Humans of Downey - Carlos

"This story is about an incident during the summer between my junior and senior years of high school and how it changed the path I was headed down to a better path. I was an artist, I loved to draw, but I also loved to tag. I remember this day very well. It is a clear image in my memory. I was hanging around this day with a group of guys. They were a few years older than me and I thought I was cool to be with them. They decided to go tagging on the freeway. It was broad daylight. This was not the brightest of ideas. So we went to the 710 freeway where we knew of an entrance to get us in.

"When we were done and leaving, the cops were waiting for us. So, I thought, if I run to the riverbed I can get away. But instead, I fell in the water because of the moss under the water was so slippery. For a second I was under the water and the current was pretty strong. I got myself up, though, and continued across the riverbed to the other side. But the cops were waiting for me there. So they took all four of us to the Bell police station. I remember sitting there all soaked and smelly thinking, 'What am I doing here? I'm not this type of person.'

"In my senior year I met this teacher named Mr. Synop. It was his first year of teaching and he was the most inspirational teacher I have ever had. He would approach me after class and tell me that I had done a good job that day. There was another teacher, my art teacher, that kind of watched me grow up in high school. She had me as a freshman and now as a senior. So she saw how I had developed. I wasn't a bad student. I actually had straight As during my senior year.

"Mr. Synop would sit me down sometimes and tell me that I was a leader in the class. He said that if I tell the class to hush up and listen, they do it. He said I was an example for the others by always doing my homework. Also, I would help anyone that needed help in the class. That year turned me around. First, because of the recognition that I'm not going to waste my life in police stations. Second, because of the attention and encouragement that my English teacher and art teacher gave me. Now, I'm a better person for it."

Into the wood

Julio, Stella, and I also share a love of wood. Like the metal, wood is everywhere—but more so! The house is framed in wood, and it is all left bare, with the knots and the bark adding to the beauty.

Julio's floors are put together from many kinds and colors of wood—not just because that's what he had on hand, but also because the variations are beautiful and more interesting than a single kind and color of wood. In many places, words that relate to their lives are inlaid into the wood. Some of the wood is highly finished and smooth. Some is textured and dinged in a way that adds a whole nother (yes, Google says it really is a word) dimension to the beauty. Gnarled tree trunks get made into strange but comfortable chairs.



Huge wooden planks become dining room tables that will seat the whole extended family (or into a desk where there's always room to spread out your work). Thick logs get carved into jaguars (above) and eagles.



And Julio doesn't let anything go to waste. The little pieces that most carpenters sweep up and throw away get used to cover up ugly concrete columns. Or as material for an artist's rendition of the house, made entirely from wood.

What Julio has wrought

Wrought iron: iron that has been heated and is then worked with tools to change its form and properties. The term “wrought” comes from the past participle of the word “worked.” Wrought iron literally means "worked iron."

Wrought iron, although prevalent, is just one of many metals found in Julio and Stella's beautiful home. I soon realized that we shared a love of metal. From the three wrought iron staircases, to the numerous custom-made display shelves, to the rows of hanging cast iron and copper pots and pans (not pictured), metal is everywhere, and most of it is handmade by Julio himself.

Here are just a few examples of the artwork that Julio has created from metal.

Humans of Downey - Steve

"The very first art piece I remember making was when I was 10 years old. I still have it. I did it in crayon and it was titled, 'Misery on a New York Sidewalk.' It was cubic and very abstract. Interestingly, I had never been to New York or even seen abstract art before. It was received well, though, my mom loved it.

"The first piece I ever displayed in public was about nine months ago. I've spent my working career as a writer and editor. Over the years I have created multiple art pieces for my own enjoyment. A while ago, I decided that before I died of a heart attack with a bunch of art pieces in my garage that will probably get thrown away, I would get them out there for others to see. So, about a year and a half ago I started visiting art galleries and talking with the owners, asking them how could I get involved in the art world. I went to a place called The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art. The director there liked my stuff and he encouraged me to get my pieces in the public eye by entering my art in places that had open calls for art. I had my first piece of art displayed in public nine months ago at that gallery.

"My creative process is usually like this: I work at night at a workbench with a lampshade overhead. Then I try to step inside the piece. It's like I'm part of the piece and wandering around in it or like I'm in a dream world. So all my pieces are actually psychological or dream-like. It's unconscious. I don't do anything with an end product in mind. I just start to build on what's there. It seems to have a life of its own."

