Peep Show - Day 2

Peep Art is a growing rage this time of year. Artist Janet Galore created this 4.5 foot x 3.5 foot work of art called . . .

The Jesus of Peeps (JoP)!

Lean or roll back from your monitors folks, and squint . . . You'll see it!

40 Days & Nights of Peeps

This week entails Mardi Gras/Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday kicking off the 40 days and 40 nights of Lent. The drug, grocery and convenience stores have loaded up with spring colored candies and delectable delights for us to partake in a bright colored sugar coma.

It's Peep Season; either you love 'em or you hate 'em. I am a lover of the Peep, the brighter the color, the better. I believe that if you have other family members who love the Peep, then it is likely you, too, will love the Peep.

For the Peep Connoisseur, Peepsushi.
 

For the courteous Peep lover, who sadly admits not all people are Peep fans, know that the Peepizza allows for easy removal.


When you eat Peeps, whether fresh or stale, sliced, melted or whole, they will bring a peaceful smile on your face, taking you back to uncomplicated days of egg hunts in grandma's yard and the day you could get by with your sugar high.

'Round Town Christmas

Picture this: Atlanta -- 1940s -- Rich's Department Store (the Macy's of Atlanta). The Great Tree was a huge decorated pine tree atop the store, lit on Thanksgiving night. And last but not least, The Pink Pig.



Children from all over town would head to Rich's to ride Priscilla. Priscilla was a miniature suspended piggie monorail sized just for kids. The ride would begin under the Great Tree at the rooftop Christmas Village, and would "fly" indoors over the toy department. It would then land in "Santa's Secret Shop" where elves (high schoolers) would check a child's list, collect a few dollars and help the kids pick out small presents for their families -- away from Mom & Dad. They would then load back up into Pricilla and head back to their parents, who were probably snacking on chicken salad in a nearby cafe. This event became so popular, a second pig, Percival, was added to the mix.


These days, and probably many lawyers' opinions later, the monorail was deemed unsafe and too expensive to maintain it's proper safety. The Pink Pigs retired for a while in the Atlanta History Center while Rich's Department Store was purchased by Macy's. The monorail is now replaced with a bright pink shiny new piggy train under a giant pink tent located on top of a parking deck at Macy's at Lenox Square Mall. There is also a Giant Tree is displayed at the Lenox Macy's every year.

It used to cost a quarter to ride Priscilla/Percival, now it costs $3 -- with a portion of the proceeds going to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Every rider receives a sticker, "I Rode The Pink Pig" as did their parents, and grandparents. . .


Atlanta is also the home of Coca~Cola who owns the most easily recognized Santa face.




Does anyone know the name of this elf in the above advertisement?







With Coke's headquarters here, we have a few Santa Coke billboards popping up this time of year. Santa also pops up unexpectedly at the Georgia Aquarium -- and I'm thinking the kids may be a little freaked out.




Sometimes our weather here doesn't "feel" like Christmas to those of us who are transplants here in the south. However, the beautiful tree in Atlantic Station (one of our work-live-play communities) . . .





. . . and downtown office buildings . . .




. . . keep us in touch with the holiday season.


I work in the area of Buckhead, and am in within 4 - 6 blocks of Phipps Plaza and Lenox Mall (now home of the Great Tree at Macy's) - which are two shopping malls practically across the street from each other. Needless to say, if anyone has visited Atlanta, it takes more than a little while to fight traffic after work in this area at this time of year.




However, I am very lucky to have a "living room" away from home that looks like this, where I can gather my thoughts, blog to the world, and work on my Christmas/shopping lists after work. . . .



all the while gazing at this sculpture, which is pretty much equal in height to Misty.

Palapala'ainaDeborah Butterfield

San Diego, California 1949

Deborah Butterfield's sculptural forms are based on her unique subject, horses. Building her sculptures with no preliminary sketches or maquettes, Butterfield constructs works directly with wood pieces or found metal scraps. The freestanding sculptures are created in both life size works and smaller bronzes.

"My work is not so overtly about movement. My horses' gestures are realy quite quiet, because real horses move so much better than I could pretend to make things move. For the pieces I make, the gesture is really more within the body, it's like an internalized gesture, which is more about the content, the state of mind or of being at a given instant. And so it's more like a painting ...the gesture and the movement is all pretty much contained within the body."

"Butterfield builds her horses from the inside out. Though quietly reflective, her works -- all horses -- are vital, spirited, ultimately grand. The artist finds in the arch and curve of muscle and bone the essence of equine elegance." William U. Eiland, Director, Georgia Museum of Art

I wish I could find a translation for "Palapala'aina."

Sunset Celebrations

A landmark in Ocean City, Maryland is Fager's Restaurant & Bar.   Every evening, tradition calls for bayview sunsets to be accompanied by Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture piped over the sound system, while patrons relax, discussing their events of the day.

Until Hurricane Sandy tracked its way up the coast in October of 2012, Fager's had a large gazebo at the end of their pier.  This gazebo, years ago, sported a fake deer with antlers on its rooftop  accompanied by an American flag.  The deer was replaced at some point with an angel with raised arms -- the flag remained a constant. 

Fager's staff had the Overture timed perfectly when the sun touched the antlers to start the music.  The timing allowed for the final notes of the Overture to coincide with the sun disappearing below the horizon.  This sunset celebration was a moving moment enjoyed by many -- the final minute of the "Overture experience" can be seen in the video below (post-Sandy). 



The setting . . . slight sunburn on the nose, accompanying best friend, icy cold adult beverages, sand, wind, thundering cymbal crashes and a casual beach bar crowd . . .  all fueled the appreciation for this sunset memorial.  As the final note sounded and the sun disappeared, there was always thunderous applause and cheers as the birth of the evening began.   

