Maker Fair 07 was Fantastic!!!

The Maker Fair at San Mateo Fairgrounds was a fantastic event. I was there for two days with the Mercedes Pens and the newest addition to my art car, the Blue Man Group Inspired PVC instrument on the roof. Visitors to the fair and especially kids added 400 more pens to my car. The outside is really close to completion, that means I need to find or make more space for more pens. The inside is next and the PVC Instrument on top will have more pens as well. Thank you to all who came by to see and interact with my car. Especially those of you who added your pens to it:) The PVC instrument was a hit and many of you got play with it.


Hood almost completed:)


Sunburst Shot from the inside of the car


Father and Son Duet

Making a Blue Man Group PVC instument


This weekend the Mercedes Pens will be appearing at Maker Faire 07 in San Mateo. I have been busy working on a Blue Man Group PVC instrument for the roof of the car. Its not ready yet, all I need are various lengths to be inserted on the top part. The side pipes are hit with a flat paddle, and that makes the tone. The idea is to make it look like giant pens sticking out from the roof of the pen car. I love the idea of a duel purpose art project.

Mercedes Pens and Friends at the Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival 2007


Here is a shot from the sun roof of the Mercedes Pens and the two other Art Cars in the parade.
This year I entered the Sebastopol Apple Blossom Festival 2007 with two other art cars forming the Sonoma County Art Cars. The three of us and got up at the crack of dawn and fired up our respective Art Cars and drove down to Sebastopol. We were there by 8:00-am and parading by about 10:30-am. It was hot and sticky and for those of us without AC, mainly me it was supper hot. We were synchronized art cars zigzagging all the way down main and throwing candy out the window.
If you missed this great event fear not, there is always the Forestville Parade June 2 and “How Berkeley Can You Be” in September for the more adventurous.

Mozambique Pens Glued to Mercedes Pens

I finally found a nice spot for the pens donated by the the boys from the Mozambique Orphanage. I had to remove a bunch of old and tired pens. I took the tape off and re-wrote the names directly on the markers. Just in time beacuse Saturday the 28th I will driving in the Sebastopol Apple Blossom Parade with the newly formed “Sonoma County Art Cars”. The parade starts at 10:00 am. Again thank you boys for the pens!!!

I am in the process of putting together my first “Pen Guy” show, that will be posted on “you tube” and directly linked to this site. My goal is to produce a by-monthly show about the mercedes pens and all things related, pens, art ars, how to, q&a, and featured pen of the week. let me know if you have any suggestions or send me a cool pen that you think might be a great addition to the car.