Outlaw Art

[Davey Do]

A few years ago, I was riding my bicycle out on the country hard road when a dog ran out in front of me causing me to crash and get injured. A nice lady stopped and offered to take me home where Belinda took me into the ER.

I learned the lady's name was Diana that and that she lived a few miles up the road from me. She said she had seen me lots of times riding my bicycle. I figured that I might see her again, while riding my bicycle, to graciously thank her for her assistance, but months went by and I didn't see her again.

 Since I knew she drove past the road that I live on, I posted a sign on a utility pole with a bicycle wheel on it that read THANKS, DIANA!

Some time later, Diana stopped me on the road while I was riding my bicycle and said she had seen the sign. "I didn't think you'd remember my name!" she said. We had a nice chat and I felt as though the circle had completed itself.

I got to thinking and asked myself, "Why not post other signs up on the utility pole for others to see?"

So, every season, I posted a sign. This is a cartoon version of the Summer sign:

 

 

To be continued...

 

[Davey Do]

On the South side of my property, in the woods and across a ravine, is an old dump. Over 40 years ago, a driveway followed the treeline and people would drive out at night and illegally dump on what was my Dad's and the next landowner over's property. 

 It was an accepted thing, like stray dogs and lovers as in Bob Seger's  "out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy", people would dump their unwanted.

Eventually, the driveway was plowed under for extra farmland and the dumping ceased. My Dad gave me the two acres with the dump back in 1987. Oh, except for the dump, which cannot be easily seen, it's a beautiful piece of rural property that overlooks a valley where two creeks run.

Since I retired last Spring, I sometimes wander around aimlessly on my property with my two dogs. One wandering episode took me to the dump where I found a virtual motherload of rusted metal. Old water heaters, wheel rims, refrigerators, stoves, car parts, swing sets, barrels, trash cans and the like were waiting there for me to make art with them. I love rusted metal!

About once a week, I police the roadway that runs through the valley for litter. An idea for a sign on the utility pole was inspired.

 

 

To be continued...

 

[Davey Do]

I know of a water heater whose metal skin rusted into the basic shape of the state of Illinois!

[Davey Do]

18 minutes ago, Davey Do said:

About once a week, I police the roadway that runs through the valley for litter. 

[Davey Do]

I've been putting up signs on the utility pole for about three years now. Staying on a MN schedule, I would usually change and put up the signs on my days off at daybreak, which was late for me.

So, for years, I never got any feedback on my signs as there is very little traffic out here in the country at daybreak. Since I've retired and am on a day schedule, I usually work with the signs in the afternoon and a few cars will drive by in the 15-20 minutes it takes me to change them.

Nearly every car that passes while I'm working on the signs will stop and say something about the signs! From big burly guys in pickups to ladies in cars.

Yesterday, as I was putting up my metal snowman, made from rusty metal to signify the Winter Solstice, two people stopped. Sure enough, A big burly guy in a pickup said, "I really like your 'no littering trash can'. Maybe people will litter less out here if they see your sign!"

And a lady in a car said, "I always look for your signs on my way home from work- they brighten my day!"

I'm going to do my art whether I get good feedback on it or not. But it feels good in knowing that others appreciate my artwork!

[Davey Do]

I have a neighbor/friend who is a State Trooper. Last Summer, he stopped on his way to work and helped me deal with my '51 Chevy pickup that had capooted out near his driveway. In gratitude, I made him a sign he wanted for his driveway.

He and I were chatting later on and I asked him if it was illegal to post signs on utility poles. He replied, "Well, technically it's not legal to post signs on utility poles, but people do it all the time- usually for yard sales and lost cats- and the utility company looks the other way". Then he said, "I don't know who posts those signs out here, do you?" (wink wink, nudge nudge)

I was a little concerned about breaking the law. I have a neighbor who doesn't like me and has gone out of his way to give me a hard time. I could see him filing a report just to spite me.

But something happened last year which eased my mind: A car crashed into the utility pole holding my sign and broke it in two. I was on my way to work one evening when I passed the the utility company putting up a new pole. I stopped and chatted with one of the workers who informed me of the crash.

At the time, my Summer sign was on the pole. I thought, "Well, there goes my sign".

When I returned home the next morning, there was the new utility pole  with my sign on it! The utility workers had put up a new pole and had used the same large lag screw that I had used to hold the sign and put it back!

So, in a sense, a representative from the utility company who owns the pole, through their actions, was giving me permission to post my signs!

This action was reinforced recently when the utility company did not remove the old broken in two pole- they merely sawed off the splinted section and left a bare pole that serves no purpose!

No purpose other than to hold my signs, that is!

The pole looked rather strange just standing there with anything atop of it. So I took an old hard plastic pot, fashion and painted a metal sculpture, attached it to the bottom of the pot, and gave the pole a top!

 

 

[Davey Do]

On 12/19/2020 at 3:04 PM, Davey Do said:

My Dad gave me the two acres ... it's a beautiful piece of rural property that overlooks a valley where two creeks run.

And across those two creeks are bridges. Some Summer nights, young people will party on the bridges and spew graffiti. 

Now, I kind of like graffiti art, but I needed to let those young people know that graffiti is illegal!

[Daisy4RN]

On 12/20/2020 at 11:21 AM, Davey Do said:

I have a neighbor who doesn't like me ...

Some people just have no taste what so ever!

 

On 12/20/2020 at 11:21 AM, Davey Do said:

When I returned home the next morning, there was the new utility pole  with my sign on it! The

 

On 12/20/2020 at 11:21 AM, Davey Do said:

, in a sense, a representative from the utility company who owns the pole, through their actions, was giving me permission to post my signs!

I love it when things like this happen, when  good things happen to good people!

[Daisy4RN]

This is a painting I did as a kid in the early 70's. The inspiration was the book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". It is about a seagull that strives for independence, flight, and to be one's self in light of what the rest of the flock thinks. It speaks to the emptiness of materialism, the need to accept others regardless of differences, and the need to always and continually strive for and choose love. The original book was first published in 1970 with 3 parts and the author later added a 4th. I think we would all do good to follow these principles. I gave the painting to my Mama because she also liked the book (she read it first) and later got it back after she died. It is special to me.

[Davey Do]

OUTSTANDING!

 Not only your painting, @Daisy4RN, which is exquisite, but the story behind it! I mean, really, that is a great piece of artwork! Your clouds and feathers are great! And your work came back to you after it was given as a gift of love! Makes me think  of The Beatles' Abbey Road "The End".

Richard Bach is one of my main men. Illusions is a fav and one I oft quote from.

Please allow me to recall the story of my first real exposure to Richard Bach:

I had just spent a rather harsh Winter of '81 living in a cabin, sometimes snowed in and not seeing or talking to another human being for as much as a week. The property was sold and I had to move out that March. 

I was 24 years old, single and directionless, so I accepted an invitation from a friend in Brooklyn NY to come and visit. I met a lovely young lady on the train from Anomaly to Chicago. We talked for hours and she asked me, "Have you ever read Illusions? I replied that I hadn't and she said he'd send me a copy.

I told my NY friend of the meeting and she said, "I have a copy of Illusions you can read"!

Daisy, I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that I believe you are my cosmic sister!

And thank you so very much for sharing your art!