[scorpiostudio]

ok this may be just a rant or something but wondering if people felt the same....this needs a lil of a back story i guess...so I've been an artist since 1999 and for those years past i've done usually abstracts or landscapes(way early) but never any dark art. I've touched on different lil themes 'halloweenish' over the years but haven't dived into it like now,I just started doing this type of art since bout june 2014.Honestly the reason i never tried to is because i didn't think I could pull it off well enough. I've always love the dark macabre creepy things but it was more of a lil hidden away part of my mind that only i knew about.
So this year i started a few things and they came out pretty good and I just went full bore into it. I LOVE IT!! this is what i'm supposed to do in my creative endeavors I realized. The point of all of this is...now all my friends think i'm crazy or just completely lost it..seems like i'm one of the very few locally doing this type of stuff and people just dont know what to say i guess. Maybe i need to expand out more and get new friends or at least people that understand what i'm doing. So the question is this : have you ever lost friends or had people call you 'one of the devil people'(actually happened to me) for your love of all that is creepy and dark? Do you just ignore em and carry on and know there's places like this forum where it's ok?

 

[slash]

I just checked out some of your work on facebook with the link you provided in your signature creepy stuff indeed I like it lol. I say ignore the people that call you evil just do what you like best and carry on. You fit great in this forum its Halloween 365 days a year

 

[scareme]

I had to go check out your facebook page too, and I think I see what part of your problem is. It's those little pieces of plastic that have eyes. Better known as dolls. As I said, the thing is just a piece of plastic, but since it was molded into a little human replica, people freak out. I have to say, I think you done some great pieces there. But I'm doing a doll theme next year, no blood or gore, just massive numbers, and my kids are ready to abandon me. They think the neighbors will be offended. People freak out about dolls. When they were cleaning up the oil spill in the Gulf, they found when showing the clean up of crustations, people didn't get as involved. But when they would show the clean up of animals with eyes, birds, small mammals, people would send more money and become more involved. They said it's because our nuture side reacts to eyes. Even if it is in plastic. So you could explain to your friends that they are just reacting to nature, but you are truly not hurting anything. But I think expanding your friend circle is a good Idea too. Find fellow artist like yourself that like to think outside the box. Learn from them, and teach them what you know.

 

[scareme]

By the way, speaking of teaching, how did you get the aged cracking on the pieces you posted on Nov. 23rd? I really like that effect.

 

[dizhaunt]

I checked out your art and I like what I see, if some people don't like it then they just don't appreciate art, and I am sure these people don't like van gogh either.
Keep creating what you want and not what others tell you to create

 

[scorpiostudio]

thank you guys ...slash- thanks for support!
scareme- hmm ive never really thought of that aspect of it ,it's all in the eyes i guess ..interesting point...the aged effect is just one step crackle medium over the paint and slight wash of black to fill in the cracks..thanks!
diz- yep im goin to scare adults and kids from now on ..lol let the pieces fall where they may....

this forum is awesome ! it almost a sensory overload with all the info though lol

 

[thenightmarefamily]

Don't worry about other people, one year just before Halloween i actually had a nut job Church group come to my house call a satanist and stood out on the street protesting my haunt for a couple of hours until the police made them move on. i also get judged on how i look, just because i'm 6'4" i have long hair a beard and tatoos everyone assumes either i'm a some sort of Hells Angel or a wicked santanist that tries to recruit the youth into the church of satan with my Halloween antics. i'm really a laid back easy going guy and have no ties to any religion let alone satanist, and yes i enjoy motorcycles but my wife hasn't let me own one in the last decade after my accident. so after a while i just started ignoring people and do what makes me happy screw what everyone thinks, if you don't like me or the way i look than don't talk to me i'm just fine with that. on this site however i found a group that shares my passion for the creepy and scary things that go bump in the night, here it doesn't matter what you look like our where your from or how old you are everyone is excepted here and in my opinion is the only place where you are not judged in anyway what so ever.

I hope all of this makes sense i got a little carried away for a minute.

