Bright, Shiny, Festive Things
Love things that sparkle? I know I’m not the only one who does. The holidays bring out the sparkle bug in all of us. Think of all the people who flock to view those overly-decorated blinking homes on display during the holidays. On a recent trip to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, we (my family and I) saw a gigantic whirligig sculpture from a distance–a landmark for The American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM).
Trekking toward the whirligig, we came upon a mirrored tree marvel (top photo). It was comprised of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of mosaic mirrors with colored plastic and glass embellishments along its trunk, base and “branches.” Hanging delicately off the tree branches were dangly mirrors of assorted shapes and sizes which caught the afternoon sun at the perfect angle, setting off a mini light show that bounced and danced off the sidewalk, the street and us!
We entered the museum, turbo-charged for more delightful discoveries. (AVAM is incredible. A must-see next time you’re in the Baltimore-Washington DC area.)
Check out the cool up-close, lovely details. The name of the sculptor TBA (as soon as I find out).
Here’s to home-grown shiny and festive. Promise not to send PETA after my father-in-law? Paul grew up hunting the wilds of Chesapeake Bay (pre-suburbia) and this deer head, a gift from his brother, hangs in the family room. Paul’s decorating-diva spirit definitely got the best of the deer–the lights, beer cans and a blinking doodad on its nose–so not Martha Stewart!
Paul strung up even more colored lights along with his hand-crafted contraption of pine cones and beer cans placed on a retro beer-tab chain hung along the walls and ceilings of the room. Can you imagine him on reality TV: Straight Former Hunter-Chemist with a “Queer Eye?” Not! Well, at least, he can express bright, shiny and festive!
December 12th, 2007 at 6:51 am
The deer head is absolute magic! I want one too.
And I love the sparkly tree. Did you ever read the Outcasts of 19 Schyler Place by E L Konigsberg? Two characters create enormous sculpture towers in the story and I want one so bad! Seriously - I long to have one. I think about it all the time and some day I will have one.
Here’s to creating humor and wonder in your world!
xoxo karen
December 12th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Thanks for visiting, Karen. Now, I’ve got to read that book! With your imagination, artistry and experience with Odyssey of the Mind, maybe you can get a team to help build your vision of an enormous, towering sculpture??? Love to see THAT! =)