Greetings to all friends and fans of handmade Halloween art!
We're very proud to announce the debut of the Fall 2026 issue of Autumn Brilliance! **Available MONDAY, SEPT 7th 2026**
--->PLEASE NOTE: You can purchase only at two places: 1) Online via our website (link here to the left side of the screen) 2) In person at Bewitching Peddlers of Halloweenon Saturday, Sept. 26th in Marshall, Michigan - Calhoun County Fairgrounds (Please
do not fall prey to scammers - we have no outside "agents" or "event
helpers" of any sort who will contact you for sales!)
Like
every issue before it, this one was meticulously planned and created
solely by me, Ellen Gee, in my wee home studio in Tennessee, which is
where I ship them from directly to you. And I'll say, this issue may
indeed be one of my most cherished... so many of my favorite artists are
assembled within, and I know you will agree with that because they're
your favorites as well.
*** Each artist holds the
high honor and standards of creating their art the only true way that
art is supposed to be made: by their imaginations and their hands. (NO
AI is ever permitted in the magazine.)
*** We are
grateful beyond words to each artist who participated in this year's
issue - it could not have turned out as awesome as it is without YOU
Just another day and we enter the glorious first day of the "ber" months: September is knocking at the door, with actual autumn but a few weeks away. After this dreadfully hot summer, I know we all could welcome a change in weather and scenery. A few trees are already beginning to transition their foliage... we are ready and willing for this, and for Halloween, please!
Here's a question for you. Did you ever see a Halloween diorama that pulled you in, enveloped you, and made you feel like you were a part of the display?
*** Fool Crow's Vicki Nelson does that to us every single time. Instead of people in these magical displays, wee mice are the subject of her whimsical scenes, where she portrays them trick or treating, pushing tiny carts laden with plump pumpkins or fanciful witch hats, dressed in stately top hats or pretty little dresses, bobbing for apples at a mouse's Halloween party... just incredible and adorable! Each one is charming in ways you scarcely could imagine. You feel the excitement for an old fashioned Halloween and all of its enchantments swirling about, ready to burst at the colorful seams!
*** Of course, everything you see is hand-made, full of Vicki's lifelong love of all things autumn and Halloween. Her attention to detail is just incredible, and her legion of collectors are the first ones at her booth every year during theBewitching Peddlers of Halloweenshow, which is where you will find Vicki and her delightful art. We invite you to come visit her and find yourself swept away in a Halloween wonderland! - - - And don't forget to ask her to autograph your copy of the magazine!
*** We're so happy to present Fool Crow in the Fall 2026 issue of Autumn Brilliance. Like Vicki, you can also find us at the Bewitching Peddlers show on September 26, 2026 in the beautiful town of Marshall, Michigan. We'd love to meet you - come tell us your favorite Halloween memory!
---> Our Fall 2026 issue will be available for sale online on Monday, September 7th. Click the magazine cover's link on the left side of the page here to order your own copy! - We do have a history of selling out quickly, so we do urge you to get your copy quickly!
Greetings, all. I'm not going to lie. This really hits me hard. And I am sure that you feel the same way, too. I've been weeping intermittently, all day long yesterday and now again today... every time I recount this sad, sad news, a fresh wave of sorrow and tears envelopes me.
*** We lost a precious angel on Tuesday, August 25th. Yes, I said angel, because that is what Dolly Parton genuinely was. She was the real thing: she walked it like she talked it. A public figure, a singer, songwriter, actress, literacy advocate for children and overall, a humanitarian like no other. The epitome of what a human being should be.
The Butterfly ... she has earned her wings
*** I owe Dolly a huge debt of gratitude on so many levels, I can't even begin to list it properly here. Not only for graciously giving me a special interview, as well as allowing me to use her beautiful song "These Old Bones" in my Fall 2021 issue of the magazine, but most importantly, for the gift of her bright light of LOVE, that which permeated the world and blasted the darkness away. You could not ever listen to her, or watch her, or read about her, and feel badly in any way. It just wasn't possible; she radiated positivity and she unselfishly shared it with us all. She made our world a much better place as result of just being HERSELF.
