Recently I made it to The Duh to finally meet Saint Vi and to join up with Seedsower for a small side trip.

We went to the Meijer Garden in Grand Rapids.

We were headed to Chicago, but had a slight shift in plans when Wakeuplaughing posted about the Chihuly Exhibit, since Beth and I both LOVE Chihuly we had to go!  

WakeUpLaughing was kind enough to come walk with us, it was a very nice surprise.

SeedSower has posted her pictures HERE

WakeUpLaughings Pictures are HERE and HERE

and  here are some of mine!

I was mimicking THIS shot

I left my fisheye on the whole time. *sigh* I wish I hadn’t, but it’s a pain to change it back and forth…

Maybe I need another camera… hmmm…

Tree closeup

A Walla Walla

I could spend a whole day there just shooting the plants.

A Bank of Daisies

I wish I could have gotten a better angle on this one, but I didn’t think the garden would appreciate me climbing on the wall… On the way out I did notice some little kids doing it, next time maybe I should pretend not to know better.

Water Lily and Cloud Reflection

If you have a chance to make it to the exhibit I highly recommend it!

I can’t wait until Seedsower and I have our next adventure!

IS there an adventure on the horizon for you?

Last night I went to the Dennos Museum (link) for the opening of three of their exhibits.

I was very exited about one in particular…

It is a group of  polaroids that were donated to the museum… (link)

Polaroids taken by Andy Warhol.

He took pictures of everything… 

As I sat in the gallery looking at the pictures, all elegantly framed, better then any polaroid should be, a woman came up to me and said… “You look like you know something about art. Why are these pictures any different then the pictures that I take? I don’t get it.”

What I was thinking was… Well, you aren’t Warhol… but I didn’t say that.

Instead we had a nice conversation about how he invented himself, why he felt the need to document everything and what  he would have done in the digital age 

Then it occurred to me that Andy would have been a blogger… he would have been a blogger to beat all bloggers.

In other news… I wore my red patten leather mary janes with the three inch chunky heel to the exhibit… (In honor of Andy.)  I had three woman come up to me and tell me they loved my shoes…

I have gone up to people in the past and said… I like this or that… and sometimes I got weird looks… Other times people say “Thank you”… Now I know how nice it feels and I’ll make it a point to keep doing it when I see something cool.

Two food for thought questions from this post…

When you see someone who is wearing something you think is cool, do you tell them?

and

What other famous people in history do you think would be bloggers?

I finally got one of my big pieces finished.

It’s taken a little longer because I’ve been making little stockings and stars for the Glass Company.

 I probably have seven hours invested in him…

and I used all scrap glass from my other projects.

Now I just have to cross my fingers and hope that the right person comes in and wants him for their garden.

I’m not really sure what to price him at even, I’m hoping the guys at  the glass company will know.

Here’s a loaded question…

What would you pay if you were going to buy this in a store?

Don’t worry, you won’t hurt my feelings.

The kids and I took a road trip yesterday.
It was just what I needed to chase away my fall blues.

Where did we go? I’m glad you asked!

We went to Onaway, Michigan!

Onaway is a small town located somewhere over the top joint of the middle finger of Michigan.

It’s like any other small northern town, except for the heads. 
GIANT HEADS!

The first one you see going into town is George, right out in the middle of a field.

There were deer grazing around him, but we spooked them off when we stopped the car.

I had envisioned a picture of the kids running around the head with the fall colors in the background, but the trees behind him were almost empty, it was raining, and only two of my little monsters felt like corporating.

 Ahh well, so much for my vision.  

The heads are some of the creations of the Moran Iron Works.
Mr. Moran makes a new sculpture every year and unveils it during the 4th of July parade.
He makes more then just heads, there are toads and monarch butterflies and other fun things but they tour around and we didn’t have the time to track them all down.

The Unknown Soldier

Lady Liberty

It was a great road trip.

We  saw and did more cool things too, but I’ll share those tomorrow.

