X Marks the G-Spots

It seems that someone was inspired to carve a representation of my fashion tip.*


You can see this wooden beauty in front of Wicked Wanda's Adult Emporium on Bank Street.

* But, I do not recommend the use of nails or staples...

Enclosed

I love marbles.

And so, Keir MacDonald, up and coming brilliant young artist, has touched my heart with the photo below and also with the blurb that accompanies it.


Through the lens of a camera; the world around it is compressed into a tiny space. The same phenomenon is taking place in this photograph of a falling marble. I noticed images visible in hanging water droplets, and was fascinated by how much of the world around them appeared to be contained in such a tiny space. This optical occurrence evoked feelings of entrapment and crowding. An entire world, and community existing in a small space. A self contained entity filled with people and their emotions, problems, joys, successes and failures. This kind of an environment is how I have always seen school. A large amount of lives in a tiny space, mostly accepting it as the entirety of their reality. This is an image of a student in front of her high school. The marble, which is falling through frame in the foreground, reveals it as her enclosed world.

Please help get his photo into the National Art Gallery by voting for him - follow this link and click Like next to his photo (you have to be signed in to Facebook).

If you have a blog, I encourage you to ask your followers to vote (pretty please) as the lovely Zoom did on Facebook, and the wonderful David Scrimshaw has done on his blog.

But hurry, the contest closes this Thursday, March 31st.

Oh, Shiny!*

Oh, shiny!, I gasped in silent admiration as I noticed the guilding** on the Arch.

I had not intended to blog about the Arch. Coyote , Robin and this blog are covering that event.


But, then I came around to the other side, and caught the eye of one of the artists - he leaned over and viewed me through an opening below the green mesh.


As he stared and took a puff of his fag, I smiled and motioned, Can I take your picture?

He motioned back, Yes.

I wanted to gesticulate, Can I please come up and get a closer look at the beautiful work that you are doing? But, instead, I yelled, Beautiful!

One last smile was exchanged, my camera clicked and captured a moment, and off I went towards home where Chinese greens and pork dumplings with a special dipping sauce were being lovingly prepared for me.

*Dedicated to the Word Wizard
**I spell it with a "u" Wikipedia spells it without a "u". I did not feel like finding out why.

Mural, Mural on the Wall

I took this picture in November of 2008

And this one on the same wall in October of 2009

I can't wait to see what next year will bring.

Corny Jack-O'-Lanterns

Remember this stalk of corn? Well, it grew jack-o'-lanterns.

I can't wait to see what it grows in December ...

Corny

I would expect to find a stone in a field of corn, but . . .

Well, you get the picture.

Erratic Genius Art

Lynn, over at TurtleHead, asked in a comment if the Erratic Genius was still creating art since his sweet Window Garden days.

Yes he is, but it has evolved dramatically...

Window Garden

When I had to stop being a stay-at-home mom, and had to go work in an office, I mentioned to the Erratic Genius that I missed the hours of gardening that I used to indulge in while he and the Word Wizard dug for dinosaur bones, ran through the sprinkler, made mud messes, and entertained me endlessly with stories, laughter, and made-up songs.

Soon after he created a faux stained glass window garden for my office (see picture) - he was only 8 years old.

(Sadly, when my office was relocated to another building, I had to leave the garden behind - the sun had baked it to the glass. Notice the four leaf clover.)

Heart... broken

On my way to work, I spotted something in a public garbage can that looked familiar. It was half of a swap box by elmaks!. Without hesitation I carefully reached in and halted its trip to the dump. I looked at the surrounding poles and walls hoping to spot the other piece.

"There, on the ground," muttered my trusted companion pointing next to the garbage can. I grabbed it and placed both pieces delicately into my great big black bag. My rescue was not as heroic and brave as Zoom's, but it was as heartfelt.

I would like to fix the box, and install it on the inside entrance of my home, so that all who cross my threshold have the opportunity to take part in a swap. But I feel that I require the artist's blessings...

