The Art of Philip C Curtis

 

I don't think I've ever posted any photos of paintings by Philip C Curtis on my blog before. I'm surprised that I haven't because I have a special fondness for his work.  Curtis was born in 1907 in Michigan and he studied law before enrolling in a the fine arts school at Yale University.  He went to work for the Works Progress Administration (WPA), part of President Roosevelt's New Deal law.

In 1937 he was sent to Arizona to organize the state's first Art Center in Phoenix.  That art center later became the Phoenix Art Museum.  In 1947, he made Arizona his permanent home.  He lived in Scottsdale until his death in 2000.  

As you can see from the paintings I've chosen for this post, he was a surrealist painter.  I think the museum's description of his style is perfect:

"Drawing inspiration from the Arizona Desert and through the lens of magic realism, he created landscapes and figural compositions that often included Victorian-style subjects to complete his surrealist fantasies about human life and relationships."

The newly remodeled wing of the Phoenix Art Museum has a gallery dedicated to the works of Philip C Curtis.  Many of the paintings in that gallery I had seen before in different locations but it also had some new ones that I hadn't seen before.

So let me tell you the names of the paintings I've shown here starting from the first photo.

1. Two Way Parade

2. The Band Concert

3. The Farewell

4. After Dinner Speakers

5. Casino

I really enjoy seeing Curtis' work so it was great to see so many all together in one place.

That Luxury Hotel, A Year Later

 

I was doing a bit of shopping a few days ago near 44th and Camelback Road and I decided to snap a photo of The Global Ambassador Hotel.  I posted about this building in June of last year when I walked around it with some friends.  I mentioned that it wasn't very impressive looking from the street side as you can see. The real entrance to the hotel is on the other side of the building.  This is the side you see from busy 44th Street.  

Holiday Cheer in an Empty Building

 

I met friends for dinner last Sunday evening at a place right across the street from this former office building being converted to condos.  The last time I posted about this building was in July.

I saw that Christmas Tree in one of the windows and I thought someone had moved into one of the condos.  But, I was wrong.

As I was leaving, I saw another Christmas Tree on the other side of the building and I realized, it was set up in an empty room.  Probably an attempt by the property owners to make the building look a bit festive and desirable during this season.

The first time I posted about this building being converted to condos was back in 2020 when I rather optimistically said that people would be living there soon.  It's now over five years later and it looks like they are still working on this building.

Around the Neighborhood

 

Another walk around the neighborhood yielded a few more photos to share.  This extremely full tree was showing a little color in the leaves.  Unlike some trees that turn yellow, this one is turning an redish-brown color.  

I noticed when walking past this house that I could see straight through the front window and into the golf course behind the house.  It looks like the owners can chat with the golfers right from their back yard.

This house had put up some modest holiday decorations. They've made the front door very welcoming.

Another house had this lovely fountain in front for everyone who walks past to enjoy.  

Ed Mell's Southwest

 

In the Ed Mell gallery at the Phoenix Art Museum, I saw some fascinating pieces that I had not seen before.  This Painting of a cactus flower about to open is called appropriately enough, Opening Cactus Bud. It is part of a private collection so it had not been on display before.

This one was part of a series of abstract paintings that Mell had done.  It is called Summer Hunt.

This small painting was a part of a series of canvases that were painted as ideas for larger paintings.  I loved this one.

This last one is a painting also found in his studio that is a typical Ed Mell southwestern scene.  It's called Reverent Land.  

I love seeing the small paintings that were usually studies for something much larger like the lightening strike one above.  It was enlightening to see how the artist came up with ideas for his paintings. 

Big and Bold

 

There were several spots in the newly restored wing of the Phoenix Art Museum where the art was big and bold in the way it was displayed.  This scene greeted me as I entered the gallery.  The painting on the right is by the native American artist Fritz Scholder. It's called "Posing Indian with Headdress".  The sculpture on the left was new to me.  It's by Virgil Ortiz and it's called "Po' Pay".  

Around another corner was this "ofrenda" created by Amelia Mesa-Bains.  This one is called "Queen of the Waters, Mother of the Land of the Dead".  The artist says it's an offering to the mother goddesses of three cultures, Mexican, Spanish and West African.  That is real potpourri on the floor around the alter and it sent up a sweet smell that envelopes you the minute you enter this gallery.

A third bold statement was made when I rounded another corner and saw this display.  The center sculpture is by artist Carlos Alberto Estevez Carasa and it's called "Across the Universe".  

I found all of these bold exhibits to be fascinating and imaginative.  They blended well with the European Art pieces created hundreds of years ago.  

Newly Remodeled

 

For most of the summer, one wing of the Phoenix Art Museum has been closed for some major repairs and a remodel.  It was reopened on November 28th and I finally made it yesterday to see the changes.  I was very impressed.  The wing has been named after the museum's Director Emeritus James K. Ballinger.  The wing houses American Art, Latin Art and European Art and the current exhibit features pieces from the museum's original collection along with contemporary works.

There was one gallery dedicated to the works of Ed Mell, a native of Phoenix and well known southwestern artist who passed away last year.  Most of the works in this gallery were from his studio and have never been on display before.  It was wonderful.  I'll have more photos in the future.

A Dazzle of Zebras

 

Back in November, a fellow blogger did a post about collective nouns, the names used for groups of people, animals and objects.  I learned from that post that the collective noun for a group of zebras is a "Dazzle".  I loved the idea of calling a group of zebras a "dazzle" so when I came across this photo taken 10 years ago, I just had to post it.  Dazzle is a great name for a group of these creatures because they are rather dazzling, don't you think?

This photo was taken at a wild animal park called "Out of Africa" located about 90 miles north of Phoenix at Camp Verde Arizona.

