Art About Town: San Leandro... "Truth Is Beauty"

 

"Eleanor was right. She never looked nice.

 She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."

 

~Rainbow Powell

Eleanor & Park

 

I have been wanting to photograph the beautiful piece of art, since it was installed at the San Leandro Tech Campus, way back in 2016! But, you know how 2016 went, so you understand why it was so difficult to make my way to the Bay Area to photograph any art, let alone this particular piece. Fast forward, and here we are in 2021 and things are looking up now. With the (knock wood) sale of the house, the future looks a lot brighter. I am planning on getting a car soon. If all goes well, it will be in less than a week, and there will be money this year for vacation, so hopefully I will be able to photograph as much art as I want, in as many different cities as possible. Art and birds. Those two subjects are my favorite photographic escapes. Oops, lets not forget autumn. Oh boy... I give up. There is just too much beauty in the world to actually play favorites. Right?

 

 We will see where this autumn takes us!

 

"Truth Is Art"

By Marco Cochrane

San Leandro Tech Campus

San Leandro, California

(Learn More Here)

 

Art About Town: Oakdale "Yesterday Is Tomorrow"

 

"The leaves are changing; I feel poetry in the air."

~Laura Jaworski

In August I told you about our trip to Oakdale, but I saved a little back for future posts. Well, the future is pretty much now. So, here is a look at a little bit of art that can be found in the Central Valley. It sits in front of the Cowboy Museum and it is titled "Yesterday Is Tomorrow." It was installed in 1992, by artist, Betty Saletta, and is in bronze. I was rather disappointed that the cowboy didn't have a name, but that tends to be a running theme out here. There is a ton of references to the Old West, but it doesn't seem to be specific to any certain events. Its kinda like it's just a generic history of the Gold Rush. I don't know, maybe I just need to explore more out here perhaps. And I can do that, because vacation begins October 9th, and I am really looking forward to some autumn adventures. This photo was taken in the last month of summer, while the wildfire was coloring everything a strange orange/red hue. I wonder what Oakdale looks like under a crystal clear autumn sky. If the leaf below is a preview, I have a lot to look forward to! Stay tuned, because I have more to share!

The Leaf Of The Day

~Carly

September 24th 2020

Stockton, California

Art About Town: Sacramento (Eclipse)

"Eclipse"

Crocker Art Gallery Museum

Sacramento, California

Nikon

"We all grow tired eventually; it happens to everyone.

 Even the sun, at the close of the year, is no longer a morning person."

~Joyce Rachelle

This lovely sculpture is called "Eclipse" and it sits next to the Crocker Historic building on 3rd and O Streets in Sacramento. The E. B. Crocker Art Gallery is a beautiful place, that has brought me a great deal of inspiration over the years. I am enjoying being able to visit it's grounds, now that I am living so much closer to the museum. Hopefully I will get one more chance to photograph the trees on the property as well, before autumn says goodnight, on December 22nd. Sigh. I love Sacramento for so many reasons, the food, the history, the culture, the leaves... oh yes... the leaves and trees, and I consider myself very lucky to be able to keep learning about all it has to offer! 

 #80 Leaf Of The Day

December 11th 2019

Sacramento, California

Nikon

~Mood: Happy

~Me   :)

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  

Bad Photographs Of Great Art

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing."

~George Bernard Shaw 

I take a lot of photos. And because I take a lot of photos, I take a lot of bad photos. Sometimes I take a lot of bad photos of really great art! I absolutely love Public Art, and have been featuring in on this blog, since roughly 2005, in my series, Art About Town. Sacramento has a lot of Public Art. A LOT. Most of it leans toward the political, but there is some whimsy along the way as well, and there isn't a single piece of it that I don't love! My point is, that while searching for one particular sculpture, or another, I spot opportunities to come back and do more searching. On one of my leaf peeping jaunts last October, I spotted these sculptures, and took some bad, place holder photos, so I could come back on a different day, perhaps in winter, and photograph them properly. Hopefully before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, I will be able to do just that. Yikes, that is only a couple days away... shrug... I better hurry!

I'll be right back!

~Mood: Happy

~Me  :)

Art About Town: Sacramento... Sakti By Gerald Whalburg (2012)

Still

In the fall, I believe again in poetry

if nothing else it is

a movement of the mind.