What do you say, elMaks!, may I fix it and install the swap box indoors?

Keeping Tabs on Fashion

I stopped her because I was awed by her coat. As we chatted, she shared with me that her boyfriend had made it. The pull-tabs on the shoulders were hand-sewn and reminded me of chainmaille. She wandered off, and I continued to gaze at her, intrigued by how her gentle voice and sweet demeanor contrasted with the armour-like coat.

Drunk Angry Beaver

According to the friendly young man on the left, I really pissed off his buddy on the right by taking his picture. That beaver was a mean drunk, and he startled the hell out of me when I first saw him.

Capturing Woodsy

While our mayor is busy shopping for street furniture to make our city swellegant and in sync with the nature of its good citizens, Lise (pictured above) is working hard at trying to earn an honest living. Lise is a talented pixie-like young woman who for $5 will draw almost anything you request.

It is her goal to complete her high school diploma, and she is aspiring to apprentice in a tattoo parlor.

I liked Lise immediately – she was amiable and talented.

I asked if she could draw me. "Of course," she responded with unblinking confidence.

I am delighted with the way she captured my astral presence.

Is it Art?

My instant reaction when I saw the black ink splash on the orange newspaper box and grey sidewalk was, "Oh, cool, guerrilla art!"

Well, maybe it was just someone having a klutzy day, but as my favorite band, Astronaut Love Triangle, would certainly say, "If you see it as art, then it is art!"

In Full Bloom

I met Michelle at the Folk Festival. Isn't she lovely? She is also as sweet and genuine as she is pretty. We chatted amicably for a few minutes as she explained her wares which she mostly makes from re-used materials. (mouse over Michelle's picture)

She had pins, barrettes, necklaces, fridge magnets and earrings made from scrap material, poker chips and/or buttons.


She also had jigsaw puzzle piece earrings made from one puzzle. The pieces had been divided up and were being sold around the world. Michelle hopes that it will make people feel "part of the big picture".

I was amused by one of her little boxes of magnetic poetry for creating naughty poems - she cut out all of the words from National Geographic magazines.

"Can you believe that I found the word boobies in National Geographic?" she chirped proudly and then quickly added, "You know that it is actually the name of a bird, right?"

My favourite item at her table were her button frames.

For many years I have held on to a tin of my grandmaman's black buttons which she collected from her discarded dresses, my grandpapa's worn out suits, and her eight children's outgrown clothes.


Michelle's black button frame has inspired me to make my own frame with my grandmaman's buttons. Inside the frame I will place a sweet picture of my grandmaman when she was a little girl.

The Watcher

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I was pleased when Fourth Dwarf dropped by my downtown tree-top abode today with plans to shop at the Ottawa Parkdale Market and then to stroll to the Cube Gallery to see the Futurists show.

I played my usual game of looking at a painting, then reading the title of the painting, and then looking back at the painting to see what influence reading the title might have had on my perception of the painting.

"You know Dwarfie," I said to my trusted friend, "I often find that I can look at a painting and like it, but then if I read the title I suddenly love it."

One painting in particular intrigued me (picture 1). The title made my heart jump and love the painting (picture 3).

"Hi Andrew," I said cautiously approaching the artist, Andrew King. "I am curious about the meaning of the title of this painting, Kanata Watch."

"Do you live in Kanata?" he asked flashing me a sweet inviting smile.

"Well, I lived in Kanata for years, and a month ago I sold everything and moved to downtown Ottawa. I relate to the little people in your painting. They've opened up their umbrellas and a benevolent wind is carrying them off to freedom. They are escaping... (picture 3). Well, that's just my interpretation according to my experience," I mumbled blushing.

I suddenly felt ridiculous and embarrassed remembering that some artists don't like people analyzing their work.

"Well, you understand the painting then," he admitted graciously and with sincerity.