Sassy Pants Art: Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

I have been uber bogged down with obligations. (Blech.) Life tends to get in the way of my passions-and one of my passions is this blog/site, while another is observing amazing art.

Enough is enough. Time for some fun-and time to observe life/art in a new way-a sassy way.

Hey, “Eyebrows”. I mean…seriously. Even back then they had scissors and ways to bleach hair. Do something about it.

“A ticked-off cat”. I know this. I feel this. I’ve seen this. Life is art.

Mr. Abs: “Yes, I do Paleo. Yes, I do Crossfit. Yes, I wear coolouts. Yes, I shave my head into a weird pony tail. Why do you ask?”
Me: “Um. No reason at all. You look…awesome?”

Lady on the left: “Don’t pretend you were ‘caught’ in this pose. Get some friggin’ clothes on.”
Lady on the right: “All I could find was this 1200 thread count Egyptian cotton sheet. Geesh. Don’t be such a prude. I’m just as God made me.”

Oh! That’s where I left it! My trusty old, Indiana Jones backpack. I was hankering for my PB & J, my orange and thermos of milk…

That’s all the sass I will expose you to today. And, since I’ve deprived you for almost a week of my sass-I hope you can handle it.

Am I the only one that ever feels this way in an art museum?

My artistic license is at stake.

Dear “Anonymous”-

When I was employed as a writer and my husband was still a touring musician, I felt the freedom to be weird. I wore weird clothes, I listened to weird music, and I decorated my house with my weird style.

Sure, I received some flack from the “normals”, but I was surrounded by more weirdos than normals.

Biceps and I were often hired by others to build out of the ordinary things, due to the fact that our artistic license accompanied our meticulous building skillz. Case in point, an artist hired us to build her this pretty, but functional shed that we deemed the “Big Girl Playhouse“.

I’ve been proud of the unorthodox things that I have built. I realize that not everyone is a weirdo like me and won’t like my style. That’s cool. I can handle it.

But, as a blogger, I am critiqued for my artistic license way more than the average bear. I try to take it all in stride. Heck, I understand why someone on the west coast doesn’t appreciate my deer hoof coat rack. They’re worried about their patchouli and plugs. I track with why Mr. Modern Guy may not like my barn wood dining room table. I understand it’s all chrome and glass for you. And sure, purple master bedrooms may not be your thing. I know you have a hankering for realtor beige. It’s cool.

I’m not normal, so my stuff isn’t normal. I get it. I friggin’ get it.

When I build something that’s for me, and I take the time to photograph each step, edit those photographs, write out an informative tutorial on exactly how to do it, how much it costs, where to buy the material…why is it ok for the internet kingdom to rip me a new one and tell me how ugly/stupid/dumb my project was?

Not to be creepy, but I know who you are: I know your IP address, where you logged in from, how you found my blog, what city you live in, what pages of mine you visited and for how long.

So, even if you are wussy enough to call yourself “anonymous”, you aren’t. Just let me be a weirdo over here in my little world. And, I’ll allow you the same.

Love-Weirdo Rebekah

A “Why?” from a viewer at the K.C. Museum

I enjoy viewing sculptures, paintings and anything else that has to do with art. However, every once in awhile, I am left scratching my head–but doing it in a very cool manner so that others with hipster skinny ties and black horn rimmed sunglasses don’t whisper to their equally hip girlfriend, “She doesn’t get it, does she?”.

I was ecstatic when my brother asked me to join him at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City.

We enjoyed the grandness of the museum…

…the restaurant which we wanted to partake of, but ran out of time….

…and the chinese temple that’s been displayed for over 80 years.

We saw the new, the not so new and the ancient. I enjoyed every sculpture, painting and “interpretation” of life. When it comes to art, I often don’t ask “why”.

Heck, I know I sometimes can’t answer the “why” behind my own art.

But, seriously-Why?

Simple Textured Raven

Remodeling offers odd benefits.
Not only are you equipped with hard callouses that are quite attractive on a lady’s hand, but you get to keep the spoils of your remodeling leftovers.
You can make this modern silhouette quickly and for pennies on the dollar. I like that.

My ‘Raven’ was made from a piece of duroc (some call it hardi-backer: this is the material they line shower walls with).
Duroc has a great texture to it and is oftentimes filled with holes and riddled with crazy patterns. It resembles a piece of rough concrete.

Here’s what you’ll need for you very simple duroc art:
Piece of leftover duroc or hardi-backer
Skilsaw with a masonry blade
Wood Stain-very small amount
Plastic cup, lintless rag, and gloves to apply stain
Marker
Oops paint & foamy brush

Begin by measuring the space on your wall you would like to fill with your purty art. Cut your duroc to fit the space using a masonry blade.
My purty piece measures about 1.5’ by 2.5’.

Fill a plastic cup about halfway with water and dilute your stain, adding about a tablespoon at a time until you are happy with the color.
You need to dilute the stain so that it will flow easily over the duroc.

Use a lintless rag to apply the stain onto your duroc.
I would recommend wearing gloves…or if you are like me, live with the disgusting dirty nail consequences.

Once your stain is dry, use a marker to outline your preferred silhouette.

Paint your creation onto your duroc using oops paint and a foamy brush.
Let your piece of art dry while enjoying a cold beverage.

We hung ‘Raven’ by screwing drywall screws directly through the piece and into the wall. I touched up the screw heads with more black paint, which are now incognito. I am very, very sneaky.
I am also very pleased with my one-of-a-kind ‘Raven’ that cost me less than a latte from you-know-where.
Make your silhouette of anything you fancy; a flower, an owl, a child’s face, your own face…
And use any color of paint your little heart desires to paint your silhouetter; orange, yellow, blue, fuschia…
Get bold. Get crazy. Get creative!