Month: September 2018

Putting Stephen Wiltshire on the Map

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The second season of one of my favorite Netflix series starts today! Atypical is about a teenager on the autism spectrum (and his family) navigating life, and specifically, romance. It’s a little like The Rosie Project, if you’ve read that book. It’s sweet and serious and funny and I’m hooked. Check it out if you are so inclined and let me know what you think!

The most noteworthy painter (that I know of) who is rumored to have been on the spectrum is Michelangelo, but more recently Stephen Wiltshire has rocked the world with his cityscapes. Wiltshire is autistic, and a genius with buildings. He was commissioned at age 8 by Britain’s Prime Minister for heaven’s sake! 

Can you get over this detail?!?! The soft waves! The Eye! The buildings!

And did I mention he does much of his work from memory? He takes a quick helicopter ride, then draws these perfectly detailed cities and we commoners fall flat on our faces over them. Wiltshire has drawn other big cities like New York, Sydney, Rome, Hong Kong, and the list goes on. If you haven’t heard of Stephen Wiltshire yet, you will. He is getting more and more recognition city by intricately drawn city.

I Hate to Harp On, But….

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As we happily determined yesterday, it is most definitely September! I won’t bore you with more praise for my favorite month, but I will just give you one more reason to love it: hummingbirds. My heart’s delight! I swoon over these little flutterlovies all summer and especially this time of year because they visit me more frequently to beef up for their upcoming migration. I see my little hummingbirds multiple times a day throughout the summer, but get excited every time. And can we all just agree that JK Rowling must have fashioned the Quidditch snitch after a hummingbird?

Charley Harper is an artist who appreciated a hummingbird too. All birds, it seems were muses to him. His work is lovely and respected, but what I love most is that it can hang in the most highly regarded museums, and is also cheery and fun enough to put in say, a baby’s nursery. (In fact, that’s a real option if you like- just do a quick Google search!)

I think I’ve seen this guy at my feeder!
If you think of it this December 8th, know that while all the birds he may have fashioned his art after are down south, the city of Cincinatti is celebrating Charley Harper Day! 

ArtPrize!!!!

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It’s September!! The best month of the year!! The month that has me excited enough to use at least two exclamation points at the end of every sentence!!
September is not just my birthday month, it is also the onset of Fall. Michiganders rejoice because our forests begin turning into a natural art gallery full of the loveliest colors you’ve ever seen. And also, cider and donuts. Not to mention the pumpkin. Never mind it was 92 degrees today. Labor Day is over and now it’s time to get excited for Fall and Thanksgiving and Christmas and hey- Happy New Year, everyone!
Another reason I love September so much is because my favorite Michigan event is right around the corner. ArtPrize!! It is a huge art contest that covers the streets of Grand Rapids. We’re not talking a measly sculpture here or there if you happen to be paying attention. We’re talking over 1,200 pieces of art from artists all over the world. It is an art lovers dream come true!
Here is just a taste of something one might see in GR during ArtPrize. You’ll just be walking around viewing the art that is quite lovely, when BAM you see something that takes your breath away. Something like this stunning piece by Bruce Mackley.
This is titled Turning Away, but I bet you can’t.
Mackley used over 9,000 screws to make her and isn’t she gorgeous? That was his first piece of work from what I understand (I know!) and then he created Descent, which I love even more (and not just because it’s a redhead.) (Just kidding. It’s definitely because she’s a redhead.) The screws on both pieces are drilled in at different depths creating a gorgeous effect and awesome texture. In fact, he encourages art-goes, and visually disabled art-goers especially, to touch his work and create a mental image.
She looks dainty, but this piece actually weighs in at 350 lbs!
If you can go to ArtPrize, go! If you can’t, I will surely be posting some of the artwork I find and will report back. I promise to keep my exclamation points to a minimum!! 

Coffee and American Gothic: Two of My Favorites

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September marks an important anniversary for me. I don’t want to be cheesy and sentimental about it, but sometimes emotions come like a freight train and there’s no stopping them. One year ago I began a new journey. 
I began to drink coffee.
Throughout college, grad school, and three infants I was able to live on one can of Diet Coke a day, but last September the school year started and I folded like a ton of bricks (something I might have said in my nonsensical pre-coffee days!) I can see clearly now! I can see how people are productive citizens of the world! I can accomplish full sentences and remember to put more than a banana in my kids’ lunches! I am celebrating my one year anniversary of being functional!!
Nowadays, if I don’t have coffee in the morning, I look a little American Gothic. A little sad. Definitely motionless.
They’re somber because they have yet to drink their morning coffee.
It remains unknown whether Grant’s sister and dentist (the models for American Gothic) were coffee drinkers, but the general public have lots of other opinions about this painting! The house in the background (with the Gothic-style window) is in Eldon, Iowa and is open for touring (and photo-ops! Just bring your own apron and pitchfork, please). At first Iowans were insulted that Wood depicted them as frumpy and humorless, but later many came to view the painting as a symbol of resilience and the hard-working American spirit. 
What do you think? I especially love the gentleman. They look somber to me, but he is certainly not without personality and definitely not without kindness. The two strike me as people who would be happy to invite their neighbors over for some food and cornhole after their hard work is done. Or better, have friends over for coffee!