I have seen art displayed outside via murals on sides of building in NYC. I have seen poetry on mailboxes. I was surprised to find artwork on the sidewalk. This street art is by Goat. As their website says they are the first street artist to blend AI with street art.
What can you do with a large concrete wall? You can turn it into a mosaic or mural. This is exactly what they did in North Creek, N.Y.
This mosaic is on Main Street in North Creek. The mosaic depicts the animals and activities that make the Adirondacks what it is. It was artist Kate Hartley’s idea to turn this 180 foot concrete wall into a mosaic. She had the help of over 700 volunteers including students from the area and visitors, so this was a community project.
Overview
I could not get pictures of the whole wall. There were cars parked in front of it. Below are the sections I could get. The rest I took closer pictures of sections of the wall.
Activities
They did a great job picking out activities that one can do in summer in the area.
Hiking
There are a lot of mountains to climb in the Adirondacks.
White Water Rafting
There are white water rafting trips out of North Creek on the Hudson River.
Kayaking or White Water Kayaking
You can kayak calm waters of lakes or ponds or kayak white waters in the Adirondacks.
Tubing
There are places that bring you there and pick you up where you end.
Camping
There are many places to camp in the Adirondacks. Some you pay a fee, others that are more wilderness sights are free. Some can only be accessed by canoe, kayak or boat.
Canoeing
Like kayaking, there are calm waters to paddle on and not so calm.
Wildlife
Moose
Moose are seen the Adirondacks. I saw my first (NY) one last year crossing a road early in the morning. By the time I stopped my car and picked up my camera it was on the other side of the road into the woods. This was north of Tupper Lake.
Great Blue Heron
Common on many types of water. They move around and fish on lakes, ponds, streams, etc.
Black Bear
Black bears are frequently sighted in the Adirondacks.
Pileated Woodpecker
Loon
Common Loons are on almost every lake and pond large enough to take off on and have enough fish.
Again these pictures do not represent the entire mosaic. I love seeing artwork like murals and mosaics. It is always a bonus to find out it was a community project. I think this mosaic did a great job representing the local area. If you are skiing Gore in Winter or White Water rafting the Hudson River, stop by and check out the mosaic. It’s Purely Adirondack.
Do you need something to do this weekend? About 1.5 hours north of NYC by car is New Paltz, N.Y. Head to the New Paltz- Woodstock Craft Show at the Ulster County Fairgrounds.
This event run the entire Memorial Day Weekend. There is plenty of parking in the fields across the street. The rural road the fairgrounds is on does not get much traffic, so crossing with the fairgrounds staff is safe.
As with other craft fairs this event has food and drink vendors and many arts and crafts vendors under tents. At events like this, I have found the arts and crafts people are not always keen on having photos taken of their products, so I only included the one below.
Window with a Mason jar imbedded in it.
Bar Fiore
Bar Fiore is a fresh cut flower bar fashioned from a horse trailer. They told me they get their flowers from two farms in the Rochester area. I picked out a few flowers and had them pick out the others and they arranged them into a bouquet I gave to my mother. Bar Fiore can be rented for private events. Their website is http://www.barfioreflowercity.com.
Dragonfly allowed you to sample their products. I bought the cherry amaretto. I loved their display. I believe they had two choices with some heat to it. Dragonfly is based in Youngstown, NY.
Mina Saffron carries saffron from Afghanistan. Saffron is a spice, but it has health benefits. It benefits the nervous system, the immune system and metabolism which may lead to weight loss. The family selling the product at the booth are recent refugees.
Some other vendors
Be Still is carrying handmade soaps and all natural mosquito spray. They have soaps such as Berry and Activated Charcoal and Tea Tree. They are based out of Pleasant Valley.
Horton House Scone Company makes gluten free baked goods. They had scones, muffins and some other items. They are based out of Amenia, NY.
La Shot Photography is a repeat vendor at the event. He carries prints, framed prints, and canvas prints from England, Ireland, France and other places. I am partial to his images of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, England and others the Cotswolds region of England.
