Stone Arch

Sunday we went to the Stone Arch art festival and car show downtown.  My father in law often shows his car there, so we check out the cars, find Eryn a snack, and have a family lunch/dinner (and get my wife some jewelry, at least this year).  It's also a good chance to see a lot of coworkers, as no fewer than five of them were there.  At one point, I saw a coworker I didn't know, but recognized and asked, "Do you still work at [My Company]?"  The woman next to him in the line looked at me and said, "Why yes, I work in creative services."  That's right.  There were so many coworkers, they were standing next to each other in line amongst thousands of people and didn't even know it.

This isn't of art or cars or the Stone Arch bridge, but it's a nice photo from near the Avanti II I was looking at.  That's a weird car.  It looks like it's driving backwards.


I like this picture because the sign says not to walk on the street.  I'LL DO WHAT I WANT!


And we walked past this wall on the way to the festival, near the Metal Matic warehouse.  This wall is at the rear of where my wife and I lived on University Avenue and is famous for being the hill and wall where Dan'l tumbled down and hit his head while peeing drunk one night - while...we're pretty sure he tumbled through his own urine given his smell - and then stumbled inside to where Kyle, my wife and I were hanging out with some story about being jumped by a gang of frat boys.  I think it needs a plaque.

Art-a-Whirl

Yesterday, we headed down to my father in law's (and mother in law's) studio at the Q'arma building to check out Art-a-Whirl and see The Sudden Lovelys perform outside the 331.  We succeeded in the first goal, including watching my father-in-law sell a painting, seeing lots of pottery, seeing my mother-in-law's beginning of a silk scarf, checking out all the old church stuff for sale, ala Pickers, bumping into my father-in-law's old flatmate who recently moved his glass studio, and finding Eryn a huge bag of six flavors of cotton candy that she managed to eat all in one sitting (with some help from Poppa).  What we didn't succeed in doing was going to see The Sudden Lovelys because the skies opened up and poured rain.  I braved it just long enough to buy the last two egg rolls from Rainbow under their tent just outside Q'arma, but after that we were done for the evening, despite their assurances there was a tent.

I bought Eryn a neat little glass penguin for her birthday party at the end of the month.  I felt pretty sneaky buying it under her nose without her noticing.

I did enjoy seeing this piece of sculpture (the same artist does metal mesh penguins and seals and a very cool metal mesh rhino with a wood horn) so close on the heals of the Almanzo 100.  It looked like something Kyle, Ming, and I could have all pedaled together.

Office Art

Ming put Eryn's painting up in his office.  I'm posting it out here so she can appreciate that it's on his desk.

Eryn's Guitar, Ming's Poster

A very nice picture of Eryn playing guitar while wearing her new Christmas dress. In the background, you can see my cool artcrank poster from pedlar that Ming bought and framed for me for my birthday. It's not on the wall yet, but will be soon.

Artists

Wow....I got told by an artist today that she didn't have time to take on a project for me, despite that I'd offered cash and she could set the terms.  The next time I see "starving artist" on something, I'm not going to believe it.  If you can refuse premium rates for my shitty (visually) stick figure comic, you obviously are making serious money.  If any of you know some artist friends, this is what I'm looking for:

We currently have two "settings", two in a cube, and across the table.  What we'd like to do is:

1. Clean up the existing images (e.g. lines not separated/no jagged lines/a more artistic feel [as much as possible with stick figures]).
2. Two in a cube modified.  Cleaned up, perhaps with a board with some generic developer text or workflow on it behind the developer on the right (with the black cloud).  That might be too cluttered - but something to add some visual busi-ness.
3. Figure out a way to clarify that the two individuals in two in a cube are sitting in front of computers without using a brand name (something applish on the back that's not an apple)
4. Modify across the table.  Cleaned up.  Something to give it a little more interest, although without cluttering the table which we have a habit of using for putting humorous items on (hats/etc).
5. A new image – The Office.  CEO/Manager type at a desk with the employee sitting in a chair facing them.  Alternately, perhaps the employee standing if it still leaves ample room for text.
6. A new image - The elevator.  Two+ people on an elevator.
7. Images should stay stick-figurish, although they can be cleaned up artistically.
8. Images should keep/incorporate the dark cloud or some recreation of the dark cloud as that's the annoyed-snarky thought bubble.
9. Images can have color, but we'd like black and white versions as well in case that's cheaper for making mugs for family for Christmas/Birthdays.
10. We own the images and all rights when all is said and done.

Josh Davis

The Nerdery keeps a pretty cool list of videos for speakers and interviews and other multimedia at their place of work.  Recently, they had Josh Davis, an artist and technologist, speak.  I don't think I've ever heard anyone drop quite so many f-bombs during a technical, or at least semi-technical-presentation.  Which is great.  I think most code/tech needs to be described in terms used by the people developing it. Warning - almost 90 minutes long.

