SQUIRREL GARDEN (Studio 26)

BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWERS ARE IN BLOOM

Summer is here with its long warm days and mother earth celebrating. Erika, my rag doll cat companion, and I were lying underneath the sunflowers. Emily, the squirrel, and her friends must have planted this beautiful sunflower garden.....we enjoy the beauty now, and as it grows older, the blossoms will produce sunflower seeds for Emily and her friends to eat......the garden is in the alcove where studios 24, 25, 26 & 27 are located....drop by and enjoy the glass art, photographs, jewelry, baskets, and paintings in the alcove! In studio 26, there are doggy milkbones for my friends, and near the sunflower garden, fresh water for thirsty wagging tails. The village is open 7 days a week from 11am to 4 pm! Hope to see you! Love, Bella

If your in Balboa Park today, stop by our village and see "Squirrel Garden" yep that's right "Squirrel Garden" SUNFLOWERS planted and well kept by our 4 entertaining Golden Red Tails squirrels. They are very vocal by chatters, growls and screeches. They love to chase each other up and down their handmade ladder built by artist. Find them at Studios 24-27.

Enjoy the sunflowers while they last!

LOVE BELLA! 

Have a safe 4th of July.

SAN DIEGO POTTERS GUILD SPRING PATIO SALE

Hello Everyone! It's another sunny day in Spanish Village. This past weekend was the Potter's Guild Sale held throughout the courtyard of the village. Lots of people enjoying the original pieces of claywork such as vases, sculptures, coffee cups, dishes, sushi plates, and so much more....and, very interesting assortments of glazes. Brandon, my poodle buddy, and I dug a nice, cool, hole under the blooming Jacaranda tree, enjoying the cool breezes, and the occassional tummy rubs. The Potter's Guild, open daily, has a large workshop/studio in Spanish Village, where dozens of artist display and sell interesting objects de arte, or utilitarian clayworks. A nice coffee cup would make a great FATHER'S DAY gift!

WELL WISHERS from the WISHING WELL

LAI and Bella (aka Roxie) at the Wishing Well

Memorial Day weekend at the village was a sunny day in paradise.....Visitors meandered through the 37 working art studios, listened to live guitar music, while the aroma of hamburgers on the grill wafed through the air from The Village Grill Restaurant....this is a photo of me and Lai in front front of the wishing well.....behind it is Studio 27, Jane's jewelry workshop, where you can check out all sorts of original jewelry, some made out of crystal, gemstones, natural stones and even fossils. I bet you can guess what I am wishing for.....A Village Grill Hamburger, for sure!

LEO and HIS ROADSTER

My new buddy Leo It was a lazy Sunday in the village. Brandon and I were hanging out, looking for any action....and now I think I've seen it all. Riding down the patio is a Pomeranian, named Leo, in a remote controlled roadster! Brandon and I were busting a gut laughing!.....What really made us bust a gut, was the pride and importance Leo emitted while cruising the patio...is he for real??? ...to me, it's like showing up in school just wearing your undies.

There definitely are interesting, funny, if not strange, stuff to see in the village!

ART GLASS GUILD SPRING SHOW & PATIO SALE

ANN L MITCHELL, ARTIST BLOWN GLASS Erika, the rag doll cat, and I were laying in a cool, freshly dug up hole, listening to Ramon strum on his guitar.....the patio was covered with tables laden with all kinds of glassware....vases, jewelry, dishes, suncatchers, sushi dishes, tea pots, odd coffee cups, and whimsical animals.....alll made of glass! Mother's Day weekend was the twice yearly patio glass sale. Erika climbed a tree and was adoring the school of glass fish....she wanted you to see it, too.

CYNDY McQUADE, ARTIST BLOWN GLASS Did you know we have school for glass blowing here in the village??? Well, that's a different kind of school....

MONARCH BUTTERFLY at TORO PARK

I was dozing under the jacaranda tree when I felt a slight touch on my nose.....opening my eyes, I saw this beautiful butterfly looking right at me.....and then she flew off....what must it feel like to fly??? I can only imagine. During this time of year, you can see different colored butterflies gracing our plants and flowers in Spanish Village. Occassionally, I see Priscilla or Erika jump on them for sport. ...to each their own, I say....you wouldn't catch me or Brandon doing such a ridiculous stunt.

TOM AND ROXIE (aka BELLA)

TOM and ROXIE (aka BELLA) Do you like my hair style? I overheard my buddy Tom saying I needed a grooming. Here's me and Tom posing in front of 'The Warrior', a sculpture created from the Sculptor's Guild, here in Spanish Village. It is adorned with glass, rocks and glass.....did you know it is hollow inside? We have 6 guilds reresenting various arts and crafts.....such as the sculptor's guild; enamal guild; potter's guild; woodcarver's guild; glass guild; and the Southwest Art Association......many of them offer classes. If you see me and Tom walking about the Park, come by and say 'hi'.

EARTH DAY 2012 BALBOA PARK SAN DIEGO

Last Sunday, we celebrated Earth Day at the park.....I heard we had over 60,000 visitors. Booths were set up along the Prado to represent different interest groups who wanted to spread the word, and the aroma of cheese burgers permeated the air. Brandon, my poodle buddy, and I layed around and got pets on the head, and an occassional belly rub. I asked him if he understood Earth Day, and he said he understood a good, cool, freshly dug up hole of earth in which to lie down......I can't say I disagree. I guess you could say the Earth is a provider of many necessities and enjoyments.....some call her Mother Earth..... Somehow, I don't remember my Mother, but I do know Mother's Day is coming up next month....the same weekend of the big patio glass sale. If you can, come on out and check out the glassware and art, find something for your Mother......and rub my tummy!!! Love and Kisses, Bella

THE GHOSTS of the TITANIC

TITANIC Do you believe in ghosts? Priscilla and Erika claim to see them all the time....perhaps a feline predisposition. However, humans remind themselves of the past by dressing up in period costumes, viewing old photographs, and collecting old memorabilia. Last weekend was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the doomed luxury liner. There was much excitement over the anniversary throughout the Park. From the Natural History Museum, where the Titanic Exhibition is being held, the captain of the ship, and a first class passenger, pose for a photograph, as they stroll through Spanish Village Art Center, helping to commemorate a wrinkle in time, where people believed they had, indeed, built 'The Ship of Dreams... .....little could they have imagined, less than a hundred years later, an international space station, floating out in another ocean of space. As for me, I would like to dream of an ocean of pizza and milkbones.

DREAMING of SPANISH VILLAGE ART CENTER

DREAMING You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will live as one...................John Lennon Here I am at Tom's house, on my favorite sofa, ready for my afternoon nap. (yawn)....I am pooped out from taking my morning walk through Spanish Village Art Center, saying 'hi' to my artist friends, enjoying the artwork and listening to the live music. Every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, Tom and I enjoy the beauty of the Park....I get belly rubs, compliments, and pats on the head from passerbys, and Tom tells our friends about my blog..... There is nothing like a soft, comfy, sofa....well, except, a warm, cheesy, piece of pizza!