Tag: sculpture

Clay comes alive at San Diego Sculptors Guild!

It seems every time I visit the San Diego Sculptors Guild in Balboa Park, I find artist Justin Hammond bringing clay to life. He was at work again yesterday!

Justin is a multi-talented artist who loves to create art that tells a story. The clay he was shaping is part of one amazing story.

The figures you see in these photos he calls Elata. The sprite-like creatures with flowers sprouting from their heads are born as the blossoms of a tree. The tree has grown from a seed: a woman carried away by a flood, burying her.

Each beautiful little Elata creature results from a single memory of the deceased woman.

The story created by Justin develops, until the Elata themselves become memory collectors. It’s a brilliant and original idea that would make an amazing movie. Imagine these fantastic clay figures in a Laika stop-motion animated film, like Coraline or ParaNorman!

In addition to a lot of great artwork, Justin Hammond has created short YouTube videos using clay models. You can see much of it on his website by clicking here!

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Sculpture of children at Grossmont Center mall.

Do you readers know anything about this sculpture of children at play at the Grossmont Center shopping mall? I discovered it a few weeks ago during a walk in La Mesa and have endeavored to learn more. Nothing so far.

The bronze sculpture, in front of Barnes & Noble Booksellers, shows one child helping another to climb a wall. I found no plaque. Someone on Pinterest claims it has been there for many years and that other similar sculptures are located in the family-friendly shopping complex. If I return to Grossmont Center, I’ll have to look around some more.

Can you shed any light on this fun public art? Please leave a comment!

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Colorful burro on a North Park sidewalk!

I think this is a burro. It has long ears. This particular critter, whatever it might be, is also extremely colorful! Perhaps it’s a huge piñata.

I spotted the painted metal sculpture as I walked down Adams Avenue in North Park, just east of 30th Street. It stands on the sidewalk in front of El Zarape Mexican Eatery.

I like this fun burro so much, I took several photos!

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Orphan baby whale sculpture at La Jolla Shores!

These photographs were taken during a recent walk through La Jolla Shores, at the Kellogg Park playground. What you see is the 16-foot-long life-size bronze sculpture of J.J., an orphaned baby California gray whale.

The malnourished baby whale, near death, was rescued off the coast of Marina del Rey in 1997, and nursed back to health at SeaWorld. She would ultimately be released back into the Pacific Ocean to resume her migration to Alaska.

The sculpture of J.J., which children love to ride and play on, was created by sculptor D. Lynn Reeves. It was commissioned by Friends of La Jolla Shores and was installed at the Kellogg Park playground next to the beach boardwalk in 2011.

Signs posted beside J.J. tell the tale of her rescue and of the creation of her beautiful sculpture.

The image of J.J. also appears in the nearby mosaic Map of the Grand Canyons of La Jolla.

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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.

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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Fencing trees and space at UC San Diego.

UC San Diego’s outdoor public art can be surprising. That is certainly the case with Two Running Violet V Forms. The 1983 installation by artist Robert Irwin is part of UCSD’s Stuart Collection.

Located near the center of the La Jolla campus in a eucalyptus grove, stretches of blue-violet chain-link fencing form two elevated v’s that students can walk beneath. These linear geometric forms pierce the complexity of living eucalyptus trees.

I walked into the grove yesterday and paused for a few minutes to take in the effect.

The sky at the moment was cloudy gray. Had the sky been bright blue, the Two Running Violet V Forms might have been more intriguing–even spiritual–showing different qualities of light, seeming to blend with the upper air, providing a more subtle contrast with the organic grayish eucalyptus trunks and high green leaves.

Under a colorless gray sky, however, and among grayish trees, the fencing’s stark color was too garish, too harshly artificial. At least for me. Sorry to criticize. Keep in mind I’m no art expert.

When I finished reading an essay concerning of this unusual art, I completely understood the intention. I’ll have to return on a sunny blue sky day.

The sculpture and artist are explored in depth on this Stuart Collection webpage.

Robert Irwin‘s work is held in high esteem. His unique creations focus on human perception, engaging different environments and effects of light. His work includes the Central Gardens at The J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles.

His cut glass windows overlooking the ocean at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego produce interesting contrasts of light. See those photos here.

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Art and nature at Paradise Creek Educational Park!

If you’re ever in National City and in the neighborhood of Paradise Creek Educational Park, you might pay a visit. I enjoyed a ramble through the park a couple weeks ago and found the beauty of nature and surprising public art!

I began at the north end of the park at West 18th Street and Hoover Avenue. That’s where I spied two gorgeous mosaic benches depicting birds and other wildlife. Near the path rose a silvery wing-like sculpture.

I then proceeded over a long curving bridge above the wetland. Arriving at the amphitheater with its shade structure (in the shape of the moon), I discovered colorful art tiles. Students from Kimball Elementary School, which is directly adjacent to the park, have outdoor classes here.

From the amphitheater I walked past the community garden and playground and on, until I reached the south end of the half mile, 6-acre linear park at West 22nd Street, just east of Wilson Avenue. I turned around, headed back, and discovered a flower-like windmill sculpture between the playground and community garden!

Paradise Creek Educational Park was an Urban Greening Project of National City. It was designed by Schmidt Design Group. The park has won multiple awards, including an Orchid from the San Diego Architectural Foundation.

You might enjoy a similar walk on a sunny day. You’ll spot some birds, too!

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Giant butterfly visits Balboa Park garden!

A giant butterfly now makes its home in a special Balboa Park garden. The butterfly can be seen among the native plants of the San Diego Natural History Museum‘s Nature Trail!

Today I spotted this butterfly sculpture on the north side of the museum building. It can be observed from the Wildlife Walkway portion of the Nature Trail. I was told it appeared in the past week or two.

It’s appropriate the butterfly now makes this garden home. Many of the native plants along the Nature Trail attract nectar loving pollinators.

I tried to ascertain who made this beautiful sculpture, but no luck yet. If you know anything about it, please leave a comment!

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