Beanstalk Sculpture

I have several things I hope to post here in the next few days--I'm always behind!--but I had to share this image for Jack and the Beanstalk week first. This one was gracefully shared by Gypsy at Once Upon a Blog. I had never seen it before and wish I could have seen it in person. The artist's website and information is in Spanish, a language I'm not adept with so I have nothing but the following description and a wonderful image to share. (Or is it Portuguese? See, really not adept.)

João Pedro Vale

"Beanstalk"

"Beanstalk", Sculpture made with nylon legs stockings, iron and wire scaffoldings, Variable dimensions
2004

Really quite magical, isn't it?

Beanstalk Sculpture

I have several things I hope to post here in the next few days--I'm always behind!--but I had to share this image for Jack and the Beanstalk week first. This one was gracefully shared by Gypsy at Once Upon a Blog. I had never seen it before and wish I could have seen it in person. The artist's website and information is in Spanish, a language I'm not adept with so I have nothing but the following description and a wonderful image to share. (Or is it Portuguese? See, really not adept.)

João Pedro Vale

"Beanstalk"

"Beanstalk", Sculpture made with nylon legs stockings, iron and wire scaffoldings, Variable dimensions
2004

Really quite magical, isn't it?

The Jack Tales Wall by Charles Vess

Continuing Jack and the Beanstalk week, I offer a link to an article and images of The Jack Tales Wall by Charles Vess. The 30'x50' brick wall sculpture is part of a campus building at Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands, Virginia. Many of you know Charles Vess as the illustrator of some of Neil Gaiman's work, such as Stardust, but his body of work is large and shouldn't be missed. Visit his website here. Or simply look at some of his other work such as Medicine Road by Charles de Lint and Charles Vess, The Book of Ballads by Charles Vess, and, coming soon, Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess.


From his explanation of the work:

Who better to represent the people of these four counties than young Jack, the hero of hundreds of lively tales, indigenous to the Appalachian mountains? These very tales that were brought by the Scots-Irish and German immigrants from Europe into the southwestern Virginia region during the mid 1700's. Much as the early pioneers adapted themselves to this mountain environment, so did their stories adapt along with them. Thus, tales that were first transmitted orally throughout the British Isles and written down by the Brothers Grimm in Germany, mutated here into stories with an intrinsically 'American' hero. A hero who possessed limitless optimism and a trust in his absolute ability to control his own destiny.

Be sure to click through to the full page to see several more images. I only used four of them here, but there are several more to demonstrate the scale of the project.

Halloween Costuming

October is here and will end with Halloween here in the states. Thus inspired, I did a search for fairy tale inspired costumes over the last few days in case you are needing your own inspiration for this month's festivities. I stuck with cute or fun and avoided naughty, so you're on your own for those. I also avoided the obvious Disney choices, especially the princess line. I don't think anyone will have a problem learning about those.

The first one pictured above is the Rubies Lil Frog Prince Costume w/ Sound Chip and one of my favorites, but there are plenty more.

Little Red Riding Hood Elite Collection Child Costume


Big Bad Wolf Costume

Little Pig Costume


And in keeping with Jack and the Beanstalk Week, wouldn't it be fun to wear a plaid shirt and jeans or a peasant style costume then add lots of vines for the beanstalk? Homemade is always fun for those who aren't time challenged. And greenery can often be found at the dollar store.

If anyone has any fun costume pictures to share, post below or send me an email. I hope to have a Halloween post of "real world" costumes to share at the end of the month.

I have to admit I've cheated over the years since I'm not much of a dress-up person. I usually stick with my Fairy Godmother t-shirt and blue jeans or something similar. I do have a pair of fairy wings, but they are very much a nuisance at a gathering, either getting damaged or damaging others. I should have chosen smaller ones, subtle ones, but no, I chose big, pretty blue ones instead. There had been plans for a traditional fairy godmother costume when the purchase was made, but that never happened.

The Jack Tales Wall by Charles Vess

Continuing Jack and the Beanstalk week, I offer a link to an article and images of The Jack Tales Wall by Charles Vess. The 30'x50' brick wall sculpture is part of a campus building at Southwest Virginia Community College in Richlands, Virginia. Many of you know Charles Vess as the illustrator of some of Neil Gaiman's work, such as Stardust, but his body of work is large and shouldn't be missed. Visit his website here. Or simply look at some of his other work such as Medicine Road by Charles de Lint and Charles Vess, The Book of Ballads by Charles Vess, and, coming soon, Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess.


From his explanation of the work:

Who better to represent the people of these four counties than young Jack, the hero of hundreds of lively tales, indigenous to the Appalachian mountains? These very tales that were brought by the Scots-Irish and German immigrants from Europe into the southwestern Virginia region during the mid 1700's. Much as the early pioneers adapted themselves to this mountain environment, so did their stories adapt along with them. Thus, tales that were first transmitted orally throughout the British Isles and written down by the Brothers Grimm in Germany, mutated here into stories with an intrinsically 'American' hero. A hero who possessed limitless optimism and a trust in his absolute ability to control his own destiny.

Be sure to click through to the full page to see several more images. I only used four of them here, but there are several more to demonstrate the scale of the project.

Halloween Costuming

October is here and will end with Halloween here in the states. Thus inspired, I did a search for fairy tale inspired costumes over the last few days in case you are needing your own inspiration for this month's festivities. I stuck with cute or fun and avoided naughty, so you're on your own for those. I also avoided the obvious Disney choices, especially the princess line. I don't think anyone will have a problem learning about those.

The first one pictured above is the Rubies Lil Frog Prince Costume w/ Sound Chip and one of my favorites, but there are plenty more.

Little Red Riding Hood Elite Collection Child Costume


Big Bad Wolf Costume

Little Pig Costume


And in keeping with Jack and the Beanstalk Week, wouldn't it be fun to wear a plaid shirt and jeans or a peasant style costume then add lots of vines for the beanstalk? Homemade is always fun for those who aren't time challenged. And greenery can often be found at the dollar store.

If anyone has any fun costume pictures to share, post below or send me an email. I hope to have a Halloween post of "real world" costumes to share at the end of the month.

I have to admit I've cheated over the years since I'm not much of a dress-up person. I usually stick with my Fairy Godmother t-shirt and blue jeans or something similar. I do have a pair of fairy wings, but they are very much a nuisance at a gathering, either getting damaged or damaging others. I should have chosen smaller ones, subtle ones, but no, I chose big, pretty blue ones instead. There had been plans for a traditional fairy godmother costume when the purchase was made, but that never happened.

Wonderland Exhibit

Found at Fairy stories come to life at Museum of Childhood:

KIDS saw their favourite stories come to life as an exhibition of contemporary artwork showing fairytales, myths and legends from around the world opened at the Museum of Childhood.

The exhibition includes work by East End-based printmakers inspired by well-known European tales, including much-loved favourites like Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm, and the Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen.

Around 50 artists from Hackney-based East London Printmakers are exhibiting their work at the museum in Cambridge Heath Road and visitors are able to create their own interpretations of fairytales to add to a mural.

You can read more about the exhibit and related activities at the Museum of Childhood website. There are workshops and activities planned for children, adults, and pairings of both.


According to the East London Printmakers website:

Our touring exhibition about fairytales, myths and legends from around the world has returned from the German Fairytale Museum in Bad Oeynhausen and the Brothers Grimm [Brueder Grimm] Museum in Kassel and will include work by 10 new artists.

The Printmakers site had a link for a catalogue but the PDF file was corrupted. I'm trying to learn more--perhaps get some imagery to share--and will post more if and when I learn more.

And this is yet another reason why I wish I was traveling to England this year.