Dozens of beautiful sails out on San Diego Bay yesterday. In the afternoon I sat at the end of Broadway Pier and lazily snapped photos.
I spotted tall ship Californian sailing gently past, and a host of shining sailboats racing across the blue water in the San Diego Yacht Club’s Lipton Cup fall regatta.
This morning, toying around with GIMP’s Oilify filter, I created some dreamy images. I’ve never oil painted anything . . . but with the help of my trusty old computer, now I can pretend otherwise!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Day of the Dead altar created by the Old Globe Theatre contains photos of departed loved ones, roses, candles, and an image of Shakespeare.
For several hours today, visitors to Balboa Park could enjoy traditional Dia de los Muertos activities in Copley Plaza, at the entrance to the Old Globe’s theater complex. The event’s main attraction was two performances of a powerful new play called La Muerte Descansa en Paz (Death Rests in Peace). The first performance was in Spanish, the second mostly in English.
The brief but emotionally stirring play, directed and co-created by Daniel Jáquez, was presented for the very first time on Saturday during the SAY San Diego’s City Heights Day of the Dead Celebration. The production is the result of a collaboration between the Old Globe’s coLAB and AXIS programs and the San Diego community of City Heights.
Here are some photos of today’s event!
Day of the Dead–Dia de los Muertos–was celebrated today in Copley Plaza, outside the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in Balboa Park.A Dia de los Muertos altar remembers and celebrates those who’ve passed into the next world. Their spirits are enticed to return among the living.A loving tribute to relatives and loved ones, dearly missed.Kids have their faces painted like sugar skulls for Dia de los Muertos.The tools of a face painter.At one table creative kids could color Dia de los Muertos skulls.Shakespeare among Dia de los Muertos skulls. Perhaps that one in the center belonged to Yorick.A performance of La Muerte Descansa en Paz (Death Rests in Peace) begins. The dead enter in front of a living audience.The character Death takes the stage. Death sees both sides of the river. Death sees life’s joy, pain, dreams–and the souls of the departed.The dead dance. On Dia de los Muertos, when the church bells ring, Death permits the dead to return briefly as spirits among the living.A dead poet vaguely remembers the richness and brevity of life–the sharp joys and sorrows. Her voice was cut short, but her living words linger.The dead briefly take the stage. We, the living, experience a glimpse, a whisper, a moment of lost love.
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You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Kids at Halloween Family Day in Balboa Park color Dia de los Muertos skulls.
Today was Halloween Family Day in Balboa Park!
A lively crowd filled the park, roaming about in fun costumes, trick-or-treating, eating yummy food truck offerings, and enjoying all sorts of entertainment. But the coolest part of the event, in my opinion, was the opportunity to create all sorts of colorful Halloween art!
Many families filled El Prado during Balboa Park’s annual Halloween Family Day.The Timken Museum of Art had a table that helped kids learn how to make some cool Halloween artwork.A scary hand print and nearby smiling pumpkin treat.A panda and his pals were providing music in the Plaza de Panama. Young and old in Halloween costumes look on.Decals were being applied to trick-or-treat bags in Spanish Village Art Center.Anyone at the Japanese Friendship Garden could make a cool spider sucker holder using craftily bent black pipe cleaners.More fun Halloween coloring at the International Cottages table on El Prado.Flesh-eating plants displayed by the San Diego Carnivorous Plant Society appeared even scarier than usual!The San Diego Public Library was at the annual event promoting reading. Something a bit spooky might be perfect today.Even the Balboa Park electriquettes were dressed up for the occasion!Making bats at the San Diego Natural History Museum table.A beautiful glass pumpkin, that was made by the glassblowers of Spanish Village.Kids learn how to sculpt in Spanish Village during Halloween Family Day.Yikes! That’s really creepy!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Mosaic scenes of Hispanic life, culture and history decorate benches and seats at a San Diego Trolley station.
In Logan Heights, the 25th and Commercial Street station of the San Diego Trolley’s Orange Line features public art at both it’s east and west platforms. A week or so ago, I enjoyed looking at colorful mosaics made of tiles on the base of various concrete seats and curving benches. The small mosaics depict Hispanic life, culture and history. There are abstract scenes of immigrants working in fields or in construction, of family at home, and of organized activism.
I took these photos at the eastbound platform. The mosaics are part of a project titled Achievement / Progress / Community: In the Spirit of Cesar E. Chavez that was completed in 2006. The mosaics were created by artist John Hiemstra. The trolley stop is dedicated to civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.
Photo along length of 25th and Commercial Street trolley station of the Orange Line. This is the eastbound platform.A small tile mosaic scene features a red trolley in front of downtown’s Santa Fe Depot.A family at home around a table laden with food.Migrant workers planting seeds in a field.Mosaic shows what appears to be a ranch in a Southern California landscape.Farm worker is harvesting tomatoes or strawberries.Saguaro cacti in a Southwestern scene.Beautiful abstract mosaic. Tiles of different colors, sizes and shapes.Hispanic workers build a wall.A laborer hard at work.Two figures stand near automobiles on a highway.A diverse group appears to hold up signs in a protest.A priest and an activist.Hispanic youth together, perhaps students. Another scene of life, learning, hope, struggle.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to share and enjoy!
