Marine by Day, Artist by Night

By Vince Meehan

Tierrasanta resident Victor de la Flor has been a Marine for a good part of his life. But he will tell you that he has been an artist for all of his life. His love for drawing has been with him throughout his school days, and up until now, has been a hobby he does for fun.

“I’ve been doing it since I was a kid!” De la Flor said. “There’s a newspaper clipping I have that my parents saved from when I was five or six years old. I mean, it was just kid art that they submitted to the newspaper and I still have it. I guess I’ve been doing it ever since!”

But the main thing that has dominated his life until now has been the United States Marine Corps. De la Flor enlisted out of Orlando, Florida shortly after the turn of the century, and has made a solid career out of it, working his way from the enlisted to the officer ranks. “I’ve been in now for right under twenty years, it’s taken me around the world. I’ve been to places I never thought I’d go. I lived in Japan and was fortunate enough to live in Hawaii for some time before I came to San Diego. Once my family and I came out here, we stayed. I guess we called this place home because we had moved around so much.”

Recently, his love of art has manifested into a force, which now seems to be taking on a life of its own. De la Flor has always drawn whenever he can. In fact, he says his office at MCAS Miramar resembles an art gallery with all his work on display. “I’ve been doing legal work my entire career– I’m a Legal Administrative Officer – I manage a legal service support team of about 50 Marines attorneys and paralegals, both officers and enlisted. I make sure that they have everything they need to complete their mission, training and facilities-wise.”

But he always considered his art to be just a fun hobby; in fact, he didn’t come out publicly until last year when he met an artist at an exhibit in Mission Valley. “It was a small ComicCon-style event at the Scottish Rite Center,” De la Flor recalled. “The guy saw my work and asked me: ‘Dude, do you have an Instagram?’ It was then that I decided to go public with my work; he convinced me.”

De la Flor would do a portrait for a friend and post it on Facebook. Then, friends would see it and request one of their own, which he was happy to do. From then, it blew up. Eventually this led to displays at the Oceanside Museum of Art, Liberty Station, Fleet Week and he even earned a trip to Chicago through a veteran’s art scholarship.

“I went to Chicago and attended the ‘Surviving the Long Wars’ exhibit. It was a group of artists from across the country exhibiting their work, most of which served in the War on Terrorism, but I didn’t go to exhibit my work this time around because it was my first time attending and I didn’t know what to expect. All the other artists had been out there for several years. I got to meet a lot of good people, make connections and now I’m in talks with the Salmagundi Club gallery in Greenwich Village, New York City. I’ll fly out there in June or July when the exhibit takes place, just kind of walk through it and see my stuff on the wall.”

De la Flor’s preferred medium is watercolor and also graphite pencil. “That’s always been my go-to. I always have a pencil and a sketchbook on me anywhere I go – whether it be a small or large one.” He also has a love for sumi ink painting, a deep black ink made from pine branch soot, done with ornate brush strokes, painted with calligraphy brushes, traditionally a Japanese art form. His time in Japan helped him get a lot of inspiration, which he utilizes to this day.

“I’m a big history fan, I actually got in contact with one of the Japanese jurisdiction folks that worked in my office and she showed me around. She introduced me to a gentleman named Koshimizu Morikazu who lived in the mountains of Ōtake. He’s a seventh generation swordsmith and knife maker. His ancestors actually made swords for the samurai clan of that prefecture. He had these swords and artwork on display around his home, it was amazing! I saw these Japanese calligraphy characters on scrolls all over his house and I thought, ‘Wow! I like the brush strokes!’ That was the start, that’s what got me into it. If I can recreate something like this, like bamboo or koi fish, that would be amazing!’ It was hundreds of years old and it was really impressive to see that.”

Much of his work is military-themed, and he’s created a unique style of drawing where the image is represented as being on a crinkled piece of paper, using light and shadows as his guide for making the drawings feel almost lifelike. A couple of his works are currently on exhibit at Liberty Station and include not only an image of Juan Soto of the San Diego Padres, but also the iconic image of the Marines raising the flag at Iwo Jima.

He now calls San Diego his home after settling here for the sake of his wife and kids having a permanent place to call home after traveling around so much the past two decades.

“The Marines has been a wild ride for the last twenty years!” De la Flor stated. “But now I have a solid home and a new chapter in life!”

At a Glance: Victor de la Flor

Marine/Artist

Facebook: Victor de la Flor Art

Instagram: @vtdelaflor

TINA AFTER DARK Speakeasy Bars

San Diego de nitely has no shortage of bars, especially when it comes to speakeasy bars. Across San Diego, you’ll nd an array of hidden bars, most of which are tucked behind a secret entrance or require an exclusive code for entry.

e term “speakeasy” is said to have originated during the Prohibition era because patrons had to whisper while visiting the illegal establishments. e revival of the speakeasy began about two decades ago as an alternative to the noisy, boisterous, hyped-up nightclub scene. ere was also a huge retro fascination with the 1920s era and its classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Whiskey Sour, Manhattan, and Gin Fizz. If you want to have a unique night out, San Diego has multiple speakeasy spots to explore.

1. Realm Of e 52 Remedies- In order to nd the Realm of 52 Remedies, you must rst head inside Common eory and look for the white door. Your journey here starts in a room decorated as a futuristic apothecary, inspired by an ancient manuscript of traditional Chinese medicinal recipes. Continuing into the drinking den, guests are led down a portal to the past with opulent seating, dramatic decorations and overhead sculptures, all of which further enhance the spectacle created inside e Realm. Secret Tip: e four-seat “Emperor’s Bar” inside the Realm of 52 Remedies o ers exclusive access to a collection of premium spirits. is is a unique experience as the cocktails are paired with an accompanying dish.

