Tag: artists

100 Years, 100 Stones monument at SDSU.

In 1997 the 100 Years, 100 Stones monument debuted at San Diego State University. It was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of SDSU.

If you’ve ever walked down the campus’ central Campanile Walkway you’ve no doubt seen this unique stone-like sculpture with its two portals. It has an appearance suggestive of ancient temples or ruins.

Those who look closely at the monument will see small rock samples embedded in it, with informative labels. The rocks come from locations all around our region, within a hundred miles of SDSU, including places in Mexico. The art blends culture with geology.

Installation artist Eve Andree Laramee designed 100 Years, 100 Stones. There’s no plaque by this public art with any sort of explanation (that I’ve noticed), so I wonder if students walking past it understand its origin and nature. For years I myself didn’t know. Thank you Google!

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The Bakers public art in Escondido!

The Bakers is the title of this really great, expressive public art in Escondido. Because the sculpture stands at the end of a seldom visited street, very few people see it or know that it exists!

Created by the amazing San Diego artists T.J. Dixon and James Nelson in 1993, The Bakers consists of three 7-feet-tall terracotta male figures that represent the process of baking bread. The lively art was commissioned by and for the Fornaca Family Bakery.

Today it stands by the driveway leading to Bimbo Bakeries USA, at 2069 Aldergrove Avenue.

Beautiful murals at Flowers Tino in Chula Vista!

Without a doubt, these two murals delight the eyes of people driving down Third Avenue in south Chula Vista. Very beautiful artwork is painted on two sides of the Flowers Tino flower shop!

Both murals were created years ago by San Diego artist David Mena (@menamurals).

The bright, colorful images are bursting with many different types of flowers. It’s like a vertical garden with a bit of added Toltec imagery!

Here’s the amazing mural on the north side:

And here’s the south side:

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Jugando sculpture by Chula Vista Memorial Park.

People walking around Memorial Park in Chula Vista could easily miss this wonderful public art. It’s located on the other side of a fence at the north end of the park. The bronze sculpture depicting a loving mother and two children stands in front of the One Park Apartments.

Jugando is the name of the sculpture. That’s Spanish for the word “playing.” Jugando was created in 1986 by artist Miriam Newman. The graceful figures are very plain, almost featureless. Diverse people who regard these figures might personally relate.

The Smithsonian Institution Art Inventories Catalog describes the work: A woman stands holding a nude baby above her head with both hands. A young girl embraces the woman from the front. Both the woman and the young girl are wearing long, pleated skirts. All three figures are faceless.

I took these photos a couple weeks ago…

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Symbolism and family and one artist.

That’s San Diego artist James Watts (@jewattso) in the above photo. He was painting an image of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods (or Shichifukujin) on the downtown sidewalk outside his studio yesterday. It’s number 93 of the 100 paintings he’s presently working on.

I had to look up those lucky gods to understand what he was painting. He also showed me a painting of his own family, which got me to thinking.

Mythology, literature, and every creative work uses symbolism. We use symbols in order to better understand and engage with an infinitely larger reality.

Now, what do we understand best? Our own lives.

So it isn’t surprising the symbols we create reflect our human experience. The deities of mythology explain the mysteries of this world, but tend to be very human. The illuminating words of great literature rely upon human experience and interaction. In a strange way, created symbols and reality combine in our own minds. Symbols inform our living.

James Watts loves mythology, literature and life, and his symbolic art connects it all. Or so it seems to me.

His next painting is of the characters in Voltaire’s novel Candide…

The next photograph shows James Watts’ family years ago, when he was a youth. That’s him in a white t-shirt…

And here’s a painting he recently created, based on the old photo…

Symbols we create can be extremely powerful.

Might we all strive to understand, remember, live fully.

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Neighborhood eateries painted by San Diego artist!

Painting of Pho Xpress and Stout Public House on Sixth Avenue in downtown San Diego. By artist James Watts.

I love these fanciful paintings of neighborhood eateries! They were created by San Diego artist James Watts (@jewattso) as part of his ongoing 100 Paintings project.

I happened to walk down the sidewalk in front of his downtown studio today and he was there outside in the sunshine with his two cats, working with a smile on painting #93. Read about his 100 Paintings project here.

I ventured into his amazing studio, and he showed me some of his latest work. Among many great new paintings, he showed me these three colorful pieces. You might recognize the restaurants they depict!

James Watts is a creative dynamo who is a true San Diego treasure. He’s a super cool friendly downtown neighbor, too!

Read the photo captions. (More on his paintings in my next blog post!)

Painting of Ichiban Sushi & Japanese Cuisine on University Avenue in Hillcrest. By artist James Watts.
Painting of Las Cuatro Milpas on Logan Avenue in Barrio Logan, now permanently closed after 92 years. By artist James Watts.

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Mural by famous artist on La Mesa school!

Artist and architectural designer Millard Owen Sheets earned international fame for his work around Southern California. Perhaps you’ve seen his gorgeous mosaic murals on the exteriors of buildings that were originally Home Savings Bank branches.

One of those mosaics still exists in La Mesa. People heading down Jackson Drive might notice it above the front entrance of JCS Manzanita Elementary school, on a building that began as Home Savings.

The colorful artwork depicts friars and vaqueros. It was created back in 1976. According to this website, the mosaic was worked on by Millard Sheets and assisting artists Denis O’Connor and Susan Lautmann Hertel.

Around San Diego, three mosaic murals by Millard Owen Sheets can be found in Chula Vista, Coronado and Pacific Beach.

How absolutely amazing is this?

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Padres mural behind Point Loma bar!

Check out this super cool Padres mural painted last year behind Harbor Town Pub in Point Loma!

The artist is Jack Stricker (@jackstrickerart). The artwork depicts Padres baseball heroes Trevor Hoffman, Tony Gwynn and Ken Caminiti holding baseballs, bat and glove while dressed in long brown robes like friars!

I noticed this mural while walking near a bus stop waiting for my ride to Cabrillo National Monument.

I spoke to a friendly guy opening the bar, and he said Harbor Town Pub is the place you want to be watching Padres games. He also said it would be really cool if Trevor Hoffman came down to see the mural himself!

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A hidden mural at La Jolla Shores!

Very few people see this beautiful mural. It was painted in an extremely narrow space next to Scoops Ice Cream on Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla.

Someone eating ice cream at an outdoor table feet from the mural didn’t notice it until they saw me taking photographs!

The nice lady serving ice cream at Scoops thinks the artwork was painted years ago. The artist is Charlene Mosley (@cm__art).

Painted on the wall across from a scene of undersea life is an image of two kids eating ice cream. The employee I spoke to believes they were painted by the same artist.

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Double Bill art exhibition in La Jolla!

Lovers of art in San Diego are in for a treat. Head down to the Wisteria Cottage Gallery in La Jolla and you can admire the work of two celebrated local artists who taught at UC San Diego.

Double Bill: The Art of Manny Farber and Patricia Patterson contains numerous fine works by this husband and wife team who made their home in Leucadia.

Paintings large and small, beautiful sketches, historical photographs, and books the pair published are all on display.

Both artists liked to create images of simple, familiar things. Family life and home are frequent subjects. The images are friendly and warm. If I could reach into two dimensions, I’d happily take the depicted scenes and objects into my hands and make them my own.

You’ll notice when you visit the gallery that Patricia often paints people and moments in life. Manny often creates collage-like images of ordinary objects. To viewers who love living, they can all make a powerful connection.

Here’s the exhibition webpage.

Double Bill: The Art of Manny Farber and Patricia Patterson will be open free to the public through February 1, 2026.

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