a new year

Wishing you the best year yet! Happy 2013!

lights!

As Hindus across the world start celebrating Diwali, or the festival of lights, I thought we at Inside the Pomegranate could enjoy some photos of illuminated beauties. I hope these brighten up your day...

~photo credits unknown~

november afternoon {john atkinson grimshaw}

Victorian-era painter, John Atkinson Grimshaw's painting, November Afternoon, Stapleton Park seems to perfectly capture the mood and feel of November. There is a stillness, the sun is lower in the sky, and the colors haven't yet committed to full-on winter hues. 

The British painter Grimshaw, is best known for painting landscapes with extraordinary realistic effect - seen in lighting, coloring, and details.    

November Afternoon, Stapleton Park
John Atkinson Grimshaw
click onto the image for a larger view

aspen leaves {magical}

A week ago I was kicking back and relaxing in Vail, taking in some of the last of the glorious golden aspens of the year. Aspen leaves catch light like nothing else and then when a nice gust of wind comes through, the little golden leaves dance most magically. I love fall, and it doesn't get much more beautiful than autumn amongst the aspens of Colorado. 

click onto the photo for a larger view

like little golden coins

photography: chasing our dreams {gregorius suhartoyo}

I came across this stunningly beautiful photograph on Pinterest. I think it captures a moment and feeling so perfectly. The colors, the light, the subject - all perfection! It was taken by Gregorius Suhartoyo and is entitled, "Chasing our Dreams". Lovely.

Check out more of Suhartoyo's photography at:

http://500px.com/GregoriusSuhartoyo. 

His art is amazing.

art: poplars in autumn, pink effect {monet}

Here's Monet's beautiful "Poplars in Autumn, Pink Effect". Doesn't Monet capture the colors and light of a sunny fall day perfectly? And, it's as if we can see the leaves move in the wind.  

Poplars in Autumn, Pink Effect
Claude Monet, 1891

summer afternoon by lillian mathilde genth

I love this painting by Lillian Mathilde Genth, entitled "Summer Afternoon". The lighting is beautifully captured and it's as if you can feel a breeze floating through the scene. The light and air reminds me very much of today.

American painter, Genth studied under Whistler in Paris, and while she's not as famous as many of her male counterparts, I think her work is lovely. This painting dates from 1910. 

shout out: Lumiè

I recently found an iPhone app that I think it so much fun. It's called Lumiè, and it allows you to add some nice effects to your photos. Here's a photo I snapped of a rose from my garden, then I added a Lumiè effect to give the photo some nice light flares. I think it gives the photo a little bit of a magical feel.

happy easter!

What a wonderful day! We hosted Easter lunch for my parents and brother, and the day was quite lovely. I hope you and your loved ones had a beautiful day as well.  

sunlight through a crabapple
at the Arboretum here in Madison

flowerful friday

If you're looking for a little bang for your buck in the flower department, look no further than a few paperwhite bulbs. I planted 10 bulbs that I picked up at the local nursery, and at only $2 each, the are a great way to enjoy some flowers indoors during these colder months, plus they last for weeks!

Now one of the bulbs is in full bloom, and its many delicate blossoms are delightful. I can't wait for the other 9 bulbs to bloom as well!

backlit - looks as if they're glowing!

Happy Friday!

dreaming of...

Here's what I'm dreaming of today.  

How about you?

inspired

I came across this great example of forced perspective photo. Isn't it beautiful? It combines several things I love - a flower, gorgeous light, dance, and photography - so it's not surprising I find this image completely inspiring. It makes me want to be a better photographer and challenge myself to think outside the box.

Want to see more great examples of forced perspective photography? Here's where I found this image, and there's 98 more to enjoy: http://www.instantshift.com/2011/11/03/99-excellent-examples-of-forced-perspective-photography/.

just a few of my favorite things

what is it that you love?

From a great cup of tea, to the scent of lavender, to travel, to enjoying a great piece of art in person. These are the things I can count on to make me feel quite happy. How about you? What's on your list of favorite things?

golden hues:
sparkly light, dried lavender, a palm tree, tea

art!
here's an extreme close-up of one of Monet's
massive waterlily paintings -
the color combination is sublime

photography: butterflies,
setting my camera up for a shot sans tripod,
flowers, and Nino

travel and getting great candid shots of locals

What are the things that makes you feel perfectly happy?

all that glitters

Just because it's Monday doesn't mean we can't enjoy a little glitz and shine. And what better way than surrounding ourselves in the warmth of golden hues? I'm partial to gold - I like the way it reflects, shines, and creates a warm light like nothing else.

Arabic script with flowers - Turkey

close-up: in the right light a silver pitcher
has golden shades

a window to windows

I'm in Minneapolis for work and arrived to my hotel late today. Looking out of my hotel window I can see a host of other windows looking back, reflecting shades of cool blues and greys, with a few warmer tones tossed in too. Maybe it's because I'm partial to so much that reflects, but I find these windows quite beautiful even if it's in a very modern, linear way.

light and reflections

Christmas Eve - what else is there to say? Perfection!

candlelight

the winter solstice

In the northern hemisphere, today is the winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - marking the beginning of longer days and shorter nights. Here's to days with more light!

light and reflections

Simply colored tea-lights brighten up and add so much warmth to a dark winter evening.

light and reflections

I adore glass Christmas ornaments - the way they capture and reflect light is enchanting. Here are a few of my favorites from our tree this year. 

light and reflections

It's always been a tradition in my family to celebrate the feast of St. Nicholas on the morning of December 6th, but St. Nick must have heard that I would be out of town for work, so he came early to our house this year! 

As kids, my brother and I would put a pair of our shoes outside our bedroom doors and in the morning St. Nick would magically have arrived with small gifts. It was always such a treat! St. Nick really outdid himself this year with a gorgeous winter wonderland scene from Germany. It lights up our kitchen buffet table in a magical way!

a winter wonderland!

isn't it precious?