Africa by Dr. Joel Cooper

when I look at this mosaic art, I understand where the piece better knowing that the artist is

dr. joel cooper, a liver and pancreas research doctor in africa in the 1960's.

this piece was from our neighbor who liked it, but had stored it in her garage ... now its in our garden recycled art gallery.

Vintage Vines

this lovely cast iron head board is being used so the dipladenia vines have something to climb on.

this head board is simply ornate with sea shell designs made of painted cast iron.

vintage head board was found at lynn's in alameda, with its new purpose being a trellis.

Farmer Joe

this sculpture is made from farming vehicles.

the artisan is unknown, since it was found like this at the antique alameda point fair.

 

another photo angle of the sculpture, with 'americana' in the background

 

Munching Lizard

 

the lizard was made by unknown artisan.  the vendor at the antique alameda point fair told us that it was made of scrap medal. he sits on our deck munching foliage.

Bulley Pulley

artist, bach, salvaged the bull horns from his son's costume viking hat

 

the skull is made from a pulley, found at an estate sale

hanging like a trophy now ...

Walden Garden Work Bench

walden garden bench is finally completed ...vintage windows for the legs ...
artist was inspired by henry thoreau, hence the name 'walden garden work bench'

2 more orchid flower blooms ... PG&E flasher actually lights up at night

cherubs and thoureau ....

see the cat (from 20th Street, Oakland)

PG&E reflects with orchid flowers ...

Angel Duncan

angel duncan hanging out in the lantana vines

angel duncan with his bald wings (bottle caps to be added for the feathers COMING SOON)

found at the oakland flea market, for FREE

artist making the angel wings for duncan

Garden Red Green Light

from a commercial garage to a private backyard

and the lights actually light up

the bonsai plant is real and alive

Ghetto Chihooly - Break Room

lantern art in progress ... made from plastic bottles

where oh where can another red plastic bottle be found ???

Nido

the artist found the components of 'nido' throughout oakland and alameda.
the door in front of the nido restaurant during its remodeling stage, had a 'free' sign on it, seen from the jack london square district street; the stove knobs in the pacific renaissance condo garbage; the wine rack from a vacant condo unit at the sierra; the birds nest in the artist's backyard; the driftwood from the shores of alameda; the monster eye art on 3rd street in jack london square.

it was obvious to name this piece 'nido' (nest in Spanish).
it should be noted that the piece lights up in beautiful aqua blue on the stove clock and around the monster eye's backer board.

this master piece marks part of the beginning of jack london square's restaurant industry, and the excitement of more foodies coming to the district.

Nido nests in the artist's backyard

note the real nest (left bottom)

the cyclamens bloomed in the middle of summer (highly unusual for cyclamens)

bachUSart ... Recycled Thoughts ...

new logo

 

 

Rudy taking a detour

this composition is so colorful, with the detour ahead road sign given to bach, by his friend rudy; vietnamese elephant from bach's parents' house; italian pottery from a garage sale; and tropical plants from a real estate office.
 

i love this piece because it reminds me of the many detours we take in life; because of these detours our lives are so colorful.



The elephant, Rudy, taking a detour so that he can get to where he's going.

All American

"All American" is a piece created to remind ALL AMERICANS that we are privileged to be given the liberty of freedom, no matter our race, gender, sexuality and ability, because of the men and women soldiers who've served in past wars and current wars for US.


Bach with his Memorial Holiday piece called 'All American'
(Also in the background is mosaic art by Dr. Joel Cooper, "Africa - 1968")

 

"All American" in honor of Memorial Day

Keep Back 10 Feet Guardian Angel

 

this angel sculpture was found in san diego, believe it our not, at sax 5th avenue outlet ... she was found simple without the bouquet and sign.

 

she is now holding a bouquet of flowers made from an alert light that was used at the los alamos national laboratory (in new mexico), also note the colorful wiring at the end of the bouquet.

 

the danger sign was part of an exhibition at the oakland proarts (the proarts artist invited visitors to take what they wanted off the exhibit...this is what bach took.)  the danger sign completed this piece, a work in progress that lasted about 6 years!  she is done now, with her sandy complexion needing regular maintenance.

 

the bouquet also lights up at night, of course ... bach's signature.

 

bach likes to think that his garden art is a target for thieves, so he created this piece.

 

i like the piece because it reminds me how vulnerable we become when we leave our homes.  we leave home in a car, bike, or walking, not thinking of the possible dangers that may come upon us ... i like to believe that god assigns his guardian angels to watch over and protect us from all those dangers, and that an angel is protecting our home while away.

 

bless us all that our daily journey is protected from danger, and that we have a home to safely come home to.

 

 

 

 

 

keep back 10 feet ... guardian angel on duty, protecting our home

keep back 10 feet ... guardian angel on duty 24/7

 

 

Happy Mother's Day!

happy mother's day to all mothers around the world!  mothers, you are all special every day of the year, not just today.  because you are a mother, the world is a better place.

this is bach's rendition of mother mary holding baby jesus, so holy, that she is constantly on the phone with god.

Mother Mary on the phone with God, while holding Baby Jesus.

