More Barca.

So just down the road from the rooftop of La Pedrera was the extended construction site that is the Temple De La Sagrada Familia. Quite amazingly Antoni Gaudi started construction on this amazing gothic piece in 1882 and work still continues today. Ive heard all sorts of finish dates for this project, maybe 2020 but no ones holding their breath.
Judging by the biblical ques outside the front door, Id think financially the building company wouldnt want to finish, really and if you take a look around, construction seems to roll at a very moderate pace and coming from an Australian, that must be a pretty slow pace indeed. But all good things hey........I suppose.

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Inside, nice cornice work there, Ant.

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Buenas Notches Barcelona

Seems Barcelona has turned into quite a tourist magnet, but its still a fantastic city. It was pretty warm while we were there so we usually only surfaced early in the morning and at night to find more good food and cool spots to do some nocturnal street drinking. 

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Antoni Gaudi                        

And from Biaritz it was just a short drive  down the road and across the border into Spain. Then into the town of Bilboa.
One of the reasons I had come to europe  in the first place was to visit a local gallery, the building its self is a piece of art, designed by a Californian I believe. Of course it is Frank Gehry's Titanium sheathed, Guggenheim museum.

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Thanks Peggy!

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That little spider sculpture out the front was recently installed in the turbine hall at the Tate in London, of which it positively filled the space. Just gives you some idea of the scale of this building. Look at the little dude walking under it. Inside the museum, there are many cool exhibits of course, none more so than the opening pieces of Richard Sera.

frank gehry musée guggenheim bilbao pt1

Jeff Koons puppy at the entrance

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And this little dude that seemed to be following us all over the place.
I think he said his name was Alan or Woody or somthing like that.
Anyway he was always talking to us, but often saying nothing, I think secretly he liked the sound of his own voice.
After several weeks of him just popping up unannounced I was getting a little anoyed, he seemed to be becoming a little too interested in Scarlett as well.

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Now this is Art.

From the streets of Buenos Aires.

Good one Wayno.

The elusive Chuck.

What is it that draws me to "the chuck out". And why does it now take place in Winter.
I used to look forward to cruising around my hood, lookin to pick up forsaken treasure on the side of the road.
I used to know when it was all to go down, id be well informed. Damn I thought I was street!
But alas I must be getting old and slow.
It could have happened without me knowing when I traded my perfectly built 67 Kombi for Burt my 61 deluxe.
Yeah thats it, i am now too chicken to slide dirty chuck out shit into him. Oh dear what would happen to my bus karma, if I ripped his headliner while squeezing anouther trashy table or garden chair id found on someones verge in through his narrow rear door. Yes thats it, its evolution, I have evolved past the stage of recycling other peoples rubbish to an extent that im now just to concerned about messing up Burts 45 year old interior.
But why is it now all held in the Winter months? We all know us Perth folk are so shit scared of any kind of weather. Could it be that the authorities know this and have planned it this way, so they can keep all the road side gold for them selves? Those cheeky greedy little buggers!
But have no fear, cos I have none either.
On we go, rain or shine. Burt will earn his keep.

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And then a perfect tressell table to sit down at for lunch.
Arrrrrr!

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Famous words from a famous architect.
Mr Philip Johnson passed away in 2005, since then a selected few have been allowed to visit his Glass House in the USA.

And you think its cool to have an open plan bathroom huh?
Pfffffff !

Marquette's

So now that the Outlaw Barndoor is near as damn it finished, my thoughts are heading towards other directions.
I do dig metal fabrication and welding and just generally bangin on the steel.
So with that in my mind ive decided to start some investigations in shape.
Miniature at first, but u gotta start somewhere.
Already I can see these little guys in steel and bigger than me.
Oh yeah!!!

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Fueling around

I wont bore you with yet another post on fuel tank draining or leaky fuel pumps or carby rebuilds.
That'd be stupid.
How bout something nice like lights and aluminium trim
Yeah thats more fun.

Flying tourbillon

Damn! and I thought it was a bugger to re-tap the holes in pop out frames!

Thanks to Bishopthirteen

Oh is it hot yet?

Well to say we've had a warm Christmas season down here at Outlaw HQ would be a bit of a understatement.
The unfortunate thing is that all things Barndoor have slowed just a tad. Productivity has slumped to a all time low, while the gentle sport of watching the cricket( including just a little lounge chair coaching for the Aussie batsmen) and sipping various bottles of cold  amber has succeeded in works place. This should not be seen as a lack of interest in reaching my goals, oh how contraire!
Oh no, definitely not, Ill be back in the shed, just as soon as ive polished off this stubby !

So the silly season is generally sprinkled with the ritual of passing (out) gifts to friends and rellies.
Only, of course after you have met head on and successfully navigated the hoards at your local unacceptably large shopping centre to first purchase said exchangeable gifts.
Subsequently,I have received some great trinkets. My sis gave me an early sixties Microbus deluxe sales/promo catalogue. What a gift, just fabulous art work and exceptional design and print quality.
My little bro Nathan, dropped a copy of Mark Frauenfelder's book 'Rule the Web' on me . Which is the be all and end all, of text's for  workin the interweb from the man that  brought us Boing Boing  ,"A directory of wonderful things".
No doubt Nat thinks I could use some pointers on internet etiquette! What a great book for us learner web users.
And lastly from my delicious Scarlett, a great book of Antony Gormley's work, with many pictures and interviews with the artist, his work is spread world wide. Even here to outback West Australia, an installation in the dry lake beds close to the goldfields town on Kalgoorlie. I have wished to check this installation out for a while now. Possibly with the  Outlaw Barndoor finished soonly, we can then zip out to the site this coming winter for a quick squiz.

And my house has turned into a sort of sweat shop. Not because it is hot (cos it is) but because Nat is flat out making hundreds of coin purses for sale at the upcoming SouthBound Festival.

Just In!

Had my freshly slammed high roof delivered today.
After much tubbing, cutting and glueing, not to mention a hell of a lot of clearancing, she rolls along quite nicely.

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Cupboard of eMDeeff

A few years ago I built this cupboard. To this day, I still have no idea of my inspiration, but for my first furniture piece

was quite chuffed with the final outcome. Though as is usual practice down here at Outlaw HQ, it was never quite finished. Inside it was bare, so it did need lining or at least painting.

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Any way my lil sis was having a birthday this week and she had always liked that old blue cupboard of mine. She had offered to buy it off me in the past, previously, but with a mortgage and a new arrival on the way, well what are ya gonna do?
So with the big day approaching fast, I extracted the digit and took the thing apart and painted the inside and threw it all back together, just in time to deliver it to my grateful sister exactly one day after her birthday. Perfect!