Shampoo collection addition - Courtyard by Marriott, Grand Rapids

Nice little collection, including two bars of soap, face and body! And lots of natural seeds and grains, wasn't sure if I wash with it or eat it and it cleans from the inside out!

Friday Feast

I love me a hot dog. And in my humble opinion, Chicago's are THE best! I have waged many a verbal war over this. From Heid's in Syracuse to street dogs in New York, Chicago does rule!

This past week in Grand Rapids, East Town to be exact, I was treated, or rather I treated everyone, to what seems to be a Grand Rapids legend and staple, hot dogs from Yesterdog!

Yeah, it was midnight or so, yeah we had a little drink on. But what a treat! I really like that on their basic yesterdog, they put chili on their dogs. On the negative side, they also put ketchup?! What? Yeah ketchup on a hot dog!

A few less points for the ketchup but bonus points for the chili and Yesterdog gets a thumbs up from me!

Grand Rapids, MI

I just returned from a couple of days in Grand Rapids. I was there to particpate in Kendall College of Art and Design's annual career day. Had a great time, met lots of new people and saw lots of new work.

The one things that stands out to me, and what the picture above alludes to, is that they do not call that structure you see by the name most other people would call it. . . a parking garage. In Grand Rapids, the locals call it a ramp, a parking ramp! They are typically named for the streets they are found on. For example, if the garage is on the corner of Pearl and Ionia, the sign on the structure is The Pearl/Ionia Ramp.

Throwing Clay: Some results #2

The second round of finished pieces!

Top: Small pitcher 5" tall, temoko and bobby green glazes.
I used this piece to test the glazes I am going to use on an orchid pot I am waiting to come out of the bisque/first firing. The orchid pot will have green on the top and copper on the bottom.

Bottom left to right: small vase series, all approximately 3.5" tall, black and celadon glazes.

In the event you have not noticed, all pieces up til now have been rather small. It has taken me a bit to pull taller walls which I am now doing. I still often need some help, thanks Tamara (say it like tomorrow). Together though we make a damn good potting team!

Seeing Things Differently

Who sees beauty in old crushed found beer cans?

Artist Paul Villinski sees great beauty in these cast offs in creating his series Butterfly Beer Cans. In his artist statement he says:

"Who leaves these crushed beer cans – forlorn evidence scattered in the streets of the city? I take these “dead soldiers” – every one of them once raised to someone’s lips – and breathe new life into them, changing them into images that suggest the possibility of change itself. A kind of conceptual unity develops between materials, process and imagery: my practice in the studio mimics the act of transformation that butterflies symbolize everywhere, in all cultures."

He also creates beauty from fond gloves making wonderfully whimsical flying machines and plays with light.

WOW!

In this installation by German artist Julius Popp, 128 nozzles are controlled by synchronised magnetic valves, and the water drops falling to the ground shape the wprds. The visual information is only tangible for a second before the drops merge to become water again.

Imagine if this was how rain fell!

Thanks Ben from KCAD for the lead!

Throwing Clay: Some results

And early results at that. These three are the first three to be finished all the way through glazing.

Some specifics: left: small vase, 3.5" tall, temoko and matte white glaze; upper right: mug, glossy bllue and glossy white glaze; bottom right: mug, honey mustard and bobby green glazes.

I have four more waiting for the gkazing firing, two pieces waiting for bisque firing (the orchid pot and leaf vase), and another tall vase (the tallest yet I have made) drying and waiting to be bisque fired!

I signed up for the next class too.

Small town, Big fun!

Last weekend I was visiting Peru, IL, population just under 10,000. Saturday there was a St Patrick's Day parade in Utica, population about half of Peru!

The pictures above are of every "float" in the parade, except for the fire truck and ambulance at the end! The last parade of this size I was at was the Blueberry Festival Parade in South Haven, MI!

Facts about this parade:
• The parade route was about a single block long, but the parade came around twice!
• If you had a car. . . you had a float.
• People just plain love getting beads!

My new ride! or Welcome back to car payments!

I am the proud owner of a 2008 Pontiac G6 GT Coup! Sweet ride I must say!

Sadly the ole one, a 1996 Grand Am, was in need of $2700 worth or work, alternator, oil pump, fuel sender line, catalytic converter, and the list went on! Was leaking gas, oil, and something else. To just get it safe, no gas leak and alternator, was gonna be about $1200! All a little too much for a 12 year old car that was gonna be replaced this year anyhow. It was time to do the right thing and put it down!

So out with the old and in with the new! Has many bells and whistles! Cruise control, power windows and doors, keyless entry, in steering radio controls, crazy display of all sorts of funtions like fuel range, oil life, tire pressure, cd player, 4 wheel disc brakes, ABS, side curtain airbags, and on and on it goes! My favorite. . .an iPod plug!

Throwing Clay!

Finally! A piece to be proud of. It was my goal since starting this class to make an orchid pot! It happened last Saturday! I missed class last Tuesday where we learned how to make bowls. It seems co potter/friend Tamara learned quite well as she showed me the technique!

Now it dries before firing. And of course last night I arrived to find a major dent in it that was thankfully repaired by the potter's hands!

Another week of drying, then some fire, a glazing, another fire and I will have achieved the goal!

Sincerest form of flattery

Foster Farms: Transformation
Uploaded by hourigan

An homage to Dove.

Pineapple

I loves me some pineapple! And for some reason, the grocery stores here have had them on sale for the past several weeks, $2.99/each! Not cheap but not too expensive either. I have been eating about a pineapple a week as a result!

Here are some pineapple facts:
• There were 31,000 acres of pineapples grown in Hawaii in 2004.
• One third of the world's pineapple comes from Hawaii.
• You can grow your own pineapple plant by twisting the crown off a store bought pineapple, letting it dry for 2-3 days, then planting it.
• The pineapple is not a single fruit as generally assumed, but a cluster of 100-200 tiny fruitlets.
• It takes two years for a pineapple plant to produce, and each plant typically produces at most two pineapples in its life.
• The pineapple is originally native to Brazil and Paraguay. Sailors brought them to the West Indies long before the arrival of Europeans, although it was White merchants who first introduced it to Hawaii.
• Pineapples are the only edible members of the bromeliad family of plants.
• Of the hundreds of varieties of pineapples, Smooth Cayenne is by far the most prevalent. Three other varieties are gaining in popularity: Red Spanish pineapples have a tougher skin that make shipping easier; Sugar Loaf pineapples are very large and heavy; Golden Supreme pineapples have lower acid and more sweetness.

Kickin' It Old School!

I had to get a new car adapter for my iPod. My old one won't work with my new iPod, damn technology!

I went to the Apple Store thinking they would have some really cool ass device to use. And of course they did. But which to chose? So I asked the friendly Apple Store employee Jennifer for her opinion.

She asked if I had a cassette player in my car. Being that I have a 12 year old car, I said of course! She then picked up an adapter that is the old cassette in the player with a cord that plugs in to the iPod. I said "Really?" She said yes. It is the best she has found as the connection is solid. You do not have to find a dead station on your radio that can change as you drive. Makes perfect sense, but REALLY?

Well, it was $25 and works great! it is called the iCarPlay by Monster Cable. Again, right? What kind of name is that for a cool product! Again, kind of kickin' it old school!

Another look at. . .

Garfield!

I actually like Garfield the cat. But someone, for a moment, decided to look at the strip in a new way, and I am all for that! When Garfield is removed from the strip, the strip takes on a whole new meaning and exploration into John Arbuckle!

See more here.