Recent Stories in Visual Arts

Our SunBreak HQ squirrel has been trying various sun-maximizing set-ups.

A sea gull "takes the waters" at Cal Anderson park.

If you have not yet tried the Morning Glory Dog at Po Dogs, do so posthaste!  It is breakfast made for any time of day in delicious hot dog form.  +Russ knows what I'm talking about--thanks to him for dropping the photographic evidence in The SunBreak Flickr pool.

It's funny (and sad) because it's true!  Thanks to Paul Swortz for throwing this image into The SunBreak Flickr pool.

Leave it to the Seattle Red Cross to put a heartwarming tale in the SunBreak Flickr pool.  The story behind the image, care of their caption on the photo: 

Noah (left) and his brother Eli pose in the lobby of the Red Cross Serving King & Kitsap Counties office.

Noah just turned six. His mom, Jessica, had told him about the January 12 earthquake in Haiti. He thought about the kids who lost their homes. He wanted to help. So instead of asking for birthday presents this year, Noah asked for his friends and family to give money to help relief efforts in Haiti. The adults wrote checks. The kids gave coins. And on Wednesday afternoon, Noah and his family brought just over $600 to the Red Cross office in Seattle.

Thanks, Noah - and happy birthday!

As it's a slow Presidents Day afternoon, I will now let you all look through my photo scrapboo--hey, where you going?

All photos: MvB (2006-09)

The inquisitive eye of shawnmebo is responsible for this pearly portrait of a doggie named, I'm guessing, Pearl. There's a flat, painting-like quality to everything but that shiny little nose. Say, have you joined our Flickr pool yet?

A pair of art events are happening this evening. First, tonight's the opening reception for Sarah Joncas and Ciou at Roq la Rue (2312 Second Ave., 6-9 p.m.). Joncas's paintings adopt a manga vocabulary to American culture. Ciou, a French artist, retreads the well-worn path of weird girls and their animal pals, but she does it with moxie and a middle-school doodler's panache.

Then, tonight at 9, Artifakt Art is hosting a Valentine's art and music event at Lofi Performance Space (429 Eastlake Ave. E.). Art by Chani Murat, Dear Earthling, BeeryMethod, iamintricate, Grym, BurnOne, Dave Bloomfield, Keger, Rob Ripley and Crystal Barbre, with music by Lost Boys, HitGirl!, and others.

+Russ provided this glamor shot of a spigot that spends its time on the UW campus (major undeclared). Drop your unique perspective into The SunBreak Flickr pool!

This picket fence was around in 2007 when ozmafan snapped a picture of it; wonder if it's still around or if it lives on only in memory and The Sunbreak's Flickr pool. 

Courtesy of Paul Swortz and The Sunbreak's Flickr Pool: a posse of boots parked outside of No Parking, a newish shop of vintage clothing, classic curiosities, and other assorted wonders on Pike.

Chris Blakeley spotted this delicious-looking orange unsuccessfully seeking shelter from a rainstorm on a vending machine and shared it with all of us through the Sunbreak's Flickr Pool.

This modernly old-timey train arrived right on time in The Sunbreak's Flickr pool. It's the subject of Shawn McClung's 27th entry in a year-long series of posting one picture per day, all shot, edited, and uploaded from an iPhone.

Blue sky reminder, courtesy of preparsed.

Something intense is going on behind her, you can tell from the taut expressions on the faces of the staff, even out-of-focus. The question is what. I have no idea myself, and neither did seadevi when snapping the photo for our Flickr pool.

There are many joys to be had visiting the Market, as our Flickr pool contributor lwestcoat handily demonstrates.

A particularly artful shot from our friends at SAL.

ozmafan clearly has a more interesting apartment view than most of us.

Great Beyond shares yet another piece of irrefutable evidence that Chucks (red ones especially) will always and forever be in style.

There is a special, symbiotic relationship between dog and tennis ball. It wasn't always this way, of course, but evolution has made it so. Thanks to shawnmebo for sharing this wonderful example of the complexities of our universe.

"One of the things I love about Seattle is how the Space Needle is visible from such a variety of locations," says ozmafan. We love that too.

Here's to more dazzling sunsets like this one captured by zenobia joy, just one of many talented members of our Flickr pool. Got a camera and a good eye? Join us!

Innocent condiment counter or scene of a ghastly crime? Thanks to Paul Swortz for sharing this compelling capture.

Thanks, ozmafan! This photo makes me go *sniiiifffffff*. I'm not sure what primroses smell like--while I've got you here, why not check?--sweetly scented, they are. The name is from the  Latin prima rosa, first rose, and the flowers and leaves are edible. Good enough to eat, like this photo.

The fate of all clay is the subject of this shot from mangpages. For those of you who skipped--or slept through--English while Hamlet was being discussed, Yorick is the name of a famous Danish skull. Now go drop your intimation of mortality into our SunBreak Flickr pool and be quick about it. You know not the hour.

It's wish fulfillment day on The SunBreak, so we bring you a summer stroll through the sprinklers, courtesy of zenobia_joy, a valued member of our SunBreak Flickr pool. Very fond of how the action in this shot is top-loaded.