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

Dia de los Muertos Urban Art Alley

The Dia de los Muertos Festival wasn't just for kids. There was a shopping section with lots of souvenirs, a food truck section with a huge selection of foods, and—my favorite—the Urban Art Alley.

This horse and two riders was created by Martin Sánchez, who immigrated here as a child from a small town in Mexico. Sánchez gives ingenious and creative new life to everyday things that have been used and then discarded.

There was also an all-metal Catrina figure that stood about 10 feet tall.

Four years old

Stay Gallery is 4 years old! Today they had a pumpkin carving day that I almost missed. By the time I arrived, there was only one person left carving. But it was still fun to watch.

And, in celebration of being four years old, there is a new wall-to-wall mural inside the gallery. A fun celebration of many hands, some who designed, some who painted and gave it life.

Humans of Downey - Joshua

"All of this happened as a hobby a little over two years ago. Just to get my mind free, I started painting on the side, just for nothing. Then, six months later I sold my first piece of art to a collector in New York. After that I sold another piece. And after that I sold 200 pieces in one showing. It started as a hobby and now I just love doing it. Now people enjoy my art all over the world.

"My abstract pieces are from when I'm in a down mood. It's an expression of what I'm going through. Like when I'm not in a good mood or something bad is going on. When I'm in a happy mood and things are going good I put in the Micky Mouse, or some other happy character, on top of the abstract background."
~ Joshua

Note: Joshua will be showing his art at the Stay Gallery on September 9, 2016, 8 pm - 10 pm. You can visit their web site here.

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

Ordinary into extraordinary

I just noticed these paintings on the electrical boxes for the Union Pacific Railroad last week on my way to the Rio Hondo golf club. I was going out this evening to take some pictures when my wife showed me some pictures posted by Mario Guerra on Instagram of the same objects. I wanted to see the boxes up close so I went anyway and then decided I would post my photos also. This one is on the east side of Old River School Road just south of Firestone Blvd. You can see a lock in the middle that is painted to fit in with the rest of the scheme. What detail.

This red one is on the diagonal corner to the yellow one.

It is a great talent to turn a cold gray box into a colorful piece of art. Thanks, Downey, for commissioning these paintings.

“You must always believe that life is as extraordinary as music says it is.”
~ Rebecca West, The Fountain Overflows

Flower as art

Last week I shared some pictures of the concert held at the Downey theater. Today I wanted to share pictures of the art that was on display during the concert. It was also for sale. This red flower is three dimensional and just popping out of the canvas.



This is Bobby Rojas showing off his entry into the art exhibit. Here is the poster for his painting.

The budding artist

Did you ever make sidewalk art when you were a kid? It's fun, partly because you know it's not permanent. You can make pictures, create your own sidewalk checkers game, or create your own racetrack. The sky's the limit, and you can start over in just a few days.

Dia de los Muertos

Today, the Stay Gallery in downtown Downey celebrated Dia de los Muertos, their second exhibit for this traditional Mexican holiday.

The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions include building private altars called ofrendas  honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. (Wikipedia)There was also much face-painting at the gallery, for both children and adults.

In addition to the Dia de los Muertos displays, the Bones of Steel exhibit is winding up soon. Bones of Steel is an industrial sculpture exhibit by Cristian Castro, featuring sculptures made of metal objects.

Dinosaur comeback

I spotted this van a couple of times around Downey and it is so unique that I had to take its picture.

When my son was younger, he loved anything dinosaur and that is another reason I took this picture. I wanted to know if he wanted me to find out how to get this picture on his car.

"Dinosaurs may be extinct from the face of the planet, but they are alive and well in our imaginations."
~ Steve Miller

Tranquil no more

I'm waiting for my massage at Massage Envy in Downey Landing. I'm sitting on soft cushions in the peaceful, dimly lit waiting room. The harmonious colors of the room soothe my eyes, while the tranquil music soothes my mind. The three words framed on the wall reinforce all this. It's not a good picture, so I'll tell you what they say: "Harmony. Peacefull. Tranquility."

Uh-oh. The harmony is gone. There's a storm in my sea of tranquility. I'm an editor in my day job, and two errors have popped out on me. Can you spot them?

The Getty Center

Just 30 miles northwest of Downey is the J. Paul Getty Center, which houses one of the Getty museums. We visited there today and as always we had an enjoyable day. The Getty Center is known for its architecture, its art collection and its care of the environment. Its website has the following statement:

"The J. Paul Getty Museum seeks to inspire curiosity about, and enjoyment and understanding of, the visual arts by collecting, conserving, exhibiting, and interpreting works of art of outstanding quality and historical importance."

