FLASH (...hello, Flash): Greetings from the Big Apple! My name is Eddie Murray Pietrzak. I'm an artist, writer, and lazy-bones retiree residing in NYC since 2025, after having lived in Coronado since 1967. Yes, folks, call me a geezer! I was born at Pensacola Naval Hospital in 1957, landing in 'Nado in '67 as a crumb-crunching Navy brat, er, Navy junior (...right, Kevin?), graduating from THE mighty Coronado High, class of 1975. Go Islanders!
I earned a liberal arts degree from Arizona State University, and many moons later, discovered my artistic muse, a most fleeting thing! In 2008, I founded petalstothemetalgallery.com, my one-man enterprise, my labor of love, in which I'd create digital floral art, not with a computer, but with a color copier only. Howzat? Here's how!
First, I'd pick flowers that caught my eye and piqued my interest, mostly from Dad's back-yard garden at 231 'E' Avenue. He had the green thumb! Then, I'd painstakingly arrange the cut flowers, one by one, directly on the glass of the copier, carefully closing its lid without smooshing the "arrangement", now taking a large-format scan of the flowers themselves, finally working with the image until it tickled my fancy, zooming-in and rezooming-in on a particular portion of the image, often to the point of pixelation. The process is far out from start to spinach! The work involved a lot of trial and error, but it always made me chuckle! Priceless! Thankfully, in yours truly's artwork, Mother Nature did all the heavy lifting, while I enjoyed the grins and giggles. Hubba-hubba!
Now that I'm retired, and have closed the "biz", I'm resting on my laurels. What "laurels", you may ask? I was a 2022 selectee for a "Celebrating Coronado Artists" banner, installed across from City Hall, moving to the corner of Orange & Adella the following year. Way-cool, Junior! My myriad images are still visible for viewing via my website (...hint-hint), but I'm no longer accepting orders. To quote the ever-bumbling Maxwell Smart, "Sorry about that, Chief!" C'est la vie. [sigh]
In my now-abundant free time, your faithful servant Eddie-boy shall continue to enjoy art, music, history, following sports, and writing an occasional letter to the local rag. Okay, maybe more than occasionally! By the by, I consider the moniker "local rag" to be a term of endearment, right, Dean? Right-ee-o, Felix! But I digress. Let's swerve back on topic.
I'm truly blessed to be the father of two beautiful and talented daughters, along with one wonderfully rambunctious grandson, and two (...ahem) "enthusiastic" grand-dogs! Woof! Woof!
To conclude this massive missive (...now cut that out!), I freely confess that the first love of my life was...baseball, and I remain a long-suffering Padres fan, an "affliction" I inherited from Mom and Dad, both of whom I miss dearly. Well, sports fans, I must bid you adieu, mes amies. In the meantime, best to all, and...cheers!
As an additional note, I was a 2022 selectee for a "Celebrating Coronado Artists" banner. Although my items are no longer for sale, here are the names and info taglines for the 21 images submitted via email for my artist directory gallery. Thx!
1. "Green Thumb"
(Jade plant blossoms and succulent "leaf", picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
2. "Photon Torpedo"
(Red poppy, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
3. "Hellbender"
(Nerve plant leaf, picked per Gilby at 343 Elm Avenue, Imperial Beach, CA)
4. "Escape Claws"
(Black-eyed susan, picked per Diana at 834 'A' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
5. "Fine Debug"
(Dahlia with "stowaway", picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
6. "Auntie Em"
(Helichrysum bracteatum with "stowaway", picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
7. "Good & Plenty"
(Marguerite daisies, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
8. "Custard's Last Stand"
(Leucanthemum daisies, picked "on the sly" at I-5 southbound Vista Point near Camp Pendleton, CA)
9. "Wheat With Feathers"
(Strawflower, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
10. "Connect The Dots"
(Marguerite daisies with one tiny green aphid "stowaway", picked at 231 "E' Avenue, Coronado, CA. Look for the little green monster. Find it 4 from left, 4 from bottom)
11. "Fuzzy Wuzzy"
(Orange rose, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
12. "How I Wonder"
(Osteospermum whirligig pinwheel daisies, picked per Dee at 333 Sixth Street, Coronado, CA)
13. "The Abyss"
(Orange rose, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
14. "Propellers"
(Marguerite daisies, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
15. "Easter Son Day"
(Shepherd's Purse "colony" placed over geranium leaf, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
16. "Wintergreen Lozenge"
(Pink wildflower and white strawflowers, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
17. "Who You Gonna Call?"
