Carnival, Circus, Games, Trains.......

This is what I've been up to since summer:

A HomeMade Carnival! We take it to Saturday Market........

There is Egg Toss (bean bag eggs),

here is a detail of the egg toss birds. Aren't they cute?

Squirt game

and Magnetic Darts.

A trifecta of fun!
We gave away painted rock pets for prizes. The kids made those. By the end of summer they dreaded combing the beach for ladybug shaped rocks!

All this carnival action opened up the kid I used to be, wanting to run away with the circus-literally. I really wanted to live in the train they all traveled in! And work in a striped tent! Having so much fun in cool glittering sequins every day!!! I think this is why I am obsessed with living in traveling buses/caravans, dressing up in costumes and making games........(duh)
Here is one of our buses.





Which then lead to this: Put the Fairy on the Flower. A lot like Pin the Tail on the Donkey, only there is nothing sharp and anywhere you get the fairy is good. It needs a good way to display it.

Which then lead me to Lily Pad Toss (not finished, a 5 lily pad toss and bean bag frogs) and Carpet Hopscotch (no photos of that one yet!)
I may fall down of exhaustion... I have 4 weeks to finish 12 games for the Holiday Bazaar! Along with normal life, Halloween costumes, J is in a play which I do all the hair for as well as help with costumes and then Thanksgiving!! Holy Turkey, Batman.... I must go rest in a book about the 60's California.

Whole lotta visuals

We went to Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma on our little holiday. I guess I missed the animals. You all know my feelings about zoo animals- see December 11, 2007
I preferred to photograph plants. Nigel said these ones looked like the ones on Rotten Island, a book by Steig.view here

Merry-Go-Round action

hiking in a forest fire forest

Trumbly Designs

http://www.trumblydesigns.com/index.html title:Nostalgia

outsider art thoughts

Outsider Art is the work produced outside the mainstream of modern western art by self-taught, untrained visionaries, spiritualists, eccentric recluses, folk artists, psychiatric patients, criminals and others beyond the imposed margins of society and the art market. Coined by Roger cardinal in 1972 the term in English derived from Jean Dubuffets's "Art Brut"-literally 'raw art', 'uncooked' by culture, unaffected by fashion, unmoved by artistic standards.

This is how Outsider Art: Spontaneous Alternatives (World of Art) (Paperback) by Colin Rhodes describes "outsider art." I always thought of it as simply art that was made by folks who weren't subjected to the homogenizing of Art School. I went to Art School because I wanted to make art. I was 'taught' to make art a certain way. I was not taught how to use materials to express myself. I don't recommend art school to anyone with talent. European/American old man Art school is not about expressing your inner visions, it is about being an ARTIST!! I loved my school, in most ways. I enjoyed the relationships I made with other artistic folk and I liked some of the things I learned, but in general, the whole idea was to lay out how to make good artsy art.
I think I'm against pretty much all generalized schooling. It's been people 'outside' who have always found the most amazing, important and outstanding progressions of humanity!!!

Wikipedia states: While Dubuffet's term is quite specific, the English term "Outsider Art" is often applied more broadly, to include certain self-taught or Naïve art makers who were never institutionalized. Typically, those labeled as Outsider Artists have little or no contact with the institutions of the mainstream art world; in many cases, their work is discovered only after their deaths. Much Outsider Art illustrates extreme mental states, unconventional ideas, or elaborate fantasy worlds. Outsider Art has emerged as a successful art marketing category (an annual Outsider Art Fair has taken place in New York since 1992). The term is sometimes misapplied as a catch-all marketing label for art created by people outside the "art world" mainstream, regardless of their circumstances or the content of their work.

So, I guess I better use a different term to describe what I'm talking about! Self-taught artists. But, weren't we all self-taught, just some went to Art college....Naive art sounds derogitory, and that is my point about capital A-Art schools and Artists. It's like career Politicians. You surround yourself with like minded individuals and of course your world view seems logical and right for all. Diversify baby, live!!!

More beautiful "outsider" art

Michael Hoffee, http://www.outsiderart.info/hoffee.htm , I can't decide which painting I like best! Not that one needs to decide.... But, I do love dots.
like this book my brother in Wyoming (I only mention because I have 3) and his family gave us.
But not like these:
because they are tasteless and stick in your teeth.

well, isn't this just lovely!

Was it really necessary for a visual for diarrhea? Keeps ya wondering????