Close up of a Dale Chihuly piece. What can I say? Sometimes I am in the mood for a little color.
chihuly’s balls
You've probably heard about them. Chihuly is famous for them. Mostly because his balls are so big. I thought that you might like to see them. While at the Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio, I had the chance to see them. Isn't it nice how I share these things with you?
Don't think that these are all of his balls. He has a lot of balls and he leaves them all over the world. At the conservatory, they have a lot of Dale's balls on display. I didn't photograph them all, just his big balls. If you want to see more of Chihuly's balls, the conservatory would be a great place to start.
Don't be shy. You are allowed to touch Chihuly's balls. Just be careful, you don't want to hurt them.
Here is a fine pair of balls. I like the way they float in the water. Float? Float…. oh yeah, I am sorry, Chihuly calls these floats, not balls. Sorry. I don't know what I was thinking.
Balls! Sheesh.
don’t eat the art
The sign said not to eat the art, so I didn't. However, I did consume a lot of art in just a couple hours.
There was an incredible Caravaggio exhibit. The man knew how to paint awe inspiring lightscapes.
Something that I have never seen before. CMA had a gallery committed to whittled sticks and carved canes. There were dozens of really interesting examples. However, this little general caught my eye and, in the end, proved to be my favorite. Who knew that whittling was an art form?
When was the last time you visited your local art museum? Here in Ohio, we are lucky to have several world class museums and I try to regularly visit as many as I can. I encourage you to find the hidden treasures in yours.
the installation
When it comes to art museums, I am more of a painting & photo guy. Installations are not my thing at all. However, This particular installation captured my attention for quite some time.
Maybe it was the way the glass shapes looked like egyptian barges floating down the Nile. It could have been the way the glass was lit from above, making the shapes glow, dispersing the light as they did so. Certainly the dimly lit room added to the impact of the artwork.
Yes.. an installation that I like.
fight
At work, I was knee deep in a project requiring a mock "Like" button when I realized that I was only one hand away from having a thumb fight button. Sometimes one project just spins off a quick little idea for another.
angelic
Angels mystify me. I often see them in stature form at churches and in art museums. Often, they are shown as female but all of the angels named in the bible are male. Well… boy or girl?
On a photographic note, I've come to see that museums are the masters of good lighting. I like to visit them regularly and the lighting is always fantastic. Want to study lighting? YOu could learn a lot at the local art museum.
blue hole update
A week or so back, I brought you a photo of the blue hole and mentioned the painting was hanging in the Cincinati Art Museum. The following weekend, a friend of mine and I visited the museum and low and behold, there was The Blue Hole.
march of the mannequins
On a recent visit to the Cincinnati Art Museum, we discovered this group of mannequins huddled in a room. I imagine that they were being prepared for an exhibit.
Finding them was a photo opportunity that we couldn’t pass up. As much as we enjoyed the museum, these mannequins turned out to be my favorite subject of the day.
the blue hole
This location was the subject of a painting titled "Blue Hole, Little Miami River". Created by Robert Duncanson in 1851, the painting can be seen at the Cincinnati Art Museum. If you don't live in the neighborhood, you can see an image of the painting by following this link:
What do you know? You just experienced a little culture. Didn't hurt as much as you thought it might, did it? I know, I am often shocked my self.
Have a great day folks.
dale chihuly
When it comes to non-photographic art, I generally find myself drawn to watercolors and, dutch masters, and the impressionists. I can name only a handful of current artists beyond the few that I am personally acquainted with. Dale Chihuly is among those few well known artists whose work is instantly recognizable to me.
His name comes so easily to mind because of the beautiful glass medium that he works within and the organic shapes that he creates. His peaces are easily recognizable.
Franklin Park Conservatory, located just east of downtown Columbus, Ohio has a large permanent collection of Chihuly glass sculptures that warrant a visit if you are ever in the area. Installed within the indoor gardens, the sculptures mingle with the gorgeous plants and flowers and can be visited year round without needing to worry about the weather. As an added bonus, many of the pieces are located within the tropical butterfly house.
Lovely art, beautiful flowers, and butterflies. How can you go wrong with a combination like that?
tim mcmurdo 