Priorities Shaken

Storm Sandy shook ships,

tossed trees, telephone wires,

families, feelings.

We watch tv reports in disbelief.

Can’t comprehend the destruction.

Yesterday my big concerns were

Halloween excitement

and election ad burnout.

Today my attachment to Halloween

feels ridiculous

as others have no power

and flooded homes.

Trick or Treat?

Tragedy.

People injured and scared.

Reality?

Check.

Halloween Fever

I have all the symptoms. My heart is racing. My palms are sweaty. I can’t sleep. That’s right. It’s a serious case of Halloween fever. But the mundane errands still exist (holiday season or not), so I recently visited the nearby 99 cent store for paper towels. (I try to use dish towels a lot, in the interest of saving trees from being turned into paper towels, but I do still use paper variety, too. It’s a change-in-progress…) Anyway, the 99 cent store has good deals on paper towels and after I’d chosen three rolls, I became distracted by the decorations for sale. As you know, I like to make my own, but if I were not inclined that way, I could find a ton of decorations for a song at this store. The one Halloweeny thing I did end up buying was an orange table cloth. It’s the vinyl kind that people use for parties. It was HUGE, and I immediately  envisioned  transforming our plain garage door into a festive welcome area, beckoning trick-or-treaters toward our front door. The garage door is a giant canvas just sitting there, mostly undecorated, most of the year. Besides, big is fun and with a giant plastic table cloth (for only 99 cents!) I could have a HUGE pumpkin decoration on the door. Big results, small cost. Yippeee!

First I cut the tablecloth in half, putting both halves side-by-side on our biggest wall inside. I taped them together on the back, and then drew a pumpkin shape, plus eyes, nose and mouth. Since I already had black paint at home, I painted the features and soon it was time to put The Great Pumpkin outside. (Linus from the Peanuts gang would say that mine is not The Great Pumpkin, and he would know. Have you seen “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown?” It’s terrific!) My pumpkin doesn’t take up the whole front of our 2-car garage but it is eye-catching nonetheless. Once I realized I still had leftover table material (the corners of the tablecloth) I decided to make smaller pumpkins just in case anyone passing by might be unsure of whether I like this holiday. The garage door is now almost like a pumpkin patch, perhaps a tribute to Linus, as he awaits The Great Pumpkin.

 

Here I am next to it, to give you an idea of the scale.

The fever? Yes, I’ve got a bad case of it. Halloween is less than four days away. Don’t be alarmed if I vanish like a ghost in a minute. This feverish fanatic still has finishing touches to put onto her costume…

Creative Costumes and Creepy Creatures

It’s no secret that I really like Halloween. No, I’m not particularly interested in being scared but I love the imagination involved in Halloween. It is different from most other holidays, which have traditions to follow. Halloween you can interpret in whichever way you want, and I love the creative possibilities. Remembering the Halloween parades we did at school when I was a kid makes me happy. The costumes were all so different and the surprise of seeing how everyone else was dressed made for such fun.

When I was a kid, my sister and I started plotting about costumes months (maybe seasons!) before the big day. I still remember many of the costumes we had, some of which we made at home. One year, I decided I would be a box of Cracker Jack popcorn. Mom found a box somewhere and I covered it with paper, then painted the outside to match the Cracker Jack box. I remember sitting on the floor of the laundry room, painting the box as I studied an actual Cracker Jack box. Naturally, I had to sample the product (such sacrifices for my art!), as I needed to be sure that what I was endorsing was as delish as it claimed to be. Yes, the popcorn passed the taste test! Here I am (aged 9 or 10):

We’ve been making decorations, too. Out front we have two dozen ghosts and jack-o-lanterns, as well as a few bats.

