7/15/06

FLEUR-DE-LIS WINDOW

Fleur-de-lis stained glass window at Andy Leight's house.

Also as architectural detail. Located on Cherokee and Oregon Streets, Benton Park West.

ANDY LEIGHT

I recently visited with Andy Leight in his two family home in Tower Grove Heights where he has lived for 12 years on 38 Humphrey. I first met him when we showed together at IN/FORM, a gallery space in the old Lemp Brewery building.


ANDY LEICHT







Leicht works exclusively with oil on canvas, using color to first define the space of the piece he is working on. He does both abstract and figural work.

His use of color is both outrageous and cohesive, promoting conflict and yet, a blended harmony in his work. His ability to push color on canvas is extraordinary and intuitive.

Leicht is presently working on a series of portraits based on black and white obituary photos found in the St. Louis Post. What initially intrigued him was the photo that the family choose for publication. For example, he showed me an elderly woman's obituary but the photo provided was taken when she was decades younger.

Part of the challenge for Leight is to render the two dimensional black and white photographs into color, and paint the portraits as if they were posing for him. He develops a relationship with these photos, bringing mood and tone to the canvas with a profound reverence for the subject.

ANDY LEIGHT'S PORCH - TGS

This column of streamlined bricks is in the front of artist Andy Leight's house in Tower Grove Heights, 38 Humphrey.

Smooth, sleek, curved.

Streamlined Brick.

BRASS SIDEWALK MARKER 1910

43 Hartford, Tower Grove South, 1910

When I was a kid, I used to see these all over our neighborhood and in other parts of the city. Due to many sidewalks being replaced due to damage along with wheel chair accessible sidewalk corners, many of these markers landed in a dump.

If you've any photos of these or know the location of one in St. Louis, run that info over el pronto.



Brass Sidewalk Marker

7/14/06

CANYON BRICK

Called so because of the texture, a reverse of 'bubble' brick. This was spotted in Benton Park West on a duplex from the 50's.


WHERE WE LIVE

I live with an affable and precocious pup, Beau.
This is our house in Tower grove South with original leaded glass bookcases, colonnades and beamed ceiling on the second floor.





7/13/06

BROWNIE BRICKS

I cringe to think that I may been trivializing bricks by giving them frivolous titles. I call them as I see them and the surface presents as baked brownies.



7/12/06

DIAMOND BRICK

Rather exceptional. I found these on 40 Potomac and (as yet) haven't found them elsewhere.




Diamond Brick

BARK BRICK

It has a rough texture that resembles the bark of a tree. It looks as if the terra cotta was applied with a large knife, similar to stucco but never smoothed out.

I wondered how these bricks left the mold unbroken so I asked my 82 year old neighbor, Clarence, told me that during the firing, the brick would shrink and fall out of the mold when turned over.

These photos are from 38 McDonald.

DIMPLE BRICK

I was driving down the alley behind 40 Potomac with my friend Chris Deckard last week, telling him how I give names to different brick when I spotted these bricks on two different garages. He suggested the name Dimple Brick. I have to give him props for calling brick.






Dimple Brick!

7/11/06

3964 McDonald Ave - The brick

Not knowing the names for the different styles of bricks that I photograph and collect, I refer to them by how their surface presents. It's completely subjective and when I have more time i will research further. I refer to the brick on my childhood home as Striped brick. Here's some examples plus a full photo of 3964 McDonald.




7/10/06

3964 McDonald Ave

This is where it all began, 3964 McDonald Ave in the Tower Grove South area of St. Louis. My childhood home!

I love the brass mailbox and beveled glass address plate. I used to polish it when I was a kid. I would run my fingers over the surrounding brick, fascinated with the crevices and various values of color.

I loves me some brick.