*** I was at a meeting earlier that day at our local radio station Hippie Radio 94.5, with my dear friend and Halloween cohort Vance, when we heard the sad news. As many of you know, Vance has worked for Dolly for many years. It was a moment of utter disbelief. It felt as if all the air went out of the room, and then everything went dreadfully silent. Dolly was not merely just his boss, she was his friend. What do you do when you get the news that your beloved friend has passed on... I choke up recalling this moment, as we looked at each other with pure shock in our eyes. It's going to be a mournful memory for years, remembering exactly where I was, what I was doing, with whom, when I learned of her death. Much in the same awful way that I recall exactly where/what when John Lennon passed away... and Robert Kennedy Sr... the space shuttle... my parents. This pain is terrible.
*** I absolutely hate this... can't get my head nor heart wrapped around it. It wasn't supposed to happen! Dolly was supposed to live forever, and continue to shed her loving light all over us with her songs, her wonderful sense of humor, and with her unending well of kindness.
Dolly Parton - January 19, 1946 - August 25, 2026
***I have a special memory I'd like to share with everyone. It happened a few years ago. I had the opportunity to work on one of her TV specials, Dolly Parton's Pet Gala (which aired on US television February 21, 2025). Vance brought me along to help him with set design. When Dolly entered the room, I swear the atmosphere was charged with a rare electricity. I could not take my eyes off of her... she was a supernatural being, perfect, exquisite... and tiny! Her petite stature in person belied the giant you saw in photos and videos. And this is in spite of wearing her signature 6-inch high spike heels. I was mesmerized!
*** As she was being seated to be filmed for her interview, she first stopped and said hello to all the staff, the camera & lighting women and men, each and every person who was there. I stood about ten feet away, to the side of one of the main cameras. She looked into my eyes and smiled that famous radiating smile at me. I felt her electric energy shoot through my head and out my feet.
*** It is that beautiful smile that I will forever see in my mind's eye. Thank you, Dolly. Thank you for everything. I love you.
***Here's the lovely video interview Dolly did exclusively for Autumn Brilliance. I enjoyed her candor, relating of what it was like growing up in the Smoky Mountains and her love for the autumn and Halloween, but especially love what she said about possibly working with Elvira ... that is something that I -and so many others! - would have loved to have seen.
*** Today we present to you an artist of rare distinction, one whose original creations often reveal a heartfelt championing for the underdog... most often, that of misunderstood women.
We are very happy to welcome the artist, Jennie Hepler Takens to ourFall 2026 issue. ❤️
*** It's a sad and well-known fact that history has often not shown kindness nor favor for women in the past, simply because they were different in some ways that ran counter to the rigid orthodoxy of society's norms.
The Puritan era was not exempt from many shameful events. *** Jennie illustrates the harrowing true tale of "Half-Hanged Mary" with her stunningly sculptured doll of the same name. The story is indeed a gruesome one... but, does Mary triumph in the end? You'll find out in the pages of Autumn Brilliance! *** You can also witness Mary and all of Jennie's dazzling art in person at the Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween art show on September 26th, 2026 in Marshall, Michigan. ---Please stop by and say hello! You can have Jennie herself autograph your copy of the magazine ---
--->Our Fall 2026 issue is available in September - link is at the left side of the page<---
Greetings, everyone!🎃 *** As we tip-toe in teeny-tiny increments toward fall, thoughts of the seasonal magic that will soon fill the air come to mind... bringing the magic-makers with it! And as we know, some people have the ability to create true magic... *** It must be, as it seems their souls are true alchemists effortlessly bringing forth an exquisite beauty and mystery of realms previously undiscovered to mortals.
