The Mural At The Corner Of Sinclair And Pine

"Imagine you saw a color in your dream, which you have never seen before. It doesn't consist of any colors or shades that you know. Try to describe that color would be as difficult as trying to believe that is enough love and compassion in the world so ever human can feel happiness."

 

~Egar Kraft

 

Reno has some amazing murals. They are everywhere. I wasn't prepared for all the colors and moods of the fabulous street art. The only problem... finding the name of the piece, and the artist who created it. Honestly, if a particular mural really speaks to me, and I photograph it, 9 times out of 10, there will be ZERO information about it available online. Take that lovely flower, I have been doing searches about it for days... nothing. It must be from a few years back. Shrug. Who knows? But that doesn't mean I won't keep trying. I will continue to search, and when I find out the info on it, I will update this post. Just wait and see, I will find it. 

I love art. It is not only a healthy distraction, it inspires me to not see times like this, when I am terrified, in a black and white scheme. In other words, it holds the depression at bay. Temporarily. When I was in that deep depression, all those years ago, and had to spend a little time in adult daycare, which still sounds like way more fun than it is, I scoffed at artsy fartsy time, even though I enjoyed all kinds of art, and doing photography. I already knew how much better I felt inside, just by picking up one of my art books, but how exactly was my drawing a picture, going to end the suffering I was in? Not one single detail of what caused it would change. The details of my pain, wouldn't change, but to my surprise, the artsy fartsy time did give me a gentle distraction, and did stimulate my creative side, which helped me accept help and to be creative in my outlook.

I'm always skeptical, in times like this, about where the miracle will come from, despite the fact that Alan and I have rode bad times before, but one always wonders, will this be what breaks us? Who will rent to us? Will anyone rent to us? It's nutty that we have more than enough to buy a mobile home, but the park where it sits has the final decision on if we are good enough to live there! Will we beat the devil? Do we need to make a pact with the devil? Can you make a pact with the devil? Life has hurtful moments, but sometimes one can hit a path so full of sharp gravel that the road tears up your feet, and stops you cold. It's such an absurd thought that we will sell the house, and have several hundred thousand dollars in the bank, but have nowhere to live. So, you see my problem. I just want a home, but until then, lots of anonymous murals to keep me from giving up. 

~Me

Stockton, Ca

September 9th, 2021

 

 

Art About Town: Sacramento... Mural "At Folsom Prison"

 

"The one red leaf, the last of its clan,

That dances as often as dance it can,

Hanging so light, and hanging so high,

On the topmost twig that looks up at the sky."

 

~Samuel Taylor Coleridge 

 

I have been wanting to photograph this amazing mural, since it was first done in 2018, as part of the Wide Open Walls Mural Festival. Sacramento has a lot of marvelous murals, only a few of which I have posted to this blog, but this one has been a favorite of mine to just enjoy viewing, when I visit. Sometimes the photographer must put the camera down, and enjoy the art. You see, it is located the side of the Marriott's Residence Inn, on L Street, and can be seen for blocks because of it's size. It takes up the entire side of the 15 story hotel! The mural is in honor of the 50th anniversary of the performer's concert at Folsom prison, and the release of Cash's album, At Folsom Prison.

 

 If the artist's style looks familiar, it's because Fairey is also the artist who created the iconic poster, "Hope" for President Barack Obama, for his 2008 presidential campaign. This mural image was based on the original photograph created for the album by photographer, Jim Marshall, in 1968. One of the most fascinating aspects of the mural, is that Fairey has Johnny Cash gazing toward the site of Folsom Prison, which is located about 20 miles northeast of Sacramento. I visited the grounds of Folsom Prison last month, and hoped to be able to visit the Johnny Cash museum, which sits just outside the gates, but it was unfortunately closed for renovations. I will visit there again sometime, I'd like to learn more about the musician's concert at the prison.

 

Photo By Request: Public Art (Art About Town)

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."

