folk art

Godliness is Next to Mufflers

Kinda tough to take to the streets these days without stepping into some roadside sanctimony. Take or leave the big messy bag of religion and take a second to appreciate the hand painted art on exhibit in everyday locales. Admission is free to the public. See Jesus lording over automobile shops where he protects and warranties everything from crankshafts and transmissions to windshields.  And watch him preside over liquor store parking lots and back alleys, bringing hope to those with no bathrooms & no place to shoot up.

Amble along with us through the pious city streets and righteous country roads across the USA. Don’t be a-feared of the blood and apocalyptic messages. And just remember the choice is yours. Wherever you end up, send us a postcard.

Field Notes for Urban Adventurers

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Take note. Our handmade upcycled photo notebooks are one of a kind. Pick a theme that strikes your fancy– from Pizza to Urban Birding to Mid Mod Architecture. Original urban photography inside and out is sure to inspire some bright ideas. Tour our mini journals here and put one in your pocket!

 

 

The Hand Writing is on the Walls

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It tells you where to park, what’s for sale, or how much for a haircut. I may not go in for the advertised clutch job or psychic reading, but I’m sold on the peeling-paint fonts and colorful crooked letters that make the walls come to life. A field trip through the city is a walk through a typographic gallery. It’s as if these walls can talk.

Check out our urban typography mini journal here http://etsy.me/1z0VNzF . Perfect for recording field notes on your urban rambles.

Succulent Tin Cans on a Stick– The Upcycled Urban Garden

Soaking in the last few days of summer. This means enjoying and improving the backyard– a constant work in progress. The summer garden is winding down but the pomegranate tree is coming around. It looked a bit lonely, so we decided to give it some succulent company. A few clippings found new homes in some old tin cans. With some ingenuity and some hardware scraps those tin cans cheat the fate of the trash heap once again!

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Theres a hole in the bucket

Check out our Hobo Tin Can Beer Holders (cause everything goes better with beer!) and some of our other upcycled wares here: http://etsy.me/1i9heEp

We Honor Folk Artist Leonard Knight

Leonard Knight, the creator of the magnificent Salvation Mountain near the Salton Sea, passed away several days before Valentine’s Day. We visited this visionary artist 10 years ago and snapped this shot that captures his love of life.

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He embodies the religious style of ephemeral imagery & graphic art created by folk & street artists all across the USA. These works show up on almost anything–from the sides of trailers, storefronts & windows to the junkyard landscape of the late W.C. Rice’s Cross Garden in Prattville, Alabama.  The homegrown art in unsuspecting environments often speaks louder than the godly messages– for us it’s more about the art.

ImageImageImageCheck out more images at  stripeycity or take a sightseeing trip around your own neighborhood and see what you might find!

Art is all around us

Museums are inspiring, but sometimes a shuffle around the city is just as good if not better– easy on the eyes and the wallet. Slow down and you might catch a masterpiece before it disappears.

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This art seems to pop up as magically as it is erased from the cityscape.

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Who’s behind the art? Does it drive up sales of mufflers or psychic readings? Either way, it’s great wallpaper for the city.

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Hats off to all the urban artists who make our city colorful and interesting. Any neat street art in your city?

See the day in the life of one street artist here. Take notes on your own urban art ramblings in a  Street Art Mini Journal.