*** This is very much so, with artist/photographerDarla Teagarden.
Her ethereal scenarios conjure up soft and mystical places. Everything you see in Darla's photography evokes passion and enchantment; sometimes you'll find the denizens of these vignettes gently awash with a wee bit of melancholy or cheeky humor... but always drenched in allure and charm, and coming straight from the artist's heart and soul. *** Darla herself creates all of the backgrounds and props herself by hand - you will find zero AI here to offend the senses.
*** We're enchanted by Darla's artistry, and rejoice in sharing some of her photos here, in theFall 2026 issue of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE magazine.
---> Available in September 2026; link on left side of this page
You can also come to our booth at the magical Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween art show on Saturday, September 26th 2026 for your own copy. Won't you sit a spell with us?
It has truly been my absolute, most heartfelt joy and an outright privilege to be able to share the many Artists in each issue of Autumn Brilliance magazine over the years 🎃🖤🎃
*** My delight in discovering and promoting each one has brought such a healing light into my life. Surely everyone feels the same way when seeing their artistry for the first time, either in person or in the pages here. I can best describe it as a pure, childlike sense of wonder and undiluted happiness that blooms in my heart witnessing the imagination and creativity brought forth from each and every one of them (and, might I add, not one single speck of AI to be found!). Artists who have brought their talents, via an unending variety of mediums and genres - clay, paint, wood, fabric, metal, you name it.
I am genuinely, forever thankful. My Halloween mug runneth over!
*** And, again, I get to share all of this joy with you!
It's clear that artist Ryan Knight keeps the vivid flame of Halloween burning bright all the time.
Hand-sculpting his distinctive Witch ornaments and pumpkins and more, his art instills a brilliant sense of fun, of surprise, of all-out whimsy in the viewer. These ornaments seemingly contain a magical cackle within that is ready to burst out. Don't even try to resist - you will cackle, too!
Every one of them is highly stylized, fun, occasionally odd, and simply stunning. Ryan creatives everything from clay, and festoons each one with all manner of materials, feathers, rhinestones, flowers... you name it, and Ryan's creations have it. Absolutely not a dull one in the bunch; they all have their own little personalities. You could collect a dozen, and still want more!
If you, like us and like so many among the Halloween crowd, love to hang your Halloween ornaments year-round, you are wise to do so with Ryan's beautiful little goodies - the will bring you nothing but cheer and laughter every day.
*** You can meet Ryan and indulge in his fabulous artistry in person at the incredible All Hallows Art Fest in the picturesque northern California town of Petaluma, on Saturday, September 26th, 2026!
We are so happy to present Ryan's art in the Fall 2026 issue of Autumn Brilliance magazine (available in September here on the website - the link is on the left side of the page).
And of course, we'll have copies of the magazine for you at the wonderful Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween art show in Marshall, Michigan, on September 26, 2026.
Please stop by our booth, we're excited to meet you there!
We're a taphophile: a person who enjoys the history, architecture and overall serenity of cemeteries and graveyards. There's an incredible amount of forgotten history to be found in so many of them, along with stunning ancient iconography that often tells the tale of the person's life and the era they lived in. Many of the stones from yesteryear seem to be absolute monuments of remembrance, when compared to the relatively bland stones used today. Nevertheless, the artistry and history of these gravestones are resplendent with their regard for the people buried beneath them.
It is something that Brenda Sullivan of Gravestone Girls grew to love. Together with fellow GG's Maggie Phillips, Melissa Anderson, and Brenda's father, Richard, they explore burial sites all over New England, and also in their long distance travels, having visited notable cemeteries and burial site areas across the world.
Brenda's mother taught her at an early how to do a tombstone rubbing, which led to her lifelong fascination of the lives of the people who lay below the elaborately-carved and lovingly decorated blocks of stone.
With her fine arts education and background in small artifact restoration, she creates beautiful clay replicas: pins, magnets, and even stunning jewelry of some of the most striking gravestones and iconography from across New England and abroad.
You can learn more about the compelling artistry of the Gravestone Girls in the Fall 2026 issue of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE magazine.
