Dec 31, 2010 Grounded

The buoy has been pulled up onto the beach; no longer floating, the entire orb is visible. The full significance of its size can be appreciated now that a person can stand next to it on the same plane. The huge, taunt, steel sphere and the thin floppy ropes combine to make a sculpture that hints at strength and vulnerability.

Dec 30, 2010 Float

This buoy became detached from its mooring and drifted to shore. It languidly floats, surrounded by its own reflection. The scale here is deceiving--the buoy measures about 4' in diameter--but in many ways the scale doesn't matter. Scratches on the surface have given way to rust which has enhanced the patina.

Dec 29, 2010 Submerged

An extremely high tide came in, tilting and partially submerging this stump. The form is now angled and some of the roots are obscured by the water. The composition (see 12/26 post) went from highlighting monumentality to showing change and vulnerability.

Dec 27, 2010 Trident

The dark black branches against the bright gray sky flattens this image--almost to the point of a silhouette. It reminds me of a trident form but with a few stray horizontal lines. Like some art, perhaps its the location (Tacoma waterfront) that influences my association.

Dec 26, 2010 Revisit

Back in April I blogged about this stump. Both smooth and monumental, in the sunlight it glows golden; during gray days it is carmel colored. Every time I see it I'm inspired. It's good to revisit art (whether it's your own or someone else's).

Dec 24, 2010 Glassy

Puget Sound was looking quite glassy; I was intrigued by the pier pilings interrupting the calm water. Later I realized that at this angle the combination of Vashon Island and the pilings begins to look like a bridge. In art, you can be drawn in by one element and then be surprised to discover another.

Dec 23, 2010 Mini

A bit of moss on a fence support shape-shifts into a mini landscape. The moss becomes the trees and foliage while the faded wood becomes a desert wash. In art, sometimes the miniature can be monumental.

Dec 21, 2010 Rough

In the bright sunlight the scales of this pine cone look like rough hewn wood platters on end. Often in art the forms that at a distance look perfectly shaped are actually, upon closer inspection, rather roughly drawn/sculpted. It is a testament to the artist's skill that the illusion of perfection is achieved.

Dec 20, 2010 Bulbous

This rose hip, one of many on a dormant rose bush, is a bright spot in a rather beige scene. However, because it doesn't have a brilliant red color it fits well in the landscape. The bulbous shape is an interesting contrast to the brittle dry leaves, thorns, and stem.

Dec 19, 2010 Tethered

Looking like a present wrapped with a thin ribbon, this is a  8'x10'x4' piece of concrete (formerly part of a boat ramp) tethered to a rock and driftwood by a yellow rope. There is a great tension between the thin restraints and the massiveness of the form--the impossibility of productive function is its strength as a sculpture.

Dec 18, 2010 Uplift

A tree fell across Ruston Way and created this uplift--the sidewalk cracked and fell in, the turf peeled up and made a hill. It's a reminder that one landscape can be transformed into another overnight. The idyllic gave way to a disruption.

Dec 17, 2010 Overlooked

The poinsettia's true flowers are these bud-like forms (the brightly colored leaves attract insects to the flowers). Sometimes it is the tiny details, which are so easy to overlook, that are the most fascinating part of an art work.

Dec 16, 2010 Shimmering

While this poinsettia appears to be shimmering, it actually has white pigment along the leaves' veins. Sometimes heavy handed coloring looks awkward and fake, but somehow poinsettias can carry off a variety of "unnatural" color combinations.

Dec 14, 2010 Fiery

This lit tree seems out of place among the larger, less symmetrical trees. Taken by itself, the form created by the lights looks like a torch flame. The fiery lights create an interesting contrast to the surrounding scene.

Dec 13, 2010 Tangle

These Pt. Defiance Park trees fell from a hillside and landed across a pathway and into the sound; they were then cut and left to drift away. The tangle of branches forms an interesting network of intersecting, diminishing lines.

Dec 12, 2010 Place

There are some places that are an inspiration to me, among them is Tacoma's W.W. Seymour Conservatory. These Poinsettias show the shadow of the conservatory's window panes. The colors and forms at the conservatory are ever changing.

Dec 8, 2010 Distraction

With a diagonal, circle, Y and V lines, this is an interesting composition; however, the reds against the green distracts from the lines. Sometimes in art you need to look beyond the distractions.

Dec 7, 2010 Austerity

These flowers had golden petals a couple of months ago; now they have transformed into sentinels of black stamens and caramel stalks. There is strength in the austerity of the forms.

Dec 6, 2010 Turbulence

Sometimes art, by its very existence, creates turbulence. This stone creates a beautiful flow of diversion.

Dec 5, 2010 Interplay

These lemons, tangerines and limes have subtly different shapes and harmonious colors. I am transfixed by the interplay of the oblong and spherical shapes that create a series of arcs.

Dec 2, 2010 Arts Ecology

Here's three artists' views on sustaining an art practice. Artist Trust Blog: I Am An Artist: Tacoma Tends to its Arts Ecology: "The City of Tacoma diligently tends its arts ecology. Art at Work: Tacoma Arts Month takes place each November to illustrate Tacoma’s collec..."

Dec 1, 2010 Sections

The sections of this acorn squash radiate from the center into great elongated bulbous forms. A few of them have a bit of a crease. This subtle variation heightens the overall sense of sections.

Nov 30, 2010 Form

One form reminds me of another. The petals radiating from the center look like tiny canoes. The starburst pattern is always a winner.