Vancake

If you didn’t already know, I have a soft spot in my heart for vintage VW’s – Ghias, Vans, Squarebacks, Things, but particularly Beetles. I have an extensive collection of toy VWs, mostly Bugs, only a portion of which I have the room to display. Someday I hope to photograph my collection and post it. We just buy a beautiful new display case which lives in our front entry so several more of my friends can live out in the open. They love sharing the space with Maura’s robots too!

display case with robots and vw bugs

The observant amongst you will notice that the walls are a different color. It’s a bad picture taken at night with a flash, so the color’s not 100% accurate but you get the idea. We did that last weekend, it needed new paint and we decided to go with something a little different.

However, none of that was what I really set out to write about. What I wanted to share with you was this:

VW vancake

From the original post:

Volkswagen parts specialist Just Kampers teamed up with artist Andy Saunders to produce the World’s Lowest VW Bus – also known as the Camper. The 3-foot (1 meter) tall VW Bus entitled “Vancake” that’s fully road legal was created by Saunders and his team in just three days during this past weekend’s (July 18 to 20) Bug Jam festival at the UK’s Santa Pod Raceway. Apart from lowering the roof the team also applied a custom paint job and an electric sunroof.

I love seeing the modifications people have made to their classic VWs. It’s great to see them restored to their original condition, but some of the mods are very creative and fun!

Going to Nashville

Maura’s been working on some pieces for a show at Tag Art Gallery in Nashville and I think we’re going to try to make the opening! In the four years I’ve known her, we have yet to make it to one of her openings together. She’s been out in the studio a lot in the past two weeks, with the exception of last weekend of course) and she’s been doing a lot of super fun stuff! This is one of my favorites:

Day Of The Dead Dream

Visit her page on the TAG website for a preview of the work she’s displaying. Here’s more info about the show.

Another very cool piece:

A Look Inside The Robt World

I’m very excited about the trip. Nashville is an interesting place, but it’s also the first opening of hers that we’ve been able to attend! It should be a lot of fun!

No. 329 The Brat

Last November Jim Woodring posted a pen and ink drawing on his blog called The Brat featuring his characters Frank and Pupshaw. I commented on it asking him if it was for sale and now it’s on it’s way to our home! I can’t wait to see it in person! Jim Wooding is an amazingly talented artist. I love his aesthetic of surreal cartoon characters, and the bright colors he uses in his paintings are so vivid and happy! His work reminds me of the cartoons I grew up on and yet there’s something totally “other” about them. I like to look at them and wonder what the heck is going on.

I had bought Maura some limited edition plastic collectibles of Frank, Pupshaw, and Pushpaw a couple years ago. We’re excited to have an original work of Jim’s hanging on our wall!

Jim Woodring's The Brat

Jim Woodring’s The Brat

Sometimes you can judge a book by it’s cover

Neil Gaiman has finished his latest book and has book working with the talented Dave McKean to design the cover. he posted the version he and Dave are happy with, but the publishers still need to approve. I love the semi-final cover. The distressed type is great and the illusion in the gravestone is cool. The color and the texture of the background is great too, dark and somehow soothing. I can’t wait to read it!

Graveyard Book cover

Click image to see large version