Summers ball together

into sticky humps

spring evenings are glass beads from one mould

for standard-sized youth

winter a smooth heaviness, not even cold.

But the mind trembles

here, on the brink the mind trembles

there is life, after all,

there is life, still

unbelief left.

~Jaakko A. Ahokas

Some, Art About Town, for this post. I am tired tonight. World weary. I guess it's to be expected, so close to what will be the most important midterm election of my lifetime. I just want to drown in autumn leaves and art. I have done my share of drowning in politics, which seems to be the only news we have anymore. No stories of kittens being rescued from storm drains. No stories of people being saved from house fires by their neighbors, just politics, sadness, fear, frustration, and all of it coming at us so fast that one fears looking away. But we have to once in a while, right? Even if it's just once in a while, so we don't miss an autumn leaf turn and fall gently to the ground, or to admire a lovely piece of art.

There are TWO Leaves Of The Day in this post, because I accidentally uploaded the wrong one to Twitter. So, I decided to fix the matter by making it a double leaf day.

 Now, for your viewing pleasure... 

 #28

#29

~Mood: Tired
~Me :)

Art About Town: Sacramento. Arpeggio IV By Bruce Beasley

"In Heaven it's always autumn."

~John Donne

Alan and I went to lovely Sacramento yesterday, to enjoy the autumn sun, the leaves which are just beginning to turn, and the amazing amount of art work that can be found all over the city! I love Sacramento for so many reasons, but the art probably tops the list! From huge sculptures like this one, to the colorfully painted electrical boxes that dot the town, art is everywhere! This particular piece sits outside the Crocker Art Museum, along with several other sculptures, but rather than show all of them, I thought it would be nice to spread them out over several upcoming posts. For now, concentrate on that late afternoon sun, and this absolutely fabulous sculpture, Arpeggio IV, by artist, Bruce Beasley! And know, there will be plenty more, Art About Town, posts to come!

Arpeggio IV 

By Bruce Beasley

Crocker Museum

Sacramento, California

October 14th, 2018

 

#24 Leaf Of The Day

October 15th, 2018

Stockton, California

~Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Art About Town: Sacramento (Untitled) Dart Golden 1 Center

Untitled

By Gale Hart

Golden 1 Center Public Art Collection

Sacramento, California

December 11th, 2016

"It is good to love many things, for the therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is well done."

~Vincent Van Gogh

Sacramento has an amazing amount of public art. I don't know why I don't get up there more often, but I am going to try to explore around the capitol in 2018. I know, I know, I have said that before, and then I get bogged down with other things, and I allow the depression to dictate what I do, but I love public art, and the truth is, San Francisco is a lot for me. The drive, the time it takes to get there... it's a lot for someone with Fibromyalgia. Sometimes the pain is more than I can take, and then I am flat on my back for several days. Usually it's worth it, just to be back in my favorite neighborhoods, and at my favorite places around the city that makes me so happy, but this past year, well, it has become apparent that I need to explore the beauty closer to my new home.

I think I have to make myself accept the fact, that I don't live in the Bay Area anymore, and I need to enjoy Sacramento for all the fun it offers, the comedy clubs, the bookstores, the Gold Rush history, the train museum, not to mention, the amazing public art, that makes me so damn happy! I took this photo last year, and this is my first time posting it. I am kinda glad I held onto it, because today, I came across it, while looking through my archives, and for some reason, I saw it through different eyes, than when I first photographed it. I had a new attitude I suppose! Life out here in the valley isn't so bad. It's not San Francisco, but it's got it's own charm, and I need to make friends with it!

Today's Leaf As Seen From Two Different Perspectives...

#18 Leaf Of The Day

December 18th 2017

Stockton, California

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Art About Town: Sacramento... Untitled Fountain, By David von Schlegell

"Untitled" Fountain By David von Schlegell

300 Capitol Mall

Sacramento, California

"In the Haunted House of life, 

art is the only stair that doesn't creak."

~Tom Robbins

Sacramento has a ton of public art! Now that I live so much closer than I used to, I plan to spend a lot of time photographing all the amazing art around the city, and getting to know Sacramento the way we got to know San Francisco! It was through all the trips around San Francisco, looking for different pieces of public art, that I grew to appreciate the city for all the unique neighborhoods, and districts. Each one is truly a feast for the eyes, and has provided me many days of happiness, getting to know how fun and interesting a place it can be! I am hoping for the same experience with Sacramento!

