Art I saw in America.

 

It's always interesting to see alot of diffeent art abroad.

 

One do get inspired and think of new ways of doing things. I did photograph alot of sculptures and decorations too, but today I have chosen to show you some paintings I saw. This first one was photographed in a gallery in Tulsa, we went there to see the exhibition, Famous Faces, of the artist Kristin Halldorsdottir Eyfells. A very interesting exhibition.
 

 

Kristin H. Eyfells is an Icelandic artist who use oversized canvases to paint faces. As you see below she uses different colors to express the different feelings she sees in people. She claims that every wrinkle in our faces is there for a reason. She has made alot of faces, not only famous ones. Below is a photo of a card I recieved when I bought her book called Famous Faces.

 

The next two photos were taken in Santa Fe in a marked there. Santa Fe was a fantastic place to visit if one take interest in art and crafts. All the soft-edged buildings felt so friendly too. I loved being in Santa Fe.

 

 

This last photo is a very old well known painting, made of  Johannes Vermeer. It's called Girl with a Pearl Earring. You can read mor about it here. This painting has been one of my favorites for a long time, I once  read a novel about the prehistory of this painting, how it might have happened. Isn't it beautiful? I did photohraph this in Las Vegas.

I hope you got a bit inspired too! 

A bit more electricity.

Last week I promised

a bit more electricity, and now, I can't remember what I had in mind.I took the photo below while driving. Don't know where it is from, but I like the way the bus is parked and the power poles are there too. 

 

 

 

We stayed some days in San Diego too and that was much fun. I really liked that city. It was in San Diego I bought my pan pastels by the way.

The harbour and the maritime museum was a good treat and so was the beach with the longest pier I have ever seen and walked. We also went to listen to a concert played on the worlds second largest outdoor organ. A fantastic experience.

As you'll see in my next photo, the airport is close to the city and that gave me some rare opportuneties to photograph planes in odd situations.

 

We did ensure that the hotels we booked had outdoor swimmingpool, so that Anne and I could swim almost every day. San Diego was no exception and the pool were situated right outside my door. What a great time we had there, I would love returning to San Diego.

 

 

After San Diego we spent a couple of days in a small town called Santa Clarita. What I have to tell from that place needs a post of it's own, so I'll probably return to that.

 

Last stop was Los Angeles, and we spent two interesting days there too. We spent one day down town, walked among the skyscrapers, had something to eat and did shop a bit. The second day we spent in Warner Bros. Studios. A special experience topped when meeting Clint Eastwod himself. Below is a couple of beautiful cityscapes we saw. First one from LA and the last one from Saint Louis.

 

There is so much I want to show you, but I have to choose. I will show you some art I saw though, maybe next week.  

The life giving "mothers" of America.

 

This was something I noticed from the first beginning of our visit.

 

The electrical poles, or whatever they are called. Look at the first photo, "she" is standing there giving life to America. I was very surprised to see this, at first. Back home most of these things have been hidden into the ground. Not all, but most of it close to where people live.

I have no idea what's the best, in the air or in the ground. In the ground is the most expensive, I've been told and less visible is more aesthetic, in my opinion. BUT, the more I saw during our journey the more beautiful, even poetic, I thought they became.
 

 

Below. New ones are being built, and not just a couple. As far as the eye could see they stood there , majestic, in the wide open. 

 

 

Not only one row, many times I saw several rows. Year after year they stand there doing their job.

 

 

On our way to Las Vegas we stopped to visit Hoover Dam, once the largest dam built ever. Built to produce power, and one do expect to see alot of electric installations there. What do you see here? For me these are ballet dancing cats and their instructors.

 

 

 

Even in the desert they do their duty. Can you see their heavy burdens? This is one of my favorite photos from this "series". Next week I'll show you a bit more electricity, and there is some good shots there too.

This became a familiar sight right outside the cities. It's not beautiful, but for me they represent the office life. Colleagues that are busy together.



 

Perhaps not the most usual things to photograph, but I most often follow my feelings. And, seeing them all together makes me remember how I felt. Next time you see one of the "mothers", maybe you'll look at them and think different thoughts, as I did. Who knows?

Enjoy your Sunday and thanks for visiting! 

