Header Attribution

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

Friday, December 27, 2013

Concrete and Metal


No curves allowed.

It's just metal and concrete.
A utilitarian installation
hidden in the corner
of a much grander edifice
(the Anaheim Convention Center);
but the counterplay
of repeating straight lines,
light and shadow,
in neutral shades of gray,
is appealing.
It draws you in;
makes you want to explore.

Taken 13 October 2010.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Colorful Georgetown Townhouses


This cheerful little row of townhouses in Georgetown (DC)
might surprise the original residents.
Ya think?
These structures are probably at least 150 years old.
Who could have expected a Japanese Restaurant?
The one in the middle is the most eye-catching, though.
Painted with at least four colors;
and I cannot make out the name of the business;
and,
what's up with the STOP sign?
One wonders.

Taken 19 November 2010.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Bucks at the Buffet


Local bucks line up
to take advantage of
the all-you-can-eat buffet
generously provided by nature.
All natural,
100% organic.

Taken 11 January 2012.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Fabric Pattern #13


Here is a delightful, whimsical pattern
found on the cushions of some of the
chairs in the lobby of Portola Plaza.

I kept hoping to find one of the fish
swimming in the opposite direction!

Taken 7 January 2011.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Following the lights...


Here I'm sharing a little bit of experimental light-play.
Mix a foggy, damp, grey morning
with various light subjects
and you get this effect.
I like the abstract nature
(is that an oxymoron?)
of this composition.

Taken 5 December 2012.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Front Yard Mushrooms


Of all the front yards
in all the world,
these mushrooms picked mine
to show up in.

They were tiny.
Their canopies no larger than a dime.
Nestled as they were
among the pine needles,
the eucalyptus leaves,
and the mulch,
they were real
attention-getters,
practically screaming out
in their squeaky imaginary voices,
"Me! Me! Take my picture!"

So, you see,
I couldn't help it.

The voices told me to do it.






Taken 16 December 2012.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Union Hotel & Saloon


Here is the not-to-be-missed
in Los Alamos, California.


Check your guns at the door!





On the ceiling!




These shots taken on 29 February 2012.

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Cherry's #19



Taken 27 September 2009 at Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

IN-N-OUT


"IN-N-OUT BURGER"
A west coast favorite
for sixty-five years.
Blue skies,
sunshine,
palm trees -
and the iconic
logo-sign -
how can we resist?

Monday, September 23, 2013

Liberation: Growing On Trees


Cruising along Highway 198
on our way to Los Angeles,
we came upon
a most unusual sight.


A tree festooned
with undergarments;
mostly brassieres.


This would be
considered
rather strange
no matter where
one happened upon it.
But
displayed as it was,
out in the actual
middle of nowhere,
literally miles and miles
from any populated
settlements,
and clearly the work
- the very intentional
and somewhat time-consuming
(no doubt)
work of humans -
looking for all the world
like a fraternity prank -
this nevertheless struck me
as a kind of 
Pop Art,
seemingly utterly crass
and devoid of any socially redeemable
meaning,
yet still proclaiming
multiple levels
of interpretation
and psychosocial
commentary.

Oh.
And here's
a couple of shots
of
"the middle of nowhere,"
too;
taken while standing
right next to
"The Bra Tree."



I could go on for quite a while about this.
Is this littering?
How were these garments collected?
What time of day was this art "installed"?
How did they do it?
What prompted (inspired) it?
Why here?

As you might gather,
this was a highly
irresistible
photographic subject.

A few parting shots:



Taken 26 February 2012.


Friday, September 20, 2013

Fog on the Bay


Returning from
a whale-watching cruise
on Monterey Bay,
the harbor greeted
us with this surreal
conjunction of
sea and fog.
It was like being suspended
in a timeless bubble.
Truly, it felt like
we might emerge
from the fog
to find ourselves
arriving at a
Monterey
that was either
a hundred years ago
or a hundred years hence.
Exhilarating
and eerie.


Taken 30 December 2011.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Blue Wall #5


There is a point
just off the center off this photograph
where the lines
of the wooden slats
converge,
creating a slight optical illusion;
and all the
several shades of blue
conspire
to soothe the eye
and brighten the spirit
even while the
straight lines
enforce structure,
the shadows hint
at pending darkness,
and the peeling paint
professes decay.
The clear blue sky
promises purity,
simplicity,
and perspective.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Ripples


Often
we are able to
sustain an outward appearance
of serenity and calm -
or at least of
relatively unruffled
tolerance -
even when
our gut is
churning
with uncertainty and doubt
or
roiling
in reaction to external
disturbances.
But sometimes
the inner ripples
find their way
to the surface
and our demeanor
betrays our inner battles.