I first noticed this sculpture the day before Thanksgiving, when Alan and I drove to Old Sacramento to see the lighting of the Christmas Tree. It was dark outside, and I did the night photo you see below, while on the run for the freeway. It was a rushed photo, but I liked the way the colors and lights danced around the photo, so I decided to keep it, and post it along with the better lit daytime photo! When it is operating, the sculpture is actually a beautiful fountain, and the plaque reads...

"Remember that the meaning of life is to build

 a life as if it were a work of art. 

Start working on this great work of art called your own existence. 

Remember the importance of self discipline, study the great sources of wisdom

 and remember that life is a celebration."

Dedicated to the children of Sacramento

Capitol Mall Venture

August 8th, 1985

~Abraham Joshua Heschel

To read a little more about this beautiful fountain, click here.

 Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Art About Town: Orinda "Mutha Hen"

"Any fool can be happy. It tales a man with real heart

 to make beauty out of the stuff that makes us weep."

~Clive Barker

Days of Magic, Nights of War

Yesterday was our anniversary, and we had a great time. A nice steak lunch, and then it was off to the movies in Orinda, for the free movie of the month, which just happened to be one of our favorites as a kid, the now cult favorite, John Carpenter's, Halloween.

It was fun to finally see it on the big screen! It really does make a difference, as I found out a few years ago, when we went to the same theater, also in October, to see Roman Polanski's, Rosemary's Baby. Both movies managed to scare me at times, which considering how many times I have seen both movies, I didn't even think possible!

So yeah, we had a great time, and it was a happy, welcome relief to shed the toxic specks of day to day life, and pretend the boogeyman only exists in the town of Haddenfield, Illinois and not on the American political stage as a candidate for president of the United States! You all know who I mean, but I will say it anyway, for clarity, Donald J. Trump.

But that's not really the point of this post, so lets move on. While I was in Orinda last night, I spotted this amazing piece of public art called, Mutha Hen, by artist Eileen Fitz-Faulkner. I really kinda fell in love with this sculpture, and I felt good photographing it. I don't know exactly why, but it made me happy! Now public art usually does make me smile, but I think I am need to emerse myself in art right now more than ever! At least as I move through the next 30 days or so. There was just something comforting about a mother hen.

As I get through my upcoming cancer tests. This human cockfight of a national election, and all the other miscellaneous cares and woes, I plan to gravitate toward the comforting things in life. Art of all kinds. But then that's the idea behind art... right? Sometimes to document life, sometimes to make a statement on life, but to always inspire us in our lives. Art is not just important and relevant, art heals. Be it music, or sculpture, or paintings, or photography, it's an absolute truth that art heals.

And for the next 30 days I am going to seek it out!

Anywhere I can find it!

 Leaf Of The Day

October 14th 2016

Mood: Happy But Quiet

 

~Me 

 

Art About Town: San Francisco... The Bay Lights, By Leo Villareal

The Bay Lights

By Leo Villareal

October 2013

 

"San Francisco is the longest lasting love affair of my life. 

Her beauty inspires me anew each day and

  I am very thankful to be able to live here

 on the edge of the continent in what I feel is the heart of the world."

~Nicole

 sfheart.com

The Bay Lights, on the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge, is the largest public art sculpture in San Francisco, and it is probably the most beautiful piece of public art I have ever seen! Those tiny, sparkling lights twinkle from dusk to dawn, at least they have for the last couple years since their debut in March of 2013. But for the next year, or so, the tiny lights won't be shining. You see, all the little LED bulbs are needing to be replaced, with longer lasting ones, because what started out as a temporary art project, has turned into a permanent part of San Francisco! In early 2016, when the lights comeback on, they will be on for good! I, for one, will miss them terribly. There is nothing quite like those beautiful lights, especially on a warm autumn night. I took the picture above on a night just like that. Alan and I took a dinner cruise on San Francisco Bay, and sailing toward those lights was nothing short of magical. A cool bay cruise, some romantic lighting, the sight of the most beautiful city in the world, and the right someone to share it with! That's the stuff of happiness!

San Francisco

October 2013

Shame on me! I had begun to take those lights for granted! When the lights come back, I think I will be doing a lot of photography of the lights, and the beautiful Bay Bridge. 

I love it so much!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)