Tag: imagination

A short story about a mysterious artifact.

Have you ever visited a museum and viewed an historical object that seems timeless? An artifact that might still belong in the hands of the living?

I’ve written a short story based on my own strange experiences. It has a surprise ending. It’s titled The Recovered Artifact.

To read it, click here!

I would like to express gratitude to those teachers who’ve introduced my story One Thousand Likes to students recently using Google Classroom. I observe my website stats and am stunned. I never imagined such a small story would be read by so many. It’s a writer’s wildest dream come true!

Now it’s time to start brainstorming again!

There are many more places to walk in San Diego and many more photographs to take. Unexpected new adventures await! Thanks for coming along!

Wishing all my readers a Happy New Year!

Richard

Cool street art throughout Carlsbad Village!

This weekend I took a long random walk through Carlsbad Village to see what I might see. And I discovered lots of super cool street art!

Carlsbad Village is the downtown part of Carlsbad, situated right near the Pacific Ocean. As you might imagine, many of the images depicted in the street art are of surfing, the beach, sea life, and the laid-back Southern California lifestyle.

My feet turned corners randomly, so these photos aren’t in any particular order. Because my thoughts were far away at the time, I’m afraid I didn’t gather a whole lot of information concerning all this artwork. But you can see artist signatures on a few of the murals.

Which do you like? I think my favorites are the surfing Mario and the two tigers under colorful dripping paint!

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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 enjoy!

Books fly in a children’s reading mural!

Favorite fairy tale and storybook characters come to life in a faded mural by the Linda Vista Library.
Favorite fairy tale and storybook characters live in a mural by the Linda Vista Library.

A mural painted on a building wall next to the Linda Vista Branch of the San Diego Public Library promotes children’s reading. Books take wing and fly!

Small scenes from fairy tales and fables appear in a colorful landscape surrounding a castle. The mural is home to The Tortoise and the Hare, Humpty Dumpty, Puss in Boots, the Town Mouse and the Country Mouse, Mother Goose, the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and other classic storybook characters.

Murals fade, but worlds painted by human imagination do not.

Flights of imagination. Books take wing.
Flights of imagination. Timeless stories take wing.
Once upon a time there were magic books that could fly. Their goal was to teach children.
Once upon a time there were magic books that could fly. Their goal was to teach children.

Soar to new heights. Read.
Soar to new heights. Read.

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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!

I also write fiction. Like fairy tales, my short stories concern life. You can read them at my website Short Stories by Richard.

Fun new mural at Vespa Motorsport!

Check out this fun mural that was painted on the side of Vespa Motorsport on Pacific Highway this year!

The creator is Nicholas McPherson, a local artist who signs his work Nicholas Danger. His cool, often whimsical street art can be found all around San Diego!

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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 enjoy!

How you can help artists who are homeless.

Do you love art?

Would you like to help people who find themselves homeless?

Every work of art you see was made by a unique someone who is homeless in San Diego. They are all hopeful people who’ve been provided a creative outlet and opportunity to make a little bit of income by the nonprofit organization HEAL. Right now many of their canvases are on display at the San Diego Central Library. That’s where I took these few photographs.

What you see is just some of the original artwork that you can buy. With their painted canvases, homeless artists earn money. All of these pieces tell a story from the perspective of a unique human being. See all of the artwork that is for sale by those who want a brighter future by clicking here.

According to the HEAL website:

HEAL-SD (Homeless Empowerment through Art and Leadership) is a nonprofit that provides opportunities for creative self-expression and personal growth for individuals experiencing homelessness in San Diego…

Art sales give the artists the ability to earn an income through their hard work, as well as helping to confirm their talent, self-worth, and ability to contribute to their community in a meaningful way.

To view the many works of art that are for sale, click here. Then please make sure to share that page so many others will see it.

Should you purchase a piece, your life will be enriched, too.

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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!

Are you a blogger? Do you want to help make the world a better place? You might want to join Bloggers Lifting Others Generously.

Newly collected artwork at the Athenaeum.

The Athenaeum Music and Arts Library in La Jolla is now showing their recently acquired artwork. A variety of paintings, sketches, books, collages, sculptures and other works are on display in several galleries of the elegant library. The pieces have all have been added to their permanent collection since 2016.

Yesterday, during a visit to the Athenaeum, I stepped into the light-filled Joseph Clayes III Gallery, Rotunda Gallery and North Reading Room to see these new acquisitions. Many styles are represented–something for every taste.

I tried to capture some of the artwork with my camera, but to experience it best you should see it with your own eyes.