 

[UnOrthodOx]

I've been called evil/devil/etc since about age 6. (find a couple dead people as a kid and suddenly you're evil/responsible)

I don't know precisely WHEN I just decided to roll with it. Haven't cared what people thought of me/said about me in a LOONG time. If they don't like me how I am, they're not worth having as a friend.

 

[HalloweenieChallenge]

Maybe you should look at this from a different angle:

Considering the genre of your work (creepy, spooky, scary, etc.) maybe you should consider their reactions/comments as a compliment really.

The fact that you are getting such strong reactions is really a compliment and a testament to your talent - don't you think? That means you're stuff is really good!



Something I've realized recently is that in the past family, friends, professors, etc. would put down my ideas and tell me that I am "dumb" or "crazy". This all really hurt me very deeply for a looooong time. I took it to heart and even considered that maybe they were right and there was something actually wrong with me. Finally I realized that this is actually GOOD! I mean if you're an inventor and everybody has already heard about your ideas - well then you're not really inventing anything new are you? Now I look for things that no one is thinking about and try to fill that niche - that's the spot I need to go into - and that is the spot where I make money.

Another thing - isn't it funny when we find something surprising and unexpected about ourselves? Like your love of the spook? And then watch how everyone who knows you reacts when you do something completely "out of your box"? I'm usually thought of as a tomboy but I'm starting to take ballet lessons. I love it and I'm good. Has a lot of people scratching their heads like... but YOU"RE not supposed to do that! lol What they think of me is none of my business!

 

[OctoberDream]

I agree with a lot of what HalloweenieChallenge had to say. But wanted to add a bit more.

Most people see art as a self expression, so naturally you have to think a little from their side. When some looks at your work they are going to think about what this piece says about you. They often only think of the 1st thing that pops into their head. And if it is fear or pain they may have the same thoughts pop into their head when they talk to you. For example if I made a piece showing a box of dead puppies what would you think I was trying to say about myself.
Just something to think about the next time you start a piece.

 

[22606]

...For example if I made a piece showing a box of dead puppies what would you think I was trying to say about myself. Just something to think about the next time you start a piece.

Simply honoring the memory of dogs that did not make it to adulthood could be another way of looking at it, if one wants to find a way to put a positive spin on a subject such as that, although most would, of course, just say that it is abhorrent and ungodly.

I am also in the camp of being treated condescendingly due to a different appearance and interests. I have been called a Satanist more times than I care to count; asked by a customer if I was going to put a spell on them; had a mother make comments and laugh at me right along with her child, rather than telling them that it was wrong to behave in that manner; and have gotten the obligatory looks of disgust, of course. One parent accepts me, while the other is another story altogether. At this point, I could not care less what anyone's view of me is. My opinion regarding 'friends' would be better left unsaid, I am sure, so I will simply interject that those people sound toxic and that you would likely be better off without them, scorpiostudio.

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

If a person has many and varied interests and might draw numerous drawings of a great number of things.. then you will be becoming a mysterious figure, that those nay-sayers will have a ton of trouble .. trying to figure out!
As far as "Psychology" goes, don't sweat it, it is still such a young "Science" and makes many mistakes because people are Very Tricky!
If I had a Dollar.. for every time someone told me i was "Nuts", "crazy' Goofy! I would be fairly wealthy.
I wonder about "Them?" Are they happy? Many don't seem to be even a fraction as "Happy" as I am doing my art and haunted house, and storytelling and nude ballet. Whoops, "scratch" the nude ballet.. that's next week!

 

[thenightmarefamily]

If a person has many and varied interests and might draw numerous drawings of a great number of things.. then you will be becoming a mysterious figure, that those nay-sayers will have a ton of trouble .. trying to figure out!
As far as "Psychology" goes, don't sweat it, it is still such a young "Science" and makes many mistakes because people are Very Tricky!
If I had a Dollar.. for every time someone told me i was "Nuts", "crazy' Goofy! I would be fairly wealthy.
I wonder about "Them?" Are they happy? Many don't seem to be even a fraction as "Happy" as I am doing my art and haunted house, and storytelling and nude ballet. Whoops, "scratch" the nude ballet.. that's next week!

