Creative Life Sampler

Just wanted to add to my collection of art and design photographed "in the wild." Sometimes you just want to collect ideas from new spaces that can be squirreled away for inspiration later, you know? Here are two utility boxes that I ran across on the streets of Pasedena. This is a very popular form of street art now and the personality of a city, or a section of a city, is frequently reflected in the way their utility boxes have been adorned. Seems Pasedena tends toward graphic design, . . . at least on this street.  (Check out the Label "Blank Canvas" in the side bar to the left for see more examples of creativity I've documented from trips and excursions through the years.) The facades of buildings offer intriguing textures and design elements: Even the grating around the base of trees can be interesting: K eep your eyes open! You never know what inspiration you might find on your stroll down an unfamiliar street.  😉

My grandfather, Frank Miller was a woodworker, a prolific creator.  I have early memories of him going down to his workshop in the basement right after breakfast and not seeing him until he was summoned for lunch with a bell at the bottom of the stair that rang when a line was tugged from the top of the stairs. Oh, how I longed to go with him to that mysterious place. But, with all the power tools and other dangerous equipment, it was determined that I could not join him until I reached an appropriate age. I remember my excitement when that time finally arrived. I sat on a high stool, trying to contain myself for fear of loosing my newly obtained privilege. He puttered about the labyrinth of power tools lit with a series of lights that were connected by string so he didn't have to look for a switch. He would reach up and tug the line to light his way before entering the next room. Our family has numerous boxes with compartments, furniture, and other items he designed and fabricated...

 Decorations in Southern California T h i s i s h o w C a l i f o r n i a   d o e s  i t ! ! ! ! There is no sparkle of light on the snow here in Southern California, so people create their own sparkle. We have whole neighborhoods covered in lights.  One generous neighbor on this street provided each home with the gadget to project falling snow on the front of every house- both sides of the street!  Even when neighbors work in concert to create some holiday cheer, (and there are multiple homes that share music with the pedestrians who travel to see this celebration in lights), it is interesting to note that the individuality of different households "shines through." Some home owners go with a theme, . . . And some displays are carefully staged. There is the "cover every inch" technique, . . . And the "pull out all the stops" approach. I personally give credit to the home owner who thought of lining up all these blow ups in front of the house to fill up t...

 Rock Garden on the Beach Made a trip to Ventura for a beach walk recently. Along a certain stretch of our usual route, there seemed to be a different creative energy. The familiar rock structures were present, but they had multiplied in groups and they were joined by a scattering of large painted rocks at the base of several trees.  Moving on, we found the newest addition to my blank canvas series. A "Memorial and Kindness Rock Garden" had been carefully arranged in a raised planter along the sidewalk. This elevates the garden, so you can't walk by the area without noticing these colorful little gems.  On the kindness garden side, beach goers are invited to take a rock that speaks to them or to brighten someone's day by sharing one and spreading kindness.   At the other end, memorial rocks have been lovingly displayed to honor those who are no longer with us. In this section the rocks are meant to be a lasting tribute; the surfaces have been designed to include...

Castles in the Sand Last week I posted a piece about the textures and aesthetics of an east coast beach. It isn't difficult to make comparisons between that beach and the one we enjoy here on the west coast on our beach walks. They are very different environments and they inspire people in different ways. When I'm traveling, I'm drawn to any example of creativity, especially when I find them in places like the edge of an ocean where people are using whatever they find about them to create. On the west coast we frequently see people constructing cool structures with beach rocks. (For some examples of rock sculpture from our Ventura beach walk, check out "Blank Canvas" under Labels in the sidebar.)  So I was pleased to run across #sandcastlelady and have the chance to chat with Lynda about her work. I found one of her castles on an early morning walk, but I didn't have my cell phone with me. A few hours latter I went back for a picture and was momentarily disapp...

Companion Creations   (2 of 2) Ordinarily, as Christmas approaches I begin to prioritize my "to do" list in an attempt to simplify life and maintain my equilibrium. Adding a last minute project would be vetoed immediately. But 2020 is not an ordinary year.  With the family unit all together, no holiday gatherings or festivities to fill the calendar, and one sweatshirt well under way, it was inevitable that a second "ugly Christmas" sweatshirt would follow. Another imaginative family member did a quick sketch which became a reality.     We made a few adjustments to this sketch. The squirrel was placed on the ground, silhouetted against the white of the snowman to show off his furry tail and make more space for the scarf. We also flipped this design so the two snowmen would face each other if/when they are worn side-by-side.   These two snowmen are a reflection of the personalities that envisioned them. I imagine they may be modified or embellished in fu...

