Artistic Inspiration

Back in August, I introduced Brendan to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. About every third Saturday of the month, the Screenland Theater on 16th and Washington features the show and a group called Fishnets and Floor Shows acts it out in front of the screen. From then on, Brendan was hooked, and I had a new-found love for the show I had originally seen for the first time some 25 years ago.

Through RHPS, Brendan met some new friends affectionately called "The Rocky Babies" by the cast because they are around 15 years old and never miss a show. So last night, I dropped Brendan off at one of his friend's homes who lives very near the Screenland, along with several other of the "Babies". I just love this artistic neighborhood and it wasn't until after I snapped these photos that Brendan told me one of his friends lives in this house. I just loved all of the whimsical garden art.

Tons of colored bottles strung on the fence.

These sculptures made me want to run right out and buy a plasma cutter, but alas, I must focus on a couple things at a time.

There are no mailboxes like this one by my house in Johnson County, unfortunately.

More great bottles. I bet they are radiant in the summer.

Corrugated metal (background) and rusty tin never looked so good.


Cool shop. It wasn't open, but I want to make it back to take a closer look.

And the homes themselves are awesome. Check out the tree house complete with protruding branches.

Some homes were very boxy and modern. I thought the cow skull was a nice touch.

My faves, of course, were those that had some old-world charm. Love the brick.

Another funky modern home that looked almost more like an office building than a single family dwelling. I had friends in this area years ago who built a really cool,white, modern square house on a hill overlooking downtown, but they have long since divorced and gone their separate ways. That house had 25 foot ceilings and lofts everywhere with cabling instead of banisters.


The chippy, blueish brick below was a show-stopper. Car-stopper, I should say. I think my family was embarrassed, but I would be flattered if someone thought my house was cool enough to take a pic and put it on a blog.



This may have been a school at one time, but I liked the mix of blond brick and old windows.

I love and appreciate artsy neighborhoods since mine is not one of them. I grew up in Leawood and even as a teen, I loved the allure and inspiration that came from Kansas City neighborhoods like midtown, Westport, the West Side, and Brookside, even if a home in these places is not in my future.