Day 3461: Rainbow Village.

 

"Karen": photo, digital collage.

 

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Click here for Don Ho, I'll Remember You.

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2GN2S ...

86-year-old painter saves neighborhood from demolition by turning it into a 'Rainbow Village'

'There are many things that I can't do anymore, but I can still paint. It keeps me healthy, and adding a little color can turn something old into something beautiful.'

When faced with the possibility of losing the neighborhood he'd called home for decades, a military veteran did something he hadn't done since he was a schoolboy: he picked up a paintbrush. What began with a single hand-painted bird on Huang Yung-fu's bedroom wall years ago, has since exploded to cover every inch of concrete in a former Taiwanese military settlement that was set to be torn down by the government. "Ten years ago, the government threatened to knock this village down," the self-taught artist told BBC. "But I didn't want to move. This is the only real home I've ever known in Taiwan, so I started painting."

Today, the village's paint-splattered streets attract millions of visitors from across the world to experience its whimsical world of tiny tigers, whiskered kittens, wide-eyed pandas, peacocks, dancing samurais, floating astronauts and kissing sweethearts. Every corner of the former settlement—now known as the Rainbow Village—is a vivid dreamscape inspired by Huang's childhood memories and imagination. "People who come here sometimes compare his art to Spanish painter Joan Miró or Japanese animator and film director Hayao Miyazaki. He just paints what he feels and what he remembers," said Lin Young Kai, a staff member at Rainbow Village who helps the village's elderly artist and lone permanent resident, affectionately known as "Grandpa Rainbow."

 

"When I came here, the village had 1,200 households and we'd all sit and talk like one big family," Huang said. "But then everyone moved away or passed away and I became lonely. ' But when he received a letter from the government, that summer, ordering him to vacate the village, he decided to defend his home with art. At the age of 86, Huang began painting his Taiwanese settlement into a real-life storybook featuring playful murals in kaleidoscopic colors.

 

  

 Although his health has deteriorated significantly in recent years, he is determined to take things one day at a time.

 

"If I can get up and paint tomorrow, I will," he said, sitting back in his chair and watching the crowds pass. "If I can't, I will feel good knowing that this place will stay and make others happy."

 

Update ...

Today was the first Eastside art group meeting in quite a while. It was so good to be together at Linda's idyllic home. We have eight of us when everyone is healthy and free. Today we had five. We were sorry to be missing Erin, Josie and Jeri.

Linda had us bring plastic bags, velcro, scissors and our lunch, as we would be ironing plastic bags into a fabric. There are a lot of youtube videos showing various procedures. 

There's a kind of magic when we are together, lots of talking and laughing and sometimes we get work done. I just realized that I could have taken more photos of our day, but then I do get distracted.

or a cute puppy for that matter. 

Meet Reba, Linda and Bob's pup. 

I tried to glean some of Reba's energy, but no luck.

 

Most everyone planned and made bags from the ironed plastic fabric. Libby Williamson, our fabric artist actually made a collage by ironing on additional pieces to her circles.

 

 

I was fascinated and tried to film her creativity.

 

 

and before long she was machine sewing the circles  using free motion stitches.

 

 

Isn't her work amazing? For me, it was 10 am - 2:30 pm day. Extra thanks to Linda and Libby did the set-up and a lot of extra time. A great day!

 

 

 

 

A great 1-minute video, commercial, here.

 

 

Just because ...

 

Grey Headed Kingfisher

 

 

Smiles for Wednesday ...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                               Thanks for coming by today.