Bethany's Top 5

Before I get to the art, happy birthday, Lily! She's still deciding on her favorite artwork from ArtPrize, so I decided I would go first. (This way cool art will still be posted on her special day.)

So here, for your viewing pleasure, are my top 5 ArtPrize entries.

The Salvere Hitch

The two draft horses and the foal are sculptures made from barbed wire. They are cool enough when taken at face value, but the artist had more in mind: he wanted to illustrate a strong parent-child relationship. The two adults decked out in full harness represent two parents that are harnessed with the responsibilities of everyday life. They lead the foal (their child) through the journey of life. 

This is the one photo from this post that doesn't come from the ArtPrize website, since usually the photos there are better than any Mom could take. (The encroaching crowds make photography difficult.) Mom saw these horses at night once, and she got this interesting shot when she used the flash. 

This too shall pass

This is one impressive storm and one impressive photograph! The photographer took the photo from a Lake Michigan beach in Muskegon, Michigan. And yes, he got away safely. (I hope that V of birds was as lucky!) This monster storm packed 60 - 70 mph winds when it hit the lakeshore, toppling trees and causing widespread power outages in the West Michigan area.

Mommy Look what I Caught!

This is a life-size fiberglass and mache sculpture. Well, the grizzly cub is life-size. I don't know if salmon really get that big! It apparently looks even more realistic in person. 

Morning routine

This was created using pastels. (I never have been any good using these in art class, but this person... wow!) Not only is it beautifully done, but the subject matter also makes me smile. These 3 gray drafties don't seem particularly keen on going to work - especially that middle one. I wonder if they are Percherons?

Monsters Go

Kids throughout Michigan drew and colored monsters using one of the four prompts above. The artist selected 100 of them and created her own interpretations in colored pencil. Here are 3 of my favorites:

(Of course, none of the ones I chose are particularly scary.)
During ArtPrize, visiting kids could also participate and submit their own monsters. I think the artist added about 50 more to the collection in the 3-week stretch based on 50 of the new submissions.

It's so entertaining to see how the artist chose to interpret the various creatures. They remind me of the monsters in Monsters, Inc. =)

Finally, I have one unrelated piece of news to share with you: our new New Forest Pony on HI2 finally has a name! Meet Sassafras!

We have some sassafras trees in the backyard whose leaves are turning more red than usual this year, and they reminded us of this rust-toned pony. We're still deciding who will be her owner, so until then she is still tackless.