Floral Art

I've been considering adopting a dog over the past week. I went to the humane society today certain I had found the right dog. Unfortunately he has been through some trauma so it didn't seen right as he was literally unable to walk very far on a leash. 

I've decided to give it time and visit this dog for another day or two. I'm convinced he just needs to build a little trust before I take him home. There is little chance he will be gone anytime soon as he really won't go for a walk. Poor dog. 

Anyway, a friend forwarded me this picture. I'm taking it as a good omen that maybe I am making the right decision. A puppy bouquet for me. Maybe a new puppy for me, too!

A chair for your butt!

Brought to you by paul m. hickman. 

Take a closer look. Those are indeed hundreds of cigarette butts glued to this chair. It was a piece he put together while in graduate school. It toured a bit, but the galleries complained about the smell. Go figure.

Anyway, he found this when I mentioned a friend was trying to quit. So I forwarded it to my friend as a bit of encouragement. 

I wonder what ever happened to it....?

BIG ART!

A giant cigarette butt was dropped in the middle of Trafalgar Square, London as a protest against the city's burning littering problem. Ever since smoking in indoor public places was banned, Londoners have been smoking outdoors and throwing the stubs on the streets. The Keep Britain Tidy campaign installed the giant structure to remind people that cigarette butts littler 78% of all streets in Great Britain.

Maybe this is what should have been selected for Ann Arbor City Hall!

High School Mural

This is outside the parking lot of one of our High Schools. The school is located in downtown Ann Arbor and is a difficult one to get into. They have a limited number of openings each year and one has to enter a lottery to get into the school. 

It is renowned for allowing kids to develop curriculum's that are of interest to the student. For kids who are looking for alternatives to regimented schedules this is a nice alternative. I wish I had known about this option when I was in high school.  

Anyway, this mural is a result of a collaboration of these creative and lucky students.

Kid Art in Downtown Ann Arbor

Every year the art teachers in Ann Arbor select the best of the projects from their classes and post them around town. Different businesses participate and one can spend hours walking the streets looking at windows full of different kinds of art produced by all ages of school children.

When I was a kid I would have loved this project. I was featured in a show at Rackham Auditorium, which was a really big deal to me. It was a big deal to a young girl who came in to look at her piece on display at the Peaceable Kingdom. She was thrilled to see her work on the wall and her entire family came with her to support her. It was delightful!

Elevated 3-D Art

I visited my Dad in Pennsylvania recently. The drive takes me by these pieces on the two (sometimes four) lane highway. I've been wanting to document them for years and finally had the chance to snap a few photos. 

Folks in PA think big when trying to catch your eye on a highway that has all kinds of beautiful things to look at. The views of the countyside are spectacular and competing with that is tough. These two businesses have devised a way to do that. 

These two pieces have become markers for me. They let me know how close I am to my destination. It's a nice thing to look forward to as you are nearing the end of a long drive.

New Ideas for Items Everyone Uses

When keys began popping up with images on them, I thought well, how come I didn't think of that? Yet another example of something that was obviously a great idea that took a while to develop. Now why couldn't it have been me?