BANG! Happy Birthday Ol’ Gal.
Last night I witnessed the culmination of the Golden Gate Bridge’s 75th birthday celebration from the deck of a tugboat, bobbing on the undulating bay. Life is sweet.
I didn’t participate in any of the month-long or day-intensive events leading up to the evening’s pyrotechnics show, but I was inspired to not miss the grand finalé by the email blast of a friend, quoting another friend who was actually on the pyro crew for the event.
His words encapsulate the sheer awesomeness of the display far better than mine could…
I am working on the pyro crew for the event and we are putting on the largest display I have ever worked on or seen. The entire 4000 feet of the Bridge will be covered with pyro positions. Numerous barges will be on the bay loaded to the gunnels with huge, beautiful and expensive shells that make me weep to handle…
Wow, I can not say enough about this one.
Except. You would be F—ed to miss it.
And so I went.
Here are a couple pics… not my best work, but I’m a bit out of practice and feeling quite rusty. Maybe I need some International Orange slapped on this ol’ girl’s joints.
Some great pics & history on the bridge for others, like myself, who may have missed out on the bulk of the festivities: The Color, Romance, and Impact of the Golden Gate at 75 (The Atlantic).
the wild wild west…
I’ve said it before… the thing I love about West Oakland is that you never know what you are going to find. On a recent sunny stretch down the Mandela Parkway, I came across this muraled building on an empty lot (determined to be an environmental clean up site upon closer inspection of the posted sign and related fine print), next to what appeared to be a small chicken farm… beautiful birds with their own fancy red house and a huge yard in which to strut their stuff.
For those too young to “get” the reference in the mural above… see the original photograph and a brief description in my post Diversity is the one thing we all have in common.
Sweater Weather
I’ve been meaning to post these images for a bit now… ever since the weather turned cold, the sandals and summer shirts got sequestered to the back of my closet, and the warm, soft, comforting sweaters I love donning so much each fall were brought forth to their rightful place, front & center.
The pictures above and below are by the same artist, Streetcolor. I shot her a few weeks ago for Oakland Magazine while she was installing her yarn bomb pieces in various locations throughout the grounds of the Oakland Museum of California. Oakland Magazine will be featuring her in their January/February issue so keep your eyes out for that… In the meantime, you can read all about Streetcolor and her installation, both on OMCA’s blog (Yarn Bombing OMCA) and Streetcolor’s personal blog:
You can also go visit the installation in person, which of course is the best way to experience these incredibly tactile pieces. The installations will be up until December 15th.
The photo below is of an earlier piece she installed at Lake Merritt. There’s a third one just out of frame to the right, but I love this shot so much with its shadows and perspective, that you’ll have to head to the lake if you want to see the full set…
Obey in Oakland.
So above is one of the first photos I snapped after putting my blog on hold. I took it in August. I was on my way to a work meeting and was running late, so I just snapped this one first pic, which was unfortunate because by the time I went back to take a few more shots (a couple weeks later, see below) the large wheatpaste installation by Shepard Fairey had already been tagged.
Ultimately, some local folks involved in a street beautification project painted over the damaged lower portions and it now looks like this… I shot this last one on the day of the initial raid of the Occupy Oakland encampment. Needless to say, I wasn’t feeling the Oaktown love that day…
Key Words
Speaking of words (or my lack of them)… just out of curiosity, since I’ve been out of touch for a bit, I decided to look up the search terms that people have hit the blog with in the past 30 days, and below is a list of the top 300. They’re kind of fun to peruse. I think my favorite is “nest of the fire eagle.” F&*k yeah… that sounds cool! I have no idea what post it brought them to, but I think it’s pretty funny.