The Athenaeum Music and Arts Library is open free to the public. This current exhibition of Recent Acquisitions comes to an end December 28, 2019.

Reading, Charles Glaubitz, 2017. Acrylic on paper.
Reading, Charles Glaubitz, 2017. Acrylic on paper.
Study for "Study of Rods, Holes, and Balls", Joshua Miller, 2016.
Study for “Study of Rods, Holes, and Balls”, Joshua Miller, 2016.
#9, Sue Whitman, 2018. Paint on canvas.
#9, Sue Whitman, 2018. Paint on canvas.
Restaurant Musicians, Hunza Valley Pakistan, Eloise Duff, 2016. Watercolor and ink on paper.
Restaurant Musicians, Hunza Valley Pakistan, Eloise Duff, 2016. Watercolor and ink on paper.
Platycerium Biturcatum/Cuerno de Alce, Mariana Magdaleno, 2018. Watercolor on watercolor paper.
Platycerium Biturcatum/Cuerno de Alce, Mariana Magdaleno, 2018. Watercolor on watercolor paper.

Patricia, James E. Lasry, 1999. Lithograph on Arches Cover, Bistre ink.
Patricia, James E. Lasry, 1999. Lithograph on Arches Cover, Bistre ink.
Maple, Marshall Weber, 2017. Signed by artist, one of a kind.
Maple, Marshall Weber, 2017. Signed by artist, one of a kind.
El juego del reflejo = The Game of the Reflection, Derli Romero, 2017. Signed by artist.
El juego del reflejo = The Game of the Reflection, Derli Romero, 2017. Signed by artist.
Waiting (London), Adrienne Joy, 2016. Oil on panel.
Waiting (London), Adrienne Joy, 2016. Oil on panel.

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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 enjoy!

Three cool murals in a North Park alley!

North Park alley mural by BANDiT.
North Park alley mural by BANDiT.

These three fantastic murals were painted recently in a North Park alley. I happened to be walking down University Avenue just east of 31st Street when I spotted them.

Very cool, huh?

North Park continues to be the home of amazing, ever-changing street art!

North Park alley mural by BANDiT.
North Park alley mural by BANDiT.
North Park alley mural by @JohnnysArtwork.
North Park alley mural by @JohnnysArtwork.
North Park alley mural by @kyraaart.
North Park alley mural by @kyraaart.
North Park alley mural by @kyraaart.
North Park alley mural by @kyraaart.

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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 enjoy!

Imagine a story of traveling through life.

Imagine.
Imagine. (John Lennon mural in North Park by Rik Erickson and Sam Ballard.)
This is the story of a man who sold his shadow to a little man in grey.
This is the story of a man who sold his shadow to a little man in grey. (North Park art installation The Man Who Sold His Shadow by Derek Weiler.)
He tries to get his shadow back.
He tries to get his shadow back.
His beloved stops noticing him.
His beloved stops noticing him.
He puts on his seven-league boots and travels the world.
He puts on his seven-league boots and travels the world.
Footsteps.
Footsteps on the sidewalk.
Are we all still going to meet at the corner?
Are we all still going to meet at the corner?
Cats hidden in flowers.
Cats hidden in flowers.
Covered eyes.
Deliberately covered eyes.
Secrets.
Secrets.
Skeleton drinking.
Skeleton takes to drinking.
Light as a feather.
Light as a feather.
Into space.
A journey into space.
Walking forward through life.
Walking forward through life.

Did you enjoy this odd little story?

I took these photos during a walk through North Park on Saturday!

If you’d like to read some thought-provoking short stories (and several poems) click here.

Two short stories about caging wild things.

My writing website Short Stories by Richard keeps expanding.

This weekend I’ve published two unusual short stories.

Both tiny works of fiction concern the difficulty of caging wild, undefinable things. Things like divine beauty and absolute truth.

Aviary Observations is about art, capturing beauty and our human limitations.

Soul to Soul is about putting into words deeper truths that cannot be adequately expressed.

Both quirky stories contain humor! We’re human after all.

You can click the above links if you’re curious.

Cool new mural at Humphrey Appliance!

A cool new mural has been painted on the east side of Humphrey Appliance in Normal Heights! I noticed it while walking down Adams Avenue yesterday.

The artist is Jonathan Wenner (Unity21). I did my best to get good photos, but various boxes and pieces of furniture in the small parking lot block the lower part of the artwork.

Enjoy!

UPDATE!

I got an unobstructed photo on a later walk…

IMG_7530

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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 enjoy!