Funky Stuff

Eclectic Menagerie in Houston

Time to get back into blogging. I seem to have dropped the ball with this blog not because there haven't been good things to share but because...... well, you know.

I'll start off with something just plain fun. David and I visited relatives in Houston a couple weeks ago (thanks Cole and Stephanie!) and they had noticed a field of sculptures out along highway 288. Knowing that we go to great lengths to view sculpture parks, they suggested this as a worthy Houston site for us to see. And what fun!

We hopped out of the car and trapsed through the grass avoiding fire ant mounds to thoroughly enjoy this display of folk art assembled on the Texas Pipe & Supply company land bordering the highway. We needed to know more about why there was a impressively huge fishing rod that had managed to hook an old pickup truck.

And a quick Google search provided answers. This park is the Eclectic Menagerie Park and Texas Pipe & Supply commissions Ron Lee to build these creations using the scrapes of pipe and equipment relics collecting on the grounds. He has a workshop there and has been expanding this collection since 2001.

And Mr. Lee likes to work big!


 

All of the pieces made us smile.

All have personality!

 

And none of them are kinetic! Read more about this entertaining roadisde wonder here and here. We also checked out the Texas Beer Can House.

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Chris Blasius - New Clock Plans

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We know that many of the followers of this blog also love a creative and interesting clock.  Chris Blasius of Germany has a new one that is fun to watch.

 

There is a lot of action (which is often unusual in a clock) so watch the video.

Chris designs with a wonderful sense of humor. Visit his website here to see other design and purchase plans for making his creations. Enjoy!

 

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Summer Sculpture Week • 2014

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Marji and I attempt to put aside one week per year during which we collaborate on an outdoor sculpture for our growing sculpture collection. Traditionally this is always an outdoor sculpture, in non-traditional materials and in large scale. We both drop all regular work and direct our attention to this project. 

The concept started in 2009 and we completed projects in 2009, 2010 and 2011. We missed 2012, and 2013 and were excited to be able to return to the tradition this year. We have been collecting ideas for awhile.

We now have gracing various locations in our woods, 13 more "trees" constucted of aluminum flashing and PVC pipe.

Marji has blogged extensively about the project, construction techniques and earlier designs over on her blog, Ashbee Design. Check it out.

  

 

 

 

 


 

 

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Barnum's Dream by Ed Ross

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Have you met someone interesting recently in a totally unexpected way? I did. A customer came to pick up a recently completed Frolic kinetic sculpture that he had ordered from me. He brought along his friend because he thought he would be interested in my work and workshop. Through visiting, I learned that this friend, Ed Ross has crafted some incredible kinetic work of his own. Inspired by the Steampunk world, he built this magnificent sculptural ship call Barnum's Dream.

 

 

Ed blogged extensivly about the construction process on his blog here. I have no idea how long it took to create. The blog starts in 2010 and things seemed to be in progress at that point. Ed also created a video filled with whimsy as well as detail about the trial run of this incredible sculpture. Check this out.