Ramblings

 

Swamp in July

Swamp in May

Swamp in January

I walked down to the swamp at the end of the neighborhood and counted about 18 geese in what remained of the water in the swamp. Apparently the water level is a bit low due to the fact that the beaver dam got partially washed away by the last few storms, 3/4" in about 1 hour last time.The geese didn't move around that much because of the lack of space but they genuinely seemed to be enjoying themselves. After standing there for awhile the frogs started up a rolling symphony of sound coming from one end of the swamp and rolling towards us, stopping, and then all encompassing of the swamp. It was a strange affect and grew louder as more of the frogs croaked in and then stopped. Strangely beautiful. The swamp changes with the seasons, last time that I photographed it was earlier this year with a lot of water and then when we had a snowstorm.

 And now for one of my latest sculptures. A little black and white "parts" dog. It was inspired by my crazy little black and white mutt, Pluto, of somewhat astonishing bits and pieces and some paint!

little-black-white-dog-metal-sculpture
Now if I could just remember the story of E and C who lived in an A-frame house and worked at an advertising agency in Zeeville. Oh well maybe another time and another place. Thanks!

What is Going on with Me? Or how I learned to stop worrying about the beans and weld.

1970 Oldsmobile 98 hubcap 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the latest hubcap clock for my etsy shop, metalartdude's metal shop. The new junkyard that I get most of my hubcaps from now just has a big pile of them and I have to research them to get the year and model. Sometimes the owner of the junkyard helps me out if I ask about something that I have no idea about, like the DeSoto with the spinner cap, probably from the 50's. That's still sitting by the bus in the junkyard. I didn't want to get it right now but I did take the Thunderbird from the early to mid 70's, it's sweet. There is a Mazda hubcap from the early 70's there also, maybe one day I'll pick that one up. But for now I have quite a few left in the trunk of my car, why yes, I do have junk in my trunk. ;P

So now time for some randomness. Lime green flamingo!

 And more flamingos!

Around the neighborhood

There is a neighborhood cat, JJ, where I am living right now. I don't think that he's anybody's cat per se but several of the neighbors make sure he is taken care of and well fed. On tonight's walk he lazily crossed the road to come and see me, be scratched on the head and back. He crossed the street quietly announcing that he was coming to say hi with a soft mew. After we had walked on he sat there and watched us walk away. Sometimes I see him laying on top of a truck and sometimes sitting in the grass panting, it's been really hot lately, with one of the neighbors that is doing some weeding. Once he followed us home and hung out in the front yard with us but got bored and sauntered down to the backyard. A few minutes later he was gone when I went to check on him. I guess he finally found a faster speed. He is a super nice friendly cat, reminds me of my old neighborhood cat Manny, who lived behind me and came over to hang out once and awhile. So tomorrow its to Decatur and a long shift at HomeGrown. One of these days I'll go and get my truck and bring it back to Carrollton!

Junkyards and Clocks

Walked around a junkyard.  It's a cool, sad, exciting, and an educational experience all at the same time. I went looking for hubcaps but I don't want to take the ones that I see as a complete set on a car. I feel bad using them for a clock when they could be used to finish another car restored to it's former glory and back on the road but then I wonder how long these cars from the 50's and 60's have been in this junkyard and wonder if anyone will take the hubcaps for their restoration project.

The cars of years past were really big, and to think they usually had drum brakes, no power steering, no power anything, and yet they were driven. We are spoiled by the modern conveniences and safeties of our current daily drivers. It truly is a different experience to drive a vehicle that is 40-50 years old, and I drive a 64 Ford F100, not as a daily driver but I do drive it as often as possible and use it to its fullest capabilities as a truck. It ain't pretty, it's a truck, it was designed to haul things and tow things. At least the previous owner told me he had towed his fishing boat with it.  Well time to go to the basement and get something done. Later.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/71139254/hubcap-wall-clock-1975-mustang-ii

And some newer art work for today. "Headed Askew"

Blackberries and Robots

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/74810845/like-iron-robot-original-metal-sculpture

http://www.etsy.com/listing/75321599/dancing-robot-original-metal-sculpture

We went blackberry picking today, urban foraging, if you will. What does this have to do with robots? Not much but we did get a lot of prickers in our hands and ran into some poison ivy too but all is well. Picked about 4 cups of berries and left lots on the bushes. It would be cool to have a robot to wander into the bushes and pick some of those nice berries that are just beyond reach without getting ripped up and scratched up. Oh well, maybe the next robot will be a berry picker. One of these days though, I will actually finish painting that small dog sculpture....and then there is that other dog that I finished that needs to be photographed. Well thanks for reading.  Someday soon I'll be heading back to the local junkyard to find a 1970 Plymouth Road Runner for a clock.

Downtown Carrollton

I took a stroll around downtown Carrollton today. It's changed a lot since I last lived here, 20 plus years ago, but that's a good thing. Some coffee shops, a few bookstores, restaurants, bars, and a local farmer's market. I was in search of an art gallery to take some of my metal work to display but there really aren't any. The one that was a gallery now only teaches classes and sells art supplies. They told me not much art moves in Carrollton, this makes me appreciate my gallery in downtown Decatur even more, www.homegrowndecatur.com. I did find a new bookstore and bought some kids books with silly fairy tales, aka like "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales". Next time it's to downtown Newnan to investigate what the square there has to offer.
I made a new hubcap clock to list on etsy today. 

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76061692/wall-clock-from-a-1963-chrysler-300

Junkyards and Turnips

Went to my favorite junkyard to hunt for old hubcaps. I picked up about 20 but spent time with the owner talking about gardens, clocks, and old cars. He showed me his book on car concept designs from the 50's and 60's, pretty cool. Then we were looking at the hubcap pile by the old bus and his garden. He had collard greens, mustard greens, and turnips. He asked if I ever had raw turnip, nope, I said. He pulled one up out of the hard Georgia clay and peeled it and offered me a slice. That was good! Never had a hot, just from the dirt turnip before. He went about his business and I went digging through 50 years of automotive wheel covers. Found a nice Studebaker center cap, a late 60's Corvette hubcap,  and finally a great looking 50's DeSoto hubcap with a spinner, sweeeeet! I didn't take those this time but got some VW's, a few Mustangs (one with attached hornets nest), a Chrysler, an old Chevy truck dog dish, and a whole bunch more. Some of these can be found at one of my galleries, http://www.homegrowndecatur.com/ and some at my etsy shop, http://metalartdude.etsy.com.  I my way out I keep finding gnawed on turnips, apparently Rocky, the German Sheppard junkyard dog enjoys turnips or at least playing fetch with them. Interesting times at the junkyard.