The Friday Flush #12

The Friday Flush #12

   I'm excited for The Friday Flush #12, 'cuz I ran into some really cool stuff. The holidays in full swing, and it seems like everyone is busy, all the time. So it's nice to take a few minutes for ourselves and "flush" the system. See what I did there? Today we look at an artist who passed away too soon, see what it takes to make the best paper airplanes, and of course, random gadgetry coolness.

The Work of Zina Nicole Lahr
   I was combing the net, visiting some of my favorite sources for all things cool, when I stumbled across a video entitled The Work of Zina Nicole Lahr. It simply stated that she had passed away recent to the tribute video, and her work as an artist needed more attention. I started watching and wondered what kind of girl this was. Having an art degree, I'd spent plenty of time around people who were trying to hard to be outside the box and/or off the grid. I was worried that was what I was in for. I was wrong. Zina is her own person. It became clear that she is an icon unto herself. I was impressed with her vision, bravery, trueness to herself, and so on. There's a sweetness to her delivery and manner. I found myself sad that an artist and person of that caliber was lost so young. She's worth taking a look at. I found myself edified in several ways afterward. I wanted to create more, be more outward, and take more chances. I hope she gets more recognition.

The Paper Airplane Guy
   I've been making paper airplanes since I was a kid. I mean, what American boy doesn't follow that stereotype? The love and fascination of flight has dazzled the minds of children and the child in every adult forever. So when I found The Paper Airplane Guy, I was hooked. His videos are fun to watch by themselves. His tutorials to build the best paper airplane are a heaven sent, since the art form has taken root in our young family. With a second story banister that offers the perfect launching off point, we're all about flight these days. Luckily, the kids don't care how good they fly just yet, but I see that being a necessity in the near future. The paper airplane guy (John Collins) has a wonderfully enthusiastic way about him. He's excited about his craft and it comes across in his videos. I recommend them to whomever wants to have some fun with a past time of your childhood.

The Tronical Tune

   Okay, so gadgets are cool for a variety of reasons. One of the things we love about gadgets is usually the wow factor. With each new benchmark, we look to be impressed. When I saw the Tronical Tune in use, my jaw dropped. You can learn more from the company's site at tronical.com, but check out the first link, and tell me you didn't get a little giddy? Oh, what will they think of next? I had no idea this thing existed, mostly because I've not played guitar seriously for some time. Probably also because I'm not very good in the first place, but I digress. Gadgets are cool because they make our lives easier in some way, or do things in such a way that makes us look freaking cool just doing them! So it's worth checking out, even if just to say you did. 

   So there you have it. Another week, another dollar, another gray hair. We took some time to get to know a wonderful artist lost too young, learned how to make a paper airplane that soars, and learned we never have to tune our own guitar again. I'm sleeping in tomorrow, so don't come knocking and stay off my lawn. (wink 'n a smile)

J.

The Friday Flush #4

The Friday Flush #4

   Welcome to The Friday Flush #4. It's felt like Friday ever day this week. Which made each day feel like a Monday after I realized I was NOT at the weekend. Alas, here we are now, and I'm ready to share some fun stuff.

Drug Driving Advert From New Zealand
   Everyone I know is a sucker for a good television advertisement. They give you that short break from the norm and can give me the chuckles something fierce. Check out this drug driving advert from New Zealand. Funny stuff. I knew what the ad was for before viewing it (as do you now), but I can imagine the reaction if it were to just come on the television. These kids are pretty funny and nail their father's impressions. I wonder how my kids look when impersonating me......but that's for another hidden camera post that will most likely never happen. It ends on that serious note we all know is coming, which is important. The beginning and middle are just hilarious. The facial expressions are funny, and I'm hard pressed to not start calling all my friends "brew" from now on.

Wood Burning Kid
While surfing the web, I came across this pic on imagur.com of a kid who was selling pieces of wood that he'd burned with a magnifying glass. Now, as a kid, I was ALL about burning stuff with a magnifying glass. I was also creative, and artistic. I did NOT, however, have the mind to put it all together into a marketable skill. I give this guy credit for doing something he likes and marketing it for others to enjoy. The reason I thought to post it on The Friday Flush is because of the inspiration it was to me. As The Wife and I are doing more furniture refurbishing and art pieces, we find that we have inspired a few people to try new things. The whole reason that it happened is because we started trying new things ourselves. Inspiration is out there and we've taken up the reins to do something about it. So did this kid. I think we can all learn from that.

