MAKE MINE EXTRA LARGE, PLEASE!

Greetings, dear reader!

I have a few things to show you from (can you believe it) the CKC Shopping Spree dear friend Debbie and I went to in February (or was it March?) Regardless, we both found a vendor who had some of THE most darling acrylic albums and projects! We found a family album we both absolutely loved...decided to go "halfsies" on the cost of the acrylic (because you only use half of the extra large pieces!) and voila! Inspiration was born!

I've been feverishly gathering red and aqua materials from assorted places. Meanwhile, the extra large pieces of acrylic sat...mocking me.

Begininning a project so massive seemed daunting to me...(I do TINY, SMALL, MINIATURE (behold the little library cabinet I created for a shadow box project! I made each little book myself, and painted the cabinet with several layers of brown and copper paint...)



I digress. I finally gathered all my red/aqua materials and dove in. Here is the completed project: I used a fun red/white fabric to cover chipboard letters for the front cover. The felt embellies and red/aqua buttons were custom made for me by the incredible Tessa Ann...



I purchased the vintage ribbon from one of Artsy Mama's long ago sales...



This is a picture of my mama and daddy the day of their wedding. Mom was 18, dad was 38.
























And then, while camping a few weekends ago, I worked on a few ATCs...I took only minimal supplies, so here is what I came up with:





I recently purchased this adorable little fabric ATC, who was, coincidentally inspired to create it by a relative named Paula. I just love it!



More soon!

XOXOXOX



Paula Clare

CACTUS JACKS BURRITO SHACK

Greetings dear reader!

Hubby dear and I tried out a new local haunt tonight...Cactus Jack's Burrito Shack. It's a rural oddity of sorts...behold:



Really cool metal sculptures everywhere...wish I knew the artist!









And here's the kicker: Giant ice cream cones towering above each building...it's the strangest thing. It looks like an amusement park built by Walt Disney and Emeril! This is a play fort for the kids...





This is the building that houses the restaurant...



We dined "al fresco" in the garden area...complete with metal frog sculpture water feature...



And then there are the teepees in various stages of "undress":





And old, rusted wagon wheels, farm implements, and a beautiful little lake...







And, OH! Did I mention burros? (See them by the rusty wagon wheels? Adorable!) And llamas. (It was feeding time so there were none close enough for photos...maybe next time)

And the food was pretty good too! I just love discovering places that will no doubt make the "Roadside Oddities" book at some point!

More soon!

Hugs and a kiss! (HELP! I can't stop using exclamation points!!!)

XOXOXOX



Paula Clare

STOP NUMBER 2 ON OUR JOURNEY: ST. LOUIS ART MUSEUM

Greetings, again dear reader!

I know this blogging thing seems to be a "feast or famine" scenario...I'm either posting multiple times daily or not at all for days. What can I say? My life happens in "spurts." :-)

Meanwhile, on our day trip to St. Louis, because Emily is an artist as well as an incredible photographer, we stopped at the St. Louis Art Museum. There were 3 of my favorite pieces I wanted to introduce her to: This one is called "The Breaking of the Vessels":

A man named Anselm Kiefer, a German artist, created it. I MUST just copy the artist explanation alongside the piece...this taken from the St. Louis Art Museum website...I think it is so powerful. Bear in mind, the sculpture is HUGE: 12 ft. 5 in. x 27 ft. 5 1/2 in. x 17 ft. (378.5 x 836.9 x 518.2 cm) Very commanding presence in the main "sculpture hall" of the museum. Anway, here is the write up...please take time to read it...you'll be glad you did:

Anselm Kiefer’s massive sculpture visualizes the idea of creation put forth in the Kabbalah, a collection of ancient Jewish mystical writings. According to Kabbalistic tradition, the attributes of God—his mercy, wisdom, and power, for example—were divided among ten vessels that were not strong enough to contain them. The breaking of the vessels symbolizes the destruction that brought the divine essences into an imperfect world. In this commanding work of art, Kiefer reflects on the fragility and imperfection of human existence. The spirit of God is represented in the semicircular pane of glass that is suspended above the bookcase and inscribed with the word Ain-Sof. The deconstructed bookcase below is crammed with folios of lead and glass, alluding to the richness of Jewish culture and the many times it has been threatened throughout history. The lead markers attached to the bookcase symbolize the ten vessels of the divine essence. All the signs of destruction and broken glass recall the infamous Kristallnacht in Nazi Germany, when in 1938 the windows of synagogues and Jewish-owned storefronts were smashed. Kiefer’s installation becomes a towering monument to the persecution and attempted destruction of Jews and Jewish culture during the Nazi era.

Isn't that incredible? This is one of my favorite, must-see exhibitions at the museum.

Glass artist Dale Chihuly's Wine Chandelier, hanging near the Wolfgang Puck Cafe in the south wing of the museum:



I love how organic Chihuly's work is...there is always a great deal of whimsicality (is that a word?) and fluid movement to his stuff. LOVE him!

Then, the third and final thing I wanted to share, was the "Photography on the Street" exhibition in the contemporary art section of the museum. Here are some photos of the photos in the exhibit:

These were taken on the street by a photographer in ST. Louis. I think they are incredible...

Thanks for taking this "trip" with us...I'll "see" you again soon!


XOXOXOX



Paula Clare

ALTERED ART'S NEW HOME: IT'S FABULOUS!

Greetings, dear reader! As promised, I thought I'd share some more photos of another "must always" while in the St. Louis area: Red Lead Paperworks. Behold the "new digs" in Historic Webster Groves:

And as wonderful as the old store was, this one is even better! The charm and history of the area seem to suit the art better somehow...and Chris and Sharon are always a delight! The store is so colorful and homey...the workshop area is absolutely wonderful: flooded with light and warm color.

I could have spent (as always) HOURS in the little shop...Chris took this picture of me and my "home girl" Em while browsing:

This was stop number 3! Stop number 2 coming up next! Don't touch that dial! (uh...internet connection!)

Hugs and a kiss!

More soon!

SMOOCHIES!

XOXOXOX



Paula Clare

A TRIP TO "THE CITY", CUPCAKES AND MORE!

Greetings, dear readers!

A special friend and I trekked into St. Louis yesterday.







This is Emily. Isn't she gorgeous?

Anyway, we made the obligatory trip to the Cupcakery (which has been gorgeously renovated by the way!) Behold our cupcakes of choice: Mouth Watering Italian Cream (with walnuts, coconut, and cream cheese inside...oh my goodness! SINFULLY delicious!) And the classic "Tuxedo": Chocolate with vanilla buttercream icing and a little Oreo on top. Yummy!

And the beautiful renovations! Lots more eat-in space:





And these wooden light fixtures! Aren't they incredible? What do you think? Ikea? A local artist?I love them!



And this was only our first stop! More fun and photos soon! Stay tuned!

More soon!

SMOOCHIES!

XOXOXOX



Paula Clare