María Ochoa PhD
@mariaochoaphd.bsky.social
writer / image maker / prevaricator / cuentista
I love cartoons. My affection for cartoons and their creators comes from my awe at their ability to distill the complexities of critical thought into illustrations that require little to no text to appreciate and understand.
December 4, 2025 at 4:50 PM
I love cartoons. My affection for cartoons and their creators comes from my awe at their ability to distill the complexities of critical thought into illustrations that require little to no text to appreciate and understand.
I visited a 4th class, where the room was chaotic in the ways that educational environments ought to be: students sharing ideas, helping each other. In the middle of it all was this muchacha, a jewel-tipped pencil in hand, crafting her story. She's in high school now. I hope she's still focused.
November 20, 2025 at 7:30 PM
I visited a 4th class, where the room was chaotic in the ways that educational environments ought to be: students sharing ideas, helping each other. In the middle of it all was this muchacha, a jewel-tipped pencil in hand, crafting her story. She's in high school now. I hope she's still focused.
A 20th-century street photographer, Lisette Model. Her Reflections series of people as she saw them through the plate-glass windows, and her Jazz series, are stunning for their vitality. Wish Vienna were in my travel plans. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/a...
November 14, 2025 at 10:42 PM
A 20th-century street photographer, Lisette Model. Her Reflections series of people as she saw them through the plate-glass windows, and her Jazz series, are stunning for their vitality. Wish Vienna were in my travel plans. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/13/a...
Mike Luckovich! A cartoon is worth 1k of words.
November 11, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Mike Luckovich! A cartoon is worth 1k of words.
New exhibition at ImageCentral, "Evolution of Transportation." Director-Curator Frederick Watkins selected three of my images. Opening reception 10/18. 1:00 p.m., 1099 E St, Hayward. Classic cars will be on display. #imagecentralgallery #vintagecars #hotrods #photographylovers #transportationdesign
October 5, 2025 at 10:10 PM
New exhibition at ImageCentral, "Evolution of Transportation." Director-Curator Frederick Watkins selected three of my images. Opening reception 10/18. 1:00 p.m., 1099 E St, Hayward. Classic cars will be on display. #imagecentralgallery #vintagecars #hotrods #photographylovers #transportationdesign
A Local Author Festival is slated for Saturday, October 4, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Hayward Public Library - Fremont Bank Room, 888 C Street, Hayward. This free event features a large range of writing styles and genres. I'll be there with my books and hope to see many of you.
September 20, 2025 at 6:25 AM
A Local Author Festival is slated for Saturday, October 4, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Hayward Public Library - Fremont Bank Room, 888 C Street, Hayward. This free event features a large range of writing styles and genres. I'll be there with my books and hope to see many of you.
Robert Redford best expressed what it means to envision and enact a project that endures when he said about his founding of Sundance Institute “I believed in the concept and because it was just that, a concept, I expected and hoped that it would evolve over time. And happily, it has.” Thank you RR.
September 17, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Robert Redford best expressed what it means to envision and enact a project that endures when he said about his founding of Sundance Institute “I believed in the concept and because it was just that, a concept, I expected and hoped that it would evolve over time. And happily, it has.” Thank you RR.
"Cornucopia of Color," an exhibition hosted by ART Inc., is open until 10/04 at the Adobe Art Center and Gallery in Castro Valley. I'm honored that one of my photographs, CARACOL, was given an Honorable Mention Award by the judge Andrea Guskin. CARACOL is the bottom one in the image on the left.
September 16, 2025 at 12:19 AM
"Cornucopia of Color," an exhibition hosted by ART Inc., is open until 10/04 at the Adobe Art Center and Gallery in Castro Valley. I'm honored that one of my photographs, CARACOL, was given an Honorable Mention Award by the judge Andrea Guskin. CARACOL is the bottom one in the image on the left.
Just Sayin' ... A rich man, riding in his carriage, became hungry. He told his driver to stop at a café, went inside, ordered eggs, and when he saw the bill, he was shocked. Are eggs rare in this neighborhood? The chef said, Eggs are plentiful, but rich men are rare here. (Life Masks by Ruth Asawa)
August 24, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Just Sayin' ... A rich man, riding in his carriage, became hungry. He told his driver to stop at a café, went inside, ordered eggs, and when he saw the bill, he was shocked. Are eggs rare in this neighborhood? The chef said, Eggs are plentiful, but rich men are rare here. (Life Masks by Ruth Asawa)
Breaking News! My photograph, TRES PATOS, is on display at the Adobe Art Center in Castro Valley, and the judge selected it as one of three works for the Merit Award. AMAPOLAS, another one of my images, is also on view. I'll be at the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It'd be great to see you.
May 16, 2025 at 4:48 AM
Breaking News! My photograph, TRES PATOS, is on display at the Adobe Art Center in Castro Valley, and the judge selected it as one of three works for the Merit Award. AMAPOLAS, another one of my images, is also on view. I'll be at the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday. It'd be great to see you.