Come visit Brenda and all the Gravestone Girls at the Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween art show, where they'll have a beautiful array of gravestone artistry to be had. You can have them autograph your copy of the magazine, too!
Remember,Bewitching Peddlershappens one day only: Saturday, September 26, 2026 in the lovely town of Marshall, Michigan.
- We too will be there, with plenty of magazines for you!
Available here and online in September. - Link on the left, to order! -
We're grateful to have had the opportunity to present the debut of an original folk tale, created by noted clay artist/storyteller,Lauren Martinez of Stony Layne Collections.
If you are familiar with the wonderful Latin American holiday of "Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead), you will know that is full of reverence for past ancestors, focusing on keeping their memory alive. Truly, it's one of our most favorite, treasured holidays (next to Halloween, of course).
❤️Meet the Pepperbones❤️
Deep in our hearts, we all hold fast to the memories of those who have passed... it's a place where we ache and feel so alone. We suffer in silence, with only our grief as our dark companion.
This is where The Pepperbones witches arrive, each with her own special ability to envelope us with their unwavering love, lessening our load. It's a very lovely Day of the Dead styled tale, full of love and emotion, illustrated with Lauren's gorgeous original art.
You can read this enchanting tale in the Fall 2026 issue of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE magazine, available in September. (Order information is found by clicking link on the left side - remember, this issue not available until September!)
We still pinch ourselves at being able to present in our Fall 2026 issue one of the most acclaimed artists in the world (we're not kidding when we say that).
Jordu Schell has created and designed so many of the most recognizable creatures, aliens and beings in movies over these past several decades. Chances are you have seen a lot of his work! Just a tiny smattering of his credits include "Hellboy" ... "Avatar" ... "Men In Black" ... "Planet of the Apes" ... several TV programs, including "Babylon 5" for which his creature design won an Emmy award, and so many more. The list of his accomplishments is long and truly fantastic.
Jordu's incredible talents also includes numerous iconic monster masks (many created for Distortions Unlimited). Those of us who collect Halloween masks probably have several of them! I had the pleasure of finally meeting him in person last fall at the MASK FEST convention in Cincinnati, and he could not have been nicer. No wonder we all are inspired by him.
It most certainly is our honor to feature some of Jordu's finest works in our magazine!
*** Our Fall 2026 issue will be available in September 2026 - via link on the left here ***
---> It will also be available at our booth at the Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween show in Marshall, Michigan on September 26th. Please stop by and say hello - we're looking forward to meeting you there!
The wonderful truth about Halloween art is, it comes in so many styles and colors... isn't it great that we find artists who are masters at using the myriad of colors that positively bloom with the season!
***Canadian artist, David Irvine of The Gnarled Branch encompasses a wicked and wonderful sense of the true spirit of Halloween in each of his paintings. A grand swirl of his paintbrush renders a legion of autumnal characters dancing across the canvas that delights the senses - prancing skeletons, jaunty Jack O'lanterns, mischievous imps and more, all in a palette that pleases the Halloween soul that thirsts within us all.
***We're exultant to bring you some of David's captivating creations in theFall 2026 issue of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE magazine -
---> Available in September 2026 <---
(You'll find the link in profile on the left for ordering info!)
Greetings! ***We mean what we say... we are positively WACK-A-DOOO thrilled that we get to feature Lorrie Crandall's off-the-chart artistry in the Fall 2026 issue of AUTUMN BRILLIANCE Magazine! *** Once you get the chance to see Lorrie's handmade creations in person, you will need to collect and gather as many as your hands can hold. Her imagination churns out the fun, the silly, the weird, the spooky, the overall fabulous in everything she makes. We ain't kidding! - - -Plus, she and her equally-awesome hubby Kris live Halloween like there's no tomorrow - their exquisitely decorated home is the hot-spot of the town. *** Come visit Lorrie and see her marvelous creations at the Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween show, September 26 2026, in Marshall, Michigan.
Plus, you can get her to autograph a copy of the magazine, too! 🎃
... to be featured in the Fall 2026 edition of Autumn Brilliance.