Grand Canyon.

 

We had the most spectacular day in Grand Canyon.

 

It was a surprising event to visit Grand Canyon. In my head I had been expecting something totally different. I don't know why, but I did expect to enter the bottom of the canyons and look up, instead we were on top and looked down. Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this, and how GRAND it really is!

It was a fantastic sight which I'll never forget. I just had to climb the fence and stand close to the edge. Handyman took my picture and it seems like I'm ready to say: Hands up! 

The photos don't need any further comments, they speak for themselves. If you ever get the opportunety to visit there, do it!

The last photo is something special, enlarge and notice the "thing" in the lower right side. Can anyone tell me what I have photographed? It's quite a mysterie to me. It's just like it's hanging in the air. I would be greatful if anyone can tell me what it is.

Charmimg America, as I saw it.

Old and lonely houses are charming to me.

I saw plenty of them and photographed many. There is something beautiful with old worn houses as long as one don't own them. Many of them, way out in the loneliness.

Some is still in use and others left to maturity. I had a hard time choosing which one to show off. Below is a farm still in use, and very charming. 



 

The grannyhouse. Can you imagine being a child and having this great field filled with daisies? I can. It might as well be an old schoolhouse or another kind of a public house, but to me it became the perfect grannyhouse.

 

I always wonder about the people who built their homes far far out in the prairie. How lonely it must have been, not seeing another person for weeks maybe months. They must have been brave people. 

 

 

Another house left to maturity. 

 

 

One thing's for sure, nobody could come visiting surprisingly. Flat land as far as the eye could see. 

 

 

Abowe all, this last one is my favorite. Have a look at the beautiful scenery. It surprised me that I was so drawn to all these old houses. But, it's the stories, people and the lonliness that make them intrersting.

 

 

All these houses were photographed while we were driving from one city to another, across America. I can't tell excactly where they are from.

Of all the things I saw in America, these old houses made the the biggest impression. I did see alot of beautiful cityscapes and single houses in the citys too, but out there in the wide open with all that magnificent scenery. It won't be better than that, in my opinion. America, it is a beautiful country!

In fact, the prairie was a very pleasent surprise to me. At a first glance there's nothing there but it changed in colors and view all the time. Warm and dry not cold and wet as we left it back home. I simply loved it. 

Home again after a fantastic tour in the US.

We had the most wonderful time.

Almost four weeks on the go, we drowe across the continent. Wow, what a wonderful country to visit.
It all started in Des Moines, Iowa, to visit some family. They, the family, made our days pleasent in every meaning of the word. Showed us around the city and even took us to visit an old american house down town. She who lived in the house was a norwegian married to an american. It was tough of her to accept our visit on a very short note. She was, by the way, leaving for Norway the next morning.

From Iowa we drowe down to Saint Louis. We stayed in a beautiful hotel down town and had two busy days. There was so much to see and take part in, and now, when back home, I think that is the sad part of it all. We had too little time to really get the feel of each city.

We did enter the top of The Arch, almost 200 meters high. Up there we had a room with a view one might say. The photo below is taken from up there.

 Click to enlarge, and notice all the tall buildings popping up in the background. This was a good place to visit, we walked to do anything. No car needed.
We also spent an evening sailing on Missisippi River, mostly because of all the historic events. Reading books often results in good feelings about certain things/places and Missisippi is one of them.
My sister in law, Anne, and I were out shopping and found some really good pieces to bring back home. Clothes, that was. While shopping it started raining and the five minutes it took us to run back to the hotel, we got soaking wet to the skin. I don't think I have ever seen a rainshower like that. Best thing though was that the warmth didn't disappear. Normally that's what's happening here, once the rain is there the air is cooling down.

Below is the sunset on Missisippi, an evening I won't forget.

An early morning handyman and I went for a walk and we came across this cool sculpture. It was very pretty and quite big. I instantly fell in love with it and was glad I brought my camera.

Let me finish by telling that we had the lovliest weather anyone can ask for the entire vacation. I do understand that the heat can be hard for the americans who have to put up with it all the time, but for me, it was like a dream.

I'm thinking of doing a little series of this, so each Sunday from now on will be the day to read more about our adventure.
Take care and enjoy your days everyone.