Gathering at the Mall

A couple of years ago I did a post about a bar that was added to the mall area of Scottsdale Fashion Square.  You can see it here.  The last time I was at the mall I noticed that the bar was gone and this seating arrangement was in it's place.  It looks like it's well used be people checking their phones (of course) and people eating ice cream.

Right behind the seating area is the smallest merry-go-round that I've ever seen.  It too was getting some use.

It's Labor Day in the United States

I've had this photo in the archives for a while now and never got around to posting it but, since it's Labor Day here in the U.S. of A, I thought today was a perfect time.

The name of the statue is Arizona Worker's Memorial
"El Pasaja" and it is located in Wesley Bolin Park in front of the Arizona State Capitol.

The inscription reads "This monument, entitle 'The Passage', honors the men and women, from the earliest territorial miners to the present day workers, who have suffered permanent injury or death on the job.  We recall their unique gifts and celebrate the time we shared."

It was funded by a number of workers unions. The artist is Clarke Riedy.

For the People

I was sitting at a table enjoying a pizza and the view to my left looked right into the door of this little shop called "For the People".  They sell all kinds of truly eclectic things from serving pieces, to art works to books.  I actually enjoyed watching people come and go in this little shop.  First there was a man and a woman who were both enjoying looking at everything the store had to offer.  They even asked the proprietor several questions.  The next couple that entered, the woman stayed a bit to look around but, the man took one step inside and then immediately turned around and waited outside.  Two totally different shopping personalities.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns.  A look at a mysterious staircase in Santa Fe.

Wall Art

 I found this giant eye on a block wall in the Loma Linda residential neighborhood in central Phoenix.  There wasn't any sign to indicate an artist but it was on the wall of a home that faces a different street.  Those lashes are actual wires sticking out from the eye's frame which seems just a bit dangerous to me.

Here's a view of the whole wall.  

East Evergreen & Encanto Manor

The East Evergreen Historic Neighborhood was another area that was new to me.  I don't believe I had ever driven on the one street that comprises this historic district.  The home above has a very business-like appearance.  I didn't see any sign that it was anything other than a home but, I could also see this one doubling has an office.

This one has a wonderful brick wall around the yard that gives it a very unique and almost mid-western look.  I could see a house like this in my old home town in Illinois.

I had to include this shot of a house at the very end of the historically designated street.  I have a suspicion that the neighbors aren't the least bit happy with the fellow who lives here.

The Encanto Manor neighborhood was right across the street from where I used to live.  I've driven through this area many times and admired the 1950's and 1960's style homes here.

They all seem to have beautifully maintained yards and attractive facades.

I like the way the neatly trimmed hedges on this one lead the way to the front door.

Phoenix Bird...as a mural

I found this Phoenix Bird in an alley in downtown Phoenix painted on the side of a building.  I couldn't find an artists name.

I don't think there is any message here.  It's just another artistic version of our namesake.

The View from Above

I was up in Julie and Dave's office a while back and snapped a few iPhone photos out the window.  This one looks down on the Chateau on Central condo development.  I've shown you that place before from the ground level here and here.

This view is looking straight down at the beautifully landscaped grounds of the Viad Tower where the office is located.  I do enjoy a great birds eye view.

Theme Day: Curiosities

The first of the month is theme day for City Daily Photo Bloggers and this month the theme is "curiosities".  I chose a rather intriguing art work at the Phoenix Art Museum.  It's called "Mass (Colder, Darker Matter)" by Cornelia Parker of London England.  The piece is composed of the charred wood of a church in Texas that was struck by lightening and burned.  Ms. Parker has suspended the pieces of wood from the ceiling in the shape of a cube with the pieces more dense in the center and thinner at the edges.

The piece was featured in the 1997 Turner Prize Exhibition at the Tate Gallery in London.  Here is what a the description at the museum says:
"The title in part, refers to the scientific term 'cold, dark matter,' used to describe the unquantifiable in the universe. 'Mass' suggests not only the spiritual gathering, but also the solids and voids that are basic elements of sculpture. The artist also thinks of this work as a charcoal drawing, or an abstract painting against a white background."

I think it fits the "curiosities" theme perfectly.  To see how other city daily photo bloggers have depicted the theme, click here.

Spectacular Sky

Saturday night I was going to walk to a nearby restaurant where I was meeting my friend David for dinner.  I left my place without my camera, something I rarely do.  But, I only got a few feet down the walkway when I saw this fantastic cloud in the skies to the north.  I went back and got my camera and snapped this shot looking over the other buildings in my complex.

When I got to my favorite viewpoint looking due east at Camelback Mountain, I saw more big bright clouds to the east.  So, I snapped a couple of photos here.

Then I got down to street level and turned south and saw this gorgeous cloud lighting up the sky.  I can even see some rain falling in the distance to the south.

All the way down the street until I got to the restaurant I was snapping photos of this spectacular sky. By the time I walked home, it was dark but all those clouds were filled with electricity and they were lighting my way all the way home.  Just as I got to my door, the wind started howling and I could feel some sprinkles of rain.  I don't think it rained much at my house but the light show was wonderful.

Earl Place & East Alvarado

Another historic neighborhood that was new to me is Earl Place.  It was an area I had not explored before.  The homes here were all small bungalow style houses but many of them were lovingly maintained or updated.  I did see a few that needed some work but, for the most part the area seems to be doing well.  The one above has that Spanish look with some very nice landscaping.

This one is a more classic look with some nice awnings to enhance those front windows.  That big tree off the side also adds some great framing from the street.

This one appears to be almost exactly like the one above only different color and different trim.  It makes me think that the same builder created both houses.

The East Alvarado neighborhood is a small area comprised of just two streets.  The houses here are a little bit larger than the Earl Place neighborhood and they are in a variety of styles.  This one has that southwestern Spanish look.

