Friday, August 9, 2013

Friday Flowers: Hidden Flame

Red Hibiscus

Another lovely Summer weekend has arrived.

Let's celebrate the day with some verse by John Dryden, born on August 9 (in the Old Style dating), 1631.

"Hidden Flame"


Enjoy!!!

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Who Will Riddle Me the How and the Why

Detail of a sphinx from an Eight-Light Candelabra (c.1785) possibly by Francois Remond

Here are a couple more images from my recent trip to the Huntington. ;-)

In general, I tend to focus on the fine art, sculpture, and architecture, but the decorative arts on display are exquisite, very rich in detail. These images have a mythological theme, in a pseudo-Egyptian style.

As for the title of this post, it's a quote from Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem, "The 'How' and the 'Why'". I figured that it would be a nice nod to celebrate his birth date, August 6, 1809.

Detail of a lamia(?)from an Eight-Light Candelabra (c.1785) possibly by Francois Remond

The sphinx and lamia are quite charming, but I find it a bit twisted, even for rococo sensibilities, to put mythical female sociopaths on the furniture. ;-)


Monday, August 5, 2013

Stairways, Multilevel

Stairways in the West Pavilion at the Getty Center

Yeah, I'm still admiring various staircases around town.

It's been a while since I shared an image of one with you. So, here's a photo of the interior stairs at the Getty Center's West Pavilion, which switches back and forth, elegantly curving along the contour of the wall for three levels, going from the Impressionist paintings at the top to the photography exhibits at the bottom, passing by the decorative arts in the middle. ;-)

Enjoy!!!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Back at Ground Control

Display of the Rocketdyne Operations Support Center at California Science Center

Although I said a little while back that I would only be posting "Image of the Day" types of posts, the desire to share a bit more than a pretty picture occasionally gets the better of me. Since I have some time today, here are a few photos from my trip to the California Science Center to view the space shuttle, Endeavour.

It was an impressive exhibit. The various artifacts from the shuttle missions, diverse elements ranging from the "Space Potty" to the Space Shuttle Main Engines, presented a very engaging display of information. Merging the very human concerns of food and digestion with the highly technical elements of space flight, the exhibition was well grounded and very accessible.

The space shuttle Endeavour

But I was surprised by how wonderful it was to see the actual craft. It's a bit embarrassing to confess, but I got slightly choked up on seeing the Endeavour, feeling a bit of something similar to religious awe. Walking around and under, measuring by stride its length and width, viewing the tiles and surface texture, personally experiencing one of humankind's most remarkable constructs was shockingly vivid.

I'm curious to return again, perhaps sometime after the crowds of Summer. I wonder if this numinous sense of something "transcendent" will persist.


Friday, August 2, 2013

Friday Flowers: Days of Wine and Roses

White dahlias

Vitae Summa Brevis


They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
Love and desire and hate;
I think they will have no portion in us after
We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:

Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream



White Dahlia

After highlighting roses throughout the summer, I couldn't do it again. Instead, our focus is on the "Angel of August", the white dahlia. Symbolic of elegance and dedication, it's an auspicious beauty to start off the month.

So, why the title of this post? We're celebrating the birth date of Ernest Dowson, featuring one of his most famous phrases. Anyways, it's closer to our premise than "gone with the wind". ;-)


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Don't Fear the Shadows

Mantel Clock (c.1780) by Joseph-Leonard Roque

Another visit to the Huntington means another bunch of art and garden photos for the next few days. ;-)

It'll be fun, a feast for the eyes.

And our birthday musician for the day is Robert Cray, blues guitarist extraordinaire, born on August 1, 1953.

"Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" by Robert Cray


Enjoy!!!