A bust of J. Paul Getty

 Some orchids on display in the Center's entrance

Another surprising drawing card is its value. Each car costs $15 to park and museum admission is free. They also have free iPods and headphones with collection information recorded on them for you to use during your visit.

Have you ever been to the Getty Center?

Photographing the photographers

A couple of weeks ago, I passed by the Stay Gallery. The late afternoon sun lit up the J. Arthur Morris exhibit inside, and I couldn't resist this photo of the photographers-—Morris's work on exhibit and my shadow in the doorway.

The arts in Downey

Tonight the Downey Museum of Art (DMOA) sponsored an art exhibit at the Rives Mansion, which featured the works of Calixto Shibaja, Hector Beltran, and other local artists. The event was free (donations benefited the DMOA) and included food and musical entertainment.

The event was a big success. By the time I arrived, the crowds had thinned out, but those in the know reported huge crowds just an hour earlier.

Of course, a big draw was an opportunity to see the inside of the historic Rives Mansion. Click here for past Downey Daily posts that show the Rives Mansion, inside and out.

A day in Downey

Last night, the Downey Museum of Art held their "renaissance event," a visual arts exhibit called "A Day in Downey." On display were works by local artists, along with some of the pieces from the museum's collection.

The museum was founded in 1955 and was Los Angeles county's first contemporary art museum. However, the museum almost disappeared a few years ago in a financial and legal limbo.

A lot of hard work by George Redfox, the current president, and others culminated in tonight's exhibit in the display room of the Paramount Auto Center. (The center turned out to be a surprisingly good venue for an art exhibit!)

At last, the grand opening

Tonight was second night of the grand opening event for the Stay Gallery, the new art gallery in downtown Downey. (Click here for previous posts about the gallery.)

The walls are covered by the work of 20 local artists, which includes paintings, photography, and more. It was fun to be part of the crowd viewing the wide variety of artwork.

The two-day event is the kickoff for a fundraising campaign, whose goal is to raise $20,000 for further renovations in the gallery. Future renovations include a loft for office and conference room space, and outdoor spaces in the front and back of the gallery.

From our eyes...

People were gathering and the final touches were just about done. It was time for another Art on the Vine event... and we get to participate!

Tonight's monthly gallery show was a black and white photography event that featured multiple artists.

A special tribute was made to the late James Arthur Morris who was recognized as a community leader and philanthropist. Special presentations were made to Morris' son by Andrew Walquist and Downey's current mayor, Roger Brossmer.




It was a fun night! If you missed it, you can still stop by Mari's any evening through the month of October.

For more Downey Arts Coalition events, click here.

Taste of Downey - the artists

Last Thursday's Taste of Downey event included more than food. This was the third annual Taste of Downey and each year has added a new aspect.

Each year there has been a band providing live entertainment. This year's band was called The Answer (to Classic Rock). My googling has not provided any insight to their name. Their music was classic rock from my college years—songs that got my toes tapping and evoked strong memories of those days.

Last year was the first year for the Art Wall, with paintings and photographs from local artists. This year, the Wall moved into the nearby Downey Theater, for a more sophisticated and comfortable setting.

The theater also provided a venue for additional music this year. Amanda Brown, above, sang jazz standards from Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole and more.

Artist of a different ilk

Art can be found in many places. We tend to think of art as paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs. But art is expressed in such a variety of ways.

The Macy's at Stonewood Mall has a large MAC makeup counter. They provide makeup artists for customers who are willing to purchase a set amount of makeup. It was fun and interesting to watch as Christina, a 5+ year MA, applied makeup on my daughter, who was getting "all dolled up" for an Army Ball.

"Art is the proper task of life." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

Art on the Vine at Mari's

Two new artists were featured at Mari's Wine bar tonight. The artist of this selection, Jose Lopes, explains to Downey Arts Coalition that his work has been influenced by a mix of his fascination with pre-Columbian artifacts and the influence of traditional Mexican mural art.

Death seems to hold a great preoccupation in his native culture and his work reflects it. There was a dark sense to each of his works.

"The viewer can, when presented with the image, find in the shadows his own demons and have them breed with mine to create a third form of reality. As a result, my nagging demons and angels commune with the observers’ own creatures spawning a world that is no longer mine but an addition of both artist and spectator’s subconscious minds.” Jose Lopes - DAC.