Friday, April 8, 2011

Artful Dodger

Well since it is getting warmer, we have begun our weekend trips to acquire fine objet d’art from random strangers and their ‘garages d’ junk’! I am not a picky picker like those know-it-all cable TV show folks. No, I like my artwork served strange with a just a dash of daffy delight on the side.

My wife is no slop slouch either, though she probably would deny it. I have clearly infected the spousal unit with my keen eye and ability to be most attracted to the MOST UN-attractive hand-made art available. That is harder to do than you may think. It’s one thing to find horrible artwork atrocities best only approached with an oversized long-reach camping fork, but quite another to buy the stuff, and really WANT it too regardless of cost.

My wife found this particular piece. It truly fit the BILL of being so far off-the-wall that we found it in a box on the floor. Hand carved from wood with a truly universally appealing decorator theme of a wild-eyed watermelon fan in prison pj’s and red boots. We tested this little gem out on impressionable young children and it actually made them cry. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life, have you?

So the next time you are out and about at a swap meet or a second-hand shop, don’t just go for the gold but check out some of that oxidized tin too. Yes if you’re lucky you can be just like my wife and get your hands on your own homely treasure. Don’t worry nobody’s looking. There is no reason to dodge your inner art critic – embrace the tasteless and taste the juicy fruit of your desire. Fear not because it only cost a buck . . . and you can always spit out the seeds!