Divided Light

Every so often the sun filters through the slats 

that screen the interior of the Natatorium parking garage 

from public view, creating a warp and woof pattern 

at the entryway, where the sunlight 

is reflected onto the concrete.

S'no Relief

I know. I know. It's all relative.

I went out for a bit yesterday and mounds of snow,

scooped to the curbs by plows, had patches 

and puddles of melted water 

seeping from beneath their massed bottoms.

That water froze overnight, turning my

tiny bit of the universe into a slip'n'slide.

Today's temperatures are 32 degrees colder

than average for this time in February.

My mind and body are preparing to swim

later this afternoon, but my skin is

protesting. In spite of my diligent efforts, 

the dry air whisks the moisture from my skin.

It itches. It itches.

Please, winter, go away.

Monster Slobber

Man, talk about desperate!

I could have gone into my archives for

a photo, but I just wasn't inclined

to do it. All I've wanted to do is curl up

under my blankies and watch movies, 

the more sappy and romantic, the better;

it's cold outside and I can't get warm.

I finally made it out of the house to go to

the store. Of course, I had my little camera with

me, so could record the appearance of

the downspout ogre, its slobber frozen, with

a tiny dribble of ice hanging just so.

I didn't want to risk breaking it off to see

whether it was clinging by a slender filament - 

the ogre might have come to life.

Maître Tom, le nageur du Nat

When I watch Tom and Victoria practice, 

I don't notice anything odd about their appearance 

in the water; I take the distortion for granted.

But when I tried to draw Tom, I found the distortions 

needed explanation: No, his arms aren't really 

all weenified, his legs and body aren't that thick; it's just 

the way the light is reflected by the moving water.

While working on the drawing, I was reminded 

of Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon, 

the painting that inspired the artist's development

of Cubism. The debut of this painting in 1907

marked the birth of modern art. From my art history

classes, I understood that Cubism was, in part,

an effort by the artists to flatten perspective and

to keep the viewer's eye moving continually

around the composition. I didn't try to "flatten"

the perpective at all, but the distortions made by 

the water certainly force one to keep looking

around the picture, making it move.

Blue Rectangles and Concentric Arcs with Scraggly Winter Stuff Between

I must be getting a bit of cabin fever:

While visiting the Marsh Gallery at 

the Herron School of Art,

I looked out the window to notice 

the ribbed sculpture at the front of the school. 

It seemed to pair with the blue rectangles

of the windows across the street,

making a nice contrast with the bare 

tree branches between.

A bit to the left, winter had scrawled

similar scribbles across the exterior 

of the IUPUI Library.

The Quiet Inside

When I go to the Natatorium to swim, the pool is usually 

alive with swimmers of various ages and abilities.

Divided into two twenty-five meter pools, one end had 

a few swimmers doing laps while this one was set up

in competition mode with double lane markers,

awaiting a college team scheduled to practice for

their meet this weekend. With banners showing pictures

of past champions hanging from the ceiling,

perhaps the pool was reflecting on its history as a place 

where great swimmers have performed.

Not long from now, the pool will be closed for

renovations and repairs, all preparations

for next year, when the Olympic Trials

to choose this country's representatives for

the 2016 Diving Team will be held.

I will miss it. 

There isn't another place locally 

that I enjoy as much.

Stone Cold

Looking north from the corner 

of Meridian and Ohio Streets, 

the cold light seemed 

to emphasize the patterns 

created by the windows.

The buildings line the street, 

tartan plaids built of stone, 

belonging to clans of attorneys 

and corporate moguls.

Glistening Cold

With spring just five weeks away, 

the weather has been tolerable. This has been

deceptive, though, because the notorious polar vortex

is coming to town, once again, its icy fingers

set to grasp us all in a chilling grip.

Moisture was in the air as I approached the 

Natatorium for practice and, when I left

a few hours later, the lights from on-coming cars

showed the mist on the bus stop glass.  

A Cure for What Ails Ya

Okay, I understand the notion that one's nerves 

are connected to various areas of the body.

I thought the chart was colorful and interesting.

