Posted in Guest Contributor, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, black, blue, colors, ice, Iceland, Inspiration, landscape, nature, Photography, travel, travel photography, water on July 24, 2020| 1 Comment »
Icebergs
Editorial note: Do you miss traveling? I do too! I thought my friend Andrea’s images of Iceland, taken before the pandemic, were beautiful but now … they are truly majestic, capturing a dynamic landscape rich in color and full of light. Thanks for sharing, Andrea!
Ice Cave
Diamond Beach
Glacier
Black Sand
Blue Lagoon
Photos courtesy of Andrea Ranger
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged art, astronomy, clocks, craftsmanship, design, Inspiration, Photography, prague, science, technology, time, travel, watches, watchmaking on November 18, 2018| 1 Comment »
The exterior of the National Technical Museum is austere but the interior is magical. The exhibits are well curated to appeal to the child of any age and background. There were at least 11 major exhibits, and my favorites were Astronomy and the Measurement of Time. Prague was home to astronomers Tycho Brahe (1546-1601) and Johannes Kepler (1571-1630). The Astronomy exhibit, and the Measurement of Time, with great reverence and artistry, highlight the Czech contribution in these fields. Easy to visit via public transportation. A lovely kid and adult friendly cafe in the basement.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, czech republic, flowers, gardens, Inspiration, nature, Photography, travel on November 17, 2018| 1 Comment »
Lunch breaks are for networking at conferences … and, depending upon the weather, a great time to wander away from the crowds and explore a place. You never know what you will discover, like this little autumn garden on the side of a hill still abloom.
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, On the Road, tagged art, baroque, czech republic, Dolni Brezany, faith, Inspiration, Photography, religious art, sacrifice, sculpture, statues, travel on November 15, 2018| Leave a Comment »
I had wandered away from the conference during an official break and found myself in, what I realized later, was the village square of Dolni Brezany. One of the square’s most startling features is a large stone sculpture of Jesus on the cross. This Calvary sculpture dates to the 18th century and is a replica with the original apparently relocated to the National Museum.
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged art, beauty, creativity, czech republic, fashion, glass, glasswork, imagination, innovation, Inspiration, karen lamonte, Photography, prague, sculpture, travel on November 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »
… I peek in windows. And, thank goodness, I did this day as I walked past the Portheimka Galerie, a glass museum.
I thought what I saw in the early morning hours was a new exhibit being installed. Unfortunately for me, it was an exhibit being taken down!
I am grateful for what I did see and to learn of the artist Karen Lamonte. You can view more of her beautiful work on her website: https://www.karenlamonte.com/
And for more information about Portheimka, visit here: http://www.museumportheimka.cz/introduction/
Posted in Branches, Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged acrylic, beauty, dublin, Inspiration, interior decor, nature, nature photography, paperweights, Photography, travel, trees, urban landscape on September 22, 2018| 1 Comment »
Probably one of the most popular photos I’ve taken in recent years has been that of The Yellow Leaves, an autumn scene in Dublin with pale yellow leaves falling from the white barked branches of a tree on the UCD campus. The image is now available in glass … just click here …
and as a print in a variety of sizes … just click here.
I’ve been luck enough to travel to Dublin several times over the past few years. Each journey regardless of season has presented new opportunities to engage with the beauty of the urban landscape. I’m not sure when I’ll next return but it’s great fun to work with these images in new ways.
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged architecture, art, beauty, Inspiration, Photography, stained glass, stained glass windows, Tiffany, travel on June 12, 2018| 1 Comment »
I’m a details oriented person for the most part, in fact so much so, that I know I sometimes miss the big picture. But by being details oriented it becomes easy to recognize things … in this case … As my companion and I walked around the perimeter of Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church I could see the outlines of the stained glass windows. I pointed. “That for sure is Tiffany Studios, and maybe that one, too.” “You’re sure?” he asked. “Oh, yes,” I said with more confidence than I actually felt. “Look at the faces and the opalescent glass. The drapery. Signature Tiffany.”
He took me for my word and began helping me tug on doors. A homeless man making himself comfortably in a shady corner waved us over and said, “You need to go to that door.” We thanked him. It was locked but eventually, as service was about to begin, an usher unlocked the door and let us in. He was very kind.
As my companion talked with him about the organ, I snapped away trying not to disturb parishioners starting to settle in. And this is what I saw …
As for if and how many of the windows are actually Tiffany Studios, I don’t know for sure. That would involve a deeper level of research and conversation with the church historian or archivist.
But just as fascinating would be to discover more about the windows that are decidedly modern looking in a style I’m not yet familiar with on the East Coast.
Sometimes reminiscent of Chagall for me. What do you think?
Anyway, mostly when I see glass of such different styles in a sacred space I am reminded that the building like the people can be dynamic. A lovely, quick visit … 🙂
Posted in Inspiration, On the Road, tagged architecture, art, beauty, Berkeley, Inspiration, Photography, religious art, stained glass, stained glass windows, travel on June 12, 2018| Leave a Comment »
It wasn’t quite one of my “the door was open and I peeked in” adventures. It was more, it was a Sunday, the church doors were open and we were welcomed in and allowed to take pictures before the service began. Very inviting airy place with bright sun shining through colorful windows.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged bees, flowers, insects, Inspiration, nature, Photography, pollination, pollinators, travel on June 10, 2018| 4 Comments »
Sometimes I get so caught up in trying to photograph the flowers, I forget why flowers exist in the first place. Not for my visual pleasure but to attract pollinators. And they were hard at work in the UC Botantical Garden.
Posted in Inspiration, Nature Notes, On the Road, tagged beauty, birds, egrets, Inspiration, nature, Photography, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, travel, wildlife on June 10, 2018| 4 Comments »
I kept wanting it to take flight, to see its wings fill with light, but it did not want to fly apparently, no matter how many times it lifted its wings. I chanced upon the egret in my usual way, stepping to the edge of a structure and peering over to see what I might see, and there so still in the grass it stood …
… before taking those high-legged steps into the water …
… and then back out again onto land, feathers ruffled but still not taking flight. An impasse. Finally under the heat of the intense noonday sun I moved on suspecting that with my back now turned the egret’s wings spread and silently beat the air as it rose upward and upward, away.
https://www.fws.gov/refuge/san_pablo_bay/
Words + Images 