Found objects and an awkward outdoor space

I found this painted board and industrial spindle in the basement of my home.  My landlord said I could have them, he was just going to throw them away.  So, I dragged these heavy bitches up three flights of stairs.  Not sure what I'm going to do with them.  Sometimes as an artist, I have a tendency to be a pack rat.  Because I'm in love with simplicity, I try to fight this urge.  Things are constantly in flux.  Maybe that's how things are supposed to be.  Dynamic.  Sorry, I digress. 

Here they are in my strange alcove with the mirror tiles that I hate.  I thought I'd play with a little styling.

Another attempt at styling.  I think my vase filled with light bulbs kinda fits here.  I worry that I'm regressing to dorm style decor.  'Course I never lived in a dorm styled place since I put myself through college while working full time.  So maybe it's okay to digress.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these.

Here they are on my deck.  The deck was part of the reason that I fell in love with this place.  But I haven't done anything with it.  Unfortunately, the crazy ecology prof at CSU was correct when he taught us about global warming 20 years ago.  It's been too hot to use the deck, and there is no privacy.  I was kinda thrilled that the green board provides a little bit of privacy from the neighbors.  They're messy and loud and let their toddlers play with the lawn mower.  Beer cans everywhere.  Hope they are not reading this, but I'm not lying!

Dear readers, do you have any suggestions for the spindle?  I'm thinking I might stencil some butterflies on it, or maybe graffiti.  Maybe do a modge podge or cover it in wall paper.  A flocked damask might make a great foil to its testosterone.  If I'm keeping them outside, though, it needs to be durable, I guess, although weathering can be kinda cool.

Remember these lanterns that I wrote about here?  I should've ordered these lanterns when they were still available from Z Gallerie.  I think they would look great in this space. 

Speaking of stenciled butterflies, how fab is this upcycled sofa from artist Kiran Chahal?  (I wrote about her oganic art below.)  I think it would look great in the space.  Good thing I'm winning the lottery tomorrow.

For Now

Remember the tulip chairs I found on the curb that I wrote about here?



I played with lots of different fabric, and finally decided that I would recover them in pink vinyl.

Here's what they look like now:

Another shot to add to the Incredible Changing Dining Area!

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I started by applying primer. The very helpful person at Home Depot recommended Gripper by Glidden since I am unable to spray paint. It worked like a charm, so I decided my table needed a new coat as well. Work is very busy right now, so I won't have time to work on the set for a couple of months. Well, it just wouldn't do to have it looking not done, because I plan to have a couple of guests for the holiday season. So for now, I just added cushions from Target. Couldn't find pink, so got the next best thing. Red. I still intend to add high gloss white and pink cushions. But this works for now. I love my new chairs!

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I am really pleased with the cost of this little dining area. The table cost nothing. It is actually three separate pieces found on the curb at three different times and then assembled. The chairs cost nothing. Glidden paint - $9.99. Two Target pillows - $9.99 each. Bottles on table, $.99 each at Salvation Army. Painting entitled "Red Sun" by me.

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Ahh. It's good to be creative.

Color Lab - found objects

Almost anything that is pleasing to you can become a color scheme in your home. No colors really clash and color schemes can be updated easily. There is nothing more fun to contemplate than colors, objects and shapes and how to balance them in your environment. In fact, these happy dilemmas often help me make it through my mind-numbingly boring day job.

I found these beads on the street, on different days. They are profound to me because each appeared when I was contemplating that particular color. Turquoise and orange. And then olive, a new color for me.

I recently bought this olive pillow at Old Time Pottery for $1.99. I wasn't sure I liked it at the time, but I love it now.

Found Art

Art is omnipresent. It is everywhere I look. I am a lover of graphic design. Things like logos, business cards and promotional postcards always catch my eye. I often pick up little gems of graphic art that have been carelessly thrown on the street. I keep them in a folder and sometimes they become collages. Here are a few of these found objects.

Sometimes I discover fab local artists this way. Like the "Warrior of Light" Donald Black, Jr. His business card caught my eye. I checked out his website, his art is nothing short of profound.

Derek Hess is another fab local artist. His work perfectly represents the complexity of dichotomy. His diabolical angels disorient me, I find them alluring and disturbing at the same time. They are tragic and yet strong, as witnessed by their incredible muscles. There is a somber romance in his work that I find compelling and impossible to ignore. And hot damn, he sure can draw. I am always on the look out for his postcards.

See more of Derek's work here.

A gift card and coaster from Starbucks. I don't know who the Starbucks' artist is, but I'm going to find out, their work is so cute. Starbucks should start selling posters. Wouldn't that tangerine coaster be too cool rasterbated? Love those letters. I could see it as pop art, printed on a very large canvas and hanging in an all white dining room.

I don't smoke, but this logo caught my eye. I was fascinated, because I had no idea clove cigarettes existed.



Random promotional postcards, labels, buttons. All fine examples of graphic art. When I travel, I love to pick up promotional postcards. I need to find a way to display my postcard collection creatively.

A piece of styrofoam. May steal this, would be a cool geometric painting.

These aren't really art, and they don't make me feel happy nor inspired. But, I've gotten enough of them that I could wallpaper my bathroom. Too bad they're not pink.

When I run out of canvas (which is often), I paint on found pieces of cardboard. Here's a painting of mine from 2005 of a graphic flower on a piece of cardboard.


Untitled, 2005, 8" x 8", acrylic and marker on cardboard.