(Micro-mini African violets, picked at 540 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA)
18. "Lipstick Traces"
("Blushing" rose petals, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
19. "Deep Space Nine"
(Jade plant blossom, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
20. "Dad's Back Forty"
(Geranium leaves placed over purple wildflower, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
21. "Petals To The Metal"
(Assorted rose petals, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
I earned a liberal arts degree from Arizona State University, and many moons later, discovered my artistic muse, a most fleeting thing! In 2008, I founded petalstothemetalgallery.com, my one-man enterprise, my labor of love, in which I'd create digital floral art, not with a computer, but with a color copier only. Howzat? Here's how!
First, I'd pick flowers that caught my eye and piqued my interest, mostly from Dad's back-yard garden at 231 'E' Avenue. He had the green thumb! Then, I'd painstakingly arrange the cut flowers, one by one, directly on the glass of the copier, carefully closing its lid without smooshing the "arrangement", now taking a large-format scan of the flowers themselves, finally working with the image until it tickled my fancy, zooming-in and rezooming-in on a particular portion of the image, often to the point of pixelation. The process is far out from start to spinach! The work involved a lot of trial and error, but it always made me chuckle! Priceless! Thankfully, in yours truly's artwork, Mother Nature did all the heavy lifting, while I enjoyed the grins and giggles. Hubba-hubba!
Now that I'm retired, and have closed the "biz", I'm resting on my laurels. What "laurels", you may ask? I was a 2022 selectee for a "Celebrating Coronado Artists" banner, installed across from City Hall, moving to the corner of Orange & Adella the following year. Way-cool, Junior! My myriad images are still visible for viewing via my website (...hint-hint), but I'm no longer accepting orders. To quote the ever-bumbling Maxwell Smart, "Sorry about that, Chief!" C'est la vie. [sigh]
In my now-abundant free time, your faithful servant Eddie-boy shall continue to enjoy art, music, history, following sports, and writing an occasional letter to the local rag. Okay, maybe more than occasionally! By the by, I consider the moniker "local rag" to be a term of endearment, right, Dean? Right-ee-o, Felix! But I digress. Let's swerve back on topic.
I'm truly blessed to be the father of two beautiful and talented daughters, along with one wonderfully rambunctious grandson, and two (...ahem) "enthusiastic" grand-dogs! Woof! Woof!
To conclude this massive missive (...now cut that out!), I freely confess that the first love of my life was...baseball, and I remain a long-suffering Padres fan, an "affliction" I inherited from Mom and Dad, both of whom I miss dearly. Well, sports fans, I must bid you adieu, mes amies. In the meantime, best to all, and...cheers!
As an additional note, I was a 2022 selectee for a "Celebrating Coronado Artists" banner. Although my items are no longer for sale, here are the names and info taglines for the 21 images submitted via email for my artist directory gallery. Thx!
1. "Green Thumb"
(Jade plant blossoms and succulent "leaf", picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
2. "Photon Torpedo"
(Red poppy, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
3. "Hellbender"
(Nerve plant leaf, picked per Gilby at 343 Elm Avenue, Imperial Beach, CA)
4. "Escape Claws"
(Black-eyed susan, picked per Diana at 834 'A' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
5. "Fine Debug"
(Dahlia with "stowaway", picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
6. "Auntie Em"
(Helichrysum bracteatum with "stowaway", picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
7. "Good & Plenty"
(Marguerite daisies, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
8. "Custard's Last Stand"
(Leucanthemum daisies, picked "on the sly" at I-5 southbound Vista Point near Camp Pendleton, CA)
9. "Wheat With Feathers"
(Strawflower, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
10. "Connect The Dots"
(Marguerite daisies with one tiny green aphid "stowaway", picked at 231 "E' Avenue, Coronado, CA. Look for the little green monster. Find it 4 from left, 4 from bottom)
11. "Fuzzy Wuzzy"
(Orange rose, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
12. "How I Wonder"
(Osteospermum whirligig pinwheel daisies, picked per Dee at 333 Sixth Street, Coronado, CA)
13. "The Abyss"
(Orange rose, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
14. "Propellers"
(Marguerite daisies, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
15. "Easter Son Day"
(Shepherd's Purse "colony" placed over geranium leaf, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
16. "Wintergreen Lozenge"
(Pink wildflower and white strawflowers, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
17. "Who You Gonna Call?"
(Micro-mini African violets, picked at 540 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA)
18. "Lipstick Traces"
("Blushing" rose petals, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
19. "Deep Space Nine"
(Jade plant blossom, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
20. "Dad's Back Forty"
(Geranium leaves placed over purple wildflower, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
21. "Petals To The Metal"
(Assorted rose petals, picked at 231 'E' Avenue, Coronado, CA)
