Wander down the alley to see this funky mural by graffiti artist, Rasko.

It is located behind Wax Poetic Salon, 3208 W. Magnolia Blvd., between Ontario and California St.

This patriotic little fellow plays on the corner of Victory and Buena Vista in front of Ralphs grocery store.

I usually park my car near him and I enjoy his presence when I go grocery shopping.

"Old Glory" was created by the marvelous artist De L'Esprie, If you like, you can watch a video about her process of creating a bronze sculpture here.

Welcome to the charming children's library inside the Buena Vista Branch Library at 300 N. Buena Vista St. The outdoors comes inside through the arched doorway to create a fairy tale place for reading, dreaming, and learning. 

I was completely enchanted by the (dare I say it) tree-mendous murals directly across from the entrance. They are skillfully combined with three dimensional elements such as tree trunks, branches, and there is even a full tree in the center of the room. What a delightful place to visit and spend time adventuring in books!

There is also a timeline of historical events along the upper part of the wall to the right of the tree as you face the exit. You can see a small portion in the last photo above. I almost missed it because I was so enthralled with the trees! 

Behind, within or right next to Lincoln Park is the Buena Vista Branch Library at 300 N. Buena Vista St. This lovely portrayal of a child with an uplifted book is found at the main entrance.  The sculpture is entitled "Read, Reach and Realize." 

The artist of the piece is Wayne Healy, who is a painter, sculptor, muralist, retired aerospace engineer, and founder of East Los Streetscapers.

The artwork is such a simple and beautiful piece and lends itself to many interpretations. The way the bronze is fashioned appears to me as a folded paper cut out. The book seems to be a gift or offering. Composed with colorful glass it seems a gift of enlightenment. The scalloped edges of the bronze where it covers the contrasting concrete intensifies the uplifting quality while simultaneously grounding it. There is a circular sense of giving and receiving in this artwork.

Diagonally across from the Thin Family, mentioned in the previous post, on the South East corner of Verdugo and Buena Vista at the entrance to Lincoln Park, resides a bust of our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. 

This bronze sculpture was created in 1962 by the renown sculptor, Henry Van Wolf. Van Wolf lived and had his studio in neighboring North Hollywood and was the founder of the Vally Artist Guild.

The leaves that grace the curved and welcoming benches (last photo) were put there to discourage skateboard use I assume.  I think they are a beautiful addition rather than a distraction.  I would also assume that Van Wolf did not create them since his life span was from 1898-1982 and the park was dedicated in 2002.

This thin little family can be seen on the corner of Buena Vista and Verdugo in front of the Family Resource Center and beside the Mary Alice O'Conner Family Center. It is such an expressive sculpture, you can see the concern in the parent's faces, and the care in their body language. 

                             I'm still searching to find out the name of the artist and the title of the piece.

Below is a bas relief plaque that is located near the doors of the family center, with a likeness of "Burbank's Own Fairy Godmother," Mary Alice O'Conner to whom the building is dedicated. 

The address of the building says 401 North Buena Vista although it faces Verdugo Ave. 

The first thing that attracted me to Magnolia Park United Methodist Church was its mission style architecture. 

This charming character continues in the Sanctuary with beamed ceilings and arched openings.  

The most sacred items to me are the beautiful stained glass windows.  I love to see Jesus welcome me* with open arms. I find the image quite comforting and a focus for worship. 

The stained glass windows were installed when the church was built in 1929.  In the late seventies it was determined that age and the elements were taking their toll on the windows, so an opaque white covering was installed on the outside to help preserve them. Unfortunately that means they are not visible from the outside. Fortunately the light still comes through and they are quite beautiful from the inside. Upon close examination one can see that many of the small details are painted onto the glass.

Magnolia Park United Methodist Church, which is now known as the Lighthouse at Magnolia Park, is located on the corner of Magnolia Blvd. and Catalina St. at 2828 W. Magnolia Blvd in Burbank with services every Sunday at 10am.  

*Jesus welcomes all who need him with love and compassion!

Right next to Handy Market on the corner of Magnolia Blvd and Buena Vista is the Shell station where I usually gas up my car.  I get to see this mural and take a little vacation every time I pull up to the pump.  
Unfortunately, the attendant didn't know the name of the mural artist or the artist who shapes the lovely topiary animals that frolic beside the traffic on the corner. I wonder if the mural was done by Joe the Painter?

The first post to this new blog features the extremely large mural that stretches from one end to the other of Handy Market's parking lot. I shop here often and appreciate the tremendous effort and care that went into making these beautiful scenes.  This giant painting nourishes my eyes and spirit as much as the groceries nourish my body! 

Burbank's Handy Market is located at 2514 W. Magnolia Blvd. near Buena Vista. The mural was painted in the  mid 2000's by an artist known as Joe the Painter.