Fun Metal Work

We recently returned from Aitkin, Minnesota where we attended a family funeral.  We had some spare time the day after the service and visited the historical museum and art gallery.  The gallery featured some creative metal work.  I love the stuff, took some pictures.

By the way, if you are ever tempted to stay at the Ripple River Motel in Aitkin, resist the temptation.  It comes highly unrecommended.  Upon arrival, the room lacked toilet paper, soap, coffee, glasses.  The towels were old and thin, Goodwill rejects.  The crowning touch was the floor, which hadn't seen a vacuum in recent history - nor did it see one during our 3-day stay.  The sheets?  Don't even want to think about it.  But the continental breakfast, holy crap!  A fantastic assortment of granola bars - and tepid coffee to wash them down. 

The place is old but does have an appealing rustic log cabin look.  And, it's in a nice setting, beside the river, lots of grass and trees.  It could be a pleasant place to stay - if and when the current management is fired and sent back to West Virginia, where they would surely be cast in the remake of Deliverance.

Tortilla Flat, AZ

While camping at Lost Dutchman State Park, we drove to Torilla Flat Ghost Town for lunch.

Above, our gang reading the story behind the saloon.  Below, metal art.

The saloon bar stools are saddles.

One size fits all.  Barely.

Above and below, pix inside the men's room.

Unique ceiling fans that rotate around the light.

An estimated $200K in $1 bills are tacked to every vertical surface.

And they serve a darned good lunch.

Light and Bright

Four different acrylic pour techniques with white negative space.

Balloon Smash

Paint is poured or dribbled in small areas on canvas, 2-3 colors each, 

then squished and spread with a inflated balloon. 

Dip

Paint is poured and dribbled onto plastic sheet, canvas is laid face down on sheet, 

pressed into the paint, then lifted very slowly, top first.

Swipe

Paint is poured onto canvas randomly or in stripes, then swiped with wet paper towel.

I used alcohol with this one to create cells. 

String Pull

Cotton string is soaked in 2 or more mixed paints, then laid on canvas in zigzag pattern 

and pulled slowly towards the bottom of the canvas.

Pour Techniques

Tree ring over puddle.

Wet paper towel swipe.

Notched trowel swipe.

Tree ring.

Double puddle.

You may ask, 'How many different techniques are there?'  The answer would be, 'As many as one's imagination and creativity can come up with.'  So far, I've been using the ones I've found online, and there are several I haven't tried yet.

Got Rocks?

Blues

Greens

Warms

Mixed Bag

Having lots of fun with the acrylic paint pour rocks but running out of places to display them.  I've given some away to friends.  Although they seem grateful, I wonder if they toss them out the car window on the way home.

Lost and Found

Millions of people claim to have found him.

Millions more are asking, ‘Have you found him?’

You have to wonder what’s wrong with this guy, why he keeps getting lost over and over.  I’m guessing he’s illiterate, can’t read a map or road signs.  In fact, he’s most likely developmentally challenged in some way or he’d have picked up on the basics long since – like the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west.

You also have to wonder what’s wrong with all those folks who claim to have found him.  Why the hell did they let him get away?  They knew darn well he’d wander off and get lost again.  How stupid can you be?

But: we shouldn’t rule out another possibility.  Could be, he’s not really lost at all.  Could be, he’s extremely clever and sneaky, slips away at the first opportunity, goes and hides somewhere, and waits to be found again.  Yeah, I’m thinking that’s a more realistic scenario.  He’s just doing his thing, just playing a game that he obviously enjoys very much.

If that’s what’s really going on, you have to wonder why those millions of people haven’t caught on.  You’d think the dime would have dropped long since.  It’s okay though.  The people seem quite pleased making their ‘I Found’ claims and posing their ‘Have You Found’ questions.  It makes them happy and that’s a good thing.

Pours 3

Here are more examples of acrylic paint pours. 

The top 2 are 'tree ring' technique. 

The one below is called a 'puddle pour'.