2. Part Time Lover-I’m not sure this one is technically considered a speakeasy; however, I would categorize it as one as it is tucked away and you wouldn’t know it was a bar just from looking at it on the street. Part Time Lover, is a newly renovated Japanese-inspired listening bar and record store. Here you can sip on Japanese highball cocktails while vinyl music plays from their sound system.

3. Convoy Music Bar-With a hidden entrance o an alley, this is an elegant space that is modeled a er the listening bars of Tokyo. A place where “music comes rst and sound matters most,” the vinyl record soundtrack is transmitted through a custom-built sound system imported from Japan and the cocktails focus on the classics. is may sound strange to 99.999% of the world but there is something exhilarating about luxury travel and more importantly, helping people get there. Whether it’s once in a lifetime experience or a recurring opportunity, either way, it is simply one of my greatest passions in nding and curating trips of a lifetime. I always shied away from discussing this odd fascination with high-end stays as it can come o as shallow or oblivious but to me, the phrase “luxury travel” can transcend an ordinary moment in time to become a moment you cherish for the rest of your life.

4. Youngblood- a “speakeasy tucked within a speakeasy.” A personalized cocktail experience hosted in a bar with only 16 seats, each visit is di erent as three hand-cra ed cocktails are prepared based on the individual guest’s likes and wants.

5. Shibuya Nights-Cloak & Petal’s revamped private bar in the back of the venue continues its Tokyo underground aesthetic with bursts of colors and art inspired by the Harajuku district. e space serves a menu of Asian fusion dishes and o ers special weekly deals; don’t miss out on Toki-O Tuesdays and Wa e and Wine Wednesdays, Chicken and Wa es and half o bottles of wine!

6. Room 56-Room 56 is the top-secret tavern inside Moxy San Diego. It hides behind a bookcase, which you can access only a er conferring with the resident “librarian” and sharing the closely guarded password. Among its inventive cocktails are the Martha Mary Mercy sour, with St. George All-Purpose Vodka, vanilla orgeat, blackberry, and lemon. Secret Tip: e password may be accessible on the bar’s rather mysteriously designed webpage. Text it to the number provided in order to ensure you’ll make it inside.

I haven’t had the chance to try them all yet, but my birthday is around the corner, can you guess which one I will be going to?

It is currently 1:12 am and I have to submit my article for review in less than 6 hours. While I admit I have procrastinated, I usually have some type of epiphany on what I should formulate for my travel section. I truly pride myself on writing something I’m passionate about and didn’t want to compile anything inauthentic to me. However, I think my patience, a great alternative word to procrastination, led me to what I have been waiting to write for a long time.

For many years now as a hobby, I’ve helped countless friends, family, and colleagues book their perfect vacation, or what I prefer to call a journey. It’s one of my favorite things to do with spare time and I want to start to help others do the same. Whether it’s a weekend trip to Laguna Beach or across the globe to a luxury glamping site in Australia I want to be a part of it.

As I will always help curate a trip around your dream vacation spot, I also have a reputation to inspire you to try somewhere new and exciting. Much of my inspiration originates from the ability to nd 5-star hotels and ights for relatively less than market value as I know how to plan.

I nd the best time that is maybe right a er peak season but is just as perfect as the week before. I call ahead of time to speak to the manager and explain the special occasion even

Travel With Troy

if it’s a promotion at your job and I sell it like it’s your honeymoon so you get that added service. I nd what packages the hotel is o ering and then compare it to all other travel companies and see which one is the best. I am constantly researching and keeping up with the new trends in travel so I can stay ahead. e list goes on and on in hopes of setting a blueprint for the ultimate journey.

I know what’s worth the money or not. Too o en people overspend on “iconic hotels” that don’t match the quality. You won’t have to worry about that with me because I got you.

e landscape for the luxury travel market is constantly evolving but so is the customer and in my experience that is leading to a lack of understanding of the clientele. As a travel advisor, I aim to seek what the traveler(s) is looking to experience and properly adjust the journey accordingly to their preferences. All in hopes of not meeting their expectations but rather surpassing them, now that’s a glimpse of what true luxury travel will be with “Troy’s Journeys”.

If you are interested in setting up your next personalized journey, please send me an email at troyjourneys@gmail.com or check out www.troyjourneys.com!

This week the median list price for San Diego, CA 92127 - Rancho Bernardo is $2,869,500 with the market action index hovering around 70. This is an increase over last month's market action index of 68. Inventory has decreased to 32.

Home sales continue to outstrip supply and the Market Action Index has been moving higher for several weeks. This is a Seller’s market so watch for upward pricing pressure in the near future if the trend continues.

Each segment below represents approximately 25% of the market ordered by price.

Updated top to bottom with new interior and exterior paint, wide plank luxury vinyl throughout, 5” baseboards and new light fixtures. Sits on 1/4 acre private lot in the gated community of Isla Mar and is minutes away from the beautiful beaches of Carlsbad and the Batiquitos Lagoon and wildlife preserve. In addition to the proximity to the beaches and gorgeous views in the area, itʼs a short walk to Hyatt Aviara Resort for golf, tennis & fine dining!

Ground floor location provides easy access for guests to enter directly from the street. Downtown living at its finest!

This house is on a 2 acres of land with gorgeous views in guard gated community of Palo Verde Ranch in Alpine. No expense was spared updating this home. All interior design elements were curated to inspire Spanish Revival design and the home has the option of coming fully furnished, equipped and stocked with all the home goods you would want!

This house has each bedroom has its own ensuite and primary has 2 separate retreats. Sits on over 1/2 acre with pool/ spa and owned solar.