Friday, January 30, 2015

Soutache on Limestone


Back to the little waterfall feature at Eskenazi Health,
where the water rushing past the rocks adorns 
them with icy embroidery, creating lovely soutache 
collars and lapels for the blocks of limestone.


Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Icy Baubles


In the late afternoon shadows of Eskenazi Health, 
the water made lacy baubles on the rocks 
of the water feature. It piled in beads, making crystal 
necklaces around the flowing water.


Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Bright Spot


Last Saturday, the weather was gray, all day.
After leaving a workshop at the Indianapolis Zoo around noon, 
I wended my way along the Central Canal towards 
downtown, taking pictures. The plants have wilted into
the background, their colors subtle, to match the cold.
Except for the rose hips, so big they resemble little tomatoes.
Their color stood out in brilliant contrast to
the tweedy background, like ruby brooches
on a jacket lapel.


Monday, January 26, 2015

Always There, Unnoticed


I've passed by these items for years without noticing 
their special rough/smooth relationships,
but Saturday the bark of the tree and its subtle
coloration displayed beautifully against
the smooth metallic surface of the vent.
Below, a hand rail flashed its brushed metal
surface as it curved around the retaining
wall at the Central Canal, near the fire station.


Sunday, January 25, 2015

Icy Reeds


While most of the snow and ice from this area's recent 
skirmish with the Polar Vortex has melted, 
the splashed water from the water feature at Eskenazi Health 
has frozen on the reeds.


Thursday, January 22, 2015

"Oh, Yeah!": This Guy's Good


While the drawings and imagery seem child-like, 
the installation and design of artist Chris Dacre's exhibit, 
"Oh, Yeah!" at the Gallery of the Herron School of Art 
is sophisticated and dramatic.
To me, it is less about war than it is about, 
as the artist states in his remarks about this work, 
how our society, particularly men, 
are conditioned by the near-continuous
onslaught of movies, video games, books, 
and advertising glorifying war, 
inuring us to its murderous reality.


The drawings have a perspective that seems
like those of a child's version of planes.
The kites are printed with profiles of bombers
and fighters, sweeping across the sky.
There's a campground of small tents, backed
by battleground videos. At the other end of
the gallery, a boy's bedroom is shown, his little jammies,
printed with angry-faced men brandishing bayonets, 
lie on bed sheets printed with images of HumVees.


The nightmare is coming through the boy's wall, 
a tank ready to run through and over
everything and everyone. At the window, fatigue-clad 
"soldiers" have cartoon animal heads, but are 
carrying weapons. They are strung like marionettes
so that, no matter who you decide the enemy might be,
you know that both sides are being controlled by
outside interests that have nothing to do
with religion, moral or ethical concepts, or even politics -
just by the desire by someone to have absolute 
control over every one and every coin ever minted.


Like the artist, I am not so naive to believe that war 
will ever be abolished. People will never just 
kiss and make up to live in a Utopia of candy and kindness.
However, we do need to be able to discern between 
a war that's being run for the benefit of arms dealers 
and manufacturers, and religious nuts proselytzing their
particular brand of hatred and bigotry.
Yep, I am a confirmed gatherer of nut and berries,
but there surely has to be a better way
for our men to confirm their masculinity than
by shooting some poor fuck who's been
turned into a convenient caricature of evil.



Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Inner and Outer lights


I don't know why, but most of the street lighting around here 
casts an eerie yellow aura over everything,
as though we're in a perpetual fight against mosquitoes.
Just before the bus for home came, I looked up
 to see this young woman wearing a bright yellow jacket.
Just twenty minutes earlier, I'd stood on a corner
at North Illinois Street, near the Hinkle Fieldhouse,
bathed in the pale yellow hue of the street lamp,
butting against the window light of this home,
one eerie, the other welcoming.


Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Frosted Shadow


Even though it was fairly 
late in the morning,
the frost remained, 
following the blue shadow
across the ground, 
melting, sinking into
the dried grasses,
where the moisture would wait
for spring and, once again,
turn the world a vibrant green.

Monday, January 19, 2015

Feathery Ice


I walked to the store late this morning,
 the bright sun moving in on the frosted lawns
and pavement. Here, the ice feathers around
the corner of repaired asphalt,
bringing a bit of brief beauty to the grayed
surface of the parking lot. 



Sunday, January 18, 2015

A Little Break


During the past week, there was a break 
in the frigid temperatures. 
A lot of people took the relatively 
warmer weather as an opportunity to enjoy 
the downtown sites. Visitors and 
workers in the downtown area 
often stop for lunch in the Artsgarden
a glass-enclosed pavilion situated above 
the intersection at Washington 
and Illinois Streets.


Saturday, January 17, 2015

Pin Lights


One might think this display case at the Herron School 
of Art is empty. Not so. The LED lighting and 
pushpins created their own art display, casting shadows 
on the neutral gray board.


