Header Attribution

The header photo is a wall in the Depot Art District in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Les Lumieres


Any guesses?

I was shooting directly up
into a lit chandelier
in a mirrored
passageway
in a hotel in DC.

Light,
mirrors,
topsy-turvy,
carpet patterns,
columns, bannisters,
geometry, lines, bevels.

I did not use the flash
because of the mirrors.

Below is my unretouched photo.

I don't usually "adjust" the pics I post
except for a bit of occasional
creative zooming and cropping.

On this one I adjusted the brightness
to see if the mirrors on the ceiling and walls would appear.
They did, and
SURPRISE!
so did the carpet and columns and bannisters.

Fun.

And a little disorienting.




Taken on 15 November 2010.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Twin Fawns


Who could resist?
I'm so grateful for the sunshine
and that I actually had my camera
in my pocket.

'Twas a blessed, wondrous moment.

Taken 22 April 2011.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Fabric Pattern #6


Y'all can draw your own conclusions.
I like the colors,
and the way the pattern of the colors
in the weave
creates subtle illusions
of depth
and motion.

Hotel room carpet.

11 October 2010.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Teatro, Ybor City


Scenic, delightful
Ybor City,
Tampa, Florida.

Note the "Arturo Fuente" Cigar Factory Sign in the background.

Gotta love the "gaslight" retro globe lampposts.

Palm tree, blue sky,
brickwork,
terra cotta roof,
neon signage...

What's not to love?

Taken 2 August 2010.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Take a Dive


Eye-catching and beautiful already.

Now,
take a step back:




Focus on the dolphins:




Better angle:




Handmade wood mosaic inlay sculpture,
"Two Dolphins"

Awesome.

In the side lobby of the Monterey Conference Center

Taken 31 December 2010.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Local Landmark: Golden State Theatre


I have always loved this ornate facade.
Amazing that it has withstood the ravages of time and weather.
The Golden State Theatre
is eighty-five (85) years old this year.
Read more about this great building and some of its history HERE.

Taken on 31 December 2010.

Don't forget to zoom in - twice!

Monday, April 18, 2011

Street Art #13: Washington, DC


Spotted these wood carvings
out front of one of DC's
classic old brownstones.

There is a whole world
of conversation
inspiration
declaration
celebration
determination
motivation
toleration...


Taken on 18 November 2010

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Not a Full Deck


OK.
Brace yourself.
This could just be as silly as it gets.



A microcanyon
in the handrail
of the deck.
If you look closely
you can see
packed burros
tiptoeing
down to the river.

"What river?", you say.

Why, the
Kool-aid Addled River, of course!!

See...
Grand Canyon = Colorado River
Imagined Microcanyon = Kool-aid Addled River...


....hmmm.

I guess ya had to be there.

By the way,
don't forget to zoom in on this one!
There is a cross-hatch of spiderwebs
that is not visible until you
do the double-zoom.

Taken on 29 September 2010.

Friday, April 15, 2011

A Road Less Traveled... Lately

I'm taking a bit of a risk here
because I do not know the story behind the place
in the following photographs.
But I found the visual parable
SO compelling...




Below this broken sign
is a gate
closed,
chained,
locked.
And the view past the locked gate:



...a languishing path...

...to a house of faith:



A closer look reveals
broken windows,
failing shingles,
grafitti...



Is our world becoming
a wilderness of abandoned faith?


Taken 7 February 2011.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Up Against the Wall


X marks the spot
where this artwork
is being joined to the wall.

Moving out a bit....


Angular shot to capture shapes
and shadows.

OK.

Now, stand back:




Taken 7 February 2011.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

More Coffee?

AND NOW
FOR SOMETHING
COMPLETELY
DIFFERENT!




It's ground coffee
in the can
before being used.
Surprising the number of shades of brown,
the many sizes and shapes of the tiny chunks,
the interesting textures,
the mystery of focal distance,
and how easily you could
convince yourself
this is something
other than coffee.


ZOOM IN!!!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

New Day: Wharf and Marina


Had trouble deciding between these two photos,
so y'all just get both of 'em!


So many elements of these photographs
are appealing to me:
water, sky, clouds,
reflections,
boats and their masts,
rocks, plants,
lines, shadows, styles, details of the buildings...

And it all conveys a delicious, quiet sense of peace and joy.

>>>sigh<<<

Nice.

Taken 31 December 2010.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Splen-deer in the Grass


There are at least two deer
in this picture.
Can you see them?

Taken 11 January 2011.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Chair #2: Colorado Springs


A solitary, empty chair
out of context
is just SO intriguing
to me.

Who put it there?
For what purpose?
How many different people have sat there?
Why?
Why this particular chair?
Where did it come from?
Did it have a mate and a little coffee table that went with it?

Taken in Colorado Springs, Colorado;
19 July 2010.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Garden Grove Architecture

I decided
to make the Southern California architecture
posts
a threesome:



Within a stone's throw of Disneyland
is this eye-popping Glass House,
actually called "The Crystal Cathedral."



Note the "breezeway" in the pic above.


Sun setting behind the tower
surrounded by acolyte palms.


Tip of the tower -
very OZ-inspiring!

Sadly
The Crystal Cathedral
filed for bankruptcy
a week after I took these pictures.

Taken on 12 October 2010.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Cabazon Architecture


While I am on a Southern California architecture bent,
here is a snap of (part of)
the Morongo Casino
in Cabazon, California.

My wife actually snapped this
as we were zipping past it
on I-10.

I don't think
this cast iron, cast net canopy
is anything truly functional.
I think it is just art.

28 March 2011.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Anaheim Architecture


Maybe this one will help
Clint get his equilibrium back!

This is the Anaheim Arena.
Looks a bit like a Conquistador's helmet to me.
How does something shaped like this
sustain structural integrity and strength?
An architectural engineer's genius.

I was amazed at the clear blue sky!
Just a hint of the LA haze
at the tree line.

Taken 13 October 2010.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Fabric Pattern #5


A teeny bit out of focus
because of the low light...
this is a carpet
in a side lobby
at a DC hotel.

My imagination
really goes places
with this pattern.
Highways, macrame,
masks (big eyes!),
labyrinth, Escher,
noodles...

Taken 15 November 2010.