inspired by gardens

I never seem to tire of seeing gardens and being inspired by beautiful garden spaces both near and far. What better way to get ideas for my own garden? Whenever I travel, I am drawn towards lush green spaces and flowers, and when I'm home I try to make time for enjoying the beautiful gardens here in Madison. 

 a cloistered garden, Greece - early springtime

a view down to a secluded sitting area, Madison

a September garden still full of color, Vail

solid as a rock

Sculpture, perhaps more than any other art form, amazes me. How a sculptor takes stone and creates something that can be so life-like, is a process I am in awe of and find completely inspirational. Not that I think I'll ever take up sculpture, but rather what inspires me is the process of creating an end result that is so beautiful.

at the Art Institute of Chicago

profile of a sphinx -
Corinth, Greece

how does stone look like
draping cloth?
Delphi, Greece

classic
Delphi, Greece

one of Venice's many regal lions -
did you know that the lion is
the symbol of St. Mark, the patron
saint of Venice?

gorgeous!
at the Louvre

perhaps my favorite - ever since I saw this for the 1st
time on a high school trip to Paris!
at the Louvre

color therapy - yellow

What do you associate the color yellow with? For me, it's the happiest of colors. When I see forsythias' yellow blooms I know that spring has arrived and warm, yellowish light always makes me feel cozy. Here are a few (mostly) yellow photos of mine. Hopefully the cheeriness of this hue will brighten your day.  

isn't the yellow forsythia
against the blue sky just stunning?
Kalabaka, Greece

warm, yellowish light
Paris

I love how each of these petals are
both strong and gentle looking

a perfect yellow bloom,
flower type unknown to me
Esperanza, Vieques

a close up of a type of palm -
almost looks like modern art,
doesn't it?

yellow lighting shines with so much
warmth and coziness - it softens
the metal of the lamp

a picture paints a thousand words - #2

Somewhat magically, the Meteora monasteries dot the landscape in Kalabaka, Greece. In Greek, meteora means "suspended in air" or "in the heavens above".  More than 20 of these monasteries were built during the Byzantine Empire, today only 6 of these (seemingly impossible to build) structures exist. When I visited Kalabaka I was awe struck by the spiritual serenity of each of these buildings and the beauty of the surrounding landscape. Just like yesterday's post, I could write pages about the experience of seeing Meteora and how they make one feel. But, a picture can paint a thousand words - I hope this one can. 

awe

flowerful Friday

I took this picture of an almond tree in a rustic Greek village a few years back. The blossoms were adorably petite and cute. This trip to Greece was a mother-daughter vacation - it was mid-March and spring had arrived to the land of Homer, Socrates, and the beautiful Helen - and, for me, this experience will last a life-time.

There is something about seeing flowering blooms that can give us hope. We still have a few weeks of winter here in the North, but spring is just around the corner and soon we'll be seeing our own flowering trees.

tiny almond blooms sending a BIG signal - SPRING!

Happy Friday to you!

tranquil Delphi

There's a lot going on for me today, so I think it's a good day for a photo that exudes tranquility.  I captured this beautiful prospect in Dephi, Greece a few years ago.  This was the view from my hotel room - not bad, right?!  I'll be taking this image with me throughout the day.  The water in the distance is the Corinthian Gulf.  Aren't those colors so peaceful?  What a memory for me!  I hope you enjoy the view too...

lovely Delphi