 

And maybe I’ve ignored boring household chores to make a few seasonal barrettes…

 

 

This morning I took this photo of a web dotted with tiny drops of dew. Pretty, I thought. Although I don’t like to think of the 8-legged artist who created it. The big spiders have come out in the last few weeks. They are volunteer Halloween decorators. Sure, I appreciate their effort but they are BIG! And SCARY! (I like my Halloween to be funny rather than scary and spidery…)

 

Halloween is fifteen days away. I’ve been working on my costume and I’m excited to show it to you. But you’ll have to be patient until Oct. 31. No hints. You’ll just have to wait. (Although if you were determined to get a hint out of me, I can be bought with milk chocolate…!)

New Life (Oct. 14, 2012)

You never know what you'll see when you're out wandering. (I’ve said it before but I’ll keep saying it because I keep seeing wonderful surprises!) On a recent walk I discovered a charming planter hanging near the front door of someone’s house. Succulents caught my eye first because I love this kind of plant. A moment later I realized that they were planted inside something else I like: part of a vintage car. It looks like the grill from a 1940s or 50s truck. What a delightful combination!

Low-Water but Lotsa Wow! (Oct. 6, 2012)

 

Today was the annual Arts Alive festival in Solana Beach and I was delighted that my art was part of it. The festival is a celebration of various art forms. There were live musical performances, choreographed dance pieces, fine artists’ displays and Urban Fence Gardens.

Several months back I read the call for garden-themed creations for Arts Alive and I instantly knew that Duck tape should be involved. I submitted my proposal and sketch and thirteen of us were chosen to design gardens that could be installed on the fences separating the pedestrian walk from the train tracks below.  

Duck tape came onto my radar earlier this year. If you haven’t been inside a craft store lately, Duck tape is strong like duct tape, but much more appealing as it comes in many cheerful colors and patterns. It’s an ideal material for outdoor art and the possibilities are endless.

A few days ago I installed seventeen flowers and eight critters along a twenty-foot section of fence. The flowers range in size from 16” to 6’ tall. Each is different, some being semi-realistic (like my 6’ sunflower) and some being wild creations I made with tape, buttons, feathers, and wooden dowels for sturdy stems. I named mine “Groovy Garden” and if I may say so, it was quite groovy.



 

 

 

 

 

 

One of the things I liked most about the fence gardens is that the thirteen artists all interpreted this proposal so differently. Most artists used color but some did not. Many varied materials were used. Different shapes, textures and patterns made the gardens individual. One artist who made a sign encouraging viewers to recycle created her flowers from repurposed plastic containers (such as Tide detergent bottles), cut open to form oversized petals. Some artists used wood. Some created ceramic pieces, and one woman made long spiral shapes out of screen. Quite a mix.

It feels good to be involved in my adopted home-town. It feels great to have my art on public display, too. My life is mostly about my family these days, but the artist is always in me, and she’s happy for the chance to do something creative that many people can enjoy.

My flowers won’t last forever but for now they are brightening a tiny patch of San Diego. Plus, they are low-water plants (no water, actually!). Bright, cheerful flowers for everyone to see? No water needed? It’s a win-win!

Christmas Cage Car (Sept. 23, 2012)

 

The day after I posted about fab birdhouses, I happened to see a bird cage car. Coincidence? Yes, most likely. But an awesome one, and a sign that I should keep blogging about the wonderful and wacky things I see.

The birdcage car is one I’ve seen before although never up close. But two mornings ago, I saw it parked on a street I frequent. After my meeting, I double-backed to see if it was still there, and Yippeee! It was, so I took a few photos so as to share the wonder with the world.

 

This minivan certainly is eye-catching. At first I thought it was simply a moveable sculpture paying tribute to birdcages. Up close, I realized the birdcages weren’t the whole story. The cages are decorated and filled with Christmas items galore. This is a Christmas car worthy of Santa Claus himself!

 

 

 

The cages are draped with the twinkly white lights people put up at Christmas. The whole van is a canvas for wintertime celebration. There are bells, red ribbons, angels with trumpets, snow-covered trees, ornaments, snowflakes, reindeer, three Frosty-the-Snowmen, a model-sized snowy village, wreaths and candy canes bedecking nearly every surface of the van. Art car indeed.

