Mix It Up

Since Erin had asked about the birdbath thingy a couple posts ago, and someone else gave me the word "eclectic" in the word post (I'm on a roll, huh?), I thought I'd combine the two ideas for a post.
Some of my favorite schools of thought in design or art would be Japanese and Craftsman but when it comes to decor, indoor or out, it winds up a very eclectic mix.  You can see traces of those influences though, in what I end up dragging home.
The birdbath above is actually a large platter made during my college years.  One of the few surviving pieces from then.  If you look closely you can see it's warped pretty fair but the birds and bees don't seem to mind.
I like to keep some of the stumps from trees we cut because I think they make the perfect pedestals for display.

The object here on top of the post is an old handmade anchor, from the days when some of my land was a lake.  We plowed it up at some point; I can't remember if it was when we were putting in the drive or the garden or what.  I've found a number of peculiar objects like that.  Old leg traps, fishing lures, horse ties and shoes.

Many of the objects are cast-offs from jobs I worked on.  I especially like old stonework.

I don't normally buy mass produced, slicky yard art but I though this was kinda cute.  Allen has always accused me of being an old crow too, because I like shiny things.  Plus, it moves, so I like that.

I have a few remains from the little farm I grew up on.  I actually remember using this old grinding stone to sharpen an axe once when I was young.  The barn burned down years ago and I tried to salvage what I could of the old plows and such.  Maybe turn them into sculpture one day.

Another job cast off.  Suns are a recurring motif around here. 

Job cast-off turned art.  This is one of my very favorites.  I like the simplicity of it.

More sun.  I need to add more colored glass beads.

This is a new antique/ junk store acquisition.  I must remove the hideous paint some ding-dong decided it needed.  Then it will be good.  I would really like to make a mold of this one so I could produce more but the undercuts in it are troublesome.  I do have some rubber mold making compound but not sure it's enough to do this, as it's about a foot square.  Hhhmm, I have to think on that.

I have a number of these of various species.  I need to group them all somewhere as a collection.

Various things picked up on travels.

One of the best thrift store finds I ever made.  She's a favorite.

Fat little bunny.  I like any kind of animal statuary.  Unless it's real cutesy crap.  And oddly enough I don't have any chickens.  I do have an idea for a chicken sculpture though, so maybe I'll do that.

Homage to the dragonflies.  I try to make them feel welcome you know.

There are actually a few more pieces and I'm always on the look out for new finds at garage sales and thrift stores.  People get rid of some of the coolest things.  I love to decorate in the gardens as much as in the house and it's always a fun game to me to try to find new and unusual treasures from odd places.