art fair, art experiments...

So, this week was the Ann Arbor Art Fair. Technically, there are like 3 or 4 separate art fairs going on at the same time — and different organizations jockeying for who is the original art fair... but really, I don't care about that.  I drive to the mall, park, and ride the bus into downtown, wander around in the blistering heat for 2-3 hours or until I can wander no more, and then get back on the bus and wander back to my car and wish there was someone there to drive me home, because I'm hot and exhausted, and home is like 30 miles away...

Oh, and somewhere in there — I buy stuff.

I actually started off the week having to go to the post office...

This is my Art Fair plunder. Yes, jewelry. And yes, those are all opals set in silver. I like what I like. And I buy a ring from the same guy every year (Alan Fisk)... and I buy something from Middle Earth every year as well...

 Last year - Art Fair was pretty miserable, largely because it was ninety degrees and there was utterly no wind, no breeze, no nothing. It was just hot and the sun was beating down like a relentless ball of fire... it was also pretty deserted.  This year, it was also hot, but on Thursday morning it managed to rain.  So, it was cooler (like mid-seventies / eighties) plus there was a breeze. It was nothing gusty, but it was flowy enough to be pleasant.  And yes, I pointlessly carried an umbrella in my bag the entire time. I was prepared for a downpour (as that has happened before).

I go to art fair for the jewelry.  I already have an art degree, and really, I'm not one of those people who goes there to get inspired. Nope, I go there for the jewelry... and I have never left there without making a purchase.  If I'm gonna drive 30 miles to walk the expanse of downtown Ann Arbor in the noonday sun, then I'm leaving with something silver and sparkly, preferably in a size 8. At the very least I will buy shoes...

Anyway, after Art Fair, I'm pretty fried. So, I spent a lot of time sleeping and staring at the television.  In the mean time, I apparently felt like painting something, so I decided to experiment with the watercolors and the gouache and some masking fluid... and some colors that maybe don't come that naturally.  I'm apparently not done playing yet.

Besides, the middle of the floor was all empty from where I put everything away last week, so, you know, I had to get out a bunch of stuff.

Oh, did you know that Mounds makes ice cream bars? Why, yes, they do. The only drawback is that there is no stick. Anyway, they're delicious even if my hands are a mess by the time I have consumed one.

Also, Homemade Coconut Almond Chip Ice Cream — that stuff is fabulous.

And have you heard that new song by Dawes — "If I wanted someone"? Yeah, I like that song.

Have a good weekend, and stay hydrated!

Art Fair is in the air

The Ann Arbor Art Fair is this week. Yes, out of what I could only really consider sheer pettiness, there are technically like four "different" "art fairs" going on at the same time. Whatever. Honestly, I've been going to Art Fair since I was a kid, and no one cares who was first or original. They're all artists, crafters, vendors, and activist booths located on the streets of downtown Ann Arbor, really, it doesn't matter what street. I like finding cool things, and I don't care where the booth is located. Art Fair is July 21-24 10am to 9am wed thru fri, and closing at 6pm on sat.

I look forward to going to Art Fair every July. As per the usual, I plan on buying an opal triplet ring from William Fisk, buying more jewelry than I really need, visiting the Peaceable Kingdom, visiting Middle Earth, visiting my favorite shoe store, and hoping it doesn't rain.

The first shot is a leaf of the Japanese Gum Tree.

The blueberries are ripe in the yard — I made some very tasty muffins yesterday. That Better Homes & Gardens cookbook from 1972 has an excellent, very simple recipe. I'd double the amount of blueberries, but otherwise it's delicious every time.

And the tigerlilies are blooming!

Hopefully your summer is ripe with beauty : )