What's For Dessert?

I was at my friends Julie & Dave's house last weekend and dessert was this fantastic fruit tart.  It tasted as good as it looks!  I'm kind of wishing I had a piece right now!

Shadow Play

I've been meaning to get a photo of this functional art piece near downtown Phoenix for a while now and I got a chance to take some shots from my car not long ago when I was stopped for a traffic light.  It's situated on a traffic island that divides the street so it's not easy to get to.  It's called Shadow Play and it's the work of artist Meejin Yoon.

The artist calls these cloud-like structures that create shade at the hottest time of the day.  Given that we are experiencing some excessive heat warnings this week, shade is a good thing.  The "clouds" are coated with a heat resistant paint and also allows the easy removal of graffiti.  That sounds very smart to me.

Facelift

While I was downtown locating "Melinda" the mural of yesterday, I noticed that the Renaissance hotel has gotten a bit of a facelift.  Remember when In posted a similar scene a few years back?  I'm not sure I like this new "white" face.  It will take some getting used to.

Here's a full view.  It blended in with it's neighbors when it was that southwestern sandy tan.  Oh well, I guess that's progress!

Melinda

There is a new mural in downtown Phoenix.  It's just gone up in the alley behind the Renaissance Hotel.  It's called "Melinda" in honor of the woman who inspired Melinda's Alley, a speakeasy style bar in the basement of the hotel.

I've never been there but according to several reviews, it's fun place to visit.

The rest of mural depicts what this corner used to look like 100 years ago.  It is the work of Darrin Armijo-Wardle and Hugo Medina.

This Car is Green

I saw this car in the parking lot of my local Whole Foods grocery store.  In case you can't read the message, it says "The carbon emissions from this car are absorbed by a seawater forest growing in Sonora Mexico"  I tried the "seawaterfoundation.org" web site listed at the bottom of of the message but, all I get is a holding spot for a web site.  I'm curious about his one!

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  It's about a climb into the Andes.

Color on Gold

One last painting from my last visit to the Phoenix Art Museum.  This piece caught my eye the minute I saw it.  It reminds me so much of something that Frank Lloyd Wright might have designed.  It's a painting by Gabriel Orozco and it's called Samurai Tree 2 H.  It's done in tempura and burnished gold leaf.  I love it!

Old Friend, New Location

This spectacular painting by Paul Pletka has had a place of honor in a large gallery in the museum for many years.  Recently, the museum put together a special show called "Border Crossings" and brought together many works that represent a cultural conversation between Mexico and the United States.  Paul Pletka's masterpiece entitled "Nuestro Señor el Desollado (Our Lord, the One Who is Flayed)" is the star of the exhibit. The painting is a done in brilliant acrylic paint on canvas and every inch of it masterfully painted.

The painting depicts a mix of Mexican and Spanish Colonial images with pre-Columbian heritage as well as a mix of contemporary Mexican-American culture.

There are so many things to look at in this painting that it's hard to see it all.

For example if you look closely at the priests robe you can actually see the threads in the embroidery.  And, speaking of the embroidery, notice the juxtaposition between the two panels on the robe.  One shows missionaries preaching to the Aztecs in front of a cross, the second scene shows conquistadors stabbing those same Aztecs.

The large crowd of worshiping people are all dressed in a variety of attire ranging from historic and native costumes  to contemporary clothing.

And the artist, Paul Pletka painted himself in the painting as one of the onlookers.  It's one of those paintings you can look at over and over again and always see something new and interesting.  It deserves to be the focal point of this exhibit that makes a friendly handshake with our Mexican friends across the border.

Art that Inspires

Here are two more art pieces from the exhibit I saw last weekend.  Both of these artists were also grant winners for their works.  The one above is called Biophilia (leaves) by Mary Meyer.  I like this one.

This one isn't for decorating the home but for making a point.  It's called The Impermanence of Forests by Bryan David Griffith, the same artist who did the "smoke circles" I featured two days ago.  Since we have several forest fires going on in the state right now, this one makes an important statement.

Flag Day

I'm taking a little break from the intriguing art because today is flag day in the U.S. so it only seems appropriate that I offer up a flag.  I created the artistic framework for a little added pizzaz.

Art That Make You Wonder

The artist I featured yesterday (Patricia Sannit) received her award for a sustained degree of excellence and commitment.  There were five other artists recognized by the group and awarded grants for their efforts.  One that intrigued me were these pieces by Bryan David Griffith.

According to the information, these three panels were named Discover (top), Convection (middle) and Encompass (bottom).

The description of the art medium used is as follows:  "petroleum smoke accumulated in encaustic beeswax on wood panels."  What??  I have no idea how these were created.  That certainly gave me something to ponder.

Art That Makes you Think

I escaped the house on Saturday after a week of nursing a terrible cold and visited the Phoenix Art Museum.  Every time I go there is something new to see and admire.  I happened upon an exhibit of the art of Patricia Sannit, the winner of the 2016 Arlene & Morton Scult Contemporary Forum Artist Award.  (I've feature work of Patricia Sannit before here.)

Her art piece is called "Rise Fall Rise" and it's described this way:  "The culmination of a process that began last year in which the artist began connecting her practice to unfolding political and cultural events."  Ms. Sannit is an artist and instructor at Phoenix College who uses clay and other materials to explore connections within our shared humanity.

