SueBee Arts

I joined a regional hiking group on a Sunset Nature Walk this past Sunday, and had a really enjoyable time discovering yet another Southern California place I previously didn’t know existed, the San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary in Irvine. The group was instructed to meet first at the picnic table area where many brought cheese, crackers, sandwiches, […]

This is the fourth and final installment of my wanderings through Silver Lake and Angelino Heights. Those who need to catch up, click here for part 1, part 2, and part 3. If you’re like me, you’ll spend some time trying to decide which house is your favorite. I’ve changed my mind countless times. I […]

My recent exploration of the Silver Lake and Angelino Heights districts of Los Angeles, as featured in part 1 and part 2, continues here. Please click on the gallery below and join me as I walk along the streets of Angelino Heights. You’ll see many different architecture styles, quirky features, trucks loaded with equipment for a […]

Continuing from yesterday’s story, my son and I arrived at Carroll Avenue in Angelino Heights, and walked the neighborhood. Getting out of your car is mandatory for the full effect. If you’re like me, exploring all the streets, choosing favorite architecture, pretending the place is your own…. Well, it’s a fascinating place, and even more […]

Having a spontaneous nature is a good thing, in my opinion. When my son called this past Sunday morning, (while I was busy unpacking boxes from a very recent move) and invited me to one of our favorite restaurants for lunch… in the next county… it took me all of 2 seconds to say yes! […]

This large wall art appears to be a serpent, or something snake-like, with exposed skeleton in parts, organs and scales in others. I don’t see the head anywhere, but it could have been further down the wall. I had just a moment to catch the picture before the signal changed and my son accelerated. The […]

Today’s Foto Fix was taken from inside the car yesterday on Glendale Boulevard, driving towards the Angelino Heights section of Los Angeles. I’d had lunch with my son at an old favorite, the Red Lion Inn, a German pub/restaurant in Silver Lake, then was lucky to have him driving while we toured a bit of […]

Stopping to photograph a very colorful shop in downtown L.A.’s Chinatown brought a surprise bonus when these three guys walked by. While briefly trying to guess which (if any) cartoon characters they might be (?), I spent more time imagining claustrophobia and inability to breathe while being inside those tight, stifling, suffocating costumes. Actually the […]

MacArthur/Westlake Park is one of L.A.’s oldest parks. Originally an unappreciated swamp used as a city dump, L.A.’s mayor during the late 1800s, William Workman, proposed to have the “swamp” converted into a city park. MacArthur/Westlake Park opened to the public in 1890. (For more history on the park, read the following article by Nathan […]

Spontaneous idea in hand, I joined crowds of others yesterday, driving the narrow, winding road from Ferndell to the Griffith Park Observatory. I was stuck in the plodding line of cars, and could do nothing other than inch my way forward to the top. I honestly figured the city must be giving away solid gold […]

Reducing the size of a city scene to miniature is kinda fun – everything takes on a toy-like appearance. When Kat and I were at The Grove, 3rd and Fairfax on the west side of Los Angeles, we decided to play with the Nikon’s settings. A few days later, after perusing the instruction manual, we realized […]

Downtown Los Angeles Fabric District – now that’s a destination! Within a few short blocks of FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, and near the Fashion District, is a fabric paradise. Whether or not you’re a designer, seamstress, or tailor, you should go visit just for the experience! It’s a whole new world, as […]

Spectacular colors, using the sunset filter on my Nikon, looking west from rooftop of the parking structure at The Grove, 3rd and Fairfax. I find these photos reminiscent of Arizona’s seguaro cactus silhouetted against the setting sun. Since acquiring my first “real camera” last Christmas, a Nikon D5100 with turbo lens, I’ll tell you, reviewing […]

Taking photos of people on the streets (social/street photography) is a different style of photography from landscape, animals, even portraiture, but it’s one that some people thrive in. I listen to KPCC, Southern California’s public radio station (NPR). Earlier this year I heard about a workshop planned at their studios in Pasadena, called the 24 Hour […]

Colorful ethnic costumes fascinate me; I’m drawn to them. That’s not surprising, considering I spent a decade designing and making custom Irish Dance costumes for girls all over the US and Canada. I guess you could say I have a personal connection! The costumes in the gallery below were worn during the recent Dia de […]

When I took the train to downtown Los Angeles last week, I arrived at Union Station, across from Olvera Street and El Pueblo de Los Angeles historical monument. One of L.A.’s original areas, it’s always fun to visit. The celebration of Dia de Los Muertos was on, so colorful costumes were abundant, music playing, dancers on the […]

Many parts of the U.S. and certainly other parts of the world, people take the train. Everyday. To work, to shop, holidays. They ride the train. But in car-crazy Southern California, it’s a limited number of people taking the train. L.A.’s spread out, not bunched up like other cities. If a person lives near a […]

French Dip sandwiches at Philippe’s are the best. I’ve been going to Philippe’s in downtown Los Angeles since I was a little kid, and it hasn’t changed (thankfully, it hasn’t changed!). My memories were refreshed this past weekend when I walked over from Olvera Street for lunch. Yup, it’s just as I remembered… wood shavings […]

As described in my previous post, I spent this past Sunday afternoon at the Brewery Art Walk in Lincoln Heights, just east of downtown Los Angeles. While exploring the buildings and lofts, I became overwhelmed by the sheer volume of art on display, and the passion that accompanied it. The expressive artists, sharing their home and […]

What could be more enticing than an art walk held in an old brewery? Historical buildings fascinate me, make my imagination run wild. It would be hyperbole (Kat’s favorite word) to call myself a history buff, but I do love old things. I grew up with old things. My parents collected antiques; my dad had […]