Roman Roads

 

I discovered this condo neighborhood back in 2015 and commented on its unusual name and appearance.  It turns out that this is an Al Beadle multi-housing development dating back to 1964.  

When I discovered it was another Beadle project, I decided to get new photos.  I drove into the complex to get a look at the fronts of the units seen in these two photos.  It appears that sunlight arrives via the backs which I couldn't see from the roads.  However, that Modern Phoenix website has photos that show the insides of these units showing that the back walls are all glass.  You can see that here.

A Beadle Home

 

Most of the Beadle buildings I'm familiar with are commercial buildings but Beadle also created single family homes.  There are several listed but only a few have a an actual address listed.  Others just give a general vicinity.  This one had a street address so I was able to track it down.  I'm glad I did, this is classic Al Beadle.  

Those "Beatle Balls" are present and the design is very much his style.  Rather than leveling this lot, he worked around the dips and valleys and built the house so it sort of floats over the desert floor.  

That website I found has a lot more photos of this home both inside and out.  You can see them here.  

I Went on a Beadle Hunt

 

At the end of July, I posted a photo of Executive Tower, a mid-century high-rise building design by Phoenix's very own mid-century architect Al Beadle.  I mentioned that I might look for more of the Beadle buildings around Phoenix and that's exactly what I did.  These first three are styles that I wouldn't normally associate with Beadle but I found a website that has archived a lot of his buildings and these three were all on the list.  Above is a small apartment complex called 12th Street Apartments.  The pattern of the blocks on the end is a signature Beadle style.

This is a medical building with multiple tenants.  In fact, my dermatologist was once located in this building.  I photographed it on a Sunday morning so there would be no cars to block the view. This one is called the Missouri Medical Building because it's on Missouri Street. 

This last one has had so many modifications that I think the only thing that remains the same is the shape and size.  It used to be a First Federal Bank but as you can see it's now a pizza restaurant.  It's called "Federal Pizza" to honor the original tenant.  I'll show some more in the next few days.

It was fun seeking out these mid-century gems.  I'm glad I challenged myself to find some of them.

Beep-Beep

 

I recently spotted this cartoon-like mural on the side of a Circle K convenience store.  I see Wile E. Coyote chasing the Roadrunner while Bugs Bunny watches with a Snickers Bar in hand.  I should probably recognize that alien in the spaceship but I don't.  

Taking Part in Monday Murals.

One Lexington

 

Fourteen years ago (wow, has it really been that long?) I posted a view from this building called One Lexington.  At that time, my boss in a past job had a condo in this building which started life as an office building and was converted to condos in 2010.  During the 2020 lock-down, I posted a few more photos that were in my archives.  When I was driving around the area a week ago, I saw this view of the building and thought I should post a photo showing the whole building.  You can see  those penthouse apartments where I took those old photos at the very top of this building.  I wonder who owns that penthouse now.

An Alternate Route

 

When I left the Shemer Art Center last Friday, I decided to take a different route back home.  I would usually drive along busy Camelback Road but, this time I decided to drive through the residential neighborhood behind the Shemer Art Center.  I'm glad I did.  I found some lovely houses along the streets.  This one with its ivy covered front was especially appealing.

This one with its vine covered arch over the entrance is also very nice.  In fact, there were lots of nice houses along this street.  I'm glad I took the long way home.

A Variety of Sculptures

 

As I was leaving the Shemer Art Center last Friday, I saw this fellow standing outside the door.  He's called "Wild Bill" and he was created by Ned Creighton.  

There are lots of sculptures scattered around the grounds of the center and I wanted to take a few more photos but it was just too hot to be outside in the direct sunlight.

So, I checked my photo files to see if I had any other photos and I found a few more.  This sculpture is called "Quartermaster Anubis" and it was created by Jeff Downing.

This interesting piece is called "Antiquities United, Standing Together".  The artist for this one is David Knorr.

This is "Ultimate Reality" by Joan Waters.  It is certainly the ultimate reality TV.  Everything you see in that "screen" is very real.

There is always something interesting to see both inside and outside of the Shemer Art Center.

Pretty Things

 

I'm in the mood for something pretty to post today so I pulled together some pretty blooms I photographed when I was in California two weeks ago.  This first one is a bird of paradise. These plants are all over the coastal areas in California.  I love their exotic blooms.

