Friday evening, February 20, 2015, I accepted an invitation from my artist friend Gilead to come to an art show at a local Phoenix brewery. I did not go for the booze, but just to see my friend and admire whatever art might be present. I found the place at 30th Street and Washington and went inside, where I talked to my friend, and chatted with other artists and craftsmen. I stayed about an hour, and tried to take at least once picture of everything worth seeing.
Brewery front door at 30th Street and Washington in Phoenix.
Gilead and his wife Stellar. Gilead does the best goblins and monsters.
Gilead’s painting: Swordsman meets big lizard.
Artist in early stages of painting.
Mosaic artist.
I’m fond of pretty rocks. This shows me something I could do with them.
Rings and things, originals for ladies. Royal purple–a great color.
More hand-crafted jewelry. Husband and wife artist team–I have seen them before at local sci-fi conventions.
I think it’s going to be Batman.
Just plain strange. I have no idea where this painting is going.
The musician thinks everyone came to listen to him. He wasn’t bad, but nobody came to listen to him.
Breweries seem to be about big aluminum tanks. Who knew?
No idea what is inside them. The tanks are not labeled.
Art on the wall in the back room–1.
Art on the wall–2
Art on the wall–3
Art on the wall–4
Art on the wall–5
Art on the wall–6.
Art on the wall–7.
The cafe/pub side of the brewery. It’s a small room, smaller than my living room at home.
Another artist at work. He works small, but it’s fantasy.
Tanks for the memories.
Best in show–imho. It took me a day to get it. This is a picture of Fox and Mulder in an alien encounter of the worst kind.
The pictures are displayed in the order in which I took them. After a little less than an hour of walking around looking at things and talking to artists, I took my leave.
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If you’ve ever gone to an art show that was a bit underwhelming, why not leave a comment?
This morning I went out with a friend to go bargain hunting at thrift shops around Phoenix. There are a lot of these stores in town. People give their unwanted STUFF to the thrift store which turns around and resells it for about 1/10 of its current retail value as a new item. While you can’t always find what you want, you can usually find interesting stuff, and frankly, I don’t know why anyone would ever buy clothing new from a department store again. It is kind of like treasure hunting, only I’m not using a x-marked map or a metal detector, just my own keen instinct for a good deal when I see one.
So . . . we visited 3 stores–it took about 3 hours. My friend bought stuff in two stores, and I bought about $9 worth in the third. Her purchases weren’t very exciting to me, and I don’t think she was thrilled with the stuff I picked up, but that’s what makes it fun. Different strokes for different folks, and so on and so on and shooby dooby doo-beeee!
Anyway, I got a few pictures of the expedition, and thought I’d show you what passes for treasure when I go out hunting.
I like to take selfies that are unusual reflections of me. I really liked this faux metallic goblet, but have absolutely no use for it in my house, so I didn’t buy it. Can you see my distorted image in it?
The next bunch of pictures is all knick-knackery that I thought was cool–just not quite cool enough to actually buy and take home to an apartment already full of way too much junk. This is kitschy stuff–I am such a lowbrow.
This store in Glendale had all kinds of stuff that tickled my fancy, but didn’t quite get me to break open my wallet.
Porcelain bobble-head Uncle Sam. He reminds me of old pictures of President Andrew jackson.
Buccaneer with pet monkey carrying off a lot of treasure.
Painted porcelain snail. The other side of his shell features flowers and butterflies.
Princess Ariel in human form and the kitty. Only, this kitty is for collecting coins–a kitty bank instead of a piggy bank.
Cute stuff, don’t you think? But none of it has any place in a manly man’s house. (ha!)
So what did I buy? A dozen plastic shirt-hangers for $1, a new light-weight belt to hold my pants up, and the three items shown in the picture below.
Here I am with my trasure finds of the day–none of which cost over $3.
I have been playing Risk for more than 40 years now, but I’ve never owned the game. Got this one for $1.99. My 23 year-old son has never played Risk. Gonna teach him the game before the day is over.
I have never been a fan of twinkly vampires and I did not read the Twilight series when it was popular, but this media tie-in game comes in a tin box worth the $2.50 price by itself. If all else fails, I can wash it out and use it as a cookie container. The game board design shown on the back also looks interesting.
And lastly, another baseball cap, but not just any cap. This one has Jack from Jack-in-the-Box on it. I have never seen a Jack baseball cap before, and it is like new. Worth $1 for it? You bet! As an unregenerate fan of junk food, how could I pass up to show my allegiance to jaunty Jack? I couldn’t.
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If you’ve ever gone Goodwill hunting, why not leave a comment?
Oops, the negative side of my personality is coming out, but Mr. Marx is so persuasive. I just want to join his little song and dance, usually several times a day, and definitely more than once a week. (If you listen to the song, you’ll notice that Groucho really has a very good voice.)
Groucho sang this in a movie called Horsefeathers back in 1932, I don’t think I ever saw that whole movie. Just one more thing for the bucket list: watch all the Groucho movies before I die.
Song: I’m Against It
I don’t know what they have to say
it makes no difference anyway
Whatever it is, I’m against it
No matter what it is or who commenced it
I’m against it
Your proposition may be good
but let’s have one thing understood
Whatever it is, I’m against it
And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it
I’m against it
I’m opposed to it
on general principle
I’m opposed to it
He’s opposed to it
In fact, indeed that he’s opposed to it!
For months before my son was born
I used to yell from night to morn
Whatever it is, I’m against it
And I’ve been yelling since I first commenced it
I’m against it
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