The Polka Dot Debutante

Back in January at Wordstock, I saw a children's book by an artist called Shaun Tan and fell in love with it. As it turns out, his books are marketed towards children, but really they are visual stories for people of all ages. HIs latest book is called The Arrival and tells the immigrant story in pictures with no words. The place the main character immigrates to is totally unlike any place you've ever seen but familiar at the same time. There is depth and humor and and emotion and an amazing attention to detail. I really just like the feel of the story. If you go to his website, shauntan.net, you can read about his process and his intention with his books. I found it very interesting. I recently bought The Lost Thing as well and I really like it as well.

Every year the Oregon Potters Association puts on a show called Ceramics Showcase at the Oregon Convention Center.

It's one of my favorite art shows of the year. There are over 300 ceramics artists participating in the show. And my favorite artist is James DeRosso who creates wonderful ceramic monsters. I've been adding to my collection for 4 years now. One of these days I will be able to afford one of the really big ones, but this year I added this cutie to the group.

If you've never been to the show, put it on your calendar for next year. It's always in the spring and there are other fine craft shows at the convention center at the same time. The Oregon Hand Weavers guild is there along with the Jewelry and Metal Arts, Oregon Bead Society, Glass Arts and Wood Turning. It's really fun, usually bad on the pocketbook, but fun.

Our beloved cat Red Sox died on Saturday after giving us 14 wonderful years. She was a great cat who loved nothing more than sitting in your lap and purring her head off.

Of course she could also be incredibly haughty and look at you with utter disdain.

She had her eccentricities. She loved sitting in the sink and licking the water in the shower after you got out. She got quite mad if you didn't let her in the bathroom.

She also was a huge fan of boxes. All kinds and sizes, any box will do.

She absolutely LIVED to get her scoop of canned food every night for dinner and usually started her vigil at the bowl around 4pm just waiting for six o'clock.

She was very good when Liza was a little girl and would let Liza dress her up and cart her around.

She also used to sleep with Liza. Sometimes you would go in at night to check on Liza and there they were, side by side under the covers.

She will be very missed by all of us. We loved her tons.

On another note, I will be taking a break for a week or two. My surgery is tomorrow, so send good thoughts my way. See you on the flip side.

Since I haven't been longarming, I've had time to get to some of those little projects that I've been wanting to do but haven't had time for. It's been great. Here are the two latest.

I got this cabinet door from the ReBuilding Center for $3.00. I removed all the hardware and took the glass out of the center. Then I glued in some needlepoint canvas where the glass used to be. I added some pretty glass drawer knobs and voila, a jewelry holder. This is for my daughter; she's been coveting mine for years.

This is the canopy I made to give us some shade on our back deck. I bought some adjustable tent poles and hooked them to the outer edge of the deck. I put five eye hooks under the eave of the house. Then I hemmed the fabric and put five grommets on the side that is next to the house and grommets on each of the outer corners. I used latches to hook the grommets to the eye hooks and slipped the outer grommets over the top of the tent poles. I will probably switch out the fabric because although I like the look of the gauzey stuff, it doesn't block enough light. Still, done for now!

You know from one of my previous entries that I collect monsters. Well, James DeRosso participated in an art show Saturday called Brew N Art out at a Brew Pub in Tigard. Of course I went because how can I pass up the opportunity to add another monster to the collection?! I've decided that this one is really the older brother to the last one I got. Here are the two brothers together:

And here is the whole group on the mantle in the living room:

Aren't they adorable???? I going to try and make a fabric insert for behind all the monsters using satins and painted cheese cloth, something that looks creepy and more monster appropriate. Probably in burgundy and black and grey. Fun.

I am a total Halloween fanatic. I mean, what's not to love?! Great decorations, people give you candy, you can dress up in costumes and there are no presents to buy. It is the greatest holiday.
So to celebrate that fact, I'm going to post a picture every day this month of one of my Halloween quilts or other great Halloween decorations. I will try to give credit where it is due if I can remember.

Today's picture is of an original quilt. I think I made this back in 1995. It's called Trick or Treat.

I really like "visionary" art, especially art environments. Like the Watts Towers in Los Angeles, that type of thing. The Beer Can House was started in 1968 by John Milkovisch, a retired Southern Pacific worker. He began inlaying marbles, metal and rocks into concrete in the front and back yards and when he was done with that he started working on the house. Apparently he and his wife Mary liked beer and he began saving all the cans. He cut the cans apart and used the flattened part for the shingles and the round ends to make garlands to hang from the eaves. It is estimated that there are 50,000 beer cans on the house and fences and over 20,000 marbles in the yards. It took him 20 years to complete his projects.
The house is now owned by a non-profit and is open free to the public on the weekends. They have a cute 10 minute video with interviews with John, Mary and one of their sons. He just seemed like a really normal guy.

This is the view from the porch swing.

statue in the back yard.

John used the Culprit to haul rocks and other stuff back to the house.

Okay, I admit I really enjoy offbeat attractions. The docent at the Beer Can House told us about the Presidents Heads and we just couldn't resist. In a vacant lot behind a Target Store, there are 32 president heads created by David Adickes. I don't really know why he created them or what they are planned for, but they were quite something to see. The heads are 18 feet tall and made of some kind of plaster.

That's my sister standing between the presidents so you can get an idea of scale.

We have this guy in Northwest Portland who has glued miniature statues of buildings all over his car. I LOVE it. I mean how cool would it be to totally turn your car into one big statue. Rick would kill me if I did anything like that but boy do I love that kind of stuff. I suggested a bottle tree in the front yard but he vetoed that idea as well.

In Houston, they take their art cars seriously. They have a museum dedicated to art cars. And they have an annual parade that is a big deal. Last year there were 250 art cars and over 200,000 spectators. Like I said, they take this seriously.

Here are a few of the cars we saw.

The detail on this car was amazing.

This one we saw just out on the street one day.

This was outside of the museum. Why the horse is there I have no idea.