Red Alert!

     This is the first time I've ever really used red in one of my paintings.  Oh, I've used a splotch here or a dot there, but never such a large swath of redness.  I must say I find it pretty exciting.

kayvinsonart.com

2 CV

                   Jim just got the 2 CV waxed.  It shines like new.  He's so proud of his toy.

Yellow chair with scarf

                      You can always find something interesting at What's On Second.

Handle

     Here's another inannimate object that seems to be imbued with human characteristics.  Looks like sort of a goofy gargoyle maybe.

Rusty henge

     I like worn and rusty objects much better than shiny new stuff.  Rust is the visual equivalent of a finely aged wine.  I'm not really sure that's true but I like the sound of it.

Simple and elegant or simply blah?

     This is my latest experiment with color and design.  The color palate is a real departure from what I've been doing.  Still haven't decided how I feel about it yet.

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Reed Books

     The windows at Reed Books are always a visual delight.  Inside the store Jim Reed sells some mighty fine rare and used books, too.  A good reason to go downtown.

Happy truck

This photo just makes me smile.

One man's trash is another man's treasure.

                                             
     After reading an article from the NY Times about "outsider artist" Joe Minter I knew I had to drive by his house and check it out for myself.   These photos do not even begin to show all the sculptures and sculptural materials and just plain junk that Minter has on display.  I find some of his work interesting and aesthetically pleasing.  Some of it I find confusing,chaotic and messy, but what I greatly admire is Minter's passionate drive to express himself.  Isn't that what art is all about?

     You can read more about Joe Minter at:   http://www.nytimes.com

We're #1

     This sign struck me as really funny.  How many hookah bars are there in Alabama anyway?  Must look into this.

Look down

      I think this worn linoleum and concrete floor is quite beautiful.  And, yes, I did enhance the color using Picasa editing tools.

Spreading the word

                  I actually looked these guys up online and they sound quite sane and logical.

New one

     I used to be pretty compulsive about making art, as though it were something I had to do in order to justify my existence.  For the last several months I've taken a much more relaxed approach.  I'm just fooling around, trying new colors, techniques, sizes, textures, etc.  I'm not producing much but I'm having a lot more fun in the studio.


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Street art with vines

Somehow this manages to look sinister and comical at the same time.  Love the vines.

Beautiful decay

                                                       I love the look of peeling paint.

Wacky street sculptures

     What a wonderful surprise to find these tiny whimsical "houses" built along a sidewalk in Asheville.

Love 'em. Fix 'em.

     The babies are growning up fast.  This morning we took Emmy and Ed in to get spay/neutered so that we won't be contributors to animal overpopulation.

Willow's dream

                  What I like best about this picture is the mannequin on the roof.

Mysterious door

     I wish I had walked across the street and peeked into that dark and mysterious space.  It has sort of an Alice in Wonderland quality to it.

Dancing in the park

     Another thing about Asheville is that the people don't seem to take themselves too seriously.  They aren't afraid to look silly in public.  I like that.

Asheville alleys

Travel tip:  When you go on vacation always wander down alleyways.  Interesting stuff lurks there.

Wigging out in Asheville

                                   There's just something funny about a wig store.
                                             

Hula hooping in Asheville

     Jim and I just got back from a few days in Asheville, NC.  I love Asheville for many reasons--it's cool mountain breezes, it's laid-back, open-minded social atmosphere and it's casual embrace of weirdos.  I love all the art and the aura balancers and the street music.  One of the things that I love about Asheville is that every Tuesday evening they sponsor community hula hooping in the park.  How great is that?

Unusual planter

Also found at Pepper Place.

Window box

     While wandering around Pepper Place I came across this unconventional window box.  I liked the incongruity of finding a rusty bicycle with live flowers hanging from the back wall of an upscale antique store.

Beauty underfoot

    Every time I've gone to get my hair cut I've admired the scuffed, scratched,  and splotched concrete floor of the waiting room.  Every time I've been there I've wished I had my camera with me.  Now that I've made a commitment to post one picture every day in my photo journal I've also resolved to carry my camera with me at all times so this afternoon when I got my hair cut I was prepared.  While I waited for my stylist I took several photos of the floor.  They turned out even better than I had hoped.  OK, I did use the computer to boost the color a bit, but I think this floor with it's decades worth of scarred paint is just beautiful.  It makes me wonder about the hundreds of people who have walked across it's surface over the years, and I wonder how many of those people ever looked down to admire the beauty they helped to create. 

     My next project is to learn how to simulate this effect on canvas.

kayvinsonart.com

Rusty wheel

     Jim and I had lunch today at Gian Marco's.  The food wasn't very good but we laughed a lot and I found this wonderful old rusty wheel on the side of the building so, all things considered, it was a successful venture.