Color to Black & White ©Lauren Klementz-Harte 2020 If you're looking for something to decorate your wall, look no further than your own photo collection! Recently, I was on a search through photo files and found some pictures of every day scenes. As I wondered why I had captured each moment, I began to experiment with photo editing options.  This is my original color photo of a back road on sunny spring day: When converted to black and white, it is transformed. And, with a bit of cropping, this average, every day photo of a country setting becomes an art piece that evokes a nostalgic feeling.  There are a couple of things that make a photo a good candidate for this process. 1) Photos that have strong areas of light and shadows will translate into black and white well. If the picture relies on bright color to catch the eye, it may not be as interesting when that color isn't there.  2) Look for photos that have shapes or contours ...

Blank Canvas- Nuggets of Creativity Smooth rocks seem to be an inviting blank canvas, and somebody decided to take paint and brush in hand to create some messages for the neighbors.       One was spotted on a street corner at the base of a stop sign, presented as if to say   "Stop, and love."      Continuing on our walk, there was one at eye level balanced in a hedge. At the edge of one home's landscaping, there was a collection of these decorated rocks. Perhaps we had located the creator of these colorful little message nuggets, or maybe we stumbled on an admiring collector. I would bet this idea was inspired by the tradition of dying eggs; we've seen several of them scattered along our walking route since Easter. When you stumble upon one, it's like finding a new treasure. All along the way, people are making their creative mark and adding to the blossoming colors of spring. The small chalking marks that appeared on a...

Library Update I happened to drop in at the Simi Valley Library on my way to the fabric store recently, and I found this new creation. (Last February, I shared my SVL discovery of its predecessor, "Babs". See this link if you missed it:  https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2019/02/while-traveling-around-area-recently-i.html  ) In the spirit of creativity and recycling, it is constructed with "unconventional materials": the discarded cards which were embedded in each book for circulation identification at one time. This dress model sports a "flapper" look with a fringe of chain at its hemline and chain draped across the open back. The plastic cards were kept intact and their shape was used to accentuate a diagonal direction. It creates an overall pattern across the dress. Texture from the raised lettering on the cards adds an extra element. The style of the piece is simple and classic, but the materials give the feeling of a protective ...

Holiday Travel (5 of 5) We started our trip before Thanksgiving and after that weekend, on our return trip, all kinds of festive decorations blossomed forth. It was fun to see the transformation! Dulles International Airport These intriguing installations greeted arriving passengers at the airport in Cleveland: These installations appear to be made with dowels and heavy felt gathered together at a base. I always appreciate how airports are transformed from a utilitarian building to an inviting, more aesthetically pleasing environment. I'm sure it helps the mood of travelers year round,... but it's really welcoming this time of year!

Another Museum Highlight  (4 of 5) A Tiffany window greeted the visitor to this gallery. (I could definitely see this border incorporated in a future quilt.) Cleveland Museum of Art has just added to their collection of Tiffany pieces. So, while we're on the subject of light and it's effects, let me share some really lovely stained glass work from the studios of Louis Comfort Tiffany. Love the vibrant colors and the botanical patterns! Note how the peony petals in the design below break the horizontal lines at the edge in much the same way as the floral arrangements in the museum lobby. (see this link for the post on the arrangements:  https://creativelifesampler.blogspot.com/2019/12/mental-preparation-for-trip-to-art.html For my stained glass artist friends, this lamp shade shows a neat technique. Brass filgree on the inside of the shade, (seen in the image on the right), adds texture and fine detail to the leaves and flower centers. So many cool...

Unconventional Material for Art    (3 of 5) After a quick perusal of the featured exhibits, I made a snap decision that none of them would be of interest. So, I decided to explore the permanent collections. Fortunately, visiting exhibits are scattered throughout the museum and I eventually wandered in to a gallery with work of Liu Wei, from Beijing, China. The exhibit was entitled  Invisible Cities . Large architectural pieces share this gallery space in the Invisible Cities exhibit These unique sculptures are made of wood, steel, and... raw hide. Yes, rawhide. As in dog chews. Quite an unconventional material, right? The lighting of the exhibit was especially effective.  Given the warm browns, ochres, and golden colors of this natural material, the art work fairly glowed. Light illuminated the planes and compartments within the structure, revealing lovely translucent qualities.  Hanging sculpture by Liu Wei Of course this...