Recently, photojournalist friend, Judy Brodland, captured a sunset in Iowa that rocketed us right back on that bayside patio on the Maryland shore with friends in a single blink of an eye.



One second:  Iowa farmland, dusty earth smell, buck and doe in a cornfield, silence.  
The next second:  Maryland shore bayside bar, saltwater breezes, blue crab, thundering drums and unmistakable dialects. 

These days, it is reassuring to experience a moment from some 28 years past (given all the stresses through time) proving there ARE STILL cubbyholes of memory left -- released in a single hyper-second -- bringing us surprising, simple joy of days and fiery deer-antler-sunsets gone by. 





Christmas By New York Window, 2013

Tis the Season for the Unveiling of the Christmas "Holiday on Ice" Windows at 5th and 58th as Bergdorf Goodman Always Captures my Heart as a Veritable Vacation into My Own Imagination.

The Horse this Year Belongs in the 4th of July Tribute, Featuring Rodarte and Thom Browne NY Men's Fashion.

April Fool's Day Features a Garden Party with Animal Topiaries Just Beyond the Iced Gate, with its Hostess in Oscar de la Renta in a Topsy-Turvy World.

The Vanderbilt House Once Stood on the Same Site as Bergdorf Goodman, and is the Backdrop of the Gothic Halloween Masquerade Party Set Behind a Beautifully Woven Spider Web Dripping with Twinkling Swarovski Crystals.

 

 

 

Arbor Day!  A Fine Celebration in an Almost Tree-Less Setting, Features a Ten-Foot Porcelain Tree Adorned in Crystal Leaves and Flowers.  Perched on an Icy Branch is a Lovely Lady in Alexander McQueen.



Lest We Not Forget Valentine's Day with All it's Rosy Splendor to Capture One's Heart.

This Mannequin sits Amongst a Buffet of Sweets with Her Feather Quill in Hand at Her Writing Desk of Carved Ice in her Giambattista Valli. 

On 38th, Lord & Taylor has a Vintage Theme . . .

 

 



All the While Bloomingdales (in their Signature Bright Colors) Travels the World . . .

 

 

And in the Land of Printemps Haussman, Happy City Bears Carry Prada.

 

 





It's Time To Give Pranks . . . Er, Thanks

Are you overcome by holiday stress? Forgot the dessert during your last minute run to the grocery store? Don't have time to whip up some pumpkin or peel apples for that "must-have" pie because it took you hours longer than expected to get the house in shape for guests?

Rest easy! Problem solved! You, too, can have a glazed ice cream cake in the shape of a turkey, thanks to Baskin Robbins.




Yes, this is yet another one of their awe-inspiring ice cream cakes. . . imagine the Kodak moment when you announce "Dessert!" amongst the semi-comatose croud around your holiday table, and you enter with THIS on a silver platter. The room will be silent for a quick second before the fighting begins for those treasured ice cream cone drums.


Now, if the turkey Ice Cream Cake doesn't do it for you, then give thought (and thanks) for this treasure:

Yes, you read that correctly . . "Inflatable Turkey" . . . looks just like the real thing and hey, you don't have to get up at 4 am to clean it either. You could put it on the table so when your guests begin to arrive, they'll think that they got there just in the nick of time, missing the chore of helping YOU in the kitchen. It comes in its own "Spam-esque" can so you can deflate the turkey and store it in your cupboard for snagging nosey mothers-in-law . . . knowing that they would not be able to leave that one alone.


And lest we not forget the favorite of kiddies and adults alike . . .

That's right! Thanksgiving Gum Balls in Pumpkin Pie, Cranberry and Turkey flavors!
Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart, it's time to give thanks. And thanks to you, Archie McPhee, for keeping our Pranksgiving alive.

Draft Horse In the Making

Scrap iron sculptor, John Lopez is a genius. . . plain and simple.  After the death of his beloved Auntie Effie, Lopez moved in with his uncle on his ranch in South Dakota to build a family cemetery.  Uncle Geno opened his home and more importantly, his welding shop to Lopez.  The rest is history.

While attempting to complete the fence around the family cemetery, the closest town is 35 miles away, and Lopez ran out of material. Thus, his imagination kicked into gear and he began to dig in scrap iron on site to complete his work. 

All visitors were amazed at his work; re-use gave Lopez such new-found personal satisfaction. Lopez was already a successful commissioned bronze sculptor, but the excitement of the hunt and sculpting from scrap causes him to never be bored. Scrap iron to Lopez brings forth a totally new direction for his work that piques his imagination and talent to a whole new level.

Over the past 10 years, Lopez has been working on The City of Presidents project in Rapid City, SD.  Bronze presidents reside on street corners through the town.  He has sculptures scattered across the country and traveling exhibitions. 

Amid his sculpting of Presidents, and other commissions, Lopez  has been able to build a career in sculpture without leaving his rather isolated prairie home in South Dakota.  Lopez grew up on a ranch; he knows horses and he knows cattle.  It's no surprise that's what he loves to sculpt best. 

Lopez's work in progress now is a draft horse pulling a plow.  What I find so interesting is that the longer you look at the piece, the more items you discover being incorporated into the mix.  This brings forth curiosity at a whole new level as a spectator of Lopez's magical interpretations.

 

 

Sure, it's metal.  Sure, it's scrap.  Sure, it's rusted.  However, Lopez's beautiful feathered work horse manages to capture your heart when you look into its seemingly kind eye, which brings a soulful feel to this magnificent piece. 

 

Please enjoy: http://johnlopezstudio.blogspot.com/ to see his other works on display.  I will keep up with the final unveiling of this draft horse work in progress.