~Aristotle 

This post is a not to our latest #PhotoByRequest subject "Public Art". A subject, which you know, I adore, which is why I chose it. Sacramento is full of public art of all kinds, and it is glorious! I can't wait to go back on vacation and spend a day just photographing the art, food, architecture, and trees. All 110,000 of them! But right now, it's all about the art. Of all the pieces I photographed, the Pop art by street artist, Norman Ayles, is my favorite. I will be doing another post soon about those pieces specifically! Those two pieces really spoke to me!

Art About Town: Sacramento

Murals

More on this piece in a different post to come at a later date.

Art About Town: Stockton

Murals and Sculpture
 
"I'm Not Surprised"

"Plant The Seed"

The Confucius Bicentennial Memorial

Art About Town: Castro Valley

Electrical Box Art

"Field Of Deer"

Autumn Leaf Of The Day...

#11 Leaf Of The Day

October 4th 2019

Sacramento, California 

Nikon

~Mood: Quiet
~Me  

Art About Town: Stockton... Dave Brubeck Quartet, By Anthony Padilla

"A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, 

and see a fine picture every day of his life,

 in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."

~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

About 14 months ago I moved to Stockton, California, from the San Francisco Bay Area. It wasn't the easiest move to go through, in fact it was traumatic, and depressing, and more than a little frightening! But it wasn't because we were moving to Stockton, it was because of the suddenness of the situation, and the people who did their best to drain the life out of Alan and I. It all started in late March of 2015, and the days turned into weeks, and eventually months of pain, and uncertainty, until one day Alan and I said enough is enough, and we put the drama behind us, and moved to Stockton!

With the help of a magnificent real estate agent, we found our forever house, within a few weeks. I knew the moment we pulled up to the curb in front of it, that we were finally, and for always... home. But once all the process of purchasing a house was over, and we finally put the keys into the door lock for the first time, something seemed to grab me, and pull me down into one of the longest, deepest, depressions I have ever experienced. 

But it wasn't because we were in Stockton, and it wasn't because of the house, to the contrary, the house seemed like a big hug from the first moment I saw it. We had seen other houses around Stockton, all fine in their own way, but this house was special. It was "born" in 1962, the same year I was, and last year, when it went on the market it was listed on my birthday! It just feels like the house has been waiting for Alan and I all our lives! We are finally... home! Our home! 

But during that first year I didn't leave the house. Not for errands. Not for fresh air. Not for any reason. I just stayed inside and let myself feel all the feelings that I felt I couldn't let out when our lives changed in 2015. I held it all in. I kept it together when it was happening, but eventually it all got so buried that I couldn't deal with life outside the walls that I felt kept me safe. My home became my cocoon.

So how am I now? Well, autumn came around this year, and like most autumns throughout my life, I began to feel alive again! The heat of the summer is gone now, and there is a distinct chill in the air that allows me to feel alive again! We began our vacation on October 13th, and we still have about 2 weeks left of it, and with each day has come a new feeling of contentment. We have finally begun to enjoy the new town we live in, Stockton! 

Its an amazing city, generally ignored by the Bay Area, but let me tell you, it's awesome! Its fairly quiet for a large town, and while it's certainly had its problems in recent years, it is finding it's way back to life, kinda the same way I am. There is a lot of public art to enjoy, some gorgeous, truly gorgeous, old buildings that speak to the rich history of the city, and some pretty fantastic restaurants! There is a lot here to fall in love with, and I believe that Stockton is going to be the place to live in a few years, and will give the Bay Area a serious run for it's money as things progress!

Sometimes you just have to give people, and places time to heal.

You know my love of public art, well, above you see the first piece that I choose to post for your enjoyment! It is a postcard mural, painted on the side of one of those wonderful old historic buildings I told you about! The mural, and the artist that painted it, have a rich history of their own. The mural features the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Dave Brubeck has a history with Stockton, in that he attended the College of the Pacific, in Stockton! You can read about them here. Please click through and read about how this lovely mural, came about. There will be more murals to come in the series, so stay tuned to my blog to see more. 

I am looking forward to sharing my new hometown with you!

Leaf Of The Day

November 3rd, 2016 

Mood: Happy

~Me :) 

Art About Town: Oakland "Oakland Super Heroes" (A Mural Project)

"Oakland Super Heroes"
San Pablo Avenue
West Oakland, California
November 19th, 2013

"What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which terrible disease of loneliness can be cured."