This one is a little more contemporary.  The red awnings are a nice touch on this one.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  Take a look at a very shiny sculpture in London.

After the Rain

It is certainly a very rare occasion when I get to walk in the Desert Botanical Garden in late August but, late Thursday afternoon a wonderful thunderstorm rolled into the valley and the clouds opened up and blessed us with some much needed rain.

Understanding that desert rains seldom last long, I headed toward the garden on the chance that it might stop by the time I got there.  My timing was perfect.  Only occasional sprinkles were leading the way.  But, the heavy rain that preceded had covered the plants with raindrops and the paths with puddles.

The top shot is a desert rose welcoming the rain.  To the left is a saguaro lit up by the setting sun that was just then peeking through on the horizon.

And as I extended the telephoto lens to capture that big cloud to the south, a US Airways jet taking off from the airport glided into my view.  Needless to say, I enjoyed my late August romp in the garden.

Glass and Clouds

Those all-glass buildings always look their best when they are reflecting something interesting.  I especially like it when they reflect those big puffy clouds we see here during the monsoon season.

It's mother nature's way of painting murals!

Macro Challenge

A month or two ago I joined a group on Flickr called Macro Mondays.  They have a weekly theme-based challenge and the members shoot a macro photo based on the theme.  I really liked this one that I created for last Monday's challenge.   The theme was "Divided".  I photographed this divided flower on a small mirror and used some orange netting to create that mottled background.

A few weeks ago the subject was "Still Life" so I created this little scene using a tiny candelabra and some tiny books.  I've enjoyed challenging myself to come up with something for each theme.

Red Bench

I found this wonderful red bench at a local nursery.  It would certainly look good in almost any garden.  If I had a garden, I would have been tempted.  I'll have to stick with my patio chairs.

Another Phoenix

I posted a photo of this Phoenix Bird once before but it was 5 years ago.  Where does the time go!

This one is located in the Garfield Historic district.  I think it was put there to highlight the resurgence of that neighborhood.

The artist for this one is Joe A. Tyler and it was created with funds from the City of Phoenix Streets Percent for the Arts project.

Country Club Park & Del Norte

Country Club Park is a historic neighborhood that I had not explored before.  It's a middle class neighborhood located just a few blocks from the Phoenix Country Club but, it's not part of the exclusive Country Club properties that are along the golf course.  This little neighborhood has a variety of architecture.  This one has a bit of a Spanish hacienda style.

This one also in the Country Club Park area has the mid-century modern "salt-block" look to it.  When I was a kid, I loved this style.

The Del Norte neighborhood is one I've cruised around in before and I've even posted one or two houses from this area before.  It's full of 1940's bungalow sized houses.

I really like this one with all those windows and that wonderfully huge tree in front.  

Chiricahua Apache Family

This Allan Houser bronze sculpture sits at the entrance to the Phoenician Resort just past the guard station.  The resort has a huge art collection and I've featured pieces from the collection in the past.  Somehow I never got around to posting this one.

I have a new post Sharon's Sojourns today.  One random photo taken on a road trip leads to an interesting bit of history.

Well Designed

I featured a photo of this building four years ago because I admired the look of it.  I took that photo from the side of the building where a row of huge pillars create a symmetrical look.  You can see that old photo here.  Now I live just up the street from this building so I see it pretty much every day.  I think it's one of the more attractive office buildings in this area.  I've been inside only once a while ago but as I recall, the inside is equally attractive.  I'll make a point of going inside again and snapping some photos.  It's called the Biltmore Commerce Center.

By the way, that HDR at the top is for the offices of HDR Engineering, not for high-dynamic-range photography.  :-)

Dressed up with Color

I featured a photo of this building before but, it's been over three years ago and since it's one of my favorite high-rise buildings in Phoenix I thought I'd feature it again.  I just love that bright red and orange trim.

The building is called the Optima Tower and it's a combination of office space and condo space.  I could live there!

More Thorne Rooms

I have three more of the Thorne Rooms to show you today.  The one above is an American Federal Dining Room.

This one is an Italian Dining Room from around 1500.

The one to the left is my favorite of all of them.  It is a dining room from an Art Deco New York townhouse.  I love that glimpse of high-rise buildings out the window in the back.  

The next time I'm in Chicago, I'm going to make a point of photographing the 68 rooms that the Chicago Art Institute has in their collection.  In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing them all again.

Thorne Rooms....Revisited

Last year I did a post about the Thorne Rooms, a collection a miniature rooms at the Phoenix Art Museum.  They were created by Indiana native Narcissi Niblack Thorne who developed an interest in miniatures when her uncle began sending her pieces he found in his travels.  She created 98 rooms altogether and the Phoenix Art Museum is lucky to have 20 of them.  I love to go look at them whenever I visit the museum.  The photo above is of the long room where they are located.  With that large window at the end of the room, photographing them behind their glass is very difficult but, on this last trip to the museum I was determined to get a few shots.

Placing my lens right up against the glass, I was able to snap a few shots without the glare or reflection on the glass.  The room above is called the English Adam Dining Room.  Everything in the room seems to be perfectly in scale.

Even with a wide angle lens, I was still not able to capture the full extent of each room so, for this shot I just photographed one half of the room.

I liked this half with the harp and door open to the garden.



Tomorrow I'll show you a few more of the rooms.

Tempe Waterfront

I was in Tempe a couple of weeks ago and snapped this photo of a new condo development located across the street from Tempe Town Lake.  They designed the long sail-like panels to give the feeling of sailing.  It's a rather unique design for a desert city.  Yes, there is a lake nearby but, it's a man-made lake and it's not large enough to seriously sail on.