| if you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission |
| wheat paste |
| what is art deco |
| wheat paste graffiti |
| gats graffiti |
| word murals |
| my little pony mural on the hood |
| graffiti wheatpaste |
| paramount theater oakland |
| wheatpaste strip |
| kaiser centre oakland |
| wheatpaste |
| stencil indian |
| stencil banksy |
| dia de muertos |
| wheat paste art |
| desi art |
| wheat paste street art |
| refurbish metal art, oakland, ca |
| elementary school art projects |
| best out of waste crafts |
| murals buddha graffiti art |
| road construction heart |
| oakland graffiti |
| oakland murals |
| layover oakland |
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| chalk “lisa jones” |
| oakland theaters |
| phoenix iron works oakland |
| paramount theater art deco |
| positive message mural |
| alameda county courthouse |
| muertitos fest san antonio |
| fox theater oakland marquee |
| banksy berkeley |
| disturbing sculpture |
| guitars show |
| obey walls public |
| art deco people |
| sidewalk public art |
| martin luther king jr shoreline |
| graffiti stencil art |
| refashioned clothing |
| wheat pastes |
| garden centers |
| paste graffiti |
| african american murals |
| broken tiles decoration images |
| owl graffiti |
| mama’s royal cafe oakland |
| boombox stencil |
| sea glass art |
| will the president read my letter |
| art deco~egypt |
| ajay graffiti |
| schoolyard for middle school |
| wheatpaste artists |
| heart road |
| modern folk art |
| small stencil street |
| gallery interactive displays |
| temescal art |
| famous theater ceilings |
| 3 inch tiles |
| wheat paste graffiti paper |
| tree mosaics |
| broadway pet hospital oakland |
| morcom rose garden oakland |
| barrel coffered ceilings |
| japanese tie art wrotic |
| catholic high school art class |
| dia de los muertos mexico |
| motifs art déco |
| ik-joong kang |
| art deco sculpture |
| oakland muralist |
| marquesina art deco |
| handmade tiles for mosaics |
| barack obama signature |
| wheatpaste graffiti |
| dia de los muertos today aztec |
| layover bar oakland |
| ancient terracotta building architecture |
| airport + artists |
| collaborative mosaics with children |
| walden used books |
| earth art sticker |
| oakland public art |
| ras terms |
| art deco decorative hollywood columns |
| frog mosaic |
| school mural idea |
| gats graff |
| oakland artist volunteer project |
| art in the streets in la |
| dr seuss public art |
| studio quercus |
| l.a. graffiti murals |
| dime graffiti oakland |
| if you want to achieve greatness, stop asking for permission |
| t shirt oakland if you want to achieve |
| stencil art shopping trolley |
| how to do stencil art |
| la holiday temple lights |
| ganesh in graffiti |
| art of oakland |
| beginning of the black middle class |
| oaktown art |
| if you want achieve |
| aztec goddess queen headdress |
| oakland metal artist |
| deco oakland |
| the rise of african middle class |
| moorish religion |
| california spiders |
| tattoo mural ideas |
| nest of the fire eagle |
| oakland call to artist |
| kyle+milligan+artist |
| suitable mosaics for elementary school mural |
| vessel photos |
| ivan rubio paintings |
| roman murals and mosaics |
| getup street art |
| snapshot mosaics |
| walden pond bookstore |
| naked couple lamp |
| hand painted tree of life mural |
| oaklands radio bar |
| day of the dead altars |
| mua owner oakland |
| art deco public art |
| mosaic sculpture nude |
| usps stickers graffiti |
| ghetto lost pet posters |
| marching band hilarious |
| san francisco – oakland- mamas royal cafe |
| hilarious ghetto lost pet signs |
| oakland japanese fountain |
| wheat paste artists |
| oakland restaurants art murmur |
| john breuner table and chairs |
| hanging paper installations |
| paramount theatre oakland |
| graffiti bs |
| oakland fox theater posters |
| artist ivan rubio |
| beautiful gravestone sunset |
| fruitvale graffiti |
| does alameda have native american history |
| walden’s book store |
| breuner building |
| morcom rose garden |
| temple oakland |
| if you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission wallpaper |
| graffiti oakland |
| graffiti old school boom box |
| gats oakland |
| imagine photography |
| boom box stencil art |
| wheat paste kids with guns |
| black panther oakland murals on community center |
| tall building hanging from edge of roof |
| laurel murals |
| barnes and noble bargain books |
| what was the art deco movement about |
| what should i write in my letter to the president |
| sculptural metal gates |
| graffiti art question everything |
| street art exhibit highway underpass |
| little horned grasshopper pictures |
| dia de los muertos art stencil art |
| funny missing signs |
| earth art bumper sticker |
| strawberry ice cream pie recipe |
| joaquin miller park structures |
| were one graffiti |
| how to make stencil art |
| whats a moorish |
| street tattoo mural |
| picture of an altar for the dead |
| medieval influences in buildings |
| how to make stencils |
| artists space in oakland jingletown arts district |
| sunburst art deco |
| oakland city hall festival |
| calou lofts |
| rene davidson courthouse architecture |
| outsider art murals |
| how+to+make+mural+on+peace |
| mitzvah mural keith sklar |
| funny lost signs |
| exhibition review of india flint textiles |
| roa moca art in the streets |
| dia de los muertos festival scene |
| if you want to achieve greatness |
| roof garden biggest |
| sustainable clothing |
| lots of people celebrate the day of the dead |
| stick stuck |
| controversial public art los angeles |
| mosaic murals schools |
| what style of architecture is rene davidson courthouse |
| one love graffiti |
| martin luther king jr. shoreline, oakland, ca |
| outdoor mosaics |
| conceptual word art |
| wheat paste posters |
| letter from the president of the united states obama |
| independent women graffiti |
| cathedral oakland woods |
| airport art |
| oakland japanese garden |
| scrap metal art sculptures |
| breuners+downtown+pics |
| terry old crow tattoo |
| art installation paper |
| chalk art stencils |
| kyle milligan art |
| public places murals traffic boxes |
| catfish creek, summertime |
| to ignore evil is to become its accomplice 1 |
| posters of the paramount theater oakland ca |
