Remembering

On this Memorial Day weekend enjoy your picnic, your barbeque, your family gathering and maybe a long break from work.

But before you do, please go here to see why it is so important for me that you take a few moments to remember those who gave their lives defending our country and the freedoms we have.

Captain Barry Lynn Brown, Killed In Action, Vietnam, 1968

Major James Clifford McKittrick, Missing In Action, Vietnam, 1967

Earth Day

Somewhere along the Natchez Trace

It's our Earth.

Let's do our best to nurture it.

And enjoy it.

Somewhere along the way I missed Earth Day (April 22). Better late than never.

More Yard Art

Recognize anything here? If you spotted the drive-in movie speakers you have just identified yourself as being over the age of 40. If you remember necking at the drive-in movie you have just identified yourself as being over the age of 50. Give yourself 5 bonus points if you know what necking is. Give yourself 10 extra bonus points if you ever drove off with the speaker still attached to your car.

Yard Art courtesy of The Bloo Plate Special, Austin, TX

Yes, Hell Yes, It IS Art

This video has been floating all over the internet but I wanted to be sure you saw it. For me, the music is secondary, the birds are the real beauty. Orange, grey, black and white -- can I possibly achieve these colors in my ceramics?



Late edit: If the video above asks you to sign in as Friend, forget it. That's not me, that's the provider of the video doing that. Try going to this YouTube link.

Graffiti Guys

Thanks to A New York Magpie's Eye, I have two more Graffiti Guys to add to my collection. The one on the top was spotted in New York City in Chelsea, the one below it was spotted at 34th and 10th Avenue.

The pictures above and below are reruns. The two guys are really the same one, photographed about a year apart, in front of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City.

This guy was spotted in Sommerville, MA, by a loyal blog reader.

People, keep your eyes open for Graffiti Guy!!!

Armed Forces Day

DaNang, Vietnam, 1969

Army Nurses, DaNang, Vietnam, 1969

Today is Armed Forces Day, a day to recognize and honor the men and women of the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

Not happy about the way your government is doing things? Protest (peacefully). The people serving in your Armed Forces are making sure you can.

Yodocks

Yodocks, named after their inventor, are used as barriers by being put into place and then filled with water to make them stable. Earlier this year a temporary (3-month)art installation went up at one of the entrances to our neighborhood, Barton Hills. The video below is of the volunteers working on the installation on a windy Saturday and, for the record, none of our property taxes went to pay for it.



Later that day was the Opening Reception and we walked over for it, delighted to see that at night it looked like a giant Lego castle.

This hill area was choked with weeds and never noticed, it was just there. Now this art installation has changed how you see the area and it will always seem different, even when the installation is gone. Like it or not, it is art. Art? Got your attention, didn't it? Art.

There has been a lot of discussion about this on our neighborhood newsgroup and none of it is neutral. People either like it or hate it. For the record, we like it. It isn't necessarily attractive or that well done but it IS an attempt to alter your perception of your environment. And it makes us smile, not only because it is amusing but because we can picture the sputtering and frothing at the mouth of those who hate it -- the ones who devoted the time, effort and money to put up this psedo-official sign:

Mother's Day

Steampunk Heart, unknown artist

If you are a Mom, Happy Mother's Day to you. If you have a Mom who is nice to you, consider yourself lucky and wish her a Happy Mother's Day. If your nice Mom is no longer here, think of the good times and consider yourself lucky.

Oh, Dem Bones

Bleached animal bones have a special beauty all their own. Jerry Alexander, one of my Ceramics Professors, lives out in the country and he brought me these bones. I thought about cutting them up and using them in some funky jewelry pieces but they look great just as they are.

Instead, I'll have to think of some special sort of Nicho for them. Jerry's art work really enhances the bones he used, especially with the Raku technique he uses.

Yard Art

Are you a Yardist? Check out the pictures from the sites that were on the Austin Art Yard Tour and see if you qualify. Robert Mace and his wife, Wendy, creators of The Bloo Plate Special, are bottle collectors and have made a "Bottle Prairie". When they got married they asked guests to bring blue bottles to add to their collection. They are especially pleased with their Cowboy Scarecrow.