Cracked Pots Art Show at Mc Menamins Edgefield

I finally made it out to Mc Menamins for the Cracked Pots Art Show.  It's held every year, and features art made from recycled materials. There's also some plants and herbs for sale.  Mc Menamins Edgefield is a magical place, and I can't wait to go back out there to sketch and paint. The Mc Menamin Brothers are famous in the Portland area for taking run down and abandoned buildings and turning them into showpieces featuring restaurants, gardens, movies and often live entertainment. This property at Edgefield was once a Poor House. http://www.mcmenamins.com/?loc=3 But, today it was a background to some amazing art.

 Art was displayed all around the property, so it was fun to just walk around the natural garden settings and imagine how a piece of art would work in your yard.  Believe me, there were several pieces that would have worked in mine, and I really was tempted at every turn!

 These charming glass flowers, Blooming Glass by Alex Hargrave, were made of metal and glass, and I regretted that I didn't circle back and purchase one. 

Chicken Coops are a big deal in our area, and there's often tours  http://www.growing-gardens.org/portland-gardening-resources/chickens.php to show off abodes for these barnyard fowl. Wouldn't these cute chickens by HollyArt be perfect for coop decor?

 The ground at Edgefield provide tons of 'eye candy' for artists and gardeners.  This is the doorway to their herb gardens.  Of course the water tower in the center  of the property is a real focal point.

 I loved the sea of umbrellas that shielded diners from the rare Portland sunny day.  Each property has it's own unique style, and in the background you can barely see the cool painted decorative towers.

 Lovely little secret places to explore...note the decorative finials at the top of the stairs near the on-site brewery.

 Around the show were lots of great tips to reduce waste and raise recycling awareness.

 

  I had to take one of these fun metal fish home for my beach garden!

  Love these metal fruit sculptures

 Another view of the water tower and the art that was everywhere.  There was a lovely place set up for lunch outside where you could order things like Hawaiian pork, Cesar Salads, and burgers, but I was having too much fun chatting to take pictures.  You meet the nicest people at these shows and two lovely women, Leona and Dee, kindly let me share their table.  It was fun to talk crafts and favorite books.

There was so much to see, I spent an amazing three hours checking everything out.  If you want more information, check out this link: http://www.crackedpots.org/index.html  I know I'll definitely be back next year.

This is the porch in front of the hotel. Back in my wedding photography days, this property was one of my favorite places to work. What a lovely place to relax and enjoy the view.