| if+you+want+to+achieve+greatness+stop+asking+for+permission |
| native san antonio art culture |
| graffiti artist on the parkway theater |
| if you want to achieve greatness stop asking for permission. |
| great wheat paste posters |
| if+you+want+to+achieve+greatness,+stop+asking+for+permission |
| paramount theater mosaic |
| mosaic peace art ideas |
| pro arts oakland funding |
| kaiser center roof gardens |
| spiders in california |
| heal the streets |
| wayfinding gardens |
| history of grand lake theater |
| lame spray paint tags |
| peace murals |
| buffalo graffiti |
| artistic small gifts |
| mosaic flowers |
| art deco poster |
| the paramount |
| art deco in oakland ca |
| oaktownart.com |
| if you want to achieve greatness, stop asking permission |
| owl graff |
| graffiti female if you want to be awesome stop asking for permission |
| earth bumper sticker with art |
| moody “i wonder. i really wonder.” meaning |
| christmas sphere to take a picture inside |
| united states post office graffiti |
| how long does it take the president to respond to your letter? |
| creative growth galary oakland |
| what was art deco |
| grand performance by dan galvez and kieth sklar |
| received letter from the prresident |
| school yard mosaic |
| temescal cohousing community |
| bay area mural graffiti |
| east bay express on oasis market articles |
| vessel art murmur |
| st.elizabeth catholic high school artwork |
| walden books oakland |
| graffiti work in oakland |
| stay punk art |
| bode graffiti |
| oakland library rent tools |
| alliance metals oakland |
| oakland stencil art |
| oakland fruitvale district bordering dimond district |
| black and white mural |
| gats graffiti interview |
| invisible colors |
| graffiti artists working class |
| eddie mural a better tomorrow |
| oakland freeway murals |
| art deco theatres |
| how to make a stencil |
| east oakland murals |
| weeded empyt lot in the city |
| debra buckley runyon |
| art deco chrysler |
| oakland wheatpaste |
| diane iglehart |
| hummingbird mosaic |
| keith sklar muralist |
| oakland holiday craft fair |
| banksy stencils |
| art deco theater photos |
| art deco style lobby design |
| african american museum |
| mountain view cemetery piedmont |
the writing’s on the wall…
When I started this blog in 2009 my idea was to post a picture every day. It soon became something else, but that was the start. And I’ve decided, at least for a bit, to try to get back to the start. Because frankly, I’m having a bit of a hard time re-starting where I left off, and I think what’s hanging me up is the writing. So what the hell… Who needs words when pictures are worth thousands of ‘em?
Though I haven’t had the bandwidth for writing anything good or interesting, I have been taking pics here and there. So I think I’ll just start posting a few without saying so much, although I do want to say I think this is a pretty cool shot.
All work and no play…
I know. I know. I said I’d be back in September. And when I wrote that, I meant early September. Well… it came and went, and boy did it go quick. And no sooner do I look up, but October’s pretty much gone too. Which means my “short summer hiatus” has turned into a four-month-long-stretch that’s pulled me so far away from the daily routine of blogging that it’s been nearly impossible to jump back in. (heavy sigh here)
I’ve thought about it. I’ve thought about it a lot. I thought about it in mid-September when I realized my self-imposed deadline had passed, but realized I still had no time and nothing interesting to say because, at least in terms of art, I was doing virtually nothing.
I thought about it again in the beginning of October and conceived the briefest of blog-posts in my mind… nothing more than a title – “So I lied.”
I thought about posting all of the cool happenings I’ve NOT gone to, just to show you that you haven’t missed a thing in this corner. And then I thought about it again when I went to see Beirut at the Fox because I actually took some pretty photos and even shot a little video and it was just so exciting to be OUT, doing SOMETHING! But still I did nothing. I haven’t even looked at those photos or video since…
I had one other stroke of inspiration in September because the spiders were all back in my yard again (Chasing Spiders). It’s very strange how they seemingly materialize out of nowhere at this specific time of year… Anyway, I knew it wasn’t really particularly art related and probably not the best way to relaunch the blog but I actually took some great photos of other critters in the yard (including those being wrapped up like burritos and feasted upon by the spiders). But still I did nothing.
Until today. Tonight really. I got a comment earlier today saying “Please come back” (Thank you Matt!) and it made my heart leap, and sink at the same time. So affirming to hear that someone appreciated and valued my efforts, and so guilt-inducing to know that I’ve abandoned my project. So here I am on a Friday night… trying to write something non-work-related for the first time in months. And all I can say is that I WILL be back. And this is my start 
It’s going to take me some time to get some material going because, to be completely honest, I’ve done nothing. My life has been work work work family work family sick work work wedding (not mine) sick sick work work work. And needless to say, all work and no play makes this blog non-existent.
And the truth is, I miss it too. I’ve missed the past 4 Art Murmurs. I missed Art & Soul. I missed Eat Real. I missed Oaktoberfest (I couldn’t even make a beer drinking festival right down the street from my house!) I missed Hardly Strictly. I missed Picasso at the De Young. I missed Brad Pitt at the Paramount (dammit!)
I haven’t even been listening to music much because I’m so focused when I’m working, but I do still love me some KALX while shuttling between meetings. It’s one of the things I’d be loathe to live without. They’re having their annual fundraiser right now, so if you love free-form independent radio like I do, please support them so they don’t end up going the way of KUSF (here’s my write-up from last year). And here’s a clip of one of my recent favs (discovered via KALX), that they’ve been playing quite a bit:
Hope you enjoy, and I’ll see you again here real soon!
