Really?

German toymaker Paraplush has designed a controversial new line of toys with an assortment of psychiatric disorders. The company advertises stuffed animals who suffer from a range of mental illnesses (bipolar disorder, depression, multiple personality disorder) and even come packaged with a personalized medical history and treatment plan.

"'Patients' from the Paraplush toy company include Dub the turtle with severe depression, Sly the snake who suffers from terrifying hallucinations, Dolly the sheep with a multiple personality disorder and a crocodile with an irrational fear of water,"

http://www.parapluesch.de/

http://theicarusproject.net/forums/viewtopic.php?p=183257

Thinking of the Fall

My daughter is on the verge of 11 and so "precocious" and growing up fast. She loves to hear stories about me at the same age. The crazy thing is that I was just the same - plotting my escape and imaging the wide world. She would like to move along, fall in love and be a cute cowgirl type. I was reading Andy Warhol's "Interview" and imaging a life in NYC where I would befriend some real, weird artists.

In Detroit we got Canadian television and radio, which was much more adventurous. This Fall video particularly I remember. It made me feel like, "Whoa, life is freaky and limitless"

What is fun to me now, on the saddest most unsatisfying day of my life I can remember that I have done almost everything on my to do list. (There is a whole new list now, but that is for later) Check the record.

The Fall New Big Prinz

Brandi Strickland - Today's Collage crush

http://brandistrickland.com/     www.paperwhistle.com

Out of Charlotte, NC

Collage Crush

http://www.warpart.co.nz/index.html
Warp Art - The collage Art of Peter Lewis

Look at these bad ass houses in Watts

http://wattshouseproject.org/wp/

The Watts House Project (WHP) is an ongoing, collaborative artwork in the shape of a neighborhood redevelopment centered on East 107th St., across from the historic Watts Towers in Los Angeles. WHP is driven by the vision of local families, artists, and architects who work collaboratively to reimagine the neighborhood through housing renovations and community activism.

i like this

Australian artist Kendal Murray has the amazing ability to create miniature worlds and unite with fashion. Taking the essential accessories like the clutch and the compact mirror, Kendal Murray has his little worlds invade their space.

*Swoon*

Do a web search for Swoon street art and you will find her. Or on the cover of art news. Beautiful work.

SWOON is a street artist from New York City who specializes in life-size wheatpaste prints and paper cutouts of figures. Swoon, real name Caledonia “Callie” Curry, studied painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and started doing street art around 1999. Swoon is also a member of the Justseeds Artist Cooperative.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swoon_%28artist%29

Jaina Bee Pencil House

http://www.jainabee.com/pencil.html

Looking online/looking ahead to summer. We need some cool projects to do as family to get excited about. This one is too extravagant, but I'm glad someone did it!

On the Radio, like Donna Summer

http://www.wvtf.org/news_and_notes/index.php?audio_id=1454 to listen to me speak like an expert about mental illness and stigma and the Firewalkers Project.