Now for the BIG question…

Would you take a two hour road trip to see GIANT heads?

Most of you know we went to Detroit the weekend before last.

And MOST of you know that every time I go to Detroit,

I have to partake in my not so secret addiction…

 ARTOMAT!

There are now TWO machines in the Detroit area!

This time I went to the new one I had yet to visit.

It’s housed, for the moment, here, at Detroit Comics.

This one is in more of a rustic state then the other machine.

If you want to see the other machine go HERE.

This is my Brother in law with Cooper and Sam man.

He shares my not so secret shame.

I got two new pieces.

Him and…

This tiny brass television.

I was a little disappointed in the choices this time,

 but they circulate fast, so I am sure they will be different the next time I make it to Detroit!

If you want to see more of my Art o Mat collection I have an ALBUM.

It’s a good thing I don’t live in Detroit.

I’d be sneaking off to buy ART all of the time.

BianchiStreet has a whole album of Montreal DOORS up!

Check them out! Don’t forget if you have doors you want linked send me a message!

Earlier this week I sent off a piece of mail art to a fellow Xangan.

I haven’t heard from her if she has gotten it yet, so I won’t post pictures of it just yet.

I will post some things I have sent off in the past though and didn’t show you.

Yes, Its an altoid tin. I mailed it just like this, the recipients address is painted on the back.

This one was a Burger King toy I shamelessly stole from my child.

When we were in line and I handed it to the post master, my little monster said “Hey! I have one just like that! ”

to which I replied “Not any more! “

I’m not completely horrible… I replaced it for him!

When you move the red handle the brain lights up and gurgles…

Around the outside in silver I put…

I felt a cleaving in my mind -as if my brain had split- by E.D.

And

What other people think of me really is none  my business. by Rue Paul

Probably my favorite piece as of yet.

ToAST

I soaked it in ten coats of polyurethane.

When I went to the post office to mail it the P.M. sneered and said ” That won’t make it!”

To which I said “Sure it will” And conked it on the counter.

He mailed it!

I think this one needs a follow up piece.

BuRNT ToAST

I have more but I will save them for a slow blog day.

Any one interested in MAIL ART?

Some of you may remember Koopa, I posted a video of him HERE. I have been a fan of his and his friend Kira’s for some time.

Koopa is not only a great lip sinker, he is a wonderful artist!  His work is displayed across the country. To see HOW he paints, Click here.

The other day I was wishing I could afford one of his paintings, as a gift for the turtle lover in my life for Christmas next year, when I went by his website Turtlekiss.com to see what he had been up to lately. Only to find out that he and Kira are having a contest! All I have to do is BLOG about their site and link them! I can do that! I have done that!! If there is one thing I am good at, it is blogging!

So here it is, go check them out. It is a fun site, Kira has posted videos of Koopa at play and wearing a rather spectacular Halloween costume, you can view many of their collaborative paintings and see the ones that they have listed for sale on Ebay.

So go check out Koopa!

What? I couldn’t have him visit and NOT give him some honorary facial hair.

“The problem of placing the right line in the right place has absorbed all of my interests across these many years…I am still enchanted when an unaccountable line describes and communicates the inexplicable.”

Al Hirschfeld

Just something I’m thinking about… Ang

1.) A picture of yourself doing something silly… This was filed under never to see the light of day!

Crossing my eyes and doing a fake nose pick… Top that one!

I don’t know why but in my family the fake nose pick has always been the go to goofy pose.

*EDIT* Looking at this picture reminds me… I was helping one of the old ladies when I was giving my talk the other day… she looked at my hands and said “I thought you’d have delicate little hands to do such fine work, but your hands are big and clunky just like mine!”

Thanks a lot lady.

2.)A copy of the book Bored of the Rings. We do own a couple of copies but It would have been a lot of work for Ben to unbox them so… Google it is.

We have the first edition copy this is a bit newer.

