Evidently, I've been mulling this question over in my subconscious. Just realized that I forgot to name my most BIZARRE altered project ever: an old tampon vending machine.

 Yup.

I've altered two of them for Vancouver's "Outsider Art In A Box" that dispenses insy-weensie pieces of art for $4. If I ever figure out how to post images, I'll do so :)

 

Hi Zura,

White Oleander is one of my favorite movies and I absolutely love the suitcases.  Thanks for reminding me.

Hey Bill,

I love your altered man post.  I think I'll do one for each of my failed relationships as a healing technique.  Thanks for the idea.  I'm going to have a whole army of men!  (OK, maybe just a basketball team of men). 

The weirdest thing I ever altered was my mind with my ever flowing imagination, and believe me, it can get pretty weird!  Ok, so when I was a teenager, there were these little tooled flowers on leather shoes and belts and purses.  My sister and I would borrow my brother's model car paint and paint the flowers with a toothpick so ours would be colorful.  We also used to paint rocks with mushy teenage girl stuff and have the little kids on the block deliver them to boys we had crushes on.  Never got a single date out of it, but it gave us something to do after school.  I think it really confused the boys.

Reinventing everything in site, that's what I call recycling.  Way cool! You go girl!

I've been reading some older posts and came across this fun one with different and unusual objects members have altered.  Altered art holds so many absolutely fantastic opportunities for being creative!  I find it very freeing as I'm not in 'perfectionist' mode when I get engrossed in an altered project.  Perhaps because the object just holds so many possibilities and it's totally up to me to make the change in it. I'm not sure why working on a pastel painting, for instance, can cause me to think and re-think it (sometimes to death) but an altered object seems to make me feel more relaxed.  Awwww, one of many questions the artist asks herself!

I wanted to share one of my favorite altered objects that I have worked on.  It was done three Christmases ago for my son, an avid heavy metal guitar lover.  He's played guitar for a number of years with one of his most admired musicians being 'Dimebag Darrell' who died shortly before I made the piece.  The guitar is called 'Heavy Metal Guitar: Ode to Dimebag' and is covered with all kinds of metal pieces: screws, washers, bobbin spools, a Canadian dime (for Dimebag), cotter pins, and other metal parts glued onto a child's electric guitar that I spray-painted with grey car paint. I also made a guitar strap out of metal chain and added a red guitar pick to accent the piece.  My son was thrilled and I don't think I've been more excited about making a gift for someone and waiting for them to open it.  And no, you can't play it - it's only for show!  I've also added a detail of it in the Creative Sparks Gallery.  I'd love to see what other musical pieces members have made for further inspiration.....

Hi chameleon, this is amazing, my daughter who has a guitar would love it, I know! I'll try to figure how where the Creative Sparks Gallery is to check out the details as you mentioned above.

You are very talented, also to even think of it. I think I'll have to think of something to alter to try my hand at it.

Great Job and what a wonderful memory gift for your son to have from you, something that could never be purchased.

(Hey, It just made me think of the macaroni and paper necklace I have hanging on my bedroom room mirror that my daughter made for me when she was 5 and in kindergarten, (she is now 26). But she smiles when she sees it, that I still have it after all these years. (I just got a thought, Maybe I can alter (add to it) and give it to her to continue to keep.) (I'll have to think about this!)  THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION!

I love the guitar, Chameleon!  I've seen painted violins and trumpets and saxophones welded into sculptures, but your heavy metal quitar is very unique.  I actually took a trumpet out of the garbage, but haven't done anything with it.  Maybe your work will be an inspiration.

I would be thrilled if both of you were inspired to make some altered art!  I'd think I'd died and gone to heaven if I happened upon an instrument like the trumpet you found, Bill.  You could paint it, collage it, add all kinds of things to it, stamp it, have all kinds of weird and wonderful objects coming out of it, photograph it, plaster it...... A friend from college actually took a full-size guitar and plastered it - turned out awesome.

The macaroni and paper necklace sounds priceless, Annamarie.  Obviously, it's a treasure that you'll always share with your daughter.  I, too, have kept many (an understatement) projects from my two sons (now 25 and 29) and love to look at them now and again.  I was disappointed that my mother kept very few things from my childhood although I do have an art 'portfolio' I made when I was in grade school. I'm betting that your daughter would be thrilled that you took the time, effort, and love to add to her creation, Annamarie.   

Any other ideas floating around, Artella friends?

- chameleon

I havn't altered any unique objects (yet) myself, but my hubby did a wonderful piece for me. He has a passion for shooting, and a couple of years ago altered a long gun in a very beautiful way - changed it to something very feminine. The wood stock was reworked to a natural pine, silver dragonflies and abalone shells were inlaid into it, and he even carved my name in it, in a very fine cursive. 

Occasionally he will show his love for me through something artful, and he's quite good at it.

~copper cat

Wow, copper cat!  Now that's a surprising and unique object to alter - it must have taken him hours to inlay abalone shells, I would think.  Can you post an image of it? A fun book to get the creative juices flowing is Altered Art by Terry Taylor. It's packed full of gorgeous images, helpful tips, techniques and even a brief history of altered art thrown in.  

- chameleon

I sure will! I have to get a better picture of it...the ones that were taken are dark. I'll have to ask dh how he inlaid the shells.

Oh that's great, copper cat!  A picture is worth a thousand words and I'll look forward to seeing your altered treasure.  Any other altered art out there in Artella Land that you can share with us. 

- chameleon

Hey Marney: I guess the weirdest thing I ever altered was/is two toilet seat rings into picture frames including portraits. I did this for our local radio station djs who kept reading red neck jokes. One they read is "You might be a red neck if you use a toilet seat for a picture frame...." so I made them each one. lol. Carol

Woohoo!  That is so funny, Carol!  We just watched a television comedy show with Jeff Foxworthy and three fellow comedians.  What a hoot!  Tears were running down my face, no kidding.  We're snap dab in the middle of redneck country here in Central Alberta, Canada so alot of the jokes kinda hit home.  Here's one for everyone:

You might be a redneck if.....

Taking your wife on a cruise means circling the Dairy Queen

I can just imagine their expressions when you presented them with matching picture frames.  Priceless!

~ chameleon