Cartography Tapestries

Coconino County Arizona retro map travel poster.

I explored Downtown Los Angeles's Arts District in 2009 for my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2009/10/22/california-fools-gold-exploring-the-arts-district/

utah lake USA map decorated with a beautiful old bi plane.

Ivanhoe was a community located just north of Los Angeles, so named by Scottish-born Mexican Hugo Reid (although it was also known as "Ivanhoe Town." Reid died in 1852. Ivanhoe was surveyed and mapped in 1887. Many of the street names were taken from Sir Walter Scott's novel or simply referenced Scotland. Ivanhoe remained on most maps until the 1920s when it was largely subsumed into the 20th century community of Silver Lake.

Cuc Phuong National Park Vietnam map in a wonderful vintage style.

The Antelope Valley is a vast region of Los Angeles County. Within it are two of the county's most populous cities -- Lancaster and Palmdale -- and yet I'd wager its rarely on the mind of Angelenos on the other side of the mountains. I wrote a primer of it in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/05/25/california-fools-gold-an-antelope-valley-primer/

In 2014, I led a walking tour of Lincoln Heights for CAFAM (Craft and Folk Art Museum -- now known as Craft Contemporary). Maybe you went on that walk. Maybe you just like the map.

Illustrated map of the island of Cuba and surrounding islands.

Alhambra is a suburb of Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley. It was one of the first neighborhoods that I explored for my series, "California Fool's Gold," back in 2007. In fact, I didn't even have a name for the series yet -- and I drew the map (rather quickly) a couple of years later. https://ericbrightwell.com/2007/11/05/alhambra-the-gateway-to-the-san-gabriel-valley/

An ink map of the Midtown Los Angeles neighborhood of Wilshire Vista that I did for "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2018/09/07/california-fools-gold-exploring-wilshire-vista/

South America vintage style travel poster.

The Fairfax District is a neighborhood in Los Angeles's Midtown region. It has long been a center of Jewish Angeleno culture although today Fairfax Avenue hosts an odd mixture of established Jewish businesses and newer streetwear boutiques. I explored for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/05/10/california-fools-gold-exploring-fairfax/

San Gabriel is a suburban city in the San Gabriel Valley. The majority of its populace are foreign-born -- mostly in Vietnam and China -- lead to it's affectionately being nicknamed "Chan Gabriel." Its official name is derived from Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, a Spanish mission built in 1776. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/11/10/california-fools-gold-exploring-san-gabriel-a-city-with-a-mission/

Lake Chapala Mexico map

I painted this map of Elysian Heights for a show I called "Taste of the Mideast Side" in which I exhibited maps of various neighborhoods in the Mideast Los Angeles region. The gray cat in the compass rose is "Room 8" -- an internet celebrity cat who was world-famous before there was an internet.

Connemara National Park Ireland beautiful old vintage style travel poster.

Kelleys Island Ohio beautiful vintage style map.

Filicudi Sicily italian island map

I made this watercolor map of Monterey Hills, in Northeast Los Angeles, in 2013. I was accompanied by a now-deceased dog, Dooley, with whom I was charged with going on walks. The map and piece were included in my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2013/12/12/running-up-that-hill-exploring-monterey-hills-at-the-amoeblog/

hoi an Vietnam travel poster.

County Clare The Burren Ireland travel poster

An oil paint map of Miracle Mile that I did on commission. It was actually my first map pointed with oils -- in honor of the tar beneath the region.

An ink and correctional fluid map that I made of Hollywood's Little Armenia neighborhood in 2008 for "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2008/10/07/california-fools-gold-exploring-little-armenia/

Cypress Park is a neighborhood in Los Angeles's Eastside. It's the birthplace of King Taco and El Atacor. I explored for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2009. https://ericbrightwell.com/2009/07/07/california-fools-gold-exploring-cypress-park/

Sherman Oaks is a mostly-suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley. In the 1980s, it was widely associated with the Valley Girl subculture thanks in large part to the Sherman Oaks Galleria -- which figured into the films "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "Valley Girl," the song "Valley Girl," and "Val" culture. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold" in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/07/16/california-fools-gold-exploring-sherman-oaks/

Garvanza is a neighborhood in Northeast Los Angeles. It was this third community to be annexed by Los Angeles, following Sycamore Grove and Highland Park. I explored it, with a dog named Dooley, for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2014. https://ericbrightwell.com/2014/01/16/garbanzo-ramble-exploring-the-garvanza-neighborhood/

El Monte is a suburban city located in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley. It's something of a transit hub, with that valley's only private airport and the largest bus station in the west. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2013. https://ericbrightwell.com/2013/01/23/california-fools-gold-exploring-el-monte-the-end-of-the-santa-fe-trail-or-at-least-some-trails/

Holland cartoon map

Diamond Bar is a community in the San Gabriel Valley. I drew this map of it around 2010.

Hoover Dam Nevada Arizona retro map.

An ink map of Koreatown I made for "California Fool's Gold" in 2010. For Los Angeles's most densely-populated neighborhood, I decided to go more minimal in a nod to Korean graphic design. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/05/17/california-fools-gold-exploring-koreatown-%EC%BD%94%EB%A6%AC%EC%95%84%ED%83%80%EC%9A%B4/

Botswana map retro style travel poster

A beautiful map of the European nation of France.

Walnut is a small suburb in the eastern part of the San Gabriel Valley. It is named, I expect, after the Black Walnut, a tree indigenous to Los Angeles. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2009.

The theme song to the West Covina-set television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend described West Covina is "the pride of the Inland Empire." It coule be said that that show put West Covina "on the map." Unfortunately, that map is not at all accurate. West Covina is in an altogether different county, Los Angeles, to be precise -- not the Inland Empire (i.e. Riverside and San Bernardino counties). I put it on the map in the correct place -- in the San Gabriel Valley.

My watercolor and oil paint map of the Hawaiʻian islands, with their indigenous names (sorry "Midway"!) From my series, "Where Fool's Fear to Tread." https://ericbrightwell.com/2021/06/19/where-fools-fear-to-tread-a-snapshot-of-hawai%ca%bbi-o%ca%bbahu-and-kaua%ca%bbi/