just another reason to love Oakland's diversity

If you're like me, you've driven or BARTed past the cranes that stand proud overlooking Oakland's side of the Bay countless times and have wondered when you're going to go pay them a visit countless times.
 

They stand guard, usually at full attention, noting us as we enter their city.

I can't look at them without being reminded of the herds of giraffes that I saw flocking around the watering holes in Namibia.

They don't just stand there. They're working to unload countless (well, someone is counting, I guess) wildly colorful containers of stuff into the Port. Seeing these containers up close and stacked on top each other is something else.

The scale of these sentries and the loot they seem to be guarding is so massive, I hardly expected to find this other kind of sentry when I started exploring. But then I ran across a pair of Canadians. This handsome couple were on full alert as they guarded over their treasures. In this case, the treasure came in fuzzy little packages of down feathers.

Despite their differences, the sentries are keeping watch over the same waters.

And they're not even the smallest creatures that call Oakland home alongside its other more noticeable occupants.

It's just another reason to love Oakland's diversity. And even though our giraffes don't flock to the Bay, you can always visit them at the Oakland Zoo. That might be my next "explore Oakland with a camera" adventure.

Wild Design

Inspiration for me comes in all forms.

 

 Camaflouge frog   (source: Meredith Skeff)

           Indian Elephant Close-Up                                                     

 

      Fiddle head on a fern                                               

         Lone Tree in Sossusvlei, Namibia                                

   Glowing Sunset in Sea Ranch, California               source: Rosemary Dudley

the coolest treatment of a parking garage if i do say so

it's art. not trying to create a facade that looks like a real lived-in building when we all know there are cars parked inside. just art.

The open studio holiday party was a success

Even though it was storming something fierce outside, that didn't deter us from BBQ'ing up some tasty Kielbasas and sipping some wine inside! Thanks to all who came out.

We showed the work of all of the artisans at Sgraffito, including, Rosemary Dudley, Will Tait, Paul Murphy, Lawrence Gandsey, Roberto Gastelumendi, Daryl Rush and visiting metalsmith, Gregg Hessel.

Here are some pictures:

Will Tait's drawings, Roberto Gastelumendi's benches
and visiting artisan Gregg Hessel's candelsticks

the Sgraffito gallery (above top)
looking into the workshop (above)

Daryl's birdhouse and Roberto's bench