A very special wedding present from 2 very special friends- “Father Sky Mother Earth.”
Tag: art
Variations on a Theme: Doors
I am noticing that themes exist within the towns I have visited. Some are organized, like the Miles of Mules project, and others seem to be more of a neighborhood “thing,” like the mailboxes on a Key Largo street that were all fantastic!
After we left the Corning Museum of Glass, my husband and I decided to check out the town of Corning and maybe get an early dinner. As we walked up and down the downtown street I kept stopping to admire the front doors.
This is what I saw.
Orange Door
Green Door
Blue Door (with cool MAIL door)
Wood Door
Skinny Door
Wide Door
Avocado Door!
I’ll drink to that- where is that coaster of mine?
Destination Inspiration: Corning Museum of Glass
I’m not sure but I think I may be a genius.
(Well, that may be an overstatement but for a moment I allowed myself to think that. It may just be that I am topical! )
Let me explain.
We went to the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York this past weekend, and I experienced a moment when I was wonderstruck, astonished and, yes, reverential.
Contemporary Art + Design Wing Entrance
My pictures couldn’t fully convey the experience. When I turned the corner to enter the Contemporary Art +Design Wing, it took my breath away. As Kristy Wenz described, “with its stark white walls and abundance of natural light, the glass art stuns and radiates.”
I was stunned. (Well said, Ms. Wenz.)
When I came home from our trip, this was waiting for me.
And that’s when I wondered if I might just be a genius, because I haven’t stopped telling people, including total strangers on our trip, to go to this museum and see it for themselves. Turns out, I wasn’t just giving them travel advice, I was enriching their lives. Go figure!
My visit reinforced how sometimes small things bring about grand feelings. The miracle of people throughout history taking liquid sand and using it to create beautiful, purposeful objects was inspiring and heartwarming. Taking the time and effort to beautify everyday objects elevates us all.
Ancient glasswork
As I wandered through the exhibits, I wanted to go out and make things. I loved the patterns, colors, and the care that went into the pieces and the museum itself.
Of course, I found a bench!
Glass blowing
I plan to respond to the call and continue to be awed!
Variations on a Theme: Barn Art
Driving along a Northern Michigan country road, I not only saw an adorable mailbox and whirligig, but I also saw a beautiful barn with a quilt block painted on it. Since I recently learned about barn quilts during a lecture at my quilt guild, I was thrilled to see one in person.
This wasn’t the first barn quilt I had ever seen though.
Last summer I saw a barn with quilt blocks painted on it in Oregon, but I didn’t know at the time this was a movement in rural communities throughout the U.S. and Canada. I just thought I was looking at a really cool thing for someone to do- which of course it is!
Stay tuned for more art on very large canvases- buildings!
Favorite Things: My Own Mini Masterpiece
A couple of years ago there was a Facebook challenge to post your favorite masterpiece- or maybe we were given a name of an artist and had to choose a painting of theirs for everyone to enjoy. Whatever it was, I liked the idea. I liked seeing artists and their famous works that I never knew of. I also liked seeing what my friends chose.
That was when I decided that one of my favorite paintings was the portrait of Juan de Pareja by Velazquez. The more I looked at it, the more I liked it. He looks proud and beautiful (and I also really like his collar.)
So I posted it!
Recently, I found a blank canvas that I had bought to do something with and decided to use it to make a mini masterpiece for my desk. This is how I did it:
The canvas was 4X4 so I had to crop the image as a square.
Then I printed it out with borders on 4×6 photo paper.
I cut the extra white space using my rotary trimmer so that the edges were crisp.
I used dots to adhere it. (I have used Mod Podge in the past, but I am thinking I may be able to use the canvas for another picture since the dots are removable.)
I bought a small easel from Michaels and there it is!
chillymink.com 