bowling trophy

The Art of Eleanor Chambers

I bought the two ladies above and the gentleman below.

They have such a lovely old-fashioned look to them, like old family photos. I have no idea when they were painted but the styles look to be from the 1940s (?). I can tell you nothing about the artist beyond her name.

Details:

Some features, such as hair and jewels, were applied very thickly, giving a relief effect.

Help Me, 3D Jebus

We got in too late Friday night to offload Gary’s stuff at the storage place so we’re doing it this morning with a crew of Gary’s uncle Laurie and friends.

Uncle Laurie

Advice.

Bundles of records. Gary got rid of about half his record collection this year so this is only half what he usually has to move.

The crew. With so many studly dudes helping out we’re done in no time. Laurie lends Gary ‘n me his truck so we can tootle around town.

We’re in good company with dashboard Jesus and friend. First stop: Chinatown for some snacks.

Then we pay a visit to our Tiki Central pal Slacks Ferret at the community art centre where he works.

His latest painting The Birth of Pele is hanging in an exhibition of staff works.

Time for some thrifting.

The eyes on this plaster dalmation at the WINS store weird us out. It’s not for sale - too bad.

This also weirds me out - inverse plaster Jesus. If you hold it the right way it looks as if the face is jutting out instead of an impression in the plaster. There were a bunch of these at the BFM, including…

this one that was painted gold. Another weird thing is that if you hold it sideways

you get what appears to be a profile.

Good luck on the new job, Gary. I hope there are interesting thrift stores in Cranbrook.

tiki faces in strange places?

Dick and Jane’s Spot:

Dick & Jane’s Website

Dick and Jane’s Spot on Roadside America

“How to Draw” Books

I’m not a visual artist, but I’m really drawn (sorry) to the Walter Foster “How to Draw” books. They’re large and beautiful and the pages are crammed with luscious color illustrations, black and white sketches…

…and a bare minimum of helpful instructional text to make me believe that with a few lines and circles and a little bit of shading, I too can draw a horse/leaping buck/tastefully disrobed woman.

I’m not sure when they were published because they’re not dated, but my guess would be late 50s or early 60s. The earlier ones (I presume) have a cover price of $1.00 (”Not more than $1.25 in any foreign country”) and later ones are priced $2.00. I bought How to Draw Horses last week for 69¢.

My sentimental favourite is Animation by Preston Blair. I loved it as a lad and was delighted to find it again recently. My career as a “cartoonist” never happened, but I wonder how many animators were spawned by this book.

Here I am with my latest thrift store painting purchase. I was attracted to it by the child’s big eyes, glowing skin tone and freakishly small arm. Before I can add it to my online thrift store art gallery I need to give it a title. Won’t you help me give this child a name?

According to 5 year old Sammy, this mutant toy is called Mr. Ugly Head and he chokes people. At Happen’s Toy Lab in Cincinatti, Ohio, children create their own toys from recycled toy parts. The non-profit program encourages kids and adults to share in the joys of artistic creation. In one hour workshops “trained toy technicians, skilled in the art of toy assembly” assist participants to realize their creations. Every toy created is photographed and posted in the Toy Zoo on the Toy Lab website along with a description of its function or special attributes. I really love this idea and if I was anywhere near Cincinatti I’d borrow a kid or two so I could take part.

Saturday was the last day the Art Gallery of Alberta was open before it closes for a major overhaul (I’m not sure but I think it’s actually being demolished and a new building erected on the same site and not just a retrofit). The last exhbition in the concrete bunker was called “Free For All.” Anyone who wanted could exhibit up to 3 pieces of their own original art, the only restriction being that you had to be able to carry it through the doors.

Unfortunately (but typically) I waited ’til the last day to go - I would have liked to have come back a few more times to peruse the art at my leisure - but instead I tried to see it all in about an hour, dashing around the galleries giddily snapping photos.

It was a bit overwhelming, really. Just about every available inch of wallspace on the main and upper levels were covered from floor to ceiling - “salon style”.

I ran into my good buddy Marlena (whose work graces my house) and she directed me to two of her pieces. Then she asked me choose my favourite work in the place and made me pose for a picture in front of it.

I didn’t really look around much - I just pointed straight away to “Penis Guy” which caught my eye for some reason (I made up the title - the works were only labeled with numbers).

Then I encountered this dude named Tim Konrad who was lurking around trying to overhear people talking about his two-in-one painting (and failing miserably at being a spy - I was on to his game right away). From one side it’s a California raisin (which I mistakenly called Mr. Potato head - I hope he wasn’t offended), and from the other side it depicts a fire hydrant. Fun.

I was expecting to see a lot of “Sunday painter” stuff - like the banal mountain landscapes I find at thrift stores all the time - but I have to say I was very impressed by the quality and content of the work. And I love seeing entire walls covered in pictures - sometimes more is more.