Thursday, January 15, 2015

Snowy Grasses


At their full growth, these ornamental grasses are tall, 
topped by feathery plumes of seeds.
Now only about a foot tall, they catch the snow and leaves 
as they wait for spring and new growth.


Wednesday, January 14, 2015

More Pretty


Walking towards the entrance to the Natatorium 
late Tuesday afternoon, a crystal glimmer caught my eye.
I turned to see twigs covered in icy bangles.
The warm air, vented from inside the pool,
 had condensed on the ground cover, 
enveloping the twigs and remaining leaves 
in sequin gowns. Little sweaters, really, to protect 
them from the chilly air.


Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Looking for Pretty


After swimming practice Monday evening,
some of us were griping about the cold, dreary weather,
myself included. However, I had been downtown 
earlier than usual, and took the opportunity 
to walk around, determined to find something pretty 
to make a nice picture. I found browned 
hydrangeas, blood colored berries, 
and russet brick walls.
I am not a fan of brown, but the colors were 
rich when paired with each other.
Today, I will share the berries,
deep and shiny against the siennas
of the brick and mortar.



Sunday, January 11, 2015

Waiting for the Ice Storm


I finally crept out of my burrow this afternoon 
to go to the store for some milk, popcorn, and a cheap pizza, 
stuff intended to tide me over until tomorrow, 
when I'll make a more massive assault 
on my grocery budget. A lot of people had the same
notion because the lines at check-out showed
that pre-blizzard frenzy had set in.
For days, it's been miserably cold, with sub-zero
temps and wind chill forcing people, like me,
to dig deep into their larder, until all that was left
was a jar of sauerkraut and a tin of sardines.
The weather was not as cold and people came out
to go get their own provisions before the
icy rain started. Milk, bread, and stick-to-your ribs
goodies were the order of the day.
Then everyone went home to watch the 
football game, Colts vs Broncos.


Thursday, January 8, 2015

Pale Cold Light


At the end of the year, the pale sunlight 
broke through the cloud cover just long enough 
to shine a ray or two on Christ Church Cathedral.
 Opened in 1857, the cathedral is the oldest religious 
building in Indianapolis in continuous use.
As the cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese
of Indianapolis, the structure has been a part of
the city's growth, as well as having long ago
been dwarfed by surrounding structures.
To it's credit, in a time when many religious and 
corporate organizations seemed to have 
lost their mission and morality, 
this church has remained stalwart,
 reasonable, and humane.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Frosted Edges


The sun's out. Yippee. 
That's as far as it goes because there 
is a windchill warning for our area, 
in effect until tomorrow.
I don't like being cold, so remain
under my favorite blankie
until I absolutely need to go outside.
I want to go to swim practice
this evening, but with temps expected
to be the equivalent of  -20 F degrees
this evening, I don't want to be
stuck at the bus stop afterward, with no 
place to go if the bus is late. 
My coach had me swim for about 75
minutes last night, a slow, pokey 1800 meters.
 I was so happy to not be stuck swimming 
in circles and look forward to the next session. 
It took forever to get my feet warmed up 
when I got home, though, and I've just 
gotten over a cold. We'll see.

Monday, January 5, 2015

"Hole"


There are five or six of these at the corner 
of Pennsylvania and Ohio Streets,
each covering some sort of masonry project 
at the entry to the building.
What these holes are to become, I've no idea, 
but there has been structure added where there 
were formerly only the granite pavers. 
I can't believe all that work has been done, 
only to have hand-lettered signs.


Sunday, January 4, 2015

Look for the Sixth Blue Wire from the Center ...


On occasion, I will see a lineman working on the phone 
or cable lines. It is always a mystery to me how 
he knows which of the tiny wires is causing the problem, 
but when he stabs the tangled mass of color 
with his probe, he does, invariably, come up with 
the one that needs repair. Here, however, the entire cable 
had had its transmissions brought 
to a very abrupt end.

Saturday, January 3, 2015

Curtain Cat


There, with only the sun to know her identity, 
Taylor Wright lurks in the window.
On the other side, the tweedy curtain projects 
her disguise as Batgirl, the fluffy nemesis
of all wall-burrowing rodents.

Friday, January 2, 2015

Tiny Icy Shrine


As I walked to the store late Thursday morning, 
I found an icy clump in the gutter.
Overnight rain had created a tiny shrine to winter,
encasing a leaf in crystalline forms.


Thursday, January 1, 2015

2015: A Year of Promise


At City Daily Photo, the first post of the New Year 
is given over to the bloggers' best or favorite 
photo of the previous year. None of mine stood out
in that regard, but a series of pictures I took
while walking along the White River Promenade
provided a series of pretty pictures of
the surrounding landscape.


As the weather becomes increasingly cold, 
they remind me of the smells of the river, 
and the warmth of the sun.


To see the pictures chosen by other members 
of the City Daily Photo community, 
just click on the above link to be taken
on a New Year's Day trip around the world.