We welcome Jeanette Leary of SugarBright Studios!
Working with spun cotton, Jeanette weaves a world filled with funny and fabulous monsters, creatures, celebrities and more from her nimble hands and rich imagination, all imbued with a wonderful sense of humor.
You can see more of Jeanette's work in our upcoming issue, available in September.
- - -As always, it's easy to order a copy of your own by simply clicking the photo of the magazine cover here on the left.
***Please note, it is not yet available - not until September 2026 - so please check back for updates***
I recently had the delight and honor of being interviewed by the awesome By Pumpkin's Light podcast crew: Miranda, from the fabulous Spooky Little Halloween magazine, and Mike from All Hallows Geek.
I mean, seriously - any time I
get to talk about Halloween art, artists and just plain Halloween as a
inspirational time of year, is good! I'm happy to yammer on and on about it because like you will agree, it's our happy place, isn't it. (And be forewarned, I do yammer away in the interview!)
Give a listen when you have a moment,
and while you're at it, be sure to check out all of their podcasts.
You'll find so much incredible stuff there, from an incredible array of artists, decorators, designers, writers and more - all of whom keep the spirit of Halloween close at heart. ❤️
I just wanted to share this post from our Facebook page. It struck a nerve in me, and I'm sure that you, as an artist who creates handmade art (or a fan/collector of handmade art) will agree with it.
I’ll just come
right out and say what we’re all thinking: we live for Halloween. I know that we
all miss it terribly right now. It seems so far away, doesn’t it? Do not despair,
for we have much to rejoice at this current time …. It is HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN!
And with that said, we hope to further allay the pains of
missing our favorite season and holiday by bringing you this delectable bit of
news.
As I’ve said
before, the one particular aspect of creating Autumn Brilliance magazine that
is by far the most exalting is choosing the Spotlight Artist for each issue. This
year’s choice is absolutely cause for the genuine joy we’re feeling at the
moment! This artist surely deserves a place atop the Mount Olympus of artisans
and creators, and we know you will agree with this lofty but heartfelt sentiment.
With that said, we
are euphoric to present our Fall 2026 Spotlight Artist, Tom Kuebler.
( (Our Fall 2026 issue will be released in September, 2026)
Tom’s known as the “Sculptor of the Bizarre,” a label most certainly
well-earned. When you look at the body of his incredible work, with its
hyper-realistic, full-sized sculpts of characters both real and fanciful, you can’t
help but get shivers down your spine and a stirring in your heart. Tom sets the
standard both for his technique and imagination. You will find a diverse crowd,
from all walks of humanity: circus freaks, monsters of every kind, desiccated
body parts, literary greats, giants, little people, spooks and creeps and everything
else in between, many of which were created with his trademark dark humor and
pathos. Guillermo del Toro is a fan, and has some of Tom's creations in his own personal home collection.
It is truly an
honor to present Tom Kuebler in the Fall 2026 issue of Autumn Brilliance, available
this September both online at our website, and in person at the Bewitching
Peddlers of Halloween show in Marshall, Michigan. On September 26th,
2026.
***Tom will be at the show, so please stop by his booth to
say hello – you could even get your copy
of the magazine autographed by him!
(Cover photo by Tom Kuebler, entitled "Innocence Damned." A life-sized little vampire boy in his velvet-lined coffin, clutching his antique monkey doll... the perfectly creepy-cute subject for this issue!)
We're back from our fantastic weekend road trip to Columbus, Ohio. What fun we had!
The Oddities & Curiosities event was incredible, everything we hoped it would be - and HUGE! If you are planning to go, take my advice: you need to wear some comfie walking shoes and get ready to do some serious rubber-necking of the innumeral artists (not sure how many were at the Columbus show, but I would venture to guess it was over 100). Every type of art you could imagine was on display and for sale, from paintings to weird taxidermy to sculptural and beyond. It's one big ginormous WOWZA. Got to meet a lot of new artists during the day we spent walking about the exhibit floor. It was a true spooky treat for the eyeballs and Halloween/horror soul.
