Today’s glittering yellow sun almost made me forget that yesterday a rare and beautiful rain fell from Los Angeles skies. All morning and afternoon puddles formed across great expanses of concrete. The arteries of the city were swollen with water. I dusted off my Astoria oilcloth hat and rain slicker and happily splashed to school. Yes boys and girls, sometimes rain really does leave the clouds and spill down on the earth – even in Los Angeles.
Today was windy and cold. Giant stacks of the whitest clouds surrounded the city. And I went for a stroll in my neighborhood.
You didn’t think I was finished with Through The Viewfinder photos did you? Oh Muchachos! I’m just getting started!
A carnival was setting up yesterday in a neighborhood park. Perfect.
With or without the traveling side-show my neighborhood has a decidedly carnival atmosphere. Regentrification hasn’t pulled in to my neck of the woods yet.
Plenty of old crumbling buildings still around on my stretch of Figueroa.
And old signs galore. Most missing at least 1 letter.
These kind of photos lend themselves well to the viewfinder frames. And my latest brush acquisitions lend themselves well to these fragments from the visual journal. The almighty GOOGLE machine was kind enough to provide me with every single possible thing I could ever want to learn about brushes. If you’re a curious type it won’t take you long to be brushing away.
Full Monty shots coming up tomorrow.
ATTENTION: Get your arse over to DAILY COYOTE First buckle your seatbelts and go get a rubber mallet to bite down on. My sister brought this blog to my attention. When she was here we saw a coyote watching us in some nearby hills. If a baby shows up on my doorstep the cat posse will have to make do because I’m bringing him inside and we’re going to all pile on the bed together. You heard it here first.
Dear Santa,
Please bring me a baby coyote for Christmas. That’s all I want. I’ll feed him and water him and love him.
Amen.
One of these days I really, really, really need to learn to use Photoshop. LOVE the images of your neighborhood. And re coyotes…J. took me out golfing with him about a month ago (at the course where he works)…my first time there (I was just riding, not playing). We were sitting in the cart on a fairway, waiting for the group ahead of us to finish on the green…when a coyote came trotting along not 10 yards in front of us. I was so stunned I forgot to reach for the camera. 🙂
Your genius never ceases to amaze me everytime I visit your blog. A spectacular gaudy mess indeed … just love it all!
Best-
Ingrid
Mary Ann – my love is deepening beyond deep – and I should tell you that I have two red rooms in my house – considered going neutral but I think I will stay in the red now for awhile – after a very full weekend – this stop over here has so filled me up with the visual nutrients I so crave…
xox – eb.
When I was little my dad worked for the forest service and he found a baby coyote. The mother was killed in a forest fire, he brouht the coyote home and we had him for a pet for awhil…Of course his name was Wylie!
I want a baby coyote, too !!!
Is that the best blog or what ???!!!
I found it the other day through Dooce and I’m addicted and WOW is Santa going to be surprised tis year when we all ask for baby coyotes !!!!
Thanks for the giggle this morning with your sweet comment! Love the shots of the old rides and use of photoshp actions! I showed my husband Jon your viewfinder shots and I believe his was up downloading actions into the wee hours of the morning. So you may be seeing some viewfinder action my way. Although looking at your blog inspires me to get away from the computer and into my art room. Sometimes you just need to cut and glue things!
-Heather
I love the carnival as photo subjects, there’s always a nostalgia and intrigue. Love the look of your journal, especially the reds.
Fabulous photos and as usual great journal pages.
Can’t send you a coyote, but I might be able to rustle up a dingo or a possum.
Love that first photograph…you should blow it up and frame it. Very very cool.
I love the color conversion on your pictures…the sky in particular…it’s fantastic!
I am not sure I could take a baby coyote…I could not handle having to let him go if his natural instincts kicked in..cute indeed though.
TTVs of lion and sign and and and… are yummy. Another PS technique question. What are you doing (settings, etc) to flatten out the color and give it that back i time quality? Thank you for the frame into brush help. I noticed that lots of my photos have texture in them so the “viewfinder spots” are seen anyway. I saw a Kodak Dualflex camera at an estate sale yesterday but I didn’t want to spend 20$ for something I’m not sure I’d use much anyway. The frame thing is easier.
Is it the numbers in stars that are your brushes or what?
Happy December to you – wonky kids in the classroom and wonkier teachers (I have kindies – you guys are the big kids to us).
I am cracking up!! I LOVE your Santa letter!
xo
I found the coyote story yesterday on Dooce. If I find two of them I’ll share with you, MA. We have coyotes jogging down the street quite often. Actually they don’t even jog; they stroll. It used to happen in the morning about daybreak but lately I’ve even seen them in the middle of the day. Next time I see one I’ll ask it to bring two pups for us.
Probably my dogs won’t be any happier than the cat posse but who cares, I say. I want a little coyote. NOW!
I want a baby coyote and a Vespa scooter!
Maybe you ought to bring over that red saddle and get the posse used to my Ralph first. Bout the closest thing to house broke coyote.
Lovin’ the TTV. On my outing I found the perfect decaying building for you sister, it was the old MARTINI building, sign still inctact. I took severl pictures.