thieves market ramblings

Cave Creek, AZ. I discovered this morning just how many creatives are out there in the most unlikely places. The Thieves Market, held the first Saturday of the month in Cave Creek, is a mixture of yard sale crap and aspiring designers. For example, there was a great display of what looked like a combination of Hawaiian and Maori masks. The two 'amigos' selling them sat in their lawn chairs (decorated with every bumper sticker imaginable) wearing those lovely little straw hats that look like the roof on a mud hut.... Shorts that could have been classified as 'capris', sneakers undone, eyes hidden.... Turns out these guys were both construction workers and hated seeing the wasted concrete at the end of the day. They'd scoop it all up, put it in the back of their truck and take it home and create 'masks' by hand! All very original and just plain fun.

Another tent had wonderful contemporary pieces in stainless steel or aluminum (no clue - one of those things a guy would immediately know - they lick it or smell it and can tell you the material). All I know is that it was shiny (ok, sometimes I'm attracted to shiny things...). He had created fabulous swirls (using some type of manly machinery, I'm sure) and burned areas that created some interesting patterns, colors and designs. Really awesome pieces. I got talking to the guy and asked him if he had a card. Yup - all it tells me is he does landscape design and installation.... 'Nah, I just do this on the side for fun - leftover materials and all that....'. Geez, another construction guy with a green and creative side.

We move on. There's some folks just setting up in another area and a sign that said 'Creative Old Farts' (really) so after some raised eyebrows, my cousin and I wander over. You have to realize this is Arizona and sometimes these things are literal. This guy is a blacksmith - and had a portable fire set up and was busy working away (in this heat...?!!). Now this guy has a website (www.desertratforge.com) and is having a blast with the folks gathering to watch him. You know, this is the kind of stuff that inspires......