You can buy tickets at the gate. This event happens twice a year at the same location: Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. It is a great event to attend and there are many other things to do in the area. For more information click on the link below:
I hope everyone is fairing well with the recent cold weather and in some cases blizzard conditions experienced in the US and Canada. I hope all those without electricity or heat get it restored soon.
I decided to try to make some fun images. The above is one of them. I will make two separate posts tonight. Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanza! Happy New Year!
Do you like murals? Do you like animals? One type of expression in the artsy town of Beacon, NY to see are some of the murals around town. The ones pictured below are on one building in a park. Three were taken on a cloudy day as they appeared better photos than the ones I took on a sunny day.
My personal favourite. I am partial to owls.
These are part of a community project led by the artist Joel Pimentel. I think the artwork is very well done. I hope you enjoy it.
FoxWolfI am guessing this is a llama.
Which one is your favourite? I love all of them. I like the owl one best because it is, well, an owl. Need I say more?
There is more than wild horses on the beach at Assateague. Every Tuesday during the summer at Assateague State Park they have Tie Dye Tuesdays after dinner and before dark. This is one activity the whole family can take part in.
Rubber Banding It
First you buy a shirt from the park at a nominal fee or bring your own. Next, you get the shirt wet under a faucet. Then, they have a printed guide on hand with examples to show you different patterns you can make via tie dye and how you would arrange the shirt and band it.
This was one of the ways to band the shirt.As you can see this one was more in a circle kind of shape.
Applying the Dye
You can either use a squeeze container filled with dye to squirt on the fabric.
Or you can dunk all or a portion of the shirt into a bucket filled with dye.
If you fill in the gaps with as much dye as you can you are more likely to have less white in your final product.
They had the option after you bought their shirt of having an Assateague 2022 stamp applied to the shirt.
The end result. What a cool shirt! It appeared fun was had by all who participated. If you are camping at the state park side of Assateague, Maryland, try Tie Dying a shirt on Tuesdays. It is a colourful way to remember your stay.
What are barn quilts? Barn quilts are usually involve a large board or piece of metal that is painted to resemble one block from a quilt. These are hung on the sides of barns.
Many places have barn quilt trails with maps you can follow. The province of Ontario has barn quilt trails in several areas throughout the province.
Don’t ask me where this group was specifically. I was following the GPS from Forest, Ontario near Sarnia going east towards Toronto. The GPS did not take me back to the major highways running east towards Toronto until somewhere west of London. I think one of the roads was Elginfield. I believe it is the North MiddleSex Barn Quilt Trail. I do not think all the barn quilts are pictured on the website.
Double Poppy at the Hueston Biduke Farm on 98 Main Street, Ailsa Craig
For more information this website shows you where the barn quilt trails are in Ontario, Canada:
Monger’s Market is a vintage warehouse in Bridgeport, Ct. It is only open on Sundays. It can be closed on Sundays that are holidays. They have a variety of items you can see on their Facebook page. Some items are new while many are vintage or repurposed. These are just some of the items that caught my eye.
It appears to be modelled on an 18th Century outfit for a Scottish Highlanders regiment.. The socks resemble those of the 42 Highlanders. Feel free to correct me though if you know otherwise. This was actually in the neighbourhood of 3 feet high. This is fancier than most antique phones I have seen.A very unique locker lampOld bed twin bed head and foot frameI really loved the colours on this lamp base.Old Camera- I had to take a picture of this!
Parking
They have a small lot on premises and there is on street parking. I have heard it is better to get their early to get a parking spot.
Overall I would say this is worth a Sunday trip. Check their website or facebook page to make sure they are open or view some of the items they have.
I found this sign in Kingston, NY. It was in front of a donut shop next to a barber shop. It is a play on words using the actor Christopher Walken’s name. I love it when shops have unique signage. Don’t you?
Happy Fall! I bring you hay bale art from New York. The minions are standing up for the pumpkins this year. They also want Dunkin Donuts to bring back Butter Pecan. Go out and enjoy the decorations! I think you will be surprised how creative your neighbours are.
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