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Posts Tagged ‘design’

phillips brooks window at trinity church

Posted in Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 28, 2014| 4 Comments »

Like Lucy R. Woods, mentioned in a prior post, Sarah Wyman Whitman (1842-1904) taught Bible class at Trinity Church in Boston for over thirty years.  She was also an accomplished artist working in multiple media, from painting to glasswork to book cover design.

She was friends with Phillips Brooks, the rector of Trinity Church.  Upon his passing, she and her Sunday Bible class gifted the church with a window in his memory.

It was begun in 1895 and installed Easter, March 1896.  In a letter dated March 12, 1896, Whitman writes:

“The little memorial to Mr Brooks which my Bible Class has long dreamed of, is now finished and waiting to be put up at Easter. Someday I will show you this, and meantime send a little rough sketch. The three windows are in the Parish Room where the Class meets, and as it is also used for many practical purposes,

the windows (three giving on the cloister to the south) are kept in clear glass with jewelled flowers at the intersecting of the little frames …and then the middle one with a single device. 

In the glass of course there is a depth and richness that this paper sketch little conveys.”

The window is located in the parish library, and is another hidden gem of an architectural masterpiece.  If you would like to learn more about Sarah Wyman Whitman, there are some great resources available online including her letters.  The Boston Public Library has put together a gallery of her book cover designs.  Learn more about Trinity Church architectural tours here.

 

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“you need to smile more”

Posted in Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 29, 2014| 1 Comment »

That was my first reprimand at my first paying job as a 15 year old in Lynchburg, Virginia.  I believe it was in summer at McDonald’s near the public library.  The manager had placed me at a register and was watching me from the lobby.  I had learned the manual well of the various phrases from “Welcome to McDonald’s. How may I help you?” to “Would you like some fries with that?” and so on.  I was a bit perplexed by the smile comment but I gave it go on the next orders throughout the day.  It was midweek and during a block of time when mostly older folk would come in and buy a cup of coffee or tea.  And what happened near the end of my shift?  Well, as I took a silver-haired lady’s two dollars and gave her some change back, she took my hand, patted it and said, “My dear, you have a lovely smile.  You have a good day.”  And I said, “You too, ma’am.  See you tomorrow.”  What brings to mind this memory of making people feel welcome?  There’s been an interesting series of articles in the New York Times about people, especially seniors, sitting too long in the fast food restaurant.  As with any story, there are many ways to dissect the issues but I think this morning’s article about “lessons learned” from the recent clash presents some good food for thought, not about how a business should be run but more about how over time people operate in the world: The Urban Home Away From Home.

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that door knob

Posted in Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 27, 2013| 4 Comments »

This is one of the door knobs referred to in the previous post.  Now that I’ve got door knobs on my mind, I’ll have to take my own advice and look more closely at all the other knobs when I am next there. 😉

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interiors

Posted in Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 26, 2013| 5 Comments »

Photographing the stained glass windows at Trinity Church in Copley Square, Boston is a treat.  The rich colors of the glass.  How the sunlight shining through at different hours can produce a different effect in the same window.  Even in those windows that are clear.  But I often tell people when entering the building, don’t just look up.  Look at the wood.  Check out the door knobs with their intricate details, and be sure to look down.  You never know what lays at your feet …  or under them.

p.s. Self-guided and guided tours are available of this beautiful building.  Learn more about tours here.

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samurai!

Posted in Books I Love, Guest Contributor, Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , on June 12, 2013| 5 Comments »

My first impressions of ancient Japanese warriors were formed by the Akira Kurosawa movies that used to air on Saturday mornings when I was a child.  Later, I read James Clavell’s Shogun.  That was a heavenly experience for someone who had yet to leave her hometown, let alone travel the world.  I haven’t seen the Tom Cruise movie, The Last Samurai, all the way through, though somehow I managed to buy the soundtrack.  All that to say, it was quite the treat to view the current Boston Museum of Fine Arts exhibit, Samurai!

Photo by DL

Photo by DL

As described on the MFA website, samurai were “the military elite led by the shoguns, or warlords, of Japan from the 12th through 19th centuries.”  Through August 4th, the MFA is featuring this exhibit of Samurai armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection that highlights how armor design and use evolved over time from actual warfare to more showcase.

Photo by DL

Photo by DL

I have to thank my friend, DL, for dragging me out the door to see this exquisite exhibit.  It was quite fascinating to see the layerings of cloth, metal and even paper that formed protective barriers for men (and horses!) — pieces that remain enduring works of great art. Afterwards DL and I wandered over to the Egyptian area but that’s a story for another day.  If you’re in Boston before August 4th, I hope you have a chance to visit.  There’s also fun stuff on the MFA website.

Photo by DL

Photo by DL

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from the heart — an interview with artist jen parrish

Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 11, 2013| 6 Comments »

Jen Parrish gave me permission to visit her online sites to select images to use as illustration for her interview responses.  As I did with other interviewees in 2012, I asked Jen to share how music inspires her artwork.  Viewing her artwork inspired me.   I had only to see an item described as “Gothic architecture meets nature” to know how appropos it was that she and I met through an art and architecture department in a Romanesque church.

She is an elegant, soft-spoken woman with a piercing gaze and gentle words.  It took me a while to learn that she is also a renowned jewelry designer whose handcrafted pieces are worn by celebrities and other people around the world.  Without ever having seen Jen work firsthand, I have only to listen as she speaks about her work to feel her dedication to beauty.  I expect everyone who purchases one of her unique pieces must know they carry part of Jen, and more than a bit of world history, with them.  I am very grateful she responded to my questions.   Please read her interview here.  I think you’ll find both the words and images quite interesting.

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a nine minute photo shoot

Posted in Inspiration, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on June 3, 2013| 6 Comments »

Nine minutes.  That’s all the time I had to walk through the Church of the Convenant before the doors would be closed for the day.  Located in Boston’s Back Bay on Newbury Street, the church is famed for its interior design work and stained glass windows by Tiffany Glass and Decorating Company.  The opportunity to photograph just a bit of this interior arose the same wonderfully rainy day I had my photographic adventures in the Boston Public Library.

You can read more about Church of the Convenant’s architecture and artwork via this link.

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like stained glass to my eyes

Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , on June 2, 2013| 10 Comments »

but actually just water running over rocks in a little stream in Woburn.

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like a green universe full of stars

Posted in Inspiration, Kitchen Inspirations, Nature Notes, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 18, 2012| 5 Comments »

I will miss this jewel of the farmers market.

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bright glass beautiful walls

Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on October 23, 2012| 3 Comments »

Well, while in Dublin, I have to admit that I did take pictures of a few other things besides leaves and letterpress.  Even on the rainiest of days, the interiors of the churches were beautiful to view as subdued light shone through stained glass windows and fell upon lovely murals.

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