Amazing Animation Style
Vimeo is an amazing place to discover new talent. There are mind blowing videos and animation. Those who may not know, I'm an animation enthusiast and love to find new projects that push the envelope on what animation is. Today I present one I discovered called "Malaria" by Edson Oda. As first glance, I had no idea what to expect. It was just listed as an "amazing new animation style". While I know that there is little that is "new" in art, I do know that there are new ways to present things. This animation was hard to pull away from, and I ended up sharing with a few close people who understand my love of animation. It's a great story, and well done animation that is wonderfully executed. I hope you get as much out of it as I did. I can only aspire to produce my own projects that can grip the viewer for even a short amount of time.

   And thus I leave you with The Friday Flush #4, a little bit wiser, inspired, and feeling ready to take on the weekend's projects. We've laughed while remembering why drug abuse sucks, been inspired to try new things, and sat back to enjoy a finished product by one inspired individual. Later brew!

J.

 

Nail Painting - Bonding With Daughters

“You can tell a lot from a person's nails. When a life starts to unravel,
they're among the first to go.” - Ian McEwan, Saturday

   I'm an artist. Whether by innate character, or the degree I hold (now that I'm in medical sales,...cough-cough!), I'm always an artist first and foremost. When my firstborn turned out to be a girl, I knew I'd be up for nail painting. I've gotten halfway decent at it, and thought I was on my way. Then I stumbled across PolishArtAddition and immediately felt inadequate. I figure as long as I keep trying, my 'Lil Miss won't fault me for making some time to be together.

   A few years back I called my father to check in and say hello. I asked what he was up to and he replied that he had just given my little half-sister a bath, and was brushing her hair. I let an appropriate silence go by before saying softly, "You never brushed MY hair, dad." He protested that "he didn't know what to do with little boys before I could tell him I was just giving him a hard time. It stuck with me though, that he didn't try as hard as he could have. Maybe he didn't try has hard as he THOUGHT he could have.

   Now, I'm not going to make bumper stickers that say "Real Men Paint Nails!", but you get the point. Whether we cook with our little girls, or hammer nails with our little boys. In our house we've not only done that, but I've painted my son's nails and played Jedi with my daughter. It's all in the effort and creating the experiences. I challenge us all to do more, to be more involved, and to get outside our comfort zone when it comes to our children. I wish my father was more affectionate with us four boys. 'Nuff said. What's YOUR favorite thing to do with your kids?

J.

Hidden Treasures In Family Heirlooms

 

"Riches do not consist in the possession of treasures,

but in the use made of them." - Napoleon Bonaparte

     My grandmother on my father's side passed away about 4 years ago. She was a widow of over 30 years, and had lived quietly as a Dodgers fan in the middle of the desert for all of that time. Her simple lifestyle was matched by her simple list of belongings. When I arrived at her home, the night before her funeral, most of the large and meaningful belongings were gone or accounted for by her children. The grandchildren were allowed to then mention anything they might want to remember our sweet matriarch by. I grabbed a wooden bar stool that I remember eating pancakes and tacos on while grandma cooked and cleaned while asking about our lives. Then, a favorite aunt pulled me aside and asked me to follow her.

   We headed to the closet in the hallway, to an open door and a mostly cleared out space. I'd never seen much of the closet of the previous 25 years, as it was chock full of stuff and you couldn't get past the jackets and such. Now it was empty, but for a few things on the shelves. My aunt said, "Since you and grandma shared a love for art and painting, the siblings agreed that you should have her art set." She handed me a wooden art kit that looked like it'd had seen a few years. I thanked her through tears and put it in my car.


   Upon returning home later the next day, I sat down at the dinner table with the art case, and opened it with no idea of what to find. I knew she was an amateur painter with some beautiful pieces hanging in her home that went to my father and his siblings. I lifted the lid and gazed down at the many tools of a fellow artist. Paint tubes that had been squeezed by my grandmothers hands. Brushes that had bits of paint still on them. I was feeling very connected to my grandmother, but felt a small hint of remorse that all the paintings she had done were spoken for. As I stared at the scene before me I noticed that the upper part of the case was actually a palate for painting.

   I reached up and slowly lifted it, sliding it out of the groves it was resting it. Small canvases peered out from underneath, and it was clear this was where she stored something to be kept from being crushed. I wasn't sure if they were blank or not until I pulled them out. There were many sheets of unused palate paper for painting, a few unused miniature canvases, and then the back of a slightly larger flat canvas. The back had a date from the 50's, and my heart began to race. I turned it over and beheld a wonderful landscape painting. I tried to hold my composure as I realized that I'd found a painting my grandmother had done.
  