3.)A picture of a bearded lady. I have so many of these it isn’t funny. I actually did see a lady at a restaurant the other day who had a beard and mustache but you could tell she was a bit embarrassed about it, she was talking to someone and the whole time she had her hands around her face trying to hide it. I didn’t think IF I went up and asked to take her picture she would have found it flattering. No I did not stare.

So I’ll post this one.

You know so many of you have asked me why I like bearded ladies… I don’t know, I just do. When we go to paper and book shows I love to look through the card and photo sections searching for them.

Well them and fat ladies!

4.)Local graffiti…

I was hoping to go take pictures BUT since I don’t feel like leaving the house. For whatever reason I am feeling very antisocial but a little manic. It’s great since I have been cleaning house. So I thought I would post my favorite local vandalism and graffiti… some of you who have been my friends for awhile have seen these already.

This is what t used to say. Before the tourist season this year they fixed it.

It did say Cass in brass letters…

Now this is what it says.

Yes… my town is FULL of clever people… well, FULL of IT anyway.

#5) A giant cement animal.

There are a bunch of them in this area… This is my favorite for the obvious joke that it inspires… Yes, I have the humor of a twelve year old boy… You should ALL know this about me by now.

#6) Something I consider to be a work of ART…

OH Where do I begin! There is art for me in everything… I think all shapes and things have an element to enjoy.

MY Best works are these…

They inspire me, they are constantly challenging me and they give me deep feelings of JOY, SORROW, CONFUSION, LOVE, and more.

Ever changing, ever growing and expanding and becoming more. Always wonderful, even when they aren’t… they will forever be my BEST WORK…

#7) litter of kittens.

Cooper and I were going to hit the Humane Society today but I was not brave enough… I don’t want to walk in and fall in love with something and bring it home. I am in such a I need a dog mood… and really I DON”T NEED A DOG… I might want one now but I really, really don’t. lol

SO no kittens here!

#8.) A clown

Hmmm… I know I have clowns in my files somewhere, but I can’t find them. SO… will Cooper undie head do?

NO? Hey… he is a clown when he wants to be…

My Lil sister is scared of clowns… she wasn’t when we were younger, it’s just something that has developed over time… SO I found a picture just for her that makes me understand WHY she would be afraid of clowns.

Boy That is creepy…

#9) a grandfather clock…

Okay… I love this clock.

#10)A guitar…

You know I used to hang out with guys who played guitar… I traded them in for a piano man.

SO… here is my piano man…

I could google a guitar but  this is better.

#11) Gothic teens…

Okay they aren’t teens… and gothic is questionable… they are definitely bad A**s…

Funny about this picture. I had a camera that wasn’t great… we were at the Detroit zoo and I asked these guys if I could take their picture… afterward I asked my husband and brother in law if it was bad that I asked to take their picture… when I got home the picture was dark and hadn’t turned out…
THIS picture was taken a year later… at the reptile house in Detroit… I went up to them and asked to take their picture and when I left I asked my husband and the people we were with if it was rude that I asked to take their picture… This time it turned out…

HOW weird is that, that these SAME guys were in the same place at the same time I was… I guess I was meant to take their picture… So it may not be worth points, but it one of my favorite pictures of rebels against conformity.

LAST- a fellow xangan and a link to their account…

My MOM AND POP!!!

Martysrose and FishermanTC

Of course neither of them POST!!!! GRRRR…

And the last thing was a picture of me… or John… I haven’t come up with bribery material for him yet… and no one has tried to bribe me… what’s that about? I was hoping for some good ones…

Ah well… I don’t think anyone else took up the challenge yet, so I guess that means I’m winning… time will tell!

***********************************EDIT****************************************

Carpus06 Has completed the hunt! She has way more points then I do! ! Check her out!

I told you I was going to post again… I decided to put up my two favorite pictures of Beth’s…

Just cause I like them SO much!

I am a big fan of her photography and I love posting my favorite artists…

SO…

And the monument

Isn’t she beautiful.

I know I said two but I couldn’t just pick two…