By the way...taking into account this video and the next one...I'd like to shame my company by stating that I heard - and this is grapevine until I confirm it tomorrow - that the ad hoc chess club at work was booted from playing at the cafeteria and had to move their activities off site to a local coffee house because chess/gaming isn't allowed in the cafeteria after a certain time. If that's true, I think I'll be dropping a comment on the CEO's blog to ask him exactly what sort of culture they're trying to cultivate at work and whether he has a place where a chess club could set up camp. Then again, maybe chess is better with fancy coffee.

Josh Davis at The Nerdery from The Nerdery on Vimeo.

And I wish this happened where I work:

Rebecca Black's Friday on Rock Band from The Nerdery on Vimeo.

In Which I Collect Bike Art

Maybe I need to stop doing doing like "In Which I..." Sounds a bit too much like an episode of Friends. I'm more of a Coupling guy. I could do The Bike Art Man Commeth, sort of like The Melty Man Commeth...let's use that instead.

So this is a repository post where I will keep websites for local artists I'm interested in. It won't just be bicycle art, but that will definitely be the preponderance. And it isn't necessarily artists I like - but that I'm interested in something about their art.

• Altered Aesthetics - frequent bicycling art displays, generally some very good work. Bike Art VI is June 3, 7-10 p.m. next to my father-in-law's studio.
• Bicycle Theory - all sorts of web design and art in Minneapolis.
• Nick DeVries Pottery: does sake sets?
• FAS Custom Bicycles: bicycles as art.
• Pedalr - bicycle art/etc sales site.
• Rolf Hagberg, Motivity: lots of pictures of moving wheels.

Artist...

I am looking for an artist. The job is small - just cleaning up cartoons. So it doesn't pay on an ongoing basis, just piece work. But then again, the commitment is also small, and what I want is very concrete. I have a request out with MCAD, but I thought I'd leave a note here as well in case someone has a friend of a friend who might be interested.

Bikes and Ice Cream

101 Frightening Ice Cream Flavors - squid, sweet potato, wasabi, curry, shrimp, chicken wing, beet and corn, fried pork ring...yes, most of them come from Japan.

Typography - Write a Bike - I think I need one.

On Sunday we went to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to check out Eryn, Pooteewheet, and my father in law's paintings at Foot in the Door 4. There are several rooms floor-to-ceiling full of approximately 1x1' art and each room has a table to display the non-wall style art (sculptures/etc). Some of it is downright strange. Like the Eagle Baby.

Or like this toast. It's important to understand when your hobby becomes a true art form.

Or this pig, checking out this other pig decorated with arms.

My sister in law and niece examining the art.

What is this saying? That barbies are like candy you get if you pay your money? Eryn has a gumball machine. I told her she should put some thought into what she'd put in it.

GOATSE!!!!! It's art!

Eryn and I looking at some of the paintings.

My father in law's painting.

Self Art

Eryn made a self-portrait at school. Pretty cool.

But what surprised me is that Klund was on the wall as well.

Found It!

I think I found Eryn's painting. Bald guy in the background. Just to the left, two up (from the top of his pate). Kattycorner lower left from the silver plate. That would be Eryn's painting. Click it to get a little closer.

Foot in the Door 4 - Pooteewheet's Painting

Found it, although not in person. We were worried it might be a bit crowded the first week. They used this photo on the front of the Weekend Life section of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. My father-in-law's painting is immediately below the CC in the circle in the lower right corner. Pooteewheet's (my wife's) painting is five rows to the left and about two up (red painting with black, below the white and blue painting that looks like a piece of the sky). I'm still looking for Eryn's Black Sun with Gray Rays.

Heart of the Beast

Eryn's school - the first graders - had a puppet show at the end of last week after working with the Heart of the Beast puppet folks. There were shadow puppets. Puppets on sticks. And masks. Eryn wore a bear mask. We thought she looked a bit like Scooby Doo.

From some of the dance.

Black Sun with Gray Rays

Eryn submitted a piece of art to Foot in the Door 4 at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. She called it Black Sun With Gray Rays. It looks very official.

Kente Cloths

"First Grade Kente Cloths. Students learned about Ghana and the art of making Kente Cloths. Kente is an Asanti ceremonial cloth that is hand-woven on a loom. Four-inch strips are sewn together into larger pieces of cloth. Kente cloth comes in various colors, sizes, and designs and is worn during very important social and religious occasions. First graders imitated this art form by painting strips and gluing them down."

Eryn near the wall of Kente cloths.

Her Kente cloth. See if you can pick it out in the montage above.

Arts and Crafts II

Today, after a short happy hour with the other managers that ended up in having most of a Stella Artois spilled on my shoes (not my own), I stopped by Michael's to find felt for my next art project with the elementary school kids. I have an idea about how to work with the Gauguin and one other Institute of Art item in order to discuss perspective and relief. While I was there I picked up glycerin soap and a tube of sharks so Eryn and I can have some fun making treasure soap for my nieces.