I found this one growing in front of some shops in Laguna Beach.  I love the color.  According to my iPhone, this is a type of purslane.  Whatever it is, these pretty blooms made me stop for a closer look.

This huge dinner-plate sized hibiscus bloom was located in a very small pocket garden in the business district of Laguna Beach. I love hibiscus blooms so I had to stop to admire this one.

This last one is a colorful leaf that had fallen from a tree and was resting gently on top of a hedge.  

It's always nice to have something pretty to look at.  

A Different Vantage Point

 

Can you tell what this is?  Back in March I posted a photo of the newly decorated corner of the Postino wine bar where I meet friends occasionally for drinks.  Last Sunday I met my friends there and we were sitting right under that new chandelier.  I kept looking up at that colorful chandelier and decided I should snap a shot from underneath.  I really like how it turned out.

This is what the chandelier looks like from a distance and you can see that cozy little space underneath it here.  

I think the photo from underneath (above) has some photo-editing potential.  I might have to play around with it and see what I can come up with.

Another African Experience

 

My friends David and Riley and I had another dinner at that African restaurant we tried back in May.  It was just as delicious as the first time.  I'm so impressed by the flavors in everything we tried.  I had the sea bass but the coconut curry and chimichurri in the sauce for the fish made it memorable.  

These African masks were hanging on the wall over our table.

As we were leaving, we enjoyed this great little musical combo playing on the front porch of the building.  The restaurant, Latha is located in Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix in one of the historic brick houses there.  

It's a great little restaurant.  We'll be hack again.

George & Dragon Revisited

 

A little over a year ago, I posted a photo of this mural on the side of the George & Dragon pub on Central Avenue.  I mentioned that there was never sufficient light on this mural to get a good photo.  When I passed it recently, I thought I would give it another try but, as you can see it still looks dull and way too dark.

Then I got the idea of getting closer to the mural and taking photos of sections of the mural.  That way, I got way better light.  Now the dragon is quite clear and very intimidating.

And, I made a wonderful discovery.  I never saw the maiden tied to the tree until I got up close.  As you can see in the top photo, she is almost impossible to see.  Getting close paid off!

Taking part in Monday Murals.

More Inside Perspectives

 

I have a few more pieces from this latest show at the Shemer Art Center.  As always, I'm so impressed by the amount of artisic talent there is in this world of ours.  This painting is called "On a Limb" and it was painted by Diane DiRe-McGowan.  It's actually a mixed media piece because that nest is created from twigs, threads and feathers.  

This oil painting is a bit nostalgic.  It's called "Two Sons" and it was painted by Brian Boner.  I wonder if those are his two sons.  

This one caught my eye the second I stepped into the room where it was hanging.  It is another oil painting this time by Jason Savaglio.  It's called "Graduation Day: Eggs Leaving Their Nest".

This painting is oil on board created by Julia Wood.  It's called "Towering Saguaro".  The detail makes me think this one could be mistaken for a photograph.

I could stare at this  one for hours.  It's just so calming.  It's called "Peaceful Destination" and it is by Diane DiRe-McGowan.  This is the same artist as the "nest" in the first photo.  

Another successful show at the Shemer Art Center.

Inside Perspectives

 

I realized last week that I hadn't been to the Shemer Art Center since last February.  I'm pretty sure I missed one of their shows in between then and now so I made a point of going yesterday.  The current show is called Inside Perspectives and it showcases artwork created by Shemer instructors, students and staff members.  As usual, the pieces were beautiful and inspiring.  The display of ceramics in this room made me want to take a closer look.

This one was created by Susan Nguyen and it's called "La Dame et Moi".  I'm guessing from the name that it might be a self portrait.  It really is beautifully done.

This one is by Jane Kelsey-Mapel and it's called "The Emperor".  I love his crown.

This one is by Ann Erickson and it's called "Ms. Sweet Cider".   I feel like I've met Ms. Sweet Cider somewhere along the way.

This piece by Carolyn Sechler gets the prize for the longest name.  It's called "Volatile Tipping Point Between Remembering and Forgetting". 

Tomorrow I'll show you some other great artworks from this show.

Two Different Entrances

 

I was driving around a neighborhood near where I live looking for interesting things to photograph when I spotted this house with an interesting entrance into the yard.  The house is surrounded by a low wall and lots of plants and trees.

