Lunch with redhead mom

Dawn took me to lunch at Patrizios for my birthday. Yes, my birthday continues. I love that. Isn't she pretty? She's a charter member of the Redhead Mom's Club from Lakehill. We had to band together. We were/are a great group. We had nicknames for each of us. Dawn is the pretty one and you can see why. Weather was beautiful, we sat on the patio and had a big time.

On the way home I stopped to take a picture of this piece. I've loved it since it went in. Never would have thought of yellow for it, but it works.

Garden Art on Garden Tour

Two Robert Bellamy pieces were on the tour at Jimmy's house. I thought Jimmy said he had two mosaic pots, but didn't see the other one. Last year the Garden Club Girls went to Mr. Bellamy's place for lunch. The night before was my first welding class of that semester. There was this very attractive girl, Staci, with a pink feather in her hair, big pretend dangle drop earrings, pink lipstick and pink nails. She was welding away. Of course, this was someone I had to meet. We hit it right off.

Next day was the Bellamy field trip and I find Staci heads up the whole Bellamy group. I talk her into doing a totem for the State Fair of Texas. She delivers a fabulous piece. And she's doing one for me this year again. Such a small world.

No Welding Today / James Randall visits

Truly, I had every intention of working on my tree sculpture today. Rolled out my mig, measured twice, cut rods once, then this and that happened and that's all I accomplished. Rolled the mig back in and locked up the shop when James Randall came in from Denton for lunch. He, Bob and I to Chili's and then he drove me to mod.shop to take pictures. This picture is great because Randall's in it.

James Randall gave me an earful of computer/music stuff. I had to get him to dumb it down a bit so I could understand. If I could get him in a car once a week for 30 minutes and then digest for another week, maybe I'd really start to understand a bit of how his music/computer collaboration works. On the way home we stopped at Starbucks. Swallowing a mouthful of a green tea frappicino with extra whipped cream, I told him I'm reading Carrie Fisher's "Wishful Drinking". He knew who she is - well of course, Star Wars. One of the best lines of the book is George Lucas tells Carrie during the first week of shooting she can't wear any underwear underneath the weird white dress she wears for the whole movie. She asks why and he says, "Because there's no underwear in outer space," so sincerely she believes he believes and then so does she. And you think I'm strange?

Hardy's State Fair installation photos

Professional photographer, videographer, seriously creative person and Bob's and my dear friend came out and took pictures of the State Fair of Texas Fabulous Outdoor Sculpture Show installation.  He just sent me 3 pictures and is going to put the rest on a disk.  What a guy.  Maybe he will put part of the video on my blog and even u-tube.  Have I ever looked grubbier than I did that night?  Yeah, maybe when I was cutting slate out front for my sidewalk and the slate turns to mud when you use the saw.  Then I turned to mud.  But I digress - don't I always?  As soon as I get Hardy's disk I'll start posting his pictures, too.  Here's the 3 he sent.  Tho the pictures are great they really can't capture how much fun, how much energy and what a really incredible night it was.  To all of you who were there, I'll never forget it and hope it was special for you, too.

First picture is Virginia and her darling husband, Jim.  Good thing Jim's brother wasn't in the picture.  I would not have been able to tell them apart in a picture.  Guess I would have said, Virginia, Jim and the brother.  Next is Vet working on Baby Orca.  This is such a great piece, so inventive and Vet's great.  Virginia and I are thinking of taking her purse making class.  Third picture is Marty in the middle and I don't have a clue who's back of heads we're looking at.  Whoever you are - you're just unrecognizable from the back, sorry.  Does Marty look ready for action or what?  

Today I had lunch with My Darling Martha Dawn in old town Carrollton.  We walked around some shops and I bought Marty's Richard a little tiny teeny rooster at an antique shop.  They had several farm animals.  The odd part is I collected these little tiny teeny animals as a kid.  Don't have a clue whatever happened to them.  I'll be afraid to put the rooster in Richard's big hand.  It will get lost.  But his Rudy's Totem is so special, he needed another rooster.

Come out to the Fair and see the Totem Garden and the Sculpture Garden along the walk.

Delbert Beckham - State Fair of Texas Totem Garden

Here's Delbert's totems and they are wonderful.  The name is Eye Can.  I first met Delbert and his darling wife Wilma when we did the Arboretum art show.  I misunderstood Wilma's name and thought it was Willa.  She told me to think of the Flintstones - Fred and Wilma.  I loved that movie.  Especially loved Elizabeth Taylor in the movie and her little white dog.  BlackJack would have thought the little dog was a morsel.  Now would be the time to pull out a picture of BlackJack and Elizabeth Taylor's little dog.  But this is about Delbert.  A wonderful artist, welder and teacher.  Delbert will also have a sculpture there.  I especially asked him to bring his wonderful flowers he had at the Arboretum.  They dance.  There's nothing like colorful metal dancing flowers in a garden, don't you think?  Come to the State Fair and see them dance.  

The Totem Garden starts at the Lagoon by the Bird Show and follows the lagoon by the Swan Boats and on to the Museum Walk Through Fountain Bob designed a few years ago.  Don't miss this incredible show of 47 artists with 56 pieces beautiful outdoor sculpture. 

Back to the Garden Tour

Here's a few photos of people buying my art.  Some I didn't even know.  Jamie, you snuck out with the glass piece before I could get your picture.  

Alice and Betty with their new new earrings, Angie buying her second sculpture and others.  I made this lovely couple who bought two pieces kiss behind their pieces.  They could be my new lucky charms - buy a Lottie sculpture and get kissed.  

Wish the earring tree showed up better.  If anyone has empty Sky Vodka bottles, I'm your recycler.  I cut them into circles, fuse them down and they are the earrings for the tree.

Cynthia, I don't know why I don't have pictures on my camera of people buying your pieces?  We won't fire the camera person, she'll just do better.

Thank you, Arlene, for the metal for the cactus piece.

2008 White Rock East Garden & Artisans Tour

Yesterday I took a picture of Abbie Meyering and John Sadler in their beautiful garden featured on the tour. This is the garden across the street from the plant sale. Abbie bought John a sculpture for the garden I lust after. It's kinetic and so beautifully balanced a hint of wind turns it. It would take me years to balance a piece that perfectly. I'll get a picture of it during the tour and post it for everyone to see. In the meantime here's Abbie and John.
Look for this picture of Abbie and John on the cover of Neighbors To Go this Saturday.