Ojo de dios

Top left, the one that started it all. Bottom left, my own camping creation.

A few years ago, we had this band staying at our house and one of the visitors made me a god's eye as a thank you. This token, along with a huge pot of bitchingly awesome chili, solidified their stay as one of the top strangers-sleeping-in-my-house events. Little did I know that it would set in place a series of events that would get me to where I am today.

So impressed my future-sister-in-law, Molly, and I were at this lady's handiwork that we took a camping trip to more or less make god's eyes. Sure we did other things, like throwing my brother's hat out the car as a goof (see below), but one of the key highlights was the creation of some god's eyes of our own.

This also happened on our trip to make god's eyes.

Hats make the best goofs.

Since then, I've even hosted craft nights with the sole purpose of making more god's eyes, and they've continued staying in my bag of tricks when it comes to needing some artistic inspiration. Just lately, I've been itching more and more to get back on my god's eye horse, wanting to combine the creation of many a beautiful god's eye with a mind-blowing selection of carefully crafted macramé goods, which, so help me god, I will make someday.

So this has been my plan for like, a really long time. Of course, as we all know, ideas don't matter much if you don't act on them. And I sure got a fire lit under my bottom when I drove by the old Yeti Records store front and saw this.

Dreams realized.

SAY WHAT!?!?! What hot young thing started an art gallery and decorated the shop window with god's eyes?! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, all my wild jealousy unleashed on whoever this fictional new gallery owner was. A little bit of interneting, however, and I found that my deepest, darkest dream was not being lived out by someone else. Rather, the old Yeti space is the current pop-up shop for local gallery SooVAC, and features all local artists, including the maker of the god's eyes, Joan Vorderbruggen. Joan is actually really awesome, having put together a fundraiser to get a Guerrilla Girls billboard up against the bogus Marriage Amendment earlier this year. In fact, you can read her (and Cult Status Gallery's Erin Sayer's) thoughts on the matter in this very special C.L.A.P. interview. So if anyone has to actually start making god's eyes, it can be Joan.

Actually, screw it! Anyone can make god's eyes! Let's all rejoice in the four elements, shall we?

Colored pencil sketches.

Big, permanent, smelly marker.

In the meantime, I am putting my pen to the paper and getting wild with it.