~ Steve

Stardust Art Festival

Today was the first Stardust Art Festival, a celebration of art, film, space combined with a celebraton of Downey’s 60th Anniversary. The Downey Arts Coalition and the City of Downey presented free movies provided by GlennFest Film Festival. The Aerospace Legacy Foundation presented a panel discussion about Downey’s role in aerospace history. And of course there were artist booths on the plaza, live music, food trucks, and a special art exhibit in the theatre lobby.

As always, I was drawn first and foremost to the photographers. There were some amazing photos of Yosemite, one of my favorite places to photograph.

And the most intriguing booth, to me, were the painting classes offered by Sal of Da Sal's Arte. With his step-by-step instructions, you can start at whatever level you're at—whether it's a tracing of the picture you're going to paint so you don't have to stress over getting the shapes right, or free-form if that's what you're ready for. Maybe something even I could manage!

Gaucho style

I don't always make it to opening night for a Stay Gallery exhibit. In fact, I probably miss more of them than I attend. So when I walked past the gallery one evening last week and noticed the photographs (my favorite type of exhibit!), I was intrigued. The building was nearly empty, and it was obvious the few people meeting at a table in the back weren't really "open." But the door was unlocked, and they kindly let me wander about.

The exhibit is called Gaucho Style—a one-night fundraiser for the gallery's Stay Young 2016 Art Education Initiative. It featured the photography of Executive Director Valentin Flores. It is also the first group exhibition of Stay Gallery’s creative team: Gabriel Enamorado, Ana Godinez, and Matthew Ward.

I don't often get an unobstructed view of the artwork at Stay Gallery. Thanks, Gabe, for letting me wander.

Catch 22

Don Lamkin's solo art exhibit did not disappoint. Don has such a down to earth approach to his art. It is fun and reflects his casual style.

I'm not sure why his exhibit was called Catch 22. I forgot to ask him. I'm gonna guess it is because he is an non-artist type of artist. So, in this case, Don is the Catch 22.

"Art washes away from the soul, the dust of everyday life."
~ Pablo Picasso

The Doodle-icious style

The Stay Gallery is celebrating its third anniversary with a solo show of Don Lamkin's art works. Don has been a great supporter of the gallery, and the arts in Downey in general, for many years now.

Don is best known for his Downey Doodle-icious painting. The Doodle-icious style was something he happened upon accidentally. He writes, "It was never intended to be more than a simple doodle. [It] was created while watching TV on a 6"x12" canvas given to me by a friend because 'it was too small to do anything meaningful on.'" When a friend liked the painting, he made another one in the same style, but filled it with the things that were meaningful to her. As you can see in the picture to the right, you can look a long time and still not see it all.

The Downey Doodle-icious painting was created as a raffle item for the annual Downey street fair, to raise money for the Downey Museum of Art. After it was recreated as the mural in downtown Downey, other cities came calling, looking for someone to create a mural to celebrate their own history and landmarks.

Don doesn't consider himself an artist. He says he doesn't have the typical artist personality. "I'm on time. I'm not sensitive." But, he says, "I find it very interesting and fun to research, design, compose, and execute these doodle-icious art pieces."

Made on exhibit

Made (pronounced Mah-dee) Rindu has been drawing all of his life. Some of his art sketchbooks were on display in tonight's opening night of the Made Stuff solo exhibit at Stay Gallery. "These sketchbooks contain hours and hours of my life," says the description next to the sketchbooks.

Made, a Downey native, "was introduced to the style and art form of graffiti which allowed him to experiment with lettering, proportions, compositions, style, and color combinations. This introduction interested him so much that it is still prominent in his work today."

I enjoyed this exhibit, with its strong, colorful images. If you have time, see for yourself at the Stay Gallery. The exhibit will be there through September 26.

Pizza box art

Bianca Herrera, a student at Old River Elementary School, is proudly posing for a picture next to her pizza box mosaic.

Her mosaic of McDonald's is, according to the Stay Gallery where they were on display, one of "70 student mosaics on display today for the opening of our 2nd Annual Pizza Box Exhibition. Using old magazines and newspapers and donated pizza boxes as their canvases, elementary school students interpreted their favorite Downey icons."

When I commented to Valentin Flores, the Stay Gallery director, that these mosaics were really good, he replied, "We have a lot of talent in our Downey kids."