She created these head forms that contain oblique references to specific events.

I spent a lot of time studying the forms to try to see if I could decipher the meanings.

This one makes me think of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh.

This one definitely makes me think of the horrible acts of violence happing all over the world.

This one looks like someone willing to say anything to further his own agenda.

And this last one made me chuckle a bit.  I think it looks like a certain leader of the free world when he gets caught in the wind.

I'm probably way off base on all my interpretations but, the important thing is, it makes me think.

The artist says that "Rise Fall Rise plays with notions of the 'anti-monument' and chance to exemplify a collective vulnerability in challenging times."

Hibiscus

A week ago I posted some photos of some young ducklings posing for photos at the Japanese Friendship Garden.  I totally forgot that I also had these photos of the Chinese Hibiscus in full bloom.  There were loads of blooms on the plants so I took a few shots.

Wouldn't a handful of these lovely blooms make a gorgeous bouquet?

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm talking a walk through a very quiet Tuscan village.

Crane Woman, Heron & Turtle

Here are two more sculptures from the Heard Museum sculpture garden.  These two are tricky to photograph with the glass behind them.

I tried it from two different angles.  The sculpture on the left is called Crane Woman and the one on the right is called Heron and Turtle.  You can see the heron is standing on the turtle in the top photo.  Both of these pieces are by John Hoover.

After taking a photo of them from the garden, I went inside the museum to take a shot through the glass and the sun screen.

After I snapped the first shot, these two walked up to admire the sculptures so I snapped them to.  After I took these two shots, I thought they'd probably get deleted but, I kind of like that filtered look.

Floating

I've been home bound all week with a very nasty cold.  I think it's on the run now and I hope to never see it again!  Needless to say, I had to pull something out of the archives to post today.  That's how I found this sculpture in the garden area of the Heard Museum.  The name of this piece is "Woman in Love" and it's by Bob Haozous.  He describes it as a woman floating, eyes closed, in a daze and with a smile on her face.  I don't believe I ever "floated" but hey, that's just me.

Fine Chocolates

It seems like it's getting harder and harder to find a really good fine chocolate store in the Phoenix area.  Earlier this year the Godiva stores closed their doors for good.

Thanks to the recommendation of a neighbor, I found a great place in north Scottsdale.  It's called Zak's Chocolates and his chocolates are made right there on the premises.

I pointed my camera through the window into the chocolate kitchen to take a peek.  Can you imagine working in there?  I'd have a hard time not eating one (or three) while I was back there.  Zak's chocolates have a really deep and smooth chocolate flavor.  I'm glad I found this place.

Decorating the Front Yard/Garden

Lately I've found a lot of homes that have gone that extra step to make their front yard or garden area very inviting.  Some create a a place to sit and relax.

Another has the same idea of a place to relax only with a little more casual air to it.  

Some adorn the front of the house with a piece of sculptural art.  This one was modern to go with a rather modern looking home.

This house has a fountain in front with a sort of whimsical lass standing atop ready to capture some water in her buckets.  Unfortunately, the fountain looks like it's run out of water and is now serving as a planter.

There is a lot more whimsy going on at the front of this house.  An old tree stump is used to support a collection of ceramic characters and a flower pot that appears to have not been watered enough to keep that plant alive.  It's kind of fun to find these little artistic expressions.

Stark White

Back on May 26th, I posted a photo of a new "spec" house that had a windowless front.  I found this house in that same neighborhood of older Phoenix homes.  This place has such a stark look to it that it stands out from the rest of the neighborhood.  It's either a new build or an older home that has been pretty much gutted and rebuilt.

It's quite unusual for a neighborhood full of traditional single family homes.  

Thinking of My Favorite City

Sending lots of love and sympathy to beautiful London England and all her citizens!

Those Colorful Birds

I met my friend Glenda for lunch at Kierland Commons yesterday and look who I found living in one of the palm trees there.  See that hole in the tree?  He was going in and out of it so I assume he has a nest there.

I took these shots from across the street using the telephoto lens and it looks like the camera was more focused on the tree than the bird so they aren't the best snaps.  But, I so enjoy seeing these jolly little guys flying about and chattering in their parrot voices.

As I was watching, the flat mate popped out of the hole in the tree to see what was going on outside. They are such cute little guys.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm reviewing a bit of London's history.

Extreme Machines

I found this mural on the side of a business in north Phoenix.  

And this was on another wall.  It turns out that this is the name of a business that does custom paint and body work for vehicles.  So, if you want to "trick-out" your car or boat or motorcycle, this is the place to go!

Nibbling on the Plants

On my most recent walk at the Desert Botanical Garden, I spotted some movement in bush near by.  I took a closer look and found this little round tailed ground squirrel munching away on the the buds on this plant.  He was so busy chowing down that he didn't seem to mind me clicking away in front of him.

Theme Day: Nature

What could be a better theme for me than "Nature"?  I LOVE nature and spend a lot of time photographing its wonders.  For today's theme I chose one of my favorite natural surprises, the cactus flower.  How can nature produce such spectacular beauty attached to such prickly and unfriendly plants?

I never get tired of them.  Every spring I'm out there photographing as many as I can find.  To me they are part of nature's mysterious ways!

To see how there city daily photo bloggers have represented nature, click here.