Category Archives: public art

finding funky public art

garden visits, public art

Artistic Garden Fence

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I had to stop to admire this fence in Sooke the other day.

salmon wooden fence
photo by SVSeekins

Swimming salmon.

The lines evoke the feeling of motion – – the motion
of water
and fish.
I like the way the shadows and light shift & change, just the way they do when looking into water.  My hat’s off to this artist, Renaat Marchand  I’m a fan.

salmon wooden fence
photo by SVSeekins

I especially appreciate art with a utility, as well as beauty.  It’s not just art stimulating emotion – – it’s a fence serving a purpose.  Cool.  (My hat’s off to the folks who committed to more than a typical panel barrier, too)

I googled Renaat Marchand, and it turns out he’s made more art at Ed McGregor Park, just down the road from the Sooke Harbour Resort & Marina.

He’s even created the Mermaid Chair for the movie of the same name. It was shot around these parts a while ago.

Apparently, there’s another commissioned fence around about. The Lavender Fence.  I’d love to see it, but don’t know where it’s located.  Have you seen it around?

salmon wooden fence
photo by SVSeekins

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garden chores, public art, Uncategorized

Solar Eclipse in the Garden

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While watering the garden this morning, I watched the solar eclipse reflected on the lawn.  Hundreds of tiny crescents sparkled through the leaves of the apple tree.

solar eclipse through the leaves garden Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Pacific Northwest
photo by SVSeekins

The taller gary oak beside the driveway cast shade with similar crescents peaking through the leaves.

I’d heard about this indirect way of watching the eclipse, but honestly, I still don’t “get” how it works.

solar eclipse through the leaves garden Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, Pacific Northwest
photo by SVSeekins

As the moon shifted & revealed the sun, the magic morphed back into plain old dappled shade.

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public art

Street Library in Grande Prairie

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Grande Prairie boasts a shiny, new public library but I haven’t noticed it during my visit.

street library, Grande Prairie Alberta
photo by SVSeekins

Instead, it’s this street library that’s charmed me.  Within a few blocks of my brother’s home in OBrien Lake neighborhood, is The Book Barn. Like the street libraries I admire so much in Victoria, this one reads:

street library, Grande Prairie Alberta
photo by SVSeekins

‘Take a book,
Leave a book’.

Grande Prairie is an industry town surrounded by expansive farmland. Perhaps this library’s host-family grew up on a dairy farm?
Do they miss getting up at the crack of dawn to do chores & milk cows?

Just around the corner & down the street is another gem!

street library
photo by SVSeekins

Small town friendliness must be catching.  I also figure this has gotta be a kid-oriented neighborhood.

street library
photo by SVSeekins

This particular street library has a sign that reads:

LittleFreeLibrary.org

This library trend is so big there’s a website dedicated to it  🙂  It even boasts maps of street libraries all over the world!
Who knew there were so many?
Is your neighborhood represented?

I’m sure this is a sure sign that there’s hope for humanity.

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P.S.  check these other street libraries out: