Hometown

It felt like time to get out of town for awhile and have a change of scenery. A day trip to my hometown  seemed like a good idea-back to my roots. Perhaps a visit to Houston is not on your list of places to go this summer, but the vibrant Museum District makes a great weekend experience. There are at least twenty museums and cultural institutions,surrounding art galleries and shopping in this tree-lined cultural oasis south of downtown.

I had forgotten how beautiful Hermann Park is with its statue of Sam Houston overlooking the reflecting pool, jogging trails and the Museum of Natural Science. It's an urban gem, and easy walking distance from the Museum District. 
The Houston Museum of Fine Arts is a good place to start and can easily take an entire day.

I was anxious to see the Soto exhibit, a kinetic installation of 24,000 hand-painted tubes suspended from two stories. This work by Venezuelan artist Jesus Rafael Soto, invites visitors to not only touch, but walk through and interact with his art.

I just wanted to include a few pictures from the museum's permanent collection and current exhibits.

It's an eclectic offering of ancient Islamic, Egyptian and African art. The Glassell School of Art which is part of the HMFA has a fascinating exhibit of African gold from Ghana.

Of course there are plenty of Old Masters paintings, but I am drawn to the contemporary abstracts.

 Next stop was the Museum of Natural Science. As you might imagine, dinosaurs and lots of fossils rule here.  Enough of art and culture, I was ready to head for one of my favorite Houston lunches-a James Coney Island hot dog! 

  

Redo

Here it is the end of May and I haven't written a word all month.  I remembered promising to post a photo of my den redo. Although it is not finished yet, I have made progress. It has turned out nothing like I had envisioned, but I am pleased with the results so far. Here are the "before and after" shots.

The before shot

Still need to find some end tables and art work for the tv wall (which doesn't show in this photo). As with most of life, it is a work in progress.

  

"Ashes and Snow"

I'm blogging today after watching videos of Gregory Colbert's photographs. His fine art photography is shown in his Nomadic Museum, an exhibit that has traveled the world. Entitled "Ashes and Snow", it includes at least 100 photos and several film segments amassed over a ten year period. 

Here are a few of his photographs in sepia and black and white. His work is amazing. His lens captures the interaction of animals and people in a way that is both magical and spiritual.

There is so much more to say about this filmmaker/photographer and his ethereal images. If you would like to see more, there are plenty of "Ashes and Snow" websites that will leave you awestruck. 

Easter on Orcas

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter. While going through some old photos, I found these pictures I took while visiting Orcas Island.  It was early spring and the daffodils were in full bloom. It was a great time to be there, and although the weather was still chilly, there was no rain for ten whole days.

Stopped to take in this beautiful field of daffodils in Anacortes, where the ferry leaves from Seattle to the San Juan Islands.

Pike Place Market in Seattle was brimming with tulips in a rainbow of colors. Seeing these makes me wish that I had planted some bulbs. Oh well, maybe next year.