Grand Rapids Artprize

Well, Artprize is in full swing in Grand Rapids and I was able to go down and explore a bit with my family over the weekend. There were so many GINORMOUS exhibits!
You'll have to excuse the quality of some of the pictures. My lens is still not right. I haven't had it looked at yet but I can't really zoom in very close and the auto focus is just flat-out broken. I'm so disgusted that I dropped it. Arghhh! Anyway, happier thoughts below... I love my city :)

 (Made of A LOT of pennies!)

 (Above and below: In front of the Gerald R. Ford Museum.)

(A memorial to the fallen firefighters as a result of 9-11.)

(Looking down to the Beerhorst's Plan B exhibit.)

 The Wonder Wagon

  

(The Interurban Bridge that crosses the Grand River in downtown GR.)

(This was so cool! This is a whole lot of unwrapped crayons. A lot of children from a local school helped their principal with this mosaic.)

    

(Look at all this not-junk! I loved this display!)

(Rosa Parks Circle. Figuring out where we were going to eat.)

(Just LOOK at this pig! Isn't he great?! Actually, I'm not really sure if it's a he..)

 

(A really BIG greeting card.)

(These lions were made of horseshoe nails. This made me wish I had some laying around the house to build something with! On a much smaller scale of course.)

(My youngest daughter and my nephew heading back home for the day. )

If you've never heard of Artprize and didn't catch my last post, here's a link to the Artprize website. People come from all over to experience the art, as well as Grand Rapid's culture and community. If you've never been to Grand Rapids, I know you'd fall in love :)

Repurposing- Google image results

Okay, so I can usually see the potential for re-purposing in most items, but I have to admit that some of the items below would never have crossed my mind.

I'm in the middle of refinishing another desk for my youngest daughter and while I wait for the primer to dry I thought I'd grab my lunch and do a Google image search for "repurposed" for some more ideas for her room. My search has returned things that range from awe-inspiring to practical, and odd to that's-just-not-right!

Here are a few I found.

Typewriter Re-purposed into a Keyboard Waffle Maker

O.K.

 

Coconut Headphone Mod

Wouldn't they echo? 

Huh?

Can you say germ trap? This kinda makes me gag a little for some reason.

 I like this one! Looks kind of like a Christmas bow! I found it at a blog called Repurposed.  Loads of re-purposing inspiration!

I really liked the creativity used in finding a new purpose for these "orphaned drawers". So cool!

Of course! What a great idea for dispensing and storing your twine. My twine balls are tangled up in containers!

How's this for a conversation starter? So very strange...but I like it! I found this one on Calamity Kim. It's not her work, but she references the artist in her blog post.

Okay, break's over! Now back to that desk I was working on! If you have any cool re-purposing ideas of your own that I could share, I'd love to hear them!

Hope you're having a blessed week!

xx ~ Jen

Living Counter-Culturally

The last two weeks have been a bit of a rough start to the new home school year. I didn't have all of my curriculum yet, I had an eye infection, my laptop broke, my camera broke... you get the idea.
And every once in a while I find myself wondering what in the world I'm doing. My doubts start gnawing at me and I begin questioning myself and asking God if I really am following His lead.
On days I've felt this way I'll pull up one of the Beerhorst's blogs ( Brenda's or Rick's) or their Flickr and become inspired all over again. Check this amazing family out!


Rick Beerhorst "Time Of Your Life" from Dylan Tull Gunnett on Vimeo.

You can click on any of the following pictures to view the Beerhorst's Flickr photostream. I labeled them as they were labeled on their Flickr.

School of Rock!



making art at the yard sale 


Beerhorst Family Art Show, 12/3/09 - 12/6/09



Brocanti

Pearl and Brenda at work 



blue orb


the camp site (I loved the blog post Rick wrote about their camping trip. You can read it here.)


Plan B - Artprize 2010 Collaborators, photo by Pearl Beerhorst

 This week they will be at Artprize here in Grand Rapids, which happens to also be where they reside. I can't wait to go and see their project! What an incredible message it sends. Curious??? You can find out more about it here.

Anyway, they encourage me to keep writing, painting, crocheting, gardening, seeking God's direction.... you name it. But, even more importantly, to be the kind of parent/teacher that will think and live outside of the box. (The box is dangerous, in my opinion.) One that shuns the fear of being different from everyone else and instead, embraces it... A rebel of sorts. Ooh, I like the sound of that. ;)
Just wanted to share them with you too!
Have a blessed weekend!  XX ~ Jen

I Found Some Inspiration In A Drawer.

...Was just wandering around the house the other day looking for inspiration for a new mixed media project. I was finding nothing. It was just one of those days.
Until I let Simon out...

As we passed through the garage I noted all of the shiny objects hanging above my husband's workbench. Suddenly a light went on in my mind. As I opened the drawers (that were a complete mess, might I add)  I found some unexpected inspiration.

 

I mean, I had looked through these "junk" drawers before but suddenly I saw the potential.

  

  I'm pretty sure my husband would not see eye to eye with me on how they could be useful, but  I saw it nonetheless. 

 

Now the only problem is convincing him that my need and purpose for using them is greater than his. This could be a problem.
Hope you're finding inspiration every where you look.

Have a blessed day! XX ~ Jen