~Kurt Vonnegut


This amazing mural, part of the, Oakland Superheroes Mural Project, so colorful, and certainly profound, can be found on an underpass of the 580 freeway, on San Pablo avenue, on the Oakland/Emeryville border. It was commissioned by the Attitudinal Healing Connection, Inc., whose mission is to build healthy communities, by breaking the cycle of violence by encouraging healthy communication through artistic expression. This mural in the series, was painted by several artists, one being Colin David Harris. You can read about his participation in the project by clicking the link below. It makes for inspiring reading!

 It does my heart so much good to see art in neighborhoods that need a little extra love. It has long been my feeling that art can save a person, like no other coping mechanism. I know it has been a big part of my personal healing over the years. Well, communities are made up of individuals, and we can all use a way to express ourselves sometimes, when mere words fail us. Communities on a whole are not much different than the individual in that respect! Lives are saved, by taking one small inspiring step at a time. I applaud this project, and look forward to seeing more murals as they are added along San Pablo avenue.

The mural on it's own is amazing, but the other day while I was admiring it, I happened to see this chair sitting to the far left of it. To me, it brought the whole scene to another level. There was just something touching about that beautiful, lonely, lost chair, seeming out of place at first glance, but upon deeper reflection, is really right where it should be. An art piece unto itself! Someone designed that chair, someone bought it, and alas, someone discarded it. But the inner beauty lives on. It has character, you can see it in it's imperfection, in it's weariness. I don't know... it just fits the scene somehow. Some will look at it as an old piece of unwanted furniture, but when I look at it, I see a story, a life, a spirit...

Thoughts?

Feel free to tell me what you think. You are more than welcome to leave me your comments, in the thread for this post. I would like to know what your thoughts are on art being used to find common ground, and healing in communities. 



 Artist Interview: Colin David Harris (Oaktown Art)

Attitudinal Healing Connection

Oakland Superheroes Mural Project

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)

The Building At Columbus And Broadway

"We should all do what, in the long run, gives us joy, even if it is only picking grapes or sorting laundry."

~E.B. White

This building is in San Francisco, and I look for it every time we are in that particular neighborhood of the city! It sits right on the border of North Beach and Chinatown, at Broadway and Columbus, and it's one of those sights that is unique to a big city, as opposed to the suburbs. No matter what day you see it, it will have rows of laundry drying in the windows! Esthetically speaking, I think it's amazing! To my eyes, it gives the building character, and a feel of being in another era! The building all on it's own is a lovely old San Francisco building, another example of architectural art, but with the splashes of color the laundry provides, it just kind of comes alive for me. It's hard to explain, but I love it. It always makes me smile, and I love photographing it! But I am showing you just one element of the building's personality and beauty. It has an amazing mural painted on it, that tells of San Francisco's rich early history. It's quiet special! So much so that I am saving those photos for a different posting. There is so much beauty and history in this part of town that it's difficult to know where to begin, but the corner of Columbus and Broadway is probably a good place to start!

Stay Tuned!

Mood: Inspired

~Me :)

Art About Town: San Francisco. Street Art And Murals Of Haight Ashbury (Part Two)

Jimi Hendrix Mural, By Artists, Ernest Doty, Max Ehrman, And Sean Griffin

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life."

~Federico Fellini

Jimi Hendrix. It's hard to believe that so much talent, could die so young. I guess when you are that age, death seems like it's for someone else. I am especially reflective about age and dying because of this week I think. The point driven home about the age of Trayvon Martin, and on the same day, the sad news of the passing of Cory Monteith. At just 31, another artist dead, from the same demons that claimed Jimi Hendrix. Brian Jones. Janis Joplin. Jim Morrison. Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. I don't want to speculate about Cory Monteith, about why, or how, he lived or died. It serves no real point. I wasn't even particularly familiar with his voice, as I have never seen a single episode of Glee, but I did hear his singing the other day on a news report about his untimely death, and it made me sad to know that I won't be hearing him sing again. I could have been a fan.

