Posts Tagged: Downtown San Diego

photography — No Comments
29
Oct 07

Morning is Broken

Morning is Broken 1, originally uploaded by shindohd.

This photo was taken sometime after 7am this morning. There will be some brilliant sunrises for a while, thanks to the fires. Today, things “return to normal” with schools reopening. I’m sure I’ll learn things are far from normal today and tomorrow with students.

Morning is Broken 4
Links

To Help
The Episcopal Relief Fund is one of several organizations responding to the fires this week. They have responded to the tsunamis of 2004 and 2005 and Hurricane Katrina, and donating to them is a way to help. There are people who have lost their homes and even as things return to normal for most people in Southern California, it isn’t that way for them.

Uncategorized — 2 Comments
28
Oct 07

Postcard Basics


Postcard Basics, originally uploaded by shindohd.

I went to Blick’s in Little Italy and I picked up some postcard paper and glue sticks. I normally get the Strathmore Watercolor Postcards (4 x 6), but I could not find them where I found them last, a special section for artistic cards. Instead, I found Canson Watercolor Postcards (5 x 7) and decided to try them out. When looking for 100 lb paper to cut into 4 x 6 rectangles, I found the Stathmore cards in the drawing paper section.

Glue sticks always come in handy for collaging. I like to use purple UHU glue sticks because I can see the glue while it’s wet. I don’t like to use liquid qlue because it wrinkles paper. It’s stronger, but I work better with glue sticks.

Pencils are handy to have around for sketching, planning, etc.

Exacto knives are a collage artist’s best friend. I got exposed to them in design school, and scissors have never been adequate afterwards. The advantage of the Exacto knife is that you can hold it like a stylus. However, handle with care. I’ve gotten my fair share of nicks and cuts over the years.

Fixative is good for collages or chalk drawings (which I also like to do). I prefer a flat fixative, though glossy has its uses. Both of them have a way of ruining the original effect, but it’s minimal with the flat.

Gold marker is a staple for me largely due to having done the Gold Lady images over the years. It’s still great for putting the finishing touches on her image, but I also like using the pen for other effects.

I also picked up some tracing paper, which can add some interesting elements to the cards. I can make tracings or I can use tracing paper to temper some bright marker work among many things.

In general, I hate being in the art store. Oh, I really love it. What I hate is that there are so much art supplies I’d love to have, but so little cash. Prismacolor markers and pencils beckon me as do paints, brushes, inks, papers, and tools. It’s just a matter of determining what I need vs. what I want.

If you’re interested in doing the postcard swap, you can go to Post Due dot Com. If you’re interested in getting postcards from me, e-mail me at shindotv at mac dot com. You can also send postcards to me at:

shinichi evans
PO Box 125003
san diego, ca 92112-5003

San Diego — No Comments
24
Oct 07

Updates 2

Today has been a hazier day than the deceptive clarity of yesterday (within San Diego proper). The sunlight ‘s paler and has more of a yellowish cast, so it feels more like it’s a few hours later, very late afternoon. More like 5:00 instead of 2:30.

Seventh and C at 1pm.

This morning, ash was everywhere. It lightly covered my car and dotted the suburban landscape. When I arrived at downtown to teach at the language school, the sidewalks and streets were covered with ashes, but less noticeable. I only noticed them on the black chairs outside of the Super Junior Market on Seventh and Broadway. After class was over, I walked up the hill to Sole Luna and the air was still hazy and small bits of ash were flying everywhere.

View of Downtown from Sole Luna Cafe. The air is very hazy in the East Village District (far background). Taken from Seventh and Ash.

Channel 10 news has been running nonstop. The damage in Rancho Bernardo is freaky with no rhyme or reason. There are several houses that are burned to the ground, while other houses on the same block are still standing.

There’s now an arson investigation to find out the cause of the fires.

President Bush is scheduled to make appearances tomorrow. Thanks, but his idiotic voice acknowledging what happened on Monday or even Tuesday would have been nice. Hopefully, he’ll mumble and stammer through something appropriate. At least his timing is better than it was for Hurricane Katrina.

For those of you whose thoughts and prayers are with us at time, thanks.

photography / San Diego — No Comments
4
Oct 07

Downtown at 6pm

Sixth and Beech at 6pm

I miss living in Downtown San Diego. However, I still frequently visit my favorite part of town as I teach at the local community college two days a week, work with international students at the language school once in a blue moon, and occasionally have some coffee at Sole Luna. Plus, there are the people I have met living in Cortez Hill* during the past five years.

