Art + Photo + Words
— Found: An oft-painted warehouse wall, pitted, cracking, alive with color. Lost: The desire for perfection. “Perfectionism means that you try not to leave so much mess to clean up. But clutter and mess show us that life is being lived.” ― Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life ♣ Related articles Bird by Bird:... Continue Reading →
For photographers, the grungier, the rustier, the more lonely a subject is—the better. We crave texture, pattern, a story. A lonely place has a story, and photographers have many stories to tell. ♦. . . BUY PRINTS: Choose from 99+ Vanishing Austin prints and a poster by Jann Alexander, starting at $25. Shop my Vanishing Austin series: While many Austin... Continue Reading →
A broken-down bus that long lived at Austin's famous honky-tonk shows some respect for the Man in Black. The missing 1948 Flxible Clipper bus that once lent its retro funk to Austin's best-known dance hall, the Broken Spoke, made an unannounced road trip last spring to Adkins, Texas and ended up parked at Texas Pride Barbecue. Seems... Continue Reading →
Ain't no sunshine. It's a dreary, dull, drab, gray day. A day that demands a wing and a prayer to find inspiration. A day for an Artist's Poem, one I wrote and hand-lettered while under the influence of The Artist's Way, the Serenity Prayer and yoga mantras. ♣ Related articles Inspiration (juliacameronlive.com) My Poem 'The Artist's Life'... Continue Reading →
Today's Treat: Supernaturally blue eyes, no Photoshop applied. Just a trick of the lens(es) worn by the costumed subject. So the eyes have it. Related articles DAILY PROMPT: Trick or Treat served as inspiration to share this image (dailypost.wordpress.com) SEE MORE PHOTOS by Jann Alexander (austindetailsart.com) Tricked You! It's Not A Painting, It's A Real-Life... Continue Reading →
It takes a whole lotta cranes to hoist up a new Marriott in downtown Austin, where change is changing faster than you can say change. The upcoming architecture at 2nd Street and Congress Avenue demonstrates the pattern of change in a city where urban = big growth. Is it too late to keep Austin Weird?... Continue Reading →
Visit a place where the sky meets the horizon in Maine.
It's often hard for a painter to know when to quit. I'm facing that question today, with the painting I began yesterday. Is it finished? Is there something more to add? And the bubbling undercurrent, always . . . If I keep painting, will I ruin it? Ahhh, that fear of "ruining it." The words spoken by... Continue Reading →
"The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness." —JOHN MUIR, 1938 The power of the woods to restore: I found Cedar Creek in Petit Jean State Park, Arkansas, during a restorative walk in the woods, with no destination, no deadline and no demands, on a crisp fall day. More of my photographs... Continue Reading →
In 2004, there was architectural eye candy everywhere you looked in Austin.
What could be tastier on Mondays than 2 for 1 Burgers at The Elite Cafe in Waco, Texas? Serving an elite road food clientele, including Private Elvis Presley, along the Waco Circle since 1941.
A summer cycling trip through Idaho, approaching the Grand Tetons, led to a beautiful afternoon, and later became inspiration for a painting. Related articles Grand Teton, wonder and frustration (nomad-dream.org) Fine Art Photographs and Paintings by Jann Alexander (austindetailsart.com)
When Austin's Americana Theatre held its gala opening in 1965 with a premiere of The Rounders, starring Glenn Ford and Henry Fonda as aging cowboys, its builder pitched his single-screen theater as “The Showcase of Austin, featuring beautiful lobby, AirFlo rocking chair loge seats, and exotic ladies’ lounge.” Its movie lifespan was short: it closed in... Continue Reading →
. . . There's a complex explanation in physics for reflection. Reflection is defined as "the change in direction of a wavefront at an interface between two different media so that the wavefront returns into the medium from which it originated. Common examples include the reflection of light, sound and water waves. The law of reflection says that for specular reflection the angle at which the wave... Continue Reading →
Antone’s, the club whose name is perhaps most synonymous with The Live Music Capital of the World moniker that Austin carries, is up for sale. Though its soul left the club long ago, when Clifford Antone left Austin for parts unknown. Upon Clifford Antone’s death in 2006, former Austin Mayor Will Wynn conceded, “One of the primary reasons... Continue Reading →
Oh, the stories we can tell, when we have a connection with our art.
We'd honestly like to see more of the Tiniest Bar in Texas. It's just that these days, cranes and other towering structures are rapidly closing in on it. Makes it kinda tough to spot such a tiny bar. Hang on, Tiny Bar! Don't let the Tall Towers and Big Cranes bring you down! ♣ Related articles Tiniest... Continue Reading →
Walk or Don't Walk, it's up to you at Wiggy's I have long been fascinated by juxtapositions. In fact I've tried to build my entire Vanishing Austin photography series around them, and this one always grabs me as I look towards downtown in the early evening. Despite the other towers rising all around and high... Continue Reading →
Creativity comes with practice–daily. It's easy to join the club, but it takes effort to stay in the game.
A woman you meet at a gallery opening has loved a real cowboy, and had a varied career as a founding designer for Texas Monthly, as an LA Times art director, as a NY restauranteur and now plans to be a screenwriter. The temperature soars past 100 and locals tell you that's about 20 degrees... Continue Reading →
Jann Alexander :: Pairings 