The New Driverless Phenomenon

 

I was sitting at a traffic light in the left turn lane with three lanes of traffic to my right. I glanced over at the car that pulled up next to me and noticed that it was one of those driverless cars.  Even though they are all over the city right now, it still seemed strange to see a car with no driver in the lane next to me.

This photo was taken in October of 2022 when Waymo had a car set up for display.  The marketing person insisted that I have my photo taken with the car.  They were promoting the service as a new driverless ride-share service.  So far, I've never ridden in one.  My close friend David has on several occasions.  

Their marketing has been a huge success.  There is never a time when I'm driving that I don't see at least one of these cars.  If I'm in downtown Phoenix, they are everywhere.  

Sculptures in the Garden

 

Here are a few more of the new sculptures I found in the large garden at the Shemer Art Center.  These in the foreground are by Janet Orr.  She makes the great ceramic totems that I've featured in the past.  She calls this group the Metropolis Collection.  (You can also see "Adonis"  that was featured last Sunday in the background to the far right of this photo.)

This one is a little strange to me.  It was created by Damian Lee and it's called Homenaje a Gaudi (Tribute to Gaudi).

This sculpture was created by Mary Neubauer and it's called Well Flow.

This last one is a ceramic sculpture by David Knorr.  He calls it South Seas.

As I said before, there were lots of new sculptures to explore in the garden at the Shemer Art Center.

Loud Noises and Other Distractions

 

I was busy working on Monday but I kept hearing a grinding kind of noise somewhere outside. I finally went out around 3:00 to see what that noise was all about.  That's when I saw that the pool here at my complex was getting some kind of refresh treatment.  It looks like they were sanding it down all day long.

While I'm talking about things that drew my attention, take a look at this tree.

It's just a small tree but it caught my eye as I was passing by and I decided to turn around and see why it stood out. It was located in an empty parking area but it was dusk and there was a light shinning above it making those leaves glow red.  It's just a little tree but it grabbed my attention.  

Night at the Opera

 

Another beautiful night at the opera last Saturday.  This time we saw "La Boheme".  The Arizona Opera Company does an outstanding job with these performances.  They also had a display of some of the costumes used in past operas in the theatre lobby so I snapped a few photos.

It was another enjoyable event.

Shades of Purple

 

There is an interesting array of subjects in this mural.  The pretty lady appears to be holding on to crystals while the mountain lion prowls under the moonlight and the butterflies swoop in.  At least that's what I'm seeing.

It's all located on the side of a building that houses a business called Uptown Studios.  The artist is Nyla Lee.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

"Adonis"

 

When I was at the Shemer Art Center last weekend, I noticed they had quite a few new sculptures scattered around the grounds.  This one is called "Adonis" and it was created by R E Lyons II.  From this side he's very shiny and a bit wrinkly.

Form the other side he's very grizzly looking.

Adonis has two different personalities.  

Pizza With a Mission

 

A new pizza restaurant has opened up in my neighborhood.  It's called Pizza to the Rescue.  It's an Italian restaurant with a loving mission.  They support a dog rescue called Almost There Rescue.  It's an organization that rescues pregnant dogs and nurtures them through fostering and adoption.  

The wait staff wear these great t-shirts that they also sell.  

The rescue organization is located in a building right behind the restaurant.  At 6:00 they bring some puppies on to the restaurant's patio so patrons can play with them and maybe even start the adoption process.  They call it "Yappy Hour".  

I wasn't there at 6:00 so I missed the puppy show.  I'll have to go back.  

Good food, a great cause and cute puppies, what could be more fun?

Better Late Than Never

 

My Christmas cactus is blooming!!  

Believe me, this is quite an accomplishment for me.  I have never had any luck with plants.  I try but for some reason, I just don't have the knack and I envy all of you who grow beautiful plants and make it look so easy.

The fact that this plant has survived in my house for over a year is something for me to celebrate.

New Horizons Exhibition

 

For the last two days I've been showing just a few of the many pieces that were on exhibit at the Shemer Art Center featuring the work of High School students from 45 high schools across the valley.  

The painting above is by Emily Mayer, a Senior.  She calls this "Lake Powell".  There is so much emotion in this impeccable painting.

The piece to the right is by Jeremy Borgstadt and he's given it a tricky name.  It's called "I am (What You $33).  It's a mixed media piece using pieces of broken mirrors with acrylic paint and other things. It was tricky to photograph as it was reflecting the hallway in front of it.

Here is another ceramic piece called "Blooming and Blossoming" by Alexa Lizette Aragon.  She is also a Senior. I love these colorful fish.

This one looks a bit scary telling a story about a childhood fear of clowns.  It's called "He Takes Children In His Clown Car" and it was created by Alaina Novey, a Senior.  The scary face is done with colored pencil and it's framed by red noses made of foam.

This last one is a small sculpture called "Mechanical Luck Bug" by Alessandra Gilles, a Junior.  

This is the last of the photos I took at the show.  There were many, many more pieces and all were very impressive.  There are a handful more featured on the poster for the event in the photo at the top.

I applaud the talent of these budding artists.  

Ceramics Done by Young Hands

 

I have four more pieces from the Shemer exhibit of art created by High School Students.  The piece above is by Brooke Ford and it's called "Fruity Fruits".  It is incredibly realistic.

