Saturday, September 3, 2011

Exotic Los Angeles Buildings

...is a subject I've only begun to explore!  As a Los Angeles native, I love the "anything goes" attitude that extends even to architecture...from very modern to numerous "revival" styles...and of course the truly exotic buildings...

Drawing downtown...two views of Gehry's Disney Concert Hall..I will tackle this fabulous building again!



I love the shapes and colors in Meier's Getty Center...


...and the slightly eccentric Japanese Gallery at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art by Bruce Goff...

The Hollyhock House was Frank Lloyd Wright's first building in Los Angeles, commissioned by Aline Barnsdall and built in 1921--now part of Barnsdall Park--is often referred to as "Mayan Revival".  He called it "California Romanza"...


...and the Self-Realization Fellowship with its lotus finials on  Sunset Blvd...
The spires of the Holy Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Church rise above a derelict super market...from Sunset Blvd.

Friday, August 26, 2011

More of old Los Angeles...

Angel's Flight in downtown Los Angeles is called "the shortest railway in the world"...
first built in 1901...closed for a number
of years, and then rebuilt and reopened in 1996 in a new location...safety concerns have closed it periodically, unfortunate, since it's such a treasure...
 ...old and new...the view from Bunker Hill (top of Angel's Flight) with the billboard for "Green Lantern"

Two views of the Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles...



Another favorite building in Los Angeles...Charles Lummis built his home "El Alisal" between 1889 and 1910 from arroyo rocks and telephone poles purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad.  A lovely and peaceful spot.

...across the Arroyo from the Lummis Home is the Heritage Square Museum, a collection of turn of the century Los Angeles buildings that were saved from demolition and moved here.  Some of the buildings are still in the process of restoration, like this church.






Stepping into the beautiful waiting room of Los Angeles' downtown train station is to be transported back to 1939, the year it opened.  The travertine and terra cotta tiles, elegant furniture and art deco fixtures have been refurbished since I was last there years ago.





                          
Down the street from the train station is Philippes, a real Los Angeles institution!
Philippe The Original opened in 1908, and claims to have created the "French Dipped Sandwich". Fairly quiet in the early afternoon...at noon it's packed! The clientele is wonderfully varied...watch out for the hot mustard!





Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Old Los Angeles

...is not an oxymoron!  As a native, I love rediscovering the places that are really Los Angeles history...so, starting with Olvera Street, the oldest street in Los Angeles, and the original center of El Pueblo de Los Angeles...










 Olverita's...
...and across Cesar Chavez Ave. is the old Terminal Annex building...

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Pasadena

I've had a studio in old town Pasadena, California for many years...here are sketches around the neighborhood...

Views from my studio fire escape...



The Green Hotel...
 

 ...and views of old town...





A bit further east, and heading into nearby San Marino...


Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Chinese Garden

...the "Garden of Flowing Fragrance" at Huntington Gardens, is a favorite location of mine...built around a man-made lake, in fact it's the most designed garden I've ever seen...with Chinese stone bridges and pavilions, and to me the most interesting feature, the elegantly weathered rocks around the lake from China's Lake Tai.


in spring... 




summer, fall and winter...

and celebrating Chinese New Year...