The "First Friday Art Trail" in Lubbock makes for a fun evening. On the first Friday of every month several businesses in the downtown area display art from local artists. The trail runs from 6pm-9pm but there are more locations than one can see in that time. We, as a family, have done this several times while we have lived here. The kids love it. There are sometimes little crafts or activities for them to do, like roasting marshmallows over propane-powered flame pits. I'd like to think that we are raising our kids to enjoy art. If nothing else, we all get some good exercise walking around (except Alana of course, who rides in style).
I don't have an artistic bone in my body. But I love to see what others can do. It's amazing to me what people can create. My husband, however, was very artistic growing up and comes from a very artistic family. I am hoping that my kids will discover they have this talent and then cultivate it. Sometimes we have to cover their eyes in front of certain pieces that are perhaps good art, but not appropriate for children.
This last weekend we took the kids and went on the FFAT. The kids were relatively well behaved (meaning Evan only threw rocks at an art booth one time) and we found a few pieces that we really liked. Ryan and I have lofty dreams of being art collectors someday. We currently have one piece. We prize that piece over anything we could ever possibly own, because Ryan's mother painted it. He remembered watching her paint it when he was younger and knew that it had been stuck away somewhere. Years later he told her that he really loved it. She gave it to us for Christmas the first year we were married (2001). It has hung in our living room ever since (and probably will forever). We have had many people comment on it over the years. We are both very proud when we tell them who the artist is.
This time, on the FFAT, Ryan found a sculpture that he really loved. It is a bearing and a transmission gear welded to a small axle. Simple, I know, but it struck him right. The price was really good so I bought it for him. It was a big treat for us. We never actually buy anything. But this time we did. Evan accidentally knocked it over and broke all the welds after being home for 10 minutes (I hope we can fix it).
Life in Lubbock sounds like so much fun - but I suspect you and Ryan will make life fun wherever you live. I like your new sculpture, too. I hope the repair works!
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the bearing sculpture my initial thought was, "Oh, if Ryan likes that then he'll love the sculpture I have in the works now." The top bearing piece is almost identical to a bearing I acquired from a former workplace. I have much better items of similar type.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if Ryan is a good boy perhaps I will send him a present when he graduates. It wouldn't hurt if he repented of his political sins as well ;~)
Repairing the sculpture will be impossible without welding tools. The fact that the welds broke is a sign of student-level work but then again, it probably didn't cost hundreds of dollars. Evan is such a cute destructing machine.