My art is the way I reestablish the bonds that tie me to the universe.
This morning I saw a bunch of cool zines dangling in the windows of downtown’s Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. I was peering at the many imaginative covers and unexpected titles when I noticed this window display concerns the annual Tijuana Zine Fest, a regional festival that celebrates independent publishing and art.
I always love to bathe in individual, uninhibited creativity. Many of the zines appear to be subversive; others are humorous, or philosophical, or inspiring.
Best of luck to all the authors!
Keep on pushing to new horizons!
Keep on writing!
Tijuana Zine Fest is an annual festival that celebrates self-publishing and independent art in the culturally fertile Tijuana-San Diego border region.A bunch of creative zines hang inside the windows of the downtown Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, in their building at America Plaza.Why are you dumping me? Snap out of it.Tarantella Zine.Pabdia – Cine Enmascarado.Tijuana. Deep Affection. Xicanita. Self Care – Self Love.Fetish Witch. Beast County.One Punk’s Guide to African Politics. Accomplices Not Allies.Transitory Existence.Abandon everything again. Pobre Bebé. La Playa. A Manifesto for Discomfortable Writing.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Hang On To Your Hats! Art of the Horse, created by artist Daphne Gaylord.
Breeders’ Cup racehorses are running down a street in Del Mar–and through several nearby cities, from La Jolla to Cardiff-by-the-Sea!
These horses–fiberglass sculptures to be precise–are life size versions of the Torrie Horse used for the Breeders’ Cup Trophy. Each one has been painted by a local artist and placed along a stretch of coastal San Diego County for the upcoming event, which will be held on November 3 and 4 at the Del Mar Racetrack. The project is called Art of the Horse. There are a total of 20 statues.
I’ve spotted four more Breeders’ Cup horses racing down Camino del Mar, south of the racetrack!
Milliner’s Joy. Art of the Horse, created by artist Robin Raznick.Banner proclaims that The Best Are Coming. The Breeders’ Cup will be held at the Del Mar Racetrack in 2017, November 3-4.La Mare De La Mer. Art of the Horse, created by artist Nancy Fraser.American Flag. Art of the Horse, created by artist Vincent Dalmaso.Hang on for the ride of your life! The Breeders’ Cup is coming to Del Mar in less than two weeks!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Some powerful canvases by talented artists are now on display on the first floor of the downtown San Diego Central Library. These artists all happen to be homeless.
The artwork you see in the following photos was created with the help of HEAL, a nonprofit organization that provides purpose, hope, and a creative outlet for the homeless in San Diego. Homeless Empowerment Through Art and Leadership has a Mobile Art Studio, allowing anyone on the streets to freely express themselves. Locations include Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, and the downtown library. To learn more, click the photos of signs below and they will expand for easy reading!
If you’d like to shop for art that supports San Diego artists affected by homelessness, please visit HEAL’s Etsy store. The money from your purchase of artwork goes directly to the artist! (And please share that store’s link with your friends, too!)
If you happen to be homeless and are visiting my blog, first of all welcome! When I was young I was homeless myself for a time. But I found my way out of that maze and now have a hopeful, fulfilling life.
If you’re homeless, one thing you might consider doing is starting your own blog. You can easily start a free blog on WordPress. A public computer at the library is all you need! it’s actually pretty easy and if you accidentally mess up you can make changes or start over.
You can blog about anything that interests you. As you can see from my own blog, I like to walk around San Diego, take photographs and write short stories. After blogging consistently for a good while, Cool San Diego Sights now gets hundreds of page views every day! If I can accomplish that, believe me, anyone can! You just have to stick with it.
If you’re an artist and have a smartphone with a camera, you can use it to upload your own art online. Not only will that make you feel fantastic, and possibly open new avenues for your future, but by sharing your artwork with the world you might uplift the lives of many other people, too!
HEAL is a nonprofit that provides opportunities for creative self-expression and personal growth for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Diego.Many expressive works by talented artists are now on display at the San Diego Central Library.Blue Eye, by Dominique H.Fight To Be Happy, by Marius.HEAL is Homeless Empowerment Through Art and Leadership. Their mobile art studio is free. Locations include Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, and downtown San Diego. (Click the above image to expand it, for easy reading of days and times.)Love Is Eternal Tree, by Jolie.Geo Wood Collage, by Ben.Circle Mandala, by Votive.A Look Into My Mind, by David R.Sunny Day, by Carlos.Shells By The River, by Propane Purps.I Beseech You . . . Crows, by V The Artist.Memories Of The Caribbean, by Dario D.A very beautiful work of art. I apologize for not knowing the title or the artist’s name.Pink Sky, by Helena D.River And Pine Trees, by Timothy R.Hindi Girl, by Shawn L.Woman With Afro, by Dominique H.Palms On The Beach, by Lawrence S.Colorful Zig Zags, by Zak T.Faces And Trees, by Vince and Leni.Teal Dragon, by Kayla.Eye On A Butterfly, by Jelyn E.Floating Face, by Kermina P.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Super fast GC32 catamarans fly through and above San Diego Bay during an Extreme Sailing Series race!
