chinatown--where the living is hard.... Clay Street Budai.

Of the recent images that popped up on my homepage, this is my favorite.  There is but one reason for this - the appearance of selective color.  To me, this added drama and punch.

This one's great. The color of the umbrella immediately draws our interest but the complexity and detail of the sculpture and drawing immediately jack-knifes our attention to the other side of the picture. It kind of reminds me of a candle lit before a shrine.

In the Chinese tradition, Budai was a monk who lived in china at about

907 to 923. He is generally portrayed as a jolly, happy fellow, who

wanders from place to place replacing the sadness and austerity of the

people with happiness and plenty. He is usually manifested as a rotund

felloow with a large protruding stomach, which signifies contentment and

plenty. He carries in his hand a sack that never empties, in which he

carries goodies for the people. In homes and temples and businesses,

the Budai sculpture is often placed in the front of the building. This

particular Budai mural is on the side of a wall at the point where Clay

Street sneaks up a hill and empties out onto the smorgasbord of

humanity and activity that is Powell Street. On this day, neither rain nor

impending darkness dampened the enthusiasm or gusto of the sea of

humanity that gushed about their daily lives. I had barely enough time to

shoot this picture before a car pulled up, and the driver, scarcely

believing his good fortune, quickly backed awkwardly into the steeply

inclined parking bay, and, unfurling a colorful umbrella, quickly poured

out onto the deluge of humanity and was swept away with the current,

as did my chances of ever getting another picture. As usual, thanks for

your time.

Very good (6), great composition and timing make this special. Best regards Ken.

Nice street art result. Nice POV. Very well done. Congratulations. Roldao