection it seems..

so although i still struggle to get through many days, i did the math yesterday & realized i am at least able to eat the right amount of calories daily now, so this is helpful as i feel stronger the more i'm able to progress to a healthier weight.. & i look forward to more nature drives, rockhound runs & photoing more trees & old cemeteries for my albums before the sizzle of summer sun sends me completely into vampiric hiding..

either that or i'll crash into despair, we shall see..
ps https://www.designtoscano.com/products/the-vampire-coffin-of-dracula-statue-1-wu73309?utm_source=criteo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=criteolower
(add to cart)..

[ghost]

#infj #ghostgallery #art #arttherapy #nature #trees #mentalhealth #rowsofneveropeneddoors #thesmile

well, it was despair for a bit, but then i was able to go for another drive yesterday with the sasquatch i'm married to.. (40 years ago upon first seeing mr dad i said to my best friend, 'so who's the sasquatch?' & it stuck, i've fully domesticated him now..)
so we headed out along the clackamas river this time on our latest rockhounding expedition, unfortunately with all the rain we've been having the rivers are running high & fast & we couldn't find an exposed gravel bar for jasper, & also it was a stark difference from the last time we drove that area because it was before the last big riverside fire that had us all scared & hiding from toxic smoke.. i did take my usual tree photos though, & ended up with this new album i'm calling
'tree graveyard' http://brensgumbyland.com/ghostgallerytreegraveyard.html (sound up)

we didn't head back out today because i'm already feeling that super flower blood moon/eclipse looming tonight :o oh & i think a big asteroid just missed us? yeah, i stayed home enjoying the new album by thom & the smile.. & now my 'muchness' album has full sound! <3
come jump into the hatter's hat & join me there - http://www.brensgumbyland.com/ghostgallerymuchness.html (sound up!)

i mentioned how i follow colin meloy's substack? it was kinda cool recently he liked one of my comments about how much i love the weird chord he uses in the song 'make you better' <3
& then sid krofft liked a couple more of my comments over on insta too :D (i mentioned how i've always credited witchiepoo with being one of my earliest fashion influences ;)
i've added a few items to gumbyland & some cool retro krofft collectibles to my collection, that i'll be posting over at the lost & found soon, & i am trying to curb my boredshopping. but look!

https://www.designtoscano.com/products/seat-of-death-grim-reaper-throne-chair-1-ne180195?utm_source=criteo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=criteolower

https://www.designtoscano.com/products/begger-for-souls-skeleton-wall-sculpture-cl6762?sku=MMYSXXXCL6762&utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=freeshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1NWhsvrO9wIViQitBh1zrgzjEAEYASACEgLShfD_BwE

https://www.designtoscano.com/products/the-creeper-tabletop-sculpture-1-db383022?sku=MMYSXXXDB383022&utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=freeshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI1NWhsvrO9wIViQitBh1zrgzjEAEYASABEgKQIPD_BwE
this one's reasonable, right?

https://www.designtoscano.com/products/grim-reaper-illuminated-spector-statue-jq6597?sku=MMYSXXXJQ6597&utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=freeshop&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuMGKvM7S9wIVxuDACh1l8QAfEAEYASAGEgIH2_D_BwE

ok, well, follow our latest misadventures here as our latest photo album gets underway - the lost album - http://brensgumbyland.com/ghostgallerythelostalbum.html (sound up of course) i'm trying.. i keep on trying..
..
p.s. our robin fledglings are doing great, mom's been finding them lots of earthworms thanks to all the rain..
https://friendlyghost.typepad.com/photos/backyard_birdies/robin-fledgling-in-the-sun.html

[ghost]

#tolkien #infj #books #music #lostandfoundtoys #decemberists #collector #cemeteria #library

here's a cool update i promised way back here in old comments - https://friendlyghost.typepad.com/snowballinhell/2022/02/collector.html?cid=6a00d834525fe869e20282e143727f200b#comment-6a00d834525fe869e20282e143727f200b

all who wander are not lost -

https://friendlyghost.typepad.com/lost_found_vintage_toys/2022/05/all-who-wander-are-not-lost.html

& hey, colin meloy liked another one of my comments re: tim snyder's books & rainy portland days ;)

https://twitter.com/GhostAtTheGate/status/1527709365410533376?s=20&t=76KZLqia30_tb1ro7UIQPw

ps - i just was able to capture my visit to krofftkon live on insta in orinda california! that was amazingly cool!! :D https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd1MRpNqxEN/

update: more here - https://friendlyghost.typepad.com/lost_found_vintage_toys/2022/05/krofftkon.html

[ghost]

#oregon #washington #nature #naturetherapy #rockhound #waterfall #river #infj #thesmile #booknerds #tolkien #cemetery #thomyorke

sunset falls in washington was a nice spot to pick up a few stones, past lucia & moulton falls that i've photo'd before in our old albums, the trail was overgrown & no humans, just the way we like it :)
http://brensgumbyland.com/ghostgallerythelostalbum.html (sound up)

also not only did mr dad's old friend leave my tolkienstone at the grave, he is bringing one back for us From tolkien's grave! :D i'll paint his signature symbol on this new tolkienstone & keep it on our tolkienshelf.. so cool! i posted more pix of the grave & the oxford cemetery at the very end of my huge cemeteria album <3

hey rich z animation followed me on insta! he's a stop-motion animator who did extensive work on nightmare before xmas, coraline, james & the giant peach & peewee's playhouse :D he was commenting about koyaanisqatsi, & i mentioned 'life out of balance' since i'm an old koyaanisqatsi fan & then he followed me, must've seen the gumbyland bio note..?
we're staying home for the memorial day weekend since it'll likely be busy everywhere, also it's been a merciful spring with record rain & wonderful temps, but summer's inevitable & i want little to do with it.
(vampire.) :(
i'm thinking of writing another book.. ?
p.s. i am loving the new album by thom & johnny & the smile :) <3