   I called my aunt within days to declare what I'd found, so that I had a clear conscience. She said that she felt that it was meant to be mine, and I was to keep it. There are hidden treasures in family heirlooms that we must not dismiss. I have nothing of my grandfather's, as no one thought to keep anything of his. I will hold dear the things my grandmother used, that bind us as family and artists. One day, I will pass it on to another generation, and keep the tradition going. What treasures might exist in your families?

J.

Cheetos Mix-Ups Art Contest @ChesterCheetah

"It ain't easy, bein' cheesy." Chester, Cheetos

   I'm always on the lookout for opportunities to get lost in a creative project. The Cheetos Mix-Ups Art Contest that came long via the Life of Dad blog was one of those opportunities. I'm sure there are plenty of contest every month, but this one involved food! Who wouldn't love the opportunity to make art out of a snack food? I was shipped out a bag of the Cheetos Mix-Ups, Cheesy Salsa Mix, to get me started. Then the fun began.
   It was a hoot deciding on what to create. I then had to account for time and resources. I didn't want to run out of the tasty snack! I got Chester, the Cheetos mascot, sketched out on a piece of black poster board and got to work. It was a nice to get lost in a project just for me. There's a lot on our plate as parents, and our kids demand a lot of our time. I think it's important that we take a few minutes for ourselves. Granted, my older two were playing out front, and my Wee Lass was in her bouncer about 10 feet from me, but I'll take what I can get.
   A residual effect of the project was seeing the interest and creativity that was sparked in my older two. They would ride their bikes or scooters up into the garage to see what I was up to. They had a neighbor friend with them. They'd ask questions about what I was doing, why I was using food, were there lots of people in the contest, etc. They asked about doing something similar, so we might be doing a project like that at the kitchen table soon. I'm thinking dry pasta, dry beans, etc. At one point, the neighbor friend confidently stated, "You're going to WIN that contest!" It was cute to have my own little fan club. Their imaginations are more active than even mine, so I try to pay attention.
   It was a fun project, with opportunities to make new friends in the blog world. It was a way to connect with other people, my own children, and even try a new Cheetos snack. The Cheesy Salsa Mix was awesome! A mix of flavors, with just a hint of spiced heat. I tried not to eat more than I used. They're certainly worth a try, and if you end up not enjoying them as much as I did upon first taste, you can always use them for an art piece!

J.

Lunch Bag Art Surprises

“The world is but a canvas to the imagination.”  -  Henry David Thoreau

“To draw, you must close your eyes and sing.” - Pablo Picasso

“Creativity is contagious. Pass it on.” -  Albert Einstein

      I love these quotes from some of the greats. I've tried to do more of my lunch box art surprises for my 'Lil Miss. They're VERY quickly done, so that I don't get burned out on doing them. I remember how much fun it was to get a note from my mother in my lunch, and so I've tried to start doing more of that with my first born. As she is in kindergarten now, we're still in the beta test phase. I'm finishing 1 every week or two on average. Some weeks I'll do almost all 5 days. Sometimes I'll go a few weeks without doing one.
      The point is actually trying. She loves it and I enjoy the outlet for my art (which is hard to find time for these days). Being fast, there are liberties taken on anatomy and architecture. She gets the point, and that's all that matters.

The only other lunch bag artist that I can find out there is a legend. Check the cool dad here.

J.

Daddy Painting Nails - Not So Girly After All!

"Daddy, can you paint my nails?"

     The questions once seemed like such an odd one. Yet, a few years back, it all changed. I knew things would be different after my daughter was born. I just didn't know HOW much. I'm one of four boys. We did all things G.I. Joe, pirate, hot lava, etc. Yet we all have girls now. It was a few years back, when I saw a member of our family with HIS toes painted a sparkley silver. I asked him about it and he said it was a way for him to spend more time with his two girls. He would paint theirs, and then they would paint his. It became a tradition. I tried it once in Hawaii with my niece, in order to get her to try it for the first time. It was a great experience.
     So it trickled down to our little tradition. Only so often, we break out the kit and get to trimming, cleaning and painting. TRUST me, I've had to ask for help and direction from my wife. It's totally worth it though. Practice makes perfect, and on a child's feet, the canvas is wiped clean often. I've recently looked into stencils to add some flavor to the end result. Places like OC Nail Art are a great place to get started. I make more mistakes than clean jobs, so take it from a semi-pro, it's more about the time with you daughter.
     Now chat with the wife, break out the colors this weekend, and give it a try. You'll be glad you did.

J.