water weaves waves reflecting brick and weeds window refracting sun sprinkling light on playful crests weaving water waves
Tag: Baltimore
Hamburg & Russell Street
Morning,
the young beggar stands,
blanket thrown over narrow shoulders,
flimsy white undershirt,
a pile of rags at his feet.
We in cars ignore him,
cast eyes at ruby stop light,
and rising cobalt sky.
Escaped sunflower,
sits in a car, a
moon faced woman
w/ styled bob,
reads her cell phone.
Wheeling seagulls
search for garbage.
Undershirt,
dull khaki jeans,
work boots,
he smokes the 2nd cigarette of the day,
carefully counts them out.
He carries his sign
with jaunty steps,
but
his eyes
are hollow.
Knit Together
I love trying new things and a knitting and crochet store just opened in my neighborhood. [www.thatsthepointneeedlecrafts.com]The yarn is seductive. It’s achingly soft, with marvelous colors, from muted, natural colors to bold, primary colors, which are actually used sari fibers spun together.
The store offered a free lesson; I couldn’t wait. I had learned some knitting when I was very young, but had long since forgotten it. I recalled swirling in the navy blue ice skating skirt my mother knit for me. Lace doilies lay across tables in my grandmother’s house, crocheted by my great-aunts. The white doilies were as delicate as snowflakes.
Recently, I saw sculptures made from crocheted yarn in the Visionary Arts Museum. [www.avam.org] A mathematician friend explained that crochet actually makes hyperbolic arches. [http://crochetcoralreef.org/crochet-coral-reef-book.php] After knitting a bit, I realized the art is mathematical, and not just because of the shapes, but because I needed to count stitches so as not to lose any. Also, my knitting wound itself into a shape somewhat like a DNA molecule, which I was assured, was normal.
As I sat practicing my knitting, women stopped by to shop and chat. One of the pleasures of knitting or crocheting is that it can be done while engaging in conversation. The women were around my age, middle aged or somewhat older. They fondled the yarn, discussed patterns, techniques, and the perfect needle.They were professional women from a large variety of fields, from computers to teaching to non-profit management. They also had a wide range of interests. I even met one woman who also did aikido!
I went home satisfied and excited. This week I plan to learn crocheting.
3/2015
above the knoll
of weapons
pale full moon
strangled gently
Exteriors and Interiors: Part 1
In the past months, I’ve been contemplating creativity in many forms and randomly taking photographs along the way. A chance to review all those photos gave me the realization that I photographed outdoor murals, architecture, and the wild beauty of Falls Road in Baltimore, plus the interiors of two homes I admired. Hence, this blog entry and the next will be about the deliberate impact of artists, architects and builders on both exterior and interior space.
This entry will feature some of Baltimore’s murals and roads in public spaces. The next will be about domestic design and projects. Perhaps it will inspire you toward some creative project of your own – they are certainly making me think of new ideas.
These sights are on the way to Baltimore Aikido, around or along Falls Road.
The mural below has a bicycle shop below it.
I am always intrigued by bridges and the way they interact with the surrounding area. This is a favorite tunnel created by a bridge over the Falls River and Road.
In a city, overlapping roads and railways are inevitable and the controlled chaos they create is beautiful and made more so by nature sneaking through the concrete.
My favorite mural is by Freddy Sam. It is so big I took two photos to show the whole thing. Freddy Sam’s website, freddysam.com, is well worth checking out. He is an experienced muralist from South Africa and has created murals in many parts of the world.
gaia mouse 