To the right is "Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" by Amber Woods.  It is made with clay and acrylic paint.

This ceramic piece is by Nia Morris, a Senior.  This one is called "Theadore".  

You can see "Theadore" in the background of this one.  That handsome rooster is called "Roots of Strength" and it was created by Estefany Vazquez Saldana, a Senior.  

I have a few more pieces to show you tomorrow.

The Art of Teenagers

 

I mentioned in my post on Saturday that I went to the Shemer Art Center to see the latest exhibit which happened to be the work of High School students from all over the valley.  I was stunned by what I saw.  The amount of talent in these young people is incredible.  It makes me hope that they continue with their artistic endeavors.  

The piece at the top is by Gavin Lopez, a senior.  He states that he was inspired by a visit to St. Georges Chapel in England and by an English poem called Corpus Christi Carol.  He combined the two in this incredibly detailed drawing called "Corpus Christi".

To the left is a charcoal drawing called "Winnie" by Sloan Sessions, a Junior.  It is so finely detailed, I thought it was a photograph.

The one above is a blending of photographs of buildings in downtown Phoenix.  Anubis Ruiz Velasquez, a Senior created the photo using Photoshop.  It's called "Fracture Downtown."

The painting to the right is by Maggie Steimle who is a Junior.  She calls this one "Displacement".  She states that it shows how she felt after moving to a new place.  

A lot of talent went into each of these.  Tomorrow I'll show you some of the ceramics the exhibit had to offer.

My Happy Place

 

Today I just feel like talking about my "happy place".  I'm avoiding the news and thinking about all the things that make me happy.  My happy place here in my home town is of course the Desert Botanical Garden.  I decided to pull out a few photos that show why I love it so much starting with the beautiful Chihuly glass Desert Wildflower Towers that greet me every time I enter.

I also love the beautiful views of the Papago Buttes that frame the garden with their red and rocky hills. The view is even better in wildflower season with pretty blooms as a splash of color.

I also love all the things that bloom there.  In the May and June it's wonderful cactus blooms, the rest of the year it's an assortment of other pretty flowers scattered all over the garden.

I also love the variety of birds and other wildlife that make the garden their home.  Sometimes I sit in one spot for 20 minutes or longer just watching the different birds stopping by for a drink of water or some nectar from a flower.  

Today is a day to think of happy things. Tomorrow I'll deal with the news.

My Weekly Dose of Art

 

I visited the Shemer Art Center on Saturday.  I went to see a new exhibit of art work from high school students all over the valley.  I'll tell you more about that show next week.  First I want to show you a sculpture I found in the gardens surrounding the museum.  It caught my eye immediately because I recognized it as a sculpture I photographed many years ago.  It turns out it is by the same artist Tom Bollinger and it has the same name as the one I saw years ago however, I can tell this is a different piece.  You can see the original piece that I posted here.  The sculpture is called "Gaia" and Gaia is a Greek Goddess, the mother of all life.

I got a sort of self-portrait taking the photo of this sculpture.  You can see me in the reflection of the steel ball.  I'm standing out there ready to take the shot. 

Productive Way to Kill Time

I had my monthly appointment with the chiropractor on Thursday afternoon only I totally forgot that the time had been changed.  I arrived 40 minutes early.  So, to kill some time, I wandered around the parking area looking for things to photograph.  I concentrated on the planters full of red, white and pink geraniums. I took a few shots but wasn't happy with them because the light wasn't right.  

Then I turned around and looked up at the building and saw those clouds reflected in the glass.  The unusual thing was that the sky above the building was mostly clear.  I found my shot!

Those clouds gathered together while I was inside and then sprinkled on me on my way home. A light sprinkle of rain that was hardly noticeable except for the drops on the windshield.  

More Winter Roses

 

On a recent walk, I found a house that had an abundance of rose bushes in their front garden.  These roses look like they are loving the recent cooler weather.  They appear to be thriving.

It was great to see all these gorgeous blooms in one spot.  

A Spot of Color

 

When I was at the Heard Museum last weekend, I checked out the planters in the courtyard to see if there were any winter blooms.  I found one nasturtium bloom looking very sunny and peeking out from the green leaves around it.

Such a pretty flower.

In another planter, I found this tall bloom full of small white flowers.  

The internet says it's a Candle Larkspur.  It kind of looks like a tall, pillar candle.  

It was pretty chilly (by desert standards) all last week but these flowers seemed to be enjoying the cool weather.

Houses with Views

 

I recently photographed a couple of very nice houses. This one is painted white making it stand out from the desert scenery all around it.  The house sits in the Camelback Mountain foothills with the rugged mountain terrain behind it.

This house was found at the top of a hilly area in Paradise Valley with the Phoenix Mountain Preserve in the background.  Both houses have some dramatic scenery around them.  

Butterflies from the "Heardlings"

 

When I was at the Heard Museum last Saturday, they told us about a children's project they had been working on with the many children who visit the museum. They lovingly call those young visitors "Heardlings".  

Children create these little colorful butterflies and write messages on them and museum staff place them on the walls in the Grand Hall.

I think there might be some budding artists among those children.  A few of the butterflies had some original designs on them.

What a great project for the children and it compliments the Meryl McMaster exhibit just a few steps away.  I posted about the Meryl McMaster exhibit here and here.