Larry the Squirrel - The Story
A couple years ago I was minding my own business at Joanne’s Fabric store and saw there was a 75% off sale sign over in the corner…. I saw Gnomes… I sauntered closer to take a look. I have a thing for Gnomes; the only problem is they are all too perky and happy. I have been looking for an angry Gnome or at least a sarcastic wise ass Gnome for my collection. No luck (I’ll have to make some of my own) but behind the cheerful hairy little men was a portly large garden ornament Squirrel. I picked him up and he looked to me like…a guy whose name could be….Larry. Yes, Larry the Squirrel before we made to the check out line. He had a crack in him and they took off even more at the register. The next day I fixed him up as good as new and decided to glue him as a hood ornament to my car.
Then a good Artcar friend Tom Kennedy died and I glued 450 tea lights to the car for his memorial, Candle Car…
The next season I replaced the tea lights with 650 Mylar pinwheels and a couple more Solar Squirrels to keep Larry Company. I debuted her in the Maker Faire 2009, named Squirly Whirly.
Shortly after, I stood in line all day at the San Francisco Opera costume sale, and ended up parking her overnight in The Haight Asbury where some tweeker street fuckers vandalized the car. Stole one of the solar squirrels and tried to tear Larry off the hood, but only cracked his tail half off. Poor Larry. He was messed up bad.
This year Larry has 20 new squirrel friends and 18 big solar lights accompanied by 165 hand made recycled aluminum can art pinwheels that I have fiber glassed to the car. I will be showing her at the Artcar Fest 2010 grand opening of The Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento CA, with a huge number of other amazing art car artists from all over the western United States and Canada.
Here is Larrys New Look! He almost has an Evel Knievel look don't he?
Look for him at the beach, he will be there soon!
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