Straddle the Turtle

Learning to slow down, because life's too short ~ ~ ~

The Art Machine

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Cigarette-size painted block

The first time the Oddball Art Machine was presented to the public, we were there!

My grandson inserted a five dollar bill and out came a cigarette pack-sized block with a poodle painted on it! The first work of art he ever purchased by himself 🙂

It was so fun to be included with the other artists participating in this fund-raiser, some of whom have been my friends for many years.

I’m so impressed by the way they have continued to make their artwork and meet weekly as a group – all while working day jobs and raising families – very disciplined! And best of all, they bring this creativity to the community by sharing their fun energy with the city of Elgin.

Presently, they are gearing up for a scary halloween celebration. If you click on this link to their blog you’ll see delightfully creepy artworks: Hub of Weirdness.

Oddball Art Labs is a non-profit artist based organization created to advance the presence of the arts in the Fox Valley and greater Chicagoland area. It specifically works to build individual artist recognition and to create opportunities within these communities for artists to show their work through various ways:

  • Hosting art shows
  • Featuring artists of the month through various social media platforms
  • Building relationships with local galleries and area businesses
  • Providing resources to artists in preparing grants and putting on their own shows
Oddball Art Machine

Whirlybird

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Whirlybird

My friend Marilyn is a talented watercolor artist. She’s sort of a perfectionists, though, and sometimes when she messes up she throws her paintings away. I’m the type who saves everything just in case I can make it into something. So I tell her, “Don’t throw away that good paper; give it to ME!” Well, this is one of her throw away birds. I cut up the paper around the bird and saved it for the center of this piece. I think this red bird is adorable! I can’t take credit for it’s body – that’s Marilyn’s work. (*See more of her wonderful paintings here 🙂

Girls Hockey Tournament

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Warning: do not try to focus on these pictures. It can’t be done; they are super blurry from zooming in to get closeups behind a plexiglass safety barrier. 

Girls Hockey
My first try using an app called FotoJet Collage Maker Light
(impatiently sticking together a hodgepodge of hockey “gestures”)

And there were other little girls out there skating besides #33, doing their best to protect the puck, assist and score. But she’s my granddaughter, the one my eyes followed throughout the game. 

Coach daddy's girl
Coach daddy’s girl

My favorite photo from this day immersed in the world of girls hockey is of Bella skating off the ice toward Coach Daddy who’s grinning from ear to ear 🙂

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