Regal Cactus

 

I loved the look of all of these organ-pipe cactus plants lined up so evenly along this wall.

Then after snapping the above photo, I rounded a corner and caught sight of this rather regal looking saguaro cactus.

These might be rather prickly plants but, they do have a certain beauty about them.

Desert Winter Blooms

 

Almost every house I pass when I walk in the neighborhood has flowers blooming around them. One of the houses has a fence around it that is covered with a vine of roses.

It was full of blooms when I walked past recently.

Another house had these pots full of pretty flowers.

According to the news, many of you are experiencing some cold and wet weather right now. I hope these blooms add a little color to your day. 

Here in the desert, we see more flowers blooming in the winter than we do in the intense heat of the summer.

A Surprise Pop-Up

 

As usual, I snapped quite a few photos while walking in the neighborhood last weekend.  There were a row of these ornamental orange trees in one spot and I stopped to snap a photo of this neatly trimmed one that happened to be full of fruit.

While I was standing there, this little mockingbird just popped up from inside the tree.  He must have a nest inside that complex den of branches.  

Theme Day: Furry Things

 

When I saw this theme coming up I thought that I might just pull a photo out of the archives.  After all, I have plenty of dogs, cats and even quite a lot of zoo animals in the archives. Then on Saturday I stopped at a small store that is adjacent to a local grocery store and I saw these colorful and very furry critters for sale.

The colors were so bright and cheerful, I couldn't resist a few photos.

All that brilliant color and all those happy faces, it was a more than I could resist.  

Today is theme day for City Daily Photo Bloggers.  Click here to see more "furry" photos.  

A Goose Parade

 

On my walk around the neighborhood on Friday, I saw these geese marching in a single line across the golf course.  There was a little precision goose-stepping going on there.

In the opposite direction, I saw just one goose watching over the antics of a group of ducks.  All of them were sharing all that lovely green grass with the golfers who were out for a round of golf. It was a perfect day to be enjoying the outdoors.

Start the Shopping

 

Even though yesterday was the official start of the holiday season, we've all been seeing the decorations for several weeks now.  

My email was full of "Black Friday" specials but I wasn't tempted.  I stay away from the shopping centers on the day after Thanksgiving and on December 26th.  Those are two of the busiest shopping days of the year.

Instead, I took a walk to work of some of those extra calories from Thursday.

Pretty Blooms

 

A very pretty canna lily blooming in one of the decorative pots in front of my complex.  The blooms tend to dry up pretty quickly in our climate so I'm glad I caught this one when it was fresh.  

The gardeners here do a great job keeping all the plants looking green and perky.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

I'm wishing all my American readers a very Happy Thanksgiving today.  May your day be filled with love and laughter and lots of your favorite foods.  

I pulled this photo out of my archives because when I think of Thanksgiving, this is the type of scene that comes to mind.  I grew up in the midwest and at Thanksgiving my home town was full of trees that looked like this.

It will be a few more weeks before the Arizona trees will start to show this kind of color.

Left Behind

 

I think this fellow got left behind after all the Halloween decorations were taken down.  I saw him over the weekend sitting in a bowl in the waiting area of a salon.  I hope somebody remembers to put him away with all his other 'boney' friends.  

First Time Photo With Santa

 

When I was at Biltmore Fashion Park last weekend I happened to see a young mom and dad trying to coax their very young child into sitting on Santa's lap.  

The parents were being so patient and assuring with the child and Santa was being very calm and interested.  If I hadn't needed to be somewhere, I would have stayed to see if the mission was accomplished.

Above and Below

 

Here is another mural with some of those big, fancy letters in it.  (At least I think those are letters.) I can make out a message in smaller letters.  To the left it says "As Above" and to the right it says "So Below". I believe that is a message of interconnectedness which I might agree with.  It was painted by and artist named "Indoneejah".

Yes, that is the way it appears to be spelled.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

Clearly, The Holiday Season Has Arrived

 

I did some shopping at Biltmore Fashion Park, just down the street from me on Friday.  There were festive decorations everywhere I turned.  This store always has holiday items this time of year.

I do like the tall Nutcrackers guarding the door.

The poinsettia tree is also up and ready to be admired.  Which I did, I took several more photos of it which I'm sure will show up on this blog as the holiday nears.

I like that they topped it with white poinsettias at the top this time.  

If you look closely, you will see Santa (in the white coat) set up for some photos just behind the tree. 

Artful Dining

 

The restaurant at the Phoenix Art Museum closed about a year ago and a new restaurant was opened in its place just a few weeks ago.  When I visited the art museum two weeks ago, I decided to give it a try.  I thought that large group table in the corner by the windows made for a pretty dining scene.  The windows look out on the sculpture garden and the Phoenix Theatre next door.

It was about 1:45 when I arrived so the lunch crowds had thinned out considerably.  That made it easy for me to grab a few photos of the new decor from where I was sitting.

I love the curved booths that make up a row in the center of the room.  They had a kind of Art Deco look to them.  

I ordered the butter-leaf salad which contained crispy prosciutto, pecans, tomato, pears and blue cheese topped with a creamy dressing.  Let me tell you, that salad was delicious.  I all but licked the bowl.  

The new place is called "Alden" and is named in honor of Alden B Dow, the architect of the original museum building that opened to the public in 1959.  

I'll make a point of visiting the restaurant again.  

A Tropical Theme

 

I met some friends at a new restaurant last weekend that has a tropical theme.  As we were leaving, I couldn't resist getting a photo of these lovely flamingos that were decorating the entry way.  

Those pink Santa hats hanging from the ceiling in the background are just an added bonus.