Tag Archives: architecture

The Palms- Hillcrest 60s Building

The Palm, San Diego Painting

The Palm, San Diego Painting- For Sale

I think this apartment building in Hillcrest/U Heights is probably from the 60s, since Modern design from that decade was more delicate. Whenever it’s from, it’s a cool place.

Decayed Modernism is so prevalent in southern California. Modernist architecture, urban planning, and design had mostly utopian ideals, trying to make people’s lives better through design. Did it work? I’m not sure, and there’s something poignant about the irony of those high ideals contrasted with buildings in disrepair.

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Painting of University of San Diego

Painting of University of San Diego

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The University of San Diego on its hilltop, seen from across Mission Valley in… Pioneer Park? I think that’s the name.

San Diego Plein Air

I painted this on Labor Day in a perfect ocean breeze.

Sometimes I touch up plein air works in the studio afterwards, but this time I liked the painting the way it is.

Star Builders Supply Building, Little Italy

Star Builders Supply Building, San Diego, California Landscape Painting

Do you love the industrial quality of this circa 1911 building as much as I do?

It’s currently vacant. There are so many great potential uses- restaurants, art studios and galleries, wine bar, boutique hotel. It’s right by the trolley stop too. Pretty great location.

When I was researching this building, wondering what it was, I discovered an evil plot to tear it down and put in a parking lot! What a travesty.

We could easily build the parking structure over top of Star Builders Supply with gigantic stilts, or perhaps incorporate the historic structure into a new construction. I hope it will be saved.

Click here to learn more about Star Builders Supply and the effort to preserve this historic structure.

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Little Italy Streetscape, San Diego

San Diego California Landscape Little Italy Downtown Urban Painting

A street corner in Little Italy, San Diego. I think this is Kettner, but I’m not sure. That’s the famous Wyland mural on the building to the left. I spent a couple of hours walking around this neighborhood while I was getting my car worked on, and started this painting and a couple of others.

I like Little Italy. It’s a mix of Victorian and ultramodern, which I find very appealing… with great pizza and terrible parking.

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