CRACKED POTS AT EDGEFIELD, PT 2

Here are more photos from the recycled garden art sale at the Edgefield McMennamins last week, out in Troutdale.

These mosaics from Sandra Carlson caught my eye, with their happy motifs and bright colors. It's funny. I have no dearth of creative juices myself, but I look admiringly at mosaics, and all I can think is, I could never in a hundred years do that. Maybe that's why I'm such of fan of them, and of the artists who do create them.





Then there were the creative garden containers, with their lovely contents, put together by Ann Munson:





Now, this next is becoming something of an unlooked for tradition. Every year I go a-wander with my camera, grabbing photos of what catches my eye and heart, and every year I find something to love in the display of a man I know only as, "that guy who has the hotel down in Mexico." He hasn't been in his space since I first met him three shows ago!

That first year, I traded a piece of my art for a piece of his, a funky, funny head-of-a-man made from a plastic milk jug and plastic bottle caps. It has a solar yard light for a hat and stake, and it stands in my front flower bed, smiling, absorbing the sunlight by day, and smiling a glowing, incandescent welcome by evening.

This year, I really wanted to snag and bag this:

It's made from a metal fence post topper, and I think it's perfectly wonderful.

The other item from "the man from Mexico" that I yearned for was this:
If you click on the picture (or any of the others), you'll see the full-size, full-resolution version, and in that one you can read the "sign" over the birdhouse entry: "Gnome Tweet Home." Sweet.

Okay. That's it for now. The Artists' Challenge will be tomorrow.

CRACKED POTS AT EDGEFIELD, PT 1

Well, I realized as I was going through my photos that one blog on the Cracked Pots at Edgefield was simply not going to be a good idea, so this will probably be a three-parter. Even at that, any show that easily takes a full day to see well could do with even more.

I got roughly fifteen minutes of time, zipping around with my camera, shooting one-handed, and chatting briefly with each artist, to get what I did before hurrying back to my own space. The flyers, posters, and website all say the show begins at 1pm each of the two days. Those of us who've done the show before know that's almost laughable. People come as early as 9am, or even earlier, for all I know, and this year I had folks ask if I'd sell to them if they showed up the day before, while I was setting up! What I'm saying is, even when I arrive early, it's never early enough!

Oh. It occurs to me it might be good to explain Cracked Pots. Cracked Pots is a non-profit here in Portland that encourages recycling. They do that by speaking in the schools, showing kids that they can create art by using things that would otherwise go into landfills, and once a year they host a juried art sale at Edgefield McMennamins. All art must be at made from mostly recycled materials (I think they've set the percentage at 70%) and must be for the garden. This year there were at least ninety artists participating. One of the really cool things about it is the lack of booths and tents. They encourage artists to blend their art with the grounds, which are beautifully landscaped, and extensive, as much as possible. It's a wanderer's dream.

I love the ideas people come up with for using discards in the garden!




The artist wasn't around when I snapped the pictures above, so I don't have info on him/her. I've tried to credit people, but it isn't always possible, for which I do apologize.

This whimsical art, painted on old boards, was done by Jean Hybskmann, of Troutdale:

I am absolutely in love with the mosaics Parris Foley does!



And isn't this garden furniture by Donna Mauch and Debra Shaffer, of 2nd Site, delightful? I can't decide which I like best--the potting benches, or the arbor made from a baby's crib.




And I think I'll stop here. More to come later!

PS Click on any image to see it full-sized, and at full resolution.

THE CRACKED POTS ARTIST CHALLENGE

Every year, several months before the show at Edgefield McMennamins, Cracked Pots issues a challenge to its member artists: Make art from the chosen recyclable materials. Last year the materials we were to use were Cd's and coat hangers. The year before that, small appliances, and (I think) garden hoses.

This year's challenge was to use lids, caps, and/or non-motorized tools, in any combination. I didn't enter, but seeing what the other artists had come up with was a must--it's always so amazing, what people can do with the most unexpected, unpromising of things. The entries this year were nothing short of spectacular.

It's a contest, with people, artists and show attendees alike, filling out a ballot with their favorite on it, but I didn't get to find out who won, so I'm just going to put up pictures of some, actually, most, of my favorites.




Whimsical birdhouses covered with smashed bottle caps






Fishes of cut mirror glass swim a river of rock and cork





Contrast--soft, matte cork and hard, shiny stone





A curtain of corks





A Bulbous Band





Pickaxe heads connect towering wooden curves





Steel hand tools come together to make a musician who plays typewriter


I think the last one is my favorite, but I loved the pickaxe arch, too, and there was an office chair completely covered with smashed bottle caps that was 100% fun. I just don't know how anyone could vote for one favorite in the bunch.

What an amazing group of artists, to have come up with such wonderful art.

CRACKED POTS AT EDGEFIELD, MY FAVES

The Cracked Pots at Edgefield Garden Art Show is easily my favorite such event of the year, and not just because it's been a good show for me personally. No, I love that show because there are dozens of artists, and an almost overwhelming variety of garden art to look at, all of it from recycled materials.

I had a feeling I wouldn't be getting away from my area (no booths at the show, as they want the art to flow through the grounds) very often, as the show draws serious crowds, and DH was out of town, so I'd be flying solo. I wanted to see everything, though, so got there several hours early the second day, camera in hand. I wanted to share my favorites. Unfortunately, I don't have names for all the artists, though, because many hadn't yet arrived. If you know who did the uncredited art, please let me know!

First up is a new Cracked Pots artist. I love, love, love her art and will probably have to have a piece. The artist's name is Janet Julian. Here are several of her pieces, made from salvaged posts and wood, and hand-painted.










Joe and Mackie Clifton make wonderful creatures and creations from scrap metal oddments, including toaster, spatual handles, old rebar, etc.



I think I'll do the other artists tomorrow. I keep falling asleep at my keyboard! No, wait. One more. I don't know her name, but isn't this wonderful?