Mural | Virtually Gina

Day 8 in Oaxaca

May 25, 2019 by Gina Marie

I love it here in the southwestern Mexican state of Oaxaca. The capital, Oaxaca de Juárez, which I have dubbed “ODJ”, makes for the perfect balance between relaxed and urban, and between grounded and sublime. ODJ is an undeniably unique, colorful, and charming city. Inquiring about my travels, my sister recently asked, “So, is this the real Mexico, or are there lots of Americans there?” I answered, “Both.” And for the next four weeks, I am fortunate to be among them.

Categories: Architecture, Art, Color, Life, Light, Love, Mexico, Mural, Oaxaca, Photo Journal, Photography, Travel, Urban • Tags: Architecture, Gratitude, Journey, Journeys, Mexico, Mural, Murals, Oaxaca, Photo Journal, Photography, Travel, Urban

A Day Spent in Philadelphia Is Never a Day Wasted

September 15, 2014 by Gina Marie

With its confluence of art, history, and architecture, the city of Philadelphia is a visual feast. Following are a few snapshots captured in Center City, Philadelphia, throughout the course of an early September afternoon/evening. Little Boy in a Big City Liberty Bell Doorway in Elfreth’s Alley (Oldest Street in the Nation) Life Size Chess Piece As Public Art Love’s Park Plaza Twin Cranes Near Reading Terminal The Marquee for Reading Terminal, A Year Round Indoor Farmers’ Market Construction in Olde […]

Categories: America, Architecture, Art, Life, Mural, Philadelphia, Photo Essay, Photo Journal, Photography, Urban • Tags: America, Architecture, Art, Life, Mural, Philadelphia, Photo Essay, Photo Journal, Photography, Urban

The Man in the Mural

May 18, 2014 by Gina Marie

Visiting the Adams Morgan neighborhood in Washington, D.C., one is greeted by numerous colorful buildings and several striking murals. One of these murals, stationed above the now-defunct Cafe Toulouse, portrays a mysterious and proud-looking man wearing a floppy black hat and a red scarf. Who is this fellow and what on earth is he doing so brazenly adorned upon a brick wall in America’s capital city? Come to find out, the image is a replica of an Art Nouveau portrait created by […]

Categories: America, Architecture, Art, Mural, Travel, Urban, Washington DC • Tags: America, Architecture, Aristide Bruant, Art, Mural, Toulouse Lautrec, Travel, Urban, Washington DC

Images from an Unforgettable Summer

September 4, 2013 by Gina Marie

Cape Cod Art Gallery Philadelphia Museum of Art Guanyin, Boddhisattva of Compassion Landscaping at Alden Park Apartments Indian Beach (Oregon) Healing Collage Cecil B. Moore Ave in Philadelphia All images © 2013 by Gina Marie.

Categories: Cape Cod, Mural, Philadelphia, Photo Essay, Photo Journal, Photography • Tags: Cape Cod, Mural, Philadelphia, Photo Essay, Photo Journal, Photography

A Day in the Life of a Mobile Phone

July 19, 2013 by Gina Marie

This is one of the murals commissioned by the Philadelphia Mural Arts program, the largest public art organization in the U.S., linking artists with neighborhoods to beautify public spaces. The mural transforms an otherwise drab brick facade into a veritable masterpiece. The Birth of Venus sculpture at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A few feet to the left of “The Birth of Venus,” one finds Venus and Cupid. Jupiter and Callisto painting (detail). Wednesday Nights are “Pay What You Wish” […]

Categories: Art, Mural, Painting, Philadelphia, Photography, Sculpture, Yoga • Tags: Art, Mural, Painting, Philadelphia, Photography, Sculpture, Yoga

The Not-So-Barren Desolateness of City Streets

April 27, 2013 by Gina Marie

The title of this post is adapted from a 1929 magazine article, “Paint and Powder,” wherein Zelda Fitzgerald writes: “If our women gave up decorating themselves we would have to turn sad eyes on the bleak telegraph wires, the office buildings, like homes of trained fleas, the barren desolateness of city streets at dusk, and realize too late that almost the only beauty in this busy, careless land, whose every acre is littered with the waste of day before yesterday, […]

Categories: Architecture, Art, Camden, Mural, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Photo Essay, Photography, Travel, Urban • Tags: Architecture, Art, Camden, Mural, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Photo Essay, Photography, Travel, Urban

For the Birds

September 1, 2012 by Gina Marie

This post is dedicated to our lovely feathered friends, who are truly quite stunning creatures, when you really stop to think about it. The first photo in this series was captured last weekend in Ocean City, New Jersey, where the seagulls practically outnumber the beachgoers. The following photo features a seagull soaring over an uprooted tree awash in the murky waters of the Mississippi River, just south of Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This little guy (or girl) is […]

Categories: Animals, Art, Birds, Budapest, Minneapolis, Mural, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Photography, Zoos • Tags: Animals, Art, Birds, Budapest, Minneapolis, Mural, New Jersey, New York City, Philadelphia, Photography, Zoos

10 a.m. Saturday, Somewhere in the Mid-Atlantic

August 11, 2012 by Gina Marie

As far as American East Coast cities go, Philadelphia sometimes gets a bad rap. But the longer I live here, the more I realize how much beauty surrounds me everywhere. Sure there is poverty, violence, and urban decay . . . but these things co-exist with murals, music, and vibrant urban markets. For those who might otherwise refuse to give Philly a second glance, take a closer look and you may find that this city is definitely worth a visit.

Categories: Art, Bicycles, Color, Mural, Philadelphia, Photography, Travel • Tags: Art, Bicycles, Color, Mural, Philadelphia, Photography, Travel

Philadelphia Murals and Other Curiosities

August 7, 2012 by Gina Marie

The Philadelphia Mural Arts Program was founded in 1986 as a way to beautify Philadelphia and discourage graffiti. In the past three decades, hundreds of murals have gone up all over the city. The caption in the mural above reads “If your heart is open, love will find its way in.” And yes, you read that correctly: Jane Seymour, the woman who once portrayed Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, helped create the mural in question (along with artist Cathleen Hughes). And, […]

Categories: Art, Color, Humor, Mural, Philadelphia, Photography, Travel, TV • Tags: Art, Color, Humor, Mural, Philadelphia, Photography, Travel, TV