Customer Reviews

On the Ball

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say. The "art" of bowling has even been popularized with the recent exhibit of decorated bowling pins in Reno. Finally, however, someone outside the bowling world appreciates our sport and is telling us that a bowling ball can be a very beautiful thing.

Bowling ball mailbox posts and garden borders made of bowling balls are not completely out of the realm of the ordinary, and most bowlers know that in a pinch an old bowling ball makes an excellent door stop. At times, people have joked about bowling balls becoming boat anchors, although I've never seen one in practice. But now a book exists that takes creativity with bowling to a whole new level.

The book, "On the Ball," is a photographic collection from over 80 artists using bowling balls in an assortment of ways. Ranging from the practical--converting a bowling ball into a waffle iron--to the artistic reaches of mosaics, oil painting canvasses, and sculptures . And long before Ebonite envisioned its Eyeball, a Grand Rapids artist covered a bowling ball with literally thousands of the googly eyeballs that are de riguer in elementary school craft projects.

The story behind the book is simple: A Florida couple challenged friends and fellow artists to create the artistic pieces from balls found at yard sales. Artists Todd Ramquist and Kiaralinda, and their home-based Bowling Ball Museum will be featured on The Discovery Channel this fall.

Indeed, if this book makes its way through the bowling community, Todd and Kiaralinda will have old bowling balls arriving from folks all over the country. Or perhaps a few creative bowlers will go through that hall closet and find new uses for the retired members of their arsenal.

Mind you, this book isn't going to help you convert ten pins, or average 200 on any condition, but for the bowler who has everything, here's a coffee table book worthy of our sport.

I just think this was a very inventive and colorful book. As an art lover, and one who likes to bowl, i just thought it was clever how each artist created something out of the bowling ball. it is something to have on a coffee table that creates conversation and is fun to look at. I think it makes a great gift.

THis was not what I expected at all. It had weird art in it and was NOT a book of ideas for bowling ball crafts. Very boring. Huge waste of money. I would not even consider anything in here "art".