However, nowhere did I see a spot where massage

would help my plantar fasciitis.

Sunny on a Cold Day

The little cacti, sitting on the window sill 

of a downtown office, seemed to smile at the morning sun. 

They and their colorful pots contrasted brightly

with the bare branches and moribund 

flowers, brown in their beds just outside the window. 

Little Round Mound

As I walked to the Natatorium one day last week,

I saw this little round mound sitting atop 

the little round mound of a berm, chowing down on an acorn.

I think this squirrel is too chubby to be a male, 

and is, instead, a female preparing for her accouchement 

a few weeks from now inside her fur-lined nest.

A Journey

I was asked by the newsletter editor for my swimming club 

to respond to a short questionnaire about myself 

and "why I swim." In response, I told her that, in addition 

to using the sport to help me combat obesity, 

I've found that swimming has given me more confidence 

in other aspects of my life. It is also helping me 

to become more disciplined in working towards 

achieving my goals away from the pool.

For the past year, I've been working to develop,

to revitalize, really, my drawing and painting skills.

Not surprisingly, these drawings have had swimmers

as my subject matter. The drawings aren't so much 

about the swimmers as they are about the water,

the colors and patterns that element takes on as the

athletes glide, kick, and move in the beautiful,

blue stuff. I'm working to make my marks on the canvas

and paper more personal, reflecting more how

I feel about what I see. I don't want them to be 

mere illustrations; that is too easy.

I love David Hockney's swimming pool paintings, 

but I don't care for his swimmers. While they are, 

purportedly, homoerotic, I find the male

figures all to have undefined bodies with flat butts,

completely unappetizing to this womanly eye.

But never mind that - the way Hockney renders water

is interesting, and his marks are unique to him.

And so, I work towards making my own marks to

describe how I feel about this activity and the people 

with whom I share the pool. 

The top picture is a detail of a small painting 

I am currently working on. The second is a ballpoint drawing 

I made to use as reference. The third is the underdrawing

for the little painting. It was done over another 

painting I'd started and set aside. 

Hell, I liked the brush strokes set against 

their predecessors grid marks and washy blue blotches. 

I painted over it anyway.

Slowly, Daylight Returns

Slowly, daylight is returning to our portion of the planet,

bringing warmer temperatures and brighter days.

Meanwhile, we bundle against the frigid air, fortunate 

and glad that the most recent forecast of snow 

with near blizzard conditions, faltered and fell apart.

As I walked across the IUPUI campus Monday,

on my way to swim practice, I looked

to my right to see a student, leaning against

the frosted glass of a classroom building.

Even though his image blurred him into anonymity,

his brightly colored accent markers could

be easily recognized. Of course. 

Theme Day: If I had to Leave ...

I live in a fantasy world. 

I just about have to. 

This city is plain, it's politics controlled by selfish, 

conservative self-interests. 

Every day, I see the growing divide among haves

and have-nots. I am certain that there are more

 beautiful cities in the world, places with better architecture

and a more progressive attitude towards their

citizens, but this is home. This is a place where I've 

managed to find a progressive, contemporary art scene,

groups interested in the welfare of other people,

to find organizations interested in improving the city

for all, not just a select few cliques. 

My camera is in my pocket wherever I go,

I look for beauty where I find it.

Here, it is where the rain has washed away 

the oxidation and grime from the side 

a utility box on Crawfordsville Road.
To me, it resembles a grove of
snowy aspen trees.

Sometimes, not often, I take pictures of other

people. Generally, people hide in their e-devices,

refusing to meet the eyes of others and 

feel threatened when they do.

So, from across the street, here are a group

of people on a cold day, patients and employees

of Eskenazi Health waiting for the bus home.

If I had to leave, this is what I would miss -

the small and mundane things I see every day,

cracks in the sidewalk, the sky reflected in the

downtown buildings, the hard-working people I see,

just trying to keep food on the table

and roofs over their kids' heads.

The first day of every month is a designated Theme Day for

the members of the City Daily Photo blog community.

To see how they have interpreted today's theme,

"What Would You Miss?" just click on the above link 

or on the CDP badge to the right of this post.