The top photo
was cropped from the one
immediately above,
which is a picture of the water
and part of a pier
at Fisherman's Wharf
in Monterey, CA.

Taken 30 December 2011.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Monterey Sunrise


It's just water vapor
in the sky
reflecting sunlight
as our side of the earth
turns again toward
our local star;
and stately oaks
greeting the sun's "arrival"
cast in two-dimensional
silhouette
against the lightening
cyclorama
of the morning skyscape.

That's all it is.

But the bruised hues
of this daily performance
are never tiresome.
They are always
beautiful,
breath-taking,
heart-swelling,
peace-inducing.


Taken 10 November 2011, from my front yard.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Chair #9


OK.
Technically, this is not a 'chair.'
It is what is generally referred to as a 
'love seat.'
Not a lot left to love
about this particular seat, though.
I have to say,
even at the height of
what might have been some
kind of fringe definition of
popularity
for this fabric pattern,
I would have found it difficult
to build a well-decorated room
around this piece,
which, by the way,
was probably accompanied by at least one
larger 'sofa'
and possibly an armchair and
an ottoman
...
with pillows.

Um.
Yeah.

Look closer.



Perhaps this 'chair'
has finally found a suitable home
in the WILD.

Taken 8 October 2010.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Liz, Andy, Monterey


This pre-dawn shot
captures a striking banner
of Andy Warhol's "Liz" (1964)
gazing out across Fremont Avenue
toward El Estero Park...
from the outer wall of
La Mirada gallery.

Taken 3 November 2011.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Fishhopper, Cannery Row


Tough to devise
a string of poetic verbiage
that could do this scene justice.
Let's just say
I'm blessed to live
in a wonderful place
where natural beauty
and talented people
have conspired to present
endless attraction and enjoyment. 


Taken 2 November 2011.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Abandoned #1

This is not a beautiful,
heart-warming photograph.
It might be soul-stirring, though.
And...
interesting
in terms of 
composition,
lines, texture;
even color.
It is post-modern
assemblage art.
But it was accidentally assembled
by anonymous hands
and the unpredictable forces
of nature.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Monday, August 12, 2013

Street Art #20: Custom House Angel


Here is one of several
hand-crafted angels
who preside over the streets of Monterey, CA,
every year during the
Thanksgiving to New Year
holiday season.
This one is solemnly playing
a cello overlooking the
Custom House Plaza.
The Custom House itself
is California State Historical Landmark #1;
the oldest government building in California.

This year maybe I'll get out there
and snap a pic of ALL
of the street angels.

By the way,
the vacero on the balcony
is a permanent resident of the
Custom House Museum.

Taken 31 December 2010.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Old School


A desolate training room
in an abandoned building.
Who knows
how many young people
spent time learning new things
in this room
before it was relegated
to its new age of artistic expression?

Taken 7 October 2011.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Hi-Tech Trash



Our technology has advanced so rapidly
that we now consider these types of circuit boards
to be mostly outmoded,
almost "vintage."
Disposable effluvia
of an era
that came and went
so fast
it cannot even properly be called an era.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Fabric Pattern #12


This is a deceptively simple pattern of repeating rectangles.
It manages to be soothing and unagressive,
but yet eye-catching and interesting at the same time.
The alternating shades of gray and brown
are presented in complementary tones
that are only a couple of degrees away
from blending seamlessly into each other.
The tweed-like texture
lends an atmosphere of classic, all-business integrity
while simultaneously hinting at the comfort and style
of one of grandma's handmade quilts.
It is both formal and familiar.

Taken 16 November 2010, Washington, DC.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

It's A Sign


It's just a simple sign;
the only adornment on 
a big white stucco wall.
Who knows how many people
drive past it every day
and don't invest the tiniest
slice of time or ounce of energy
in taking notice, much less truly appreciating
the artistry and craftsmanship
that went into creating it
and installing it?
Like the people in our lives;
how often do we take a moment
to consider the factors,
the circumstances,
the successes and failures
and near-hits,
the dreams, hopes, ambitions,
that have made a person
who they are?
Affirm someone today
with a smile, a helping hand,
a word of encouragement.

Taken 7 October 2011.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Harbor Illusion


This cluster of boats at anchor
in the Monterey Harbor
makes an appealing composition
in itself,
and they disguise the fact
that the Coast Guard Pier
cuts a horizontal line
through the middle of the photo.
But almost dead center in the frame
is a transport vehicle
that at first glance 
seems out of place.

Taken 30 September 2011.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Stunning 'Shroom!




Can't put a name to this amazing
hunk of mushroom,
but it is truly remarkable
and eye-catching.

Taken 30 September 2011.