Different Strokes

Well, I thought I'd seen it all.  Do you love to scroll around on other's blogs to see what blogs they follow?  Your interests change, or you're following too many of the same kind of blogs and you look for other interesting posts.  So what did I come across today?  Pubic hair art and jewelry.  Since I live on a farm, I've seen it all, but that was gross.  I didn't want to post a picture of it, nor ask permission to post it, so I'll tell this story of some of my art instead.

I made a paper mache dachshund and titled it Picasso Can't Have A Dog.  Without going into much detail or psychoanalyzing it, I wrote about it in a stream of consciousness circle above its shoulder (Picasso can't have a dog, no Siddhartha he; manipulator, manipulated...) it goes.  Bigger than life-sized, I made the tail so that it wiggles in a breeze.  Funny thing is, when I finished it, a new book came out about Picasso and his beloved dachshund, a picture of the two of them on the cover.

  I later decided to paint another weenie in the same vein, titled Rollin' In Stink.  From a white whale, a clock, buildings, to a goldfish blowing bubbles, there are many different images on each piece.

Pubic hair art or modern art...  I did paint a portrait of Picasso under the tail of the paper mache piece. 

So, different strokes for different folks, as they say, but I want to see someone wearing that necklace, or maybe I don't.

Puppies

By now, you know of my love for animals.  My daughter posted a picture of my weenies on facebook and said that they were her sisters and "Mom loves them more."  Nevertheless,  I found this old oil painting of puppies at a flea market.  Just had to have it.

Parisian Pooches

Parisians love their dogs.  You see them out and about with them everywhere.  Once, I traveled from Paris to London and there was not a dog  in sight.  Now I know Londoners love dogs.  I asked someone where the dogs were and was told it is too stressful in London for dogs.

Felted Dogs

Here is a last minute gift idea for those of you (like me) that are still looking for gifts. ANTHROPOLIGIE has these little felted dog ornaments. I watched this season of MAN SHOPS GLOBE, a show on the Sundance channel, that follows the head buyer for ANTHROPOLIGIE around the world looking for the unique. An artist in Ireland makes felted dogs (larger) and they auctioned off some for charity, that went for thousands. Dog lover that I am, I had to get these. Of course, I have to keep them, so I am still shopping...

Antique Heaven

I have finally found Eldorado; was invited to the home which embodies the epitome of collecting and displaying treasures. My friend had been telling about her mother's home and collections for years. Sue has been collecting the world over for decades and I must say I covet everything she owns. From beautifully patinated early American furniture to early baskets, samplers, clocks and Quimper pottery, and did I say early American samplers? Ooooh!

Every nook and cranny has a beautiful arrangement; a tableau to linger over. More baskets, a dog lamp and a beautiful old oil painting of a girl.

Old wooden bowls full of chocolate molds and butter molds, so many in fact, many are packed away.

A main theme in her collections are animals. Dogs, cats, cows, horses, chickens are but a few, but repeated all over the house.

Sue collects majolica and has different displays in different areas of the house, not to mention cupboards full of it.

This is the smallest cobbler's table I have ever seen. I thought it must be a salesman's sample. The tole ware trays show up throughout the house.


I was just getting going, my head swimming and eyes glazing over when I ran out of camera space. Just like that. It has never happened to me before. I could not believe it as I was just getting started. Luckily, my Maggie, Sue's daughter, used her iphone camera so as soon as I get the pics and figure out how to load them on my blog, you're in for a treat. Till later...

DOG ART

Some of you might have noticed the red dog on the right side of my blog and wondered, what in the world? Well, he is one of my mixed-media life-sized paper art sculptures. This dog's name is Picasso Can't Have A Dog. The text in the spiral is where he got his name. I wrote around the spiral like the 'Beats' did in a stream of consciousness style. The text says "Picasso can't have a dog, no Siddhartha he. Manipulator, manipulated, whatever..." Hence the name.

Some of you might have heard that recently, a painting by Picasso sold for a million billion dollars. Picasso was a prodigy/genius, but could be cruel (and kind too, I know). His vanity knew no bounds. Don't get me wrong, I love Picasso, but I don't think he deserved a dog. When I was almost finished with this piece, a book came out about him and his beloved dachshund. Who knew?

This piece has a goldfish, feather, clock, a sundial, an eye, a vulva...and so much more. And, its tail wiggles. This was no small fete for me. I am interested in automatons, but after some research, I couldn't get past the basic physics (pulleys and levers). You have to be an engineer to figure it out and I am too old, er, young to start a new career. I will have to take a pic of his rear end. There is a cameo painted in blue and white, of an elderly Picasso, seated and looking in a mirror...

A million billion anyone?

PASSING

I just recently learned of the passing of a beloved artist and writer. Stephen Huneck died on January 7th of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been depressed and despondent; he feared he might lose his mountaintop farm home and studios, dubbed Dog Mountain, over the recent economic downturn. The Dog Chapel, which has been featured in many publications, was built to honor his own Sally, a Labrador. Inside the chapel, visitors have left notes and pictures of their own beloved pets.

I guess I am surprised by his passing and sad. One would think that by 60 years of age, you'd finally have it down enough that you wouldn't resort to killing yourself over life's disappointments. I guess not. The reality is, depression is lethal sometimes. Stephen's art and contributions will be missed.

Picasso Can't Have A Dog

Congratulations to Jo, A Brit In Tennessee and Cindy of Cindy's Clipboard. They both answered the question of what was this dog's name which is Picasso Can't Have A Dog. If you can enlarge the pic you will see a spiral on its shoulder. I wrote around the spiral like the 'Beats' did; a sort of stream of consciousness style. It says "Picasso can't have a dog, no Siddhartha he. Manipulator manipulated, whatever..." That's how the dog got his name.

Arts and Crafts

I'm pretty prolific in the arts and crafts department - all over the place really. I draw, paint , sculpt, make jewelry, do gourd art using turquoise inlay, burn images on them and also do oil painting on them. They have been at the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, Ok and sold at retail outlets. I've done a few art and retail shows. Currently, I'm working on life-sized mixed-media paper art sculpture. Would you believe I have a life-sized horse sculpture in my dining room? I don't know why I like doing life-sized pieces as they take up a lot of space and even longer to make. Craft wise, I've just about done it all - at least it seems that way, but I have been doing it for many years now. If I ever get this blogging stuff down, maybe I can share some demonstrations/techniques.
In the pics are some of my paper art. The red dog is titled Picasso Can't Have A Dog. You'd have to read the text on the dog to understand the meaning. His tail wiggles. A couple of months after I finished it, a book about Picasso came out and on the cover was Picasso and his beloved dachshund. Who knew? The spotted dog on the ground pointing is titled Good Dog. I wish you could see his expression; his top lip curled back slightly. It's too funny. The basset hound on the bench is a work in progress. Some naughty boy tied the goose on its back with a rope and I still have to fashion a working pinwheel onto its tail. I am interested in automatons, but after researching them I couldn't get past the physics (pulleys, levers, etc.) You have to be an engineer to figure it out and I'm too old, er young to start a new career. Anyway, will the twosome be able to become airborne and fly away?

This is a pencil drawing of mine.