2024 07 Evening Amusements and Drawing Room Plays

 I bought the book Evening Amusements and Drawing Room Plays recently for three reasons: it is a pre-1900 publication which means the illustrations on the pages have a good chance of being able to be rubbed into transfer; the cover has a perfect opportunity to create a window; the title provides the theme before I even get started.

I decided that the beginning of this piece will be a cradled board which I vented into order to increase the amount of light that will reach the insides.

Here is the cover after I carved out the window for the transfer.

One of the Amusements is a dice game

The left side of the book cover was enhanced by keeping the spine and 

moving the spine support from the inside of the book to the outside of the cover

The bottom of the cover was decorated with a drawer pull

The window in the cover gave me the opportunity to do a transparency with a collage below

Thus we have Evening Amusements and Drawing Room Plays. It is 9"H X 7"W X 2"D. It consists of a 7"X5" Cradled Board, Book Cover, Transparency, Drawer Pull, Nails (14), Asian Dice (3), Book Spine Remnant, Paper and Paint.

2024 07 But What Eyes

This piece began because I bought a photograph for $1.00 that was probably a photograph taken by a U.S. soldier in France during World War II. Besides being a great photograph, it had a fascinating inscription on the back of the photo. 

"My best girl friend in Paris. She was only the care takers daughter, but what eyes."

From the beginning, the story behind the piece was going to need objects that reflected a 1940s feel.

This is a hunk of wood I found while photographing street art in 

the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago (IL)

I bought this printer's tray for $3 probably because all the divisions were gone.

This is a foundry sand mold that has a gorgeous patina. 

My goal in making this piece was not to paint up the whole thing but let the colors of the objects be enough. That worked until I decided to use this silver frame which had to be painted so it fit the overall effort of the piece. 

The sand mold had to be cut down to fit inside the printer's tray.

I copied the inscription from the back of the photo so that it could be read.

This little French girl, born and raised during the great conflict of World War II and Nazi occupation of Paris, now sitting on a U. S. Army Jeep, was so inspirational in creating the story of this piece. 

I found an old atlas in my stuff so that I could find Paris on a map.

This brass keyhole cover was in my possession one day before it found its way into this art.

These cherubs weigh a ton

Thus we have But What Eyes. It is 21"H X 11"W X 4"D . It consists of a Printer's Tray, Foundry Sand Mold, Wood Scrap, Tin Box Cover, Photo, Magnifying Glass, Drawer Pull. Metal Decorative Basket With Cherubs, Beads, Brass Keyhole Cover, Paper and Paint.

2024 07 Around Lake Michigan, Part Two: On To Ludington

Monday, July 22, 2024

After breakfast at the same restaurant I ate at last night, the day was all about getting into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP) and driving across it to get to the bridge to the lower part of the state of Michigan.

In Haight Township (MI) there is a spectacular waterfall area called Bond Falls. I am suspicious that the falls maybe extra special this year as we have had so much rain--but who cares--this is a special space. 

To get from the UP to the Lower Peninsula by vehicle you have to drive the rather impressive Mackinac Bridge which does have a $4 toll to get across. 

Junk I found walking the railroad tracks

Lake Superior

After driving for ten hours (minus all the cool stops) I was dogged so I stopped at a restaurant called Bob’s Place in Alanson (MI). Just a short drive down Highway 31 was Petoskey (MI). I had to try three different hotels before I found a Super 8 (this is a very nice hotel—see above) and I settled in for the night. 

Mileage for the Day: 353

Mileage for the Trip: 969

Tuesday, July 23, 2024

Today I picked J. W. Filmore’s Restaurant in Petoskey for breakfast. The goal today was to drive to the gallery in Ludington to delivery my art.

I was in an antique mall in Petoskey early when I got a phone call from Denice in Oaxaca, Mexico, informing me of a difficulty she was having in making sure she had a ticket to fly home tomorrow. Long story short: she did but she had to go through a lot to determine that in part because of the big computer virus thing. I spent some time at the Petoskey airport trying to get American Airlines to help (which they did not—yeah, I am looking at you American) so I did not get as much antiquing done today as I thought I might.

The Wounded Dear

Broken Into Travesties Of Reflections

I got to the Ludington Center For the Arts Gallery around 2:30 p.m. and delivered these two pieces for a show called Outside the Box whose description is “Surrealism emerged in the aftermath of WWI.  Freud revolutionized our concept of the mind.  Dreams, imagination, and the unconscious mind provided new areas of expression for artists. This ‘in person’ exhibit asks you to unleash your unconscious mind to express itself in its full glory of dreamlike, illogical, fantastical imaginings. Transgress boundaries, warp realities, question our ways of perceiving the world. Stretch your imagination and treat us to your mind’s wanderings.” The show opens August 2nd and runs the whole month.

I decided to visit the only antique place I could find open on a Tuesday: Alway's Antique Mall. The owner was super friendly and helpful when I described the kind of stuff I needed for my September class at Shake Rag Alley in Mineral Point, WI. I topped out at a bargained $100 and left very happy.

Perhaps the coolest place I went to was the Guntzviller's Gifts and Taxidermy Museum. The owners have put a lot of effort into making this collection of Native artifacts into a viewable museum. 

Here I was at this point: it was 2:30 p.m. (CT), been on the road for four plus days, 1000 plus miles on the van, its raining, Denice might have to alter her flight time into O’Hare tomorrow and none of the antique places in Ludington open until noon tomorrow. 

This guy is voting--are you?

A quick check of the GPS showed I could be home in my own bed by 10:00 p.m.—and I was.

Mileage for the Day: 566

Mileage for the Trip: 1535