On the Phone with God

'on the phone with god' is bach's creation expressing his gratitude after reading 'a psalm of life', poem written by henry wadsworth longfellow.

grateful that he can express his artistic work through reclaimed, recycled, repurposed and upcycled material, and his yearning to be useful and creative, bach has accepted the designation "artist".

knowing that phone booths are no longer useful, and sitting around in junk and recycling yards, or just being useless where they were once useful, bach's creative juices to build 'on the phone with god' came alive.  using his signature garden plant theme, and his liking of the new pope, the final blessings of the saint francis statue sealed the piece, and thus earned the title 'on the phone with god'.

 

A Psalm of Life

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, - act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sand of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solenm main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait. 

st francis on the phone with god in the middle of the day

st francis on the phone with god late at night

st francis on the phone with god early in the morning

AT&T

while on an early morning routine dog walk on the shoreline park in alameda, near the alameda ferry, bach spotted this beautiful drift wood, that turned out to be an old utility pole.  can you see the rusted pegs that were once used for workers to step on so they can climb the pole?  i imagined that this utility pole floated across the bay, from san francisco, having traveled at least a couple miles to make it to alameda eventually.  

now it lays in our nottingham drive backyard, reclaimed to be garden art.  there's so much texture in this piece, with its colorful dead and live organisms. 

reclaimed material is simply wonderful, a form of reincarnation.  this utility pole supported the electrical and telephone cable lines that provided electricity and telephone connection to a community, for a long period of time.  its now serving as another life being art. i think of the utilities we take for granted, and how civilization accepts the better and denies the worst, but forgets to truly appreciate the sources and resources that are provided.

Utility pole drifted and then found on the Alameda shores off the San Francisco Bay

UC Berkeley "Plant" Sign

this bonsai stand was collaborated by bach using repurposed material including metal bookends, commercial grade 
signage post, and a uc berkeley campus sign.  these materials were all left behind some place for someone to use for 
something purposeful ... no bach did not steal the sign from uc berkeley campus. 

i got a kick out of the sign because of the word 'plant' ... its a word with a list of meanings from being used as a noun
or verb, my favorite definition is when it is used as a slang, see #7 & #8:

plant

  [plant, plahnt] 

noun

1.

any member of the kingdom Plantae, comprising multicellular organisms that typically produce
 their own food from inorganic matter by the process of photosynthesis and that have more
 or less rigidcell walls containing cellulose, including vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, and 
hornworts: 
someclassification schemes may include fungi, algae, bacteria, blue-green algae,
 and certain single-celledeukaryotes that have plantlike qualities, as rigid cell walls or
 photosynthesis.

2.

an herb or other small vegetable growth, in contrast with a tree or a shrub.

3.

a seedling or a growing slip, especially one ready for transplanting.

4.

the equipment, including the fixtures, machinery, tools, etc., and often the buildings,
 necessary tocarry on any industrial business: a manufacturing plant.

5.

the complete equipment or apparatus for a particular mechanical process or operation: the
 heatingplant for a home.

6.

the buildings, equipment, etc., of an institution: the sprawling plant of the university.

7.

Slang. something intended to trap, decoy, or lure, as criminals.

8.

Slang. a scheme to trap, trick, swindle, or defraud.

9.

a person, placed in an audience, whose rehearsed or prepared reactions, 
comments, etc., appearspontaneous to the rest of the audience.

10.

a person placed secretly in a group or organization, as by a foreign government, to obtain 
internal orsecret information, stir up discontent, etc.

11.

Theater . a line of dialogue, or a character, action, etc., introducing an idea or theme that
 will befurther developed at a later point in the play: Afterward we remembered the suicide
 plant in the secondact.

verb (used with object)

12.

to put or set in the ground for growth, as seeds, young trees, etc.

13.

to furnish or stock (land) with plants: to plant a section with corn.

14.

to establish or implant (ideas, principles, doctrines, etc.): to plant a love for learning in growingchildren.

15.

to introduce (a breed of animals) into a country.

16.

to deposit (young fish, or spawn) in a river, lake, etc.

17.

to bed (oysters).

18.

to insert or set firmly in or on the ground or some other body or surface: to plant posts along
 a road.

19.

Theater . to insert or place (an idea, person, or thing) in a play.

20.

to place; put.

21.

to place with great force, firmness, or determination: He planted himself in the doorway as if
 daring us totry to enter. He planted a big kiss on his son's cheek.

22.

to station; post: to plant a police officer on every corner.

23.

to locate; situate: Branch stores are planted all over.

24.

to establish (a colony, city, etc.); found.

25.

to settle (persons), as in a colony.

26.

to say or place (something) in order to obtain a desired result, especially one that will 

seemspontaneous: The police planted the story in the newspaper in order to trap the thief.

27.

Carpentry. to nail, glue, or otherwise attach (a molding or the like) to a surface.

28.

to place (a person) secretly in a group to function as a spy or to promote discord.

29.

Slang. to hide or conceal, as stolen goods.

UC Berkeley physical plant sign

715 Sierra

this clay turtle was beheaded of its clay head, to be replaced with a succulent for a head.  another one of bach's garden sculpture creations ... adding a different kind of life to our home garden.

i named the sculpture 715 sierra, because it was abandoned by someone who used to live in unit 715 at the sierra condo homes in oakland, ca. bach upcycled it, its new home is now in alameda, ca.  

the things we do to our head, to give life to ourself being ...

waiting in the shade for the sun to move its way

too lazy to move to the sun, can't wait to bake in the sun

this is the way to live, rock climbing and sun bathing