Author Archive
May 1, 2016 by tomdalzell
Avi Black’s Berkri-la
Walking Gilman just east of Ordway a couple years ago I had looked over the fence and seen hints of Something Really Good. In March 2016 I was in Chicago for work. Chitchatting with Dave Metz, a pollster who was in Chicago to make a presentation to a collation of unions, conversation turned to Quirky Berkeley […]
April 24, 2016 by tomdalzell
Berkeley Relief
I started this post with a digression that had nothing to do with Berkeley, a digression about bas relief in my Philadelphia childhood. The digression got too long so I moved it elsewhere and will just jump in with Berkeley. But another problem arose. I have used the term “bas relief” casually, unaware that there […]
April 24, 2016 by tomdalzell
Philadelphia Relief Digression
This relief has nothing to do with Berkeley. It is named The Spirit of Transportation, made by Karl Bitter in 1895 and placed in the waiting room of Broad Street Station Philadelphia. And – it is a fine example of high relief because of the amount of depth shown. I had for years considered it bas relief. […]
April 17, 2016 by tomdalzell
Garden Conservancy – East Bay Open Studio
I have not yet come to a satisfactory definition of a quirky garden I know one when I see it, but I can’t define it. And I know that two Definitely Quirky Berkeley gardens will be on the Garden Conservancy’s East Bay Open Day on Saturday, April 23. Five gardens plus the two quirky Berkeley […]
April 16, 2016 by tomdalzell
Art Ratner’s Miniature Souvenir Buildings
Michael Corbett, an architectural historian and brilliant student of Berkeley, introduced me to Art Ratner. We talked.. And here is his story, a story about a magnificent obsession. Disclaimer: This post is a slippery slope away from the Quirky Berkeley parameters, a mission creep. I know it. Informed consent – I go down this slippery slope willingly. […]
April 9, 2016 by tomdalzell
Rainbows
My A Form (6th Grade) teacher Mr. Davenport used the phrase “intuitively obvious to the most casual observer” a lot, and not in a kind way. He also used the expression “literal-minded Igorot,” also not in a kind way. Igorot is the collective name of several highland ethnic groups in the mountains of Luzon region […]
April 9, 2016 by tomdalzell
Leslie Safarik Open Studio: April 16th
I have posted about Leslie Safarik and her giant, joyful ceramic women at Urban Ore. She wrote me : Spring has sprung so I think an open studio is in order! The winter is over and the kiln has been keeping the studio warm. Lots of new work to show off. Plus a good time to […]
April 2, 2016 by tomdalzell
Muffler Men and More at Ron’s (and daughter Abby’s) (not in) Berkeley Mufflers
If this photograph were going to appear anywhere in a post, common sense dictates that it appear first, whether or not the connection with Berkeley were obvious. So – here it is, after that heavy dose of subjunctive. I was about to say “subjunctive tense” but that would be wrong. The subjunctive is a mood, […]
March 27, 2016 by tomdalzell
Field Trip – San Jose – Ted Fullwood – WOW!
South 12th Street in San Jose is tree-lined and lovely and quiet and kept-up nicely but not obnoxiously. That’s Marcia Donahue standing in from of Ted Fullwood’s house in the top photo and standing at the foot of the front porch stairs in the bottom photo. Those are malas made by Marcia Donahue draped over […]
March 26, 2016 by tomdalzell