In the Headlights

Sticky Subject

LC sent us these.   When I first saw the pictures, I thought "how cool!"

Then, I thought "somebody's got too much time on their hands."  And a whole bunch of tape.   Pretty creative, all the same.

 

They look kind of like ice sculptures, don't they?  Except that they should last a lot longer. 

Toilet Terrors

Not long ago, we featured some interesting urinals.  Sandy had forwarded us the odd art.  Here are the toilets...something to horrify the women as well as the men:

The sink I just threw in to give everyone pause.

Gemstone Carvings

Just about every year, I go to the local art fair in the Spring, and every year, I spend a fair amount of time at the booth of A. Cesar Nogueira.  Nogueira carves gemstones into beautiful birds.  My husband and I discovered his work years ago, and we started buying small pieces when we visited the fair.  A few years ago, I bought a bigger piece, a toucan, and I find myself returning now, and usually buy a small carving in memory of our happy visits to the fair.

This gentle man explains at length the semi- precious stones used in his bird carvings, each selected to lend the final sculpture beauty and authenticity.  His carvings aren't exact replicas of the birds, but true to their spirit and freedom.  Each sits on a beautiful geode or gemstone base.  If you buy one, you also get a document  telling you what stones were used in making your bird.

Some of his carvings are huge and awesome, like eagles in flight, to tiny, complex hummingbirds.  I still regret that we didn't buy a sweet-faced duck floating on a flat pool of blue-green gemstone.  All are lovely.

According to Nogueira, this type of gemstone inlay carving became prominent though the carvings of Faberge, who in addition to eggs carved birds, flowers and other subjects using gemstone inlay.  This technique then became a specialty of artisans in Germany.  Immigrants from Idar-Oberstein brought their art to Brazil, where Nogueira learned it from his uncle.  First it was a hobby, but for the last twenty years, he has done these carvings full time.

He now lives in Florida, which explains why we are fortunate enough to enjoy his works every year.  From his newsletter:  "To cut the original blocks and in the roughing out, I utilize large lapidary diamond blades in a wet operation, piece against tool; to do the carving, though, especially fine detail work, the process is reversed:  now it's dental hand tools against the piece, and those too have to be diamond tools due to the extreme hardness of the semi-precious stones I use, like various types of quartz, agates, amethyst, onyx, to name a few, all strictly kept in their natural colors---sure, this demands some 'artistic license' concerning real colors of certain birds, but that commitment is my pledge of appreciation and respect for Nature, limitless provider of both the specimens and wonderful 'models' for my work.  What we see in the colorful bodies of my creations is the result of inlaying several different kinds of gemstones, using adhesives developed specifically for this medium, bonding at a molecular level."

The Wyandotte Street Art Fair is the source for the pictures of the heron and the falcon, as well as having an artist statement by Nogueira.  The Summer 2007 issue of Carving Magazine also features an article about A. Cesar Nogueira.

Urinal Carnival

I'd think some of these urinals would be downright scary. The mouths, in particular.  Fortunately, I don't have to use them, myself.

[Thanks, Sandy]

Rosa Villa, Street Artist

A lot of sidewalk art by Julian Beever has been circulated through the internet and email.  Until she came to our town for an art festival, I'd never heard of Rosa Villa, although her home is only two hours away, in Orlando.

Whereas Beeman creates three dimesional illusions, Villa reproduces classical paintings and masterworks.  She began her career in Italy, and in 1997, moved from Milan to Orlando when Disney hired her as an artist for the Italian Pavillion at Epcot Center.

In addition to holding degrees in set design, photography, advertising and art instruction, Villa is a trained fashion designer.

She does chalk art at festivals a couple of times a year.  She also uses fabric, watercolor, acrylic, pencil and mosaics in her creations.

The street paintings are about seven feet in length and can take up to twenty hours to make.  The paintings are then fixed with hairspray.  Sadly, it won't protect against a Spring rain or foot traffic.  Fortunately, there is photography.

In addition to her corporate work, Villa is available for commissions.  Most of the information on this page, as well as the illustrations are from her site.  You can find information there about hiring her, as well.

Sudoku Sedation

Shawn Lea is in Key West, enjoying herself  (I think so, anyway...it's not hurricane season yet), while I'm stuck here working.  There is no justice, is there?

To placate me, she sent me this link for a beautiful sudoku pencil from Flax art and design. 

The sturdy pencil boasts an extra-large eraser, and holds 0.9 mm lead.  Perfect for many hours of happy puzzling.

I do use a pencil for my sudoku and crosswords.  I don't erase much, but like to have the option.  I'd bet this pencil would work equally well for crosswords or the Jumble.

Since I discovered that my friend Monica does her sudokus without writing more than one number in a box, I've taken up the challenge and only write in the box when I know what the number is.  Interestingly, it's worked out quite well, even with four and five-star puzzles.

I was speaking with a friend recently and remarked that I frequently do sudoku as I am going to sleep at night.  He thought that would be stimulating and keep me awake.  That does not seem to be the case.  I often read the "Lifestyle" section of the paper, read the comics, then do the Jumble and Sudoku puzzles, sometimes the crossword as I drift off to sleep.  When my eyes get heavy, I put the puzzle aside to finish the next day.  I think that rather than stimulating my mind, it takes my mind off the stressors of the day, and allows me to slip into sleep.

I find dancing does much the same (blogging, too).  I focus on whatever it is I am doing at the time, and let the rest go.  I theorize that this might have the same therapeutic value as meditating...letting go of the stress...

Someone should do a study on that.

Birds of a ...Finger

More amazing fingerpainting.

Birds this time.

Talk about ephemeral.

 

Nora

This is Nora, the piano playing cat.  The YouTube video was sent to us by Jan. 

The video is adorable.  As you probably know, I like cats, and this one's quite smart.

But this is historic for another reason:  It is the first time I've attempted to include a video file in my blog.  It's an article of faith, because to do it, you have to embed the file, the the instructions say "the video will not be visible within the application or when previewing the post".  When it's published, the video player will be displayed.

An act of faith.  We'll see.

Be a Kid Again

In this month's Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, they tell you about 50 All-Star Family Camps.

These are places to go to relive the joys of  Summer camp:  mosquitoes, shared bathrooms, short-sheeting.   Your chance to wrong some rights.  I mean right some wrongs.  Either one.  For instance, dive off the high board, don't wet the bed, perfect your potholder-making skills, and don't get a crush on your counsellor.

Okay.  In actuality, they sound great.  Places even I could have a great time (I confess...I never went to camp).  There's wall climbing, swimming, horseback riding, campfires and s'mores and archery and sailing.  There's communal cabin living (with nicknames) and shared bathhouses.

But the glory, as described in the article: "You wake up in the morning because the birds are chirping.  So you go outside, and take a deep breath of really fresh air.  Over pancakes at breakfast, you learn the day's activities:  rope course, arts and crafts, windsurfing, climbing wall...It doesn't matter what you do, because you know you'll have serious fun.  When you hear the bugle call:  Time for the flag ceremony, followed by dinner...barbecue and bug juice!  You mellow out afterward at the campfire sing-along.  Look!  A shooting star!  Then you head to your bunk bed, sleep like a log, and do it all over again."

Sounds like heaven.  Even to me.

[Image by Deborah Sussex]

More Finger Paintings

  Amazing, isn't it?  What a lot of work for something with such a short half-life.  I mean, you have to wash your hands, don't you?  And I'm guessing those are water-soluble paints.

I guess that's what a camera is for.

 

  This is the domestic cat installment.  Thanks, MM.