Recent favorite photos
Far left: “To Encourage the Wind to Dance”, Mesa, Arizona; Left of middle: “Spiky Respite”, Desert National Wildlife Refuge; Right of middle: “Walk and Reflect”, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, Arizona; Far right: “Bell-isimo”, Arcosanti, Arizona.
Desert Botanical Garden (2024.11.02)
I enjoyed a beautiful walk in the sunshine
The Cohn Family Butterfly Pavilion was open for visitors
The bees also seemed ready for visitors
I want to return when the luminaria are lit
Dia de Muertos (2024.11.02)
I captured a Dia de Muertos festival before the event began
The event included una oferta comunitaria
Arcosanti, Arizona (2024.10.12)
An ecological, architectural laboratory. A vision for harmonious living. A space centered around artisans.
Arcosanti artisans really love their bells
A scrubby desert environment
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Intentional architecture
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The focus is on vertical rather than horizontal growth
Nature and Design (2024.09.26)
I attended a regional museum conference in Tucson, Arizona
What’s around the next corner?
This beautiful barrel cactus was in bloom
I found the waterfall a worthwhile trip at any time of the day
Other interesting features also captured my interest
The collared peccary are used to humans, but keep your distance because they are still wild animals.
Desert Botanical Gardens (2024.08.31)
I enjoyed an early morning walk around the Gardens with a friend
“Reclining Woman,” Fernando Botero
When I take the time to look, I find that the smallest details amaze and inspire.
This bee enjoyed the pollen from this vibrant purple flower for a few moments.
Just long enough for me to capture it.
I am continually amazed by the textures and the variety of forms seen in nature.
Some birds enjoyed a morning bath,
I struggle to snap a clear picture of birds, even when they remain still.
Don’t forget to stop in to see this beautiful display of creativity, love, and joy.
The artist created each leaf to represent an individual and the plants they know and placed them over a map of Phoenix.
Big MAC (2024.08.15)
I walked around the Mesa Arts Center (MAC) after a training event
An I.D.E.A.(L) Tour (2024.07.12)
I joined a tour to see what the I.D.E.A. museum is working on.
For this first section, we wore booties to cover our shoes as this is a “socks only” area.
This section is all about early learning opportunities and helping young people reach developmental milestones
Next, we saw The Hub, the Idea Studio, and “Paint with Light”
I really like these features:
The short story? The I.D.E.A. museum is operating while under construction and they have amazing things to release to the world–soon!
Celebration (2024.07.06)
A celebration of life, identity, and community
Some homemade, reusable decorations
A pinata with prizes for the younger guests
Some of the prizes from the pinata
A cool fountain as part of the swimming pool
HuHuGAM Heritage Center (2024.06.19)
I took time in the morning before an event to enjoy the land
It is such a beautiful property! I will make more trips to see the changes
Desert Hiking (2024.06.02)
I took a short hike this morning with my family on South Mountain, south of Phoenix, Arizona.
A view of Phoenix from the path.
While there are several paths on the mountain, we chose a relatively easy one
With saguaro, Palo Verde, and barrel cactus.
Mural Update (2024.05.20)
An artist at work
I love the southwest floral theme. The colors are vibrant and cheery.
Downtown Mesa, Arizona (2024.05.09)
The other day, I noticed a new mural in the works
On the way to photograph the mural, I also caught some outdoors instruments
And I captured a few more murals in the “Cactus Cuties” series by Youkue
Southern Utah University (2024.04.25)
I visited Cedar City, Utah for two days, one night
I stopped to smell the flowers around campus.
(Left: “Too Cold”; Middle: “Waiting on the Bees”; Right: “Season’s Greetings”)
I have a small fascination with things that align, such as stairs…
(“Chutes and Ladders”)
…and architectural features.
(“Resting Buttresses”)
I even found serenity near the water feature
(“Serenity Now”)
Downtown Mesa, Arizona (2024.03.28)
I spent some time behind the camera as the sun rose.
The Bungalow has this adorable elephant statue in front.
The Bungalow is a place of respite tucked between apartment buildings, museums, and coffee shops
This adorable mural (“Cactus Cuties” by Youkue) is on the west side of the I.D.E.A. museum. There are additions to the story on the south side and the artist plans to continue adding scenes.
A better look at “Cactus Cuties”.
This parking garage has a pleasing form.
This shot captures the beautiful palm trees. I especially like the glow of sunlight captured on the underside of the palm crown.