More Pasadena Chalk Art Festival 2010 Photos

The first chalk art event I attended was at the Santa Barbara Mission and almost all the artworks were incredibly detailed reproductions of famous Renaissance paintings.  The Pasadena Chalk Art Festival couldn't be more different.  A dominant influence for the artworks is pop culture--in particular things we've all seen on TV or at the moves.

This dragon is a stunning departure from the tradition of 2D paintings for chalk art festivals.  The colors of the dragon do, in fact, come from chalk.

At the end of Day 2, here are some of the artworks created on the Paseo Colorado plaza.  There are more artworks across the street in front of the Convention Center.

This ghoulish creature will make all the zombie lovers happy!

And what would a Chalk Art Festival be without a sexy bathing beauty drawn on the plaza!

To see more photos from the Pasadena Chalk Art Festival go to http://www.pasadenaneighborhoods.com/2010_pasadena_chalk_festival.htm

Pasadena Chalk Festival - Day one: June 19

The annual Pasadena Chalk Art Festival started this morning at Paseo Colorado, just a few blocks east of the Del Mar or Memorial Park Gold Line Stations on Colorado Blvd.

Over a hundred chalk artists now fill the plaza with art works in process.  Only the Laker's chalk art is finished as of Saturday afternoon.  As you look around keep in mind there is an additional section of chalk art works across Green Street in front of the Convention Center.

One thing that stood out:  there are a lot of heads of women now taking shape on the plaza and more women artists that we remember seeing in previous years.

 Shortly after noon today we saw these -- and more!  Lots more!

Every year Randall Williams produces gorgeous chalk artwork based on classics.  This year he is working on a nude.

These artists seem to have missed the point of drawing art on the plaza floor.  They created an upright dragon.  But perhaps by tomorrow that dragon will be emerging from a chalk painting on the ground.

The Pasadena Chalk Festival continues tomorrow, June 20, 2010.  Free admission.  And good entertainment on two stages. 

If you get hungry there is always Camille's located on the south end of the plaza.  At Camille's you can order delicious wraps, sandwiches, etc. for a very reasonable price. 

New plaza at the Fillmore Gold Line Station

When the Gold Line cut through Pasadena, it left a stub of a drab street at Fillmore and Raymond.  That short street has now been transformed into a graceful plaza, lined with tall date palm trees.

The landscape design also includes drought tolerant plants--obviously the city has little interest in paying any water bills.  In four huge  pots are palo verde trees, which at this time of year bloom with tiny yellow flowers and even tinier green leaves. 

A little trivia here: palo verde means green stick and the tree gets its name because the branches and trunk are green, not brown.  And as you can see in the photo the leaves are miniscule.

The plaza is lined with a low wall with seating all along it so you can bring your Starbucks latte from the other side of the rail tracks and enjoy it in a charming setting. 

The plaza was dedicated about ten days ago.  Plans are in the works to add other small shops along the south side of the Fillmore Station Plaza.  Or at least that is what they are telling us!


To see more about the Fillmore Station in Pasadena, California, go to www.pasadenaneighborhoods.com/fillmore_station_gold_line.htm

Jacaranda trees blooming along Del Mar in Pasadena

Walk just around the corner from the Del Mar Gold Line station and you will see a mile long parade of Jacaranda trees blooming along Del Mar Blvd.   It is a glorious sight!  But a fleeting one.  The jacarandas are already beginning to drop their beautiful purple flowers and put out their new bright green leaves.

These jacarandas--and all others in Southern California--are the descendants of trees brought back from Brazil by one of the earliest Directors of the Los Angeles Arboretum.  The Arboretum was founded with the aim of finding flowering trees that could possibly grow in Southern California, then testing them for viability in our climate, then making the trees available to plant nurseries.  The first Arboretum expedition in search of flowering trees went to Australia and came back with acacias and eucalyptus. These tres are still alive and growing in the northern part of the Arboretum.

 It was several years later that another expedition went to Brazil, home to the Jacaranda.  They brought young trees back and within years jacarandas become one of the most popular trees in Southern California--even if they are a bit messy. 

It is definitely worth the trip on the Gold Line to the Del Mar Station to see this annual blossoming!