"Bust of Belisarius" (Sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Stouf)

This emotion rich sculpted bust in white marble reflects the bold golden walls
that almost seem to impose on it's emotions and the bust shifts it's meaning when viewed from
different angles as the light changes and the shadows move.

"Desnudo Reclinado" (Sculpture by Francisco Zuniga)

I'm very drawn to this statue. Of all the statues at the UCLA sculpture garden this one holds my interest again and again. While this angle of the statue is dynamic I feel like I am robbing you by only letting you see one side of it. This statue is so low slung that I find myself compelled to crouch down and inspect at close to its own height. The proportions of the figure are dynamic with a large body solidly placed in a crouch supported by feet that are settled in position like elegant paddles and hands that offer just as much strength. And her head, though small by comparison has a strong presence, a dignity. And with all this strength and dignity portrayed through her body that seems to say something about her character she is crouching down almost as low as she can be to the ground. And she draws you down to the ground as well. There is a lot to consider there. I'd love to know what other people see in her.
(I may have to share a series of photographs of her, so that everyone can experience her more fully.)

"Undulous Leaf Leather"

It is an odd time of year for leaves to fall out of trees. This leaf seems to have been on the edge of dropping for months, which gave it time to dry into a leathery solid sort of reminder of life with a strong undulating form. While I was sitting on  a bench thinking, it landed solidly on my shoulder and slid making a skittering sound to rest on my seat. Every quarter or half an hour another leaf fell solidly in the small sitting area I was spending time in, but the tree above me still held on to a large number of its leaves. Many of those leaves half green and half browning gold holding onto life in a confused state. The tree never got cold enough to make a decisive drop of leaves, so the leaves hang on until they just can't. Until new leaf buds are already forming. 

"Light Infused Pear Blossoms"

Many pear trees are blooming white halos around the UCLA campus right now.

In this image I am interested in the comparison of two different sorts of gradients. The brick building with it's light striping at the base that gradually moves upward to other light architectural details until there is more of the darker valued brick and the light shining through the pear tree creating an almost solid white glow on the right and slowly allowing our eyes to pick up on the green foliage around the blossoms as they move away from the light. 

"Vivid Moment"

The Getty Center's white stone structures can be glaring in midday Southern CA sun,
though at the same time that white shows off a striking collection of structures.
But in the late afternoon the white surfaces are glorious.
They serve as a solid surface for the golden sun to reflect on and the carefully place trees
to cast their shapes onto. This image was just a moment brilliant color and then it shifted.
 It makes you want to just be in yourself and stare and stare to see every moment.

"And the Sky Softly Came Down to Join the Earth"

I'm fascinated by how despite the full value range in this image there is a subtly, a softness in the transitions so that it feels as if all the elements are melting into one another.
This was photo was taken a few weeks ago in the Ramona Grasslands preserve looking towards Mount Woodson in the twilight of a chilly early January day.

"Three on the Balcony"

There is something powerful in the physical space occupied by pieces of sculpture. The way physical
space, light, and living people, animals, and plants influence the sculpture their is some sort of life that
exists.  I'm quite curious about this enlivening of the inanimate. At some point I hope to do a series
of art that focuses on that unexplainable imbued spirit.

I took this photo at The Getty Center on my recent visit. This balcony was almost empty except
for my Mom, me, and the sculptures in the late afternoon light.

"Layered, Divided, and Intersecting"

There is something in all the lines and layering of space in this image that conveys a sense of possibility. 

"Growing Contrast"

Sometimes all I need is for an image to be filled with so much texture that my mind is engaged in just that image and creates a world out of it.

"Margins"

I captured this image, because it makes me think about something I can't quite describe. Something in this image is about edges of of things lost and found, strong and dissolving. This water and leaf are removed visually in this image from their original context at the divide between street and sidewalk, so there is even an edge here that is not shown but influences the image.

"Unflustered"

Meerkats aren't always on their haunches perkily alert ready for action. Seeing this aspect of a
meerkat's life adds something their narrative I'd say. 

Leaf's Edge-Work

Seen and intrigued by at the San Diego Safari Park (The Wild Animal Park for those in the know.).

Tarantula Hawk Balanced

This large wasp came resolutely into the greenhouse it's coloring was quite bold against softer greens and
sunny lighting that surrounded it; that was what first intrigued me. I knew there was something to ponder
further when its intimidating bulk proved awkward at almost every flower it landed on. There was much
scurrying to feel out its positioning even on larger blooms and repositioning on long legs until
it would have a moment of balance to feed off the nectar.

Rhubarb Chard: A Bug's Eye View

Zinnia of the Greenhouse

I am intrigued by the stacking/layering moving up in space from the leaves to the
flower petals. This lone brilliant red zinnia was quite eye catching against the
varying greens in the greenhouse.

Crumbling Foundation

This is an older photo of mine. I was taking a walk in my college town and
thinking about the beautiful late afternoon lighting silhouetting the city as
I stood next to a run down building that I had heard had a rat problem. I
thought if a rat popped out the grate set in the crumbling foundation it's view
would be even more stirring. So from a rat's eye view this photo came to be.

Wrinkled Cherry Tomatoes

I almost want to poke fun at myself for all the ideas that come to mind from this image these, mortality and playfulness strike me both at once and then I just get visually engaged by brilliant color next to neutrals, textures, and the way the light is cast.

Sleeping Lemurs

This image has so much to engage me, expressive poses, patterning, layering of space,
texture, & there is something unsettling about their vulnerability sleeping on the ground.

Poppy Pods

These large poppy pods have such a glorious shape and there is so
much in the details of texture and layering of shapes to capture me.

At the End of Cedar Drive

The layers of space and color set off by the texture of this brightly
lit grass made getting up ridiculously early yesterday worth it.