COVID 19, Quarantine, Mask, staying 6 feet away, changed many things for me including my fitness routine. My gym closed, my yoga studio closed and the place where I walked was too confined to assure the distance necessary to protect me from others on the bike path.
At first, I thought, now I don’t have to exercise, Yay!
However, after being confined to my home, I began to thirst for nature and fresh air. I decided to walk on Chandler because it is a wide street with a center parkway so that I can keep my distance from others passing by. Within a few weeks, I became friends with the trees, and next, I began appreciating all the remodeling being done. Each week I decided to focus my attention on something I hadn’t observed before. That’s when I noticed the beautifully painted utility boxes.
One day as I was looking at “my” box, a young man comes up, and initially, I thought he was coming to visit the box-like myself and I stepped back to give him space. He began unpacking his bag and the next thing began providing some finishing touches to the piece. By the way, I thought it was complete but he had some final details he wanted to add. How often have you thought something was complete and yet when you reflect there are some details that if added would make whatever you are doing pop?
I was fascinated by his attention to detail and asked for his card.
Today I went out for my walk and visited the art installation that I was first introduced to in September. While visiting I realized that I wanted to start the year off by sharing this art with you. Thank goodness I asked the artist for his contact information and so I called him to ask his permission to share his piece and something about him. Here is what I learned about Perris Valentine.
Perris Valentine posts his art on Instagram. One day he received a Direct Message on his Instagram telling him about the Paint Sherman Oaks Project and invited him to submit a rough sketch of his interpretation of the City. He shared with me that there are lots of trees in Sherman Oaks and named some of the varieties. I had no idea what kind of trees lined the Boulevard. I just appreciated their majesty and beauty. Interesting that I had been communing with the trees in my neighborhood but had not taken the time to find out what kind of trees live here. He went on to share that he observed there are a lot of people who appreciate the outdoors and enjoy walking throughout the area. The people are important and really give color to the community. He had some rough sketches that he had done of trees and decided to put a face inside the tree stump.
His piece is titled “Tree People”.
There are four tree people on the Utility box with a different expression on each. When he was assigned his location, he spent time getting a feel of the area. What has been most fulfilling for him is the people that he has met and the conversations he has had with them. He went on to say talking to people tells you a lot about the area and how people operate. He wanted to bring that spirit to his work.
Perris was initially inspired by his grandmother who was an artist and loved painting. He began to take his work seriously in the 7th grade and can’t remember a time, he hasn’t been drawing, painting, and creating. He attended the Art Center Pasadena focusing on Production and Transportation Design. COVID has slowed things down for him. I asked if he had shown in a gallery and he said that he had been with TAG gallery for 2 years. His goal for 2021 is to get in more gallery shows, have a lot more celebrity clients, and continue to create.
While COVID limited his participation in Gallery shows, he was given the opportunity to introduce his work to a new audience and collect new fans like me and many others who I have seen stopping to appreciate his contribution to Los Angeles.
How are you contributing to your community?
How are you contributing to your community? If someone were to say to you we would like for you to submit an idea of how you can add to the fabric of your community what would that be?
Perris, I think that your opening the eyes of those who witness your work adds to the spirit of our community and I hope those who read this will find ways to continue contributing wherever they may be.
The Tree People