MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK

MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK
SUMMER AT THE BEACH

Sunday, October 14, 2012

ART PRIZE GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN---WHAT IS ART? PART TWO

Well ArtPrize is over for another year.  This year there were awards given out by professional critics as well as the people.  Because the hours of the viewing vendors had been shorten this year, I have no pictures of the winners from the people or the artists.  
 
My Union High 50th Breakfast Club met for our monthly breakfast the day after the prizes were awarded.  I think the question of what is art goes back to our first cave paintings and petroglyphs.  Everyone at the breakfast had definite likes and dislikes even disagreements with the art critics winner.
 
So I feel art is in the eye of the beholder.  I will share with you some pieces I thought were fun, lovely, or thought provoking.
 
 
Seahorse with Millie and my shadows. 
 
 

 
An Eagle always inspires patriotism in citizens of the United States
 
 
 

A cool jam session.
 
 


I love crows and ravens.  This one is made entirely of old car/truck tires.
 
 
 
Everyone likes motherly love, elephants or donkeys.
 
 
 

Motherly or doggy love.
 
 
 
All the faces of the world.
 
 



A white piece of art viewed through a spinning colored film.
 
 

There are always dragons.
 
 

 
Titled "Life in Wood", this seal awed me for a number of reasons.
 
 
 
The seal is hand craved from a single piece of black walnut wood.  There is no stain, paint, or glass eyes.
 
 
 

The wood looked like real fur.
 
 
 

As someone who puts themselves out in to the world with my blog, I am awed that this piece took more than five years of preparation and work.  The inner drive in an artist to finish a vision to so amazing to me.  How do the doubts of "why do I do this", "who cares", etc., not stop the work?  What drives the artist to continue when the doubts come up?   I guess those questions are more important to me than the question of what is art.  I frequently think who wants to read what I write?  This is crazy to spend all this time on something no one cares about except me.
 
 
 

A picture of the eye and flipper.
 
 
 

A small piece by the same artist.  Such a cute squirrel.
A city sky line can be art.
 
 
 
This piece was so much fun.  The Blonds of the West Shore wanted to shove the kids out of line and try it ourselves.
 
 
 
 The screen is flat until someone leans on the back side and the impression of the person(s) becomes 3-D on the other side.



Art for the kids and those of us who never grow up. 

 
 
 


My friends and I liked the turtle on the sign.
 
 
 
 


Horses in the river.  My friends and I all loved it.  The river, it self, is one of my favorite forms of art.  I love flowing water.
 

 
There was art everywhere in Grand Rapids including in the sky.
 
 




This multi-animal piece is made out of all recycled materials.  It was fun to sit and look at the animals and try to figure out what the pieces that made up an animal were originally.   



 











Who knew that egg beaters could lool like claws on paws??
 
 
 





There always have to be a T-Rex.
 
 
 
 

So sweet!  The Hedgehog and the little boy.
 
 
 

So cute.






Love penguins.


Penguins in the water at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library-Museum.  See the side view of T-
Rex in the window.
 
 
 
A little paddle on the Gerald R. Ford pool.
 
 
 
 

Madonna of the Streets.
 
 
 
 

Fish piece titled:  Caught on Michigan!!!
 
 
 
 

I love wolves.
 
 

Something for Brad and Jera.
 
 
 

The mane on this "recycled" lion is old picture film.
 



Good music from a musician dressed in Michigan State Green.   After the music, a lovely Thai lunch at a restaurant on the North side of Rosa Park Circle.
 
A beautiful day filled with joy for all our senses.

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