Next door to the house in the top photo was another house that was also surrounded by a wall only this one has high wall and hardly any plant life.  There is a fountain visible behind the gate. These were the only two houses on this street with this type of entrance arrangement which made them stand out from all the other houses on the street.

Two interesting houses right next door to each other.

Theme Day: Fruit

 

The City Daily Photo Bloggers theme for August 1st is "Fruit" and I think this might be my favorite fruity photo.  It was actually taken by my friend Julie after she had visited a Farmer's Market and put all the fruit she purchased together in one bowl.  She did such a great job of arranging them.  

To see other fruit-filled photos from around the world, click here.

Architectural Table & Chair

 

I always make a point of visiting the Laguna Beach Art Museum whenever I visit California and this time was no exception.  Above is a piece of art that surprised me because that very exotic looking table and chair was created by Frank Gehry, the famous architect.  It was created in 1970 and is made from cardboard and masonite.  It's wild looking just like many of his unique buildings!

The Laguna Beach Art Museum specializes in California artists or art that was made in California.  The show that was on this time was called "On the Edge: Los Angeles Art from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection."  That's Joan and Jack in the photo above, inside their art-filled home.  Here's a quote from the exhibit:

"Few individuals have left such an indelible mark on the landscape of Southern California as Joan and Jack Quinn.  Joan has played both muse and promoter of artists and Jack used his skills as a prominent and influential attorney to help emerging artists and their dealers navigate the worlds of law and business."

One part of the exhibit was a series of portraits of Joan.  It was interesting to see how the different artists depicted her and the artistic styles they each used.  The one to the left was made by David Hockney and is described as a polaroid and Xerox collage.  

The Quinn's were quite the collectors.  It was a huge exhibit with hundreds of paintings, sculptures and photographs.  I bet they were fun people to know.  

Some Oldies!

 

One of the benefits of digging through boxes of old photos is that you find some you hadn't seen in a long time.  I thought I'd show a few.  This is my grandparents house in Quincy Illinois.  The date on the photo is April 1954.  This photo probably sat in the camera for a month or two before the film was developed because there probably wasn't that much snow on the ground in April.

This is a photo of my grandparents.  There was no date on this photo but I'm guessing it was around 1920.  I know it was before they were married.  Aren't they a handsome couple?

Here they are again only this time my grandfather is in his military uniform.  He served in WWI.

Now we'll jump forward many years.  This is from 1960 and that's me on the far right.  Next to me is my dad, my sister Judy, my mom and then my grandfather and my sister Pam. All of the ladies had corsages, I'm not sure why.

This last one has a date of January 1958.  Once again, I think this film sat in the camera for several months before it was developed.  We wouldn't be standing outside in short sleeves in January in Illinois.  

This one has my grandmother in it with me to the left and Judy and Pam in front of grandma.  I love those Oxford shoes now. I probably hated them back then.

These are fun photos to rediscover.  

Midtown Phoenix

 

On Saturday I had a post about some apartments that replaced a strange looking restaurant.  This mural is painted on one side of those apartments near the entrance to the parking garage.  It pays tribute to an area of Phoenix called Midtown.  Midtown is a commercial area of town with high-rise buildings and lots of businesses that is located north of downtown.  I used to live in the area called midtown.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Tall and Sophisticated

 

This tall building is just one block away from the apartments I featured yesterday.  My first job upon moving to Arizona was in an elegant looking building between these two. (that building is long gone)  I remember coming from a small city in Illinois, this apartment building looked so "big-city" sophisticated to me.  The last time I featured this building on my blog was in 2008.

The building was designed by Al Beadle, a much admired, mid-century architect.  There is evidence of his buildings all over town.  I featured two others here and here.   

I should search out more Beadle buildings and do a series of posts! That might be a fun project.

I mentioned above that my first job after moving to Arizona was in beautifully designed building directly across the street from the apartments I posted yesterday.  The building was torn down a long time ago to make way for a parking lot.  (Yes, just like the song!) I spent two hours searching the internet for a photo of that building with no luck at all.  I can't believe that there are no photos to be found in cyberspace.  I spent another hour searching my old boxes of photos and finally came up with this one.  It's faded and pushing way too much green but at least you can get an idea of what that building looked like.