I published another short work of fiction a couple weeks ago. I wasn’t sure I wanted to publicize it on Cool San Diego Sights, but I read the story again this morning and I still sort of like it. So here goes…
Ghost Wind is the title. It’s about life. Your life, my life, everybody’s life. How invisible wind fills our sails. Read it here.
While I’m at it, here are two more that I also published not too long ago. You can find them all on my website Short Stories by Richard.
Night Walking is a story about a walking house. And dreaming.
The Specimen is about throwing moon stones. And yearning.
I’ve published another short story today. It’s a very odd tale that you might enjoy reading.
It’s about moving through the night. Or about dreaming. Or about living. It is definitely about perception.
I’ve titled this strange little work of fiction Night Walking.
And now, having arranged these few words, I will head out my door and go day walking with my camera . . . through a world that often seems a dream . . .
That is the message of a very cool mural I spotted in Barrio Logan at the corner of Logan Avenue and Sampson Street last weekend. The mural appears to be titled La Vida es un Sueño.
I’m not sure who created this rather unusual, dreamy street art. There’s a bit of stylish script near the bottom of the artwork, but whether it’s graffiti or a signature, I can’t tell. The mural seems a bit faded so it might be a few years old.
If you know who the artist is, please leave a comment!
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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!
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Some of these photographs are disturbing. They show a few of the many contrasts curious eyes will observe in a city. A city that is forever evolving.
People come and go. Businesses come and go. Buildings come and go. Dreams come and go. And we are always right here in the present, trying to recall what was.
These photos were taken during a walk on Saturday. I started up Fifth Avenue from downtown, climbed north through Bankers Hill, and finally entered Hillcrest.
I observed new high-rise and bike lane construction. Striking contrasts appear in photos that include St. Paul’s Cathedral and The Abbey.
I observed new signs and fresh ambitions, and dreams that were shattered.
I glimpsed a complex world, and now even those small glimpses are a fading memory.
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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!
My walk around Cardiff-by-the-Sea today included a very short stretch of the Cardiff Rail Trail. I walked north from where this popular bike and pedestrian trail crosses Chesterfield Drive, just west of San Elijo Avenue.
As I walked I noticed what first appeared to be many small smooth stones spilled to one side of the path. Upon closer inspection, I discovered a treasure trove of colorful gems!
Scattered on dead leaves I found brightly painted butterflies and hearts. I read words expressing love and optimism. I saw painted dreams.
It appears these precious jewels were created by many generous hands.
Dream and smile.
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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!
In downtown Vista, California, at the intersection of S. Indiana Avenue and E. Broadway, you’ll discover a Time Machine and three fantastic dreams.
Or perhaps I should say, you’ll discover four sculptures, one at each corner. I happened upon this very unique public art while walking today!
You might remember I took photos of other cool sculptures around downtown Vista a couple months ago. See them here.
After I finished that earlier walk, I learned to my chagrin that I’d missed a lot of other nearby artwork, so I returned!
(And I found even more amazing art during today’s adventure. So stay tuned!)
Time Machine, by Randall Art Ranch, 2017.
Shall we now visit three dreams? Pull the lever to GO.
Beacon, by artist Kellan Shanahan.
Aeolian Butterfly, by artists David Terrell and Dave Weaver.
Sea Life, by artist Noe Estrada.
What takes us back to the past are the memories. What brings us forward is our dreams.
Time to dream. Hop aboard, strap yourself in and forward we go!
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I was walking through the recently reopened Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park today when my feet carried me into Gallery 21, where exhibitions by local artists are in frequent rotation.
A painter was busy working on a canvas inside, and I quickly learned her name is Minnie Valero. Every wall in the gallery was covered with her work!
Minnie Valero was born and raised in Argentina, but has now lived in Southern California for over a decade. She is both artist and teacher–she has taught painting in southern France for fifteen years. She has also published several books. I could plainly see her unbounded passion for creativity.
According to Minnie’s website, she enjoys “working with watercolor, pastel, acrylic and oils, artfully blending classical and contemporary. I let the painting choose the medium. Portraits, landscapes, figures: my divergent interests in genre stem from a deep love of the interplay of light, shadow, mood and drama, always trying to convey harmony in the composition. I am a contemporary impressionist…”
I really like how she captures a moment’s mood, whether it’s a couple walking down a street, dancing the tango, or simply sitting on some sun-splashed grass by a river. Every emotion is authentic. And every emotion is vivid, rendered with much color and light.
Her paintings are so vivid, to me they seem almost like powerful dreams. Dreams captured with a brush, framed.
(Incidentally, she said she’d love to do some public art, such as painting murals. Anyone out there looking for a muralist?)
If you’d like to see some fine art by a painter who has won many awards, head over to Balboa Park’s Spanish Village and look for Gallery 21. Minnie Valero will be exhibiting her pieces, which are also available for purchase, through August 24, 2020.
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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!
