A Little Spooky, A Little Strange: It’s October!

There's just something about October.

The air gets a little crisper, the nights get a little darker, and suddenly it's perfectly acceptable to surround yourself with skeletons, strange little houses, and things that might not fit anywhere else throughout the year.

Not that I really need an excuse.

If you've been following my art for a while, you probably know I have a soft spot for the unusual. Give me something a little quirky, a little spooky, a little unexpected, and I'm probably going to want to make art out of it.

I love that sweet spot where cute meets creepy, where a little bit of darkness meets a whole lot of personality. My kind of spooky isn't necessarily about gore or things jumping out at you. Sometimes it's a crooked house, a character with a bad attitude, or a skeleton that has a little more personality than it probably should.

And October? Well, October is practically an invitation to let that imagination run wild.

A Little Peek Into My Creative World

It's been a little while since I've shared an update here on the blog, but I've still been busy making things, experimenting, and following the ideas that keep popping into my head.

Lately, I've been exploring different ways to bring my illustrations and characters to life. From drawing and painting to woodburning and working on wooden surfaces, I love finding new ways to turn an idea into something you can actually hold, display, and enjoy.

I'm not always sure where a creative idea will lead when I start. Sometimes I have a pretty clear picture in my head. Other times, I just have a feeling, a rough sketch, or one tiny detail that I want to explore.

That's part of the fun.

Not everything has to fit neatly into one category, and I don't think art should have to behave itself all the time.

Spooky Art With a Little Personality

One of the things I love most about making art is being able to give a familiar subject a personality of its own.

Skeletons don't have to be scary. Haunted houses don't have to be terrifying. And something cute doesn't have to be sweet and innocent.

That's the kind of creative territory I love exploring: whimsical, slightly strange, and full of character.

My Seven Deadly Sins skeleton series has been one of the projects I've been excited to develop. I love the idea of taking something with a darker theme and giving each character its own look, attitude, and personality.

There's so much room to play with expressions, details, colors, and little touches that make each character feel different.

And honestly, I think that's what makes creating so much fun. You start with an idea, and then the little details begin to take over. Before you know it, a simple sketch has become a whole character with a story of its own.

Below is my version of Lust - the sin that Google says is “an inordinate, disordered craving for sexual pleasure or self-gratification that detaches desire from love, commitment, and mutual respect.”

Not only was this piece fun to make, but its my own rendition. I burned the art, then painted it, then carved into the wood so I could fit gems in the middle of the flowers.

I absolutely LOVE this piece.

If you enjoy spooky whimsical art, quirky characters, and Halloween-inspired artwork that has a little more personality than your average seasonal decoration, this is very much the kind of creative world I love building.

Not Everything I Make Starts With a Pencil

While illustration will always be a big part of my creative life, I've also been enjoying working with wood, experimenting with woodburning, and combining burned details with paint.

There's something satisfying about working on a wooden surface. The grain, the texture, and the way the material responds to the process all bring something different to the finished piece.

Woodburning adds another layer of detail, while paint gives me the opportunity to bring in color and emphasize certain features. Together, they open up so many possibilities.

I love the idea of taking the quirky characters and slightly offbeat subjects I gravitate toward and exploring them through different materials.

It's a reminder that creativity doesn't have to stay in one lane. You can love drawing and painting and still find yourself wanting to try something completely different.

Sometimes the best ideas happen when you give yourself permission to experiment.

You know with it being October and Halloween being right around the corner, I had to paint a haunted house! This was a combination of hand burned wood, and then watercolor paint, with ink and acrylic markers on top. My favorite combo!

A Word About My Quirky Little Houses

If you found your way here through my quirky houses, don't worry. I haven't abandoned them!

My last blog post was all about those odd little houses, and they're still very much part of the creative world I want to explore.

I'm looking forward to returning to them with a new approach, combining woodburning and paint to create pieces with texture, character, and all those crooked little details I love.

I want to keep that wonky, whimsical feeling while exploring what happens when I bring the designs onto wood.

Will every idea work exactly as I imagine it? Probably not. That's art for you.

But I'm excited to see where it goes, and I'm looking forward to sharing that process when I get back into building those little worlds.

Here's to Being a Little Spooky and a Little Strange

I think one of the best things about making art is finding the things that make you light up creatively, even if they're a little unusual.

Maybe it's a skeleton with an attitude. Maybe it's a crooked house that looks like it has a few secrets. Maybe it's a piece of wood that turns into something you never expected when you start working on it.

Whatever it is, I think there's room in the world for art that makes you smile, makes you look twice, or simply makes you feel something.

And if you're someone who prefers your cute things with a little creepiness, your Halloween decorations with a little personality, or your art with a healthy dose of the unexpected, I'm glad you're here.

So here's to October, creative experiments, strange little ideas, and making things that feel like you.

Thanks for stopping by my little corner of the wonderfully weird. I hope you'll stick around to see what comes next.

Want to explore more?

Visit Christy Illustrates to explore my whimsical, quirky, and slightly spooky artwork. You can also follow along on social media for new creations, works in progress, and more peeks into my creative world.

Until next time, stay curious and embrace your strange.

— Christy