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

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

one's own path

Which path would you take? For me, it just depends on the day.

inspired

What inspires you? Inspiration can come from a variety of places - some expected, some not.

catalogues and a magazine, these all arrived on the same day -
with such beautiful shades of pinks and corals

at a great local restaurant, a repurposed
wine box makes for a lovely flower display

what better place for color inspirations?

flowerful friday

Yesterday in Madison we got our 1st substantial snow fall of the season. Everything is gorgeously coated in a crisp white. The tall evergreen that I see outside a bedroom window looks like frosting was magically and most generously applied to it. All of this newly fallen snow makes the garden look quite beautiful once again by tying everything together with bright white. 

This blanket of snow makes me think of white flowers in the warmer months and how they, like snow, can tie everything in a garden together, making for a completely classic look.

a few of my favorites - delphinium,
single and double petaled lilacs,
and hosta flowers

"Peony after the Rain" by me

I'm pretty sure we can't go wrong with a few white
flowers to add an element of brightness
and neutrality to a garden's palette

Happy Friday!

a similarity of shapes

While I was traveling for work last week, I was in my hotel room and put my necklace, earrings, and rings into a glass for safe-keeping, and the image immediately caught my eye. I grabbed my camera phone, as I didn't have my regular camera, and snapped the image. The items' circular qualities got me thinking about how often this type of shape catches my eye. It's something I'm continually drawn to. 

all so different, yet similar
clockwise from upper left:
an ornate lattice,
a marble fountain from above,
me with my beloved camera,
and looking down into a drinking glass

a calm beauty

This first month of the year is usually full of snowy days, but so far we haven't had any flurries at all. Perhaps the snow is on its way. I find the whiteness of freshly fallen snow to be quite stunning. Here are some photos that remind me of winter. To me, they present a type of calm beauty.

classic color combinations: pink and green

Pink and green have been one of my favorite color combinations for most of my life. I never tire of this duo, perhaps because they so happily marry often in nature, in a well-groomed flower bed, or in a stunning piece of art. I give much credit to the idea that if colors occur together in nature then they "go" together. Matching isn't necessarily my goal, but "going" is. Here are some pinks and greens that I think "go" beautifully together. 

pinks and greens galore -
gorgeousness abound!

I Photoshopped my photo into a million of dots
a la Seurat  ;-)

from the kitchen: gluten free pasta with kale

Looking for more gluten free dinner options? Here's an easy pasta with kale dish we tried a few evenings ago - it was quite tasty, and despite the lack of meat, it was very hearty. I started by cooking the kale in olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes and once the kale wilted a bit, I added a few dashes of balsamic vinegar. After this cooked down I simply tossed the kale with black bean pasta. This gluten free pasta has 20 grams of protein per serving, and I thought the taste was quite good - much better than some gluten free pastas I've tried before - making it a great substitute for "regular" pasta.

eyes wide open

details, details, everywhere!

inspired

"Make the most of yourself, 

for that is all there is of you." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

We're a week into the new the new year, and I've decided to change up my Saturday posts to focus on being inspired. What inspires you? For me, I find great inspiration from my surroundings, especially when I find beauty in them, in other words by being present and noticing what is around me I am so often inspired. Here are a few images of people, places, and things that have inspired me...

 in a Paris park -
I adore her attention to details
and how cute are her shoes!?

noticing a robin that blends right in

perhaps nothing inspires me more than a
walk through a beautiful garden

on vacation,
a quiet sitting area inspires me
to create this type of oasis
 right at home

flowerful friday

Perhaps more than any flower, the tulip has always captured my heart and imagination. Ever since I was little, I adored the tulip. My mom grew them in her garden, and I distinctly remember how tall and sturdy they were. I couldn't have been much taller than each flower, and I would gaze downwards into the the blooms in awe. Then I fell in love with the illustrations of flower fairies by Cicely Mary Barker, and the Tulip Fairy was my favorite - so much so that she was the inspiration for a Halloween costume one year. 

Cicely Mary Barker's
Tulip Fairy

Not until more recently I learned about tulips and their incredible history. I think most of us associate tulips with the Netherlands, even though their origin is of more eastern descent. But the Dutch do love their tulips, so much so that there was actually a phenomenon in Dutch history called, Tulip Mania. I kid you not! During this period, in the early 1600s, a single tulip could catch as much as 4200 florins (for a little perspective, the annual income of a skilled worker at the same time was 300 florins a year!).

the Viceroy tulip from the
Tulip Mania period

My understanding of tulips expanded greatly when I visited Turkey this past November. Tulips actually originate from Turkey and the Middle East. I've read that the word tulip is actually a corruption of the Turkish word for turban. Almost everywhere Turkey, tulips can be found in art and design. Take a look at the photo of me enjoying a cup of Turkish tea. You'll notice the shape of the tea glass is decidedly the same as the shape of a tulip, trust me, this is no coincidence! The Turks seem to love two things very much - tea and tulips! But then look at the tile work on the wall behind me and you'll see more tulips! Gorgeous isn't it?

tulips, tulips everywhere!

a souvenir from Turkey with their
beloved tulip in blue

Here are some photos of tulips I took this past spring. Their colors are breathtaking. No wonder so many of us find tulips the perfect antidote after winter!

a view from above,
just the way I did when I was little! 

stunning colors!

a few from my garden this past spring

color therapy - violet

Perhaps the most regal of all colors, violet ranges from deep almost wine-like purples to pale lavenders. Pantone, arguably the authority on all things color, gives this as their official violet shade:

In Chinese art, violet represents the harmony of the universe since the color is neither blue nor red, but rather a blend of the two, and therefore a combination of yin and yang. Violet is the highest color in the visual spectrum and is considered a "cool" color and said to contain calming properties. I wonder if in addition to its lovely scent, this is why lavender is so popular for its ability to help us relax.

Here are some of my photos that capture the coolness and calmness of a wide-range of violet hues.

cool lilac

various shades of violet,
with touches of pink

fresh figs

a regal iris from my mom's garden