Lirio de Cala is one of four images of mine included in the upcoming 2025 ImageCentral Spring Exhibition. The show runs April 21 - June 6, with the opening reception on April 26 from 2 to 5 p.m.
April 3, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Lirio de Cala is one of four images of mine included in the upcoming 2025 ImageCentral Spring Exhibition. The show runs April 21 - June 6, with the opening reception on April 26 from 2 to 5 p.m.
I'm pleased to see that one of my images was selected for the upcoming 2025 ImageCentral Spring Exhibition announcement card. The show runs April 21-June 6, and the opening reception is on April 26, 2-5 p.m. ImageCentral Gallery, 1099 E Stt, Hayward.
April 1, 2025 at 12:41 AM
I'm pleased to see that one of my images was selected for the upcoming 2025 ImageCentral Spring Exhibition announcement card. The show runs April 21-June 6, and the opening reception is on April 26, 2-5 p.m. ImageCentral Gallery, 1099 E Stt, Hayward.
My favorite quote from the Mahatma. So true, but so painful in the process of defying tyranny.
March 17, 2025 at 11:26 PM
My favorite quote from the Mahatma. So true, but so painful in the process of defying tyranny.
The stats speak for themselves. The Nut House obsession with our trans allies is out of touch with reality.
March 11, 2025 at 6:25 AM
The stats speak for themselves. The Nut House obsession with our trans allies is out of touch with reality.
Once again, WaPo (owned by Bezos) wimped out and backed out of running this ad.
February 17, 2025 at 4:37 AM
Once again, WaPo (owned by Bezos) wimped out and backed out of running this ad.
Happy Holidays! In the forthcoming year let's develop the fortitude to organize within our communities, resist totalitarian regimes, and spend time with the people we love and cherish.
December 20, 2024 at 10:06 PM
Happy Holidays! In the forthcoming year let's develop the fortitude to organize within our communities, resist totalitarian regimes, and spend time with the people we love and cherish.
One final photo from our journey to Ireland. A mural in Belfast.
December 14, 2024 at 5:50 AM
One final photo from our journey to Ireland. A mural in Belfast.
The Giant's Causeway in Antrim is a marvel of Mother Nature that inspired a fantastic tale about a conflict between 2 giants. Mike hiked the most rigorous paths in the park while I made photos. You may recall the Led Zeppelin album that featured the geological wonder.
December 5, 2024 at 7:40 PM
The Giant's Causeway in Antrim is a marvel of Mother Nature that inspired a fantastic tale about a conflict between 2 giants. Mike hiked the most rigorous paths in the park while I made photos. You may recall the Led Zeppelin album that featured the geological wonder.
Excellent advice from poet Kate Osana Simonian. When I have a piece ready, I submit it to many competitions so when I receive a rejection, I’ve forgotten and am unaffected. Submitting is a heroic act. I keep a tally and if I’ve got a lot of rejections, I take it as a sign to revise.
December 4, 2024 at 4:48 AM
Excellent advice from poet Kate Osana Simonian. When I have a piece ready, I submit it to many competitions so when I receive a rejection, I’ve forgotten and am unaffected. Submitting is a heroic act. I keep a tally and if I’ve got a lot of rejections, I take it as a sign to revise.
Bríd is an Indigenous Irish deity whose sacred tree is the birch. Two artists created this beautiful tribute to her using birch branches. She stands watch in the gardens outside of the Irish Museum of Country Life in Castlebar, Mayo County.
November 30, 2024 at 3:12 AM
Bríd is an Indigenous Irish deity whose sacred tree is the birch. Two artists created this beautiful tribute to her using birch branches. She stands watch in the gardens outside of the Irish Museum of Country Life in Castlebar, Mayo County.
Our final stop in Ireland was Ennistymon on the wild west coast. These rapids, the Cascades, run through the middle of the town and there is a wonderful walking path along its route.
November 27, 2024 at 7:13 PM
Our final stop in Ireland was Ennistymon on the wild west coast. These rapids, the Cascades, run through the middle of the town and there is a wonderful walking path along its route.
This solitary raven moved me to reflect on the ways I crave the aloneness that feeds my imagination. (Donegal 2024)
November 25, 2024 at 6:35 PM
This solitary raven moved me to reflect on the ways I crave the aloneness that feeds my imagination. (Donegal 2024)
Mike and I spent 3 weeks in Ireland. We were moved by our experiences in Belfast, where this Peace Wall runs between the sectarian neighborhoods and is 20 miles long.
November 22, 2024 at 9:20 PM
Mike and I spent 3 weeks in Ireland. We were moved by our experiences in Belfast, where this Peace Wall runs between the sectarian neighborhoods and is 20 miles long.