ART SHANTY PROJECTS IS LOOKING FOR ARTISTS!

 We love Art Shanties!!! This is absolutely one of my favorite festivals around.  Just so much fun to get out on the ice and enjoy winter.  Art Shanty Projects is looking for 2023 festival proposals.  You can find the information here.  Below are some pictures of us at last year's festival where we built a whole elf house village for the four week celebration.

Letters to the Elves

 

The Elves tell me they appreciate all the wonderful letters they get!  In Iceland (where our Elves are visiting from) people tell the Elves their wishes.  If you ask politely, they might help you out!  But never be rude to an Elf - they can be tricky and might sneak a troll booger into your bed.

The Loch Ness Monster

 People sometimes ask me if my wife and sons believe in elves too.  My wife is more of a loch ness monster fan.  One of her favorite things to do is find old pictures and add Nessie to them.  My sons believe in Pokemon.

Eden Prairie Rotating Art Program

Eden Prairie updated its website on the Rotating Art Program for this summer.  Find the webpage here.  I was happy to have my Purgatory Creek Elf House featured, but also really happy to learn about the other artists that will be part of this summer's rotating art program.  You can never get enough art in this world - it creates so much happiness.  Congrats to my fellow artists in this program - I can't wait to see your stuff.

 

Interested in learning about Scandinavian folklore?

This book has one of my favorite chilling tales.  Queen Hildur is not your standard fairy princess.  Yes I wear reading glasses - years of deciphering elf writing has strained my eyes.

Letters to the Elves

 I went to check on the Elf House at Purgatory Creek Park.  The elves were busy as usual, but they left me this box of letters to look through.  I guess their mail box has been swamped!!!  I didn't know elves liked cigars, but I think they just like the cigar boxes.  To an elf-size creature, I bet you cigar boxes make a great treasure chest.  And that's what these letters and drawings are - a treasure.  Would you be interested in me showing you a few here?  Let me know.

Slatterly Park, Rochester MN Elf House

 I have never set social media on fire before!  I keep seeing my newest Elf House posted here and there.  I confess it is me (or is that just what the elves want me to tell you?????!!!??).  Thanks to Rochester's wonderful Art4Trails program.  We had a terrific time setting this one up!  

Purgatory Creek Trail Elf House

With such nice things being written about the Purgatory Creek Trail Elf House, I thought I would show a few behind the scenes pictures of the construction.  As you can see, I plant each little mushroom myself.  This is the first house where I've included a mailbox - feel free to leave a letter for the elves.  I hear they check it often!  Thanks to Eden Prairie Local news for such a great article on the newest elf house!