The Shapes of Art

Stewart has suggested the theme The Shapes of Art for the header challenge this week. I am posting early because tomorrow is another doctor day.

I could have chosen the art of quilting, which depends on shapes for its designs. But instead I revisited the Maryhill Museum, which, in addition to permanent exhibits of paintings, Native American culture, chess sets, Rodin (I was looking there for "thinking" last week.) Queen Marie of Romania, and the Theatre de la Mode, each year hosts a sculpture garden. These are some of my favorites from visits to the Sculpture Garden.

My header choice comes from this piece, seen here with the museum as the backdrop.

You don't see the circles so much in this view, but when you get a little closer you can look through them to see other shapes from nature.

Here is another of my favorite circles from that year's display, framing the Walking Man.

The Walking Man was moved from the area of the changing Sculpture Garden to become a permanent part of the museum collection. Made up of a collection of parallel metal plates, the piece gives a fascinating illusion of movement. And sometimes a ghostly illusion of the disappearing man.

Maryhill Museum is a unique spot of culture located on a ridge above the Columbia River Gorge, far from the nearest city. The mansion was built by the eccentric tycoon Sam Hill for his wife Mary. She chose never to live there, far from what she considered civilization.

Her loss. Our gain.

 

Our little family of "headbangers" meet a weekly challenge to design a header that best portrays the theme. You can find the others through the links on my sidebar.

 



Chihuly in the Desert

I haven't yet shared some of what we saw on our trip to Arizona. (though you may have seen some of these on my Facebook page.)

Karen went all out to entertain us with a hike or expedition each day.

There was an installation of Dale Chihuly glass at the Desert Botanical Garden. This would be the most colorful of our outings, though all were equally as interesting.

 

Skywatch at Living Memorial Sculpture Garden

 We have often passed this site in the rush to get from home to Southern California or back. This trip was the first time we stopped. On the way south we pulled into the parking area to be greeted by a covering of about nine inches of snow. We didn't have the right shoes on to brave the trail out to the artwork. Returning a week later, we found the snow gone.

This particular piece is called "The Why Group". It is so large that it is hard to convey in a photo.

Additional photos from the garden will be at my photo blog over the next few days.


We were graced with beautiful blue skies on our trip to California. See other skies around the world at Skywatch.

ABC Revisiting F

It was Fall when we visited far flung Fairbanks two years ago on a cruisetour.

Thye fountain of the First Family monument

 is a favorite feature of Fairbanks.

Having a plane parked on your lawn is not all that uncommon for homes along the Chena River that flows through Fairbanks. Residents are ready to take flight at any time, much as we might hop into our Ford and head down the highway to the nearest town. It's all the same--as the nearest town is most easily reached by plane.

Fairbanks reFlects the old and the new meeting in modern Alaska. 

Find other posts for the 9th round of ABC Wednesday.

Seattle Cloud Cover



Seattle Cloud Cover is the name of this art installation in the Seattle Art Museum's Olympic Sculpture Garden.


When I first saw it on our visit last month, I thought the elements had discolored the clear  panels bordering and sheltering the walkway.


No, my son told me--it's supposed to be that way. So we looked at the guide I had downloaded and printed out.  The "glass bridge incorporates images discovered in nature of the changing sky."

Perfect for a spring Skywatch.

You will find other Skywatchers here.

ABC Wednesday---I

I

am back!

I is for inscription, this Latin inscription incised into the stone was displayed

in the interior of Lincoln Cathedral.

I am back in time for ABC Wednesday. Reasonably regular blogging is in my foreseeable future.

Geometry Monday--Rose Window--Lincoln Cathedral

Circles within Circles

Down by the River Witham

The River Witham runs through Lincoln--down at the bottom of Steep Hill. The distance picture of the cathedral was taken from a bridge near here.

This sculpture Empowerment was installed in 2002. It was designed by the artist Stephen Broadbent, and spans the river near the shopping district.

Art in Lincoln Cathedral

Ah, they are restoring this stained glass window.

Were you fooled?

This large painting was in the cathedral's cafeteria--showing the work that had been done several years earlier. Isn't it amazingly realistic?

The cathedral istself is a work of art--the architecture both inside and out as we have already seen, works of art in the windows, ins carved tombs (which will be the next cathedral post) and exhibits being shown at the time we were visiting.

In one side chapel was an exhibit of calligraphy and illumination.





A needlepoint wall-hanging represented the plants of the cloister garden.

The art installation that most moved me were "The Forest Stations--this interpretation of the stations of the cross done in woods from all over the world There are 163 different woods in the fifteen pieces. (I will add the name of the artist later, as I have left the booklet I purchased in my office.)

Here are some of the images.

Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus carry the cross.

The women of Jerusalem weep.

























Jesus is nailed to the cross.

Jesus dies on the cross.

Geometry in Art

Looked at head on, the wild horse sculptures featured las week use a lot of rectangles. I am featuring more pictures of the horse sculptures this week at 365 No Themes No Memes.