Here is Sixth and Ash at on a late summer afternoon/early evening. I’ve walked down this street many times towards the pier. I love how the sunlight washes everything out in this photo.

*a residential district in Downton San Diego with the El Cortez tower as its cornerstone.

friends / humor / photography — No Comments
26
Jul 07

I Crush Their Heads

If you’ve watched the Kids in the Hall, then you’re familiar with the Head Crusher skit. During Pride weekend, I got some head crushing pics. Kerry crushes my head in the left pic; however, I don’t get to return the favor as he proceeds to crush his own head.

I get crushed Kerry crushes his own head

These two were done way before pride, where I crushed the heads of people in coffee shops: anonymous Wi-Fi user (top) at Twiggs, and Gigio, co-proprietor of Sole Luna in Downtown San Diego’s Cortez Hill neighborhood (bottom).

I Crush Preppy's Head!

Crushing Gigio's Head

photography — No Comments
14
Jul 07

On The Parade Route – 666 Upas

If you’re anywhere near this building next Saturday, you will have come to the end of the Pride parade route. This mid-century modern condominium building bordering Balboa Park has the unenviable address of 666 Upas. It may be a nice place to live, but imagine having to write down that street number every time you fill out something requesting your information.

The building elegantly displays the address as “Six Hundred Sixty Six,” but it’s still 666. Some urban planner had a sick sense of humor.

666 again and again

666 again

666 on Seventh Avenue Corner

666 Upas

public transportation — No Comments
23
May 07

Park and Ride

Yesterday morning was part of my new morning routine of driving to Fashion Valley, parking near the bus and Trolley station, and taking the 20 to the language school in Downtown. As usual, I ran out of my car to catch the commuter bus and boarded it, only to find that my transit pass was missing. I clearly remembered seeing it before leaving, so I told that to the driver. She was nice enough to take me at my word and I got to work on time. The only catch was that I had to pay $2.50 to return to Fashion Valley after classes were over.

This morning, I found that my transit pass has been sitting my car’s passenger seat all day and night. ARGH!

At least I don’t have to buy another one for the rest of May.

English language / teaching — No Comments
4
May 07

Teaching Moments

I just got a gig with a local language school. I officially start next week, but I filled in for somone today. Most of these students are young international students from Europe or Asia, so teaching them English is both fun and challenging. When I was going over some activity in class, a young man wandering around peered into the classroom at the woman teaching across the hall from mine. I asked the students if any of them knew him, and one student told me he thought the wanderer this felt this way (making kissing gestures) for the teacher. I then took the opportunity to teach them an idiomatic expression: “to have a crush on.” Once I explained it was synonymous with infatuation, many of them got it.

When I taught English at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, my classroom had a view of the Washington Mutual/SBC tower in Downtown San Diego. One day, there was a truck, parked in front of the bank, decorated with homophobic Bible verses, anti-gay slogans, and homoerotic images with red circle slashes over them. I took a moment to point out the
truck and had a critical discussion on homophobia and my students’ points of view on the subject.

When teaching, distractions are bound to happen, but I always enjoy it when the opportunity to make them into teaching moments arises.

blogging / News / photography / San Diego — No Comments
2
May 07

Cookie Box Crime Scene

I was walking around Downtown San Diego when I took these pictures of the SDPD blocking traffic and Sixth Avenue and B Street. While the incident took place near our local World Trade Center, the bomb threat was directed at the Golden Eagle Plaza tower across the street. However, it turned out to be a box of cookies. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
No, it didn’t occur at the World Trade Center. But the traffic jam was caused partly by the incident, and partly by other events in Downtown.
The intersection blocked off by SDPD to keep cars away from Golden Eagle Plaza.
Golden Eagle Plaza, pictured upper right corner, is where the bomb threat occured.

blogging / News / photography / San Diego — No Comments
1
May 07

Cookie Box Crime Scene

I was walking around Downtown San Diego when I took these pictures of the SDPD blocking traffic and Sixth Avenue and B Street. While the incident took place near our local World Trade Center, the bomb threat was directed at the Golden Eagle Plaza tower across the street. However, it turned out to be a box of cookies. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
No, it didn’t occur at the World Trade Center. But the traffic jam was caused partly by the incident, and partly by other events in Downtown.
The intersection blocked off by SDPD to keep cars away from Golden Eagle Plaza.
Golden Eagle Plaza, pictured upper right corner, is where the bomb threat occured.

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