Today I headed over to Harbor Island to check out the Extreme Sailing Series races out on San Diego Bay. The exciting Ultimate Stadium Racing Championship takes place over eight weekends, in eight international cities. Elite teams from countries around the world sail identical, super fast GC32 catamarans, which at their highest speed actually fly above the water!
I was amazed at how close some of the action was. A good crowd of people watched a sequence of relatively short races from the shore of Harbor Island, and from the Race Village, while announcers described exactly what was happening out on the water. When the catamarans flew by, many cheered for their favorite team!
The event continues through Sunday. Except for the VIP section, everything is free and open to the public!
I got a few decent photos!
Boy points toward fleet of high-tech foil-equipped catamarans manned by elite level teams. Another wild race is about to begin.A crowd watches the Ultimate Stadium Racing Championship event from Harbor Island’s temporary Race Village. Viewing is free!Some of the best sailors in the world, many who’ve won Olympic Gold, World Championships, and the America’s Cup, vie for supremacy in San Diego.The Extreme Sailing Series includes stadium racing competition in eight international cities. San Diego is Act 7.The race announcers add spice and sailing knowledge to an already exciting scene.The SAP Extreme Sailing Team out of Denmark seemed ahead of the pack in nearly every race. They’ve already been the winner in 3 cities.Once the catamarans attain sufficient speed, they become airborne, barely maintaining control with foils! Gusts of wind in the sails can really make these racing craft sway!Lots of people were enjoying the VIP section.The Race Village features many vendors and participating organizations. US Sailing has a fun scavenger hunt for kids.Young people compare how different sail arrangements can produce speed.A large diagram provides a guide to the amazing GC32 catamaran. Each team’s vessel is exactly alike. Skill and strategy determine ultimate victory.Legend beneath the diagram explains various key parts of the GC32, including the J-Foils, which create lift. (Click image to enlarge.)Our local Team Extreme San Diego was making a great showing! San Diego has produced many of the world’s top sailors. (Need I mention Dennis Conner?)Beautiful sailboats do battle on San Diego Bay, with the downtown skyline providing a picturesque background.The crew of each vessel includes many highly skilled athletes. The action is wild and fast-paced!A dance upon sparkling water.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of fun photos for you to share and enjoy!
Someone in downtown San Diego’s Horton Plaza Park peers through a spy hole into a tiny Model Home.
The La Jolla Playhouse has invaded Horton Plaza Park! Several red houses have been placed inside the downtown San Diego park, and inside these tiny houses professional actors and actresses perform. A public audience can freely watch through spy holes!
Model Home is the name of this improvisational performance art concept, and anyone can check it out through Sunday. It’s a part of the La Jolla Playhouse’s annual Without Walls Festival which this year takes place in venues around downtown.
The genius behind Model Home is Mimi Lien, and I believe the idea is to inspire thought about what makes a home, and about those things in a home that individuals deem to be important.
A home is like an enclosed stage where humans act out much of their lives. As one nearby sign says, houses aren’t just structures, but contain human identity, memory and experience. Peering through the various spy holes in these Model Homes is like secretly peering into the mind of another person. It’s an inner life that the observer can never truly know.
I spoke to a couple of friendly La Jolla Playhouse folks and learned the actors and actresses inside the houses perform all day long, with periodic breaks. They are aware that eyeballs are staring in at them, but as trained acting professionals they aren’t fazed at all.
I also learned that at certain times the tiny house that is dangling from a crane is swung around through the air in a Crane Ballet! Perhaps I’ll “swing” by again this weekend and “crane” my neck at what must certainly be an unusual sight!
If you’re in downtown this weekend, you really should check it out!
Inside one tiny house I saw an actor in a small kitchen baking bread!Model Home, in downtown San Diego’s Horton Plaza Park, is part of the La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls WOW festival! (Click image to enlarge.)Several tiny red houses stand in Horton Plaza Park–and one is dangling high in the sky from a crane!People pause to read a sign that describes some very unique and thought-provoking performance art that can be enjoyed freely by anyone passing by.Peering through one of the spy holes…Inside this very bare Model Home an actor seemed to be sleeping in poverty. But every small “stage” and improvised performance invites the viewer’s personal interpretation.Inside another Model Home were the abandoned remnants of a birthday party. I didn’t see an actor. (Perhaps the kids ran outside to play…)And inside this Model Home an actress was studying a feather, holding it up and turning it about in the soft light. She seemed to be quietly thinking.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 