Look who finally put on some clothes...

Remember her? I guess I'm not the only one who thought she looked cold!

She's been dressed in a sparkly, painted fabric that's a little windblown in this photo. She's also wrapped in a crocheted scarf and is holding a red carnation. How sweet is that?

 I'm so glad it's Friday! Have a good weekend!

Art in Public Places: Asheville Edition

While we were traipsing around downtown Asheville, browsing through shops and galleries, I snapped some pictures of the paintings that I saw outside. I just can't get enough of this kind of public art. Downtown Asheville is fun and funky, so the art we saw reflected the city well. Here's a little sampling of what we saw:

Bright and colorful painting on brick

Part of a huge wall mural in downtown Asheville

Growing plants in old shoes! (and can you see us in the window?)

Flowers painted on the wall of a public parking lot in Black Mountain, NC

I love that part of this old advertisement remains even though the building has been repainted.

I hope that you're enjoying your Sunday! I'm getting a sewing lesson from my mom this afternoon, so hopefully I'll have a finished product to show you soon.

Art Walk

Happy Friday! Who's ready for a holiday weekend? I know I am!*

Let's get out of the house and take in some fresh air.
Go on now, get out your walking shoes. We're going on a mission to find some art around the neighborhood.

That Ivory. She's got more suitors than you can shake a stick at.**

This sculpture is on an island in the middle of the street. It's a tiny little hump of land. I think it would make for a sweet and simple wedding site.

A little crudely drawn heart, but I appreciate the sentiment. All you need is love, right?

Let's head to Longest Avenue, where there's a magnificent mural. It's floral and whimsical, adding a burst of color that brightens up an otherwise normal sidewalk.

I love how the door in the last picture blends in with the painting. Don't you wish you could go in and see what's on the inside?

I keep trying to pick a favorite flower from this work, but I don't think I can! I'm just really grateful that artwork like this exists. It adds so much color to the neighborhood and always makes me smile.

The artist behind this mural is Sara Jane Harpole. She has a website, which you can see she's painted in the last picture. Just click on the picture if you'd like to see it bigger. Be sure to stop by her website if you're interested in seeing more of her work.

Now go and enjoy your weekend. Grill up some (veggie) burgers. Drink some iced tea. Take a dip in a pool. Play safe with fireworks. Marvel at this wonderful world.

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*I'll be away from the computer to enjoy the weekend, but I've left some posts for you, so you don't get lonesome. I won't have you crying over me.

**My dad has this theory about the saying "more than you can shake a stick at." If you know him, ask him to explain it. He'll undoubtedly act it out.
If you don't know him, I'll do my best to explain here: Imagine a wild dog runs up to you. You can grab a stick and fend him off. More dogs approach and so you shake your stick at them, threatening them. Well, as more wild dogs gather around to attack you, there comes a point when shaking a stick will no longer work to hold them off. The sheer number of them becomes so great that they aren't afraid of you and you have to surrender. That's more than you can shake a stick at.

Maysville

Driving, near Lexington, Kentucky

Bourbon Drive-In, Paris, Kentucky

This past weekend we headed off to K's hometown, Maysville, Kentucky. We went to visit his parents so that K could get some woodworking lessons. K's dad is a proficient woodworker (as in, he's made just about everything wooden in their house--cabinets, deck, beds, stair rails, entertainment centers, shelves, and more). K's really lucky to have him as a teacher.

While K and his dad spent the weekend in the woodshop, his mom and I hit up the antiques districts--downtown and Old Washington. I've been enamored with downtown Maysville since I first visited when I was still in high school, and Old Washington boasts a road full of antique shops. It's very cute and old-fashioned.

Here are some of my favorite shots of the day, all of downtown:

Row houses on Market Street

Washington Opera House

Pretty building

Balconies

Lace window at the Moon River Bed & Breakfast

Yellow and blue details

Maysville Recreation Center

Moose

I was thrilled to discover some amazing watercolors at the Market Street Bookstore, which were painted by Barb Clarke of Maysville. She does gorgeous still lifes of flowers and wonderful scenes from around town. My favorite is the one she did of the row houses on Market Street (the photo I took of the same houses is above). Check out Barb's website for more information or if you happen to be in Maysville, stop by the bookstore to purchase an original or a print of her work.

We also stopped by the farmers' market. There were only 2 farms still selling, as it was late in the day, but they had plenty for us to buy. K's mom bought tons of vegetables, which we ate for dinner Saturday night. We had green beans, cabbage, green tomatoes, yellow squash, green onions, cucumbers, candy onions, and broccoli. Such a great dinner! (Thanks, Phyllis!) I bought some flowers and a jar of strawberry jam from an Amish farmer at the market. I can't wait to try the jam!

I hope you had a delightful weekend and be sure to enjoy the week ahead. The weather has cooled off a bit here, so I'm excited.

Art in Public Places

The art I see when I'm out on a walk fascinates me. I love murals, sculptures, sidewalk inscriptions, and interesting graffiti. I always wonder about the artists behind the work and about the reactions of passersby.

I did a study of art in public places when I was living in the Netherlands, where I found my favorite art at construction sites. They'd hire different artists to paint the barricades they placed around construction areas, which resulted in colorful and diverse paintings displayed right there on the street. It definitely made the inconveniences of construction--noise, detours, etc.--more tolerable.

Without further ado, here are some recent findings from my walks about town.

Seek 'n' Find: Fleur de lis, Churchill Downs, Belle of Louisville, a Louisville Slugger, Thunder Over Louisville, horse, Colgate clock, the baseball stadium*

Neighborhood pride

Person or soap?

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*Does anybody get this reference? I have no idea why he's taking a bath in the baseball stadium.