Fossil Fuels

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I went over to Collinsville, Illinois, yesterday afternoon for the annual Catsup Festival. This suburban town is home to Brooks Catsup, a local brand considered a delicacy by some back yard grillmasters. The company created the world's largest catsup bottle, disguising the plant's water tower.

I ran into Erika, the proprietress of The World's Largest Collection Of The World's Smallest Versions Of The World's Largest Things. The has a traveling exhibit of what I just said, collecting photos and miniatures along her way. She's from Lucas, Kansas, which is way out there. We've met at the festival before. Her vehicle (Kansas license plate ART CAR) is a celebration of gas-guzzling American life. She's a genuine original.

The World's Largest Collection of The World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things

Issam and Gigi were not the only interesting new friends I made last weekend. On Sunday, I drove out to the Illinois suburbs to shoot the Collinsville World's Largest Catsup Bottle Festival. (Check the link. This is too bizarre to explain briefly.) Collinsville claims to have the world's largest catsup (not ketchup) bottle, but actually it's a big fake, a model, over the Brooks Catsup plant. I plan to have it in a post in the next few days. Turns out there was also a great classic car and custom hot rod show, more about which tomorrow.

It was there I met Erika Nelson, a self-styled "outsider artist" who runs The World's Largest Collection of The World's Smallest Versions of the World's Largest Things, a stationary/mobile museum in/from Lucas, Kansas. Lucas is WAY out there on the remote prarie. I mean, my wife's family is from way (no caps) out on the prarie in north-central Kansas but Lucas is three hours further drive. She travels the country in her way-out mini pickup named Scout, attending odd arts events, for example, those involving giant catsup bottles. I'll try to have more pix of Scout on my Flickr site by the end of the weekend.

And if you're ever in the neighborhood of Lucas, Kansas, do drop by!

Scout's Left Rear Quarter Panel

WEEKEND PLANS: Wandering around the city-wide St. Louis artists studio open house and asking artists if I can take their portraits.

TOMORROW: Hot Rod Lincoln