The exhibition was a hit with parents and students alike, and it was rare to see only a couple of kids in front of a section of the display.

Los Angeles art colony continued...

I have been intrigued by the unique challenges and advantages of living in "the city." Visiting the Brewery Art Walk brought it all back. Here, there is a sense of community as well as each person having their own sense of "space." For the ground floor units, there is outside area that each person has made their own, some with plants, some with stuffed animals, some fruit trees.

And then, there is the simple beauty of colors and textures and living things. 

Brewery Art Walk

A short distance from Downey, in the city of Los Angeles, there is an enclave dedicated to artists. The Brewery Art Colony is the largest art colony in the world.

Over 100 resident artists have living quarters where they can work on and exhibit their art. It is a community of artists in lofts and ground floor residences that provide amazing amounts of both light and feedback from fellow artists.

Twice a year there is a free open house called the Brewery Art Walk (the site used to be the Pabst Blue Ribbon Brewery). The Art Walk allows the local community an opportunity to experience the eclectic, artsy atmosphere.

We joined the crowds this afternoon and were not disappointed.  The artists opened their homes and studios to visitors and gave us a peek into their worlds. From sculptors to painters to metalworkers to clothing designers....it was all here.



“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” 
~ Pablo Picasso

Reflections art

The Downey Arts Coalition held an art exhibition at the Downey Civic Theatre last Saturday during the concert I blogged about yesterday. The theme of the exhibit was "Reflections." This piece is "Spring reflects back on winter," by Bill Rademaker. It is a photo on canvas of 16" x 20" and was being offered at $375.

Bill took multiple photos and overlaid them using software to produce the finished product. He showed me the original photo of the woman and I was impressed with his imagination to see this piece of art from the plain photo.

I thought you would like to see the artist "in person."

“A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light.”
~ Leonardo da Vinci

The Downey art scene - A fine Saturday morning part 3

Just down the street from the farmer's market (see part 2), my walk took me by the Downey Doodle-icious mural and gave me a chance to see how it is progressing. The biggest change I noticed (and the most tedious part of the project, one would think) was the addition of the lines on the sun, which gave it a bright, finished look.

Update: I happened to stop by the mural this past weekend to check in again with artist Don Lamkin and his helpers. Of course there's still a lot of work to be done, but it's amazing how quickly the project is progressing.



And finally, just across the street, I poked my head in at the Stay Gallery, which was hosting selected works from The Art of Rancho, a program at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey. The program provides patients with training by world-renowned artists in adaptive drawing, painting, and photography.

Landscape art

There is some new art on the Downey landscape. I found it on the corner of Paramount Blvd. and 3rd Street, just across the street from the Rives Mansion and just outside of The Downey Brewing Company.

The assignment was to paint something cultural of Downey. This depiction of the music that can be heard in several eating establishments and on the roof of certain parking lots in Downey is a great selection.

This is Candace and Kyle, the artists that captured one cultural aspect of Downey.

Making your mark

Artists always sign their work, and Don Lamkin is no exception. But he's not the only one who has made his mark on the in-progress Downey Doodle-icious mural.

It's rather amazing the amount of thought that goes into protecting a work of this sort, from the drop cloth that has protected the wall from our recent rains, to the use of  high-quality paint that will last for years. In addition, the completed mural will be protected against future graffiti by several coats of tough, clear finish. (Please don't take this as a challenge!)

Meanwhile, for as long as there have been walls, there has been the urge to write on them. Don's friends have felt the urge and made their own marks for Don to find. Stop by and see if you can find them before they are covered up by the completed painting.

Downey Doodle-icious hits the "big screen"

Three years ago, Downey resident Don Lamkin created a collage of famous Downey icons as part of a fundraiser for the Downey Museum of Art.  Entitled "Downey Doodle-icious," it includes places such as the oldest McDonald's and the first Taco Bell, as well as references to the Carpenters and the Apollo space program. Limited edition prints have become quite popular and hang at several places around Downey.

And now, Downey Doodle-icious comes to the big screen—that is, the big wall. Don and a team of helpers have started work on reproducing the painting on a wall of the Porto's Bakery parking structure in downtown Downey.

For lots more information about the project and the artist, see the Downey Patriot article.

Stop by when you can to see the progress and encourage Don and his team.