Button Collar

Meet Mr. Wags. He is sporting his new button collar made with vintage buttons. He receives many compliments about his fancy new attire. I'm quite sure he may end up with a couple more. They are fun to make and I was thinking he might need a "black tie" collar at some point.

Is it art? Coffee pots? Or the best of both?

Blue Dolls!

These dolls are found in Grand Rapids, Michigan. They are two to three feet tall and the benches are facing one another. Unfortunately I did not have the opportunity to view them in person. My Mom took the photos and forwarded them. I liked them enough to post (finally) again. I hope you'll like them, too!

Now these are some paws!

How's that for a pair of shoes?! 

These are custom made by an artist from Kharkov, Ukraine named Bob Basset. He makes all kinds of leather items, but these are my favorite. I have a passion for shoes and these would be a wonderful addition to my collection. Especially since I am such a fan of bears, too! 

Grrrreat Shoes! (Couldn't resist....)

Impromptu Art

What a fun find! I was shopping at the farmer's market when I got a great space that was free! Then as I exited my car, I found this lovely piece of impromptu art.

I love it when people take what is at hand and use it creatively to make something unexpected. In this case, the artist(s) used stick and placed them randomly in a sign post. How fun is that?

Unless we have more art in our lives, we will live a mundane existence. Here's to those that add unexpected joy to our lives!

Street finds

I was walking across the street the other day when I found this guy stuck to the street. I'm told they are all over town. How fun! 

One just has to be careful not to get hit by a car while looking at them. 

Cat and Art?

Meet my foster cat, Penelope. She is fitting right into our house. A cat that loves to sit next to a replica of 'The Schoolgirl" by Edward Degas, is okay in my book. 

I find her sitting looking out the window regularly. I suspect she really just likes the view, but who can resist thinking she might actually appreciate art!

Creative and a cause

This catches your eye doesn't it? I have a true respect for window painters. Especially ones how can paint at this detail. 

I found this on the window of a downtown hair salon named Anneke's. I like it that they are promoting a cause that is near and dear to their clientele. Smart advertising with a creative bent. Nice.

Anna Wins!

I love fashion, although you may not know it from how I dress sometimes. But I do appreciate a creative eye and wish I had that ability myself.

I've been watching The Fashion Show on bravo over the past couple of months. I was so pleased when my favorite designer won! Yea Anna! 

She made me wish I had lots of money and a much lighter figure. Very nice Anna! You go girl! Loved your work! This is a dress that she designed. If I were a size 6 I would buy it in a heartbeat, even without a place to wear it. Love it!

On a not so nice note, the show left a little to be desired. It is not anywhere near as good as Project Runway, but it was still a lot of fun. Will I watch it again? You bet. 

Obama Handbag

I found this at a local merchant. I wish the quality of the photo was better, as I couldn't find anything on the internet about this piece. Odd. You would think this would be easily searchable. 

Anyway, I like handbags by Debbie Brooks. There was a store in town that sold her pieces, but my budget never allowed me to own one. If I had the money today, this is NOT one I would buy, but I still thought it was noteworthy.

Gobama!

You Need More Art

These bike racks sprouted up in town almost overnight. When the news reported the installation, they quoted a man that said he didn't immediately know what they were.

Really? It seemed obvious to me. But then I've been entrenched in art my entire life. I think the fact he didn't know there use, is yet more proof that there isn't enough art in our lives. When you don't learn to be creative it is hard to conceptualize items that may serve more than one purpose. Demand more art!

Is this art?

Is it art? Or just plain cruel? 

I hope there aren't any fish in here. If there were, they're gone now!

Maybe the treasure chest went down the drain, too....

Topoware!

Topo what!? Why it's topoware! 

Yes, geographically designed dinnerware for your table. The designers used the concept of topographic maps to design the dishes to your right.

If you look really closely, you will see that the elevation lines do not have feet above or below sea level. What they do have are words like, "modest", "moderate" and "greedy". In case it is not clear, the outer lines are the greedy portions.

Quite clever, don't you think?

I looked at their website to see about buying a set myself (the geography lover), but I couldn't figure it out. If anyone knows how to buy this, would you let me know? I love it!

Isn't She Lovely?

Kid art is the best. It's a complete expression of a child's imagination. They are free to create what ever comes to mind. 

I particularly love this piece by young lady named Emma Jane. I found it in her Moms office. We were meeting for something entirely unrelated and I had a hard time not talking about this first. In fact, I think we did discuss this fabulous piece first.

Unfortunately, this is not technically "public" as it is in an office, albeit in a public space. But I love noting things that make me smile. Perhaps you will, too!

City of Smoke

These photos came from a website that is full of images taken over a period of time, thus giving them a smoky feel. I find them beautiful, yet quite a bit haunting. If they were in color, they wouldn't feel the same. These images have an old, long past quality to them. They certainly don't make me smile while I am looking at them. Quite thought provoking....

Quick 'n simple art

Imagine how much fun you could have with this? If you put a monopoly board in a downtown how much fun could that be?

It's conjuring up all kinds of images of various ways that you could market a downtown. Hmm. The wheels are turning....

Stay tuned!

More Latte Art

Oh, the things we'll do to entertain ourselves...

Art in a cup... 

I like it!

An unusual find

I have the good fortune to live near wonderful places to hike. I came across this while walking in an area behind a friend of mines house. 

If you look closely you can see that the ribs have been chewed off the spine. The other notable item is the area where the antlers connect to the skull. This is the only place that there is any fur remaining. It's almost like the deer is wearing a yarmulke. It's endearing and creepy at the same time.

I've always had an affinity for images of skeletons since I first saw a Georgia O'Keeffe painting. Skeletons are amazing and beautiful in so many ways; artistically, scientifically and structurally. This one made me a bit sad at first, but I grew to appreciate it's beauty.

Things I can't see...

I'm a sucker for animals and bugs, too. Art that encompasses either of these has an advantage over other pieces. I also have an affinity for pigs. I'm not quite sure where that came from, perhaps the movie babe? 

These are pieces from a textile show at the Arts and Crafts Cooperative in Berkeley California. Lately I've been wishing for money to be able to buy art, visit art and just plain old be a part of art. Rarely am I unhappy with my position in life. But lately my love of art (and beautiful cloths) makes me wish I had more money.

The Wedding Feast

This piece by Stephen Fessler is on display at the River Gallery in Chelsea. I saw it at the opening this past Saturday. It is an amazingly sized 84" x 176" with a price tag of $13,000. No mind. I love it anyway. These are the times I wish I made more money, so I could go buy art that I love. And yes, I love this piece. It is full of whimsy and fun. It's size comes from it's first life as a drop cloth. After time when it is sufficiently spotted and mucked up, the artist uses it for a canvas that he creates pieces that evolve and have no planning. Rarely do I wish for a large wall, but for this piece you would need a really large wall. So, a house and the art is what I want....

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!