You know, after reading this comment, i realize that just about everyone i know is miserable in their own way. the people/couples i know are either divorced or completely ignore each other until they need to fight. I however i'm really happy with my wife and kids. we almost never fight and out of the entire Nightmare Family there isn't a single divorce and we are all happy in our marriages. I guess being the modern day Addams Family brings all of us closer together. Maybe it's the "norms" who are really nuts, at least we all have the courage to do what makes us happy regardless of negative comments. I mean look all of us regardless of what people may have said, still march out every Oct. year after year and do what we love to do.

 

[kmeyer1313]

I'm in agreement with what everyone else has said - we let our weird flags fly, & people accept us as we are, or they're not worth our time.....

I will say, it does separate the wheat from the chaf, as it were, for people....my friends are accepting people, a little off the beaten path (birds of a feather and all), but much happier for it! And when times are tough, they're the ones you want in your corner - no time for fair-weather friends, y'know?

Personally, scorpiostudio, I loved your art - I am so hearting that canvas with the faces in the background - it gave me good chills!

 

[Scatterbrains]

If you don't have friends, you don't have to worry about them letting you down. I've found that that works for me.

 

[scorpiostudio]

great advice from all! thanks guys n gals ....i will continue on and do my part to freak people out lol

 

[Trex]

I have commented on how creepy and cool your work is on other threads, I love the dolls so amazing!

I think it really is you how you spin it; artists are multifaceted, use many different formats and medias to express their latest period of study. You can easily spin this into "experimenting" with a Creepy/Halloweeen genre to compliment your love of the season, or maybe an homage to an author, whatever?? I am just saying there are ways to justify your latest creative expression without having to feel it is a negative theme.

 

[screamqueen2012]

you know, walk to your own song...first thing i thought of when reading your post was, what? what about tattoo artist, now they do alterred darkall the time...and i'll give you a great compliment...i think chloe could replace an alarm system if you put her right inside a doorway...woooo very good figure....alterred babie and devils scare me, gore also...so honestly i think if you pull those emotions out of someone first thing you hit your mark, isnt that really the goal of the expression? good work.

 

[hallorenescene]

when I started the job I'm working now, I was reading....discovery of witches. I had it at work to read on breaks. one of my co workers found it and bam...she was telling everyone I had a spell book in the closet and was practicing black magic. casting spells, and the such. even the bosses came up to check out the book to see if I was evil. I explained it was a novel like twilight. thank goodness for twilight. so one girl that I had heard was really dwelling on it, I commented to it was just a novel, and she just went...pffttt and waved her hand like she had not taken it to heart. so we were working at the moment just the 2 of us, and like I said, she had acted like she never believed any of it, and the evil side of me came out. we were talking about names. the boss was having a baby, and names were being tossed around. I made comment on the fact I never had a middle name. I told her I paid a fee to add a middle name. I was hoping she would bite and ask what I chose for a middle name. she never did. finally I said, do you want to know what I chose? she said yes, but I could see she didn't really care less. so I told her....witchy poo. LOL. you should have seen her face. oh my lord, it was shear terror. she froze. I mean literally quit doing what she was doing. then I asked if she would like to see my witch tattoo. I thought she was going to pass out. she didn't move. I said, oh, I guess not, and walked away. oh my lord, it was priceless. later I told her I was just joking, and told her my middle name. she did the pfftt thing again like it had never been a big deal. REALLY? oh my lord, you nearly went into convulsions.

I liked a lot of your art. some not so much. I like the drawings. very well done. very talented. I'm not into the creepy babies. but to each his own. a lot on here do, so go for it. they are well done, just not my taste.

 

[CaliforniaMelanie]

No matter what you do, somebody will be able to criticize it. Now granted, horror does push a deeper button in some people. It's, well, horror. But you're not unusual for being fascinated with the darker side of life (including its inevitable end). We all grapple with the inevitability of death, and we all address it in different ways. You're expressing horror artistically. (And I do like your work.)

But it goes back to what I said in the beginning here: you can't do any one thing that will be criticism-proof. And if you stop doing what makes you happy, you'll be, well, not happy. Live your life and do what you love and what fascinates you.