Met up with several friends, including none other than the "Sculptor of the Bizarre" himself, Tom Kuebler and his wife Kara, who are also mainstays at the Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween show. You must surely know Tom's work - you've seen it before. A friend of Guillermo del Toro, Tom's insanely hyper-realistic and often super-eerie sculptures have been featured in del Toro's traveling art exhibits. If you are familiar with del Toro's personal home collection, which he calls "Bleak House," you're aware that there are many life-sized pieces residing within. I'm ecstatic to have procured an original piece of Tom's art at the show, which is called a "Hand of Glory." Yes, it is every bit as creepy as it sounds, and will be put in a place of honor among my extensive, never-ending Halloween collectibles.
Left to right: Kara Kuebler, John Davis, Mark Greenbaum, me, Tom Kuebler. Photo by Amy Sharp Schneider
All this talk of Halloween collectibles leads me to my original intention here, that of telling you that our big Spotlight Artist reveal is just a few days away: Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
I'll tease you by saying this person of esteem is not merely an artist, but a genuine icon of the art industry, worthy of being placed upon the Mount Olympus of artistry, and damn..... we're simply honored to be able to present them and their work in our Fall 2026 issue of Autumn Brilliance (available September 2026).
Keep watching here on Wednesday for our big reveal!
You might think it's too early in the season to be planning for Halloween - to that, we say, "ha!" That could not be further from the truth! We honestly never stop planning for it, as do the artists and creators do as well. In fact, this time of year - late winter/early spring - is prime production time for planning your body of work. Hand-made art is precious, and takes a lot of time, love, and plenty of blood, sweat and tears!
In addition to our yearly journey to the dazzling Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween show (held in Marshall, Michigan in late September) where we have a booth, we will be attending the Oddities & Curiosities show in Columbus, Ohio next month on April 18-19 to check out the bizarre and delightful offerings they have in store.(Please note we are attending this, we do not have a booth there this year)
We'll be visiting this show on April 18-19th in Columbus, OH
Come see us at our booth at this awesome show on September 26th in Marshall, Michigan
Along the way, we like to not only scope out fantastic new art to feature in an upcoming issue, but also being the dedicated foodies that we are, any unsung Mom & Pop diners, restaurants and pubs are high on the list, too. Add to this an undying love of old architecture and crumbly old towns, fall foliage, lakes and rivers and anything spooky-kooky, yes please, we will be there.
One thing that has become a truly great bit of fun for us to do is drive around new neighborhoods in different states across the country, and see all the Halloween decorations that folks have fancied up their homes with. That is WONDERFUL to see! We've taken notes about the best of the best in each neighborhood we visit, and send them a free copy of Autumn Brilliance, with a personal note thanking them for taking the time and energy to celebrate Halloween. Last year, residents in Monroe, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Missouri, received surprise copies of the magazine in the mail. This year, it could be you!
We dearly love our annual "Autumn Road Trips" and enjoy meeting new people and seeing all manner of cool new things. This year, we may be including a late October road trip up to New England - and on that roster would be a visit to both Salem and Sleepy Hollow, of course. We were last there for Halloween, 2016, and have been aching to return again. This trip is not yet set in granite - we will keep you posted.
Here is our questions to you: What sort of road trips do you like to partake in? What kinds of unusual, off-the-beaten path sites and sights would you recommend in your town?
Love to hear from you about this! Click our email link on the left and drop us a line.
Today is gorgeous... more like spring than winter. We're getting a much-needed break from the snow and ice, which have all finally melted. Our temps today will reach a high of 73 degrees. Yes, please!
And our Etsy shop is open again, too.
We've been on Etsy for five years now, with a perfect 5-star rating for quality, content, and top-notch customer service.
We're proud to be a part of the Halloween arts community!
<----- To order yours, simply follow the links on the left - you can click any of the magazine covers to order your own copy of that issue
