The Zen Cat (Z is for Zen)

It is amazing, that after waiting my whole life for the letter Z to be called, I would not use something I made to represent the letter Z in this A to Z challenge.

But it is true.

Yes today’s art comes in the form of…

The Zen Kitty.

 

I found him at the StoneGarden in Wilmington (sellers of stones, not growers of stone).

He was so peaceful that I had to have him for the herb garden.

(he was made by Designer Stone inc at http://www.dsgardenshop.com)

He now meditates over the pizza oven in the back yard.

Let me know what you think of him…

 

The A to Z challenge has been a blast …but I will be slowing down the blogs because I just don’t know enough to keep writing something interesting every day.

But I will still be looking for beautiful things around me …

and hope you will too.

 

See ya next time.

 

 

Y is for Yesteryear

Today’s letter in the April A to Z Challenge is Y for yesteryear.

My never ending quest for the art which is all around us had led me to spend a wonderful weekend in Valle Crucis NC with my wife and our best friends. As is our custom, we set out to find locations which celebrated yesteryear.  We love finding those places which hold wonderful history and deserve to be returned to life.

Here is one of the un-restored treasures of yesteryear that we thought was just fantastic.  What a great project this would be!

We also looked for places which had been returned to their original glory.

And boy did we find one!

                   The 1861 Farmhouse Restaurant

After seeing it, we immediately made reservations for Saturday night.

Oh, did we have a great time that evening!  The glamour of yesteryear was present for a casual, yet fabulous, dinner.

We were greeted by the owner, Alison Garrett, who told us a bit of its history and the story of how they revived this farmhouse built in 1861.  It took them two years of intense renovation to bring the house back to life as a fabulous restaurant and awarding winning winery.

The professional staff presented a wonderful meal, (I had the mountain rainbow trout. encrusted with fresh pecans, and served with a lemon and opal basil beurre blanc sauce and creamy fresh herb risotto… Oh my gosh!).  It was  complimented by a bottle of the Farmhouse’s own wine.

(You can see their whole menu here)

 Yesteryear was graciously represented by the 1861 Farmhouse.

And that makes it the Art for the Day.

Keep your eyes open for those places where brave souls have slaved long and hard to rescues an old treasure…and bring it back to glory,  like the Garretts have done with the 1861 Restaurant.

When you find them send me a photo.  I would love to share it with you.

Use the form below or email me at steve@stephenzmetaldesigns.com

Only one day to go, Z is tomorrow….

See ya then.

Olives X 18 (X is for Times… didn’t you take math?)

The A to Z Challenge is is almost over.  It has been a fun time finding art in the world around me and showing it to you each day.

Well today I am looking hard.  The letter is X  and I could not get the idea out of my head that x stands for xcitement.   As some of you may know xcitement does not start with an X.  so back to the drawing board.

Come on, I am an artist…I can get creative… well it took a while but I did.

Today’s art is Olives X 18  (that would be pronounced – olives times eighteen.)

If you are a lover of olives like my wife and I… you would understand why a fresh food market with this selection of olives is indeed art! 

So, that is the art for today.

 

If you think I have cheated or if you don’t agree…let me know.

You can comment in the form below or reach me at

Steve@stephenzmetaldesigns.com

 

See ya tomorrow…

Fancy Lawnmower Beer

OK, again I am stretching the alphabet but this is kind of wild.

I saw this beer recently and thought it was a wonderful mix of art and imagination.

And that is exactly what I am always looking for in the world.

Too often we try to be sophisticated and all proper.

When, in all reality, what the world needs is more of ….

                    St Arnold”s  Fancy Lawnmower Beer

 

Now I do have to say, I know nothing about these guys or gals at St Arnold’s Brewing Co.  Nor do I know the difference between the Fancy Lawnmower Beer and any Regular Lawnmower Beer (if that even exist).

I don’t even know anything about St Arnold (if he even exist).

But what I do know, is these folks sound like they have a fun time doing their craft and enjoy making others smile, with the beer… and their bottles.

So heres to St Arnold.  The patron saint of the art all around us for today,  and the letter W for Wild.

Let me know what you think or if you have a great beer logo to share.

Contact me at Steve@stephenzmetaldesigns.com

Or

Just use the form below.

Only 2 letters left to go.  But for now I am off to Google    St. Arnold….

Vintage Wood (V is for Vintage)

I love old wood… or most wood in general.

That is why you will see entries all the time, on my blog, about me visiting the older guy with the sawmill near my studio.  It is just beautiful to me. 

And then you add in the age factor!

That is where we are today.  I found a log which had been pulled out of a local creek during a very dry spell.  The old timer who pointed it out said it had been there as long as he can remember.

(and he was 90 years old).

We dried it for a while at the mill and then sawed it into boards.  I have had them drying in my studio for 2 years.

Well it is time to make something of them.

My first project is the seat of a bench.  Not just any bench… the bench of the signature piece for a solo art show I will be doing in the fall (more on that later).

Well, the seat is made and ready to go.  It has been treated with oil and is curing a little more, waiting for the next coat.

 

I thought it would ne the art for today.

 Just the beauty of the wood itself.

 

If you appreciate the vintage wood, I’d love to hear about it.

 Email me at steve@stephenzmetaldesigns.com

Or

Use the form below.

 

Oh by the way… this board has 240 growth rings from the center to where the edge is broken off!

Unknown Craftsmen (U is for Unknown)

When things were made back in the 20s the concept of making something interesting and beautiful was very important.  Here is an example of that kind of work.

This is the grill protecting a street level window of a building in Asheville, NC.

They could have just cemented round bars in this space… but no… they took the time to make something artistic in the blacksmith shop and add it to the house for style only.

I am thankful for these unknown craftsmen and their skills.  They made my day, when I saw the extra effort needed to make something mundane turn into something artistic.

I hope you enjoy seeing it too.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

contact me with the form below or

email me at steve@stephenzmetaldesigns.com

Travinia (T is for Travinia)

We have spent the past weeks looking for art all around us.  Well…

Today’s art comes in the form of something most would not expect…

FOOD!

Travinia is an “Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar” in Raleigh, NC.

They make great food and have a great atmosphere and staff.

But today’s art is not food or staff….it’s tiramisu!

It taste great, and looks great too.

Love it and thought I would share.

Check them out when you are in the Preston area of Raleigh.

If you think food can be art…let me know.

I can be reached at Steve@stephenzmetaldesigns.com

or with the form below.

hope to see ya tomorrow

.