If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I was recently in London enjoying a fabulous ten day vacation. Each day brought a new adventure of museums, galleries, cultural sites, scenic walks, shopping, eating and, of course, people watching. And just about everywhere we went, there were beautiful gardens giving me a reason to pull out my iPhone and immortalize its unique beauty. As summer comes out an end, please enjoy this selection of ten (plus one bonus) favorite random blossoms spotted in various areas of beautiful London! Continue reading Ten Summer Blooms From English Gardens→
On my recent holiday trip to Southern California, it turns out I was just in time to check out a cool site-specific installation, NASA’s Orbit Pavilion, which ‘set down’ at the Huntington Library and Gardens in 2016 and just closed to the public on December 31st so it can move on to its next destination. Talk about perfect timing! Over the years, Orbit Pavilion provided thousands of visitors with an opportunity to ‘hear’ more than 20 earth-orbiting satellites as they move across the sky collecting research data on everything from hurricanes to the effects of drought. Continue reading NASA Orbit Pavilion at the Huntington Library→
Kehinde Wiley’s new artwork Portrait of a Young Gentleman (2021) is based on Thomas Gainsborough’s  painting of the same name, which is commonly known as The Blue Boy (pictured below) which is an icon of the collection at southern California’s Huntgington Library. Blue Boy (1770) follows a tradition of portraiture often referred to as ‘grand manner,’ whose stylistic formula is designed to announce the wealth and status of those who are portrayed.
Stella’s title, Hiraqla Variation III (1969) refers to Hiraqla, an archeological site in present-day Iraq that contains a half-built circular structure probably constructed around 800 CE. Thus, the circular canvas, brilliant coloring and geometric patterning reference complex domes and intricate tile work of Islamic architecture.
Photographed at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, while on loan from the Norton Simon Museum.
