Field Trip

Today's images are of the City National Bank building in Mason City, Iowa.  This and the adjoining structure, the historic Park Inn Hotel, were designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1910.  The lighting accessory featured above along with the interior and exterior images below show various elements of his widely-known Prairie Style.  Currently the former bank is a two-story ballroom that contains reproductions of the above Mercury statues, three original skylight art-glass panels and the grillework doors in front of the glass doors.  Regarding the Mercury (the ancient god of trade and commerce) light fixtures, originally the room had four and now they are located at the entrances. In 2011 the doors to this last-standing hotel designed by Wright reopened to the public.

Gratitude

Currently for many of us, stress and anxiety seem like our new companions who hang out right on our shoulders and fill our consciousness with all sorts of things.  Anyway, so often I read about the positive impact of gratitude and how it really does make a difference.  And, as I was reviewing my images of previous months of March in Iowa, I came across these photos from 2013 and the snow-covered  landscape.  That year bitter cold lingered for quite some time and caused disruptions for many folks due to frozen pipes and plumbing issues.  Quickly I realized how grateful I now am for the more moderate temperatures and lack of snow so that those who want to escape life indoors can more easily step outside for a brief reprieve.

"Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more.

  It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order,

  confusion into clarity...

  It makes sense of our past,

  brings peace for today,

  and creates a vision for tomorrow."

                                                                                             --Melody Beattie

Focus

Well, in the last week, the "elephant" in the world has made quite an impact in the USA and life as we knew it changed dramatically in what seems like an instant.  With that said, for me this image has a clear message about the need to focus.  In the midst of such unprecedented circumstances, my mind and body (and probably yours as well) seem to operate in overdrive.  Whew...frequently each day I have had to pause, quiet myself and find peace in just being in the moment.  May the solitude in this photo bring a moment of calm in our very uncertain times.

"We don't realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme self who is eternally at peace."

                                                                                                                       --Elizabeth Gilbert

Staying Green

Recently I spent time in a botanical garden -- ahhhhhhh.  Given the cold weather still in these parts, I relished the time in that warm, humid dome with all sorts of green things.  These two images are simply the leaves of palms and another common house plant.   And indeed, I'm enamored by all the artistic elements so vividly on display, including texture, lines, patterns, relative lightness and darkness and more.  These photos are my favorite way of going green.

"I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful, an endless prospect of magic and wonder."

                                                                                                                  --Ansel Adams

Lots O' Green

"May your troubles be less,

And your blessings be more.

And nothing but happiness

Come through your door."

                                                         --Irish Blessing

Spaghetti & O's

This is one of my original pieces of art that includes repeating patterns -- you can see them.  This art form is often referred to as tangling, or the Zentangle method of using repetitive designs to create some really cool stuff.  It's easy -- pen and paper.  Most often I use a black marker and some beautiful paper from the folks at Zentangle.  To see all the latest updates, products and amazing artwork, visit zentangle.com.

Anyway, while I was drawing the top portion I started smiling thinking of when I was a kid and loved that canned pasta of O's and tomato sauce.  Now, not so much but as a youngster it was always a favorite pick.  In the above image I like to think of it as strands of spaghetti with coils of O's floating on air currents while anchored to a small portion of flooring from a 50's diner. 

"Think left and think right and think low and think high.

Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!"

                                                                                                                         --Dr. Seuss

Feathered Friends

Woodpeckers.  Nuthatches.  Perhaps you feed them or have noticed other backyard beauties.  Often during the winter months when I look out the window there is constant activity in and around the large Colorado blue spruces.  They provide great habitat for numerous creatures seeking shelter in the cold.  Just yesterday I found myself memorized by a male cardinal as he moved from branch to branch.  The bold red feathers on the blue-green spruce needles made for a perfect work of art.  So glad I took the time to look.

Still Going

Although Christmas is beyond two months in the rear-view mirror, one souvenir remains.  It's a gorgeous poinsettia that is small in size, measuring under a foot tall, but stunningly beautiful with its endless red leaves.  Remember, the leaves of this plant change from green to red and are often mistaken for petals.  The actual flowers are the tiny yellow pieces at the center of each leaf bract.

Anyway, a short time before Christmas I saw this darling little bundle in a local grocery store and found it too adorable to leave behind.  I assumed, as with all the other poinsettias I've had, that by now this little gem would not be thriving.  However, this past holiday was especially difficult with the loss of a very dear loved one.  My heart was broken with her passing but each time I see these glorious red leaves I feel reassured that her gentle spirit and loving disposition are ever present.

Lost in a Sphere

To get this center circle, I simply clicked on the sphere filter.  Voila!  Using my original tangle creation and editing software, I quickly found something pleasing.  The left portion seems like a ball of yarn that a cat would love to spend hours batting around the house.  To the right my eyes get lost in a pattern of black and white ... with the one irregular square obvious but perhaps easily overlooked.  Did you notice it? 

Lastly, this shape seems to represent all of the basketball games that are played this time of the year.  Whether a sports aficionado or not, you've seen it on the television, in the newspaper and heard broadcasts on local radio stations.  In the small rural high school where I teach, both the girls' and boys' teams will be playing in the upcoming state tournaments.  So, here's a nod to those dedicated young people who dream of playing on the big stage and waving a championship trophy over their heads.