I thought it would be nice to post a picture or two of what we did for the rock gardens in a bowl that were meant to show a little bit about the T'ai-hu.

These are the bags full of rock garden materials. This was the light part. The 24 bowls with sand were the heavy lifting.

And this is a sample garden Eryn made. Her garden from class was much less busy. She took advantage of all the leftover materials I had at home. The school version was separated sticks that she and her partner claimed were for jumping from one to the next. Another pair of girls had a copse of trees. And a third set had a long rock in the middle that was a "log" to sit on. Eryn claims the real rocks in this one are a cave to sit in.

They're not Weeds, They're Plants!

I taught two 25 minute classes in art appreciation at a local elementary school today. In order to teach the kids about the T'ai Hu room exhibit (officially, The Studio of Gratifying Discourse) at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, I brought a number of plastic bowls full of sand so the kids could make mini rock gardens with rocks, sticks, evergreens, and multi-colored sponge pieces. While talking about how the T'ai rocks inspired the contemplation of nature within where one lived by serving as reminders of natural shapes like animals or people, inanimate objects like mountains and caves, and more, I asked the kids, "Is there anything we do now that's sort of the same? Do we bring nature into our homes in any way?"

One kid replied, "We have plants in the house!"

I agreed and asked, "And does everyone like the same plants? Do you have the same plants in your house as your friends do?"

Kid one, "No, my Dad has lots of flowers in all different colors. Red. Orange. Yellow."

Kid two, "It could be a cactus. Some people like to have a cactus.

Kid three, "We have lots of plants of all kinds."

Kid four, "My Dad dries plants in the basement."

Probably for scrapbooking.

I am 6% of the Artistic Crowd

I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art tonight to learn how to be an "Art Friend" for grade schoolers. This involves learning about eight pieces of art and doing some teaching for kids at my daughter's school. At the end of the night, Beryl, the nice Canadian lady doing the 2.5 hour tour of our eight pieces of art looked and me and said, "I wish more men would participate in this program." I was the only guy with 16 women (including two girls there with their mother), so I was definitely in the minority. There were two other guys I saw in the two other groups walking around, so at least we were representin' across the board. I'm fairly certain if I need to pick up single mothers because Pooteewheet leaves me, this is an optimal venue.

Some highlights:

• I (re)learned my rule about impressionist art. If it's good, I hate it. If it's not so good, I despise it. If it's incredibly good, I tolerate it.
• I can navigate by type of art from point z to a despite having not paid much attention from how I got from point a to z.
• 6'+ artsy women in designer glasses, a black skirt, a white blouse and high boots get a thumbs up from me on my personal fashion assessment scale.
• I don't know much about art.
• I still hate Gaugin. See bullet #1.
• If you leave two tween/pre-tween girls to their own devices, they'll sneak off to check out the wang on the nearest statue.
  
• I used my Tudor/Stuart undergraduate history major for the first time in about 20 years. I pointed out that the Tudor room was probably Elizabethan because it has Tudor roses in the woodwork and plasterwork, and that if it had been designed later, it would likely have had a few thistles to represent the union with the Scottish crown. I added that the Tudor roses, if not rendered in brown wood, were white and red, which could be traced back to the War of the Roses between two British royal families that were united under Henry VII. I also had an urge earlier this week when someone asked me about naming six new Linux (SLES) boxes if I could call them eg-Catherine, eg-Katherine, eg-Cleeves, eg-Anne, eg-Howard, and eg-Jane. Probably wouldn't have been all that funny to my fellow techies.
  

Four Acquisitions

I own some new things! Item one, Ming finally picked up our Randy's Pizza Challenge t-shirts that proclaim, "I can't believe I ALMOST ate the Whole Thing!" I can now show off that I'm a loser because a.) I took a huge pizza challenge and b.) because I couldn't complete it.


Ming brought me some coffee from Malaysia. Notice the word "mixture"? It scared me. I was worried it might be full of secondary civet food or something. But I looked up the words for the additives and they translated as margarine and sugar, and that seems safe enough. This morning I brewed up the first batch and it tasted pretty much like Folger's or Maxwell House, but a little bit better. Probably because of the margarine and sugar.


Also from Ming. Durian candy. I haven't been brave enough to try one yet. But here's a fun vignette.

Eryn: "Dad, do you have candy?"
Me: "Yes, honey. I do. Here!"
Eryn, pops it in mouth: "I don't know what this is. What is this? ... Oh. This is BAD."
Me: "At least it wasn't ranch dressing."


The bicycle chain snake my wife bought me at the Mall of America while She Says and hubby were in town for JACL and to visit us. Ssssss..... I think Eryn calls him "Wormy". Very cool use of old bicycle bits.