I loved the coincidence of blogging about a birdhouse on Thursday and seeing a bird cage car on Friday. I pondered the notion of birdhouses vs birdcages. Houses can be entered or exited freely, whereas cages keep an animal inside. Houses are more cozy while cages are more airy. Are cages a luxurious jail? Perhaps, but maybe a bird finds that a worthwhile tradeoff (although now we are assuming the bird knows of his/her options and can weigh the pros and cons before making a choice). If you make a bird house for a bird, you’re not supplying a nest or food, whereas someone who buys a cage for a bird nurtures the inhabitant with food, water, a swing, and a stick on which to perch. The perks of prison?!

As I walked away from the car, my mind buzzed with many thoughts, many questions. Who is the owner? A sculptor by trade, or someone who so loves Christmas that s/he wanted to drive a Christmasmobile 365 days a year? When, how and why did s/he create this? Is it dangerous to drive this car on the freeway? Is it legal to embellish a car to this degree? Can s/he park in parking garages or is the height too much? Why cages? I may never know the answers, but I suppose I’ll survive without them. This car has sparked yet more creative instincts within me (which may be one of the goals of the owner). That alone is something to celebrate.

I was sweating by the time I walked back to my car. It was a hot, muggy morning and I was amused by the irony of studying a snow-covered Christmasy car while I dripped with sweat. Yesterday was the first official day of fall, so although we have the ceiling fans going, let me embrace the spirit of the Christmas Cage Car and be the first to wish you a happy holiday season!

 

 

 

 

 

Fly Away Home (Sept. 20, 2012)

 

Birdhouses. Some people collect them or make their own. I don’t make or collect them but recently one practically leaped into my path, inspiring this blog post.

I was walking in a neighborhood of older houses, an area where people express themselves through how they paint or accessorize their homes. I saw something from nearly a block away. Was it…a birdhouse? Yes, yes it was, but this was no ordinary birdhouse. I charged across the street to investigate.

 

 

This was the biggest, most imaginative birdhouse I’d ever seen. Clearly, someone had designed and made it by hand (and that alone is criterion enough to become a Sarah blog post). It seemed to be a bird castle, complete with turrets, flags, battlements and tiny trees. Majestic. Someone had built and hand-painted this palace for feathered friends, placing it atop their roof as a welcoming beacon for birds. I was enchanted. This kind of fanciful project is exactly what calls to me. There are my people, the ones who dream up something fun, something that will add delight to the neighborhood.

At home I Googled unusual birdhouses. Apparently there is a wide array of quirky birdhouses out there. Some are made from old license plates. Others are shaped like gingerbread houses or cowboy boots. (As you know I’m also charmed by life-sized houses in the shape of giant shoes or hot dogs. But not everyone wants to live in eccentric buildings. Perhaps for some people, buying or creating a birdhouse with a playful shape is an opportunity to be spirited without committing to life in a house with curved walls.) Online I found other creations that fit with today’s theme of whimsical birdhouses. An artist who calls himself “Funky Randy” (see? These are my people!) creates birdhouses that evoke the colorful architecture of New Orleans. He uses salvaged lumber, paint, collage, beads and Mardi Gras throws. Each birdhouse also has a solar-powered porch light to help guide birds back after hours. Charming!

Why are birdhouses appealing? Is it that I’m a creative homebody, so a small, colorful house for birds taps into my obsession with feathering my own colorful nest? Or is it that creating a birdhouse is a way to nurture animals, so it appeals to those of us who nurture? Or is a birdhouse an excuse to make something wacky and imaginative?  D: all of the above? Yes, I think so.

The discovery of this rooftop birdhouse is another example of how many surprises are out there waiting to be found, often when you’re not looking for them. So remember to look high and low when you’re out walking your neighborhood. Delightful details await your discovery…