While in Baltimore a few weeks ago, I went to check out the American Visionary Art Museum.

Anything can be art, it’s all in the eye of the beholder, right?

“Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself.”

In other words, things created by visionaries, geniuses, amateurs and random crazies, in most cases never intended to be art.

Which makes it all the more interesting. Plus points for a great restaurant on the top floor.

The Visionary Art Museum is located at the base of historic Federal Hill, adjacent to downtown Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, and is open 10:00am – 6:00pm, Tuesday – Sunday.

Aquariums are wonderlands to me.

Getting to see these amazing creatures is their (somewhat) natural habitats is an amazing thing.

There were all kinds of fishes.

Snakes.

And a giant whale skeleton.

My favorite was this amazing red octopus, but you weren’t allowed to take photos of him, because he’s very sensitive to light. The sharks were also amazing, but they swam too fast (I only have blurry photos).

Good luck, outside the Baltimore Tattoo Museum.

Crabcakes, everywhere.

The Chesapeake, in the Chesapeake Bay.

Waiting.

Ice, custard or happiness? I know what I would pick.

Be open.

Perfect mashed potatoes.

“From the Land of Pleasant Living.”

A few things in Baltimore that inspired me.

I was very inspired by all the great lettering and signage I saw all over (what little I saw of) Baltimore. Painted, carved, drawn, rendered in neon, on wood, on concrete and on stone. Sometimes deliberate, sometimes unintentional. Always present.

The restaurant/bar was opened by a musician-couple in 1972, when the neighborhood was very different—decrepit and filled with starving artists.

The interior is a funky mix of vintage treasures and repurposed junk, like this beer bottle “chandelier.”

Bertha’s cult following only increased when they, some years later, introduced an iconic green bumper sticker (which has been spotted on all continents) that says “Eat Bertha’s Mussels.”

I simply had to oblige.

I spent the latter part of this week in Baltimore, new territory for me. One cold and overcast afternoon I went to explore the Fells Point neighborhood.

Like much I saw of the city there were piers, boats and great old hand painted signage on brick buildings.

Amazingly rich visual texture everywhere you look.

In an attempt to brighten things up underneath the colorless sky I wore my favorite orange coat (which is actually bright orange), bought in Toronto two years ago.

We could have traveled to Fells Point by Water Taxi, but the New Yorker in me enjoys her walks too much.

Even though I am not a big fan of seagulls, they undeniably add a certain ambiance to it all. There were no other people around… perfect picturesque serenity.