But back to Jimi. In 2017, Haight/Ashbury will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the "Summer Of Love" and this mural of Jimi Hendrix is a little taste of what's to come in the way tribute to a significant time in our culture. The mural is on the house, very near the intersection of Haight and Asbury, where Jimi Hendrix lived during that time. The house itself is special, as it was the inspiration for the Jimi Hendrix song, "Red House." The three artists that created this mural, are working on creating another on the other side of the building. I am going to be revisiting the Haight throughout the summer, and I will keep you up to date on the project and it's progress. And you know I will be there in 2017 to see it all in it's psychedelic glory. It's art. So I will be there. Click the link below to read more about the mural, the artists, and their vision.

Fitting Tribute To Hendrix Ahead Of Summer Of Love

Mood: Reflective

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 178~ Falling Back Into Politics

"Loyalty to country ALWAYS. Loyalty to government when it deserves it."

~Mark Twain

Okay, time to discuss the subject I have been avoiding... avoiding with a passion... POLITICS. There was a time when I lived and breathed it. I watched a lot of analysis. Read a lot of opinion. Did a lot of researched into it. I formed my beliefs and opinions as I searched for facts. I wanted to know why I believed a certain way about things. I smiled when I remembered that my first ever crush was when I was 3 and I fell HARD for Hubert Humphrey. Was it his looks? Well, no. Was it his voice? Well, no. Was it his political fighting style? Well, no. Personally, I think it was the fact that when Hubert Humphrey campaigned for the office of president, my father had one less worry line on his face just imagining a democrat in office. Well... and yes... as politicians went, he was kinda nice looking. But it meant a lot to me that my father saw some HOPE in him.

It wasn't to be, and the rest is history.

But while that elections and history was being made, California, and the Bay Area specifically, was also making history. The massacre at Berkeley's People's Park left a deep hole in the heart of the Bay Area. It's something that's never been fully forgotten, and it nor should it. If nothing else it should serve as the strongest of cautionary tales about not taking political choices for granted. It should be a stark reminder that just because someone says they are a democrat, it doesn't mean they actually hold any democratic principles. in 1969 Ronald Reagan trick-or-treated as a democrat, then called in the National Guard to bring their tear gas and weapons to enforce the government stealing of Peoples Park and the active silencing of Freedom of Speech. By the time it was all said and done, 1 person was dead, one person permanently blinded, dozens more injured, and Berkeley permanently scarred.

You can see some amazing photos of the changes California went through in the 1960's, including the People's Park incident right here... Picture This: California's Perspective On American History.

The next National Election is only 2 days away. I have a lot more I want to say in the next couple days. If it's too big a bummer to tune in, I get it. Believe me. I get it! I have done a good bit of ignoring all the nonsense and useless chatter the last few months, but I now find myself incredibly frustrated as we head into Tuesday. But I also find myself incredibly grateful for some things as well. Like Chris Christie putting party politics aside to give credit where it is due. I am glad that Donald  Trump got called on the car floorboard by Chrysler executive, Ralph Gilles, because of Trump's lies about Jeep sending manufacturing jobs to China. Liars are being called on their bullshit and IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME! Now, if only someone would put Willard "Mitt" Romney in his place!

If you want to avoid my rants, it's okay, but please comeback later in the week. I will be back to a more normal blog of photographs with a few words to bring it all together. I still have a lot to share with you about what I have seen and done the last month. But for now, I am looking back, before I take any steps forward.

The "People's Park" Mural, by artists O'Brien Thiele and Osha Neumann, is difficult to post in one photo, so I have decided to post vignettes of the mural.

 

 

 

 

Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tonight. Spring FORWARD. Fall BACK. :)

So tell me, are you ready for Tuesday, November 6th, 2012?

Mitt Romney's Seven Biggest Debate Lies

Whoppers Of 2012: Final Edition ~FactCheck.org

Obama's Numbers: Statistical Measures Of The Presidents Term To Date. ~FactCheck.org



~Me :)

Now, please drop by my friend JR's blog and say HI! :) My APAD project is nearly over, and he has been a loyal contributor. It has been very much appreciated! Thank You JR!

JR
http://jrclinephotography.blogspot.com/2012/11/apadf6-175.html